One of These Things is Not Like the Other

All good things must come to an end, and this weekend marked the official stripping of the Christmas decorations from my house.  I'm sure I'm at least 2-3 weeks behind most people, but I had to wait until at least after New Year's, then threw in another week for good measure :)  Plus I think the Christmas tree really fills in that corner of the living room nicely, so I wasn't too eager to get rid of it.

Since we got married, my husband and I buy a new penguin ornament each year as part of a little tradition we started.  Penguins mate for life, so we thought it was cute and fitting to add to the tree with a new little "mascot" every Christmas.  I showed our collection here last year, and I was eager to start the search for our official 2011 ornament.  I had to chuckle as I was pulling all of the ornaments off the tree this weekend--I'd had some trouble finding a penguin this season, but my husband had come home from Christmas shopping one day, proud to show off his "find" for the tree.  Can you tell which one he picked?

Seriously.  One of these things is definitely not like the others.  At first I didn't say anything because I was so impressed that he took the time to search this little guy out, and then stood in line for fifteen minutes to pay for it.  Then, I gently suggested that maybe it didn't quite 'go' with the rest of the tree.  He agreed, and said I could do whatever with it, he was just trying to help out.  If you've seen my Christmas tree, you'll notice that there's no way this chubby creature fits with the rest of the theme, but over the course of the season, he kind of grew on me.  So I decided that this would indeed be our 2011 mascot, and in future years I could just hide him in the branches somewhere :).  Of course after the fact, I did manage to get my hands on two penguins, one with a silver tummy, and a frosted one that my mom gave me, both much more suited to my decor.  Oh well--I think a little bit of humor this year adds nicely to our tradition!

With all the Christmas boxes now neatly packed and tucked away for next year, I'm looking forward to a few giggles when I crack open the decorations next year.  The living room does look so empty though......what to put in that now empty corner where the tree was......?

Christmas at CottageModern

With a new baby in the house, by necessity my Christmas decorating was slightly minimized.  This was a bit painful, as I love to deck the house out for the holidays!  That said, I told myself that it might be the last year for a long time that I get to have things the way I want them :), so I made a point to get out all of my fancy breakables and load the tree down with sparkle and shine!

We went to pick out the tree this year, and I had in mind something a bit scraggly with lots of random branches sticking out everywhere.  I wanted it to be "not so perfect", and although my husband thought I was crazy, within minutes I spotted what I was after.  Too bad it was 12' tall.  Even though we have standard 8' ceilings, I wasn't going to let that stop me, and had one of of the workers do some minor "remodeling" to get it down to about 7 1/2 feet.  I love how it turned out, and how it looks all decked out in turquoise and green!

I'm not allowed to buy any more tree ornaments.  This is what I'm telling myself since its become clear that I have more than I can even use.  My problem is after-Christmas sales.  Every ornament on my tree was either a gift, or purchased at 70 - 90% off at the end of the season.  Its become evident that I'm unable to control myself when things are that deeply discounted, but we'll see what happens this year :)

I felt like I needed to change my mantle up a little bit for the season.  Last year, I did decorated it like this, and I'm ashamed to say that it stayed like this for the entire year (except for the hanging balls and ribbon):

I like the symmetry of the new mantle, and the lanterns and candles add a nice ambiance when lit.

I love this winter white owl, and am delighted to finally have this hearth tiled.  Last year, it was unfinished with exposed concrete, and this year my dad finished it out for me in this nice marble subway. He did a great job, and its nice to have another project checked off the list.

I did have a few more touches of Christmas around this house, including this wreath I made a few years ago, but mostly I focused my efforts where I was able--because I only have short windows of time these days, it took me a week to get that tree decorated!  Thanks for stopping by for this little Christmas tour!

Gray & Gold

A long-time favorite color combo of mine is gray and gold.  Maybe its the tension created when mixing a warm and cool tone, or maybe its the quiet pairing of two luxurious hues that gets me.  I don't know, but I've loved it for years, and continue to be drawn to interiors with these colors.  Gray can seem so cold to some, but I think adding golds, yellows or chartreuse tones can inject a "ray of sunshine" and really bring a gray room to life.  I've experimented with this in my own homes, and hope to share more of this mix as I continue to play with these lovely colors.

I love my soft gray furniture--I've always wanted pure white, but this is more forgiving, and still maintains the light palate I'm always after.

My house at Christmas.....I love how gray, gold and turquoise work so well together.

Caldwell Flake

These acid-green pillows and charcoal upholstered wall are to die for!  I love how this room feels so luxe, even with a simplistic mix of elements.

 Fisher Weisman

I'd feel like a million dollars even if I were sitting in this room in my pyjamas!

Kelly Wearstler

Lonny Magazine via Pure Style Home

 

 House Beautiful

  

 Sara Richardson

It might be a stretch for this room to qualify as gray and gold, but I've loved this space forever, and thought that the small brass and mirror side table made it worthy.  And I can't get enough of the glorious built-in banquette!

 

Steven Gambrel

And finally, these last three rooms, all designed by Steven Gambrel offer an amazing mix of gray and varying shades of gold.  There is definitely a warmth to these spaces, and the bold patterns and rich textures really add to the visual interest.  Beautifully done.

