Christmas Home Tour

It is hard to believe that this is our second Christmas downtown.

It has been fun and challenging going from 3,000+ square feet down to 759!  I will save those details for another post.

Hope you enjoy the tour!

The living room is where we spend most of our time.  Our dogs Grizz and Greta love looking out the window.

This is the second year I have used this pre-lit tree I purchased after Christmas one year from Michael's.  It is great!  You will never be untangling lights again!

When we were packing and planning our move I was very selective in the furniture I decided to bring with us.  This hutch was a must!  

If you have limited dining space in your home I would highly suggest a drop leaf table.  Our table stays folded down for just the two of us but can easily accommodate eight if we are entertaining.

The kitchen.  

I painted the back splash with chalk paint back in the summer and really like how it turned out.

It's so fun to change up the drawings with the seasons.

View from the kitchen to the living room.  

I have a weird obsession with deer antlers...

The bathroom.

The master. 

 I will be doing some tweaking in here soon!

More antlers...if you have seen the first season of True Detective this should freak you out lol!

My vanity area.  My morning routine is very simple, but a must is a place to sit down and do my makeup.

Last but not least is our hallway/foyer.

This area quickly becomes a catch all if we are not prompt about putting away our things....

Hope you enjoyed the tour!  

I know I have enjoyed decorating our home for Christmas and can't wait to spend this holiday season with family and friends!

Weekend Happenings

The highlight of our weekend was the arrival of Chloe's new horse, Big Red.

He arrived at Triple H Equestrian Farm where he will board.  The farm is beautiful and Red instantly felt at home!

The grazing pasture where several horses were out enjoying the sunny day.

The barn.  The family who owns the farm lives in the top level!  So neat!

Chloe taking Red's lead for the first time as his new owner.

After his journey from Maryville Red had worked up quite the appetite.

Red heading to the pasture to meet the other horses.

Watching anxiously to see if the horses will accept Red into the herd.

They all got along famously!

So excited for Chloe as she has wanted a horse for as long as I can remember!  Can't wait to see her compete with Red!

Wishlist Wednesday

When I discovered the blog world years ago, one of the first blogs I started following was Pure Home Style by Lauren Liess.  Her blog is the perfect mix of design and family life.  I love the way she effortlessly mixes old with new and always brings is elements from nature to finish off a room.  I am a sucker for a vase full of branches or a lush fern.  I am so excited for her first book, Habitat and I wish her all the best!  

Even though I have never met her in person she seems so nice and her family is just too cute!

Last week I went to the opening of the Refindery a new antique store here in Chattanooga.  The store is wonderful!  It is full of unique pieces and there is just about something for everyone.  I found this beautiful chest I would love to add to my collection...love the blue!

My hair dresser had these boots on today and I wanted to steel them off her feet!  The mid calf height was so cute on!

EATS-The Meeting Place

It's no secret that Rich and I love to EAT!

I thought I would be fun to start a series of posts highlighting local restaurants that we visit.

First up St. John's Meeting Place

The Meeting Place is right across the street from our condo.  So it was super easy to get to, and we did not have to worry about parking!

The menu is updated daily!

For our appetizer we ordered the truffle fries with aoli dipping sauce.  They were delish!

I decided to try the veggie plate for my main meal. The menu did not specify what vegetables would be served, but when my plate arrived I had acorn squash, mushrooms, and some type of sauteed greens.  I was disappointed our waiter did not offer to tell me what each vegetable was (but I did not ask...).  The mushrooms were my favorite item.  I enjoyed the acorn squash puree but the actual piece of squash was not cooked enough for me and was rather tough.  The greens were my least favorite item as they were mostly stems and were very tough.

The atmosphere was great!  The restaurant is on the smaller side, but has very tall ceilings that make it feel bigger than it actually is.  The decor is simple; not fussy, but makes a very dramatic statement. Be sure you go on a Thursday night which is when they have live music, it's lovely!

Although my meal did not blow me away, the service was good, and the live music was great.

We ate at St. John's a few weeks ago which is widely regarded as the best restaurant in Chattanooga, and it was to die for.  That being said, my expectations for the Meeting Place may have been too high.  

We have not written the Meeting Place off and will be giving it another try!

Thoughts For Thursday

I cannot believe it is already Thursday, and Thanksgiving is fast approaching!

While Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays...I have never been crazy about fall decor.  I put a few pumpkins and deer antlers out in August...I know--way early!  But since our condo is so small, the seasons and holidays are really my only outlets for changing decor.  So as soon as Halloween was over the grand illumination took place, and with that Christmas is now in full swing at the Allens!

This is not a very clear picture, but you get the idea.  Lots of lights and sparkle!  This is the second year I have used this pre-lit tree I bought on sale at Michaels.  I have had several artificial trees with like a thousand individual branches and this tree is like a miracle compared to those! You literally put the three sections together, fluff the branches, and plug her up!

We do not have cable at our house so I am super super super super excited that Netflix has added some new HGTV shows!  My faves are Fixer Upper and Genevieve Gorder's NYC Apartment Renovation!

Love Chip and Joanna!  They are such a fun couple who are not afraid to share their Christian faith!

I have loved Genevieve since Trading Spaces on TLC.

Those of you who are from Chattanooga know that the Choo Choo a historic landmark is getting a much needed facelift!  Part of the renovation is a new restaurant and oyster bar called STIR, scheduled to open on November 16th.  

Rich and I can't wait to try it out!

They have artisanal ice...Whatever that is.

Weekend Happenings

Rich's family rents a cabin in Townsend, TN at the foot of the Smoky Mountains each year.  We got to spend last weekend there enjoying the fall weather, good food, and even better company!

Rich and I took a little stroll near the cabin one evening.

My Public Service Announcement...wear your retainer if you have had braces!

Loved this barn!

The guys carved pumpkins while the girls opted to paint theirs.

This was Will's first Halloween and encounter with a pumpkin.  He was not to sure about it.

He did lend his feet to his mom so she could use them to make baby ghosts!

Again he was not to sure about this whole Halloween business.  He was a trooper!

The fun just continued!  Will turned 9 months over the weekend so he had to get his 9 month picture taken.  If you cant tell by the 5 people taking his picture he is the first baby of the family!

Cutie pie!

All of the pumpkins on display.