Our Elegant {and even glamorous} Christmas Mantel

Last year our holiday mantel was decorated asymmetrical with lots of color, vintage ornaments and traditional fir & pine garland. As you can see, this year’s Christmas mantel is symmetrical, monochromatic and frankly more elegant. The Lee Industry arm chairs in chartreuse flanking the fireplace inspired the mantel’s color palette of greens and whites with splashes of gold and silver.

  

A trio of etched mercury cachepots from Pottery Barn are filled with crisp white feathers and playful white winter berries. A small collection of vintage and contemporary Christmas trees are set just off center and each pick up different colors in the palette {actually used these cuties last year}.

For a more formal look, a pair of small live fir trees are placed on either side of the mantel. Each tree is set in beautiful birch wrapped tins – this earthy element balances the sparkling silvers and glass and adds a warming neutral color that compliment the winter berries. Matching blown glass mercury candlesticks {Pottery Barn} hold chunky white candles and are placed next to each tree. The entire mantel is lined with fresh Heather and Camilla tree branches – love the varying textures and shades of green.

Perched on a small present, a silvery white snowman ornament adds a whimsical touch.

Simple, low-maintenance moss balls are placed on a silver “trophies” picked up at an estate sale. I was told they were originally used to place cigarettes. Really? They look much better in this form I think.

Hanging from the hammered tin mirror is a glass ornament wreath inspired by Eddie Ross’ in 2008. This was a fun DIY project and easy to do. The glass ornaments are a combination of ones found at an estate sale {vintage for $1} and Goodwill {$1 for two dozen – brand new}. Here is the how to by Eddie.

A proud white ceramic horse stands stately atop vintage Lucite nesting tables and favorite design books. It’s fun to take everyday home décor items like this and make them holiday ready by simply adding a little festive ribbon and tinsel. A chic Moroccan inspired print fabric is added to crushed avocado green velvet stockings. The pair are hang from a single panel fireplace  screen – love how the patterns in the screen and stocking play off one another. Swags of silver tinsel are added to the mantel for a touch of glam.

Need some more inspiration? Go here are fabulous ideas on how to decorate your mantel for the holidays.

Happy Decorating, Happy Holidays!

* all photos by Cristin Priest for Simplified Bee

"Tartanscot Holiday Contest . . . "

Greetings,

Well, the holiday season is finally here!  So let's have some fun during the month of December.  For those of you who have been long-time readers, you'll know how MUCH I love decorating for the holidays.  The smell of fresh cedar.  The feel of pine sap on my fingers.  Maybe some holiday music on the stereo.

Since you've all seen what my place looks like this holiday season - I really want to see what y'all have been up to . . . So, I'm pleased to announce the first annual "Tartanscot Holiday Decorating Contest!"

There are three categories that you can enter :

1)  Christmas Tree ( lights.  ornaments.  creativity. )

2)  Dining Room ( it's one of the best times of the year to entertain.  Let's see that dining table! )

3)  Fireplace Mantel.  ( let your imagination sparkle! )

How to do it:

1)  Decorate your home. 

2)  Take digital photos.

3)  Email your images (along with your name and address) to "Tartanscotcontest@gmail.com" 

But, don't think it will just be me here - throwing darts at the wall to see who's going to win.   Tune in on Wednesday to meet our panel of Celebrity Judges - a collection of designers and bloggers from around the world.  

And it's not just for bragging rights - images of the winning entries will be posted here on Tartanscot during Christmas week - and I'll also be announcing our special prizes for the contest later in the week.  

Now, for the small print:

THE CONTEST RULES -

CONTEST ENTRIES:

Contest begins on Monday November 29, 2010 and ends at 11:59

p.m., E.T. on Thursday December 16, 2010. Winners 

will be announced on December 21, 2010.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE:

The contest is open to both interior designers and 

design enthusiasts who want an opportunity to showcase
their work in the 'Tartanscot Holiday Decorating Contest'.

HOW TO ENTER:

Submit clear photographs (up to a maximum of three photos)

of each room designed by you to (tartanscotcontest@gmail.com). It

can be either your own personal home or a home designed by you for a

client, just as long as it is your OWN work.

Photograph from every angle, including close-ups and special details. 

Images should be no larger than 1MB and in jpg format. 

Provide your full name and address.

Cheers and best of luck,
Scot

Advice for New Moms: Green Street

Dave and I are back from Florida and this week we've got not one but two guest posts coming in my Advice for New Moms series. Today, I'd like to welcome Fran from Green Street. Fran is a fabulous mom with an equally fabulous sense of style and I'm sure you'll find her advice as helpful as I have. Take it away, Fran!

