friday musings: last posting for 2010

I always get so excited at the prospect of another year ending and a new one beginning...

a time to make plans and goals for a happy and successful 2011. Organize and tidy up the home and work space to make room for future projects and clients.

While I love the thought of new and exciting things to come, my New Years Eve's are relatively simple. I prefer gathering with close friends as apposed to going out, however, this NYE will be spent at home with someone special. We will be dining on chili (hey, it's freakin cold outside) and a little bubbly. But NYE wouldn't be NYE without a special little outfit.

I will be wearing a fabulous little top from Julep, a great little boutique in Durango, CO. It is a perfect steely blue with a dolmen left sleeve, a sleeveless right arm with a detailing of tiny silver beads. I will post a pic on my fb page ;)

Have a safe and happy New Years Eve!

TC

food for thought: fondue

This year for our family Christmas dinner, we wanted to do something fun, so I suggested doing something different, fondue...and it was fantastic! We had our reliable steak fondue in oil, Swiss fondue, beer n cheddar fondue and I introduced the brother and nephews to broth fondue for shrimp and veggies, it was quite a hit.

• 3 1/2 C chicken broth
• 1/2 C white wine
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, sliced

I blanched some potato cubes and cauliflower before hand to be warmed in the broth, then we dipped the cauli in the cheddar fondue. The shrimp cook perfectly tender in the broth and the sauces that we made for them were delish. The following were my contributions:

Lemon Tartar Sauce (for shrimp)

• 1/4 C mayo
• 2 T finely chopped green onion
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 T lemon juice

Sesame Ginger Sauce (for shrimp and steak)

• 1/4 C soy sauce
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 2 T honey
• 2 T water
• 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp. ginger

Gorgonzola Dip (for steak and potatoes)

• 1 C mayo
• 1 C buttermilk
• 2 T minced shallots
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 8 oz. Gorgonzola
• S & P
• dash of cayenne
  

I am fortunate to have been brought up in a home by parents who were foodies before foodies existed. My brother and I both requested fondue for our birthday dinners and now that we are not always together for our birthdays, I'm hoping this new Christmas fondue tradition continues.

What traditional celebration dinners do you have?

holiday break...

I wanted to wish you all a joyous Christmas celebration with family and friends. Much love and happiness to all!
Back next Thursday!

TC

wednesday's interior: Easy Elegance

I bought myself a couple of new decor books as my Holiday Bonus to myself...

the first one I opened was "Easy Elegance, creating a relaxed, comfortable and stylish home" by Atlanta Bartlett . I knew it was a great choice when I happily discovered that she is an Interior Stylist like myself!

The homes in this book are absolutely beautiful and the way she explains her approach to styling, the four main elements of Easy Elegance and the five interpretations of styles; Modern Elegance, Country Elegance, Retro Elegance, Feminine Elegance and Faded Elegance, is spot on. Of course these styles can intermingle with one another, but the foundation of all is undoubtedly elegance itself.

The living room above I would categorize as Retro/Country Elegance. The clean lines of the sofa and "tray table"{Retro} along with the rustic accents and floral pillows {Country}. The architectural details of this room are elegantly stunning and I can't envision a better window treatment than the simple roller shades.

I will share more from this great book in future posts, but if you get a chance to pick it up yourself...DO IT!

2 out of 3 projects finished!

Ya-hoooo! I finished the "art" for the Conrad's AND their guest room nightstand...

...pretty pleased with both, but I'm not looking forward to packing the car for the road trip; a nightstand, two mirrors, the "art", presents, suitcase and "Dog Faced Boy". Should be cozy =)

fab find: headboard supplies

Upholstered headboards are very chic and fabulous. They can be simple and sweet or glam and exquisite. Over the holiday break, I will be making a simple and sweet headboard...similar to this one from West Elm. I am so digging the style of this ethnic modern room, what a great mix of textures.

