December 7, 2016

our new Christmas tree


We’re absolutely loving our new Christmas tree by King of ChristmasIt looks so realistic and beautiful that it's fooled everyone who's visited so far. This isn’t the first artificial tree we’ve had, but it’s by far the best! An added bonus is it came set-up with 900 LED lights, so there’s no need to add any extra lights, like we have with other trees. 

The seven and a half foot tree fits perfectly in our living room which has 9 foot ceilings. The room is small, and the tree's slender proportions are ideal in this space. It looks so pretty "naked", without any ornaments on it and we enjoyed it that way throughout the long Thanksgiving weekend.  



In keeping with our “white Christmas” theme, I chose some of our favorite silver, gold and white ornaments from our family’s collection. I have a soft spot in my heart for all the vintage ornaments we’ve acquired over the years from parents and grandparents. 

It’s so nice to incorporate those with a few new ones (above) I found at Pottery Barn and West Elm. Aren't the little white houses precious? They even come with their own white bottle brush trees in the front. They're cardboard and light-up with the flick of a switch on the bottom. 


Sitting in the dining room now has it's perks. 



The tree topper we had was very ordinary, and I couldn’t find one that spoke to me, until I looked on ebay. There I spotted the same pretty paper ornament that my family had when I was a young girl. Oh, the memories came flooding back! 

The same vintage tree topper with the cherubic angel and the spun glass detail was available on ebay! Gold wings, and pearly white clouds, perfect! Done and bought! And the best news is, it arrived today, and I love it just as much now as I did back then!  



ciao! fabiana


December 6, 2016

ciao christmas table


Our dining room is small and adjoins our living room, so this month I’ve decided to keep our dining room table set in a pretty way so we can enjoy our Christmas tree all month long. 

The warm glowing lights on the tree and the sparkle of the glitter of the ornaments is so cozy and is instantly a mood lifter. I love this chunky macrame table runner. It reminds me of a warm fishermans' sweater and adds great texture to the table.


To continue our winter white theme, I’m just using white ironstone dishes, paired with Gammy's silver and stemware. These glittery gold votives and small brass candlesticks add just the right amount of glitz to the table. I've picked up the candlesticks over the years, here and there, at thrift stores and such.


A few greens on the table can be switched out every few days. I like to clip my italian cypress, olive tree and eucalyptus to keep the table fresh and fragrant.


And it all came together like this: 
Macramé Table Runner:  (similar one) anthropologie 
Dinner Plates: Home Goods
Salad Plates: vintage
Silverware: our Gammy
Glassware: our Gammy
Gold Glitter Votives: Oriental Trading
Brass Candlesticks: vintage
Candles: Trader Joe’s
Table Greens: Trader Joe’s
Silver Lantern Pair: Oriental Trading
Christmas Tree: King of Christmas 


Remember to enjoy the little things! Get out your wedding china and good silver and set a pretty table for yourself or the guests that may stop over during the holidays. 


ciao! fabiana


December 5, 2016

christmas peonies




Last week, I stopped by the Orange County Flower Mart to get some fresh Christmas greens, and I found the most amazing blush colored peonies with a gorgeous red center. I think it's my most favorite flower ever! 

They've been in my dining room ever since and look more and more beautiful everyday. I love how the look with my red transferware Johnson Brothers Christmas tree plates.




We are all in the swing of things now with Christmas and Hanukkah less than 3 weeks away. I have to remind myself to stop and appreciate the little things. 

Breathe, relax, things will get done. A big hug to all of you as we start this week!  




ciao! fabiana



December 4, 2016

a christmas update with chalk paint





Do you have any of those ceramic Christmas houses that are set up in a little village? They are pretty on their own, as most of them have the most fabulous architectural details. 

I haven’t put out my village in years, and this year I thought a few pretty white ones would look amazing lit up from within. 



My husband and I decided we wanted mostly white holiday decor in the house this year, with accents of silver and gold and natural evergreens and eucalyptus branches. Well, those dated ceramic Christmas houses are easy to transform with chalk paint. 

I found the perfect color by Dixie Belle Paint Company called "Drop Cloth". It's not a bright white and not a creamy white... it's perfect! It’s actually a mineral chalk paint, and it applied so easily with great coverage on the first coat. 

I did apply a second coat to cover all the nooks and crannies. It dries super fast, so I could add the houses within an hour to my décor.





The detail on these homes is so cute! It makes me just want to shrink myself and jump into that house. I’ve always had a thing about old houses, especially Victorians.  





Well, don’t worry about painting them, because all the architectural style and holiday décor on these houses is highlighted when painted white.





I used a 1 inch wide flat brush and it worked great. It got into all the nooks and the paint was the perfect consistency and so easy to apply. The paint dried quickly to the perfect mat "bisque" finish that's not too flat. 





Here’s the first one I did.
 I had to use a flash. so the photo is not great.





I am soooo happy with the way they turned out! I lit them with the small lights that they originally came with. They are similar to night light bulbs and are sometimes wired together in groups of 3, 5 or 10.

 When lit, the houses really look amazing! I set up a few of my favorite white and silver bottle brush trees as a backdrop to my snowy white village. 





This is my first time using Dixie Belle Paint, and I am so pleased. I have a few of their other colors and can’t wait to paint my next project, but I may be busy painting a few more houses today in this "Drop Cloth" color. 

The paint goes a long way, and I could probably paint at least three more! Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday.  


ciao! fabiana

💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 



You can check it out here, at Tablescaping Essentials.




December 3, 2016

behind the pink door



Sometimes I feel like a busy little bee, pollinating ideas and inspiration to spread to my friends. I stop here and there, and pick up new finds and share them with you all, and then you put your own spin on it, and the design concept continues and disperses. That’s my M.O., spread the LOVE! All positive and inspirational! 

So when I came across A Beautiful Mess blogger Elsie Larson’s fabulous pink front door, I had to share! How fun is this color? {Well, I love it, but you won’t see it on my front door, as my husband probably wouldn’t put up with it.}   




As you enter Elsie’s home, the pink theme continues in a low-key way. Subtle touches like that fabulous vintage pink phone in the entry, and the pink lamb skin in the bedroom. But wait! What really caught my attention was....




This amazing collection of glassware in her dining room that’s displayed in rainbow fashion! How fun is that?





Enjoy the weekend, y'all
and get out there and pollinate your creativity!





ciao! fabiana


via  Domino & Elsie Larson

December 2, 2016

friday blues




I’m always a fan of a little blue in a room, or a combination of that gorgeous tone. From entering a home to spending time in your favorite rooms, blue is a relaxed hue that will sooth your mood and your visual space. 

Whether you use blue as an accent or part of your full-blown design element, blue is always in style, especially when done in your own special way. 

Enjoy a little Friday inspiration!














Photos via 1 | 2 | 3


ciao! fabiana


💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 



You can check it out here, at Tablescaping Essentials.


December 1, 2016

easy place setting and ornament

I know it's a bit early, but I just got these out of the way... Christmas table place setting name cards, made with Scrabble tiles, on plain alphabet tiles. After dinner they can be hung on the tree as ornaments! I got mine here. I just glued the letters on to a wide popsicle stick, cut off the bottom portion with a small electric jigsaw, and drilled a small hole at the top. Then the ornament is strung with red and white baker's twine. An easy and quick project, this takes no time at all! Stay tuned for the rest of the this Christmas breakfast tablescape, coming soon!  


ciao! fabiana

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