Merry Christmas!

pics by Liz Lemon Swindle

I hope you all have a magical and merry Christmas!

May we all feel peace, gratitude, hope, and love this season. 

And may we all feel the love of the Savior.

Here is a great clip to help us all remember what this wonderful season is all about. 

White Christmas Movie and Snow & Graham Wrapping paper

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

It is snowing, and I was about to go run some last little errands before the big day, instead, maybe I'll stay inside...  I'm feeling like it might be a good time to wrap  presents and do my annual watch of the nostalgic movie: White Christmas (1954) with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera Ellen, and Rosemary Clooney.  The cast, music, and dancing are all wonderful!  White Chrismtas reminds me of my Grandparents because they used to watch it every Christmas.  I watched this movie with Grandma Tuttle quite a bit, and I'd love to pass that tradition on to my kids.  Good movies like this need to be watched and remembered. If you haven't seen it, you'd love it!

So for the wrapping....
obviously it is too late to get this paper for this year, but I am bookmarking this site for next Christmas.  Snow & Graham is a letterpress company, but they have darling wrapping paper for the holidays and everyday. 

For now, I think I'll just indulge in their darling cards...

Nowali Moccasins

I love to use these on my little babe at night to keep his feet warm.  They are so comfy and cozy and cute! And they have a leather bottom so he does not slip on our hardwood and tile floors.

Trumpette Socks

I have always been a fan of Trumpette.  With four kids, I've used these quite a bit and they just look so darling on a little baby!  These make the best gift too! I just have the mary jane for a girl and the johnny shoes and argyle for a boy.  But it looks like they have been busy with designing some darling new socks.  Aren't these just the cutest socks you've ever seen?  I wish they designed big girl foot-less tights.  My 5 year old girl just started refusing to wear tights because the feet bother her.  Really?  What do I do with all her darling tights now? 

John Adams: book and mini-series

Being a history major and an ex-U.S. History teacher, this is quite predictable of me to suggest.  I love excellent books on U.S. History, and if they are entertaining too, that is a bonus!  I know that to mention the word  history book can either surface feelings of love or dislike in people, however, I feel confident enough in this book and movie series, that I feel most people could enjoy it.  Especially during this time when our Country is changing drastically, and so many of us are scrambling to understand our history and what the founding fathers truly visioned for us and what we truly stand for.


John Adams by David McCullough is an amazing read!  AMAZING! It is very well reasearched and very informative.  Not only do you learn about John Adams and his family, but you also learn quite a bit about many of the other founding fathers and the history of this Great Nation. This is a must-read for every American and anyone interested in the history of America.

John Adams HBO miniseries with Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney is a very well done and interesting movie series that everyone should see.  Christmas break is a great time to heat up some hot chocolate, fix a warm fire, and relax and bond with a historical movie.

Oceans 3 Showhouse: the bold and the beautiful

I love the snow and I love Christmas... 

but, come January I know my mind will continually wander to daydreaming about the beach.  

I could be happy with any beach, but this oceanfront place is looking awesome!

 

The New York interior designer, Amanda Nisbet,  is responsible for this oceanfront condominium she designed for Traditional Home's Oceans 3 Showhouse-

"one of three residential retreats designed by three notable New York designers and their protégés. (Look for the other two, by designers Eric Cohler and Philip Gorrivan, in upcoming issues of Traditional Home.) All three units belong to a freshly renovated 50-year-old Panoramic View resort located at the tip of Long Island in Montauk, where the Hamptons yield for good to the Atlantic. Perched on a hillside directly above the ocean, the 10-acre resort is being renovated by architect Alexander D. Latham III and builder Oak Gentry for developer Adam Manson of Distinctive Ventures LLC."

This deck is outrageously fabulous!
What I would give to have that view and be able to wake up to the waves crashing on the shore.

Love the rich and bold colors. That star on the board...seriously cool.

I adore the color palette. Yellow and turquoise are an amazing combo,
and I like how there is just a hint of each throughout the main living space and kitchen.

Absorber Gels and Odor Eliminator Spray

With two in diapers I am desperate to get the stinky smell out, or the yucky bottle-spill smell from the car gone. I have luckily come across the greatest thing for this!  I swear by it!
And yes, I have a nice storage of this. I put the gels in all my rooms, bathrooms, and closets.
The scent is so mild but it absorbs yucky odors! Serious!

Absorber Gels and Sprays

(the sprays are like an awesome and better febreeze)

by

For Every Home
(look under the OAM Technology tag) 

Notebooks, Notepads, Cards, Wrap....

I love to make lists and check things off.  Even though I adore my iphone, there is something about the act of writing things out and physically checking them off that is so very satisfying!

Vera Bradley has some fun notepad options:

Notebooks and cards are also always a staple.

I love these designs by Heidi: creating thoughtful beauty

And her wrapping paper is fabulous!  I just can't get enough of her designs. 

They are simple, modern, bright, and so fun!

It's Complicated

"Take a serene Santa Barbara setting with to-die-for interiors, add a triangle mixing love, divorce, and renovation, and you have all the elements of an unusual romantic comedy."

Cathy Whitlock- Traditional Home

 I'm so excited to see the new movie: It's Complicated! Sure Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin are in the movie, but I'm excited to see yet another fabulous movie by Nancy Meyers.  She is the writer-dirctor of many other movies that I have watched over and over, not just for the movie, but for the homes... Something's Gotta Give and The Holiday-- need I say more.
Am I weird?
I'll rewind and play those movie back s.l.o.w.l.y so I can analyze and
drool over the amazing homes and decor.

 The same set decorator that did the beach house in Something's Gotta Give, Beth Rubino, also decorates this Californian home.  I'd love to work with and decorate with her!

The sets also included a bakery that was influenced by everything from London’s Daylesford Organic to

New York’s City Bakery and Dean and Deluca, among others.

Other movie house set designs i L.O.V.E are:
The Break Up, Pillow Talk, Father of the Bride, Under the Tuscan Sun,
Parent Trap (both the old and newer version...but mostly the old 60's!  It's too fabulous!)
Do you have any favorite movie homes?