A stroll through the City

12.28.13- 

I love when inspiration hits you when you least expect it.  

{I also love having a camera on my phone so I can instantly snap photos of things that inspire me so that I don't forget.} 
   That's what happened today as I strolled through the stores of City Creek with my family.  It just seemed like inspiration was everywhere!  

Made a stop into West Elm for the first time & hello!  

{I 'm in love!} 

Saw this fabulous cake stand sitting on the shelves.  Didn't get it, I was just admiring it.  Really, do I need another cake stand to add to my collection.  Hmmm.... after thinking about it, YES! With a name like Honeybee & hosting a boutique called The Hive it needs to come home with me. 

Another thing that caught my eye was the display of wood paired with lots of fabulous mercury glass. I always love to decorate with putting shiny with dull, fancy with plain & smooth with rough.  This got me thinking about Winter decor in the house & Christmas decor for next year.  Loved it! 

Of coarse I couldn't leave without stopping into my 2 favorite stores- Anthropologie & Restoration Hardware.  

The Hubby & I haven't worked on a home decor project for a long time but I think we found one that we could do together.  I really liked the table/bench, coffee table that Anthro had their Christmas trees stacked up on.  It got me thinking! Something like that would look awesome in our great room.  Glad I spotted it & took some pics.  Also the garlands on the trees,  does Anthropologie ever stop creating?  That store amazes me every time I go in.  Look close:  it's paper clips & colored tape.  Genius! 

Last but not least, Restoration- I could live here!  Just shut the doors & lock me in.  Loved the table top display of candles, I could see that cluster of lights on my "creeper" on the kitchen island.  I also loved their ornament display.  I need to find me one of those zinc mug holders & place all the ornaments from my vintage collection on next year at Christmastime.  Inspired by the idea of showing off my collection vertically.  

Ok, just a little sneak peek into my travels this weekend.  I love to share things with you that makes me excited. I hope you like it too.  Stay tuned to see where all this inspiration takes me.  Christmas is starting to come down around here & all things Winter are going up.  How about you?  

-Psst... If you're looking for inspiration of what to do when all the Christmas goes down, go Here- 

{M} 

Christmas card storage idea

12.27.13- 

  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  After a bit of a rough start here {having sick kids around Christmas is no fun!} we are all up & going & hopefully good to go into New Year's. 

I always love to get mail but around the Holidays it is always super exciting to open up the mailbox everyday.  So fabulous to see pictures of family & friends each year come into our home.  I've been saving most of them year after year & was beginning to ask myself, "Why? What am I ever going to do with all of these."  Well, I finally got my answer.  

I first told you about this fun find I found earlier this year when I went down to film at My Craft Channel. The DI was right next door so of coarse I had to stop by.  I fell in love with this old file folder at first sight. 

{I'm a sucker for anything old office related} 

Ever since February I've been struggling with finding a use for it.  But I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away either. Sometimes you just have to be patient and a purpose will present itself sooner or later. Had to follow a bit of my own advice I gave at the Women's Conference a few months ago.  Sometimes it's so hard to be patient but it's always worth it. 

  I asked my husband what I should do with it & he gave me the idea of putting all our old Christmas cards in it.  He thought it would be fun for friends to look at when they stop by during the Holidays.  

{Really, I'm so lucky to have a great minded guy.  He comes up with the best ideas!} 

Yesterday I sat down & sorted through the hundreds of cards, put them into piles by each family & then passed them around for us all to look at.  We smiled & laughed as well as count our blessings for having so many fantastic family & friends in our lives.  We really are blessed! 

After we'd all looked at them they got tucked into alphabetical order according to their last name.  So fun! Not to mention a great conversation piece to have out to. 

When it was all said & done not only was my vintage office file folder full but my heart was as well.  So incredibly grateful for family, friends & clients who send cards to our family.  Enjoyed so much looking back at cards from the years {some as old as 12 years ago!} reminiscing, laughing & looking at cute little faces & watching them grow up over the years.  

So glad I snagged this file months ago & finally figured out a use for it.  

