an easy Christmas update

Here’s a quick and easy update for those dated Christmas village houses you may still have around from the 1990's,

lol.

All you need is a little white or off-white chalk paint

to paint them all a solid bisque-like porcelain color…

it’s so easy to do!

I painted mine last year and was happy to see them again this year while unwrapping all my Christmas goodies! 

Three of my favorites are set up next to my living room, and I really like them with porcelain trees left green.

A little artificial snow finishes off the look.

Instant Snow-To-Go magically hydrates instantly

and feels cold to the touch!

What I like about it, is it's not too messy and looks so real! 

p.s. I'm working on a copper Christmas tablescape today,

here's a little peek...

do something amazing today! 

ciao,  fabiana

glittery gold votives

Seeing these pretty glittery gold votives just make me smile, so I’ve them sprinkled throughout my house. On the dinner table, on my mantel, and in the other special spots where we spend time in the evening. 


When lit, they add just the right amount of sparkle and glimmer. It’s the little things, during the holidays, that help to make it the most special time of the year! 


What's your favorite thing to add to your home during the holidays? I'd love to know!  

The glittery gold votives can be found here.

ciao! fabiana

christmas at the front door

I'm happy to be finishing up last minute holiday decor

today with the help of these two little guys,

Sammie and Dugan.

I found these two wreaths at Home Goods a few weeks 

ago and new they’d work perfectly 

on my black doors. 

The gold, silver and copper balls are a great contrast with

the doors, and I like that they’re visible from the street.

The fresh garland, from Orange County Wholesale Florist,

is a combination of fragrant evergreens and is the

perfect finishing touch for the front entry.

Keeping it simple is my M.O. this year,

so I just accented with these silver metal lanterns.

I think I’m done out here, 

so now I’m off to finish trimming the Christmas tree…

ciao! fabiana

christmas prep and preview

Today was a run-around, get things done kind of day

and around the house I’ve been slowly getting 

Christmas stuff out.

Here's a little peek at my front door wreath...

we're going all metallic this year, and now I just need 

some fresh green garland to finish off the look for the entry.

Over the weekend, I got two really BIG boxes delivered

with my new Serena and Lily Mattituck chairs and Montecito pillows.

They've had a fabulous 25% off sale!

They started off in the family room for the long weekend,

but now they’ve moved to their permanent spot in the living room.

That super chunky wool throw was a 

dream-find at Home Goods.

I was ready to spring for a really expensive one at a high-end store,

and then I spotted this one on the very top the shelf 

in the back corner of Home Goods. Yay!

And best of all, it’s made by UGG, 

so you know it’s super warm and cozy! 

(I've already tested it a few times and it's extremely warm and cozy!!)

Here’s a little corner next to the fireplace that is now

occupied by this special Santa and three pretty and

very-realistic looking faux trees, all found at, yes,

Home Goods!!

I’m all about out with the old and in with the new this year!

And no, I’m not getting rid of all our vintage Christmas things,

just the things that are not sentimental,

or just dated and BORING!

With that being said,

I’ve combined a few vintage favorites with some new faves

for this jadite cake stand display on my kitchen table.

The sisal tree with the house base is a treasured little prize, and

the quirky pair of trees are Department 56 that I’ve had a long while.

Added to that is a new glittery snowman from World Market,

and some mini silvery bottle brush trees for Oriental Trading. 

Back in the corner is one of my favorite finds,

yes,

you guessed it, from Home Goods,

this very realistic little Christmas tree in this pretty basket.  

Next to it is an adorable

Swedish Santa that I couldn’t resist,

found at Ikea.

I’ve have a small collection of vintage

pinecone people that I haven’t dug out of my boxes yet,  

and these new little gnomes from World Market will fit in just fine

with the antiquey ones.

My tree is up and lit, and ready to be bedazzled

so I don’t have an updated picture yet…

here’s a snapshot of it from last year.

Keeping the ball rolling...

until we meet again.

x o x o 

 fabiana

simple christmas ideas i love

The countdown begins…

less than one month until Christmas,

so with that being said,

keeping my Christmas décor simple, 
is always a great idea. 

Less stress, more fun!

A pretty wreath on the door is always a welcome sign,

but how about enjoying one on the inside 

of your front door too? 

I love this idea... 

It's so cheery!

Changing out artwork for a wreath

is a great way to add instant holiday magic to a mantel.  

A few fresh evergreen branches arranged throughout

a chandelier is another super easy way to add holiday charm.  

I do this every year in my dining room and kitchen nook. 

Don’t have time to iron a table cloth?

Use a few pretty plaid throws instead!

Use a long runner on the kitchen table and

display your favorite bottle brush trees and holiday cottages…

and adding battery operated twinkle lights

really brings the whole look together! 

And every place setting should have a touch of green...

just a little clipping of juniper or a spring of rosemary are perfect!

There are so many realistic-looking faux garlands out there,

that embellishing your mantle or banister is a no-brainer!

And you know you won’t have as many pine needles to

clean up off the floor as you would with a real garland!

Here’s another simple chandelier swag, 

and just look at that kitchen!

What do you think of the rustic cabinets?

I love this look with the mossy bowl full of vintage glass ornaments.

So easy J

My favorite ornaments are my vintage ones,

because they always add so much character to the tree.

I like to keep my wrapping simple, and that means all the paper is coordinated and all the ribbons and trimmings are too.

Don’t forget to add a little holiday charm to your kitchen.

A little goes a long way!

I love the idea of setting up my dining table in the living room

to really enjoy the full effect of the Christmas tree, fireplace and gifts!

Well now I'm off to do a little cyber shopping,

toodeloo!

ciao! fabiana

photo credit: 1. Paper & Packaging  2. Martha Stewart  3. Southern Living  

4. House & Home  5. Traditional Home  6. Country Living  7. Country Living  

8. Good Housekeeping  9. Good Housekeeping  10. Country Living  11. Terrain 

12. Southern Living  13. Container Store  14. Ballard   15. Ballard

christmas doors to remember

Do you change your front door holiday decor each year?

A matching pair of fresh evergreen wreaths is

my go-to every year on my double doors, and from there, 

I pick new ribbons and embellishments 

as the mood suits me! J

(But this year I'm going a whole other direction...
coming soon to the blog!)

In the meantime, here’s a lovely smattering of 
front door styles to enjoy...

Happy Sunday! 

ciao! fabiana

photo credit: Ballard