Vacation, Snow Days, And A Little Design Inspiration

I'm BA-AK!!

What a wonderful trip we had! So much fun packed into one week. We ate at great restaurants, went to movies (Yes, plural....we saw Saving Mr. Banks and Gravity. Two thumbs up on both by the way), shopped, toured around the area a bit, laughed A LOT, and relaxed. And the quiet....OH the quiet. It was lovely.

And I was reminded again how blessed I am. It was a treat to be able to spend this week with "the original four"....my parents, my sister, and me. To be able to say that we all get along so well and truly enjoy being together is something I don't take for granted because I know not all families can say that. Sal and I were so excited about this trip and Mom and Dad were just as excited for us to come. We really had a wonderful time together.

Meanwhile....back at the ranch.....my dear Hubster was handling everything at home. Cooking, making school lunches, getting everyone off to school, going to work himself, accomplishing some major home DIY, handling an unexpected snow day, even checking on Mom and Dad's furnace due to the frigid temperatures.....all with such grace and ease. He amazes me. I couldn't have gone on this trip without knowing that he was at home handling EVERYTHING. And over across town my brother-in-law was doing the same for my sister.

Yep....we're pretty blessed.

So I fully intended to jump right back into blogging yesterday but the kids wound up having a two-hour delay for school. Once they were finally off to school, I HAD to go grocery shopping. The cupboards were getting bare. And it was pretty apparent that they would be off today because of the cold wind chills that were predicted. So I had to get out and get it done while they were at school. And before I knew it, they were home again. And today, as expected, they have yet another day off.

This will be a January to remember for sure....such cold temperatures, snow days, a vacation. I fear that February is going to be a rough month for a lot of people trying to get back on track after this crazy January we've had.

Before I go I want to share a little decorating inspiration with you. The place where my parents stay in Florida, The Villages, has several regional recreation centers. Each one is decorated beautifully in a very specific theme. We went and looked at several of them, but I want to show you some pictures of my two favorites. 

First, a beach themed center.....

I thought this Adirondack style sectional was pretty cool. And check out the planked walls.

Here's a closer look at the amazing driftwood mantel. I think this is what Ariel's mantel probably looks like, don't you?  :D

We all enjoyed relaxing on these Adirondack swings.



Sal and Mom



Another favorite was the center decorated in Shabby Chic style. Yes, it may be a little over the top, but I thought there was a lot to gain inspiration from.

Beautiful furnishings and mixes of patterns. I loved the basket on the coffee table.

I thought this table and vignette were pretty. I noticed a couple great uses for basic pillar candles that I might try some time.

I've seen large jars like this in HomeGoods and I always wondered what I would put in them. What a simple idea!

A pretty tablescape.

This beautiful chair kept catching my eye.

Another thing that caught my eye was this round coffee table.



So there you have it.....a little eye candy on this Winter day.

I hope you are safe and keeping warm wherever you are!