A peak into our home...

... this Christmas season...

Christmas is my favorite holiday. Every one is just cheery and looking forward to spending time with their families and friends. The different colorful traditions and food are just icing on the cake. The other fun part of Christmas is decorating. So, without further ado, welcome to our home...


Berry wreath, nativity scene, and a hurricane vase with different red and gold Christmas balls adorn our foyer...

florals: Hobby Lobby (here)

rug, console table: Pottery Barn (old)

Our formal dining room reflects our casual style. I mixed-matched the dining chairs. The side chairs are leather upholstered but I had my mom sew slip covers to soften up the look.

dining table: Pottery Barn (similar Hayden Dining Table and Sumner Dining Table)

arm chairs: Pottery Barn (Grayson Chair)

draperies: Pottery Barn (similar Dupioni Drape)

slipcovers: mom

The centerpiece was made up of antique-silver bowl with sugar-like glazed fruits and a pine wreath with berries, pine cones  and red and gold balls.

antique-silver serve bowl: Pottery Barn (antique-silver serve bowl)

We turned the landing wall of our stairway into our gallery. I hang our wedding and family pictures printed on canvas along with canvas prints of "Family Rules". The banister is decorated with a wreath with pine cones and hang using plaid ribbons in red/white/green colors.

Our Christmas tree is probably my favorite of all.  Our nephews helped hang some of the ornaments when they spent thanksgiving with us.We got a 9.5 ft tree this year. Yes, it is almost touching our ceiling.

This is the time of the year where we get to showcase our Christmas ornament collection. See, instead of buying t-shirts and cups or shot glasses (hubby used to collect both) from our travels, we started collecting Christmas ornaments. We get to showcase everything every year and brings back beautiful memories every time we see them.

all drapery hardware: Pottery Barn (PB Oversized Drape Rod and PB Double Drape Rod)

cane chairs: Tommy Bahama  La Palma Loose Back Chair ( similar Nassau Leather Chair or Rum Beach Chair)

The throw pillow covers coordinated perfectly with the ribbons I used all around the house.

throw pillow covers: Pottery Barn (Plaid Pillow Cover and Silk Pillow Cover)

faux fur throw: West Elm (similar faux fur throw)

The hurricane vases are filled with spiced apple-scented potpourri...

mercury glass candle holders: HomeGoods (here)

hurricane glass: Pottery Barn (hurricane glass)

Yes, our home looks like a Pottery Barn show room, it is not the first time I was told. I love the beach casual look and quality of their furniture. Most of our stuff are purchase throughout the years but some are still sold in the store.

To wrap the presents, I chose this gold with red and green Christmas wrapper to coordinate with all the colors in our home.

Hannah of course had to pose...

And remember my post a couple of months ago about our little calendar girl? The Jacksonville Humane Society's calendar is out. Our little Hannah is featured for the month of November. We are proud doggy parents!

Still in need of gift ideas?  Please consider donating to your local Humane Society (for Jax Humane click here) and help save a furry friend's life.

What is your favorite holiday? Do you decorate for Christmas?

xoxo,
Tey

Christmas presents, etc.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas because the VJ family certainly did! GG and I exchanged our presents on Christmas eve. Not intentionally but because I couldn't contain my excitement when I saw what he got for me. Flashback a week before Christmas and  GG asked me what gift I wanted:

GG:  "Baby what would you like for Christmas?"

me:  "Hhhmm, a new purse."

GG: "Hmmm... seriously what would you like for Christmas?"

Okay, women don't joke about purses (or shoes) when you ask them what they want.

me:  "I already have you! I don't want anything else."

I have been blessed with the sweetest, most loving, honest husband and I could not ask for more.

GG gave me a big hug and a peck and said: "I haven't shopped yet, I haven't had the time."

me: "It's okay, we have each other and that's all that matters."

We were both working the whole week and we had commitments after work. The whole week passed and neither one of us did any more shopping (or so I thought).

The morning of Christmas eve, we were going to do last minute shopping to finish the items on our list. I walked past our 9-foot Christmas tree, grabbed the list and walked past it again. I probably passed the tree a few times that morning. I went to our bedroom, got changed, and went back out so we can be on our way. GG was already dressed, sitting on the couch, surfing on his iPad while waiting for me.

I bought GG's gifts, the week before. So, I took them out and decided to put them under the tree. I didn't want him to know I got him something because I know (again) he hasn't shopped for me, or so I thought!

As I was walking towards the tree, I noticed a brown bag on top of the other presents. After the second, the third and the fourth glance, I knew I wasn't hallucinating. How could I have missed that?! I looked at GG and he had the cutest chuckle ever!

me: "Is that for me? Really?"

GG, now laughing: "I think its for M-----" (my step daughter who's only 11)

me: "I don't think so! That's not on her list!" 

I couldn't wait to see what's in it! I was like a kid with a new toy.

GG: "It's been there since this morning, I was waiting to see if you'd notice it. You can't wait 'til tomorrow can you?"

nodding my head faster than a bobble head and with my arms wrapped around him: "Can I? Please, please?"

GG of course said yes. We exchanged presents the day before Christmas. =)

I got hubby a Raymond Weil Tradition Stainless Steel watch with black face and Croc embossed leather strap, a charging station valet for his night stand and an outdoor smoker (he loves to grill).


When I opened my present - I   D-I-E. He got me the Louis Vuitton Retiro PM Monogram purse.

He even had my initials hot stamped on the strap. So sweet!
I can't wait to style/rock it!

Did you lovelies exchange presents? Do you have a tradition you do during the  holidays?

xoxo, 

Tey

Merry Christmas!

I know I am late. But, I still wanted to take a little bit of your busy, happy, fabulous time to greet everyone of you a very Merry Christmas!

I also thought this was funny and that it was worth sharing...

(I cannot find the source, so please email me if you know then I can give proper credit to the creative mind behind it!)

 xoxo,

Tey

A very personal post...

After all these years...

I am still...

Daddy's little girl...

I love you dad!

Happy father's day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's day Mom!

Thank you - for everything!

I love you!

And to all the lovely mother's of the blogosphere

Happy Mother's day!!!

XXOO