Living Well

What My Favorite Bloggers Are Wishing This Holiday Season

It is a good kind of crazy right now.

I have been super busy with a couple of home installs, a new home construction (can’t wait to share with you-  it is going to be incredible), a photo shoot, and not to mention my girls’ daily activities.   I have made myself a promise to enjoy the holiday season and not stress.

One of the ways I relax is by reading at night, and I have a few design blogs I always enjoy.  Not only are they inspiring, but I find myself drawn to their personalities and wanting to read more.

Does this happen to you?

I decided to ask a few of my favorites (yay- they responded!!) their holiday wish this season.  From their responses, you will see why I love each of them.  Here we go:

 

Cote De Texas

photo.jpg

Cote de Texas– I’m not sure Joni needs much of an introduction seeing that she has over 71,000 visits on her blog each month.  She must be doing something right!   I am drawn to her blog because of the friendly, witty, casual feel to it, and every time I read a post, I feel like I am sitting in her kitchen having a  glass of wine cup of coffee with her.  It’s obvious Joni does her research and knows what she’s doing.  She has explored, researched, studied, and investigated every design story worth knowing.  Joni was stated as saying, “The French just have excellent taste in everything” and I would say the exact same thing about her.

Joni hopes that “for this holiday season and the new year,  everyone in my family continues to have good health and happiness, and that all my friends and my extended family have all their wishes come true!”

To read more from Joni, click here.

 

Velvet and Linen 6a00e554d7b827883301676018fc1c970b-150wi

Velvet and Linen–  What can I not say about Brooke’s blog?   Her genuineness and her style show through her writing and her pictures, and people have taken notice.   She has written a book, Patina Style, and she has done an amazing job with her architect husband Steve designing/building their new home, Patina Farm.   Their work is incredible and inspiring.  Though I have never met Brooke in person, we have emailed back and forth a few times, and because of her warmth and kindness, I consider her a friend.

For this Christmas season, Brooke states, “My wish for this holiday season is to slow things down and spend time with my family doing silly things like ice skating and puzzles.”

To read more from Brooke, click here.

 

Greige 

Greige – I love Christina’s blog because of the organic feel it has to it.  I love neutrals, and Christina does too.  Christina and I also share the beliefs your home should be a true reflection of you,  it should be special, and it should house what you love.

Christina’s holiday wish is “to be organized so that I can enjoy every bit of the season with my family.”

I totally agree as making memories with my family is at the top of my wish list, too.  To read more from Christina, click here.

 

StyleBlueprint Birmingham

styleblueprint_headshot_feb_2013

StyleBlueprint Birmingham–  Style Blueprint Birmingham has made quite an impact in a short amount of time thanks to its editor, Catherine.   It is a great source for food, fashion, style and places around Birmingham and the Southeast.

Catherine wants “to live every day like it’s a holiday- being thankful, spending time with family and friends and looking with hope to the future.”

I love this, Catherine, and hope to do the same.  To read the latest on StyleBlueprint, click here.

Nestegg

RHalverson_352Nestegg– Need to put a smile on your face?  This blog will do it to you.   Rachel is just fun and I love seeing her cute personality show through in her posts.

Rachel wishes this for Christmas: “That Hoyt and I survive the big renovation we’re planning on doing to our house this upcoming year!  And that I don’t go over budget.   Correction: That we make more money so I can go over budget.”

See why I like her??

On a more serious note, Rachel said, “I wish for a cure for cancer.  I know it’s far fetched but having lost my aunt this month to cancer I want it more than ever.  Surely somebody can come up with the cure in 2014?”

I sure hope so, Rachel.  Check out more from her here.

 

Blueprint Bliss

Blueprint Bliss– Brooke’s blog appeals to me as I remember the days of having small children so close in age.  Not only does Brooke provide design inspiration, she also writes about her favorite recipes and who doesn’t enjoy trying new ones?  I love that Brooke and I agree fresh flowers, bubble baths and a good book are “must-haves”.

Brooke shares “My wish for this holiday season is for simplicity. I would love to truly enjoy the season with the focus being on Jesus and not on the hustle and bustle which can so easily consume me.”

Amen, Brooke!  I could not have said it better myself.  To check out Brooke’s blog, click here.

 Parish

Parish– Being a working mom, I love how Ashley does such a great job balancing home and the office.  From her posts, there is no doubt Ashley is a great mom and designer.   Her instagram is also fun to follow, so be sure to look her up there as well.

Ashley says, “There is nothing better than seeing Christmas through the eyes of my little ones.  My Christmas wish is that they always see the magic in Christmas and never stop believing!”

To check out Ashley’s blog, click here.

In a season that tends to be full of chaos and rushing around, I am trying to remember to take time and reflect on what really matters.  My holiday wish is to enjoy my family, make good memories and remember why I am celebrating the season.

Merry Christmas, everyone-

Dana

If you’d like to see more of what we do on a daily basis, come join us!

Facebook- Dana Wolter Ineriors

Instagram- danawolter

Twitter- dwolterinterior

 

Living Well

Looking for a Few Decorating Ideas for the Holidays?

Hi  Everyone,

Hope you are enjoying the last few days until Christmas.   There are 14 days left (Yikes!), and I am not finished with my decorations.   Hopefully my house will be ready in time, and if it isn’t, I know special memories will still be made within my family.

