[ a tad british ]

WITH ALL THE reports of cancelled flights in London over the past few days, Britain is definitely in the news. I'm grateful that my guy avoided it by a day and made it here for the holidays!

The Union Jack has been popping up everywhere and if you love those British touches in decor as much as I do, here's some eye candy for you - I particularly like the various subtle ones.

lisa

[livingetc; housetohome; idealhome; apartmenttherapy;

flickr; livingetc; homes&gardens; little emma english home;

idealhome; homes&gardens; idealhome; rue mag; tiina blog;

housebeautiful; housetohome]

[ totally wired ]

WITH ALL THE hustle and bustle around here with gifts and wrapping and card writing, I need to reorganize a bit (ok, more than a bit - it's a disaster!). I've always been fond of wire baskets and I love how every one of these little office spaces incorporates wire baskets. Much more charming than those cheap plastic office organizers!

Cute wire baskets aren't always easy to find so if you want to try your hand at transforming an old freezer organizing basket from white plastic-coated to something a bit more chic, you have to see what Tina did at Rubies' Place!

lisa

[1, 3, 4 little emma english home; country homes & interiors; cath kidston; rubies' place]

[ pretty gritty ]

EVER THOUGHT you can't mix industrial with girly? How about this?

A coffee table made from a simple palette and big castors somehow feels right at home with the girly settee and pink touches in cushions and blooms. What do you think? Would you go for this mix?

lisa

[via little emma english home]

[ turning everyday into holiday ]

ONE OF MY favourite ways to decorate for Christmas is to give the everyday a festive feel. And this home does just that.

By simply combining fresh chartreuse patterned bedding with a couple of raspberry pillows, and hanging up a simple boxwood wreath, a holiday feeling is implied without a Santa in sight. Remove the wreath after the holidays and in a flash, the holidays are over.

Gifts wrapped in simple chartreuse paper with the addition of red toile bands, feel festive even though there's nothing distinctively Christmas about them.

And this tablescape feels festive, even though no holiday-motif patterns are used. Again a simple boxwood wreath and Christmas tree add the holiday feel, but come January, ditch the tree and the wreath and this tablescape would work any time of year.

How do you decorate for the holidays? Simple festive touches to the everyday or all-out Santa theme?

lisa

[style at home]

[ wooden you love this? ]

WITH ALL THE snow we've been getting lately, I can't help but think of warm, cozy spaces and to me, nothing says cozy like the use of wood - rustic, natural, weathered or stained.

Our place has quite a pale colour scheme, but our ceilings are all tongue and groove pine and as much as I disliked all the pine when we first moved in, I'm actually kinda liking the wood up there now (ssshhhh.. don't tell my guy that!). I think having painted all the trim and the kitchen cabinets (post on that still to come), it cut down on the amount of wood which is now making me appreciate the ceiling all the more. So whether your look is Hamptons cottage or Vermont cabin, here are some other spaces that ooze cozy...

lisa

[me and alice; 2, 8 elle decor; 3, 7 chic coles; 4, 9 mairie claire maison; 

better homes and gardens; sarah richardson] 

And thanks to Meeling over at The Hairy Peach for presenting me with the Stylish Blogger Award! I'm tickled pink! :)

[ a little cottage charm ]

DON'T YOU just love the simplicity of this kitchen? The white beadboard walls and ceiling add texture, the plate rack adds charm and the old window and pie cupboard create a pretty vignette. I love the rustic pot hook on the end of the island for those everyday necessities. I'm guessing there's an entire wall of appliances and the sink which allows for the big island for prepping. Definitely something I'll bookmark for my future beach cottage {I can dream!}

lisa

[via lilla blanka]

[ in honour of black friday ]

JUST SOME perfect black finds...

Have a great weekend everyone!

lisa

[emmasblog; 2, 4, 6 convoy; chanel; apunchofcolourdesign]

[ mismatched seating ]

IT'S THANKSGIVING week for my US friends and many will be gathering family around the table to enjoy a wonderful turkey dinner. Whenever our family gets together on these holidays, we scramble to find enough chairs so that we can all squeeze together around the table. Whenever I see dining rooms with a mix of chair styles, it makes me think of those happy holidays. I find the look so charming, whether planned as part of the look of the room or just a temporary solution to a big gathering.

lisa

[me and alice blog; dreamy whites blog; belle maison blog; cote ouest mag; 

hgtv; coastal living]

[ kaleidoscope ]

DO YOU suffer from pattern phobia? Like the thought of combining too many will make your head spin? Well, this should cure you...

A kaleidoscope of pattern! And yet for some reason, my eyes aren't scrambled looking at it. I wonder if I could do this in my own home... could you?

lisa

[via myblackbook.free.fr]

[ need a time-out? ]

I LOVE THE idea of having your own little spot to enjoy a cup of tea and where you can accessorize it to be a bit pretty and girly, even if the rest of your house isn't. Wouldn't one of these spaces be a perfect spot for a time-out?

lisa

[via chic coles blog; better homes and gardens; rikshaw design]