shop where the designers shop

There’s a darling little shop here on 17th Street here in our neighborhood called Blue Springs Home that sells the most amazing linens, bedding, pillows and vintage décor.

Blue Springs, Alabama is the small town were shop owner Susan Ellison's mother grew up in... and that’s where the store’s name came from.

Susan’s love of old textiles and linens started at an early age, and her passion led her to share her beautifully curated pieces with all of us at Blue Springs Home.

And I’ll let you in on a little secret… all the local designers shop here. It’s a virtual candy store of gorgeous home accessories and linens.

Susan is a master at mixing patterns and colors, old and new, especially with their unique vintage pillows.

Vintage fabrics from all over the world, including my favorite indigo blues, are gorgeously displayed at Blue Springs Home.

They also carry luxury linen lines that I love like Bella Notte Linens, John Robshaw, Matteo, Libeco Belgian Linen, Abanjá, SDH, Pom Pom, and Les Indiennes.

Don't you just love the variety of patterns and styles?

As an added bonus, they also offer 100% organic fabrics that are especially nice for those who have allergies.

Best of all, customers can be personally styled by Susan and her staff to create a beautifully layered look for your bed or style a unique collection of pillows for your sofa.

If you have a love for fabrics and design like I do, be sure to stop by Blue Springs Home in Eastside Costa Mesa!

Blue Springs Home

369 East 17th Street, Costa Mesa

ciao! fabiana

mirrors add extra sparkle to Christmas

Happy Friday! The weekend's here and I wanted to stop in one last time to share a few little snapshots from around the house... 

I love how this mirror in the dining room does double duty in reflecting our dear Christmas tree.

That little extra glimmer of holiday lights is always a bonus, that’s why I love having at least one mirror in each room to bounce back those special twinkly holiday lights.   

One tree is all you need, especially when the sparkly lights are reflected from room to room.

These first three photos are little outtakes from Wednesday's photo shoot with Cottages and Bungalows. 

Mirrors are all about reflecting light and adding more dimension to a room… that’s why I love using them so much!

This is a little vignette from last year. You can see that extra glow in the background!

How do you like to display decorative mirrors in your home?

ciao! fabiana

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a Christmas photo shoot

The little surprise that I’ve been hinting at over the last couple of weeks was a Christmas photo shoot with Cottages& Bungalows Magazine. It was sort of a bit covert, but I can finally let the cat out of the bag now.

They were here all day yesterday photographing some of the most festively decorated parts of the house.

You may have seen how I styled the mantel with some of my blue and white ginger jars. We usually have a family portrait above this mantel, but I wanted to create a different look for Cottages & Bungalows.

Here’s Bret, the photographer, working his magic and capturing just the right angle that features the Christmas tree and the living room mantel. And of course, we even had some milk and cookies for Santa in this shot!

Over the last 3-4 weeks, I’ve been mentally running myself ragged over styling the whole downstairs of my home for this magazine photoshoot. In fact the day before yesterday, I realized I was turning into a bit of a “blogzilla” after I experienced a couple of mini-meltdowns! AH!!

All I can say, is my husband’s relieved that it’s over, and the whole family is happy that the house looks the most festive it’s ever looked. We can now ease into Christmas gracefully… 😏

Kris, one of the editors took a silly picture of me in the dining room while we were prepping it for the next shot.

Here’s a little peek at the kitchen table. I wanted to create a sort of foresty, winter look for this table with lots of pine trees, snow and elegant brass details.

You may recognize the Joyeux Noel plates from my feature in Romantic Homes. They’ve become my all-time favorite Christmas pattern because they’re so versatile and fun. 

This pattern pairs nicely with so many different looks.

Here’s a preview of the family room mantle with our treasured portrait of great-grandmother Nelle. Copper accents and glittery details were used to play up the elegant nature of this portrait. I found the beaded garland and Michael’s, and we added extra greenery to soften the look.

As the sun was setting, we headed to the front porch for some dusky, glowy shots. The last picture of the night was in the backyard, featuring the shed, all decked out in candlelight. 

This is a quick capture of the shed from my phone, and I CAN'T wait to see the actual image taken by the amazing Bret!

We’ll have to wait about eleven months until the December 2019 issue of Cottages and Bunglows comes out, but hopefully we’ll see some proofs way before that!

I’ll share a few more of my behind-the-scenes looks

 in the next day or two. 

