Non-Alcoholic Cocktails and More!
A new addition to the Giving Guide: a great list of ingredients for non-alcoholic cocktails. Stock your bar or give as gifts!
The stockings are hung. The tree is up. And this weekend we will celebrate Sankta Lucia day — the best combination of our Scandinavian and Italian heritage! The Christmas season is in full swing at our house! And I am nearly done with my Christmas shopping, too. Phew! I have lots to ship off across the country this year, so last minute shopping simply won’t work!
I have a few lists that may be helpful as we wind into these most festive weeks. No matter what you are celebrating this year, it’s always nice to have some guidance in the beverage department, and my dear friend, Aaron Sherman, is on hand to help! Aaron is a sommelier, and he has pulled together three fantastic guides with drink suggestions that will fit any dinner, party, or giving needs you may have this season. His wine list is delicious, and I toast the New Year with him annually, so I can tell you those champagne and sparkling wine choices are superb. New this year: a list of non-alcoholic options including fancy drink syrups and bitters which will impress even the fussiest of guests.
A lovely bottle of wine or bubbles makes a great host or hostess gift, and if you are entertaining make sure you have options on hand for friends who aren’t imbibing, too. Aaron has great suggestions for every scenario!
Another consideration: giving consumables like food and beverages — especially if they are in glass bottles that can be recycled — is a green gift option. There are several other greener options on the Thoughtful Giving Guide as well. If you are still shopping, be sure to check it out!
Budget-friendly gift suggestions for everyone on your list! Lists include:
My Favorite Gifts | Gifts Under $15 | Gifts for Mid Modern Lovers | Gifts for Children | Books to Give Gifts to Make | Wines to Give | Bubbles for the New Year
Wishing you all a great week ahead!
Cheers!
Angela
The Thoughtful Giving Guide is Here!
The list of the most thoughtful and useful Christmsa gifts for everyone on your list is now available!
I have been searching all year for unique, useful, and thoughtful gifts, and they are now collected together into one place. The 2019 Thoughtful Giving Guide is here! Enjoy!
Budget-friendly gift suggestions for everyone on your list! Lists include:
My Favorite Gifts | Gifts Under $15 | Gifts for Mid Modern Lovers | Gifts for Children | Books to Give Gifts to Make | Wines to Give | Bubbles for the New Year
November is Nearly Gone!
A giveaway, new videos, and a restocked closet as well as book recommendations
November is nearly gone, and if that surprises you like it does me… well, just know you are in good company. Phew!
I am putting the finishing touches on a few projects including the 2019 Thoughtful Giving Guide. Mailing List subscribers will have access to the Thoughtful Giving Guide before anyone else, so if you haven’t subscribed, hit that form at the bottom and sign up!
There are soooo many other things going on. Read on for reading lists, videos, a giveaway, and a restocked closet!
What are you reading?
I have been asked several times in the last few weeks, “Angela, have you read anything good lately?” And it’s been awhile since I mentioned it, so I’ll mention it again: I keep an updated list of books I have read and enjoyed. Peruse it any time! I don’t add books which I didn’t enjoy to the list. They are in no particular order, either — save being divided between Fiction and Non-Fiction. I’ve been working to balance my Fiction and Non-Fiction reading lately — I’d been reading far too much Non-Fiction which is good but I needed some good fiction feasts.
Plan with Me
I’ve also produced two Plan-with-Me videos this week. These are both sessions about using The Nice List — the calendars and the giving lists. They were created, in part, because I’ve had several people ask how to become a more thoughtful giver of late. And while there is a lot of information in The Nice List on that topic, it is also sometimes nice to listen to someone talk through it. Videos aren’t my favorite medium, but I approach them as if I am teaching again… so, grab a cup of tea and your copy of The Nice List, and let’s plan together.
Plan with Me: Calendars
Take control of your family’s calendar this Christmas season! I’ll show you how!
Plan with Me: Christmas Lists
Learn how to be a more thoughtful giver by planning before you ever make a purchase.
A Giveaway!
I am hosting a giveaway! The deadline is Thursday night. All details about entering are in this Instagram post, and you can enter on IG or on the MidModernMama Facebook page. Good luck!
Bambino’s Closet Restocked
Finally, I have restocked Bambino’s Closet. This is where I resell Bambino’s outgrown clothing — part of my greener living efforts. There are bunches of winter items especially in the 8-12 size range. Be sure to check it out!
I hope you are having a wonderful week! Thanksgiving is coming… and Christmas is nearly here. If you need a copy of The Nice List, I can ship one this week.
Ciao!
