holiday decorating style

So, I am sure that everyone has started their holiday decorating by now. I am so proud of myself...got my tree up last night and the Christmas lights are all hung outside. I was feeling a little like a slacker after seeing that so many other people had theirs done the day after Thanksgiving!
There is such a HUGE selection of holiday decor out and so many styles and themes to choose from. Here are some of my faves...

Rustic--

 

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Traditional--

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Whimsical--

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I always lean towards rustic, using raffia, pine cones, and tin ornaments.  What's your style??

monday musing

 

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not right

Instead of snuggled up in bed, I am out in the trenches shopping! I know, I am not right! It is a serious addiction to shopping that drags me out of bed in the wee hours of Black Friday and convinces me to wait in looooong lines for Christmas deals. I am really not sure you get that great of a deal on things on Black Friday but I have been doing it for a few years now and it's kinda become a tradition.

So, while I am satisfying my retail urges, I will be dreaming of curling up in a comfy bed like this one...

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giving thanks

With Thanksgiving upon us, I know I have many things to be thankful for in my life.  I am blessed with a beautiful, healthy family that keeps me grounded. I have great friends that are always there when I need an ear (or a glass of wine!). Of course, I am very thankful for all the great blogging friends and followers I have gained this year! Blogging has introduced me to so many wonderful people and it's all of you guys that keep me motivated in my career!

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Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with family!!

a lil' inspiration for the big day

I know many of us are going to be spending a lot of time in our kitchen the next few days, so here is a feast of beautiful kitchens to get you ready!

designer: Susanne Dossetter

designer: Ruthie Sommers

designer: Kay Douglass

designer: Susan Tully

designer: Suzanne Kasler

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monday musing

Perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday...

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master bedroom makeover

Recently the blog, Undomestic Momma, hosted a giveaway for my e-design services. The lucky winner was Rachel and she was ready for her makeover! She said her master bedroom was in major need of an overhaul. I was very excited to take on this project! This is what I came up with...

I aimed to strike the perfect balance between masculine and feminine. I chose dark wood furnishings to appeal to him and more feminine details, such as the side chair and tray table to show off her design style.  Looks like I achieved my goal! They both love it and are excited to execute the design!

If you're interested in design services, email me at jntinteriors@gmail.com!!

Also, check out my guest post at A Curated Lifestyle from earlier this week!

chic storage

I received an email from Crate and Barrel this weekend, the subject line said "Hunting for Clever Storage?"...um, yeah! What person isn't?  So, I went to the website and took a look at their new 'Hunter' trunks.  They are awesome! They could hold any and everything that tends to accumulate on the coffee table, around the living room, and basically all over the place!

 They even have a smaller side trunk that offers a ton of storage...

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i'm back!!

So, my social media free week is over and I am glad to be back!  Here's a recap of what I learned last week...

On the first day, I was itching to check Twitter and Facebook, just once, but I knew that would be cheating so I tried to find other things to keep me busy. Let's just say, my house was VERY clean that day and I managed to purchase a few items online for my daughter. Idle hands and the internet are not a good thing...I couldn't spend the whole week buying clothes online!!

Days 2-5 were difficult but I did thoroughly enjoy all the free time I ended up having. I don't know if this was related to me not being on the computer or my phone all the time, but my daughter was an absolute angel all week. Instead of blogging and tweeting, I was coloring with her and playing baby dolls.

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The last two days of my experiment were pretty easy, but that was because I was distracted with a girls trip to Gainesville. I will admit...I did check in at Facebook a few times, but that was it!

At the end of the experiment, I have learned a few things. I definitely need to balance my social media time a little bit better. Maybe setting aside certain times of the day for my social media needs rather than checking in on blogs, Twitter, and Facebook all throughout the day. It kills my productivity in other areas of life. Definitely no social media when I am home with my daughter! She's growing up so fast and there is nothing so important online that it needs to take the place of quality time with my little one.  I still stand by the fact that social media is a HUGE part of doing business in this day and age and time must be spent on it. 

I recommend everyone taking a little break from it all every once in awhile but I am so glad to be back! I missed you all!!!

monday musing

a little experiment

First, I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful anniversary wishes!!

I am going to do a little experiment this week. I was inspired by Capella Kincheloe of  A Curated Lifestyle.  Last week, she vowed to stay away from social media to see the impact it had on her personal and professional life. We all know how it can consume you and between blogging, Twitter, and Facebook, I feel like I am always on my computer or on my phone. So, this week, I am going to take a break! No blog posts, no tweeting, no Facebook checking... I will still check email...c'mon, I can't stay away from the computer entirely!!!

So, I am signing off and I will be back next week to let you know how the little experiment went!!

monday musing

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favorite find of the week 11.5

My favorite find for this week is a personal one...it's my husband!! Today is our 5th wedding anniversary!  So much has happened in the 5 years since we got married...we have built a house {about to sell that house}, started a family, and just grown up a lot in the 10 years since we first started dating. He is the yin to my yang. He is very methodical and level-headed and then there's me, going 90 miles an hour in a billion different directions, do first, think later! I am so lucky to have him in my life...he's a great man and a wonderful father to our little girl!

family friendly design

This has been my focus for the past few weeks while I prepare for my first design seminar.  A wonderful event planning company, Divine Events, that caters to all the hip moms of Tampa invited me to do a series called "Divine Decorating...With Kids in Mind."  It will be at one of my favorite places in town, Marketplace Interiors, this Friday.  I can't wait to share all my tips with the lovely mothers that are attending!  With my thought process on kid-friendly design, the series, Good Design with Kids in Mind, from Kirsten at 6th Street Design School couldn't have come at a better time. I am armed with even more tips from all the bloggers too.

Here's a snapshot of the inspiration board I created for the event. I wanted to show a sample of child-friendly fabrics and how you can use pattern, color, and texture to create a stylish home that could take a beating from even the most active of children!

So, what is your #1 family friendly design tip?

too cute not to share

I just couldn't resist sharing this photo from Halloween! My daughter had such a ball and got so excited with every little piece of candy she received in her pumpkin.  These are the moments that make me love being a mom!!

house beautiful goodness

I just couldn't pass up the chance to share some more lovely photos from this month's issue of House Beautiful.  This home is designed by LA designer, Peter Dunham.  My favorite part of this article was how he described this house if it was a person, "Not some Faux Derek drop-dead sexy girl, or a frumpy old bag. It would be a classically beautiful 45-year-old Virginia woman who's in great shape, has a beautiful smile, and is easygoing and welcoming." Isn't that what we all want in a house?

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The nook is so charming; it looks like the perfect place to curl up and read a book, maybe take a little nap...aahhh....

monday musing

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