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A Holiday with Heart blog tour

December 9, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in Christmas, Uncategorized
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4 Comments

Today I am so honored to be a part of A Holiday with Heart tour hosted by Jennifer Stagg. If you are stopping by after visiting Sarahmdorseydesigns.blogspot.com welcome!

You may have seen my first Christmas tour of the yr, posted yesterday. While I hope you enjoy the photos just as much today, I am hoping you will find your self inspired in a different way today.
This post is all about traditions, what traditions does your family Have? What do you look forward to each season? My favorite thing about traditions, is there is no right or wrong. It’s about what you do as a family to make each season special. Each family is unique, even my kids each have a different tradition they look forward to each yr. For my daughter, she knows the Christmas season has come upon us when I pull out my favorite candle.

Many of our traditions are centered around the kitchen. Whether it’s baking my mothers plum cake recipe, or making treats to take to the neighbors. Each season we have many recipes that we just have to make or it doesn’t feel like Christmas!
Every Christmas, I am reminded of my Mom every where I look. She loved the Holidays. She also had a passion for decorating, she enjoyed helping me find just the right items for our first tree as a married couple. Then later on, when I was ready to add a second tree to our home, she would come up from texas with huge bins strapped to their vehicle, filled with items to help me decorate my home for the Holidays (my poor dad, between the two of us, he had no choice but to go along). Six yrs ago, on the day before Thanksgiving, my mom passed away. Somehow it’s always been fitting that she would return to live with our Father in Heaven, as we are celebrating the Birth of our Savior.
We bought as many poinsettias as we could get our hands on for her funeral. It’s now become a tradition for me to fill my home with poinsettias to remind me of the woman who raised me to be who I am today. The woman who taught me compassion, and kindness, who instilled a love of music in me, and the desire to create beauty. I am grateful to have to many positive memories of her during this season.

A favorite tradition of mine that my mother started when I was a teenager was reading Annie and Willies prayer to us every Christmas Eve. My siblings and I get together with our kids and read it every yr. A few yrs ago, my sister came across a recording of my mom reading it to all of us, what a gift! She burned each of us a copy so we will always be able to have her read it to us. You can read it [HERE] or you can purchase a copy [Here].

While my decor may change from yr to yr, I always incorporate the kids “Baby’s first Christmas” ornaments on the tree.

I just finished putting our tree up in the basement. I does have many items that we’ve had for yrs. I almost didn’t put it up this yr, I am so happy I did. I had forgotten how much I love that tree.


If you’re looking for a new recipe to try for the Holidays, we love Plum cake! It makes your home smell wonderful while it’s baking and it’s delicious!


click on the recipe below if you want to try it.
PlumCake

I’ve also linked a few items from this post. I found some cool bundt pans I’d like to try out! I also linked the lanterns hanging over my island since I always get alot of requests about where they’re from.


Next up is Julia from Cuckoo4design.com her blog is a must see!

May you have a beautiful Holiday season!
XoXo
Jen

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2015 Christmas tour (part 1)

December 8, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in Christmas, Interior Design
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11 Comments

Yay, the day is finally here that I get to open my home and share my christmas decor with you! I couldn’t be more excited about the line up of amazing bloggers who are participating! Thank you Jen Migonis for hosting the Warm and Cozy Christmas Tour series, and Wayfair.com for sponsoring it! This is my absolute favorite time of yr, put on your favorite christmas music and come visit for a while!

I enlisted the help of my youngest guy to welcome you to our home, he was eager to help and had many different poses to show me 😉 I’m going to cherish his willingness as long as I can. I know he’ll be “too cool” to help me before I know it.

My oversized planters can be challenging to decorate in the winter months. This yr I opted to have my husband put a piece of plywood on the top so I could put my lanterns on them. I used a pre-lit garland with a little fresh greens for a natural look. I added the packages and poinsettias for extra color.

Lets step inside, I tend to talk alot when I have company over ;), I’ll try to keep the commentary to a minimum so you can enjoy the tour.