{LoVE!} 

{M} 

From my family to yours

12.23.13- 

  Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  Since this week is filled with family, travel &  traditions I didn't want to forget wishing my blog followers a Happy Holiday in all the hustle & bustle of the season. 

Thanks for always stopping by & reading this little blog of mine.  I truly am grateful for it & all it allows me to do.  Thanks for letting me into your lives & your homes. I really appreciate your friendship & kindness.  I hope your week is filled with the true meaning of Christmas the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  

My little family & I are off to my hometown to participate in a Nativity Tradition that's been going on, in my family, for nearly 34+ years.  I thought I would share this joyful little video of a Nativity program with all of you. 

So sweet, watch & enjoy. 

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2874125972001

What a sweet message that is a good reminder to us all. 

Love, 

{M}

Precious!

12.19.13- 

How charming is this picture of my Mom, as a little girl, with Santa Claus back in the day.  Love everything about this photo- the black & white, a real deal vintage Santa right there & the gaze she has looking up to him. So sweet.  I have this framed & sitting out on our stair ledge.  It's one of my  favorite things to put out around Christmastime.  

Such a treasure to me.  Amanda on Instagram today commented & used the word, precious to describe the photo.  I think that is the perfect word for it. 

Only 6 more days!  Are you ready? I spent the day wrapping & wrapping yesterday so I think I'm getting close.  

{H}appy {H}olidays! 

{M}  

A Holiday Home Tour

12.16.13- 

  Hello... friends. Welcome into my home on Lilac Lane. I'd love to share with you a peek at a few of my favorite spots around our house this Holiday season

-Jingle bells always on the front door to welcome friends & guests into our home around the Holidays- 

The stair ledge... one of my absolute favorite places to decorate. I love the hodge podge feel of this skinny, tiny long space.  I literally stuff this, that & whatever together & it always turns out great.  

 I never worry about if it all will tie together or making colors match or anything like that. The only thing I make sure of is that there is a variety of height to make it look great in the end.  Love placing tall things next to short stubby items.  

-The chalkboard countdown is from an H&H Christmas show years ago but it's still one of my favorite things to get out each year.  Love how the new Silent Night board I got this year looks by some vintage H&H frames.- 

-Something I love to collect is vintage record cases.  The colors of Rudolph record just made me giddy.  Something about old fashioned color combos just make me happy! How cute is that picture of my Mom as a little girl with Santa.-

My ornament collection gets tucked into the vintage chicken feeder on a nice pile of fake white snow each & every year. I can't help it or think of anywhere else it should be on display because I adore the contrast of colors all together on the yellow coffee table bench. 

-Great thing to have by the couch, a great conversation peice. Love to find at least one vintage or unique ornament a year.  Ok, sometimes it's like 2 or 3 a year- 

This wire cubby rack gets filled with all the glittered houses, barns & churches I seem to collect. Along with my bottle brush tree collection. {I'm a little obsessed!} Oh, they are so much fun to collect!  The best part is I can keep them up for months size the snow outside seems to stay around for ever around these parts.  I have houses & trees in all sizes, colors & shapes.  

-The little centerpiece of our kitchen table this year.  Created the snowy scape just with sprinkling some sugar down & around the homes & rooftops & then added some glittered snow balls for some fun. So charming & sweet!- 

This Christmas H&H Frame & Hook holds a vintage glittered poinsetta postcard.  I love poinsettias this time of year.  So timeless & lovely! 

The shelf in our mudroom is all about brightness & cheer!  All different colors mingled together to welcome in the Holidays as well as friends & guests into our home.  

-Lately I'm into collecting tiny wreaths of all kinds.  I have some bottle brush ones, vintage plastic ones & a silver glitter one.  They are fun!- 

 Sometimes there just is enough time to spell something out on the marquee board. Thank goodness I had a big stash of vintage inspired Christmas paperie & cards.  I simply snug them into place & I loved how it all turned out. 

Of coarse the {treat} snack station that's out during the Holidays. I always make sure there are lots of nuts, chocolate & sweets out for visitors & family to enjoy.  The gingerbread house is the Q girls version for 2013.  

