Christmas Fun

It's hard to believe Christmas has come and gone. So sad. But man did we have fun. Holiday parties with friends and family are the best. 

Here are a few (ok, a lot of) pictures from Christmas parties we attended:

Great friends from home recently bought a house in my hometown. Uh, jealous! There are some amazing old homes filled with character and charm in my. Like, built in the 1800's old. So, so neat. Billy & Amelia found themselves an amazing home. You may remember this lovely couple from here, actually. Oh, and Amelia said we could do a home tour so you may just luck out and get yourself a glimpse! 

How gorgeous is this tree?!

The gifts, the great group of friends/guests

 And the gifts we all won in the yankee swap!

Well, I have to give credit to Amelia. She mentioned limbo and I thought, no way am I doing that! But, um well, how can you not participate in the limbo?! It was hilarious. Sadly, we're getting old though. I had to stretch between rounds, my back was killing me. (PS - yes, that is exposed brick in their kitchen. Told you, amazing home...)

Congrats to the last standing man & woman! And congrats Traci on your limbo win!

Not only is it fun to celebrate with our friends....family parties can be fun too! Especially when you marry into this family. And they throw a crazy Christmas Eve party  every year!

And this photo is so reminiscent of our wedding photos. I love these guys, but it takes a lot of effort to get them to behave during photos. 

Great minds think alike!

Handed the camera to J, this is the best shot he got of us ladies in our "ugly Christmas sweaters"

And the men. Yes, that is my father-in-law front and center.

Father & father-in-law (terribly blurry photo, I know....sorry!)

The men voted on the women's sweaters, the women voted on the men....here are our winners! With a J photo-bomb...

I didn't have great luck finding an ugly Christmas sweater so I figured I'd make one. Sweatshirt was on the steep side at $2.99. And thank goodness for my sister's handiwork. We found all of these awesome iron-ons on Christmas Eve and she crafted this beauty while I was with my in-laws. 

And who J gets his personality from....Joey loves photobombing too

Oh yes, bedazzled back-side too.

Well, we had a great holiday over here and we hope you did too!

Next up, New Year's Eve. Have any great plans?!

Christmas at the Cordeiros

Well, Christmas spirit is in the air over here! We decided to go with minimal decorations this year. Keep it simple was this year's theme. Including the tree. This may be our smallest tree to date, but you know what? I absolutely love it. I was even able to go with a theme thanks to the many extra ornaments we had! Silver/white it is. Well, except for my traditional bow topper. 

My Nona has always topped her tree with a Christmas bow and I just love it. Maybe if I found a star or angel I love I'll change it up. But for now, I'll stick with my glittery, sparkly bow.

Oh - and not one of those gifts is for J or I. We stuck to stockings this year.....family & friends, you're in for a real treat!

J & I actually celebrated our own Christmas last night. We start the holiday shuffle today, various family parties, meeting up with friends, back and forth over the next few days. After putting our stockings on the floor with the gifts to snag a photo, I apparently stopped paying attention to Tucker's....notice in the first photo below - Tucker's stocking is gone, and wow is he rocking a guilty face. Not until I uploaded these photos did I notice his stocking in the background! What a sneak!

How did we know he stole it? Found him attempting to chew his new toy through the stocking on his bed. Busted! And not happy about it.

Like my Christmas spirit shirt? J was gracious enough to snag it for me in the girls section of Walmart. It's fabulous on a small child, on me though, it's a bit too much.

We hope those of you who celebrate Christmas enjoy your time with family and friends. And hopefully you were nice this year!

Merry Christmas!

Pay it Forward

Where do I even begin this post? I've been silent this week. Because I don't even know what to say about what occurred one week ago. I'm so sad, I'm frustrated, I was even angry. How could this happen? I really don't know what to say.

via

I have found the #26Acts of Kindness to be so inspiring. If you can, please pay it forward, in support of the 26 teachers and students lost. My heart and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy.

Guest Blogger: Wintery Touches

Hello, everyone! It's Mari from Arcadian Home blog, a wonderful place to find great home decor inspirations. I'm so excited to be visiting here at Talkative *TLC today. It's that time of year again--time to warm up interior spaces with special wintery touches.