* * *

Congratulations Averill - I am very happy for you and your husband for your upcoming new addition!  Thank you for inviting me to participate in your series.  I have a 3 year old son who is the love of my life! While three years is certainly not a long time, it definitely feels like eternity since my days of cradling a newborn. My mind is a bit foggy, but there are some things you will never forget.

Most Indispensible Product:

Hands down - swaddling blankets!  If I had to recommend the best swaddling blankets out there, it would be aden + anais muslin swaddling blankets.  They are lightweight and breathable (100% cotton), sized generously and have a wide selection of beautiful designs.  This will save you from a lot of sleepless nights! (But, learn how to swaddle tightly!)

Nursery Must Haves:

Land of Nod changing pad covers.  

  

And, don't forget the Diaper Dekor Plus which is very good at controlling odors!

At a very young age, my son listened to music.  I would always have music in the back ground while caring for him.  I love Music Together's collection of songs.  And, when your baby gets older, they have classes to enroll your child in.  They're fabulous!

And, the last nursery must have to complement your nursery design (which is fabulous, btw) are the Land of Nod eco-friendly wild and wheelie animals.

Most Useless Product: were the sleep wedge and positioners (at least for me)!

If I had to do it over again:

I would have bought a calendar and recorded all the milestones (even the littlest of milestones).  At a later date, I would then transfer all the dates to a journal so I would have a record of my son's baby years.  Moreover, I would have taken a picture of him every month in the same position so I could see the progression of his growth over the year!  

Well, Averill, I have no doubt that you'll be a wonderful mommy!!  Best of luck to you and we can't wait to see your little boy!!

Goodbye Ikat... Hello Flame Stitch!

While I still love ikat prints, I feel like everywhere I look these days I'm seeing flame stitch fabrics and I'm in love...

This month's Elle Decor had two sumptuous interiors with flame stitched upholstered goodies...
Love these pillows (and the tufted sofa!)

The only thing I love about this room MORE than the amazing flame stitch bench is the yellow and gray color scheme!

Kelly Wearstler is a big fan of the flame stitch - her dishes...

I love this print she designed...


I spotted it in a store window one night while on my exciting trip in NYC!
No need to keep the flame stitch on a pillow or upholstered piece - love it on the wall too (via Apartment Therapy)

Soupy Interior

I absolutely adore the tv show The Soup (on E!) - so it comes as no surprise that I adore the home of Joel McHale (its host). While perusing InStyle magazine on Turkey Day, I saw this spread...

His wife worked as a design assistant for Kelly Wearstler (no wonder the house is decorated with impeccable taste!) She actually looks familiar from my design grad school days. She designed the house with guidance from Elizabeth Gordon...

Great tv room - the detailing on the cabinets is gorgeous!


The orange walls are bold AND beautiful.

Cozy, glam bedroom.


The details on the ceiling are fantastic!


I'm having wallpaper envy!

Palm Springs Yacht Club

It's hard to get back to work after a long weekend - especially when I spent it at my favorite hotel (The Parker Palm Springs) designed by my favorite interior designer (Jonathan Adler) with my favorite man (my husband.)

We were greeted by this gorgeous entry.

Check-in doesn't feel like a chore when you do it in this lobby.

All dreams are sweet in this bed.
Because it was chilly, we spend our days in the spa, the Palm Springs Yacht Club, relaxing in bathrobes, reading, and hoping into the jacuzzi. Best turkey day ever!

Book Review: Pretty Neat & Chance to Win $250

When gazing at beautiful images of meticulously organized rooms, color-coded closets and flawless family schedules, does it make you think you are not measuring up? Some suggest at least 80% of of women feel organizationally challenged. Wow. Could this be true? Buttoned Up’s co-founders, Alicia Rockmore & Sarah Welch sadly found this to be the case when interviewing hundreds of women for their new book, Pretty Neat: The Buttoned-Up Way to Get Organized and Let Go of Perfection : Simply put, many thought their “imperfect” ways left them short of the mark organizationally.

In the introduction, Alicia and Sarah state, “Chasing perfection fuels something we call organizational inertia, a type of paralysis that makes it virtually impossible to get started. All too often, the most difficult part of getting organized is knowing where to start. If perfection is the objective, paralysis makes sense. Keeping your house, work and schedule magazine-ready requires a superhuman effort to achieve and constant superhuman vigilance to maintain. The goal of getting organized isn’t necessarily to have everything picture-perfect, but rather to eliminate inefficiency so that you have more time to do what you actually want to do.”