Check back soon!

xo xo

 fabiana

christmas tree decorating secrets

Last night was time for some gorgeous Christmas tree inspiration. I teamed up with a group of incredibly talented ladies and shared a really fun CHRISTMAS TREE HOP on instagram!

We all shared photos of our newly decorated Christmas trees along with our best tips for holiday tree décor. The tip that I shared was to stick to one color theme and decorate with the things I love.

This year my tree is done in muted tones with some of my favorite vintage and heirloom ornaments. My favorite new ornaments are the little houses that light up.

In addition to the delicate glass ornaments that I love so dearly, there was a little theme of cute cottages and winter birds on the tree. See if you can spot a few… 

It’s not too late to check out all 12 trees that were featured last night on the Christmas Tree Hop. Stop by Instagram for a peek and link to the other talented bloggers.

ciao! fabiana

it's beginning to look like Christmas

Christmas is here, and I'm working on finalizing all my  holiday decor this week, but I wanted to stop by and give you a peek at this little vignette. It's one of our favorites this year and would you believe this huge lantern was found in one of my favorite thrift stores for only 8 bucks? 

So perfect for a little winter scene featuring two bottle brush trees, two glittery house ornaments and one of my favorite old-world Santa figurines. This lantern is easy to style for any holiday or occasion.

Here are some of my favorite vignettes from last year, and I'll share more on this year soon, as well as a BIG announcement...

ciao! fabiana

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christmas decor and some free goodies

Christmas is all about memories and festive occasions, so this Christmas my table will be set with versatile easy-to use tableware including a few beautiful items from Serena & Lily. 

I love to simplify certain aspects of Christmas preparation, so finding an easy way to set an elegant table is at the top of my list for easing the hustle and bustle of the holidays. 

In addition to the classic details of the white plates, gingham napkins and placemats, it’s important to add a whimsical touch or two, so this year a cute little Santa makes an appearance at each place setting.  

Old-fashioned Santas holding a sweet little tinsel bottlebrush tree are the perfect addition and will put a smile on everyone’s face. I found these Santa ornaments early in the season and new they’d look perfect on my Christmas tablescape!

(Shopping details below)

This larger Santa is pretty cute too!

This year I’m into just surrounding myself with a mini forest of evergreen trees. Some are real, and some are faux, but they all co-mingle happily together!

Cottages and Bungalows magazine is offering   adorable free holiday printables on their website. All you have to do is sign up for their 12 Days of Cottage Christmas emails and you’ll receive complimentary recipe cards, gift tags, place cards and design ideas!

I've already printed mine!

Later in the week I’m sharing one of my favorite local décor shops, Blue Springs Home. This little bedding vignette is one of my favorites! 

Here’s how the table came together:

Gingham Napkins:  Serena & Lily

Round Raffia Placemats:  Serena & Lily

Amana Candlesticks:  Serena & Lily

Santa Ornaments:  World Market

Larger Santa:  World Market

White Plates: World Market

Fleur des Lys Glassware: La Rochere

Faux Christmas Trees: Home Goods

Real Christmas Trees: Trader Joe’s

ciao! fabiana

Disclaimer:  I received some of these Serena & Lily tabletop items for free and all opinions are truly my own.

your holiday decor

     

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

I’m so glad you stopped by today for the latest here at Ciao Newport Beach. I’ve been really looking forward to seeing all of your holiday décor and now I have the perfect place for you to share your favorite holiday vignettes with me and friends of Ciao Newport Beach.

I’d love to see how you’re decorating your home for the season…

It’s also fun to share community photos, like the first snowfall, the Christmas boat parade or the lighting of your town’s Christmas tree.

Or maybe share your favorite cookie recipe!

We’d love to see it!

All you have to do is join our “Friends Who like Ciao Newport Beach Blog” on facebook and then you can share your posts with all of us!

Click "Join Group" below, and your all set!

Friends Who Like Ciao Newport Beach Blog Closed group · 175 members Join Group Thank you for visiting Ciao Newport Beach! I love sharing my favorite things with all of you. Decorating, fashion, gardens, the beach, cooking, photo...

 

ciao! fabiana

and, for lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

cozy and romantic for Christmas

Christmas tables are my favorites to decorate, 

and if you happened to pick up the December issue of Romantic Homes magazine, you got an inside view of how this cozy little Christmas tablescape came together. 

Here are a few pics that didn’t make it into the magazine.

And, those Serena & Lily chairs work perfectly with the bold black and white gingham patterns on the table!

For the whole story, 

pick up the December issue of 

Romantic Homes! 

ciao! fabiana

Check out my latest on instagram!