Happy Friday, and have a great weekend! 

How to Survive a Blizzard in the Midwest

Happy New Year's Eve!  I'm writing from our hotel in Fargo, North Dakota, happy to be standing on solid ground after one of the most harrowing driving experiences of my life.  My husband and I left Minneapolis yesterday afternoon, only to drive straight into the eye of an amazing winter storm.  We drove for 3 hours in near zero visibility, passed cars, trucks and trailers in snow-filled ditches, and at one of the worst points, watched the car in front of us (who's tail lights we were using to guide us) slip straight into the ditch without any warning.  It was truly God's gracious hand that brought us into Fargo last night, and although we are severely disappointed that we won't be making it on to our final destination (my hometown in Regina, Canada) today, I am grateful for the provisions of a warm hotel room, a husband who is a pro at keeping a clear head in tough situations, and most of all, our safety.  So here we are, stranded between interstate highways that remain closed, looking for ways to make the most of this New Year's, although I'm sure it will be memorable all on its own.

I mentioned here that Mr. CottageModern and I have a tradition of collecting a new penguin each year as a cute little gesture to our marriage because penguins "mate for life".  Since I can't think of a better person to be stranded with in a winter snowstorm, I thought I'd pay tribute to this small collection, who just happen to be all dressed up in their little "tuxedos", ready to ring in the new year!

This one's my favorite--its actually a little snow-globe :)

Here's to a safe and happy New Year's!  Whether you're getting all dressed up and ready to celebrate, or just spending a quiet night at home with family and friends, I hope this is a time to look back and be thankful for the blessings of this past year, and also look forward to all the excitement and adventure that 2011 will bring. 

My House At Christmas

I mentioned in this post that I was abandoning my somewhat traditional roots to go with a scheme of turquoise, chartreuse green and silver in my holiday decorating.  Here's how it turned out:

 

That turquoise patterned pillow was a total fluke--I purchased it randomly last time I was in Canada  (I loved the color and pattern), and lucky for me, it looks super with the rest of my "stuff".

This mantle is verging on cluttered, but I love it.....the  more sparkle the better at Christmas, I say!  That feathered wreath is one of my proudest purchases in the past few months--I found it on an end aisle at Michaels for $3.99!  So of course I bought two :)

I have a little obsession with mercury glass.  I love how it can go with either gold or silver, and can have a warm or cool cast depending on what its placed with.  It works well when I'm an indecisive decorator!

 

And finally, here's our "penguin of the year" for 2010.  Every year since we got married, my husband and I buy a new penguin to celebrate another Christmas together.  Penguins mate for life, so we think its a clever and suitable tradition to carry on.  This guy is one of my favorites, purchased from West Elm.  It looks like origami, but is actually ceramic!

So there's my Christmas holiday tour.  The cool, frosty tones of my living room don't seem out of place at all with the piles of snow and cold going on outside......cheers to this Minnesota winter!

No Dreaming Necessary......We'll have our "White" Christmas

What a day this Saturday has been.  The city woke up to blizzard-like conditions, and the white stuff hasn't let up even one tiny bit.  At first, I was disappointed--I had a Christmas gala and Stella & Dot jewelry launch party planned for weeks that had to be canceled--I was so looking forward to it!  However, being cooped up for the day turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  I managed to get a ton of stuff done, and put some of the finishing touches on my Christmas decor.  This year, I went with an unconventional color scheme using turquoise, shades of chartreuse green, and silver.  It looks pretty with all of my regular decor, so I like it.  I'm kind of a traditionalist at heart though, and had to use a great deal of restraint to keep from allowing all of my beautiful red and white pieces to creep in.  I managed to keep those colors out of the spotlight, but was delighted to stumble across these photos from one of our previous Christmases in our former home.  No shortage of traditional color here, and I love it.

 

Love these colored foil initials from Restoration Hardware.  I've used them in other projects throughout my home.

Other favorites that play on traditional Christmas themes......

I love that shot of the tall vase with the glass balls in it--as you can see, we were without base moulding that Christmas :)  A designer's work in her own home is never done......shorty after though, we installed glorious 7" high white trim--it was worth waiting for.

I think that candy dish had way more M & M's before started the photo shoot.....hmmmmm.....:)

This little guy is as old as me.  As far back as I can remember, its been on my parent's tree, and I managed to snag it for my own when I moved out.  I love the vintage ribbon candy look--does anyone know where I could get my hands on some of the real stuff?  Its so pretty to look at, and eat!

I made this wreath by spraying one of those brown willow-like wreaths in crisp white.  Then I added some red, silver and clear glass balls, and ended up with a simple but striking adornment for my black front door.  I still love the look of this, and it just may have creeped in to my turquoise-themed decor this year.  Wait and see....!

These primitive little nativity pieces were made by a dear friend, and given to me as a gift.  I love the simplicity and rusticity of this set up, and how it is a clear and simple reminder of the true reason we celebrate this season.  When all the glitz and glam and red and green are put away, and thoughts of Christmas are packed up in boxes for next year, the message of this nativity remains....a tiny baby, born to save the world.

Hope you're Christmas season is turning out to be merry & bright....happy decorating!