After the fam left last weekend, the Hubs and I turned on the Christmas music and put up a bit of Christmas decor.

The tree....

Notice the presents. I decided to save on wrapping this year and used leftover brown paper bags from Trader Joes. Then, I just painted them with craft paint with various Christmas themes. Looks a little grade school-esque... but I like them so whatevs.

Ornaments + decorative bowl = SUPER easy decorations.

I know I'm on this train super late, but I love Instagram!

I plan on adding some more here and there. The only thing is, I get so sad when I have to take down all the pretty stuff once Christmas is over. Am I the only weirdo who feels that way? Anywhoo, I will def. add some more RED... I just don't know what/where/how yet!

Lastly, I just want to share what I think Christmas is really about: the birth of Jesus Christ! To celebrate His birth in a way that I think is more fitting than gifts or decorating your home with bows and sparkles, please consider donating your time, talent or treasure to a worthy cause! I like this one, this one and this one.

Thanksgiving Tabletop

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful! I felt so blessed to have the opportunity to host such a fantastic holiday with my family.

The tabletop turned out just great, as did the food, thank goodness! I used silver Pottery Barn chargers, red napkins, (also from PB) and navy dishware that my Momma gave me.

I picked up some inexpensive mini pumpkins from Hobby Lobby and spray painted them gold.

I got some sticks and sprayed them too. The 'runner' is one of my fav fabrics ever- PB Bettina. Unfortunately, they discontinued it a few years back. I have toyed with the idea of making it into pillows like 6th Street Design School, but I am too nervous!!

The Kate Spade look-a-like polka dot vase is a recent DIY. I used this tutorial.

And our bible verse for the month on the chalkboard...

So thankful to have had such a great celebration... I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing and blessed holiday!

Now-- who is ready for CHRISTMAS???

I'm dreaming of a RED Christmas

I definitely subscribe to the idea that all things 'Christmas' should wait until after Thanksgiving............... But that doesn't mean we can't start thinking about Christmas before Thanksgiving, right??

As we all know, red is my fav color, as referenced here and here. So it only makes sense that it would find its way into our home's Christmas decor. Per usual, Pinterest has gotten me thinking about how I can incorporate even more lovely RED things into our holiday decor this year.

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And of course I have to share Daisy's contribution to the red decor in our home... don't worry, she will be reprising her role as Santa again this year :)

But before any of this Christmas wonderful-ness happens, we have Thanksgiving to look forward to! My family will be in STL soon and I COULD NOT be more excited!! Hopefully, our Thanksgiving table (and the food) will turn out fab!

I hope you all have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving!

Lastly, I just want to share what I think Christmas is really about: the birth of Jesus Christ! To celebrate His birth in a way that I think is more fitting than gifts or decorating your home with bows and sparkles, please consider donating your time, talent or treasure to a worthy cause! I like this one, this one and this one. 

Margaux's Entry

A while back my fab friend Margaux, who blogs at GAUXriginals, sent me an email asking for some help on her entryway. As you all know, I just LOVE giving my opinion on things like this so I was more than happy to help a sister out.

Here are the pics she sent me of her entryway. (note the sweet angel doggy!)

The turqouise chest is stunning!

She said her main issue was the wall above the chest. She said she really likes this mirror, but thought it was too small for the wall.

I agree with her. So I suggested that she do a grouping of mirrors to make the scale a bit more appropriate. Here are some inspiration images I sent to her:

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And since I know she is a fellow DIY-er, I suggested that instead of buying a bunch of mirrors that are already similar, that she could just use CraigsList to find a bunch of inexpensive ones and paint them herself!

I also suggested that she add a slim bench to the other wall to add some interest to the other side of the entryway. I recommended using this tutorial to make one.

Here.

I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

Also, if you are looking for some fun Christmas decor, Margaux makes these super cute Santa paintings. All of them are Gaux-riginals :) Doesn't he just look so jolly??

Here.

If you have any home decor questions, please feel free to reach out to me! I would love to help you out!

Thankful Thursdays: Coffeeeeeeeee

Simply put: I love coffee and really couldn't get through the day without it.

I wish I could have my daily cup whilst in this scene....

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 Or this one...

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But even though I can't, I am still super thankful for coffee. As I always say- it's the little things, people :)

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What about you all?? What are you thankful for today?

