I Was More Productive Than I Thought

 

It’s always fun for me to look back and see what jobs I’ve actually finished this year.  It helps me to know that all of this running I’ve done in the last 12 months hasn’t been for nothing.  So, if you’ll humor me, here’s a quick rundown of some of my favorite projects that I’ve posted about in 2011. (Click on the titles for links to the individual posts.)

 

A Client’s Master Bedroom Makeover

 

 

 

 

 

Dressing Up a Dresser

 

 

 

 

 

Our Breakfast Room Redo

 

 

 

A Client’s Living Room/Dining Room Makeover

 

 

 

 

 

Under the Counter Chalkboard

 

 

 

Our Completed Dining Room

 

 

 

And, Adjoining Living Room

 

 

 

Our New House

(and one of the highlights of my year!)

 

 

 

Built-In Bookcases

 

 

 

A Client’s Sunroom Project

 

 

 

A Client’s Home Office Update

 

 

 

And, My Biggest Project to Date

 

 

Happy New Year!,

Oreck Giveaway Winner

 

Congratulations to Kristen, winner of the Oreck Magnesium vacuum giveaway!

 

 

 

 

Find  more information on the Magnesium and other Oreck products here.

 

I’m Around. . .

 

And, I’m doing nothing!  Isn’t it wonderful?  I needed this little blogging break.  I’m spending my days this week eating (for the babies, of course), watching movies and taking naps.  And, I’m dreaming about all kinds of things I would like to do to our house in the new year (my dreams exceed my budget. . . ).  I’m also pinning pretty pictures like this one:

 

Style at Home via Pinterest

 

Hope you’re not working too hard, either.  And, just a reminder, I’m announcing the winner of the Oreck Magnesium vacuum giveaway on Friday, so pop over to this post to enter.

Merry Christmas from the Clarks

 

 

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

 

Blogging might be sporadic at best from now until after the holidays, so I just wanted to say thanks for another wonderful year.  I really do appreciate you taking the time each day to stop by and read.  And, I look forward to sharing the exciting changes for our family and for my blog coming in 2012. 

Thank you, Secret Santa!

 

Okay, if this is from my Blogger Secret Santa, I am really getting spoiled.  (And, I might add that the gifts I’ve sent to my Secret Santa have pretty much stunk!) 

 

 

I received this personalized embosser, made by Three Designing Women, in the mail yesterday.  There was no card, so I’m assuming it has to be from her.  I have always wanted one of these!  Thank you so much.  I am getting ready to emboss everything in sight.

 

Want to play along?  Stefanie at Brooklyn Limestone is hosting a little game (and giving a prize) if you can match the blogger to their Secret Santa. 

 

A Handprint Wreath

 

A friend of mine gave me this idea for a gift from my kids to some family friends who often fill in as grandparents since our families all live out of town.  Besides the mess, it was an easy and quick project with a personal touch.

 

 

 

I got the canvas, bow, and paint at Hobby Lobby.  We used three different shades of green—one for each of their handprints.  As you can see, some are more “textural” than others :)

 

 

 

And, for fun, we tied a movie gift card onto it.

 

 

 

My Week in Pictures

 

Is it just me, or does this week feel like a mad dash to the finish line?  We’re trying to cram in as much fun as possible before Christmas.  Here are some snapshots from my week so far. . .

 

 

I got 50% of my Christmas cards actually mailed out.  That’s not too bad.  I had good intentions.

 

 

Our Christmas card tree.  It looks like the Charlie Brown version of the one I posted about here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Santa drove by our house in a fire truck.  My kids were terrified of the sirens. . .

 

 

For teachers’ gifts, I ended up going with Target gift cards tied to ornaments decorated by the kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A visit from Santa at a friend’s Christmas party.

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite pictures.  They’re plotting on how to figure out if this is the “real” Santa.

 

 

 This was as close as she was getting. . .

 

 

Until I held her.

 

 

And, I can’t forget the highlight of our week.  We ran into Justin Bieber at the mall.

 

Hope you’re having a fun week, too!,

 

PS—Pop over to my Facebook page to see who won the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint giveaway!

Our Foyer and a Rugs USA Review

 

I wanted to add a little punch to our entry and when Rugs USA contacted me about reviewing one of their rugs, I started searching their site for something bold and colorful. 

After considering stripes, trellis and geometric patterns, I found their Serendipity Ikat orange rug:

 

 

Unfortunately, I just saw that it’s now out of stock. . . I personally think it’s worth the wait, though.

 

I love the fun pattern and it’s a nice contrast to our more traditional front door.  It’s also really plush.  My kids have been rolling around around on it and have no complaints.

 

 

 

 

 

Since I liked this one so much, I decided to do a search on their site for more ikat area rugs, and found all kinds of styles I had never seen before:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These rugs are such a fun way to make a big statement in your space!  Thanks to Rugs USA for making my foyer a little more welcoming.