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Blooming Boldly



Only 5 days till Christmas!! Can you believe it?! I've had this week off work leading up to Christmas, so I've finally gotten a chance to clean our apartment and snap a few photos to share all our decorations this year! Want to take a peek with me?!


The focal point, of course, is the tree. I debated for a long time what colors to incorporate in our Christmas decor and in typical Nina fashion decided on all of them ;) Well not quite all of them, but pink, red, blue, lime green, gold and black and white accents. Logan feels strongly that Christmas = red and green, but since we basically have nothing red or green anywhere else in our home, I wanted something that would go better with our existing decor. 


I bought some striped and some white sparkly ribbon to use as garland, and I love how it turned out! I used solid colored ornaments to pull in the color scheme, and then filled the rest of the tree with our more meaningful ornaments.


Ever since I was a kid, my parents have given us one ornament each Christmas Eve. My mom always tried to find one that related to something we did or an interest we had that last year. I have a whole collection of cute ornaments that represent my different hobbies over the years!


After the tree, I think my most favorite part of every Christmas is the gifts under the tree! I love picking out wrapping paper and all of the trimmings! The best trick I've found over the years is to have at least three different, but coordinating papers. And my favorite thing to use as trimming is tulle! You can get it on a big roll around Christmas time at Hobby Lobby. It's so much cheaper than ribbon, and is a lot easier to work with!




On the coffee table, I have a super simple centerpiece with a big impact! I took a wooden tray from TJ Maxx, put a Bath and Body Works candle in the middle, and filled in the rest with ornaments! Seriously takes 3 minutes to put it all together and I am crazy about how it turned out! With the candle lit, it's just so glowy! 



Next year I think I'll find some Christmas pillows. Don't you think that's just what our couch needs?!


This is the view from "my side" of the couch. I spend a lot of time here in the evenings and weekends! Eating, watching netflix, writing, it all happens right here, so I had to make sure it was festive!


I got these signs from Gordman's for only $10 a piece! And the nutcrackers below were from the Dollar Store - I just gave them a good couple coats of gold to spice them up a bit :)



I used some more of the solid colored ornaments on a cheap garland from Hobby Lobby to bring some color over to the TV stand as well!



I use this candle holder year round, but didn't have a candle in a color I liked for Christmas... But I did have extra ornaments on hand (somehow!) and I think it's just adorable!



This candle holder is from the Hearth and Hand line at Target. Most of the Magnolia stuff was a little too rustic for me, but this piece was one I really loved! It transitions so well to a more traditional/contemporary decor theme, and I can't wait to figure out what to fill it with when the holiday season is over!


This white and gold table runner is another peice from Target. I love that it didn't scream "Christmas!" and I could use it year round.



I made this banner with some vinyl and cardstock with the help of my Silhouette Cameo! Isn't it adorable?! I thought "Joy to the World" was perfect for the map! And of course, it needed a little color too :)


I am crazy about our furry stockings! They are so soft and fun! And in case you were wondering, the third is for our fur baby, Zuko. No surprise pregnancy announcement here :P They stockings are from Hobby Lobby, as are the porcelain trees. The sign is from Michaels and the stocking hangers are from Walmart and Target.



I got these trees on a great sale from Hobby Lobby ($20 for all three!) I love how simple and classic they are. I know they're something I will use and love for lots of Christmases (and color schemes) to come!



There it is! Our 2017 Christmas decorations! I am so happy with how they turned out. So cheery and festive and very me! If you missed our front door decorations, be sure to check out my DIY Ornament Wreath Tutorial from last week!


This Christmas season has been so, so sweet so far. Things have been difficult on a lot of fronts lately, and Christmas has given me something happy and fun to focus on during a time I really needed something light. I finished wrapping all our gifts this week and was just admiring them all under our tree. We have so much to be grateful for! So many loved ones, so many presents to give, knowing we'll be getting so many in return. For people who don't live very lavish lives, getting to celebrate Christmas with this much giving and this much love feels so lavish. I feel spoiled already and Christmas hasn't even come yet!


And just one last reminder - if you haven't finished your shopping yet, there's always Amazon Prime! I put together an Amazon Gift Guide for Him and for Her with 100 total ideas, perfect for anyone who may be left on your list! Merry Christmas!

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Are you all feelin' the Christmas spirit yet?! I am ALL about it! I've spent this weekend decorating, shopping, drinking hot chocolate, wrapping presents, and watching Christmas moves. Plus we got some surprise snow on Saturday that was absolutely gorgeous! It's been perfectly festive, so I thought I would share the joy with a super easy DIY wreath!

PLUS I'm joining in with a bunch of other local bloggers today for a Holiday Link up! Down at the bottom of today's post, I've linked to others in the #LexBloggerFam who are all sharing holiday posts today! From recipes and cocktails to outfit inspiration, their posts are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit! Be sure to stop by and give them some love!


Here's what you need:

  • Pine Wreath (I got mine half off for $5 at Hobby Lobby!)
  • 3 yards of wired ribbon (I used two different types but you could use the same if you wanted)
  • 12 full size ornaments
  • Pipe cleaner or small piece of twine
  • Wire to attach ornaments (I used ornament hooks! You could use pipe cleaners or any other bendable wire)
  • Ruler
  • Scissors


Making the Bow

 The bow can totally make or break a wreath! This one looks impressive but is super easy, I promise!