I like to add my garland to the bottom of my stairs, it is different than what you typically see, and it frees up the handrail for my boys.

you can see the full tour and details for my entryway [HERE]
Just off the entry way is our home office. I have been working on this space this yr, and I’m happy with how it’s coming along!
I am also excited for this tree to be featured on Wayfair.com today! You can see that post [HERE]. And you can see the full tutorial on how I decorated this tree [HERE]
Moving on to the family room, to save space this yr, I went with a 7.5′ tree. I didn’t want it to be too lost with our vaulted ceilings, so I brought my favorite planter inside (dirt and all) and put the tree in it. I absolutely love how it turned out! My kids absolutely do not love it, they want to know where they are supposed to open their presents.
I ordered these compote bowls from Wayfair.com, I know they’ll be a great addition that I can use throughout the yr! You can find them [HERE] and [HERE]



I love how the lights from the tree reflect in the mirror! Mirror is from Ballard Designs you can find it [HERE]

How exciting must it be to be a kid and wake up and be able to see the tree and all of the presents as you come down the stairs on Christmas morning?

If you follow me on Instagram you may notice all of the red additions. It started with one beautiful poinsettia that was given to me by a guest on Thanksgiving (the one perk of hosting, jk) then it multiplied out of control from there. I fell in love with how the red contrasted with the white cabinets! I’ll be sharing more of my kitchen tomorrow, I am definitely keeping the red for a while, as in I think it’ll be making a bigger appearance next yr (see? I’m already planning on next yrs decor!)
I also want to share with you my bedroom at Christmas time, I haven’t shared that space on my blog before and it’s about to go through an update. I kept it simple, by adding feather trees to the nightstands, fur pillows to the bed, a christmas tree in the corner, and a fur wreath to the chair. I do love my bedroom already, but I’m excited to be getting a new bed in the next few weeks!


I’ve linked a few details of my room below. I always get alot of questions about it on Instagram, so I found similar items I hope it helps with any questions.


I have lots more to share! I didn’t get my basement photographed in time for this post, I also have quite a few areas I haven’t been able to get around to sharing on Instagram so make sure you check in on my upcoming posts!

Heres the line up for the rest of this Blogging tour, you won’t want to miss them! And a big thanks to Wayfair.com for sponsoring this tour!

Others on the Warm & Cozy Christmas Home Tour hosted by Migonis Home blog

Wayfair Christmas Tour promo photo

Monday

Migonis Home | Maison de Pax | Life on Virginia Street

Tuesday

Setting for Four | StyleHouse Interiors | Everyday Enchanting

Wednesday

El Peterson Design | Sunny Side Up

Thursday

Fox Hollow Cottage | Making Home Base | The Wood Grain Cottage

Friday

Just A Girl and Her Blog | Rooms FOR Rent | Cuckoo4Design

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Cyber Monday round up

November 29, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in Christmas, gift guides
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No Comments

I don’t know about you but I’ve found some amazing deals this weekend! I rounded up some of my favorites for Cyber Monday.

Shop the links below to see the deals!

Gifts for the Hostess
(use code SHOPOIT for 25% Off everything at Anthropologie HERE
Until sunday night.)


My favorite things are linked below!


Banana Republic is also having a huge sale, 40% off of everything with code BESTCYBER you can shop their sale HERE
You can now sign up for my newsletters in the sidebar!

Happy Cyber Monday! I’ll be here prepping for Home tours coming to my site soon!
Xoxo
Jen

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Black Friday shopping for the Home

November 27, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in gift guides, Uncategorized
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No Comments

Good Morning all! Did you brave the crowds for some Black Friday shopping? The low was 16 degrees here last night, so I’m shopping from home in my Jammies! I plan on sitting here, drinking hot cocoa and maybe watch some movies with my kids. Sounds like a perfect day right? I wanted to share with you some AMAZING deals for your home, I seriously want two of everything! Check them out!

Shop the details in the slider below


I’ll be posting through out the weekend as I com across fabulous deals.

Xoxo
Jen

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Christmas Shopping guides for the Him/Her

November 24, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in Christmas, gift guides
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No Comments

I don’t know about you, but I will be doing alot of my shopping online this yr. I want to avoid the crowds, stay home and snuggle with my family watching Christmas movies! As I’ve been perusing my favorite sites I decided to put together some gift ideas using some of the items I came across that are already on sale. No need to wait until black friday! Oh and I should mention almost all have free shipping!

