DIY Christmas Presents!!

I know that a lot of you sweets are crafty and creative.... my friend Claire over at Blah to Ta-Da would make any of these gifts in an instant, and with her own fabulous personal touch...

I, however, cannot, I m terrible at DIY stuff (although I never give up!)... anyway, I thought this would make for a great post since a lot of you do have the grand gift of crafts, and I am sure your loved ones will be delighted because these christmas gifts are heavenly!

Lovely Cinnamon stick candles (easy)

Silver utensils envelope (everything BUT easy but sure worth the effort)

Lovely multi-purpose boxes decorated with fabric (hum...seems simple enough)

Sweater Totes! (All I am going to say is I can't sew)

Card wallet... how cute is this?
(I am sure there is a special technique for working with leather)

Ok, I don't mean to torture anyone, so go to the source and you will find some instructions and also some more ideas. Here it is:

Country Living

Warm and Traditional...

HI sweeties! hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday with your loved ones.... we normally don't celebrate this holiday here in Mexico but a lot of peope do in my city as a big part of its population is American. Continuing with the Christmas Decor ideas I started earlier this week by showing you some chic christmas decorations, I have a picture here that I love because the décor in it is so traditional and warm, it really feels like my grandma's home (just throw in a ceramic Nativity Scene and it could very well be her lovely house).

What do you think? is this your style at all? or do you prefer to go modern??

Image via: Country Living

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chic Christmas Décor....

Alrighty :) its almost time... you're all probably thinking about your Christmas décor already. And what an exciting moment when you get to decorate whith the whole family together.... I LOVE it. I like traditional spaces this time of the year... but also enjoy a little twist on trandition from time to time... Here are some gorgeous ideas on how to bring Chic into your space this Christmas...

Golden warmth....

Colorful and Playful Christmas (so unique and fun!)

Icy white Christmas.. oh so chic!

More White Christmas décor (see how the wallpaper plays an important part)

Chic and cheerful Entryway!
(moving all of your pictures to red, silver and gold frames for the holidays really is a good idea!)

Warm, neutral... but full of Nature!

Masterful Center-Piece! (and chic for cheap!)

Ahhhh.... my favorite ever.... Ta-da!!!
A - S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G dining room in red and white
Hanging giant snowflakes and stars from the ceiling might just be the most clever idea I've seen lately. Loves!

Images via: Ideal Home Magazine

Just the facts Ma'am!: Table Setting

Ok Sweets! in case any of you need to know... now that the Holidays are here.... Here is how a formal table setting should be done (I did'nt have a very clear picture myself, beyond the forks position!).

You always begin eating using your silver from the outside, that's why the soup spoon and salad fork are first, then dinner fork, then dessert fork and on the other side, tea spoon and knife. Napkin to the left or on the Service plate and butter plate and spreader to the left.

Water goblet is larger than the others and goes first, then the red wine (medium) glass and next the white wine (small) glass.

Now, the good part: Enjoy your delicious meal!!

ThanksGiving table setting.... yum!

Darlings!!!

Here's some lovely thanksgivng ideas courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

More backsplash you guys!!

Okay, here they are, a few VERY clever and unique ideas for backsplash...... so lovely!

Brick tiles.....

Subway tiles in a looooovely shade of blue..... this kitchen is delish!

Old, savaged mirrors for opening up the space and giving it personality!


Mirrored backsplash.... oh so chic!

Brick wall indeed! isn't this a dream? so artsy!

HA! bet you didnt see this one coming, yes, it's chalkboard paint!!! isn't this clever? you can't write the daily menu on it!

Image source: 1.- Kitchenbacksplashphotos.com, 2.-Becoming Home, 3.- Tracery Interiors, 4.- Apartment Therapy, 5.- Channel 4, 6.- Ann Porter

Two grrrrreat ideas = )

Hey there! how was your weekend? delightful I hope! did you do anything fun?

Sometimes I need a little inspiration to get my week started with the right foot. These two beautiful ideas for a backsplash did it for me. They both involve tiles, which I love and am seriously considering for my own kitchen.

First off, the rich shade of royal blue below makes me very happy, against white cabinets and walls its like a breath of fresh air!

And this one..... well, its a bit more artistic and a fantastic DIY project I love because it gives the kitchen a whole lot of personality!

What is your backsplash style??? Tomorrow, we will continue with backsplash as I have a great post for ya ;)

Images via: Remodeling Center

Totally note-worthy.... La Danse

Darlings! this is exciting and thrilling beyond words!...

“La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet,” opened this week, and according to reviewer A.O. Scott of The New York Times, “a feast for ballet lovers” and “one of the finest dance films ever made.” So hurry over to THE ERRANT AESTHETE, for a full and wonderful article (as usual!) on this masterpiece.

“What a thrilling week for dance onscreen.A portrait of one of theworld’s great companiesby one of theworld’s great vérité documentarians.

LA DANSE captures a living ecosystem.Beyond offering the privilegeof watching gorgeously photographed scenesfrom seven balletsclassically smooth and atonally jarring,LA DANSE is an anatomy.It’s about flesh and bone and sinew,about sublimity on Earth.”
David Edelstein, New York

Having been a balerina myself, and having a huge crush on the Paris Opera Ballet, this is grand. Certainly much anticipated and highly coveted. Me LIKEY!!!!

xo

Nuit

A fresh take.....

On the last post, I managed to gather some useful inspiration photos on how to warm up a room now that the fall is here. (yayy!)

This time, I am to help a reader and friend, Katie, who wrote to me asking for a few ideas to 'freshen up' a tired, dark room... what colors to use, how to bring the light in, etc.

Luckily, I was already preparing a post on the subject, so here it is..... hope this helps you Katie!

First off, neutral colors and natural light, are essential to give a room some new life...

Unexpected colors in areas that use to have a traditional look.... blues and earthy tones combined with some metallics really take this kitchen to a whole new level! so don't be afraid to try things.

Let the light in and let architectural features be the center of attention.... the chandelier was very cleverly added to give even more drama to the already fantastic ceiling!


Create a color palette that works for you and feel free to wrap your project up by covering the screen of your lamps with some gorgeous wall-paper.



Interesting color combinations and art selection can be everything to a room, in this example below, the stripes are designed to make the space flow and the little reading nook by the window completes the game. Do remember to create areas you want to BE IN. Meaning little places that you will love, that you will use... where you will sit down and read or talk to your loved ones. After all, you are the one LIVING here.

Lastly, here is a kitchen that has been renovated by going back to a basic, clean, all-american look. White & Red, I find this a very smart decision to unify the space, give it some elegance and togetherness... If your kitchen has different colors that dont make you happy, go back to the basics and you will feel inspired to start building from there.


All Images via: Better Homes and Gardens



Love... Nuit