Are you familiar with the blog StyleBlueprint?   They are one of my favorite, and they have become a go-to source for me on style, fashion, and great places around the Southeast.   They were kind enough to ask my my thoughts on decorating for Christmas,  and if you would like to see a few of the ideas I suggest, click here.

Have a great day and enjoy the last few weeks before Christmas.  I am posting ideas for the holidays regularly on Facebook and Instagram, so come join us.

 

Dana

Living Well

Decorating For The Holidays

I think I am finally ready for Christmas as my house is decorated and my to-do list is ALMOST complete.  I guess that is a good thing since Christmas is only two days away!

While I love all of the pretty things you see this time of year, I am really trying to simplify my life to remember why I am celebrating.   Less is more in my book these days.

Here are some pictures of a few of the decorations found around my home:

 
ann is busy making a moss wreath
this year's christmas tree after it fell over TWICE!
keeping it simple-
boxwood wreaths decorate the front door

And for my three favorite decorations of all……

Merry Christmas from our family to yours

 

I am taking a few days off after Christmas, so this will be my last post until 2012.   Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy your family.   

Dana

Living Well

Lunch With A Friend

 

I had the nicest lunch on Friday with Paula Coldiron from the lifestyle blog, Two Ellie

paula and her family

 If you have not read it, check Two Ellie out as it is a good one!   Paula is a stay at home mom and has made quite a name for herself in the blog world.  I am honored to call her a friend as she is as kind and genuine as she comes across in her writing.  Here are a few pictures from her recent posts:

collage from a recent Christmas post
wreath from her own home
the cooper bag

 

i ADORE this piece she posted from jarbo wear

 

When you have a minute, look at Paula’s blog and let me know what you think.  Have a good one-

Dana

Living Well

Simplifying Our Lives In A Not-So-Simple Season

As much as I want to say I am ready for Christmas, I am not.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have had two installs the past week.   Work, on top of a Christmas birthday for one of my girls, has made this time even more busy than usual.

Village Living, a wonderful  paper for the Mountain Brook community, asked me to write an article on decorating for the holidays.   I loved writing for them as it made me reflect on how I approach the holidays and what I can do to simplify my own life.   Here are a few of the tips I gave on how to make the holidays stress free and more enjoyable.

 

Simplify.  Simplify.  Simplify.

No, your decorations do not have to be elaborate; they just have to be a reflection of you and your family.  You do not have to have a Christmas tree or a nativity scene on every chest or open space to create a beautifully decorated home.  Less is more, so keep your decorations simple and use only what you love and has special meaning to you.

 

Strategically Place the Decorations You Use

When walking into a room, where does your eye go first?  Where does it go next?  Decide where your focal points are in each room and strategically place a decoration in one or two of these places.

 

Choose Holiday Colors Cohesive With The Colors In The Room

Just as you want the colors of each of your rooms to flow nicely into one another, you want your holiday décor to do the same.   If a warm palette is used throughout your home, use warm colors in your holiday décor.   If your home has more cool tones, try silver, white, or blue tones when choosing holiday colors.

 

Layer Contrasting Textures

Contrasting textures layered in subtle ways is one way to create dimension and make a room look like it has evolved over time.  Think of placing an iron lamp on top of a wooden chest versus a wooden lamp on a wooden chest.    Apply this same concept to your Christmas décor.   Instead of placing a nativity scene directly on top of a hard surface area (such as a glass top table or marble chest), add a little texture with Christmas greenery, moss, and magnolia leaves first and then place your Christmas items on top.  If you are placing greenery on your mantle, think about mixing in some shiny ornaments or candles to add another texture to the mix.  You will be delighted how much prettier your decorations look just by layering different materials.

 

Pull the Outside In

There is nothing like the smell and texture of fresh greenery.  Holly, magnolia leaves, fraser fir, birch wood…I love it all.  Incorporate natural materials into your holiday décor as your imagination is the only limit.

 

Involve the Family and Create Tradition

Every year, my girls and I gather the leftover limbs from our Christmas tree (along with any other scraps of greenery we can find) and we make a few small wreaths.  If you know my girls, you can probably guess which wreaths belong to whom, as they truly reflect each one’s personality.  One wreath may be wrapped neatly and tightly all the way around while the other child’s wreath is looser in style.  No, they are not always perfect, but each is beautiful in its own way.

I hope you find these tip helpful in simplifying your own holiday season.   To read more, visit Village Living and let me know your thoughts.

Living Well

Christmas Is Here

Not sure when I blinked and discovered Christmas is around the corner.  I am just now putting up greenery as I have been busy with two installations and a child’s birthday this week.   As I am deciding how I am going to decorate my own home this year, I thought I would share a few photos from Christmas past in the Wolter household.

When my home was on the Independent Presbyterian Church’s Home Tour in 2009, I added a few trees to the mix.  Here they are:

traditional christmas tree
painted tree of sticks in my daughter's room. picture courtesy of southern living christmas
tree made from birch branches
Some other decorations found around my home…..
photo courtesy of southern living christmas

 

I will keep you posted on how I end up decorating my home this year.   The holidays are upon us……Are you ready?  How will you celebrate this year?