The use of two headboards above creates an illusion of a bigger bed. I am only making one headboard, but it will extend past the width of the bed like the large one above, to give the wall a little more substance.

I went to Jo-Ann's today to get my burlap {a great texture similar to the grass paper in the West Elm pic} and trim. I love the color of the ribbon, it is the perfect robin egg blue, can't wait to see it all together. Pics, next week!

friday musings: holiday shopping

I am already planning next years birthday since this years was, well, painful to say the least, literally... I have always wanted to go to NYC around the holiday's to see the decorations. The fact that there are holiday gift fairs, just makes it even more enticing. There are The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park, pictured above, that are open from early November to early January. The European inspired open air market features artisans from all over the world.

Union Square Holiday Market has over 100 unique artisans featuring gifts as well as nibbles.

I could handle a few days of shopping at these open air markets as well as hitting some fabulous boutiques that only The Big Apple has to offer. Then spend a couple of days at the Met losing myself in all of the glorious paintings and treasures of the past. And at the end of each day, eat like there is no tomorrow, happy birthday to me indeed!

Since I can't hit the open air markets in NYC, I will finish my Christmas shopping in the suburban jungle of the Denver Metro area and end the day dining with a cute boy. At least he's from N.Y. ;)

Have a great weekend!

TC

creative cocktails: warm and cozy

I hit the the town last night as a belated birthday get together with a dear friend. We went to Trios Enoteca in LoDo. We enjoyed a couple glasses of wine {I had the Tarima Monastrell, quite lovely} and shared their oh so tasty Seafood Pizza, so delish. I asked the fabulous Tasha what their best Winter Cocktails were, and she shared a couple with me... The first is the Apple a Day, "Like a Hot Toddy that you will love even when you're not sick!" It is made with Leopold Bros New York Apple Flavored Whiskey; 1 n half to 2 oz., with Orange & Spice Tea, Fresh Lemon Juice, Honey and a cinnamon stick. Not only does this sound amazing, but I am loving the style of the whiskey bottle! The next drink was created by Tasha, it's called the Warm Me Up. It is made with Leopold Bros. Three Pins Herbal Liquor, which is exactly what it is; alpine herbs blended with ginkgo biloba, echinacia, coriander and orange zest. The Warm Me Up; 1 n half to 2 oz. of Three Pins Herbal Liquor, Spiced Hot Apple Cider and Clove Studded Orange Peel. Wow, a must try this Winter!

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Leopold Bros. is a family owned small batch distillery in our very own city of Denver, CO. Pretty awesome.

wednesday's interior(s): Christmas glam

Photos from RUE and my Cottage Living archive.

SORRY!

So sorry for all the random posts today! I'm working on the menu ;)

interior stylist

Hello, I am the creator behind Bella Boho - Stylish Living. I am an Interior Stylist with a deep passion for Interior Design, Fashion, Food and Entertaining; all of which are important elements of life and can be done stylishly, on any budget.

I studied Interior Design in Southern California and I have worked in the "home industry" for many years. I started my own business to set my creativity free. Color, room layout, existing, or new, furnishings, accessories, etc.; I create a home that is not only stylish, but comfortable...aaah, now that's stylish living!

and the winner is...

Liz!!! Way to get in right under the wire! Thank you for entering, enjoy your winnings!

TC

ongoing obsession: Page Sargisson, casino chic

I spent most of the day researching how to "add tabs", so I did not have time to do a style board, but I had to post something, and that something is fabulous!
I have been obsessed with Page Sargisson for a couple of years now, especially her Casino Chic line. She crafts vintage casino chips

{some from Monte Carlo, you can't get more glam than that!}

into pendants, shown above and below, cuff links and quite happy to say belt buckles {last photo}!
The pieces are so beautifully crafted and the origin of the chips, well, one can just fantasize who may have actually gambled with them...Bond, James Bond, perhaps ;)

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fab find: Poinsettias

Did you know that San Diego County is the Poinsettia Capital..


