Decorating In White In Winter

Everything is still white, (well, slushy white), in Heart Shabby Towers with more snow on the way over New Year.

What is it about the cold that makes a white room seem like an ice palace?

Here's to Spring and all that it brings!

We'll be back full-time from 4th January 2010. x x x

Try out your own white decor:

Shabby Chic: Sumptuous Settings and Other Lovely Things

Happy Christmas From Alice Media

Just a quick Happy Christmas from us here at Alice Media (we own I Heart Shabby Chic), and want to thank all our readers for joining in here.

We will be back before New Year and full-time again from January 4th 2010.

Happy Holidays!!! x x x

My Shabby Chic Country Christmas Tree

Here is a photo of my christmas tree this year - I always do red and white with hearts, stars and gingham ribbon.

I prefer nordic decorations although there are some Victorian english ones on there.

There are similar red and white decorations over at Amazon:

Set of 3 Chenille Tree Ornaments Red & White

Shabby Country Star Shaped Jam Tarts

Last year my daughter and I made these star-shaped country Jam Tarts for Christmas.

Basically she made them herself with a little help from me - hence a few overly filled ones - we made them for Christmas but they were gone within ten minutes of leaving the oven!!!

Shabby Cafe Photo

Cafe in White Villages,
originally uploaded by kathleen opium.

I have been busy running sround organising my daughter's family birthday party but I thought I would share with you some of the photos from my flickr account.

This is some tables and chairs that I came across in a cafe in the Sierra Nevada foothills earlier this year. They are fab and a woman was having her fortune told at one as we went in.

I have more photos of these and from more of my travels over on flickr: search for Kathleen Opium!

The Ornament Girl - Shabby Chic Christmas Ornaments

These "soft focus" ornaments for your shabby chic styled Christmas come from The Ornament Girl

They are handmade and quilted and come in a variety of designs and colour schemes.

Buy Shabby Chic Quilted Ornament

Shabby Chic Heart Gifts From Joe Browns

Joe Browns maybe not the most obvious shabby chic choice but they are offering a range of gifts that may appeal to us in the shape of these heart decorations and tealight holders.

Joe Browns is a store where I buy most of my outdoors clothes - it's surf style wear for people who spend a lot of time out in the thick of it but recently there has been a lot more emphasis on gifts and home.

Visit Joe Browns

Shabby Chic French Metal Sign - Directly From Provence

Looking for a gift that comes directly from Provence?

These traditional style french vintage wall plaques are made from metal and are one of the standout products offered by Distinctly French (UK residents who moved to France and set up this store).

Buy French Metal Sign

Take a look at the photos of their beautiful shop while you are over there!

Gisela Graham Swan Trinket Box

Definately one for the little girls in your life (or even the little girl inside you!) Gisela Graham's Swan Trinket Box is no holds barred when it comes to shiny princess magpies.

Buy Gisela Graham Swan Trinket Box

Scandanavian Christmas Inspiration

Love this photo inspiration taken from a Danish magazine.

The light is right and there is definate scuffing and chipping to the cupboard which is fantastic and certainly shabby in a chic way!!!

I could do Christmas this way!

Ceramic Hanging Heart For Christmas

Cute ceramic hanging heart decoration for Christmas from a new shop I have found called Live, Laugh, Love

The majority of my tree decorations look similar to this - I remember B&Q of all places having a big shabby chic sale about four years ago and I bought the lot!

Buy Ceramic Hanging Heart

Shabby Chic Christmas Gift Boxes - Decoupage

Looking for something different to hide your presents in this Christmas? Or indeed, anything else?!

These decoupage hat and gift boxes from Country Nik Naks come in sets of four and presumably pack away inside each other.

Buy Decoupage Boxes

Shabby Chic Christmas Countdown - White Rose Garland Wreath

We are onto our Christmas Countdown here at I Heart Shabby Chic. This year we are looking for the stuff that really wows us. Shabby Chic has really taken off since we launched this blog last Christmas and so its been harder for us to choose the better quality designed products.

But we hope you will agree that this white rose garland from Melody Maison does the trick. Not too fancy, not too twee but beautiful and with shimmery pearls intertwined.

Buy White Rose Wreath

New England Houses

Just had to share some of my favourite old colonial style houses with you. The above house is the Mark Twain house and the white one at the bottom is the house from Practical Magic (the film).