Archive | Holiday

One Last Holiday Treasure

By on January 7, 2014 in DIY, Holiday, Uncategorized

For as long as I’ve had kids, I have been saving the photo cards that we receive every holiday season.  Yup, just the photo cards.  So if you are thoughtful enough to send out traditional cards…THANKS, but they are recycled (unless it’s super cute and can be used to make a gift tag, but clearly that’s another blog post for another day).  I’ve been holding onto these cards every year while I try to figure out what to do with them all, but alas the box just kept getting bigger.  Truth be told, by this time of year I’m usually just so sick of all the decorations that have turned into clutter that I am happy to shove them into said box.  But last year I didn’t shove them, last year, I created a photo book with these supplies.

Yup, all I used was a book ring, hole punch, gift tag, and some ribbon!  I brought last years out this year and so many friends & family members picked it up and flipped through it, they loved the simple idea.  Blog guilt kicks in “You shoulda posted about this last year”  So, here we are…my Annual Holiday Card Book!

Of course my kids are featured on the front page!  It’s so simple really, just a hole punched in the top left corner of the cards & put them on the ring, then I used silver stickers to add the year onto the gift tag and finished it with a pretty bow.I did put a little bit of tape to secure the clasp, cauz I’m crazy like that, but once you slide the ribbon over it, you can’t see it at all. It’s such a simple little keepsake for your family to treasure year after year!  Now I just need to go back to do 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011…wanna help?

 

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Holiday Home Tour 2013- Family Room

By on December 11, 2013 in Antique, Christmas Tree, DIY, Holiday

Did you get a sneak peek at my Holiday Home Tour last week?  Well here is a close up of a few vignettes in my favorite room this year, our family room!I found the PERFECT  tree skirt on etsy several years ago (PSA: The shop is gone now…sorry!  Shop small people and keep these super talented mommies MK Coastal in business)  Green polka dot painted on fringed burlap?!?  Yes, please!  We don’t always have a tree in this room, so I was super happy to finally be able to use it after looking at in our bin of decorations for over 3 years (and even happier that I bought it when I saw it the first time).

I fell in love with these owls while shopping at West Elm this fall.  I was planning on heading back to pick up a few for my tree ($6 adds up) but I found these for $2 at our local Kmart, so I could buy loads more than I had planned.  Of course, I had my six year old with me and he convinced me that we also needed to buy the parrot, because really…what’s a Christmas tree without a parrot?  (FULL DISCOLSURE – Our local Kmart in Acton, MA is GROSS!  Ya hear that Kmart corporate? G.R.O.S.S.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard other local mom’s talk about boycotting that place…but sometimes you have to run in there when you are going to a birthday party at the bowling alley across the street.  So, yeah, I bought some decorations there this year…cauz they were cute fuzzy owls (and a parrot) but man do we need to do something about that dump.  I’m officially putting TARGET vibes out into the blogosphere…but I digress.  Now back to your regularly scheduled blog post).

So, we had such an abundance of hydrangeas in our yard again this year that I couldn’t throw them away.  I decided to incorporate them into our holiday decor, not only on our tree but in this centerpiece as well!

I love my Ikea candlesticks so much I literally use them in different ways every season!  If you go, pick up a set for yourself (and one for me too) for $14.99, I promise you won’t regret it.  Oh,  and while you there, pick me up a box of candles too…I’m almost out.

Speaking of candles, do you love the gold candelabra I found at Home Goods a few weeks ago?

I walked by it a few days before and had major buyers remorse, so I was ecstatic when was back and realized it hadn’t sold yet.  The “meant to be mine” candelabra.  And you might have seen that fox on my instagram post a few weeks ago after said West Elm shopping trip.  Clearly I bring my boys shopping with me often, because I couldn’t say no to their rendition of “What Does a Fox Say” as they begged me for it at the check out counter.  I think he looks kind of cute in his new home…and, for the record, he says nothing.

On the other side of the table is an etched mercury glass vase (it’s green inside…can you see it?  I love it so much!) with magnolia leaves and decorative branches to tie in the magnolia theme on the mantle.  I also framed what is the BEST CHRISTMAS CARD EVA from my bff Kelly, who is also, quite possibly, the most thoughtful and creative person I know.  Can you see her in the corner running the NYC marathon last year?  Hands down, best card eva…and I think the mexican guy would totally agree!

Another little space I love is on the corner of the media cabinet.  I picked up the big fuzzy owl at Home Goods when shopping for Halloween decor…see the inspiration for the theme?  I also fell hard for the color of the lemon cypress in the mercury glass vase from Pottery Barn.

