Deck the Halls!

It's just a couple weeks away now from Christmas and I HAVEN'T begun to start shopping for Christmas gifts. I hate to rush out and buy just to buy, especially with the masses. I wish it didn't have to be so much about gifts and maybe it doesn't have to be. For the kiddos I get it, but for us older folk, I just don't. What could be a great alternative to the usual scarf or perfume?? I've always tried to think of something just a little bit more creative, but always seem to run out of time... Isotoners it is. Ha!

One of the things I do love about this time of year is having the house decorated. Last year was very minimal, but with us hosting this year, I did a little more and it feels super cozy. I kept it pretty simple with a few poinsettia plants, some garland, faux poinsettia floral and greenery.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you're enjoying this holiday season with friends and family and also having time to remember what this time of year is all about! I'm hoping to do just that.

Lakewood Home Tour Recap

Hey guys! I recently went to the Lakewood Home Tour here in Dallas a few weeks back and wanted to share a couple homes with you I fell in love with. This was my second home tour I've been on here in Dallas, the first one was the Swiss Ave Home Tour I went to earlier this year. Comparing the two, I felt the Swiss Ave Home Tour had some pretty amazing and historical homes that really blew me away inside and out. There were a couple on this tour I'd love to share with you.

The first one is a ranch style home that the current homeowners purchased in 2011 and since have completely remodeled both the interior and exterior. I absolutely love the natural elements to the home and the simplicity. I think what makes this home is the backyard courtyard area.

{Love the rock edging}

{Great dining chairs from Timothy Oulton}

{Love the natural elements of the wood stump and coffee table}

{Great display of succulents}

{Simple display with pasta}

{To the right on the console you'll notice a vintage typewriter}

{Great cowhide rug, but I'd hate to spill anything}

{My favorite part of the house}

{Now you know what to do with your empty wine bottles}

{Seating outside}

I thought this was a great and inexpensive decorative idea for a child's room. Under each letter is a painted canvas with a wooden letter glued to the center of the canvas. Super creative and something you can totally customize with colors, etc. Love it!

{Fun idea for a child's room}

{Love the colored glass}

This is a great rendition of a traditional farmhouse with a modern twist! Super quaint, but missing a few trees. Still one of my favorites. The inside was super eclectic and I didn't want to leave because of the outdoor screened in porch upstairs. I wanted to just curl up with a book and take a nap. Ahhhh...what a nice room to have. 

{Image via}

{Screened in sleeping porch, image via}

Darling little nursery with an aquatic theme. Yet again, a simple and inexpensive way to make an art piece. The art above the crib is actually made of FELT! Yes, felt. Just cut and glue. How cool is that!!

{Super cute nursery, Image via}

Hope you enjoyed part of the tour as much as I did! Can't wait to see what's next on the calendar. It's always fun to take a sneak peek to see how others live and get ideas. These home tours are kinda strange in the fact that people open up their homes to total strangers like myself:)  I'm not sure I could do it. I give them props!

What idea or house did you like the best?? Hope you have a great weekend!!

Allison

Beautiful Chicago

The holiday season is in full swing! It's been super busy around here, hence the reason I've been MIA. We hosted the family at our place for Thanksgiving this year which is always a good time and super chill.

Following Thanksgiving, Chris went up to Chicago for a conference for a few days and mid week I flew out and joined him for a little R&R. It's pretty amazing the Christmas spirit you feel around the city this time of year. All the trees lining the streets are lit up and the chilly weather really puts you in the spirit. When I say chilly, 40's to 50's last week which felt great.

Chicago has so much great culture and history. So much to explore! From the art museums to the architecture, to even your shopping experience. I love it all!!

Chris took me to Macy's and I couldn't get over how freaking huge it was. Too many floors to count and the architecture was so fascinating. I felt like I stepped into the 80's movie, Mannequin. It reminded me of the department store, Price & Co. I actually looked it up to see if it was filmed there, but it wasn't. It was filmed in Philadelphia. You can find all great facts about 80's flicks here.

Really puts you in the spirit to shop, shop, shop!!

And I've never seen candy this big before in my life! I had to snap a couple pics of these big boys..These pictures really don't do the size of these justice.

This rice crispy treat was like the size of a cookie sheet.

The highlight of the trip was seeing Chris's grandmother Yiayia, but also going ice skating. Chris had never been before so I was excited to see how well he'd take the ice. He did really well!! Better than me. I was shaking in my boots a little bit:) It's been years since I've been and we both didn't eat it and no one got hurt. Always a good thing. It was another pretty day in Millennium Park so we took full advantage and got our butts out there.

First it was pictures at "The Bean"! So cool and such a fun experience!! I could take pictures of that thing all day long. If you touch it, it's suppose to give you good luck so we did. And if your a fan of all 80's flicks like I am, you'll appreciate the Adventures and Babysitting building. Do you know which one I'm talking about?? Love that movie!

The architecture is so beautiful! I love the mix of the new and the classical architecture. The weather really couldn't have been any better. So clear and mild for this time of year.

{The new Trump Tower}

{Beats most clocks you see on a daily basis}

{Crazy how much detailing is on that building}

{Love this one}

A stop to the The Art Institute of Chicago. I was blown away by their collection and how vast it was. Monet and Renoir my two favorites, but also love the Renaissance period.

{Chris and his dad}

I can't say more good things about the city of Chicago. So glad part of Chris's family is up there so we can visit often. There's so much to do and see and no way we were able to do it all this time around. It's funny, I've been to Chicago with Chris many times, and even got to see Oprah with some girlfriends of mine many years ago, but you feel you leave there with still so much more to see and do.

It was a great little getaway, but it's always great to be home and sleep in your own bed. I'm feeling recharged and excited about the holiday season! Even though it doesn't feel like it outside, it feels like it inside! The house is dressed for the holiday!

Hope your holiday season is good one thus far!