 I'm in love with this truck!  It sits down stairs on our sofa table & is loaded up with old Christmas light bulbs.  Some of them came from my Grandma's house which means alot to me, reminds me of my childhood & Christmas Eve's spent at her home.  The rest are ones I've found here & there & also some that have come off our trees in the yard when we need to replace a bulb or two. 

 The downstairs book case got stuffed with anything vintage Christmas childhood inspired.  I grouped everything together that had an oldtime feel & bright cheerful colors. 

-A vintage H&H product.  These were so fun to make.  What list are you on this year? -

-This Santa I rescued out of the garbage at my Grandma's house.  I'm a sucker for anything retro!  This jolly fellow just had to come home with me to hang out on the mantle.- 

-The whole thing.  Love the cheerfulness of the space! A great place to wake up to on Christmas Morning- 

 This sweet nativity sits in my girls room every year.  I bought it years ago & it's been such a treasure. I love the simplicity & bright colors.  It's fun to watch my girls set it up each year.  They place each piece out just so.  

 This next picture is something I'm really excited about. I've been waiting & waiting almost a year to see it out. I found these round, resin, HEAVY wheels at Smith & Edwards one rainy, cold winter day.  I've held onto them for a year figuring out how I would display them.  

At first they were all going to be candle sticks but then I decided to show off a few of my favorite glass ornaments  & add some bling by puddling jingle bells around one of the bases.  So fabulous!  Love the way it looks with the glow of the Christmas tree lights at night. 

{I wish you all could see it!} 

Hope you enjoyed a small peek into our home this Holiday season.  If you'd like to see more inspiration to Deck the Halls go {Here} or {Here} 

Happy Holidays!
{M} 

Oldies but goodies!

12.11.13- 

  So.. I have this super awesome friend who is always looking out for me, giving advice & helping me when it comes to all things blogging. {I'm still learning!}  We talked today on the phone & she said, "Meliss, you need to put up some of your favorite past Christmas posts on your sidebar for people to look at."  So I took her advice, got off the phone & put some of my favorites up for you to look at.  

{Thanks for the advice friend, love ya!} 

-Look to the side to see pics & links- 

Sharing a favorite decorating idea, yummy recipe & super simple art project.  

{working on figuring out how to share the art project in printables, I'll let you know.}

Off to Temple Square to look at all the Christmas lights, dinner with my family & sister {to celebrate her B-Day} & listen to Mace in her HS School Girls Choir sing Christmas Songs on Temple Square. Should be a festive night! 

*oh, my super fabulous friend also helped me fix the RaffleCopter on my blog so be sure to enter the BiG giveaway HERE 

{Too much great stuff not to enter!} 

{M} 

An H&H Holiday road trip

12.10.13- 

  BrrrrRR!!  It's chilly where I am.  What's the weather like where you are?   Whatever it's like where you live I  hope you're enjoying the Holiday season so far.  It's going by way to fast if you ask me. 

Wanted to tell you about something very exciting. H&H is packing up & going up North this Holiday Season.  
{Not as far as the North Pole but pretty close!} 
I've been asked by the fabulous Adornit Girls to come be featured in their adorable new store {1309 No. Main in Logan} that just opened a couple of weeks ago.  So excited!  This is somewhat of a going home for me back to the place I grew up.  All my family lives up there & so many friends so I'm thrilled have H&H in their store! 

{Store Hours are 10-8 Mon-Sat} 

This Thursday from 5:30-7:00 I'll be in the store so stop by & say hi if you are up in Logan or live close by. I'd love to see you & meet new friends. Adornit has the most adorable clothes & accessories too.  I'm sure you'll find something for yourself or someone on your Christmas list.    

Here is just a peek of what I took up to their store from the H&H studio. 