The first list is for Him, whether you are shopping for a significant other, or a father etc. there is something on here for everyone. I found some amazing deals on Amazon They will be available as of this morning.
I added a Traeger smoker/Grill because that’s been on our wish list, my brother swears by his. He’s making smoked Ham for us for Thanksgiving YUM! There are also a few other items that I know would be perfect for the man in my life.

click on the photos below to shop the items


Of course when I was browsing, I came across several items that are perfect for me! Who can resist your favorite designer handbags on sale?? Maybe you can pass the ideas on to your husband, most men really appreciate not so subtle hints right??? 😉


Do you see anything you love as much as I do? Let me know if you order anything and if you like it! I plan on doing a few more gift guides, so if there’s someone you need to shop for, and are at a loss, let me know. I hope to make this holiday shopping season less stressful!

Stay tuned for some fun blogging home tours coming up, I have so much to share with you!

Xoxo,
Jen

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Christmas Entryway!

November 18, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in Christmas, Interior Design
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2 Comments

It’s beginning to look alot like Christmas here!

My entry way is one place that the decor is always changing. Whether its seasonal decor, or I just need a refresh, I’m constantly updating it somehow.

I recently purchased a new table for my entryway, I had a large classic buffet that I loved (you can see it Here), but I was ready for a change after it graced my entry for the last 7 or 8 yrs. I came across this console table from Ballard Designs and fell in love. Its open, airy feel, and long, narrow dimensions were perfect for my entry way. Still I couldn’t help but be a little nervous that I would have a hard time creating a vignette that I love.
My new table is a touch rustic, I wanted to counter that with a little bit of sophistication. I started with my Dear lillie Chalkboard print. Last yr I fell in love with her hand painted sign, but I was a little slow and it sold out. So I bought the download Here, I found a huge mirror on sale for I think $30 (purchase last yr from Taipan trading) I sprayed it with chalkboard paint. Then I had my friend print the download in gold vinyl. The entire project was less than $50, I love the end result so much, I’m almost glad the hand painted signs were sold out (almost).

This fabulous brass and crystal lamp was a birthday present (ok, I totally picked it out) it is such a stunner in person! I just purchased it in October but it’s no longer available (BOO!) you can find a similar one Here.

Black and gold seems to be my favorite combo this Christmas season, it has such an elegant feel. I loved how the office turned out so much I wanted to carry the same look into the entry way. You can find a tutorial on how to recreate this tree a few posts back.


Simple and elegant was the goal, using gift boxes in my decor, and adding wrapping paper as book covers to vintage books was a cheap and easy way to bring the holidays to this space. Target is killing it in the gift wrap department this yr! You can find the box Here and the wrapping paper Here. The Greek Key ribbon is from Hobby Lobby.

I used a gold tray found on clearance at Pottery barn as a boot tray, you can find a similar tray Here,who says it has to be a boot tray? Why not use a tray that can be used somewhere else later :)? The metal presents were purchased yrs ago and repainted silver and gold. You can find the stool Here, and similar rain boots Here. The bust can be used all yr round as well, paired with some cypress trees (purchased last yr at Pier One Imports) and a gold orb, I think she’s bringing a little Christmas cheer.

I asked my sister what she thinks and she said it’s not super “Christmassy” (she loves it though) we decided that’s a good thing. Rather than screaming Christmas, it “whispers” Christmas. Lol, totally my sisters words, we might be dorks ;)!

I’ve included some links for a few more similar items below, but I’m hoping you’re inspired to look around and use what you have on hand to create your style this yr!

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to leave a comment, or come visit me at Instagram for my day to day posts.

XOXO
Jen


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How to choose outfits for family photos

November 13, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in Fashion, Uncategorized
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No Comments

It’s the time of year that many of us are thinking about family photos. I am terrible at having our photos taken, it seems like so much work right? Do you struggle with what to wear? Rememeber the days when everyone wore matching denim shirts? Or what about all white shirts that’s easy right? awkward

I’m sharing some tips today on how to coordinate your outfits without looking like these lovely families (photo’s found on the web) I’m sure they are wonderful people :)
I blame my sister for this post. I was texting her pics of our outfit choices, to get a second opinion. She was getting mad at me because she can’t stand to coordinate family photo outfits. She seems to think there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way she does. Don’t get me wrong, she has amazing style (she should pick my clothes for me every day). There’s just something about trying to put your entire family in clothes that you want to see (on your wall) day in and day out, that can be stressful.

