Christmas in the City

img_92492016 sure has been quite the year. Amidst a slew of music and art icons passing away, a wild and contentious political scene, worldwide terrorism and tragedy, I hope you’ve also enjoyed some joyful surprises, good health, successes on every front, loving family and friends. I for one am going to hold onto my wish for peace for everyone, everywhere as we head into 2017.

Even though it’s a little worse for the wear, I am always happy to hang this vintage greeting. Now that we’re living in an apartment, the front door was the perfect spot. In our city place, I take a much more streamlined approach to holiday decorating. I still want that magic mix of sparkle and schmaltz, but I also love the clean lines and flow of our open plan space and don’t want to overdo.

I think I reached a good balance that’s fun for a few weeks but also easy to pack up and stow away in an hour or two. Hope you enjoy our holiday scene!

Black & Camel Combo

img_8923A wee bit tired of black and white as your go-to look? Think about combining black and camel. For me, it’s a warmer palette that’s especially flattering to every skin tone. This bell-sleeved peplum sweater is one of my favorite purchases of the season, so that’s where I started. To balance out its fitted and flared silhouette, I paired it with black skinnies. These have patched pleather knees which gives them a bit more of a fashion edge. For accessories, I chose my beloved and oh-so-plush personalized cashmere scarf, a teeny (but it still holds your phone, keys, lipstick and credit card/cash) bucket bag (note to self: ring handles are “it”) and leopard print booties. And let’s not forget Bowie, the ultimate Black & Camel combo!

Christmas at the Cabin

img_9033We spent this past weekend up at our cabin with Christmas decorating topping my “To Do” list. Since we’ll arrive Christmas Eve day, I wanted everything up and ready to welcome our Boys. We were also invited to a lovely holiday party at one of the historic Adirondack Camps in Keene Valley. So not all work and no play!

I’ve collected A LOT of decorations since we bought our first home in 1993. When we downsized from a rambling Victorian where I decorated every room, I had to pare back and pick what would work in the city and what would work in the country. I’ve also got boxes (and boxes!) stored in a dear friend’s basement. That’s a 2017 resolution. I like to group like things — Santas, snowmen, angels, nutcrackers — in obvious and unexpected places. And I love remembering the stories they tell us every time we unpack them.

Since Home is where the Hearth is, we’ll start there…