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!

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.

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.

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:




And here is the link for Ebates:

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I am giving myself a little bit of a blog vacation this week.  I will be back next Monday, December 1.  I hope you all have a wonderful week, eat lots of turkey and stuffing, spend quality time with your family, and score some great deals on Black Friday!  See you next week!

Time For Christmas Cards

I have mentioned in the past how very much I love snail mail.  Not junk mail, of course, but real deal, someone took a moment to write it by hand, letters.  Beautiful papers, lovely cards, engraved monogrammed notes, they all make me so happy.  So, it should be no wonder that one of my favorite things about the holiday season is the abundance of holiday cards.

I know, it can seem like one more thing to add to your list of things to do, but if you prepare and get started now, it will save your much needed sanity.  Just don't give up on them.  Christmas cards are a little way to let someone know that you thought of them this holiday season (especially when they are hand addressed!).

Since now is the time to get working on Christmas cards, here are some of my favorites.

All these card designs can be found at Shutterfly.com

All these card designs can be found at Minted.com

All of these card designs can be found at Tinyprints.com

Gift Guide: For Him

- Cozy, comfy Plaid Flannel Sleep Pants  for cold nights.

- A Bottle Opener Key Ring  that is not so obviously a bottle opener.  A little style goes a long way.

- A little soft luxury with a Grey Cashmere Scarf  for chilly days.

-  The Art of Shaving Kit  to make him feel pampered.

- A  Luxury Watch.  An investment?  Yes.  But, if this year an investment piece is something you would love to give the man in your life, check out Invaluable.com.  They have a huge selection at prices that make all the difference.

-  Wooden Watch Storage Box so he can neatly store all those new investment piece watches.

-  I am loving these Zebra Wood Ear Buds .  The juxtaposition of organic materials and technology is a win.  And zebra wood is a long time favorite of mine.

-  These Football Helmet Cufflinks  are not only helmet shaped, they are made from actual helmets used during games.  There are several college teams to choose from.  What a cool gift for the football fan.

-  This Bottle Opener Made From NHL Game Hockey Stick is a definite win for a hockey lover.  There are several different teams to choose from on this one, too.

 -  Again with the combination of organic materials and technology.  What can I say?  I like what I like.  So, this Italian Leather IPhone Case  is sophisticated cool.

- Nothing like a pair of Tweed and Leather Gloves  to keep his hands from freezing.

Good luck shopping for the man in your life.  It is always a difficult one for me.  Hopefully I have given you some ideas you can use!