When I am planning on our photos, I usually choose 3 or 4 main colors. My daughter and I have been wearing alot of Olive green and Cranberry colors this fall, so I started off with a few items we had on hand. Once I had those, I did a little shopping for everyone else. Don’t try to shop with zero idea of what you are looking for. If you at least have your color scheme in mind it’ll be much easier!
I don’t have any rules to follow, just start with a few colors. I do try to make sure they won’t completely clash with my home decor if I’m planning on having the photos displayed.
Lay your clothes out so you can tweak things as needed. I changed the outfit my daughter was going to wear twice because she didn’t want to wear what I wanted her to wear. Just try not to overdo it with any one color, or pattern, and dress like yourselves. Not what you’ve seen other families wear because you like their photos :)…..Okay I may have thrown that in for myself, because it’s just so tempting to dress my family like a catalog family.


When I choose our clothes, I try to incorporate a little pattern. In this case I went with a few different Plaids, then added stripes. For the most part, we wore solids, but it’s important to have a little variation. I also added the olive green pants so we weren’t all wearing denim (I might be a little paranoid about ending up like the above family, wink, wink)

Usually I’m a complete control freak about all of the details and what we are all wearing. Something dawned on me this time. I heard my husband tell my kids that I have to tell them which shoes to wear, then he was asking me what shoes he was wearing. I realized that I want my family to be representative of us. Even if that means cowboys boots are involved ;). Not my first choice of footwear, but there’s nothing my son would rather wear. Does it mean I relinquished all control? No way! But I let my kids represent themselves with a little guidance.

Love this family of mine!
Now if it were only as easy to get to the location on time and without a little yelling, that will have to be another post. Not written by me, because I’m the worst! Lol!

Thank you SimplyShelby Photography for the amazing photos!

I added links to our clothes below since these were taken several weeks ago everything is on sale right now!

Jen


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How to Decorate your Christmas Tree like a pro!

November 11, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in Christmas, Uncategorized
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6 Comments



I am so excited to work with Taipan Trading for my home office Christmas Tree. I have been shopping with them since they were wholesalers, open only to the trade. They opened to the public years ago (YAY) and they continue to add new locations. Taipan Trading has such an amazing selection of unique decor, they also have an awesome selection of high quality trees. I buy all of my client trees from them every yr.
This yr, I decided to use my 10 foot long needle flocked tree (purchased 3 yrs ago at Taipan Trading) in my office. I love it so much, I ended up purchasing a smaller version for my family room. I’m told it’s one of their best sellers.

Today I thought I would do a “How to” post on decorating a tree. I get alot of questions about whether or not I use a process. The answer is yes, sort of…. I always try to be creative with my trees, but I do use similar steps with each tree so I’ll share those today. Hopefully you’ll be on your way to decorating your tree like a pro!

Step One- Set up and fluff branches of tree. You can make any tree feel a lot more full if you take the time to fluff each branch.

Step Two-Add ribbon, in this case I used a metallic fabric from JoAnn I bought several yrds of fabric then cut it in half lengthwise. Then I tucked the unfinished edges under and tucked it in the tree. I never wrap ribbon around the tree. I start at the top, tucking it in and out of the tree. It looks best if it’s a little random. I use ribbon pieces that are differing lengths so they aren’t all cascading from top to bottom, rather some starting in the middle.

Step Three-Add Large ornaments, I separate all of my ornaments into like piles. That way I can add them in groups, which makes it easier to make sure they are evenly spread around the tree. I start with the largest ornaments first, then move to whichever ornaments I have the most of.

