Mallory's Home Christmas Tour

Christmas time is by far my favorite time of the year.  Hands down.  There is just something so magical about the season that I think it deserves far more than a month of celebration.  The sights, the smells, the music, the jolly spirits, the Savior.  What is there not to love? 

One of my favorite sights to see is a glowing Christmas tree.  No, I take that back--a glowing anything.  How is it that Christmas lights in the darkest of places can make the space seem beautiful?  Ahhh.  But I digress. 

Each year when I get poor Jon to get down my copious amounts of Christmas totes from the attic, I start to plot my decor.  As soon as the first lid comes off, my brain gets to work.  I try to switch things up a little every year.  So when the boxes come down,  I see what I have available and the think of the look I want to go for in our home.  The color scheme I use for the tree is what sets the precedent for the theme for the whole house---and this year it was metallics, whites and blacks.  A little luxe, a little modern and as always a little vintage.  So let's begin the tour! 

Once you take a few steps into our house, this is what you see. 

There's an antique chest of drawers on the right that I topped with a mini pine tree and and a bowl of ornaments.  Next year I'll get around to making Mr. Horse a proper coordinating bow.

The silver bowl on the left was a $9 thrift store score.  I dressed it up with some vintage ornaments (also a thrift store find many years ago) and some pine cones from the neighbor's yard.  Done and done.  You'll soon see that a bowl with ornaments is my easy, go-to decor.  I love that it's simple (no one has hours to spend decorating a house with two little ones running around), yet still pretty and classic.

If you look to the left, you'll see the dining room. 

All the dining room needed was my favorite lit boxwood wreath adorned with matching black and gold ribbon and again, a bow of ornaments, moss and pine cones.  My glass Christmas trees added the perfect glitz.

The bowl of moss balls is always on the table (tip: every room in your house needs some greenery in it) but by adding the ornaments and pine cones, I put on her "winter coat."

Continuing on into the living room area, you see a gallery wall of our family photos and a long console.  All I did to add some holiday flair here was hang another wreath with matching ribbon (coordination is key) and I replaced our usual wooden box for a glittery tree.  Again, I threw some ornaments in with my moss rocks (you guys see how easy this is?) and ta da!  Because I already had mixed metals in this space (silver lamps, gold orb, brass bowl) the work was already half-down for me.  Work with what you have, not against it!

I feel one can never have too many wreaths on ribbons in front of windows so I added another on the other side of the living room.  This is my view from the kitchen sink.  Not too bad if you have to do the dishes (but thankfully, Jon takes care of those most of the time ;) )

Our last stop on the tour is Auden's room.  Simple was the fix in here as well.  I got out one of my mini "vintage" trees and let her go to town decorating it was some sweet clearance bow ornaments I scored at Target's after Christmas sale last year.  She loved getting to decorate (and redecorate) her very own tree.  A faux fur vest makes the perfect, free tree skirt.

As you can see, she's still learning about spatial distribution :)  But it makes it even cuter and very much "hers" so I'm okay with it.  She loved getting to help decorate our big tree too and kept saying "It's BEA-Uitiful!" and asking where the jingle bells were as she took off the lid to every box.  Rollins loves Christmas as well, but mostly for the reason that she gets to pull off ornament after shiny ornament and "cook" them in her pots and pans.  Thankfully, all of the glass ones were purposefully placed out of her reach.

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season filled with lots of love, sparkling lights and classic Santa photos :) 

Let's Take a Tour-Grow Marketing Offices in SF

The latest edition of Rue Magazine detailed the inside look of the offices at Grow Marketing in San Francisco.  As soon as I turned the virtual page, I thought to myself, "I want to work here!"

Cassie Hughes and Gabrey Means used to be rivals, each working for fashion giants Gap Inc. and Levi's.  After meeting and chatting over a bottle of wine, they decided they should start a new business venture, together.  What formed was Grow Marketing, now residing on Pacific Avenue in historic Jackson Square in San Francisco.

The pair set out to create an agency of their own and "foster an environment that felt supportive, yet aspirational."  After looking at the interiors of their offices, I think they succeeded in doing just that!  Let's take a tour. 

Exposed brick, crisp white walls and beautiful moldings are the backdrop for this stunning office.  Gabrey and Cassie worked with designer Josef Medellin to transform the building, originally built in 1907.

grow marketing office1 via rue mag

Of course, the bright yellow furniture can't be forgotten either.

grow marketing offices2 via rue mag

I'd gladly take a meeting in this adorable conference room.

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Relaxed brainstorming areas are filled with leopard print upholstery and a vintage suitcase functioning as a coffee table. My mind is already traveling to great places just looking at it.

grow marketing offices4 via rue mag

More white and historic moldings...and flowers.  I can't forget the flowers.

grow marketing offices5 via rue mag

Seriously, isn't this place so chic? Hard to believe it used to be a watering hole and brothel at one time, huh?

grow marketing offices6 via rue mag

I love the open floor plan and the juxtaposition of the industrial stairs with the glamorous chandeliers and furnishings.

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More cheerful office furniture...and those oversized mirrors?  Amazing.

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A workplace dreams are made of...

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I sincerely apologize if you're reading this at your generic cubicle, but I can assure you you're not the only one longing for an office like this.  Job well done, Means, Hughes and Medellin. Job well done.

grow marketing offices11 via rue mag

TGIF friends!