Start with about two yards of ribbon, with a few inches extra. You can use two different patterns or even widths like I did, or two yards of the same ribbon. Place the first edge of the ribbon at about the 7 inch point on the ruler.


Wrap the ribbon around the ruler one and a half more times. The ends of the ribbon should overlap by an inch or two and there should be four pieces of ribbon covering each end of the ruler.


Slide the ribbon off the ruler, leaving it folded. Pinch it in the middle where the ends overlap and use a pipe cleaner or twine to tie it tightly. Leave a pipe cleaner tail of a few inches - you'll use this later to attach it to the wreath!


Take two 1.5 foot pieces of ribbon together. Tie them the over the middle of the bow to hide the pipe cleaner and create the tails of the bow.


Round out both sides of the bow and pull out the loops apart so you can see each one.



All that's left to do is trim the ends of the tails!

Making the Wreath



Fluff up the branches of your wreath to give it a little more life, and then layout your bow and ornaments to decide where you want to place them!


Using ornament hooks or pipe cleaners, attach your bow and ornaments to your wreath! You want to make sure you attach them to the wire base of the wreath, not the individual branches, so they don't fall off.


Once everything is attached, you're ready to hang it up and spread some Christmas cheer! How easy was that?!


If you couldn't tell, this year I'm using lots of bright colors and black and white stripes in my Christmas decor! What colors are you using for your decorations this year?! Are you a traditionalist, a minimalist, or a color-lover, like me? Let me know in the comments!

AND if you loved my post, check out what the rest of the #LexBloggerFam has to offer you this holiday season!

Sarah Caton | Space, Place & Southern Grace
Leela Foley |  Lex Eats
Ella Rutledge | Girl Meets Lex
Chioma Brown | C's Evolution of Style
Lindsay Latimer | Bourbon & Lipstick
Nina McClure | Blooming Boldly
Erin Short | The Bliss Between
Sheryl Woolverton | How to Make a Life
Courtney Hastings| Kentucky Girl Ramblings
Whitney Scheibel | Fabulous in Fayette
Desarae Anderson | House Three Thirty Six
Tif Fannin | Bright on a Budget
Bronwyn Butler | Basically Bronwyn
Zac Jones | The Kitchen Gent
Stephanie Hargis | This Lexington Life



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I've got another mood board to share today from my Rental Chic Series. This series is all about how I'm making the most of apartment-living and trying to make this rented place feel cozy and personalized without making any major changes like paint, flooring, or fixtures! If you've missed it, I've already shared mood boards for our master bedroom and living room, as well as a few of the projects we've already accomplished!

This one is all about the bathroom, y'all. I don't know what you think of when you hear "rental property bathroom" but what comes to mind for me is cramped and outdated... and our bathroom fits that bill perfectly. Extremely cream, very "meh" flooring, standard oak vanity and basic chrome fixtures. You can tell it's been kept up pretty well. It just lacks absolutely any pizzazz whatsoever! 


If we owned this place, I'd be tiling everything and at the very least painting the vanity, if not replacing it altogether. But sadly, none of that is possible, so it all falls to the decor. It a big job to do, so it's gotta be good!


This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may get a small commission when you click on or make a purchase from one of these links, at no extra cost to you.

The vision for this room all started with a shower curtain that I fell in love with when we were setting up our wedding registry. It felt simple and clean, but the pom poms were a fun and trendy touch! 

link (out of stock in black) | very similar (and cheaper!) | also similar

Then, I found these black and white towels at Target. Have you caught on yet that I have a MAJOR thing for black and white, especially fun black and white geometric patterns? #noshame I loved how the color of these towels matched the shower curtain, but took the boldness level WAY up a notch.

link (out of stock) | similar | also similar

This bathroom was so bland to begin with - I knew it needed some color. As crazy as I am about black and white, even a bold pattern wasn't gonna be enough to really brighten up this cramped room and give it some life! I turned to Pinterest for some inspiration (duh!) and found a few photos that captured the vibe I wanted. I was looking for rooms that brought together the natural, warm wood tones, the contrast of the black and white, and a few pops of color.







One idea I loved right away was a vintage-inspired rug. These are popping up all over the place in home decor lately! I love that they can go with almost any home style and come in so many different colors. I'm a big fan of pattern mixing and a small, intricate design like this is the perfect complement to the large, bold pattern on those towels!



The other component I found I was drawn to was using large photography prints for the art. You can see examples in that last two pins above! I have all sorts of art in our home - personal photos, yarn wall hangings, typography pieces, maps, illustrated canvases. But I don't have any non-personal photographs! I'm digging the idea of using some prints in this room, possibly with a city/urban vibe. But finding art prints can be difficult, especially because I want the art in my home to be significant. I want to feel something when I look at it! Anyone have suggestions of places to look for art prints?

So when you pull all these elements together you get an eclectic, modern, slightly boho bathroom that I seriously love!!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11


What do you think? Anything I should add or change? I'm still working on pulling this one together, but I'm trying to get it done by the end of the year! Be sure to keep watching my instagram for sneek peeks!

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Meet Nina

Meet Nina
Hey, I'm Nina! I'm a newlywed, Kentucky girl with a love for bright colors, a good DIY project, finding a bargain and making the most out of life!
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