Angela
Plan with Me: Christmas Lists
Learn how to use The Nice List giving lists for a happier, healthier Christmas season.
I created The Nice List to help you plan your entire Christmas season — from baking and entertaining, to finding the perfect gift for every person on your list.
In this Plan with Me session, I walk you through The Nice List’s budgeting tools and unique list-making strategy which will help keep your Christmas gift giving on budget.
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Plan with Me: Christmas Season Calendars
Learn how to use The Nice List calendars for a happier, healthier Christmas season.
Your time is valuable, and none of us seem to have enough — especially at Christmas. So start with your time. Begin with the essential questions: What sparks joy for you? Then use your answers to set your priorities for the holiday season. Plan time to bake, to make, to wrap, to celebrate — and decline the invitations that don’t spark joy!
In this Plan with Me session, I walk you through my calendaring process using The Nice List. I’ll show you how I set out my calendar and how to use the monthly and weekly calendar pages in The Nice List.
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Fall 2019 ORC: My Favorite Rooms
My favorite rooms from the Fall 2019 One Room Challenge participants
Almost 300 people participated in the Fall 2019 One Room Challenge, and I have read alllllll of the posts. That’s 220 bloggers, 58 Instagrammers, and the 20 Featured Designers. And if you think about it, that’s 298 rooms around the world that have been completely transformed. Astonishing, frankly. As I was reading all of the posts, I posted the following appreciation for all of my fellow ORC’ers:
No matter how big or small the project is — or how big or small your budget may be — doing one room in six weeks is a feat of strength! Most of these people have jobs and families and other obligations. For most of us this is a hobby — and a crazy one at that! But we love our homes, and we want to make our homes more beautiful. This is one great way to do just that!
This little community represents an extraordinary amount of work and ideas and creativity, and I wanted to share some of my favorite projects with you. You’ll note that none of these projects are from Featured Designers. I hoped to shower sunshine on some of the smaller but no less worthy participants in the Fall ORC. I hope this whets your appetite! There are some amazing rooms here!
Bathrooms and Powder Rooms: DIY and Inspiration
Maybe it’s because I have three bathrooms all in need of renovation, but I thought the bathroom category for this ORC was particularly strong. Here are a few of my favorites.
This bathroom has it all including wit and whimsey. But my favorite part: this framed life jacket! Victoria’s bathroom is fabulous and is worthy of a closer look!
Jessica and Chris transformed their powder room into a darling, vintage-inspired room with all kinds of pretty. They cleverly made use of the entire space tiny though it is, and I love all of their thoughtful details!
I love so many details about this bathroom including this gorgeous hammered copper sink and the light fixture, too! Tanya did a beautiful job in a tiny powder room that is now fresh and full of character.
Wallpaper is Back!
I love wallpaper, and I’m so glad to see it making a strong comeback in home decor. There are soooo many options now — self-adhesive, removable, wild patterns, murals, and everything in between. Of course, I used wallpaper in my Workroom Makeover, and I’m glad to see so much variety in the others who used it, too.
If you’d described this wallpaper to me, I would not have believed that I would like it, but OMG… I do! This is such a lovely entryway. Not stuffy or expected in a Craftsman house, but I do love it! Angela isn’t afraid of risks, and they pay off here.
The wallpaper choice in this bedroom is cool and coordinates with the light fixture in all the right ways, but what I really love is that by not wallpapering the slant, Valerie emphasized what could be an awkward space in all the right ways.
Fellow Coloradan, Meg, transformed her guest room for this ORC, and it is all gorgeous, but that floor just makes me swoon! It is plywood, people! Plywood and a lot of geometry! Oh, and the wallpaper is two discount shower curtains. You need to check her out!
So it isn’t actually wallpaper — it is a stencil. But I love Brianna’s bedroom wall! It looks like Sashiko, Japanese embroidery, and it is such an elegant addition to this room.
ORC Budget Makeovers
Even an unlimited budget doesn’t guarantee great design, but it’s the truly creative projects on tiny budgets that make my heart sing. I’m always working on a small budget, and I get inspiration from clever people who make the most of every penny spent.
Rhiannon proved that a little money and a lot of work can turn even the most humble and forgotten parts of a house into special places. She completely transformed this strip on the side of her home in Australia into a gardener’s paradise.
Jen and her family tackled their bathroom and proved that you can stretch a small budget — $1000 — really far! You have to see the before photos to believe the transformation!
Carrie took on a budget kitchen makeover done with sensitivity to the home’s MCM origin. I love the wallpaper — you will see that is a theme here!
Laundry Rooms
I have a laundry room makeover in my future as well, and several people tackled their laundry areas with great results!
