Wednesday, December 10, 2014

My Favorite House from the Home Tour

Here are some more of my favorite images from the Holiday Home Tour from this past weekend.  If you missed my previous post highlighting front porches, be sure to check it out here.

All the photos in today's post are from the same house.  This home was undoubtedly my favorite from the tour this year.  It was so light and bright and fresh that I couldn't help but take tons of photos!











Monday, December 8, 2014

Holiday Home Tour

Every first weekend of December, my little home town hosts a Holiday Home Tour.  Our little town has a lovely and sizable historic district, and this district is not only beautiful to see, it also boasts an incredibly strong sense of community.  I am talking about the, everyone-knows-everyone kind of front porch community that so many planned developments try so hard to recreate, but so often miss the mark.  I should know.  While we live in a newly built home now, for six years, my husband and I were proud caretakers (owners just doesn't seem to suit when you are talking about a historic structure) of a 100 year old house.  There is character in  these painted ladies that just cannot be duplicated.

So, I love to stroll through the Holiday Home Tour every year.  It always makes me a bit nostalgic for my old neighborhood.  It certainly reminds me how much I loved living there.  The great thing about the tour is that it encompasses so many different styles.  I love the variety.  I am going to spend the next few posts sharing some of my favorite images from this year's tour.  I hope you enjoy.

Today I am starting out with some front porch inspiration.











Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Holiday Gifts for the Hostess





1. This is one of my favorite sparkling wines that is truly well priced.  Perfect for giving, the bonus is that the bottle and label are the loveliest presentation.  La Marca Prosecco

2. The Fresh Balsam Candle from White Barn Candle Company.  I can be kind of picky about my candles.  I am not a fan of candles with big gaudy labels, especially those with photographs on them.  I really prefer filled candles that can blend into any decor.  This one completely fills the bill with it's unimposing label and frosted glass jar.  Not to mention that the scent so perfectly mirrors fresh cut Christmas trees that you will completely forget that your tree (or mine) is artificial.

3.  These little bird salt shakers are just too cute.  Your hostess will love this unique and fun little thank you gift.

4.  A personalized glass decanter is a welcome addition to anyone's bar cart.

5.  A Christmas plate filled with baked Holiday goodies will make you a favorite guest for sure.

6.  This wine bottle coaster is great to have around, it will save your table cloth from red wine stains, and it is a ton of style for a tiny price.


Monday, December 1, 2014

If You Are Cyber Monday Shopping....

So, let me just start by saying that I am way behind.  Not just with this post being 6 hours late, but just in all aspects of my life right now.  I am still unpacking from our Thanksgiving trip, trying to get errands run, and (of course) needing to begin putting up my Christmas decorations.  At least I have gotten them out of the attic(trying to make myself feel better here).  But even though this is a bit of a lackluster post visually, I wanted to make sure that I shared some important information with you if you still have some Cyber Monday shopping left to do.  Actually, this will help you out all the rest of the season and more.

I wanted to share with you two websites I use on a regular basis.  Mr Rebates and Ebates.  Both of these sites are cash back sites for online shopping.  You may be thinking that there has to be some sort of catch to this, but I am here to tell you there is not.  I have been using Mr Rebates for several years now, and I have received over $400 in rebates during that time.  Who couldn't use the extra cash back, right?

The premise is very simple.  You sign up on their website.  Then, anytime you need to make an online purchase, you log on and connect through them to the site you wish to purchase from.  Then, they keep track of your accumulated cash back and they send you a check.  Seriously!  Mr Rebates sends the checks as you request them, Ebates sends them quarterly.  I use both sites, because sometimes one will have a retailer that the other will not, or sometimes one will be offering a higher cash back percentage than the other.

You really can't beat it!  Happy online shopping!

Here is the link to Mr. Rebates:

Mr. Rebates


And here is the link for Ebates:


Ebates Coupons and Cash Back
 
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