Modernize Your Home Holiday Decorating

Isn’t that wreath spectacular? Danielle from 100 Layer Cake made it using a wreath frame and found branches from her neighborhood magnolia trees. She spray painted the green side of each leaf with gold and then assembled it using wire. And she claims it’s really not as complicated as it looks. Amazing!

Jillian created the garland for the mantel using styrofoam balls she spray painted with copper, gold, and silver. She strung them using a needle and heavy string and then hung them from teeny nails hidden behind the drop of her mantel.

Cute party shoes, no? Clearly the fashion at a holiday party in a home with modern decorations like this would be bold and sparkly.

Love the illustrated ornaments for an easy little project to dress up any part of your house this time of year. Jillian drew them and guess what? You totally can too!

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Throw a Very Special Kids Halloween Party This Year

Pottery Barn Kids: Halloween Tablecloth

If your household has young children, it's important to make each holiday count towards making wonderful lifetime memories. Special decorating and tabletop touches will elevate a Halloween meal or party from the everyday to the memorable, and that's just what you're looking for. Here are a few of my favorite Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn tabletop and decor items to help you throw a festive Halloween party this year. Click on each photo for more information. 

Pottery Barn Kids: Halloween Luminaries

Pottery Barn: Curiosity Appetizer Plates, Set of 4

Pottery Barn Kids: Personalized Owl Chairbacker

Pottery Barn Kids: Halloween Treat Basket and Liner

Pottery Barn: Owl Tree Punch Bowl Stand with Ladle

If you're interested in learning more about interior design and decorating, we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Holiday Home Decorating: 7 Halloween Favorites

West Elm: Terracotta Skull Bowl

Now that Halloween has pulled up just behind Christmas as the #2 holiday for home decorating - think of all those Halloween parties you have to decorate for, and the trick-or-treaters themselves! - I thought it would be fun to pick 7 different decor pieces that you don't have to feel guilty about displaying in your home.

Wisteria: Silhouette Witch and Cat Entourage

I've tried to avoid the too-tacky and trite and focus on those items which follow some of our key interior design rules of mood, function, style, period, and scale. Oh, and good taste, too! Click on each photograph for more information on the item, and happy decorating!

Crate & Barrel: Pumpkin Platter

Pottery Barn: Black House Lantern

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Sheffield School Celebrates National Pi Day

Sheffield School staff don't really need an elaborate excuse to celebrate. Our Student Services representative Rodney Smith found out that today was Pi Day - celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world - and he decided to share the day's goodness with his co-workers by baking three ... Pi pies. Rodney is now the official Sheffield School Pie Man. He and the rest of the Sheffield School staff wish you and yours a very happy Pi Day, too, as we all enjoy our sugary buzz.

If you're interested in learning more about the home of Rodney's fabulous Pi pies, then I encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

• Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
• Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

ModCloth Style Says Holiday Chic

Dear Santa,

Please stuff our itty bitty stockings with everything on our wishlist. You don’t have to go far. You don’t even have to leave the comfort of your cozy red chair. Everything we want is from one pretty place, ModCloth. One request - we need our delivery ASAP! We’ve got some holiday parties to go to and need to look good! Here’s our list . . . .

Thanks, Mr. C!

Ok, but seriously. Do you have your holiday partay outfits ready? The countdown is on, and ModCloth will definitely save you a trip to the crazy packed malls with all the sparkly pretty they have going on. Browse through all their cute dresses, shoes and accessories, and happy shopping!

{ dress: Balcony Seats Dress / earrings: Diamond in the Riff / camera: La Sardina Lomography Camera / shoes: Kicks and Match Heel / jacket: Red it All Before Coat / bracelet: Sparkle an Idea Bracelet / belt: Here I Bow Again Belt /  bag: With All My Heart Tote }

Thanks to 100 Layer Cake for this guest post. 100 Layer Cake is a unique, comprehensive wedding planning resource for and by thoughtful, crafty modern women. Their vendors, projects, weddings, resources, sponsors, and marketplace are hand-picked and thoroughly researched with the hope that every single one is a truly unique addition to both your wedding and your planning process. Visit the 100 Layer Cake website today.