There are so many beautiful colors and themes in style for holiday wrapping & decor this year. It always impresses me how new looks seem to come out each year to wow & stun us when this season has already come around so many times. Part of the excitement for me when the holidays approach is waiting to see which color and texture palettes rise to the top.

This year, my absolute favorite holiday style has to be the luxe look. Beautiful metallics, high-gloss whites, and LOTS of glitter. It’s dramatic, but delicate and pretty. I love that it’s so festive but it doesn’t include any of the traditional reds or greens you usually see around this time of year.

I’ve been shopping my little heart out getting ready for the J’Adorn holiday party (it’s this Saturday already! Eep!) and I’ve found some really lovely pieces to adorn my living space. Some of the best pieces I’ve spotted lately have been over at BHLDN, and with Cyber Monday in full swing, I couldn’t resist picking up a few items to add to the party roster. Here’s a look at some of my favorite pieces from the BHLDN decor line:

 I love the details on each of these items and how they all evoke that handmade-with-care feel. I’d be proud to use the paper heart garlands, confetti or dramatic tassled balloons (which you already knew I love)!

So what did I order? Ok, ok, I’ll tell you. I got a few things, but this one is the most perfect item on the entire site:

Seriously, you guys. I think the designers had me specifically in mind when they made these bunny card holders. THEY ARE PERFECT. I’m probably going to be waiting for the UPS guy at my door until they arrive.

What are your favorite holiday decor items this year? What can’t you live without?

As many burgeoning small business owners know, the lines between home life and work life are not always clear. For me, the beginning of J’Adorn Designs happened on a weeknight while I was sitting on my couch and getting crafty at the coffee table. I made my very first macro braid necklace that night, and the business has stayed under this roof since then.

I often dream of what it would be like to have my own studio in a space that’s separate and dedicated solely to that purpose. Instead, I have a dining room/office/workshop in a one bedroom apartment. It works for me, but it’s not really pretty and it’s definitely not Pinterest-worthy.

I’m comforted to know that I’m not the only one suffering from studio-self-consciousness. Becka Robinson over at Life as an Artistpreneur articulated this sentiment perfectly in this post in which she discusses the dissonance between the beautiful dream workspaces that we long for and the practical, feasible spaces that we actually have.

She started The Real Space Project “to show off the real life spaces of real life artistpreneurs. In all of their un-styled, not-magazine-worthy glory.” I’m honored to have my workshop included in this project, imperfect and tiny though it may be. Below you’ll see the photo of my workshop that was featured in the project, but feel free to click on the link to see all of the other wonderful spaces from my fellow artistpreneurs!

{Check out the full post here.}

I’m thankful to Becka for creating this project, for reminding us of the value of our real life workspaces, and for highlighting the imperfect beauty (and power!) of a space that is more useful and effective than it is pristine.