Heather-Scherie took on her hallway laundry space which is a major thoroughfare to their family room. I love this green and the wallpaper is fantastic! I would be happy for anyone to walk past this in my home!
This mudroom/laundry room combination is absolutely dreamy! Look at all of those windows — and plants! Grace gave this room a makeover playing up all of this room’s assets.
Offices and Workspaces
I was watching the office and workspace transformations very closely, and there were several fantastic transformations. Some rooms like mine are workhorses, others are more showcases. But I thought these were particularly lovely.
Sadye proved that you don’t need a whole room to have a fabulous creative space. Her work corner is cheerful, well-organized, and colorful.
I loved Alisa’s goal for her office at the outset: to furnish her room almost completely from the Facebook Marketplace. You know how I feel about the Marketplace — save money and save the Earth, too! Well, she succeeded, and her room is so elegant!
Kitchens and Dining Rooms
Having gutted two kitchens, I think the people who tackle kitchens for the ORC are more than a little nuts. There is just sooooo much that can go wrong! And there are several kitchens that didn’t make it across the finish line. However, there are a few that did — and they are truly a testament to the power of paint. If your kitchen just needs a facelift — not new cabinets and wiring and plumbing — but paint and hardware and countertops, then it can be done. And here are some fab examples.
Leslie’s kitchen had great bones, but she took it from basic to beautiful with brick and other classic touches. It is gorgeous!
Linda took on a great room — kitchen, dining, and sitting area. She didn’t do any major construction, but her work shows the power of fabric and tile and color. I love her tile, and this chandelier!
Lindsey of Building Bluebird took her dining room from ho-hum to beautiful with some gorgeous MCM influences. I love the picture ledge on the far wall, too.
You must see the befores of this kitchen. The transformation is remarkable! I love the after, and it shows what some paint and hard work will accomplish!
Living Spaces
Technically Cyd redid two rooms: a den and adjoining powder room. And both are stunning! I love every choice she made — and am coveting the wall-mounted lamp in this photo. For those of you in homes with paneling, I love the choice she made — accenting it but not covering it up. Beautiful!
Clark + Aldine is the work of husband and wife, Danielle and Michael. Their home is gorgeous, and this room was awesome before, but they added both a fireplace and a really unique window surround which elevated this room further. I love it!
Moody and boho and colorful all at once, this living room with a full library is gorgeous. Kate is a pro at creating one-of-a-kind rooms with that prefect balance between old and new, color and neutral, light and dark. This room does not disappoint!
She isn’t finished yet, but this fireplace transformation is breathtaking! That tile is original, and she spent hours stripping paint and painstakingly restoring this gorgeous hearth. I can’t wait to see the rest of the room when she finishes!
To check out all of the ORC rooms for Fall 2019, click the links: Featured Designers and Guest Participants.
Thanks to Linda of The One Room Challenge for organizing the One Room Challenge! Thanks also to Better Homes and Gardens, the ORC media sponsor. On Instagram, check out #oneroomchallenge and #bhgorc to see all of the amazing room reveals, or visit the One Room Challenge Blog where you’ll find the link-up to all of the participating blogs. There are rooms of every kind, aesthetic, and design. It is an amazing thing to explore and get inspiration!
And just in case you missed it, be sure to check out my Workroom Makeover. I am in love with this room! I hope you love it, too!
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Ciao!
Angela
PS: obviously, copyright for the images from other sites belongs to their respective owners. Not me.
ORC Week 6: A Place for Everything
The Big Reveal for the Fall 2019 One Room Challenge: the Workroom Makeover
It’s done! Pop on over to see!
Workroom Makeover
One Room Challenge Fall 2019
ORC Week 5 Update and More
Happy Halloween! This week has been all about making a Halloween costume which won’t require a coat since we got almost 10” of snow this week! It’s cold but beautiful! So I’ve been making a very warm Harry Potter costume, and Bambino and his dad turned the wand on the lathe. So fun!
The One Room Challenge Week 5 update is live, and it is filled with organizational ideas that could be adapted for any home office, art studio, sewing room, or crafting space. I hope you’ll take a look!
ORC Week 5
Organization Solutions
And I know you’ve been worried about my lighting situation! LOL! Well, it is solved, thank heavens! There are more details in the ORC update, but let’s just say… this isn’t what I imagined for the Workroom, but it works very well!
Next week: the big reveal! Lots to do before then, but I’m excited to share that with you next week!
Oh, and Christmas is coming… but let’s get through Halloween first.
Happy Halloween!
XOX
Angela
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