Step four-Add florals and picks. Florals make great fillers, they also add visual interest to the tree. I tuck them in anywhere that the ribbon is tucked into the tree. Try using a flower and a pick with cascading stems where your ribbon tucks into the tree it creates focal points on your tree, it can also help your ribbon stay in place. I occasionally use garlands that have added flowers, they are a perfect way to fill your tree. Use the same concept as the ribbon and tuck it in as you go, winding a bit so its not vertical or horizontal. Once you have it in and your ornaments on, you shouldn’t be able to see that it’s a garland or where it stops and starts.

Step Five-Now you’re ready to add the rest of your ornaments. Step back and see where you have openings, making sure you don’t have two of the exact same ornaments next to each other. I also try to put some on the outside branches and some deeper in the tree if possible.

I ended up adding more ribbon after I used all of my ornaments because it felt a little sparse to me. I should follow my own steps because it was definitely more difficult! I hope you learned a few tips, now you’re ready to decorate your tree!

Happy Holidays!
Jen

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Fall Fashion Friday

October 30, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in Uncategorized
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No Comments

******If you are joining via mobile, please scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “view full site” for a better experience!***********

Happy Friday!

I recently did a shoot with my talented niece Morgan Mecham for a Daniel Wellington watch I received. I wanted to share with you some of the details of the shoot. Why am I posting fashion when this is StyleHouse Interiors?  I love fashion as much as I love Interior Design, to me styling an outfit is no different than styling a console table. I want my personal style to reflect my brand.

 I’ve worn this watch everyday since I got it, I ordered the Grace Glasgow from Daniel Wellington, it came with a navy and white stripe band, I also ordered the leather band so it’s more versatile. I’m loving the classic design, you can use the code STYLEHOUSE to receive 15 percent off a Daniel Wellington watch (note: I included the link for the watch but the image didn’t upload) I’ve included links to any items I’m wearing that are available at the bottom of this post.

These boots are my new obsession! I never thought I would wear a pair of over the knee boots, as soon as I tried these on I had to have them. I checked availability and noticed both the shirt and pants are currently on sale!

I believe you don’t have to spend a lot on your wardrobe. I splurge on a few classic high quality items, then save on seasonal trendy items. This scarf is a new fav of mine, I’m sure to get plenty of wear out of it this season, at a price point of under $20, I won’t feel guilty if I don’t wear it again next yr.

A few more photos for fun, this is my beautiful daughter, who was kind enough to tag along and keep us company. I’ll take any time I can get with her (teens seem to find ways to keep themselves pretty busy don’t they?)

Thanks for letting me share my style with you! Comments are now enabled on my blog again so feel free to ask questions.

XoXo

Jen

 


 

 

 

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Simple Tips For Last Minute Halloween Decor

October 21, 2021
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by [email protected]
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in Interior Design
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No Comments

Hi friends, have you been counting down the days til you get to answer the door and see all of the little’s in their creative costumes for Halloween? Have you had your porch decorated since the first of October? Or are you like me, with the countdown to Halloween a week out, and you find yourself scrambling to make your porch festive, so you don’t seem like a scrooge when the entire neighborhood comes knocking on your door ;)? Either way, I hope you find some inspiration in this post.

My younger two boys want me to make my porch look scary, but not too scary. I think the Skulls I picked up on sale at Micheals for just over $4 a piece have just the right amount of spookiness.

Because my front door is so dark, I wanted to make sure whatever I used didn’t blend in. I picked up some white “freaky fabric” from Walmart ($2.98 for 23′ x 67″), put it over the door and held it in place with my wreath hanger. Then I used fishing line to tie the skulls to the hanger.

I wanted to use some branches cut from the empty lot across the street, but they still all had leaves on them, so I used a few bunches of curly willow and put them in my planters. I draped them with webs (I haven’t quite mastered the fake web technique) then I added a few glitter spiders (also from Walmart, $2.98 for a two pack).

I pulled my Lanterns out of storage, no need to dust them off, it adds to the ambiance 😉 Then some funky pumpkins, I love Funky pumpkins! The stranger, the better!

How awesome are these purple mums? They were under $2 a piece, if I forget to water them, no worries, just makes them look even more Halloweenish! Win, Win!

I’ve added new batteries to my flameless candles, they are on timers so they’ll come on every night. I spent very little time or money, now we’re ready for all of the little Ghosts, Ghouls and Goblins!

Happy Halloween!

Jen


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