I did, because I lived there! My uncle knows several growers, so at Christmas, we had Poinsettia's all over the place, primarily Poinsettia trees. There were red, white, pink, variegated white and pink...my aunt and uncle actually plant them in their gorgeous yard after the holidays. After they have bloomed, the plant is quite lovely as well ;)

I am especially loving these stunning, and yet so simple, single flower bouquets that were featured in Domino, December/January 2007. They are fabulous in a table setting as shown above, or as small bouquets scattered throughout the house.

Be sure to cut the stems short enough so the bloom is visible from all angles and sear the milky cut ends to prolong their life in a vase.

random thoughts: smile in a bowl

My little bedside arrangement...

who wouldn't want to wake up to this!

friday musings: holiday decor projects, hot & cold

As we approach another holiday weekend, I long for the day that I have a home big enough to throw parties throughout the holiday season...

to have unique and lovely decorations greeting my quests. When it comes to outdoor decorations, I prefer simple. A simple string of lights on the house and small, slowly twinkling lights on naked deciduous trees {not a fan of air filled lawn decor that looks like a bear went through someones trash and has strewn it about the yard during the day, sorry, need to focus}. Lights, preferably in a planned color scheme, and the warm glow of candlelight are all that's needed.

Santa Fe, N.M., is stunning during the holiday season. Sant Fe just glows with the luminarias, or fariolitos, scattered about the town. The luminarias are made simply by adding a little sand to a paper bag and then placing a candle inside. Ice luminarias are fabulous as well, naturally beautiful and functional.

Whether large or small, decorated with sprigs and berries or simply left plain; these ice luminarias are a lovely and welcoming sight to arriving guests.

How to make:

• 2 sizes of containers per luminaria, plastic or metal
• Place the smaller of the 2 containers inside the larger one. Weigh down the inside container with rocks, marbles, etc.
• Poor water between the containers. If adding decor to the luminaria, do so before adding water
• Freeze overnight
• To unmold, add warm water to the inside container and remove; immerse outer container in sink or larger vessel with warm water.
• Place candle in center, making sure wick is upright
• Light with torch and voila!

Have a great weekend!

TC

food for thought: pizza, pizza

After a less than stellar ending to my birthday, and eating soup all week, I was craving something decadent. Something that I could eat with one hand...

PIZZA! I was dining alone, so I didn't want to spend $20 on a pie. I simply wanted crust, sauce, cheese and pepperoni, pizza in it's most basic form. Where does one find such a basic pizza? Little Caesars!

Where else can you get a large, tasty, pepperoni pizza for $5? Seriously, it was really tasty. I chopped up some peperoncini, as best as I could with my partially functioning hand, and scattered them on top just because I love pepperoni and peperoncini. But I couldn't have been happier with my pizza decision.

Little Caesars fell off the map a while back. I honestly hadn't eaten at one since the 80's when they were in the K-MART in Durango. Then I always ordered the Baby Pan-Pan. They no longer have the Baby Pan-Pan, so I picked up a large...what's better than leftover pizza?

So the next time you want a good, basic pizza without the crazy price tag, head to Little Caesars, your taste buds will thank you ;)

Enjoy!

ho-ho-ho, december giveaway CSN stores

Greetings readers! I am excited to announce a $45 gift certificate giveaway today from CSN Stores... CSN has 200+ sites where the $45 gift certificate can be used, 200+! Above are few of my favorite things especially the Token Nassau Leather File Case. It is perfect for client files, tear sheets and transporting an i pad. CSN has many leather messenger bags to choose from, so many possibilities for a great gift! .

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below letting me know if you are already a Bella Boho subscriber/follower; RSS feed, e-mail, fb, Google Friend Connect, etc. If you are not a subscriber/follower, become one! To double your chances, leave a comment below and visit the Bella Boho - Stylish Living page on fb, "like" and leave a comment on the giveaway link.

I will announce the winner next Wednesday, December 15.

