January Decor

So one of my New Years resolutions was to do a better job of decorating the home so it becomes a place I really enjoy coming home to. My home already has a lot going for it, because when I come home I'm always greeted by a wagging tail and some happy kisses. And Ringo's there too.

Bascially this new "design on a dime" theory focuses on two main areas, the dining room, and the living room (although I did score a billion rubber duckies in all colors of the rainbow for seasonal bathroom accents - but really, do you want to see pictures of a bathroom?)

We'll start with the dining area.


How cute is my new table setting? I love it and everytime I look at it, it makes me happy. It's also caused us to have more meals at the table and less on the coffee table because this arrangement keeps the table from becoming "the place we throw junk." I used a tablecloth I already had - one that desparately needs to be ironed. as well as champagne glasses we already had. I used two different sets because we don't have a set of four. I don't know how I feel about this to tell you the truth, because all our glasses have special "memories" behind them. On the table are our toasting glasses from our wedding, and glasses from my sorority formal.
I picked up the white napkins from C&B (I love C&B) and the silver napkin rings were only $.25 at Bed Bath and Beyond! For some added sparkle, I tied some tinsel around the bases of the glasses.

After Christmas shopping is the best. I got the silver chargers from Target for less than $2 (and that's for 4 of them) and the plates from Target for $3 (again for 4). I love the snowflake design and the platinum band (even if its not real platinum)



Closeup of the centerpiece - the inspiration for this whole thing were the disco ball ornaments I found at Urban Outfitters (another after Christmas steal). I love that they serve double duty and are going to add some fun to our tree next year. I filled some votive holders and a bud vase (Michaels) with tinsel from Target ($.12) and wrapped some garland around the whole thing. Garland was also from Target and I had enough for both table centerpieces as well as the glasses for about a buck.


In the living room I used a vase we already had and filled it with some garland and silver leave things (the technical decorating term), also from Target. Seriously, I love after Christmas sales. I was also able to pick up the square votive candle holders with silver candles from Z Gallerie for half off! The candles were a must after Jon and I noticed the amazing glow the centerpiece gave off when lit from below by a gift from a coworker.