Chicago Art Institute Miniature Rooms

If you're in Chicago from now through January 8th I would very highly recommend checking out the Art Institute's Miniature Rooms Exhibit.  It was amazing!  The picture below is of one of the rooms and it really doesn't do it justice.  It is amazing all the detailed work in the ceiling, the molding, the furniture, everything!  The artist is Mrs. James Ward Thorne.  Everything is done in 1inch = 1 foot scale.  She even used the same materials for the furniture as what is used in real life.  The rooms range from the 17th century up to the 1930s. 

The room pictured below is an English Drawing Room of the Georgian Period.  Of course, my favorite rooms were from the 1700-1800s and were the english country cottage style.  I am just so inspired by it.  Hope you get a chance to visit.  Thursday evenings are free as well as the first weekend of the month for Bank of America card holders.  Hope you enjoy!

Tomorrow I am off to visit family.  Merry Christmas everyone!  Enjoy some time with your loved ones.

Budget Friendly Holiday Tablescape!

My favorite room to decorate is probably the dining room.  You can do something a little different with the dining room because it is such a simple room.  Why not try out a fun new paint color you wouldn't dare use in another room or a vibrant wallpaper pattern you have fallen in love with.  The easiest and most budget friendly decorating trick is changing up your tablescape.  You can easily switch out a tablecloth or runner and bring in color that way.  You can do the same with your centerpieces. 

The table pictured below is one of the most beautiful I've seen.  The tablecloth is from Schumacher Fabrics, which is a bit pricey, but I was really excited to find out there are a ton of things on the table, very reasonably priced, from West Elm!  The napkins, bud vases, plates, and mercury vase centerpiece are all from there.  The adorable red and white napkins are only $11 for a set of 4.  The antique gold candle holders are just $3.50 each from Crate and Barrel.  I think I may need to buy myself at least a set of those cute napkins this Christmas.  Even just adding a few new pieces or pulling out some you already have but mixing it with something different will give your dining room a whole new look for the holidays.

Finally Back!

Between class, homework and celebrating the holidays with family and friends I am ready to get back to Tutu Style.  First I wanted to share my first ever hosting of Thanksgiving with you all.  I actually made the turkey and it amazingly came out great!  (Thanks to Ina Garten's recipe and plenty of help from the fam!)  We had it at my brother's home since he has a larger kitchen and great dining room table.  Below are a few pictures of the tablescape.  It was done very simply and with linens I had since I was on a tight budget, but what made it really beautiful were all the candles.  They were unscented so they wouldn't compete with the food.  There were also acorns, pumpkins, and gourds to keep it traditional.  The best part of all was spending it with my family.

I've also been decorating for Christmas - another absolute favorite time of year for me.  I had hoped to get garland for around the doorway from my living room to dining room, but decided on stringing twinkle lights instead for a total cost of around $10!  It gives the room a great festive glow along with the scented candles.

The tree fit best in a corner in the dining room.  It is filled with ornaments that were made over the years with much love from my grandma.

A few cute little candles I've had for years and the vase filler is faux snow.  The tablecloth I kept out since it's the festive holiday colors and goes great with everything.  I hope to add much more over the years and hope you are enjoying your decorating for the holidays as well!  Happy belated Thanksgiving to all and a Merry Christmas season.  Enjoy each moment!