Last Minute Gifts

Hi everyone! I have been so distracted with parties, travel, etc. that I have completely put my Christmas shopping on hold. Now, it is crunch time. I have bought most all of the gifts on my guides (mainly for myself), and now I am hustling to buy gifts for others. I wanted to give you all some quick Amazon Prime finds that can arrive just in time for Christmas!! Full disclosure: I have purchased all of these, so ask away if you have any questions!

Amika Mini Curling Iron

I am obsessed with my Amika Mini Travel Hair Dryer and Amika Mini Straightener. It is seriously so small and lightweight, yet more powerful than any hair dryer you will find in a hotel. The travel ceramic straightener is just as small (7 inches) and works wonders!

Amika Mini Hair Dryer. The greatest! Only 7 inches and very lightweight.

Juliska Carafe and wine glasses Juliska Graham Carafe and Stemless Wine Glasses. An ideal gift for a great price.

Blue and White Vase Blue and White Porcelain Pot. Perfect to stick an orchid into it for a hostess gift too.

Cuddl Duds Womens Socks

Cuddl Duds are incredibly soft and comfortable socks.

Marble Utensil Holder

This Marble Wine Holder and Utencil Holder is an ideal gift for anyone!

Ogee Face wipes

These are my go-to travel face wipes- Ogee Cleansing Cloths.  They are a clean brand, very effective, and smell lovely.

Packing Cubes Packing cubes would make a great gift for anyone who has a trip coming up, or is on their way to visit you! A nice way to keep your clothes organized within your suitcase, and separate dirty and clean clothes.

Sferra Throw I love Sferra throws! These soft and rich throws are a universally adored gift that can arrive just in time for Christmas.

Sonos with Alexa

I am obsessed with my Sonos Speaker. It has unreal sound. It is also so convenient to have Alexa in it too!

Insta Holiday

I have seen SO much wonderful Christmas inspiration on Instagram recently. Almost every image has caused me to stop and stare at the creative genius of designers, bloggers, landscapers, and everyone in between. I thought I would share a few of my favorites to really get you in the spirit of the season.

Also, I am headed to San Fran this weekend. Would love any recs! Comment, email, or insta message me! XO

P.S. If there is one takeaway, it is that you should NOT be afraid to use interior wreaths!

GNC Garden front Gina from @gncgarden has the most inspiring garden in Denmark. Look at all her boxwood!

Gray Malin It has been fun following photographer @graymalin and watching him spruce up his new home for the holidays.

Barclay Butera Traditional Home Barclay Butera is all smiles in his California entry decked for the holidays via @traditionalhome

Brian Patrick Flynn

@bpatrickflynn creates a kitchen that is intimate yet high in style for the holidays.

Charlotte Annefidler

@charlotteannefidler has an instagram account that can charm the pants right off of anyone. I literally want to move right in!

Debbie Propst

This entry via @debbiepropst is the perfect blend of topiary and creative (I love the ornaments).

Eleven Gables

@elevenegables sure brings the charm of Christmas to her front porch.

Erin V Style

This may be the most reposted image of all, and it is obvious why, Honestly love this more than words. Via @ErinVStyle

Garden Variety Design

Jeannette Whitson of @GardenVarietyDesign knows how to give her clients the ultimate Christmas curb appeal.

Henry and Co Design @henryandcodesign posts the best photos of their charming projects.
Jean Stoffer Design

This kitchen sums up all things chic. Love the wreaths on the interior windows by @jeanstofferdesign

Cece Barfield Thompson

Chic interior wreath via @CeceBarfieldThompson

Lavender Hill Interiors A timeless post by @lavenderhillinteriors

MFaraguao Naaskew

@Naaskew knows how to decorate his entry just right. Lots of topiaries with lots of lights.

Northeastern Nautical The perfect place for a delivery. Just drop me off at the doorstep too. Image via @NortheasternNautical

Robert D Norris Charming and quaint via @RobertDNorris

Sarah Bartholomew Mantle A lovely @KayceeHughes print hangs on the mantle of @SarahBartholomewDesign

Tom Samet Every image by @tomsamet is total elegance.

 

 

Greatly Gifted

Here are some last minute gift ideas
for those of us who shop better under a little pressure. 2 weeks!
FOR YOU

Follain Bath Kit

Follain Blissed Out Bath Kit. A little bath salts, body butter, and candle to truly unwind. I love that all of the products at Follain are made with safe ingredients.

Away Gift Set

Super cute Away Travel Case is an ideal gift for any holiday getaway. Just love it!

FOR HOME

To Go Cold Brew via Food 52

I love this Brumi Pour Over & Cold Brew to go. Easily make your specialty coffee or cold brew and head out the door! The Fellow Stagg Tea Kettle would be a perfect gift in tandem for any coffee lover.

