Gift Ideas for the Home Lover

Happy December! It’s officially the month of Christmas and I’m back today with my second of three gift guides: gift ideas for the home lover. Did you see the hostess gift guide I posted last week? Don’t forget to come back tomorrow, because I’m sharing my Christmas wish list with you!

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gift ideas for the home lover

1. Match Striker – You can’t really strike out with this. See what I did there? Everyone loves candles and if you have a candle, you need a match striker. It’s a cute and convenient way to keep matches next to candles around the house.

2. Wick Trimmer & Candle Snuffer Set & Cute Matches – While we’re talking about candles, this wick trimmer and snuffer is a great gift idea. You could even combine it with a candle and a cute box of matches or a match striker for a gift set.

3. Ring Doorbell – A doorbell with a camera that allows you to see, hear and talk to your visitors.… Read more

Gift Ideas for the Hostess

I didn’t plan to do any gift guides since they’re alllll over the place, but when I did a poll on Instagram, most of you voted in favor of them. However, I’m not going crazy and I decided to limit it to three gift guides, centered around my primary blog topics: one for the hostess, one for the home lover and my own Christmas wish list. Today we’re jumping in with holiday gift ideas for the hostess.

Entertaining is one of my favorite things! I love decorating for a party, a good tablescape and anything that can make entertaining prettier and easier.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of my links, I may receive a small commission for the referral at no additional cost to you.

gift ideas for the hostess

Gift Ideas for the Hostess

1. French cutting board – A vintage French cutting board is the best of all the gift ideas for the hostess. They are typically large, making them perfect for displaying a cheese and meat tray. While you can buy them new, I recommend a vintage one so it’s extra special.… Read more

Checking in…

Hiya, friends! It’s been a while since I have blogged (I miss it!) so I wanted to touch base with you and just give ya a little heads up about why that is and whats been going on over here.

Design Work vs. Blogging

I feel so lucky to be taking on more design clients, but with that comes less time for blogging and I haven’t found the balance yet. I want to be able to do both, the blog has been my priority from the start so I need to figure it out. There’s a lot of day-to-day behind the scenes design stuff going on that I typically don’t share until the client project is finished, but I’d like to figure out a way to blog more about the process and bring you along for the ride.

(This shot is from the most recently wrapped client project, my friend Rana’s photography studio.)

Stylistic Shift

Aside from client design work, I’ve been experiencing a little bit of a creative rut lately in terms of blogging. Or maybe it’s that I’m expending so much work and creativity into the client work that my creative gas tank is running a little empty when it comes time to brainstorm blog topics.… Read more

A Surprise Rustic Backyard Party for my Hubby!

If you follow me on Instagram then you may know that a couple of weeks ago I hosted a surprise rustic backyard party for my hubby’s 35th birthday. I started planning a few months ago and keeping the secret was BRUTAL and exhausting! The One Room Challenge back patio makeover was partly a disguise so I could have a reason to hurry him along to help me finish the patio in time for the party!! The joke’s on him! 🙂 About 10 family members flew in from up north as well as friends from South Carolina and Kentucky totaling about 50 guests. We successfully kept it a secret and when he pulled in the driveway home from work, he was completely shocked! I love planning a good surprise, and this one is my best yet!

Here are some fun shots from the day taken by my amazing photographer friend Ashlee!

Waiting impatiently for his arrival! The money shot! Look at that face! Too surprised to close the car door 😉 That’s his mamma he’s hugging there. Be still my heart. … Read more

Friday Finds & Weekly Recap

Friends & Family Sales

Happy Friday friends! There are some great friends and family sales going on.

Serena and Lily is offering 20% off everything now through 3/19.

Lulu & Georgia is offering 25% off everything 3/19-3/26 using the code SPLURGE.

Staircase Project Update

The staircase reno is still consuming my brain. We have the tile situation figured out and now I’m contemplating the railings. We were going to attempt to DIY the project but because we need SO much railing (about 80′ total) with many turns and angles, I think it’s best to hire the project out. The railing is a meticulous project with lots of precise measurements and safety is important so I think we’ll let the professionals handle this one. I have an idea of the overall look I’d like to achieve but we’re still contemplating verticle vs horizontal railing, and if we do verticle, whether or not to take each baluster to the floor or do a horizontal bar on the bottom.