-I LoVE frames!  Do you know that? ;)  They are the perfect way to decorate your home & especially around the Holidays. Lots of great prints, colors & sizes to choose from- 

-The grey & white print is brand new & I'm smitten with it!  A great piece to have up all year round! The red Merry Christmas paper is one of my all time favorites too!- 

-Oh, these retro inspired blocks just my heart SWooN!  Perfect to stack up on a shelf, ledge or give as a little neighbor or friend gift.  Love the colors & the nostalgia of years gone by.  LoVE!!-  

-The popular plaques from The Hive will be in the store with a varitey of themes.  A few #25's still left, frames of all sizes wallet, 4x6, 5x7 & 8x10 will be for sale as well as some of my favorite things to give bottle brush trees in all shades of green & glitter.- 

-These little things just might be the cutest, darn things I've ever laid my eyes on!  H&H magnets come in a set of 6 & are the PERFECT little stocking stuffer, teacher gift & just deck your own halls with kind of things. I ADORE them! -
*each set will vary in patterns & colors but still just as cute


Ok, there you have it a little peek into what's up in the Adornit Store in Logan this week only.  Don't forget to stop in on Thursday night & say hi between 5:30-7:00.
{I'll probably be bringing more goods up with me then!}

*Don't forget to enter the Fabulous Favorite Things Giveaway if you haven't already, just look at the last post.

{M} 

Favorite things GiVEAWAY!!

12.9.13- 

  Thrilled to be a part of a fabulous {Gigantic} giveaway!  8 bloggers, 8 great gift packs- 1 WiNNER!! My friends & I have teamed up to GiVEAWAY a few of our favorite things for the Holidays.  How fantastic is that?  We all put together a stash of our favorite things.  So much amazing stuff!! 

Here's a few of my favorite things:  

Just a few of my favorite things & must haves around the Holidays.  

1- 6 ft. Felt Wool Ball garland in festive red, white & green 

2- Holiday magnet set from H&H {seriously, love these!} 

3- Washi Tape {of coarse, perfect for sealing up a Christmas card or topping off a package to give} 

4- Ribbon pack {So cute}

5- Vintage sparkly snow flakes 

6- Christmas tags from Vintage Fern {LoVE!} 

7- Sitckers & tags {for journaling, gift tags & scrapbooking}

8- Adorable Holiday tin pins 

9- a 1/2 lb. of the famous candy from The Hive 

{mint chocolate chip caramels- Yum!} 

10-A couple of Christmas Cards from Vintage Fern

-A close up of the goods. So festive & fun!- 

-Thanks to my friends Amanda {BaaBaaWOol} & Amy {Vintage Fern} for making my list of favorite things.  Love these cards of Amy's with the vintage inspired fabrics sown on.  Who doesn't love a cute Christmas card in the mail this time of year- 

Hope you like what you see.  Don't forget to enter to WiN this fabulous favorite things giveaway & to check out all the other things you could win by stopping by my friends blogs.  There is ALOT to see!

Andie - Maybe I Will

Kaylynn - Among The Young

Ashley & Meegan -Flats to Flipflops

Rebecca -The Crafted Sparrow

Emily - The Benson Street

Adrienne - Free Time Frolics

Candice - She's Crafty

{H}appy {H}olidays from H&H!
-Good Luck!  Don't forget to enter on the link below. Leaving a blog post comment earns you 10 entries, just sayin' ;) We'd love to hear from you.  - 

{M}

... a Rafflecopter giveaway

Change is hard but good!

12.6.13- 

  Did something I've been thinking about doing for a long time now {since March in fact}  changed my name on Instagram to @hollyhocksandhoneybees officially today.  Why is change hard sometimes?  It's good for us right?  I absolutely adored my old name {MQuigBee} but I wanted it easier for clients, followers & friends of my business to be able to find me easier.  

 Don't worry if you were already following me you still are.  Just wanted to make you aware of the change if a comment pops up from @hollyhocksandhoneybees now you'll know it's me. 

I think I might have to have MQuigBee start to be my new nickname or my signoff after a post or something.  

{Hmmmm..... I'll have to think about it}  

You'll understand the reason behind the change when I come back on Monday & let you all in on something really, fabulous, exciting & over the top amazing & cheerful!  

Ooooh, can't wait to show you all. 

See you Monday! 

{M}QuigBee ;)