Pretty Neat is just that. The book drives home that getting organized can be approached in a practical way and insists women need to stop holding themselves to ridiculously high standards. Once readers get past these psychological hurdles, the book provides simple solutions for taking control of their time & stuff without having to become anal. Pretty Neat’s collection of road-tested tips from real women show busy people how to:

* Take charge of to-do lists
* Tame inboxes
* Temper toy tsunamis and more!

I love this simple solution found on page 103 for helping reduce clutter in our closets:

Place a large cloth bag or two on the floor of your closet. Each day as you stare at your wardrobe, ask yourself three questions about one piece of clothing, a pair of shoes and an accessory: 1. Is it flattering? 2. Do I love it? 3. Does it represent who I am today? If the answer to any one of these questions is no, put the item in the cloth bay straight away. Don’t rationalize. When the bag is full, take it to Goodwill. Repeat as necessary until your closet only contains clothes, shoes and accessories that you truly love and wear.

Wanna win $250? I would love to here your best organizational tip or shortcut. Share your tip here by commenting on this post no later than December 31st at midnight! The reader who submits the best tip across all participating blogs will win $250.  The winning tip will be selected by Alicia and Sarah of Buttoned Up and announced on January 10th.

Can't wait to hear all of your get tips for getting organized!

* images via Martha Stewart and Buttoned Up

** I received no monetary compensation for this post. I received one copy of Pretty Neat (book) for review. The opinions herein are my own.

"Once Upon a Time . . . "

Tiffany & Co.

on Post Street

Once upon a time - a very, very long time ago - there was a 

young man from Mississippi named Scot.  And for many, many 

years he worked for Ralph Lauren -  

designing and installing the store's display windows 

in the magical land of San Francisco.  He was younger and 

thinner than he is now.  But, he was full of passion and a great love of style - 

which he still is to this very day.

Tiffany & Co.

Each year he would wait.  And wait.  And wait.  

He would look at the calendar almost every day.

"Is it time yet?"  "Is it time yet?"

Tiffany & Co.

For he knew very well, that beginning the 

first day after Halloween - he would

begin to install the holiday windows 

for ALL the Polo stores in and around San Francisco.

This was his favourite time of the year.

Gumps

on Post Street

Now, many people would complain as he began to install holiday windows the first week of November.

"Christmas already?!?!?!" would be the daily outburst.

Saks Fifth Avenue

on Post Street

But Scot would try to tell everyone, "It takes SO long for these magical windows to be created. We must start 

early so that we can be finished by Thanksgiving."

But, no one seemed to believe him.

Neimam Marcus

Corner of Geary and Stockton

So everyday Scot would go to each store.  

Working 12 to 16 hours each day.  Everyday.

Including weekends.  Dressing mannequins.  

Making enumerable wreaths.  Building sets for windows.

Macys

on Geary Street

Slowly.  Each day.  The stores began to transform.

It was very hard work.  And some days he would be cranky.

"It is very hard work creating magic."

And he would go home each night - 

and sleep for a few hours - before going back to the store.

Banana Republic

on Grant Street

One day he heard someone say, "Happy Holidays!" 

on the street outside the store.

Banana Republic

on Grant Street

And slowly, people would begin to stop and 

point and smile at the holiday 

creations taking shape in the store's windows.  

Ralph Lauren

on Kearny Street

And finally, after weeks of work, on the 

Wednesday before Thanksgiving - 

everything was perfect.

Ralph Lauren

on Post Street

And after everything was completed.  

Scot would give himself a treat . . . 

He would walk around the streets and 

byways in the magical land of San Francisco,

and see what everyone else had been 

doing whilst he'd been working.

Ralph Lauren

on Post Street

And everyone on the street was smiling.  

And wishing each other Happy Holidays.

And he hoped that his little contribution 

helped make the magical land of San

Francisco just slightly more magical.

Th end.

I decided to begin my holiday celebrations a few days early.  So on my way home from the office on Wednesday, I grabbed my camera and relived those old days - wandering the city streets to see all the holiday windows.  Sometimes I miss being able to work on the holiday windows.  

Be sure to be back on Monday - I've got an exciting announcement.  

Cheers,

Scot

All photography, Scot Meacham Wood for "The Adventures of Tartanscot."