Teacher gifts with Style!! ....from jvw

(sweet Victorian graphics from the Graphics Fairy)




I started my quest this week for the "stylish, yet different" Christmas teacher gift.
My youngest is in 5th grade and therefore has a few teachers, so you have to think frugal but nice. Below I've listed a few gifts I've found in my quest for the "unique & different", yet affordable :


Lovin' these adorable pendants from Happy Haven!! :

Becky is the sweet, talented artist behind Happy Haven and creates many styles. Check out her site on Etsy for all her wonderful creations. (Her Etsy shop is temporarily closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, but you can click on her post to be notified when her shop reopens!)


Isn't this one too cute for that special music teacher??





The robin's nest is my personal fave.....if you know my website, then you know why...I LOVE robin's nests!

I hope you'll consider one of Happy Haven's great pendants for your teacher or someone special this Christmas....and please tell Becky that I sent you!!


I love the bird theme this holiday season.....and here's another way to show your love for your teacher, with a sweet bird plate from Wise Impressions. A precious dish for her jewelry or display on the wall.








Next on my quest, I found this cute selection of stationary from Inkspot Cards,
via Poppytalk blog.
Inkspot Cards can custom print these cute daisy note pads with any teacher's names.
Their "thank you" cards below are a great staple for teachers also:


Another great teacher gift, for the crafty person is featured below:

Just cut crayons to shape your teacher's initial, frame and sign! A great idea , from the Tip Junkie.


Here's another fave that I'll be ordering for one of my son's teachers:
I found this cute idea with the sweet sentiment, from the blog on MODERN SUGAR. MODERN SUGAR is the modern girl's answer for graphics design! Natalie, the owner/designer has her own blog and she featured this cute card recently on one of her posts. She's happy to share her download of this card; just go to her blog for details.
Natalie is my website/graphics designer. We've had a great time working together and I highly recommend her !! She's been so patient with me and my ever-changing ideas & she has taught me SO much about the computer.


Just remember it's time to place those orders for personalization soon.

Many blessings to all this special holiday week,








(Turkey graphics by Graphics Fairy)

Dreamin' of a white Christmas.....

My husband and I drove through Marble Falls, Texas , Sunday night. While there I just had to "window shop" the charming stores on the old Main Street. The stores were already closed but luckily we were able to view this GREAT display at one of my fave stores: The Mews. Located on Main Street, they have a great space within an old antique building, built "back in the day", using the quarried granite from their town. (Marble Falls has a HUGE granite quarry)



I love how they incorporated Thanksgiving with the Christmas: white pumpkins, white snow, Christmas balls, mossy topiaries, etc....
And how they hung a mossy Texas oak branch to display the mercury glass ornaments.....

I just HAD to call them awhile ago to put a few things on hold that I saw IN the window! You'll have to wait and see which ones..........I'm dreaming that I'll win the brickmaster table from Velvet and Linen's contest with Mark Sage of Bobo ; and I've got a plan for these items. (IF I win, then those items will just HAVE to come home with me, and be my new display for the "brickmaster" contest!) Positive thinking, right?! I try to live like the "eternal optimist", so we'll see what happens...you gotta have faith, right?

Marble Falls is about a 30 minute drive west outside of Austin, home of Lake LBJ.
The Mews is an incredible store that originated in Dallas in 1992, and is a Designer's "heavenly haven" for antiquities & other beautiful things. The Dallas locale hosts over 25,000 sq. ft, while the Marble Falls locale is just a tiny boutique shop. However, they have alot of inventory at the smaller one and it's worth the drive from Austin.
I LOVE this cabinet in the background...they have a "clone" of the same cabinet within the store. Would be so great flanking someone's fireplace , in a kitchen or dining room...many possibilities. The cabinets have a great washed gray paint with a stained brown interior.





I wish they would've had a few little lamps on for you to see how beautiful their inventory really is.....
you'll just have to check out their website or drive over there and see!
They just changed up their display today, because the pumpkins were getting old....so I can't wait to drive back and see what's in the window next time.
I'll keep you posted on those pieces I put on hold....we'll just have to see IF they will be mates to the new brickmaster table or not! If I don't win that table, then I just might have to find a lil spot for my pieces elsewhere in my home.......my holiday present to moi! Stay tuned for pics of the pieces later!
Have a great day,

Funky Home Decor Fabrics

Home Decor fabrics can cost a pretty penny especially when they're funky and a little edgy. I found this company http://tonicliving.com/index.asp located in Canada that has amazing retro and modern fabrics at amazing prices. If you're willing to make your own curtains or pillows this is a good resource for beautiful fabrics. If not the company offers custom design services and the prices are comparable to buying items from a big box store.

