I'm so looking forward to Christmas

It’s not a matter of lacking Christmas spirit. I’ve got a lot of it this year. While Thanksgiving was so late this year, I’ve just been a little slow with my own Christmas décor here at home. 

Sometimes it’s just fun to enjoy the season, no strings attached. Getting together with friends, cozying up by the fire, and admiring the twinkling lights in town each evening are life’s simple pleasures during this time of year.  

So, Miss Lazy Bones over here has finally got it together with my own holiday home decor. This little tree came together rather unexpectedly. After a nice breakfast with friends at Haute Cakes, I had to stop in at Urban Gardener next door. 

I ended up walking out of there with this pretty little tree that I then put in one of my vintage French champagne buckets. They gave me simple instructions on filling up the bucket with oasis and watering it well. A little moss on top finishes off the look. 

We haven’t had a lovely real tree like this in years, so I’m thrilled to have this little charmer to greet me at my front door everyday, and it's filled with some of my favorite heirloom ornaments.  

This is just a quick snapshot taken with my phone, and I’m hoping to whip out my Canon and take some better pics soon. The big tree is up in the living room, and we definitely need to finish decorating it this weekend. 

How about you? Are you putting up a tree this year? 

  

Urban Gardener

 Here’s a little peek inside Urban Gardener... 

  

Urban Gardener

I love the idea of adding a few lemons to a simple wreath for Christmas, 

don’t you? 

Urban Gardener

I couldn’t help snap a picture of this pretty farmhouse decked out for the holidays. Do you recognize it as one from the Newport Harbor Home Tour last year? 

Check out the inside here. 

Next week, I’ll be busy at this quaint little cottage, prettying it up for the holidays with a fun tablescape and lots of Christmas décor. I’ll share more soon!

And I just have to share this adorable picture of The Paper Merchant in Geneva, Illinois taken by my blogging friend at Sixty-Fifth Avenue.    

The Paper Merchant in Geneva

I haven’t been to Geneva for their annual Christmas walk which looks like so much fun, but you can check out some of my favorite Geneva homes here and here when I did visit during summer and fall. 

The Paper Merchant in Geneva

I’m off to finish decorating the big tree now.... 

ciao! fabiana 

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happy 4th!

photo by Serena & Lily 

Just wanted to wish you a very

 Happy 4th of July!

Blue Door Cottage on Little Balboa Island

My favorite house in Geneva, Illinois

Such a pretty porch!

Another photo from Geneva, this time on Third Street.

Taken at the amazing The Ivy restaurant in Beverly Hills

Geneva, Illinois and those gorgeous Annabelle hydrangeas!  

My patriotic decor for Farmhouse Style

A tablescape for Farmhouse Style

A vignette from Romantic Homes.

stay safe this holiday...

ciao! fabiana

the biggest tablescaping holidays

We made it through the first week of November, and now we’re headed for the homestretch… Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year! And, I just realized that Thanksgiving will be here in less than two weeks!

Our trip to Geneva last week was so memorable and the town was just so beautiful. News this morning from our cousin Melinda is that it snowed this morning! Wow… we would have missed the beautiful fall leaves if we didn’t get there when we did.

While in Geneva, one of my must-see destinations was the Kane County Flea Market which runs the first weekend of each month. My primary goal was to gather as much vintage Indiana glassware that I could possibly fit into my luggage!

As you can see from the photo above, I did find some nice pieces, but only the amber one was found at the flea market. My instincts told me to search some of the local thrift stores and that’s where I hit the motherlode.

The set of green glasses were found at the Catchpenny thrift store in Barrington. I walked in, and there they were, waiting for me, at only .97 cents each! But wait… when I got to the register I found out everything at the store was half off! Wow! I don’t find bargains like that everyday.     

I love using this type of vintage glassware to set my holiday tables. In fact, you’ll catch four pages of the ‘Enchanted’ Christmas table I set in the December issue of Romantic Homes magazine. Here’s a little peek at one of the photos that’s an outtake.

My inspiration for this table were my black and white Joyeux Noel salad plates. From there, I incorporated black and white gingham, and just a bit of green to add necessary color to the table. Blush pink roses finish of the look to add a little romance.

Check out the whole story and pics in Romantic homes! I just saw if for sale yesterday at our local grocery store and they also have it available at Barnes & Noble.   

Another table I set exclusively for Romantic Homes also showcases my favorite glassware. This time in amber, this alfresco Thanksgiving table is one of my favorites. I also used roses on this table, but I went with a more natural look with wood accents and natural textures.

Check out the whole look here at Romantic Homes.   

One of my all-time favorite tables is this Thanksgiving table I recently set up with my beautiful tableware from Serena & Lily. I was going for a clean, modern look and just love the simplicity of it. 

The pretty Mayberry napkins add just the right reddish-orange 'papaya' color to the table that's so perfect for fall.  Keep a lookout for the Christmas table I'll be setting in a few weeks with these same Serena & Lily goodies. Check out the whole look of the Thanksgiving table and dining room here.

Also on the radar this month is this yummy recipe for Pumpkin Spice Spritz Cookies. They offer just the right amount of autumn flavor and are so nostalgic to and fun to make! Recipe found here.   

You may remember this silly little ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater’ tablescape I did last year. Well, you can catch it on the pages of Country Sampler’s Christmas Decorating issue along with my gold magnolia wreath that’s also featured.

I’ve been truly blessed this year that some of my projects have been featured in national magazines for the first time. It’s really surreal to see my photos and stories in print!

Happy weekend to you all!

I’m going to try to get out into the garden and plant some roses. I’m so excited to have found a really pretty English rose yesterday called ‘Edith’s Darling’, a Downton Abbey variety! 

ciao! fabiana

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