interiors Archives - Love, Fancy Pants

monicafarber / December 19, 2017

I’m Dreaming of a Black & White Christmas

It really is a shame that Christmas has to last only a month. I refuse to decorate before Thanksgiving and then I take it all down around January 2nd/3rd-ish… That being said, maybe if it were more than a month long, it wouldn’t be so magical?! Son of a nut cracker, I love it.

Here’s a look at my home decor this holiday season:

gotta pay homage to my photography background

I obviously love black, white, and gold. Those were even our wedding colors (how convenient), so I was able to keep the glittery gold feathers and keys that were used in our floral arrangements and re-use them every year in our Christmas tree!

The Shoe Tree/ Dress Tree

trimming the tree with shoes, holiday home decor for the fashionista

Kobi is my little helper

life-size and ornament size “boots with the fur”

This tree is fun to put together. The skirt is made of chicken wire (you can buy it by the roll at Home Depot), wrapped and secured with zip ties. The next layer is artificial garland, which I bought in strips (Hobby Lobby) and then bent the ends to create a hook that could be hung around the waist (this is used a filler), then topped with two layers of fresh garland, secured to the chicken wire with floral wire. Next, I wrapped some gold glittery muslin to form a top and then “belt” to cover the top of the garland and wires (secured to the dress form with pins). All of the ornaments are glass shoes, given to me by both of my parents over the past several years, including a little pair of fur boots – a perfect replica of the ones I am wearing here. I make a huge mess with pine needles and sap, but this is my FAVORITE decoration every Christmas so I really hate to take it down after the holidays.

More Details:

Yep, still with the black and white… I’m super inspired by everything Kate Spade. My champagne glass are Kate Spade’s Larabee Dot, and the china pattern is Kate Spade’s Parker Place. I believe that these translate well for any occasion/time of year.

fresh garland, black and white holiday decor

convertible cowl neck top from Express | ivory pants from Loft (similar style here) | boots by Colin Stuart (similar styles here)| watch by Kate Spade NY | cocktail ring by Tiffany & Co.

Again with the fresh garland. The garland used to deck the staircase was bought at Costco and I just pulled out enough and cut the wires to use on the dress tree. Go Costco.

black and white tabletop christmas tree, leopard print ornaments, holiday home decor

table top pre-lit tree from Hobby Lobby | ornaments from Pier1 Imports (similar style here)

black and white holiday decor, monogram, cocktail party

monogrammed mirrored tray from West Elm | ice bucket from Crate & Barrel (similar here)

antique handpainted sleigh, chritmas home decor

I found this hand painted sleigh on eBay (similar sleigh here) | extra large mercury ornaments

this faux mistletoe encapsulates a larger than life size “diamond”… Yes, it’s “extra” and I freakin love it!! Find similar one here.

similar style here (just add silver balls)

black and white holiday home decor, white candles, fresh greenery and cotton

stockings from West Elm (similar styles here and here) | stocking holders from Target | candles, menorah & decor from Home Goods, Marshalls, TJ Maxx & Goodwill | natural cotton candle rings from Front Porch Vinings (similar style here)

If you look hard enough, you will see random Steelers football ornaments on the tree. Yes, they are ugly and no, they do not go with our magical Christmas aesthetic, but it makes him happy, so I’ll allow it (as long as it’s not front center). 😉

Wishing you all a very merry, FANCY, Christmas! If you have questions about anything you see here or suggestions for next year, please send them my way!

photography by KVC Photography

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monicafarber / November 20, 2017

Fall Tablescapes in Rich Jewel Tones

Thanksgiving is only a few days away… How does your family celebrate? In my family, styling the tablescape is almost as important as cooking the meal. I love to set a pretty table. Whether it be for a traditional feast, such as Thanksgiving, or a cocktail hour with friends. And what is more beautiful than Fall inspired decor?