Jacobson Salt via Williams SOnoma

Jacobson 6 Salt Shaker Set. Everything from smoked salt to lemon salt to coffee salt.

spinn-2.250e0b5ecb207888527ff66237bf13ef

Be sure to pre-order this luxe coffee maker of the future. Spinn allows you to order your favorite coffee straight from the app and is fully self-contained, grinding the beans to the correct fineness, then heats the water and uses a spinning cylinder to force it through the ground beans at the right pressure. Don’t miss it!

glass and wood via west elm

These Glass Bottles with Wood Toppers make a sleek and chic statement on any countertop or bar top.

Coravin

Coravin Wine Opener allows you to just pour one glass of wine without even uncorking the whole bottle. Genius if you live alone, or if you like white and he likes red.

Make your own BBQ sauce kit via Food 52

A very cool DIY Barbeque Kit. From Texas Style to Carolina Style (East or West), this is a great gift for any griller.

Bamboo Hurricane via Williams Sonoma Home

So pretty for any candlelit tabletop. Love this Bamboo Brass Hurricane.

Fabulous by Tom Britt

Fabulous features the iconic interiors of Thomas Britt. This coffee table book literally shines on any table.

Outside In

A great coffee table book, Outside In features the gardens and architecture of Tichenor & Thorp.

Matchbook Diaries Carbone

One of my NYC favorites. Great Matchbook prints by Charles Ryan Clarke.

Matchbook Diaries Saint Ambrous

Love Saint Ambroeus. How fun would these Matchbook Prints by Charles Ryan Clarke be in a bar or powder room.

Throw_Blanket_Avery_Ivory_Black_Fold_MV_1277_Crop_SH

Serena & Lily Avery Throw on Sale Today!

Wine Fridge

Love this Wine Cooler. Made for white and red wine with digital temperature display.

Fisher Dog Bed via Serena and Lily

So if my dog didn’t eat all things wicker, this would be her dog bed. Would love this Fisher Dog Bed in my living room

FOR HER

Cashmere Robe rom Neiman Marcus

Cashmere Robes are always a luxury. There is nothing better than getting our of a shower and swaddling yourself in cashmere.

Mark and Graham Bag

I love this versatile and personalized tote from Mark & Graham. Easy to throw everything in and go. Works with every outfit.

Bandier Koral Leggings

These Koral Leggings are very forgiving, comfortable, and make anyone look athleisure chic.

Project LED Skin Rejuvination

All the rage, these LED masks help with elasticity, pigmentation, and clear skin.

Great Bags by Mark & Graham

Personalize the perfect clutch. I love how these add so much punch to any outfit.

FOR HIM

record player west elm

Crosley Cruiser Record Player. A retro way to listen to your favorite vinyls.

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Vince Ace Sneakers. I got these for my dad last Christmas to “update” his casual shoe collection. They are insanely comfortable.

Beats Wireless Headphones

Beats Wireless In Ear Headphones. If you have an iPhone 7 or higher, these are totally necessary!

FOR KIDS

Rifle Paper Co Classic Books

In Bloom Book Collection. Makes a lovely gift for any growing reader or book shelf.

Melissa and Doug Alligator Chomp

Melissa and Doug Alligator Chomp Cart. I love the sweet simplicity of wooden toys.

Premium Stainless Steel Kids Utensils

For the little ones that would rather mimic mom using real utensils, these Stainless Steel Kids Utensils are a must.

Moo on the farm

Moo on the Farm Book. My friend with the cutest little girl (shout out to Molly) swears by these books! They make the sounds to correspond with the pictures.

Modway Casper Kids Chair

I love this Modway Casper Kids Chair. The love for good design should always start young.

Don’t forget to check my other gift guides HERE

Delightfully Danielle

Hi Friends! I recently asked Danielle Rollins a few questions about her fabulous new home that was featured in this month’s Veranda Magazine. If you aren’t familiar with Rollins, she is a tastemaker of every category- lifestyle, design, and now fashion. She is the ideal example that when the going gets tough, the tough get going (and even stronger than ever before). Her Atlanta home reflects her chic vibrancy and colorful demeanor, which is always tasteful. I hope you enjoy these images of her home and her insightful responses to creating beauty everywhere.

To see my post of her former home (one of my very first blog posts): click here

All photos by  Melanie Acevado via  Veranda Magazine

How would you describe your personal design aesthetic in your new home?

I joke that it is Nancy Lancaster meets Wes Anderson because it is such a blend of old school antiques with traditional fabrics and wallpapers, but it is all mixed in an off-the-wall, quirky and bohemian way. I wanted a home that was warm, welcoming and filled with my favorite pieces of art and objects, but always comfortable with a certain barefoot elegance that makes you want to kick off your shoes, curl up on a plush sofa and read a book or enjoy a cocktail, whether alone or with family and friends. I put a lot of thought into how the house would function and operate during the renovation period, like the supporting and storage areas, the China Pantry and linen closets that make the house as functional as it is beautiful. I also planned out the color flow of the home with military precision so that one room transitioned to the next, drawing your eye in and inviting you to venture forward.

