Swoon Interiors

interiors that make your heart skip a beat.

How will you set your Christmas table?

Are you hosting a meal for the holidays? I love setting the table for Christmas. It just seems like the perfect occasion to go all out. I love the deep rich traditional holiday colors, and it’s the perfect time to bring in pretty metallics like silver and/or gold.

I pulled out a few pictures of my table from Christmas Eve last year to share.  Because we do a multi-course traditional Czech Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve with my husband’s side of the the family, I usually set the table in our kitchen, along with another kid’s table because it is our biggest open space where everyone can sit together and there is a lot of going back and forth with different kinds of soups and traditional foods for each course.

My centerpieces were surprisingly easy to pull together … just some fresh pine boughs, a red rose, an amaryllis and a little gold ornament cluster tied together and placed in those square glass vases we all tend have several of. Then I added a few pomegranates and artichokes I bought at the grocery story and a few dried berries and nuts I had purchased at Crate and Barrel.
Add in some sparkly, votives, some berry napkin rings, some placards I printed out with a fun font and a favorite tablecloth … and there you have it.

Regardless of how you set your holiday table, I hope it is filled with people you love and foods that make you smile. Enjoy!

An Etsy Wonderland …

I know I’ve mentioned before how much I looooove Etsy … so of course, I have to do a post on some of their swoonworthy holiday decor. There are so many wonderful items and so many talented artists, it’s hard to pick just a few … but here are a few of my current favorites that are sure to give your home a unique touch this holiday season …

Made of burlap, there are are several styles of these charming banners or you can even customize your own … perfect for a mantel or window.

the art of handmades


I love these napkins that are block printed by hand …

Julie Peach



A fun piece of holiday art you can slip into an existing frame …

Ex Libris Journals


From one of my favorite shops on Etsy, this vintage metal chicken feeder makes a great centerpiece for a long table when filled with greenery, pine cones and white candles.

Haven Vintage

A kind of retro looking star to lean on a mantel or shelf …

Amor Decor and More


Of course this peacock feather wreath has my name written all over it!

Glam home design

I love the soft gray and texture of this pillow … just one holiday pillow is all you need.

Le Faded Fleur

As the temperatures turn frigid around Chicagoland here, enjoy your homes, families and surroundings even more!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas …

I always love to see how people decorate for the holidays so I thought I’d share a little bit of our holiday decor.

One of may favorite ways to add a little Christmas to the house is with natural elements like poinsettias, paperwhites, amaryllis, red berries, fruit, boxwood, magnolia leaves, and seeded eucalyptus … I just tuck these things into little spots around the house where I think they fit ….

It’s hard to see but there are magnolia leaves tucked into the pot rack over our kitchen island. There’s just something I looooove magnolia leaves. The colors are so warm and earthy.
I also love to fill a vase with seeded eucalyptus. It is so full and lasts forever. You can add in other flowers before company arrives.
Instead of garland along the staircase, (not so good with kids) I like to hang a few of these preserved boxwood stars.
Some of my other favorite things and spaces …
The boys think it is hilarious that Daddy is on the naughty list.

I am always a huge fan of mercury glass … so these holiday bottles were perfect.
On our kitchen table …
On top of our entertainment center … (The reindeer is new and I just got it from Wisteria. Love him!)
In the kitchen …
On our living room mantel …
My mother-in-law handmade a stocking for each of us, including our two cats, Luke and Leo.  The amount of detail on each one is amazing and they will always be treasured family heirlooms.
I got these little “present” stocking hangers many years ago from Ballard Designs and I love the way they fill up the mantel. The lids come off, so you can even stick an extra little gift inside! 

My kids like to hang these 12 Days of Christmas ornaments on this little tree …
Without going overboard, I might replace a pillow or a few pieces of art …
Last year, before I found these vintage Santa pictures, I just wrapped my existing pictures in a pretty wrapping paper and tied with raffia and little vintage gift cards.
I’ll also tuck a few other holiday critters in among bookshelves, side tables, etc.

Of course, there was another house we decorated today …
(In case you’re wondering, Kyle likes to make his own NBA basketball jerseys by turning old shirts inside out, cutting off the sleeves and using a black marker to add all of the appropriate details. It is pretty much standard weekend attire at our house.)
On another note, the frosting or “glue’ for the gingerbread house is surprisingly easy to make yourself … egg whites and powdered sugar beaten until shiny and stiff peaks form.
So there you have it … from our house to yours … a little holiday cheer.
(And yes, that is The Nate Show on my TV.)

New Fall Reading …

Looking for some new magazines for fall?  You know, something to plop down on your couch with while a fire roars in the fireplace and something delicious cooks in your slow cooker …
These should fit the bill …
HGTV has new magazine … the first issue features an inside look at Sarah Richardson’s home (I love her!) as well as tip and behind the scenes secrets from some of my other favorite HGTV personalities? Simply click here to subscribe.  
Have you heard of adore?

Available exclusively online, adore is produced in Australia but whisks you to fabulous home across the globe. Definitely worth a look.  Click here to subscribe. It’s free!
And, although I like to AT LEAST wait until Halloween is over before thinking about the holidays … now’s the time to put your order in for Matthew Mead’s Holiday magazine.

Holiday with Matthew Mead

It is really more of a book than a magazine but it is chock full of holiday inspiration, from decor to food, gifts to crafts. Click here to order your copy!

Happy Monday!