One last little vintage Christmas decoration is from my mom’s ceramics class circa 1985!  I love this even more today than I did back in 5th grade when all I wanted to do was go WITH my mom to ceramics class at night (not that she was a looking for a girls night out away for her 4 kids or anything).  I hope you have decorations with lots of meaning and memories adorning your homes.  If not, start making those memories now, and maybe your kids will want to decorate with your vintage decor someday too. Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Holiday Home Tour 2013 – Sneak Peek

By on December 7, 2013 in Christmas Tree, Holiday

A little facebook post on Wednesday has prompted me to dust off this old blog and show you a few of the decorations around my house.  So here is the Holiday Home Tour 2013…come on ovah!  

If you stick around, I will be posting more shots of each space in separate blog posts, but here is a sneak peek of a few of my favorite spaces in our home this year!

FOYER – Every year we fill our antique sleigh with two extra large poinsettias.  Such a fun unexpected impact in the space!

FAMILY ROOM – This year I topped my mantle with fresh magnolia and loads of candles.  I love mixing  the rustic birch candles with fancy silver candelabras.

KITCHEN – Sleigh rides in the backyard…for real!

LIVING ROOM – See how the MK Coastal tray fits in a totally fancy non-nautical space?

HALLWAY – Our Elf on the Shelf is kickin’ back in the village from my grandmother.  Does your snow glow?  Check back to see how I do it.

TREE #1– We have two trees!  My “fancy” tree (as my kids like to call it) is decorated in silver, gold, white & green and finished with dried  hydrangeas. 

TREE #2 – Don’t worry, my kids aren’t deprived…we have a FUN tree too!  Loads of handmade ornaments and even a few from my childhood!

BACK YARD – We even decorate our other fireplace outside!  Do you like the red and green MK Coastal pillows?  Check out our website, and you too could have some in your home.

Well, there you have a sneak peek!  Check back soon for more posts from the rest of our home.  Let the frantic “decorate my house” phone calls begin.  Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Doodle Time

By on December 2, 2012 in Holiday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Am I the only one who feels like this holiday decorating is coming quicker every year?  Seriously!  I felt like I was the last person in my neighborhood to get the outside of my house decorated..and it was STILL only November.

But here we are, December 1st, and we were busy getting ready for the next big holiday.  Now before you start wondering if my house is actually decorated yet, I wanted to share with you a quick and easy tip for getting a different type of holiday chore done.    HOLIDAY CARDS!  Well, first step is to multi-task.  I brought mine to a 6:00am hockey practice.  If we HAD to be there that early, might as well be getting something done…right?!?

Depending on how old your kids are, you may remember about 7 years ago when aquadoodles were all the rage?  We had several, and even though my boys don’t play with them anymore, I found a pen in our “junk drawer” (yes, I really do have a junk drawer)  So here it is, my secret weapon, STEP TWO…

Seriously, the BEST way to seal your envelopes!  I know, I know…I’m pretty sure they have something specific  to seal envelopes, but there is something about the shape and size of the Aquadoodle pen that make the job much easier. Oh, and since you might have one of these lying around your house, it’s even better.

Now if I can only get them addressed, stamped, and in the mail!

 

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Eight Decorative Nights

By on December 20, 2011 in Hanukkah, Holiday

I have a soft spot for the “J Team” considering that one for my very first do-ovah’s was in the home featured at the end of THIS music video! (starting at 2:49) Ok…so it’s a total dance party and MK Design isn’t really featured but for reals…a Do-Ovah happened!  Sorry, back to Hanukkah or is it Chanukah, either way, let’s face it…how awesome is a holiday that may or may not use a silent C!

This year I got my first call to decorate someone’s home for the eight nights of eight lights.  Her seven year old daughter was feeling deprived of holiday cheer and since she had never decorated for the holiday before, she had no idea where to begin.  We jumped in the car, popped a little Adam Sandler into the tape deck, then strolled the aisles of Home Goods for some festive blue and silver.   I wanted to steer clear of any traditional holiday decoration for fear of being goyish (Yup…new word for me) so we decided to create a winter wonderland atmosphere instead.

We bought a package of blue and silver ornaments, silver pine cones, and some glass snowflakes to adorn the entry to her family room.  She already had some glass figurines that we used to incorporate into the winter wonderland theme.

A silver bowl filled with the ornaments and pinecones is just enough!

We flanked the mantel with two snow covered trees in silver pots.  We added the blue beads, some blue and sliver glittery butterflies, some dazzling dragonflies, and topped it off with a glitzy owl.  We even found a string of lights with silver balls attached…the perfect Hanukkah bush!  And what’s Hanukkah without some gelt, dreidels, and a menorah.

Mazel Tov to THAT sparkle!

We also adorned the mantel with some silver snowflake garland.  What a great way to display holiday cards as they arrive!  Who’s your baleboste now?!?

It’s so cozy…don’t you just want to curl up and light the menorah?!?

If you are a chosen one celebrating this week, I hope this gave you a little inspiration.  Enjoy those nights with your family and friends and give the dreidel a spin for me!

SHALOM

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