Not a ton of changes in the dining room to report. We changed the way we have the table set up - we have it like this at Christmas so there is room for the tree, we liked it so much that we decided to leave it :o)
I display some of our pretty wine stoppers (to be honest, they're all so gorgeous I rarely use them - it makes me nervous!) in a candy dish that was my neighbor's growing up (it was a wedding present from their daughter since they have both passed - such a very meaningful piece to me) and filled it with dried peas from Jami and Eric's wedding centerpieces.
Just recently we added this beautiful chair - it was my aunt's mother's, who passed away last February. I used to visit her with my aunt each summer, so it's very special to me to have this in our home.
The rose detail is gorgeous - definitely my favorite part!
We also hung this custom painting done by my friend Alaina of Ace of Images. . .
. . . and I bought these gorgeous pieces at Hobby Lobby!
Moving into the kitchen, we hung this beautiful Don Drum clock that was a gift from our brother-in-law's sister - love this!
I also bought these vintage-looking numbered containers from Target - #1 we use as a compost bin and #2 holds tea.
As well as these adorable little birds from Pier One (and I've been keeping my Africa Violet alive SINCE Easter - that's a miracle in itself!). . .
. . . and this amazing vintage Premium Saltine Crackers Tin (also from the garage sale where we bought the orange crates - now do you see why I wish they'd have another one!!). My mom has the same tin so I was so happy to find one just like it! We also were gifted the pretty "C" trivet/cutting board from Ilario's sister.
I started displaying my colorful aprons on these cute little bird hooks from Hobby Lobby. . .
. . . and I bought a new napkin holder from Target which now rests on our relocated Pottery Barn lazy susan (don't mind my on-its-way-out basil plant - it used to look good until we left for a few days, but it's going into the garden this weekend so it should be happy again soon!).
Resting on the countertop is my personalize Tastebook (my favorite gift to give!), a repurposed Mason jar turned utensil holder and the handmade "C" holder created by my talented friend, Vanessa.
And last but not least, we hung our Cursaro alphabet photography frame from Letter Pictures Etsy Shop (another favorite gift to give!).
Finally, in the breezeway we set up a black cabinet (a gift from my aunt) that holds not only shoes (I have a lot of shoes!), but soda, plastic outdoor dinnerware and grilling tools. This is definitely the best thing I ever did - it solved so many of our "where do I put this" woes, especially since our kitchen is small!
More great decorations on top of the cabinet - an embroidered sign (a present from my sister and her husband this Christmas), mini jars Ilario bought me filled with dried flowers from a client's wedding (thank you Jesse and Laurinda!) and a vintage typewriter, also my aunt's mother's.
Ilario and I's new favorite piece in our breezway is our stadium-style bench, given to use by our brother-in-law's sister! This summer I would love to paint it black and add "seat numbers" on the back for a real baseball park feel :o) Oh, the pillow is also another Ikea purchase - it was too cute not to buy!
Finishing off the breezway are more birds, of course! These hooks from Arhaus are the perfect addition for organization in the small room!!