I've brought along eight ideas for adding warmth and cold weather appeal to most any style room--traditional, vintage or contemporary. Please enjoy!

Yes, I'll admit it. I think this dining room is perfect for any season. But, just a few touches make it something special for wintertime living. What says warm and appealing more than sheepskin? Draped over these wood chairs, it's fabulous. Add branches and a colorful rug and the space is set for winter fun.

This gorgeous setting is for a wedding, but wouldn't it also be spectacular for a New Year's Eve dinner party? Mismatched glass pendant lights hung low above the table are so glamorous. I love the furs thrown across the chair backs.

The fireplace is often the focal point of a winter living or great room, especially when the mantle is overflowing with special touches. Here, silvery pots of forced spring bulbs are beautiful surrounded by glowing candles and rustic pine cones.

A single wintery touch can chase away the cold. A large and sumptuous fur rug adds warmth and texture to this living room.

Even a white on white room can feel cozy with the addition of a touch of winter white like this cozy rug in front of the sofa. I love the tiny pop of color from the wall sconce.

A stylish bedroom gets a wintery makeover with bedding in an unexpected pattern. We often associate birds with springtime, but these showy cardinals perched on red berry-laden branches are perfect for the winter season.

Knitted accents and bedding are the only winter touches this eclectic bedroom needs—so warm and inviting.

Lighted candles and fireplace are iconic wintery touches, but bring them into the bath and they become even more special. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

What do you think of these rooms with wintery touches? Leave us your thoughts below, and be sure to stop by our website for more home decor, lighting fixtures, and interior inspiration!

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Thank you for these great ideas on how to add a Wintery Touch to the home, Mari! I have to admit, I have not been very good about switching out decor items for seasons in our small condo. But it's something I've always loved to see at my parent's home - the change in artwork, curtains, and general decor to add a wintery feel. It is something I am truly looking forward to. I just love the sheepskin rug additions and knitted accents you've suggested.


If you're interested in writing a guest post for Talkative*TLC, I would love to hear from you!

Fun Fact Friday!

Happy Friday! Weeks seem to be flying by lately. I looked at the calendar yesterday, and when I realized there's only one full work week before Christmas I almost died. I'm in pretty good shape for the holidays in terms of gifts, but there are a few people who are giving me a run for my money this year. Must.find.the.perfect.gift!

So ya, on to my latest Friday facts.

1. Happy Birthday to my college roommate! The one girl who could stand to live with me for all 4 years. Happy Birthday Nat!!

2. Get ready for Monday's post. I have my first guest blogger visiting Talkative*TLC Monday and I am so excited. You are going to love what she's come up with.

3. I had drinks last night with girlfriends from home. Girlfriends I've known for 20 years. I love these girls. It's always so nice to meet up.

4. You have got to see what I got in last Sunday's Secret Santa. This will be the third (?) year of doing a Secret Santa with a group of friends. It's the best because we set a decent price range and girls come up with awesome gifts.

How well did my Secret Santa know me?! What a sweet gift. I was blown away. And am SO excited about this book. I've debated buying it on Amazon a few times, so glad I resisted. Oh, and can you see what the name of my new craft tote is?? TRACY!!! So it's missing an E, whatever. Still awesome.

5. If I'm not as talkative over the next couple of weeks its because work is getting a bit crazy lately. That on top of the Holidays has me stretched pretty thin. Something's gotta give....so I'll do my best to keep you up to date but am not setting too many expectations.

But, remember - there's a guest blogger coming Monday so you better check in then!!

6. We are off to a weekend of holiday parties, birthday brunch, and psychic readings! Ok, so maybe it's just me getting the psychic reading but whatever. I'm nervous and excited. I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a great weekend!

WIWW: Holiday Party

By the time Sunday night rolled around, I was ready for this past weekend to be over. Don't get me wrong, it was a blast and I loved every minute of it. But it was a lot. It was so busy that I really failed in my duties to capture the moment in photos. Like, big time fail.

