Hustle & Bustle

Just a quick check-in today to see how everyone is fairing with the holiday hustle & bustle.  I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted! Between client installations days before Christmas, shopping, wrapping, decorating and entertaining, I'm ready for a long winter's nap!  This weekend I'll be baking for hours on end, a family tradition, which I must say is harder than my day job!  This month is always such a whirlwind.  How are you holding up?

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It Takes A Village

I have been collecting these charming paper houses over the last few years and set up a little village every Christmas.  I found most of them at a local shop, but know you can find them online as well.  Instagram seemed to be the best way for me to capture them this year and I decided to make a little collage for you.  I simply adore them!  Do you have a Christmas village at your house?

Watson Kennedy

One of my favorite shops in Seattle is none other than Watson Kennedy.  It is filled to the brim with the most incredible finds, great gift ideas and of course, don't forget to pick up a little something for yourself!  There are two beautiful locations in Seattle, one by Pike Place Market and another larger store just down the street at First & Spring. Even if you can't make a trip to Seattle anytime soon, you can shop online from the comfort of your own home.  Trust me on this one, Watson Kennedy does not disappoint!

 Here I am with the fabulous owner, Ted Kennedy Watson, at his Pike Place location.  

Now, get ready to drool over all of this incredible merchandise!  These images only show a very small fraction of what the store offers.  Sorry in advance for the poor iphone pics.

Gift of Design

What's the perfect gift to give or receive this holiday season?  A gift certificate to Marianne Simon Design, of course!  

Gift certificates are available for the following:

• Any dollar amount
• Design To Go (e-design)
• Day of Design (local clients)

 Please email us for more information and rates at info@mariannesimondesign.com.  

More of My Holiday Decor + Gift Ideas

I scaled way back on my holiday decor this year, but I tend to be pretty happy with the 'less is more' philosophy anyway.  I did technically already have Christmas this year when my house was decorated in August for the December issue of HGTV Magazine, so I'm keeping round two nice and simple.  Some of you wanted to see how I really decorate vs. how HGTV decorated my house, so here we go...

I love filling bowls with pinecones and adding cedar to my glassybabys.

I also love to fill containers with fresh greens and ornaments.

I've never shown my window seat before, so here it is making it's debut.  I just added some cedar garland around the window to give it some cheer.  The lighting is horrible in this room, even when the sun is shining, so this is the best I could do.  

Plus, lots of mini wreaths on doors around the house.

 

I'll have one more post with the rest of my holiday decor, including pics of the tabletop trees, if I can get some decent lighting in here soon!  Gotta love Seattle weather this time of year.  Ha!

If you're still looking for some great gift ideas, I'm over on Tina's gorgeous blog today, along with some others, sharing what we love to give!   Pop on over for a visit, won't you?!