Danielle Rollins Home in Veranda via The Potted Boxwood 4

What is your philosophy for mixing color and pattern so beautifully?

It is all about scale, and finding the right harmony for the tonality of the color strengths. You can easily mix both of those if you find the right balance and mix, with unifying pieces to tie them all together. A lot of it has to do with the art on the walls. If you have priceless Picassos, then you can have a white wall. Otherwise, the vibrancy of a background color or pattern can make your art come really come alive. I think it is important to get your backgrounds right, then all the personality of a place really shines!

 

What, if any, current trends are you embracing?

I am loving seeing a return to color and pattern! I am so tired of boring, blah, bland and beige – a home should make you feel happy and express the personality of the inhabitant! I am not a trend follower in design, rather I try to do what is best suited for the project and the personality of the client.

Danielle Rollins Home in Veranda via The Potted Boxwood

What are your design pet peeves?

My pet peeve is interiors that have absolutely no context to the exteriors or interiors that are pinpoint designer done cookie cutter recognizable. I dislike “instant interiors” and I don’t really like the giant ‘aha’ grand reveals & now you have a decorated house because to me, decorating a home is very much a reflection of a life, and life is not instant. Life is about learning to enjoy the journey, so I strive to have my clients as much as part of the process as possible and teach them to be curators and collectors, not consumers.

 

Best advice you ever received about designing?

If you buy the best, you only cry once and it’s better to buy less, but buy better. The main thing I learned from Miles Redd is the notion that ‘it’s only decorating.” If you don’t like something, you can always change it. And if you buy good pieces that you love, you’re always going to find a place for them. But then again, Miles repeatedly tried to fire me because he said I didn’t need a decorator. Having a decorator isn’t really about having someone do the work for you, Bunny Mellon or Marcella Agnelli certainly never “needed” a decorator. It is about having someone with taste to help you to make appropriate purchases, edited choices, educating your eye, and in the end creating a cohesive edited unifying home that reflects the owner’s personality.

Danielle Rollins Home in Veranda via The Potted Boxwood 2

Who inspires you?

I would be remiss to mention the individuals rather than the whole of the design industry in my success. There have been a number of designers and industry professionals who have given me invaluable advice, encouragement and support as well as shared their sources and services. I think good people are not afraid to help good people, rather than fear their presence. A mark of a true leader is building other leaders. I have had to work harder than some others maybe, because I came into the game a bit later in life, during a difficult period rather somewhat out of the blue and with out “training” but I have never once complained about it or regretted it, nor ever forgotten those who pulled me up when I was too intimidated or scared or the ones who literally pushed me to keep going when I was too tired or beaten down. The design industry is filled with beautiful souls who do this job for a reason other than monetary gratification or self accolades – I think we all want to see beauty survive in a tumultuous world and that’s been a major drive since the beginning of time.
I would also be remiss to fail mentioning my biggest cheerleader – my mother. While she doesn’t share my inherent eye for design, she is who taught me the value of hard work, independence, self reliance and perseverance at all costs.
Oscar de la Renta will probably be my aesthetic guidepost forever. He was an incredible designer, tastemaker and style setter but he had an even bigger heart with an unquenchable thirst for learning which is really what I loved about him. To this day, his kind words, his encouragement and his quiet and subtle recognition of what I did right, at an early age and during a difficult period in my life, still carry me through a lot of my decision making now.
I really admire Miles Redd, whom I think has a particular knack for pushing his baby birds from the nest when they are just this side of shy about flying & encouraging them to keep flapping until they realize they have had the ability to soar all along.

Danielle Rollins Home in Veranda via The Potted Boxwood 3

What is on your nightstand?

A custom chinoiserie lamp and shade, some kind of fresh flower or potted plant, a monogrammed silver tray with my nightly medications, a vintage silver rimmed glass coaster and a glass of ice water, three Silver Julie cups containing colored pencils, sharpened number 2 pencils, writing pens and several sketch pads, my laptop computer, whatever book I’m reading before bed and usually multiple color coded folders filled with the checks I need to sign, correspondence, financial statements, itineraries and all the other necessities to keep me on track from my assistant who has a hard time holding me down!

 

Potted boxwood________

Potted boxwood makes for the perfect accent to any entryway, as it combines a chic and natural element to an exterior space. It is the perfect example of our life, the desire to have something living and lasting but to sculpt it perfectly which gives us the feeling of control over nature.

Chic Edits

With all of the embellishments of the holidays, I normally maximize my design. I would go with the “more is more” philosophy. However, this year I have found myself yearning for a more clean and edited ambience. I guess you could say I feel over-saturated. Like all things in life, your inside world often reflects your outside appearance. I want to edit things down, and in return I find myself leaning towards more edited spaces This home of 1stdibs founder, Michael Bruno, is the prefect mix of edited elegance. Hopefully you can find the perfect mix of style and space this season.

Photos via Elle Decor

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