5 things I love- Being Lovely

Today, I am SO excited to have Kelly from Being Lovely take part in the "5 Things I Love" series. Kelly is a fellow OSU and Pi Beta Phi alum (Ring Ching sister!). Her blog is full of lovely things- which is perfect, because she is just lovely as well :)

Hello lovelies!  I am super excited and honored to be filling you all in on the 5 things I love in my home and closet.  It was not easy to choose just 5 things, but these items currently fall at the top of my list of loves...

1. my nail polish collection :: I love nail polish!  Seriously, really love it!  I love the endless variety of colors and the fact that each color can add personality and style to your look.  Not to mention, the unique names that accompany each shade.  I change my polish often and like to keep all my colors on display!

2. my hunter boots :: These boots are a must for the snowy winters in Colorado!  They are perfect for keeping my feet warm and dry in the cold weather.  And, of course, they are super cute and fun (and will probably last me forever).  Since navy is one of my very favorite colors, it is only appropriate that my hunters are navy (with sparkles).  Although, I wouldn't mind having a red pair too...maybe someday!

3. my kitchen aid mixer ::  I love cooking, and especially love baking, so my kitchen aid mixer is a very well loved and regularly used item in my home.  I traded my pink mixer out for this green one when I got married a few years ago (my husband thanks me), and I love the pop of color this adds to our kitchen! 

4. my photographs :: I love taking and looking at photographs.  Our home is full of photos of family, friends and more.  I love the warm feel that photographs add to a home.  I think my very favorite in our home is this engagement photo.  It captures such a special moment that I will always cherish. 

5. my winter coat ::  Last season I was on the hunt for the perfect winter coat.  When I spotted this one at Anthropologie I just had to have it.  It is a cape/coat combo, and I just love the style, pattern and colors.  Being able to wear it out makes the cold winter weather that much more bearable! 

Thanks so much to the lovely and chic Emily for having me!  Have a fantastic day everyone!  xoxo!

Thanks Kel! Have to say- SUPER jealous of that fab nail polish collection :)

Want to see more from Kelly? You can find her lovely blog here, her facebook page here and follow her on Twitter here. She is also currently hosting a fab Stella and Dot giveaway!

If you're interested in being a part of the "5 things I love" series- send me an email at mainstreetchicblog@gmail.com!

Turkey day countdown

Good things are happening in regards to the table decor for Thanksgiving dinner.

10 points to the first person to comment on what the table 'runner' is. Let's just say, I got pretty creative with this one!

That's all I have for today... hope everyone has a great Monday!

Guest Post: Three Pink Dots

Did you wake up this morning wondering what I carry around in my bag? No? Well, that's ok. I will tell you anyway. Today, I am guest posting over at the fabulous blog,  Three Pink Dots, as a part of the "What's in her bag?" series.

Be sure to check it out and a big thanks to Lauren for letting me create such a fun post!

Keeping your neck warm

Turtlenecks haven't been on my radar for a while... like, since 5th grade. But this season, I am already loving them! Just wanted to give a shout out to this fab option  from Tar-jay.

Here. (Merona Women's Ultimate Turtle Neck)

It's perfect. Striped, fitted, slightly stretchy and great for layering.

Here are some ways I plan to rock it this fall/winter.

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I should probably go get the gray one, too....

Chouse Powder Room Part 3

I worked on the powder room this weekend. Here it is...

Here.

HA! I WISH.

I only got one wall painted.... because it took forever. Srsly. Forever.

But- onward with the tutorial! Here are the steps I followed. #1. Make a plan.

Step #2. Realize your measurements weren't worth crap and wing it.

Step #3. Measure and tape. Then measure and tape some more. Oh yeah. and then some more. I started at the top, and worked my way down. Every foot or so, I used a ruler to make sure the stripes were the same width (5 inches thick). Here it is all taped.

After that, I used an old credit card to make sure the tape edges were secure. Side note- I want to give a big shout out to Frog Tape. I love you!!!!!!

The next step is the one that makes ALL the difference in the world. After you get it all taped, paint over the tape your original wall color. That way, if there is any bleed through, its the same color as your wall. Genius. Big thanks to this tutorial for the tip.

Let it dry and then paint the stripes your other color.

Here is the outcome of my hard work.

Sorry for the sub-par pic.

Really, I am SO happy with the outcome and I think I am going to be obsessed once all 4 walls are finished. It just takes a really. long. time. Oh well, isn't there some quote about all good things taking time? Something like that? Whatever.

Here is the rest of the to do list:
- Finish the other three walls.
- Paint the molding/vanity??? <----still to be decided on
- Accessorize!
- I also think I'm going to paint that fug light fixture gold... I think it might help... or it could also be a disaster. There's just no telling.

Happy Monday everyone!!