Hotel Inspiration - Four Seasons Westlake Village

I had the opportunity to stay at the Four Seasons at Westlake Village.
It's a beautiful hotel with a traditional flair. Most of their rooms are yellow and even though yellow is a tricky color to use, they did a wonderful job. If you're thinking about a adding a yellow room in your house here's some inspiration. Enjoy!!

Finding a substitute for Carrara Marble

Carrara Marble gives a homes a luxurious look but it can be really expensive and it requires some maintenance. I've found a beautiful substitute for Carrara Marble that's actually a porcelain tile. It's looks just the real thing and is less expensive. Check it out at the website below: http://www.tile-shop.com/products/sophia/sophia.html

CALIENTE!!!!

I normally gasp when I see really beautiful furniture but sometimes a nice handbag or shoes can also make me gasp.
Below are some shoes I bought, they are Jessica's Simpson Salopen shoes and cost less than $100. Love them!!!

Fall in Georgia

When I relocated from Poughkeepsie, NY to Atlanta, GA one of the things I missed was most was the fact that fall in GA wasn't a colorful as NY. This past week I took pictures of fall and even though the colors were as vibrant as NY, I did see some beautiful sites. Enjoy!

Basket Case!!

One of my fave blogs, Velvet & Linen, posted a brilliant basket idea today. Written by the talented designer Brooke Giannetti, Velvet & Linen gives me inspiration each week.


Notice the great antique stacking baskets by her home office desk?

Now, take a closer look and see what's hidden inside, her printer!.....



Brilliant idea, created by her very talented husband Steve. Together, Brooke and Steve are a dynamic duo....she's the very talented designer, and store owner of Giannetti Home & he's the very talented architect of Giannetti Architects .


I'm in love with everything they've created in architecture & interior design.

Here's a pic of a poolhouse that Brooke staged for a home designed by Steve, called the Cliffwood House.
One day I have dreams of recreating this style of poolhouse up by our pool! Isn't it wonderful?? In the backdrop is the beautiful cabinet that Brooke now uses in her home office. Cliffwood House has given me loads of inspiration and I encourage you to take the time and view EACH wonderful image they have for this BEAUTIFUL house .
As you can see in my home office, I have a few clippings from the Cliffwood House for inspiration. We're remodeling our 1800's farmhouse and I have some ideas from Cliffwood posted on my "project" door , in my home office, for inspiration.
Speaking of my home office & while we're on baskets.........here's my version of trying to conceal the ugly printer and using baskets.
My printer , although visible, is hidden in this little alcove. Each shelf can be pulled out when using them.
On the right side of my office, I conceal alot of stuff in the white drawer baskets & file cabinets are all in the bottom baskets.


Above my desk, I keep a few things I love, such as ceramic plates created by my children , along with my cherished , whimsical painting . The painting was created by a very talented artist in Lexington, Mississippi.......I adore her fun style. Cleta works in my brother-in-law's law office there, but paints on the side.....I hope to feature more of her work/bio later.
My office is on the original back porch of this old 1800's farmhouse. Notice the old porch railing, old window, etc??


From the office, you step down into our family/utility room which was added onto the farmhouse. Everything to the right is the old house....the little window on the above right is original and still a part of the powder bath.


Our laundry/family room. Hidden wall ironing board is on the back right wall. You can see our washer/dryer area in the left back of the room , but I plan to conceal that soon with curtains ,like this pic:

Photo from Country Living, 2006.







My fabrics , trims, design ideas, magazines, etc. are all concealed in the Pottery Barn baskets and Ikea labeled bins.
I need to work on this built in area....something's missing still.....perhaps burlap feed sacks or a wallpaper on the walls behind the candlesticks? Modern graphic wallpaper or textured paper?
Here's the burlap sack idea, created by the very talented Layla, from the Lettered Cottage (another fave designer/blogger!)

Above, is her "before" cabinet.....
And here's the finished cabinet with the burlap on the wall of the cabinet:


Send me your ideas, I'd so appreciate them!
I know the exposed wires of the Wii system aren't picture perfect, but kids play in this room! Yes, we do have WHITE on the sectional....but it's all slipcovered in white denim....keep them covered with another white coverlet or just throw them in the wash every so often!


Have a great weekend,