My aunt was recently married during a weekend celebration in the North Georgia Mountains. I was charged with arranging the Friday night cocktail party. It was a crisp October night and the fog was rolling in over the mountains. While keeping with the theme of Fall, I chose to go with a less traditional style – rich jewel tones. I began with a navy tablecloth, and then added a garland of fresh greenery down the center (this can be ordered and delivered from Costco online). Next, I used deep green wine bottles as vases – soak these in a soapy bath and the labels will fall right off. Each vase contained a single long-stem blueberry rose. Blueberry roses are a deep berry hue and your local florist should be able to order these for you… just look at the varieties of roses online to determine the exact shade you are looking for. Between the tall vases, I placed jelly jars with bunches of antique purple hydrangeas, gold mercury votives, and then scattered white pumpkins, pomegranates, deep red apples, and golden pears. The trick is to arrange your decor with pieces of varying heights, stick to one color palette, and be intentional when chooses the accompanying serve-ware, linens, etc. The food for this particular spread was displayed on all wooden serving pieces.

So, think outside the cornucopia this Thanksgiving and add a little glam to your table.

Care to hear more about recipes for a cheese/wine party such as this one? Comment below!

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monicafarber / October 11, 2016

This – is – Halloween!

Halloween, in my opinion is the most fun time of year. I love HORROR and the idea of ghosts and spirits among us. We actually just booked a ghost tour in historic Savannah with television ghost hunter, Patrick Burns. Cheesy? Maybe. But you have to embrace it all and be willing to use your imagination (ghosts are real by the way). Maybe that’s why so many adults cease to celebrate the holiday… and that is a damn shame! Halloween offers itself to truly be the most out-of-the-box, creative time of year. Here’s a look at our costumes from a few Halloweens past…

Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein

A Pirate and a Mermaid (this was actually our Honeymoon in U.S.V.I.)

Zombie Bride and Groom

Evil Ring Leader and Circus Clown

Morticia and Gomez Addams

Dress up.

I really get into the makeup portion of my costumes (much like real life). My absolute favorite artist, specializing in (but not limited to) FX makeup, is the uber talented Angie Davis a.k.a. Goldiestarling. I have been following her for years and this girl is truly my spirit animal. Whether you’re interested in FX makeup or not, you have to appreciate the art. Here is her Youtube channel and here is her Instagram page. Please check her out. I’ve lost hours upon hours watching her tutorials.

“Bootstrap Bill” – makeup, costume design, and photography by Goldiestarling

Halloween parties.

This is your chance to get really creative with all aspects of the night. Beware of deterring guests from eating the food in attempt to make it extra “gory”. After all, it is a Halloween party, not Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. Here are a few bites from last year…

charcuterie and coffin shaped cheeses

pumpkin spice cupcakes

pimento cheese deviled eggs

white chocolate covered pretzels

chocolate “spider” cake with cream cheese icing – made by my MOM!

We throw a pretty elaborate Halloween party every couple of years. Each year, we invest more into the props. Soon, we will need to convert our spare bedroom to a proper storage space. For example, last year we added an actual burial casket and a 6 foot spider.

Of course, for any party you need invitations. It is very rare that you will receive an “Evite” from me. I love paper invitations. I think that they are more personal, and I think it’s sad that everything has gone digital (says the girl pushing a WordPress Blog). I like printed photographs, magazines and books, and invitations that I can touch. The invitation sets the tone for what one should expect from the party. 99% of the time, I make invitations myself. It will save you quite a bit of money and they can be customized to your heart’s desire! Not an artist? Many artists will create a custom invitation for you and send you the file to print yourself. Of course, you’re still paying for the work but you will save a ton in the end if you own a nice printer. See the toe-tags below that we sent out for last year’s soiree. Each personalized based on the cause of death, and then edges burned to create a gruesome, unsterile aesthetic.

Home Decor.

Whether decorating the house for a party or just for the Halloween season, the task is equally as fun. Here’s a glimpse at what I’ve done this year, which is very scaled back compared to last. When not hosting the party, I try to keep it in the creepy theme that is Halloween, but still a bit classy- so, this year you won’t find decapitated clown heads hanging from hooks, or blood dripping from the window sill. However, Kobi (our little pumpkin spice puppy) does carry around a “new toy” that looks like a prop from The Walking Dead.