Wednesday, December 13, 2017

A Cozy Christmas Dinner

Friday, December 1, 2017

7 Simple Tips for a Beautifully Decorated Christmas Tree


The Christmas tree is the main attraction in any home during Christmas so we want these trees to look their best! I'm sharing some very simple tips for decorating a tree that will really make a difference in the way the tree looks. I'm sharing some tips and some pictures I took that evening when I was decorating my tree so you'll notice my pictures getting darker and darker as it gets later as the evening progresses, lol. I was rushing to beat the sunset!

 Anyway, I'm gonna get straight to it, here we go!

TIP #1 -STICK WITH A COLOR SCHEME

Develop a color scheme that compliments the rest of your house and holiday decor, including your gift wrap! The gifts go right under that tree so might as well make them look cohesive. 


TIP #2 -USE A GOOD_LOOKING TREE SKIRT

There are so many great options out there! And, they don't necessarily have to be an actual tree skirt. A nice throw blanket works just fine. 


TIP #3 -USE THE RIGHT ORNAMENT HOOKS

If you have a green tree, use green ornament hooks. If you have a white or frosted tree, use silver hooks.

TIP #4 FLUFF YOUR TREE!

If you are using an artificial tree, you can't just take the tree out of the box and expect it to look good. You MUST pull the branches apart and away from each other so that the tree looks full and realistic.


TIP #5 USE RIBBON

Ribbon adds so much style to a tree. After fluffing the tree, the ribbon goes on first. I find it easier to cut strips of ribbon and tuck them into the tree instead of going around and around the tree with a continuous piece. I make 2 to 3 loops in my ribbon and tuck it into the tree.


I like my ribbon pieces to all be at about the same angle. I like how clean it looks that way, especially since my tree is slim. But, have fun with it and experiment. That's the beauty of cutting strips -you can easily change the direction of the ribbon.


TIP #6 GO BIG!

Adding large "statement piece" ornaments add tons of style to your tree. Throw in some large spheres mixed with regular sized spheres to add depth to your tree.


TIP #7 HANG YOUR ORNAMENTS CLOSE TO YOUR BRANCHES

Those ornament hooks are pretty long and it makes the ornament hang really far from the tree branch which means that you'll end up seeing a lot of hooks and wires all over your tree. Instead, bend your hook in the middle and wrap it around the branch making the ornament seem as it's hanging right from the christmas tree branch.









So what do you think of my tips? Easy, right? These tips are so uncomplicated but they make such a difference in the overall look of your Christmas tree. Give my tips a try this year and I bet you'll see how much better that beautiful tree of yours will look.











If you want to see more of my Christmas decor, click HERE or just go to the HOLIDAY DECORATING page here on the blog.

'TIll next time!
-Oscar

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Green and Black Christmas Decor -Holiday Blog Hop

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Christmas Village in a Bookshelf - Deck The Halls Blog Hop


Thursday, November 9, 2017

The Anatomy of a Well-Made Bed



Wednesday, November 1, 2017

A Modern Thanksgiving Table


Thursday, October 26, 2017

What's On My Coffee Table - Gothic Style Halloween Centerpiece

Friday, October 20, 2017

Easy Halloween Snack Using Donuts and Cookies

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

No Makeup Home Tour - decor bloggers bare all and share their homes "au naturale"

Social media is a great place to escape from our daily routine activities and immerse ourselves in inspirational photos of delicious food, beautiful people wearing stylish outfits, envying perfectly-styled hair, and (in my case) thick and manly beards (I think it's time I grow mine out again), all set in picturesque streets or inside a picture-perfect home where white slip-covered furniture, vintage treasures and fluffy pillows cocoon a stylish family, dog and all.

Monday, September 25, 2017

What's On My Coffee Table -Pumpkins and Cereal Bowls

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Decorating with the Colors of Fall

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Fall 2017 Decor Inspiration

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Stay Cool All Night with HygroCotton® Sheets

Friday, September 8, 2017

My Top 10 Favorite Fall Scented Candles

Friday, August 25, 2017

Keep Your House Clean By Using A Cleaning Schedule Plus Free Printable!

Monday, August 21, 2017

What's On My Coffee Table - Coral Collection

Friday, August 18, 2017

DIY Magnetic Fridge Frames

Friday, August 11, 2017

The Best Drink Dispensers For Your Home

Monday, August 7, 2017

Enjoying A Summer Drink Station



Summer's here and that means we need to stay hydrated, folks. Personally, I like to hydrate myself with iced coffee all day, but I also love chugging down some ice-cold water too and especially infused water.
To my surprise, my kids also enjoy infused water! Why am I surprised? Because it's healthy, and my kiddos seem to think that HEALTHY = GROSS. 

Friday, August 4, 2017

How I Got My Kids To Make Their Beds


Monday, July 31, 2017

How To Arrange A Bookshelf


Thursday, July 20, 2017

Inspiration From Fashion - Summer 2017


ONE OF THE MOST common problems my clients come to me with is that they don't know what the heck they like for their home. They have NO clue as to what color or style they should choose for their decor. Totally understandable! It's hard to pinpoint what our likes and dislikes are when it comes to decorating.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

A Guide To Styling A Mantel



SHOP THIS POST






Growing up, we never had a fireplace in our house. It’s not really a need in southern California. We never hung stockings for Christmas, we didn’t roast chestnuts… no  Santa Claus coming down the chimney… no reading by the fire... you get the point 😏

Thursday, June 8, 2017

How To Make A Paper Lantern

An Asian-Inspired Table Setting

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

My Favorite Home Decor Accessory for Vignettes

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

How To Paint A Stairwell


Thursday, May 18, 2017

What Is My Home Decor Style?

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

BLACK MAGIC - Ideas For Using The Color Black In Your Home Decor

Friday, April 14, 2017

My Love Hate Relationship with Houseplants

Friday, March 17, 2017

14 Ideas to Style your Home for Spring: Master Bedroom Refresh

Monday, February 6, 2017

Installing a Pendant Light - The Easy Way


I have ZERO electrical skills, little patience and a home upgrade budget to match. 
So when I got the urge to do a little something new to the kitchen, it needed it to be easy and affordable. I have always envisioned a pendant lamp in my kitchen and I had finally found one that I really loved, and was affordable! 



Well.. that's not the one I ended up with.

At the time, West Elm was all sold out :(   so I searched the internet to find something similar. I wanted my pendant to be: Round or bell-shaped, have a clear glass shade and brass hardware. 

I ended up loving this one! And the price was definitely right!



Along with the pendant, I ordered a recessed light converter kit. This kit allows me to easily change any existing recessed light into a pendant light! 




I watched this detailed step-by-step video on how to install the kit. It was super helpful.



Remember how I said I had zero electrical skills? Well, this kit was a cinch to install!( I mean, I have switched light fixtures on my own, like the one in my dining room, but that's about it.) But, yeah super easy. The only issue I came across was screwing the base of the pendant onto the ceiling. The base has the screw on the sides so getting the screws into the holes was a bit annoying and took a few minutes longer than it should have to tighten 2 screws.




After about an hour, my new pendant light was up!











After using the recessed light converter kit, I would definitely recommend it. 

During my online searches for pendant lights, I came across pendant lights that you literally screw into an existing light socket! Sounds a lot easier than the method I used, but the downside is that there is an limited choice of pendant lights. Here are a few that I like:





Decorative lighting really adds personality to any space. It can come in the way of pendant lights, chandeliers, sconces and lamps. No need for them to be super-expensive either. Just do a little searching and I'm sure you can find a good deal. 

Thanks for reading! `Till next time!

-Oscar