I’m leaning toward verticle balusters with a bottom horizontal rail so that it’s easier to clean the stairs and so that we don’t have to destroy the new flooring by attaching each baluster but I do love the simplicity of each baluster carrying all the way to the floor.… Read more

Friday Finds & Weekly Recap

Happy Friday, Friends! It’s a long weekend, so you know what that means…SALES!

Here’s some info on a few President’s Day sales from some of my fave stores and brands.

Target is doing up to 30% off home items + an extra 15% off rugs with promo code GEORGE. Valid 2/18-2/19. I’ve got my eye on this outdoor sofa.
Lulu and Georgia is offering 15% off all purchases under $500, and 20% off all orders of $500+ through Tuesday, 2/20. They have a bunch of new arrivals, like this rug that I love!
World Market is doing 15% off plus free shipping over $150 through FEB 19th and 50% of ALL rugs!!!

Weekly Recap

The weather is warming up and the pups are taking advantage!

As a result of the warmer weather, I’ve got outdoor entertaining on the brain. I am DYING to get the back patio cleared of all hubby’s tools and guy stuff so I can make it pretty! I’m itching to have dinner outdoors before the Florida summer heat sets in – which happens well before summer, by the way.… Read more

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Personal Thoughts on the Loss of my Father-In-Law

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves memories no one can steal.”

I am sorry for being MIA the last few weeks but sometimes life happens. My family recently suffered an unfortunate event. My father-in-law, a great man, passed away after a battle with ALS. While he was sick, we thought we had more time with him then we ended up having. It’s very sad but we’re all trying to find joy in the memories we have with him. He always read my blog and so I wanted to just say a few words about him here.

Frederick Michael Daly was his full name, but I always called him “Mr. Fred” because when I first met him when my now hubby and I were in high school, “Mr. Daly” felt too formal but “Fred” too informal so that’s where I landed. He was the most patriotic person I ever met. He spent time in the Army during Vietnam and always flew an American flag in his yard. He was very thorough in everything he did. He was also very frugal.… Read more

Vibrant Peruvian Home Decor from Keeka Collection

Yesterday I shared all the cool stuff we brought home from Peru and today I’m sharing a great source for getting your own vibrant Peruvian home decor. Allow me to introduce, Keeka Collection.

Peruvian Home Decor

Check out this awesome resource for Peruvian home decor as well as other global textiles, Keeka Collection, a curated collection of home accessories from around the world by Katharine Harlow. I actually connected with Katharine via Instagram while we were in Peru (the power of social media). She saw that I was there and was kind enough to suggest a few not-to-miss places for us to work into our itinerary. She was in the middle of one of her shopping trips, which she does a few times a year, how amazing is that?! Be sure to follow Katharine and her adventures on Instagram and check out her awesome online shop filled with colorful textiles and home goods! If you’re interested in purchasing anything, get in touch because there’s a special offer for my readers 🙂

Remember the frazadas rugs/blankets that are often made into pillows I mentioned yesterday?… Read more

What to Bring Back from Peru

Yesterday I shared our Peru trip report and today I’m spilling the beans on our keepsakes and what to bring back from Peru. As you know, I am a sucker for global vibes and decor. We’ve accumulated quite the collection of art and keepsakes from our travels and I love working them into our home.

What to Bring Back from Peru

If you are a lover of global textiles like me, you will love Peru. Textile making is a historic tradition in Peruvian history so it’s no surprise that textiles are plentiful at the markets around the country. It’s difficult to pick just a couple, trust me.

We settled on this vibrant runner from the weaver’s village Chinchero a small village where we learned about the natural dying methods used to create the stunningly vibrant hues typical of Peruvian textiles.

We also scooped up this throw blanket from an open-air market we stumbled upon in Cusco that wasn’t quite open yet. We strolled along the path watching women were set up their stalls, most of which were still closed. I enjoyed it though because it was more relaxed and enjoyable.… Read more

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Gift Ideas for the Hostess

Design Work vs. Blogging

Stylistic Shift

Friends & Family Sales

Staircase Project Update

Weekly Recap

Peruvian Home Decor

What to Bring Back from Peru