Everything's coming up roses... Again!

Heya Nesters! Happy New Year! I wanted to leave you off this new year on a sweet, soft note.  My dad stayed the night on Tuesday as our pseudo Christmas. As you may have seen on my Tweets but he gave me a Droid X to foster my blogging habit. {It has also insighted an Angry Birds habit.  Damn those pigs!} But while out at the fabulous local gourmet grocer Russo's, he also picked me up some gorgeous roses. 

 

Fish Eddy: Wine-o

Heya Nesters!  Today, I wanted to share with you the really cool Italian wine glasses that Joe and Molly gave me for Christmas.  Living in NYC, they have real-life access to stores that most of us can only peruse online.  One of those stores {Besides ABC} is Fish Eddy.  They have SUCH cool and unique stuff.

via Poppytalk

I think I have a problem....

I'm totally and utterly addicted to lamps.  It's got to be a disease right? Lampitis? Viral Lampolisys? I used to see a shirt, then dream about it for days until I finally hauled back to the store and got it.  Well nowadays, I've been following the same pattern, but with lamps.  You remember the No. 5 Target lamp I was stalking a while back, right? 

Christmas is the time to say I love you!

Good Morning Nesters!  As we all know, the holidays are the time to share with our loved ones and show them how much we care.  And hot-diggity-dawg I am hooked on my boyfriend, Matt, of which you've all heard.  Schmultzy isn't it?  I know. It's terribly cheesy but it's true. He's got me hook, line and sinker. And I like to think, he feels the same. But around the holidays I felt the need to express it more than the every-day.

We look freezing here because, well, we are.  We went to Zoolights at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA to embrace our inner children and ended up dodging the millions of other peoples outer children that were apparently on the attack.  All the while freezing our little hienies off.  But it was worth it for the lights.

DIY Project: Advent Calendar & Cans for Comments Update!

Welcome back from the holidays, Nesters! I hope Santa was good to you and that no of the family members were strangled after a wee too much egg nog. With Christmas over and done with, as promised, I am going to embark upon showing you a plethora of DIYs.  Here is number uno.  

Felt Advent Calendar

Merry Christmas from Temporary Nest!

I just wanted to take a moment on this Christmas Eve to thank each and every one of you for your readership and kind words.  Your constant source of of inspiration and motivation keep me doing projects and writing this blog every day. So without further adieu: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

But that's not all!! I have eye candy for you all.  But this time, it's pretty and its actually candy...

The Peanuts Gang!

Ok well maybe not peanuts exactly... maybe more just nuts in general.  Does anyone else have trouble getting presents for their grandparents around the holidays?  I am lucky enough to have 2 of my grandparents alive and kickin' at 85! WOO! But they are impossible to shop for.  They have every single thing they would ever need.  EVER.  So just as a little token, every year I've gotten them each a bag of Lindt Chocolate.

But this year, that's a big no-no.

Fa la la la la -Remix!

Heya Nesters!  I started gathering my goodies for Christmas before Thanksgiving and first showed you this vignette.

But I got a nice little {on clearance} addition at Target over the weekend! YAY!

The Pre-House Guest Dance!

Heya Nesters!  We are quickly encroaching D-Day Christmas day and 'tis the season of house guests.   Which translates to: AWWW FREAK OUT!  

Joe and Molly are coming to stay for Christmas and I've started my prepping.  In the meantime, I've made a list of how to get yourself prepped for your visitors.  Let's boogie....

Baking Bonanza: Attack of the Gingerbread!

Heya Nesters!  Welcome back to Monday! I believe we are officially so close to Christmas now we can taste the egg nog.  Speaking of tasting things, I decided to have another baking bonanza last week.  {Get ready to ingest some calories via osmosis.}  After slugging down my fair share of Dunkin Donuts gingerbread coffee I started thinking about making the real-deal.  Cookies, that is. 

The CSN Giveaway Winner is....

Courtney :)

Who would get the Teamson Kids Safari Animal Stool with Giraffe Coat Rack.

How cutie is that!? Great choice!

Congratulations Courtney!  I'll be shooting you an email shortly to give you your gift! I hope you and the kiddo's enjoy your new stool and coat rack! 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS NESTERS!

Babys' First Giveaway!

Heya Nesters! Happy Friday!! It is getting closer and closer to Christmas and boy oh boy has the gift idea barrel been scraped  clean this year.  My wonderful boyfriend is the hardest person to shop for ever.  He loves electronics {electronics I cannot afford to gift to him} and his parents got him a Netbook last Christmas.  I thought, "Since I can't afford an arcade cabinet, what better present for this Christmas than a really nice leather laptop messenger bag?!" He has an old canvas bag from college and it doesn't have much padding to protect the computer.  So I was checking out the bags over at Luggage.com and they have SO MANY to choose from it's insane.  After weeding through the hundreds of bags {leather and other}, I fell in love with this Kenneth Cole one. 

