What A Year!

It's amazing the quotes one can find on Pinterest.  Sometimes they just hit you right between the eyes like this one did.

2014 began with the most amazing trip to Paris in February to celebrate my "big" birthday.

It was there that our new company, Les Méchantes was born.

We came home and went to work making our dream a reality.

Les Méchantes launched in November!

On top of starting a business, we decided to sell our home and move to San Francisco.

I went to work getting our home ready for market.

It took at least four months of painting, repairing and staging.

The hard part was deciding what to do with all our stuff that has accumulated for 15 years!

The house sold in September, and I try not to look back!

We bought a house in San Francisco that needed to be remodeled.

As 2014 comes to a close, our new home looks like this.

It's like I have a new "blog muse" now!  So many decisions to make and progress to follow.

This is the biggest project I've ever taken on and I'm definitely going to need to blog about it!

In the meantime, we are crammed in our rental with two dogs, a cat and my mother who I moved here this month.  The rental is also command central for the remodel and new business.
Yes, it's been quite a year!

 So, my New Year's resolution is to blog more, so hopefully I can re-commit to Vignette Design in 2015!

Merry Christmas Eve

A trip to the flower mart produced just enough wreaths, garlands and pointsettias to minimally decorate this little City flat.

I even found the stockings but decided to hang just mine and Mr. A's.

 Dried hydrangeas from our old house and cinnamon scented pine cones from the grocery store fill in the mantel.

I found battery operated birch candles from Grandinroad.

They even came with a remote control!

 A Ralph Lauren tartan throw becomes a tablecloth in the dining room.  Les Méchantes carries a similar one here.

I took the ugly shades off the chandelier and draped it with live garland.

 A bouquet of Christmas flowers will replaee the rosemary topiary tonight for our Christmas Eve crab feed.

 Our ornament free "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree found a home on top of the piano!
As I've already mentioned, decorating for the holidays this year was a bit of a challenge, for many reasons--a major move, a new business and everything in storage to name a few.
To tell the truth, I actually didn't mind not going all out!
I'll do that next year....maybe!

Les Méchantes Launch Party, November 2014

 Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2015!

Holiday Home Inspiration

Last week I went to a holiday lady's luncheon and was so inspired by how gorgeously decorated this home was for Christmas.

Right away, the porch greeted the guests with a winter chalet mood, complete with "snow."

Inside, there wasn't a single surface that didn't have some kind of greenery or Christmas decoration.

It's also the kind of Christmas decor that I love--natural! 

Nothing fake here, all the plants and flowers were real.

I was able to snap a few shots with my camera before all the guests arrived.

I asked the hostess how long it took her to decorate her home.

A whole week!

It made me want to go home and lavish my City flat with greenery, flowers and candles.

I especially loved her mantel.  

Aren't those stocking holders so cool with candles glowing behind?

I have to admit, I was so inspired that I did go home and create a holiday mantel.

Then I got a little tree to sit atop the piano and even put a little greenery around the ugly chandelier.

I promise to share!

I Lost My Christmas Muse

 I knew this would happen!  After we sold our house, I didn't look back.

Until now.

Christmas changed all that as I'm feeling quite nostalgic for my Christmas home these days.

I've been perusing my iPhoto library, reminiscing about days of Christmas past.

All the table settings...

 ...the hutch that I loved to decorate each year.

The living room mantel.

Our house was the ultimate Christmas house, and each year, I tried to out do myself. 

It's like the house waited all year for the halls to be decked out.

It was my muse...

...and now it's gone.

With everything Christmas packed up and in storage, decorating will be kept to a minimum this year.

A little table top Charlie Brown tree.

Perhaps some greenery here and there.

I'm hoping a trip to the nursery will cure my nostalgia!

Festive Christmas Plates For The Table

I love Christmas plates and have several patterns to use for various years, keeping my family guessing, "which one this year?"

Most of us are familiar with this Christmas Tree pattern from Spode.  Introduced in 1938, it has become the world's most recognizable and best loved Christmas china.  Some of us even inherited these plates from our parents and grandparents.

Although I don't have the classic Spode plate above, I have this version called Christmas Tree Grove, also by Spode.  Same tree in the middle, but the rim is what I'm in love with.  

Christmas Tree Garland by Spode.  Same tree, different rim.

Christmas Tree 70th anniversary plate by Spode.  What a beauty!

Let's take a look at some more holiday themed dinnerware.

I've gathered quite a few of my favorites to show you:

Christmas Story by Mikasa

Christmas in the Park by China

Christmas Toile by 222 Fifth

Holiday Celebrations by Christopher Radko for Target

I've set a few Christmas tables with this pattern!

Victorian Christmas by Johnson Brothers

Old Britain Castles by Johnson Brothers

One of my favorites!  I also have this pattern.

Accent salad plate in the Old Britain Castles pattern.

The Friendly Village, Christmas accent salad plates by Johnson Brothers

Cardinal Christmas by Royal Norfolk

Holly Ribbon by Royal Worcester

Grenediers  by Bernardaud

Holiday Garden by Martha Stewart

O'Tannenbaum by Oneida

Holiday by Lenox, another classic.

Season's Greetings by Lenox

Holiday Tartan by Lenox

Tartan Christmas by Signature

McLean Tartan by Ralph Lauren

Country Plaid by Fitz and Floyd

Tartan plaid plate by Pacific Rim.

Classic Tidings by Target

Of course, I had to have these!

I have found that besides Ebay, Replacements, Ltd. is the best source for vintage and out of production patterns.  Believe it or not, Amazon has quite a few patterns available too.

I actually like to mix and match my holiday china for a layered table.  Both of the patterns from Target mix very well, and we all know that Tartan goes with everything, including transferware! 

Do you set the table with holiday themed dishes, and if so, what is your pattern?