Contest valid only for United States and Canada readers. GOOD LUCK!

lovely gifties from Jayson Home & Garden

JaysonHomeandGarden.com is one of my favorite sites for all things fabulous and amazing. I wanted to feature a few of my favorite things under $50...


I love all things shell. And I like to entertain with different dishes and table accents. This Shell Salt & Pepper Set, $20, makes a great gift for the entertainer in your life.

Can you say gorgeous! Jewel tinted Palace Glass, $22, available in 4 colors. While the price would be over $50 for a set of drinking glasses, one would make a great vase or guest room water glass.

This horn dish would be a great key and change holder, even for a guy. Horn Dish, $16.

Sexy design, sexy scents. Maison Noir Petite Candle, $9.

Just a few giftie ideas. Me hand is hurtin.

fab find: gauze

The image below is of silk gauze. It is lovely when draped in fashion, or for a breezy window treatment and I am especially fond of using gauze as ribbon on packages with my signature plain brown wrapping paper...

I however am sporting a not so pretty gauze. My gauze is a lime green adhesive, wrapped around my right hand covering puncture wounds from a dog bite(s). Not the birthday present I hoped for.

Due to the limited use of my hand, this weeks post's will be rather compact. It has taken me 20 minutes to do this one ;)

friday musings: birthday weekend

Yes, it's that time of year again, a chilly birthday weekend. Sooooo, which sassy jacket to choose for a night out...

This...
this...

or this...

Paired with...

vintage silver Mexican beads from Mom and...

my vintage rhinestone bracelet.

The jeans have been decided on, but the top and boots depend on the jacket. Let the votes begin!

Have a great weekend!

TC

food for thought: mint truffle kisses =)

I love when Hershey's creates new flavors of Kisses...

a couple of years ago, the New York Cheesecake Kiss was my obsession. I am happy to say that the Mint Truffle Kiss has filled the void.

Cool and creamy mint truffle surrounded by delectable dark chocolate, aaaaah, heaven.

Enjoy!

wednesday's interior: Christmas Sparkle, Country Living-Dec. 2001

I started my Christmas decorating today and thought it only fitting to stay with the holiday theme that is now upon us for this week's interior...


I simply adore all the greenery used throughout this home accented with beaded garland and ribbons.

And the roses! I will definitely be doing roses with with pine needles, I think in mercury glass...

and this boxwood just outside the kitchen window, it just makes me smile =)

The overall style and feel of this home is pretty, festive, simple and natural, simply lovely.

How precious are the holiday flash cards simply taped with masking tape for guests? "Peace - tree -snow - white - merry"

style board: a touch of Christmas {glam}

I happened to pop into a dear friends surprising new boutique, whilst in Durango last week...

Nectar of Durango, a new happy place brought to life by the stylishly brilliant Tracy Campbell, nectarofdurango.com. She happened to have a few lovely white feather trees, which inspired today's post, among her lounge wear and intimates.

Mom has an incredible Santa collection and I currently have a small Nutcracker collection, but I believe I am going to have to start a Christmas tree collection this year. Collections are so personal and joyous, and the Holiday's offer endless collecting possibilities.

This style board leans more on a neutral glam side, yet still comfortable. I couldn't help but repeat the tiger rug from the previous "camel style board", it is truly a fave, and the hide chair from jaysonhomeandgarden.com, love, love, love it!

fab find: seaside Christmas

Yep, you can take the girl off the beach, but you can't take the beach out of the girl...


so lucky for me, SeasideInspired.com exists! I am loving the driftwood goodies; reindeer, trees, wreaths and seashell decor, to beautify and stylize the home not only at Christmas, but year round.

I have never seen Christmas trees on the beach, but I would imagine these are what they would look like =)

I decorate a south of the border fiesta tree for Mom every Christmas. I myself have always wanted to do a beachy tree along with my traditional tree, but I just don't have the space, yet. Hmmm, perhaps next year will be the year...