Design

setting the table: 18 holiday ideas

As casual as our Holiday get togethers are,  we rarely (and by rarely I mean never) set the table formally.  But after seeing all kinds of great ideas on Pinterest, it sure does make me want to start!  For those of you who intend to take your event decor to the next level, here are 18 awesome Thanksgiving and Christmas table setting ideas that look pretty easy to replicate.

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FOR THANKSGIVING

1.  Gold Pumpkins

Blue & Gold Table Setting

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2. Autumn Harvest

Corn Table Decor

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3. Colorful Fall ArrangementColorful Pumpkin Table Setting

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4. Leaves & Acorns Fall Harvest Table Setting

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5. Neutral FeatherGray & Cream Table Setting

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6. Magical Gourd GardenPumpkins and Greenery Table Setting

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7.  Navy & Gold

Fall Table Setting

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8.  Sophisticated Silver & Lavender

Sophisticated Lavender Table Setting

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FOR CHRISTMAS

9. Doily Runner

Doily Table Setting

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10. Glittery PineconeGlitter Pinecone Place Card

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11. Silver & GoldGray & White Holiday Setting

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12. Book Page RunnerHoliday Table Setting

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13.  Classic HollyHolly DIY Place Card

14.  Fresh Green & WhitePears & Ornaments

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15. Joy Place CardJoy Place Card.

16. Burlap & Chocolate  Rustic Chocolate Table Decor

17. Simple Rusticsimple rustic chic table setting

19. Sweet SucculentsSweet Succulents.

All pictures link back to their original source (if known)

mid century minimalist meets boho chic

  Rachel Bilson's antique arm chair

Welcome to the home of Rachel Bilson and lovie Hayden Christensen.  Rachel is best known for her roles in The OC, Jumper, and now Hart of Dixie…but since I don’t watch too much TV, she is possibly best known to me for her amazing relaxed, boho style.

Rachel Bilson with Antique Piano

Rachel Bilson's Living Room

Her new pad is the feature on this month’s Lonny, I suggest you check it out.  Designed by the super talented Kishani Perera, this home is an intermingled yet completely balanced reflection of Bilson and Christensen’s personal styles.  It’s beautifully blended with cultured prints, vintage pieces, and simple lines.

Rachel Bilson's Home.

Accessories at Rachel Bilson's home

Paging Dr. Hart:  I may need life support because your home is drop dead gorgeous!

(Corny? Ehh.  Okay whatever I’ll take my jokes elsewhere.)

Rachel Bilson's boho modern home

Happy Friday!! xo

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(all images link back to their original source)

please don’t take my sunshine away

I want to know – does anyone actually like when the clocks move back?   I most certainly loved the “extra” hour of sleep the other night, but now that the sun sets at 5pm I just want to throw on some pj’s and go comatose after dinner.  In memory of Daylight Savings Time, here’s my tribute to the sun – well, in the form of sun rooms.

My dream home would most definitely have a sun room in it.   Let’s think about this…It’s a room completely devoted to the big, bright ball of light in the sky.  You can soak up that Vitamin D without even going outdoors.  Perfection.  If you’re lucky enough to have one, here’s some really cool designs I’ve come across.

Curbly Sunroom by Emily Henderson

I know Emily just posted this like a day ago but I saw this and instantly felt myself 8th grade style crushing this room.   I’m just so in love I can’t look away.   Every single room in that Curbly house is pure gold.  I love that the wall color (Sherwin Williams Sea Salt) enhances the room so much, and makes it feel so light and airy.

Rustic Modern SunroomThis next one is more neutral, but the warm tones, rich natural textures, and fireplace make it feel so cozy, even though the furniture is very streamlined.

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Sunroom - Elle Decor

Caption this one?  Okay.  Cozy, yet stylish and chic.  I’m digging the “lived in” feel to it.  I really like how they made a somewhat small space seem larger and more interesting.

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vintage inspired sunroom

Retro approach to the modern sun room.  I’m loving that white wall and all those windows!

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Sophisticated Sunroom

Classic and sophisticated all in one pretty package.

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Sunroom for dinner partiesThis last one shows that these rooms can function for more than just a lounge area or reading nook.  This little dining area would be great for a candlelit dinner for 2 or a small get together with friends.

Which one is your dream sun room?

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(all photos link back to their source, if known)

home renovation: living room

Now that the Texas summer heat is gone, it’s time to start thinking about the home renovations once again.  As you remember, our home that we bought earlier this year is a 50’s Ranch style with a Mid Century feel that needs (many!) updates.  We ripped up the floors and installed beautiful walnut hardwood throughout and painted, but now its time to furnish this B.

No better place to start than the Living Room, which I hope to have complete just in time for the Holidays.

This was our last setup at our previous home.  I splurged on my Lee Industries Chairs & Verellen Sofa from Pizitz when I was still living in Florida….so when we moved from the beach to the 1920’s Bungalow Cottage near the river, these lovely pieces worked perfectly.

living room before

Of course I’m keeping the sofa and chairs, but I wanted to bring some other pieces in to tie what I have together and make the home feel more modern.  We painted the walls  in the Living Room Worldly Gray by Sherwin Williams, so I’m going to bring in more of the charcoals and grays into the room.

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, then you remember when I came home with this little treasure.  This Zinc top Chest for $75 is now our Coffee Table.

Vintage Zinc Top Chest

So taking that into consideration, here is my inspiration board of what I want the new and improved Living Room to look like:

Living Room Inspiration Board - Vim&Vintage

Can’t wait to see how it all comes together!

Freedom Tower design: the World Trade Center lives on

As we reflect on the events that occurred on this day 12 years ago, there is hope being built where the original World Trade Center once stood.  Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill have designed what is the tallest building in the country: the Freedom Tower.   Soaring at 1,776 feet, One World Trade Center will not only be a symbolic structure, but also the first of its kind.  We’re talking 3 MILLION square feet of office space (71 floors!).   New technology and sustainable features will pave the way for the future of urban design.  Achieving the LEED Gold Certification level, 1 WTC will use rainwater to power its cooling systems, and exceed code requirements for energy performance by 20%.

Scroll down to see what the 1 WTC is projected to look like!

 View of the new World Trade Center

Freedom Tower Lobby

World-Trade-Center-Curtainwall One World Trade Center future interior space

freedomtowerWestPlaza_06-27-06

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“The tower is an open, welcoming building that both radiates light and is filled with light. Our design team has achieved our goal of creating a great urban place — a building that serves the people who work in it, welcomes those who visit it, and plays an integral and vibrant role in the city that surrounds it.” 

– David Childs, Freedom Tower Architect

1 World Trade Center facts

For more info, visit the World Trade Center’s website.

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(all images are courtesy of www.onewtc.com,  except the last info graphic, found on Pinterest)