DIY Project: Girlie Bookshelf

Heya Nesters!  Well I have to admit, I kind of forgot to post about this DIY.   It's not entirely done but I thought it was dramatically different enough to show you the "during" portion. A while back {so far back that they were taken in the old apartment!!} I introduced you to this bookcase that my dad and I made when I was a kiddo. It hold sentimental value and I am a total sap so there was no way I could get rid of it. But at the time I made it I LOVED pink, flowers and Hanson. {I know... I not only dated myself but I made myself "that girl"}

Stalking... Um Stocking...

Heya Nesters!  I don't know that I've ever impressed upon you guys how desperately I want a mantel. I'm talking I have dreams about having a mantel to adorn. It's sick.  I peruse Craigslist constantly looking for a free one that I could somehow jerry rig into my apartment. {Where would I put it? I have no idea but I would sleep on the floor if that's what it took.} And that fanatical obsession desire has only grown stronger with the holiday season and the introduction of stockings to my life again.

I wish this was my house.... but nope... its not...

Lonny Love

Exciting news Nesters!  The newest issue of Lonny has been up for a couple days now. I've been perusing it slowly but surely and can I tell you how inspiring it is?  Oh please let me show you...

Christmas Spectacular!

Heya Nesters!  One day down and only 11 to go until D-Day Christmas.   I have a smidge less time before I need to be complete considering one of the bigger surprises is for my brother and sister-in-law and they're going to be crashing here. I can't exactly relegate them to the bedroom while I wrap up my present making. So for me, its only 10 days. {Holy Crap-ola.}  What's more appalling than the lack of time, is the bomb of sewing-guts that went off in my living room. I can't wait to show you pictures once Christmas is over.  Horrendous is the only word that comes to mind.....

Via HGTV

Yeah... imagine the exact opposite of that.  Mmmkay?

Wrap 'n' Roll

Heya Nesters! We're back here on Monday morning. The weekends are passing by much too fast. Did you realize we are a mind blowing 12 days until Christmas. Can you believe it?? I know. My head is spinning.  I am almost fully wrapped {Of course, with the exception of a couple of items that are currently being shipped thanks to the wonders of the interwebs.} but it got me thinking about my choices of gift wrap.  I always try to pick ones that are multi-functional but they also end up being super girlie..... Oops! 

 

Can- Do Attitude

Heya Nesters!  I have been MIA lately. I fully admit it and I am so sorry.  Christmas time is demanding as usual, and with my efforts to make presents I have been a smidge overwhelmed.  But what would the holidays be without being overwhelmed, right? So I'm a little late on the uptake but I'm going to participate in Cans for Comments!! For the remainder of the month of December, for each and every comment I receive and for all the comments I've already received this month, I will donate one canned good to the Salvation Army's local food shelter.   That means so far we've got five cans!  I promise next year I will start on Decemeber 1st!  We all need a little pick-me-up sometimes, especially around the holidays and in these economic times.

So please, leave some comments and lets fill a grocery bag!!  {A reusable one of course!}  

A special thanks to Holyoke Home and Moon Walk for the nudge in the right direction of helping out a great cause during the holidays.

Shopping overload

I really have overdone it this year when it comes to gifts. I mean, don't I look like I'm drowning gifts here in my lounge? ... HA! No but really, I have gotten some really amazing deals this year which has caused the disease of "Well, if this was so cheap I guess I can pick up that too!" Don't you hate that? 

Ribbon Redo

Heya Nesters!  The other day I showed you my canvas present hanging on my wall. 

And while I was happy at first with my free Christmas decor... it quickly faded. 

O Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree...

Heya Nesters!  And we're back here on a Monday morning and we're T-Minus 19 days until Christmas.  Holy moly.... saying that out loud typing that makes me cringe a little just knowing how much I am supposed to get done in the next 3ish weeks.  But yesterday, Matt and I ticked one box off the checklist. 

Decorate Tree...

CHECK!!

If I Had a Million Dollars: Teenie Weenie Bubbles

Heya Nesters! Back to our weekly retreat to LaLaLand where we imagine all the things that could be if we has checkbooks that balanced out to look like Bill Gates.  Or I guess I would even take Jay Z.  If I already gave myself an awesome master bath I can't forget our visitors and give them a mini guest bath or two. 

The Gallery Grows

Heya Nesters! One of my favorite gifts I get for my birthday and Christmas are prints of my fathers vast portfolio of photographs from the late 60's and early 70's.  He has such amazing works and when I had my quick stint with art photography in college, his were my biggest inspiration.

{Image of the Triboro Bridge courtesy of my Daddio}

Christmas Magic

Before the ice is in the pools,
Before the skaters go,
Or any cheek at nightfall
Is tarnished by the snow,
Before the fields have finished,
Before the Christmas tree,
Wonder upon wonder
Will arrive to me!