Like, here is the ONE photo I took (yes, I am a GIANT next to our Christmas tree...we went with a baby tree this year) We were running late of course, so I figured I'd snap a photo of the two of use once we were there. Thank god for photobooths! Oh, and because we were running late, I relied on Uber to get us there. Called for a town car, got picked up in a BIG @$$ Lincoln Navigator. It was awesome. And didn't cost us a penny more than the town car would have. Such a sweet deal.

Slowly working on my camera skills. Like those starburst christmas lights?! Here's what I wore to my company's Holiday Party:

Dress: Laren Ralph Lauren (via Lord & Taylor 3 years ago)

Shoes: my old stand bys - Enzo Angiolini (via Nordstroms)

Necklace: J.Crew Outlet

Earrings: Grandmother's old pearls

Bracelet: Stella & Dot (similar)

Like I said, thank goodness for the photobooth! Look how handsome J looked! One thing I love about Holiday parties is all the red ties. It's a bold color that you just don't see as often during the year. 

We certainly had a great time Saturday night. But my feet were still hating me Monday morning....guess that's what dancing will do! Already looking forward to next year.

Charlotte, NC

Not only was visiting Charlotte a great trip because we got to visit J&A, we also got to see friends who have moved down there, and we were able to explore a new city! Cross that one off the list. Charlotte, NC was our official "long weekend in a new city" for 2012. Still not sure what city we'll choose to visit in 2013 but there's plenty of time for that!

Back to our trip. Thank you JetBlue for not only providing me with 2 hours of HGTV and Bravo (anyone else love how they put those 2 channels next to each other on the dish network used? love it), but for having direct flights from Boston to Charlotte.

We got in to Charlotte around 5 pm Friday with plans to eat dinner at Jackie & Adrian's new place. I was really hoping we'd eat in Friday. I knew there would be lots of conversation and did not want to feel rushed at a restaurant. A great friend of mine actually moved to Charlotte this past summer with her boyfriend and they have hit it off with Jackie & Adrian. I love that they all get together now. And it was so great to catch up with the ladies. Guys too, but they eventually ditched us for the fire pit J&A now have. I realized I forgot the backyard photos in yesterday's post....sorry! How cool is this fire contraption? I have no idea what it's called...Jackie? Adrian?

And here's a view of their backyard. And their pretty girl, Lola! Lola loves her new backyard! She would just lounge in the sun all day. I was pretty jealous of her for Tucker. I can't wait to see him hanging out in a backyard whenever he wants. With time, with time.

After seeing all the awesome furniture they had found at Mid Century Salvage, J was intrigued and wanted to see what it was all about. Not that we'd be able to ship anything to Boston, but it was neat to see their work. We really liked this chair they had just finished cleaning up. I would have gone with white leather though...And I loved the idea of a magazine holder/end table. This one would need a little bit of tweaking but either way, it got me thinking. I really hate how easily magazines stack up around here. Something like this would be perfect.

And my one request of places to visit? World Market. Ya, Adrian thought I had clearly lost my mind with this request ha. But with none in NE, I've always been curious what crazy stuff this store has. It was certainly interesting! I could have spent a few hours in there roaming around for sure. Where did I find J? In the food section of course. He asked me to document all of the wiener choices for you. I know you were wondering...

Funny story behind these napkins. I took this photo because these are hilarious and reminded me of someone special. Someone who'd appreciate the humor. Later that day that certain someone messaged me about J&I's plans for FL in the Spring. In my attempts to get her to come I told her that the two of us would hang at the beach while my mom would be out exercising. Her response, "what makes you think I don't want to exercise on vacation?" To which I responded, this is why. I really do have the best mother-in-law I could ask for. And she's coming! Yes, J&I will be vacationing with both sets of parents in FL this Spring and I can't wait. Is that weird? Ha. I'm sure J's thrilled too.

Ok, enough shopping/driving around Charlotte. It was time to head downtown. 

I really don't know how this happened, but within 5 minutes of being downtown, we were at a bar. Ri Ra's for anyone familiar with Charlotte.

And then that somehow turned into a small bar crawl. Next stop, World of Beer. Why get one beer when you can taste 4? I tasted 3 brown ales and one white ale. All really good. 

