christmas tree

Well we made it north. The sun is shining and there is 2' of fresh snow on the ground. This morning we are decorating our "Scandinavian" tree as my Mom calls it (they bought the last tree on the lot and lets say it has character) before going skiing. So as my final pre-holiday post I thought I would do a Christmas tree round up. I hope everyone has a great holiday filled with family, friends and lots of relaxation. 

1. wood tree via Kara Rosenlund  2. tree in car source unknown  3. tree skirt via Rowen & Wren  4. color tree via A Colorful Charm  5. nordic tree via Stylizimo  6. paper tree by Gensler  7. scandinavian tree via atelier rue verte  8. casual christmas via Home Ideas/Cottage Living

realty round up: brattleboro, vt

image via Wikipedia

Key Information:

What: Brattleboro is the oldest town in Vermont known for its vibrant arts community. A free thinking community that has made national news for what one writer describes for its "Berkeleyesque" politics. It is a hilly town with lots of activities available for the outdoor enthusiast - hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking etc. 

When: 1753

Where: The Southeastern corner of Vermont along the border with New Hampshire and on the Connecticut River at the mouth of the West River. 

Why: White Christmas is my favorite Christmas movie so I wanted to feature Vermont. However seeing as though there is no such place as Pine Tree, Vermont I selected Brattleboro; as it has been voted by numerous polls and publications as one of the best places to live. I especially liked this editorial from National Geographic. 

How many: 12,049 (2010)

Local Attractions:
- Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe - looks like the perfect place for some amazing baked goods and a good cup of coffee.
- Fireworks Restaurant - the place to go for wood oven pizza and a nice dining environment.
- Top of the Hill Grill - an authentic bbq place where else but at the top of the hill.

House #1: $199,000

information and images via Zillow

A charming tucked away cottage that is still walking distance to town. I like the front porch, wooded lot and all the original detailing.

House #2: $229,000

images and information via Zillow

This in town house has lots of curb appeal and lots of potential. The inside needs quite a bit of updating but it has good light and space planning. 

House #3: $389,000

information and images via Zillow

This 1856 has great history and has been beautifully updated. I especially love the open kitchen and wide plank original floors. 

House #4: $398,500

images and information via Zillow

This house is amazingly sited on a hillside overlooking the river. I love the porches and decks and the way the entry is nestled below the road. 

Have a good weekend everyone! I will be back Monday with a final holiday themed post before shutting down for a week of r&r. 

new year projects

Yesterday at work we started mapping out our projects and schedule for January. We are going to be starting with some new clients and finishing up with some old ones so it should be an exciting and busy month. This got me thinking about what things I want to try to tackle in our home.  I decided to make a list but only of the fun things because I am not ready to think about activities like cleaning out the basement or washing the windows...

2014 Home Projects

1. Dining room chairs - One of my first blog entries was about selecting dining room chairs to go with our farm table. After much back and forth, we had come to a decision on these Serena and Lily ones. 

Riviera Side Chair - Navy by Serena and Lily

I like this chair because its comfortable, has lots of texture and could easily transition to other spaces like outside or a breakfast table. The thing I am struggling with is buying 8 chairs for a dining room we aren't going to have forever - seems like such a big commitment. Also its a very casual look which I like but I also wonder if not too far down the road we will want something a little more dressed up (not fancy - just a little more refined). So recently I have been thinking about trying to find a set of directors chairs which (hopefully) would be less of an investment and could be easily stored and saved if we didn't end up using them in our next house. Maybe like these...

1. virtue brothers director chairs via etsy  2. source unknown  3. rattan directors chairs via Elements of Style blog  4. yellow directors chairs via Casa Decor

2. Daybed - A month or so ago I found this amazing bentwood daybed for just $85 at a local vintage store. The wood is in good condition but the cushion and pillows definitely need to be reupholstered. I am thinking that because it has such curly, bohemian lines I want to do a fabric that is simple and has a more linear pattern so probably a stripe. I like the look of this cushion.

via Lonny

If I did a smaller ticking stripe like the one pictured above I would want to do a mix of bolder, graphic pillows. Maybe two of these Kelly Wearstler sea urchin fabric pillows.

Kelly Wearstler sea urchin fabric pillows via Etsy

3. Living Room - As I mentioned in this living room inspiration post, our living room is need of some updating. Since I wrote the entry, I have bought the two Ranarp reading lamps from IKEA and they look great. However, we still need some indirect lighting in the room so I would like to get a cool table lamp. Maybe like this one...

Morton Table Lamp from Circa Lighting

And if I continue to dream a new sofa, coffee table, pillows and art.....

The list could go on but I probably shouldn't get too ahead of myself. Maybe there will be some good New Years Day sales..