- Emily Dickinson

Two Hundred.

Two Hundred. 

This post is number 200.  Whoa.  That's a lot of posts for a newbie like me.  I've been at this blog for 8 months and I'm so happy to be here and have you all reading it. I hope that at some point or another you have been inspired and learned something from this blog. If you haven't then hopefully you will in a future post. But enough jibber-jabber, let's get on to the goods. 

Fa la la la la

Heya Nesters! I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend with your family and friends. I know I did!  I've been getting extra Christmas-y this year and super early.  I love decorating for the holidays but I was never itching to start before Thanksgiving.  This year was a first. 

Another year older...

Heya Nesters! I have this problem.  I get excited about my birthday and can't seem to shut my trap and keep it a secret.  Every year I tell myself that I'm going to be "aloof" about my birthday. But it never works!  Somehow, I slip it into conversation at work and with friends and, of course, family. Oops! And  since my birthday tends to fall on or very close to Thanksgiving, the family usually celebrates it on Thanksgiving day regardless of the actual date. Then I'll have a small celebration on the actual day itself.  But this year has been a full out week of celebration and it was awesome.

Everything's coming up roses!

Just though I'd show you guys another little gift from my awesome Dad. 

Two dozen roses that made the trek home with Matt and I from New York.

I know roses are cheesy, and cliche but they're my favorite.
  They make my bedroom look so fresh and lively! Just had to share....

Looking for a change.

People who know I have this blog and my obsession with furnishing my apartment, always ask me "So, is it done yet?"  And I feel like that's just an odd question. To me, that's akin to asking someone if their wardrobe is complete.  I suppose it could be. But most people acquire things slowly.  They collect things they love as they find them, and when some things are old and tired, they get replaced.  At some point, you could stop updating and getting new things and stay stagnant, but to me that would say scream, "I give up!"  Though it would be nice to be finished and not have to worry about saving up for new pieces.  But I refuse to give up on my wardrobe or on my apartment.  So on that note: 

I am lookin' at you silver thing! 

Generosity

Heya Nesters!  Matt and I have recovered from our trip to NYC and I am finally able to step on my mini soap box and tell you all about my awesome loot that my family so generously gifted me for my birthday. I hope you'll excuse my bragging. 

First, Dad sprung for a night at the hotel for Matt and I which was truly the best present ever.  He gave us the opportunity to be all together.  But Joe and Molly did pretty well themselves...

Holiday Inspiration

Welcome back, Nesters!  Sorry I've been MIA but as I mentioned here, Matt and I spent a long weekend in NYC with the Pops, my brother and his lovely wife, and my nephew-in-the-making. We had an awesome time walking around the city, but most importantly cooking, eating and laughing to celebrate an early Thanksgiving.  While on the road, I lifted my holiday spirits by listening to every Christmas song I could tune into.  Needless to say, I am so excited for Christmas. 

No really: So. Excited.

The start of the holidays...

Heya Nesters!  Today I wanted to share with you a little sneak peak of how I've started to decorate for the holidays.  I love Christmas and I can't wait to go all out for it but I have to wait at least until Thanksgiving is over before I go whole-hog.  So I started it slowly and subtly.  Remember this little vintage birdcage I picked up at Home Goods not too long ago?

I decided to spruce it up for the holidays!

When I was 17...

Heya Nesters.  I remember the moment when I realized I was no longer a "teen".  It wasn't when I turned 20, it was the day I asked myself "When did VH1 become cooler than MTV?"  I was about 17.  And that theory has gone one step further that now neither are all that cool. {With the exception of Teen Mom, I shamefully admit that show is a total guilty pleasure.}  In the spring, MTV aired a show called "When I was 17" where celebs discuss who and how they were when they were in high school.

{Image via MTV.com}

 

 

 

So, when I was 17, I loved pink, purple and silver.  Oh yeah... and don't forget Christmas lights.

Thanksgiving{s}

Happy Monday Nesters!  Do these weeks feel like they're flying by or what??  Halloween has come and gone leaving only 2 short weeks until the greatest meal you'll eat all year! I'll give you a hint "gobble, gobble!"

 

Thanksgiving!

Urban Ruffles

Urban Out fitters has done a seriously fabulous job of working the ruffles this season. And I don't mean the kinds SJP wears...

We're talkin' house soft goods. They have outdone themselves my friend. Out done I tell ya!

A DIY of a Different Kind...

Heya Nesters!  I've shown you all kinds of DIY tutorials for your home and fun little projects.  But today I'm going to show you a DIY that I did with an abridged tutorial.  If I were to give you an in depth step by step, you'd be reading this for quite some time. So to give you background: Matt's friend Matt (there's two!) got married this past weekend.  I had my sights set on a navy blue dress and I searched high and low to no avail.  But I found these FABULOUS shoes that I knew would look amazing with any navy dress. And I happened to decide to get them when Amazon was having a sale on pumps!  Huge score!