Our last stop was for BBQ near J&A's home. It was so good. No lie. There is something to be said about Southern BBQ. We split a combo plate so that we could try a little bit of everything. And we cleaned the plate. I wonder if they can ship to Boston?

Walking home from dinner we enjoyed the Christmas lights at J&A's neighbors. These lights are complete with a Christmas countdown board and music. The music turns off at some point, but not the lights. Yes, we ran onto their lawn to snap this shot quickly. You would too...

 And by neighbor, I mean right next door....J&A's beautiful home on the right, the Hunter Snowman complete with rifle on the left....J & I had a nightlight both nights thanks to these kind neighbors. 

Our last day in Charlotte we headed out for a walk since the weather was gorgeous. The fall/winter weather in Charlotte was hard to compete with. We absolutely loved it. But I must remind myself that the humidity April-August is not so nice to me and my curls...

One last lunch with the whole gang. It was so great to see you & Brandon, Cor!

And saying goodbye to my sister. We had such a great weekend in Charlotte. Thank you J&A for being the best hosts!! I can't wait for our next trip down.

J&A's Charlotte Home

The long awaited Charlotte house tour is here! You should know that it's been a very long weekend but I'm staying up Sunday night to make sure this post is all set just for you. I warn you, there are a lot of pictures in this post. But I know you are so excited to see J&A's new home. So warm up your coffee and know that you're not going to get any work down for the next few minutes.

I am in love with this style of home. It's a Craftsman style home and I really wish there were more like this up here in the Northeast. So.much.character.

The first room upon entering their home is this unbelievable living room. What's not to love? Built-ins, a gas fireplace, and perfectly paired furniture. 

 So the furniture in this room was found at a salvage shop where you bring them the fabric you'd like them to reupholster the furniture with, and well, they work their magic for you. How awesome is that?! Great finds! And the fabric choices were ideal. Teal velvet loveseat, and a cow hide chair. So much to love.

Next you enter the dining room. World Market table, West Elm chairs, a hand-me-down hutch from my parents, an Anthropologie rug, and curtains Jackie sewed all work so well together. Great mix of high/ low prices, Sabrina would be proud. J&A ended up leaving the walls in the dining room alone and keeping the blue. And I am really glad they did.

 Craigslist bar cart. Awesome sauce.

Off the right side of the dining room is a small hallway with a bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, and extra closets. It's a pretty sweet little guest nook. J and I basically had our own guest suite to stay in! In my haste to document this gorgeous home before catching our flight, I missed our guest bedroom but here's the downstairs bathroom that visiting guests get to use. Marble tiled shower, marble counter....not too shabby.

And from the dining room, we enter this ah-mazing kitchen.

Carrera marble island with black cabinets, paired with black granite (maybe?) counters, marble backsplash, and white cabinets - so so dreamy. I am a big fan of changing up the kitchen island so that its not the exact same, but pairs perfectly.  

With a good amount of space between the island and cabinets, a typical runner size rug was just too small. So how awesome are the FLOR tiles? The color is a nice touch too!

And straight across from the kitchen, the last room of the main living space is the living room/TV room.   Love the dark grey sectional, jute round rug, and Adrian's Eames style chair - also refinished from the salvage store.

And because I was SO impressed with my sister's handy work, look at all the pillow covers she made. How awesome is that first one?! She's working on some for me now. :)

We only snapped one photo from upstairs but Jackie wanted me to show you their upstairs guest bedroom which is basically the storage space right now as they still unpack. Just so you'd know they're normal and parts of the home are not picture perfect just yet. But we forgot that photo. So instead I'll tease you with a picture of the curtains Jackie made for their master bedroom, and yes that is the Crate & Barrel Colette bed...totally on my dream home wishlist. 

Are you in love with this home now too? Wasn't I right, decor straight out of a magazine? The builders of this house thought about everything. I left Charlotte with a list of "must-haves" for our next place....we'll see how that goes.

Thank you J&A for hosting us for a great weekend! And thank you for letting me share your new home. It is a beautiful home and you've done an amazing job decorating. I look forward to many more trips down in the future.