It's Christmastime in the city!

It's almost Christmas and New York is lit up and ready for it! Here are a few of my favorite shots that I took around town to share with all of you so you can feel the excitement in the air! If you live in Manhattan and haven't quite gotten the Christmas bug yet, go see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.  Ho ho ho!

Ribbons, Ribbons, Ribbons...

Do you find yourself surrounded by ribbons every Christmas?  I have so many beautiful ribbons that I save that were wrapped around packages or I just bought because I thought they were so pretty.  Don't throw out your ribbons.  There are so many ways to recycle those pretty ribbons!

I saw these pretty velvet ribbons at M&J Trims in the garment district and knew right away that I could use these for gift wrapping or table decorations.  M & J Trims has some really fun ribbons with candy

canes and polka dots and snowmen! Go there to get trims to decorate your children's packages.  When the wrapping is fun the gift always seems so much better!

Tie a few ribbons around a colored candle and give one as a hostess gift or use them at a place setting for your Christmas dinner.

Another example of what to do with all that red ribbon!

Turn some into little hairbows for all your nieces and friends with children.

Other ideas include cutting some ribbon and adding a charm or small jingle bell to give to someone as a bookmark in a great book.

Use some ribbon on a bulletin board in a cross hatch pattern to create interest or hang a mirror or painting on the wall with a really wide ribbon.

Sew or hot glue a leftover long ribbon around the edge of your Christmas tree skirt! 

Use your leftover ribbons in all colors as napkin rings and tie a charm to each so that everyone has their own charm.  Then, after dinner each person has to makeup a story about their charm!

Lastly, the famous recycled ribbon garland chain for your tree! So much fun for the children to make!

Happy Holidays!

ROARKE NYC

ROARKE! Designers Mignonne Gavigan and former Bergdorf Goodman buyer Laetitia Stanfield have started their own jewelry line in Manhattan.  Their jewelry designs are handmade and incorporate materials such as pearls, sequins, beads, and silk in each design.  Each piece can be worn in many different ways, such as using the headband as a bracelet or necklace, and the bracelet can attach to the necklace to extend it.  The pieces are very lightweight allowing this flexibility. How clever?!

My favorite is pairing the Charlot necklace with a white tee and jeans and your boyfriend's jacket for a dressed up sexy look!

Designer Mignonne Gavigan below wearing her necklace on a casual day with a dress.

  Ivanka Trump is wearing a Charlot necklace to spice up her red dress!

The jewelry is not available to purchase through stores yet. So email the girls at info@roarkenyc.com to get one before they sell out for the holidays!!

http://www.roarkenyc.com/

Floors of Spain and France

Travelling through Spain and France I realized how many beautiful floor patterns that I walked over.  There are so many wonderful artisans in Europe that created these incredible floor patterns with inlaid marble, limestone, wood, brick and more.  These patterns would be great to repeat in a project on the floor in the entry, hallway or patio or translated into a fabric or faux painted...inspiration..Enjoy!

I stole this shot in a museum that didn't allow cameras! Check out the fab Greek Key style jade colored marble.

This basketweave design is used more often in bathrooms, but looks great in this garden around the fountain.