Needless to say, I never found the perfect dress. {Lets be real here Karma isn't nice enough to let me find the perfect shoes and the perfect dress.}  

Booming Bunting

Good Morning Nesters!  Have any of you, trolling the blogosphere, noticed that insanely booming popularity of gas-station reminiscent bunting? 

Tray Chic: Deux

Heya Nesters and welcome back to Monday! Do you remember last week when I was ogling all kinds of trays?  I wanted to wrangle in some things that felt like they were just floating on some larger surfaces and this picture was so inspiring...

If I Had a Million Dollars: A Room with a View.

Heya Nesters and Happy Friday to you all!  As the foliage changes more and more, I enjoy my scenic ride home along the Charles River every day.  {It somehow makes the traffic more bearable!}

{image via Worldhum}

Pretty beautiful, right?  Well, it got me thinking: I can't wait to have a home with a 3 season porch that would allow me to enjoy the view of the foliage, all the while staying nice and toasty warm.  That's why, If I Had a Million Dollars: I would have a pretty spectacular 3 season porch.

All Over the Map

Heya Nesters! Remember that awesome {and awesomely cheap} shopping spree at The Christmas Tree Shop I went on to snatch up these mirrors a little while ago?  Yeah... they weren't the only things that filled my cart.  I almost forgot to tell you about this find!  So here goes... I have to admit I have a weird thing for maps.  I don't know what it is?  I was never much of a geography whiz {let's be real: I'm terrible at geography} but they always attract my eye.

Tray Chic!

Lately, I've been feeling like some of my decor is just floating on their surfaces and need to be wrangled in. While I thought of tying them together with dental floss, I thought it may not cut it in the aesthetics department.  Hm. Where now?  My thoughts turned to vanity trays...

I love this little vignette. So feminine and romantic.  How can I duplicate this without spending an arm and a leg though?

Pantry Shmantry

Heya Nesters! Happy day-after-Halloween.  Now that we're all in our candy induced coma's and back at the daily grind,  it's time to get real about cleaning our homes before the really cold weather sets in and we lose any and all motivation.   Or maybe that's just me?? I've found that with the Fall, I've been baking a whole lot more. Thanks to that I've also been forced to take a good hard look at my pantry and spice cabinet.  I've been stocking and restocking much more frequently and having much more fresh goods but sometimes, accidentally some duplicates. Whoops. 

Frightful Friday Spooktacular!

Hiya Nesters and a very Happy {and spooky} Halloween to you all!! I thought I'd leave you this Friday with some deadly festive decor to get you in the Halloween spirit!  Enjoy!

{via Apartment Therapy}

Nanny's Suitcase

Hiya Nesters!  Today I'm going to show you one of my favorite little understated portions of my apartment. It's a suitcase that I found on a random rummage through my grandmother's {Nanny's} attic in Maine many many years back.

Tealicious!

Hiya Nesters!  This morning- like most mornings lately- I've been getting up with my eyes still closed. I shuffle to the bathroom for my steamy morning wake-up shower. Most of my shower is performed also with my eyes closed. Only once I emerge from the powder room and turn on 'Good Morning America' do I start turning into a normal, cognisant human being.

Why Couldn't I Commit?

Heya Nesters!  Welcome back to Monday!  Hope you all had a nice weekend.  Let me start by saying I have been spending far too much money lately.  With Christmas around the corner, I am trying to tighten my belt.  But did you guys notice something missing in the reveal of my nightstand mirrors?

I don't have any throw pillows on my bed!!  I know, I know. What kind of a faux interior design fan am I?!

If I had a Million Dollars: Pack-Rat

I love organization. I believe in labeling and everything having its place to be put away. Clutter is the product of not having a place for everything to go. I find that even though my closet is three times the size than it used to be, it is still busting at the seams.  That's why, If I Had a Million Dollars, I would build myself one really kick-ass walk in closet slash dressing room. And my girl Mariah has done it like no one else has...

{courtesy of Blulabel Bungalow}

Hello, Beautiful!

Heya Nesters!  I'm always grazing the sprawling fields of the Internet and magazines for inspiration.  I have found some heart stopping images that I couldn't wait to share with you guys! But this one above is my favorite. They cool gray of the wall brings such a different depth to this layered vintage wall.  I thought the modern vessel sink was such an interesting choice to juxtapose against the aged pieces. 

Mirror Mirror on the Wall 2

Heya Nesters!  Yesterdays post was all about the bargain leaning floor mirror that I scored at Walmart. That wasn't where the bargains ended for this this gal. Oh no, I hit the jackpot at The Christmas Tree Shop.  Every bedroom design image that sticks in my brain is one that involves mirrors above or behind matching nightstand lamps.