come on over 2011

Looking forward to next week when my shows are back! Happy New Year to all you lovelies. Cheers!

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve is here and the one thing I love about Christmas Eve is the lights. The Luminaries, the candles of the Moravian Lovefeast, and the candles in the windows of the homes decorated for the holidays.

“I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”    John 8:12

God Bless you all!

And since I won't be posting tomorrow in honor of the holiday I will leave you with my favorite Christmas song - Flash Mob-style!

green with a little red thrown in

See I told you the holiday cheer was still coming...Finally got some awesome holly and magnolia and red ball-y stuff to decorate the home. I must say it's pretty spectacular.

 Before - ornaments hanging by a thread (literally!)

 After - Magnolia leaves to add a little love. Ornaments still hanging on. Next year I want to do pretty ribbons like these guys.

 Mantle Love - yummy smelling leftover Christmas tree branches and pretty red accents.

This is actually the top of our shelf/coat rack/bench. I've been wanting to do this all month but it's just been too cold to get the holly. Better late than never!

Feliz Navidad

I have decided my most favorite part of the holidays is the cards.

I think they might have to stay up past Christmas...They just make me so happy.

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve by abbyarcher featuring long sleeve sweaters
Looking forward to my evening with close friends, good food and a warm fire going all nite long. No lines for drinks, overpriced party food, overcrowded bars. Just how one should celebrate.
Don't worry, Christmas is not forgotten in the Archer home. More holiday cheer to come!

ps. those images look pretty rough eh? that one in the top right is suppose to be a rock fireplace and down below the prosecco is suppose to be a baked brie. come on polyvore!

Christmas Dining

A few of my favorite holiday dining rooms... Our's has touches of pinks in the window treatments so I have hard time with bringing in the traditional reds I use throughout the rest of the house.  I did add some green and silver mercury ornaments to hang from the chandy just to add a little something. Would like to include some greenery before it's said and done!

Garland weaved in the lighting so nice.

I attempted this look this year, although didn't use pretty ribbon to hang my ornaments. Might need to do some editing there...

Love the long simple ribbons. Simplicity but still festive.

all via

How do you like to decorate your dining room?

Tulle and Lace

could you ask for more? i love. every inch. 

a la LuLu

As you all know the newest issue of Lonny came out over the weekend. the holiday issue. It is to die and I love every single page. Check it out if you've not yet.
The cover and my favorite article was on Lulu Powers.  Described as the NEXT Martha, she is my new fav. Here are a few of my favs from her article - pics from her west coast home she shares with her hubs and dog - Sweet Pea and Mr. Pickles (yes, Mr. Pickles).

 who doesn't love a blue room. I'm dying for those round pillows!  Love the match holder.

Seagrass, black trim, framed painting, monogram with the stripe quilt...where do I stop?

 Love love Love this cute sitting area. Dream Stove. Period.

JFK. Need I say more?

I will be doing some more investigating of Mrs. Powers, but I think she's the ticket.

really anthro?

Saturday was lovely spent shopping with John for Christmas gifts and all that entails.  He graciously went with me to Anthropologie so I could get my necklace and "A" mug for my stocking...(no surprises for me...) The boy had never been to the greatest place on Earth and quickly told me I wasn't allowed back. He felt the goodness and saw my eyes glaze over as I walked thru gazing over cabinet knobs, scarves and such.  While browsing he spotted this...and it was soon over.

For a mere $238 you too can have this lovely handmade fox stole. It's kinda hilarious and ridiculous all at the same time.  He just didn't get it. But I love him anyway.

My little Christmas Elf

Me, Mr. Wade Hefner, moo-cow (see lap) and his mama had a little snow party Saturday evening.  {I told ya'll we were gonna get some snow!}. We threw the tobaggan on him and started snapping. The boy only smiles/laughs with mama's assistance. The rest of the time he's kinda like he is above. More fascinated with the flash I think. Anyways, he makes my heart smile and that's the most important thing.

For you I'd wait...

Hey Hubs,


Remember this one?


This song completely sums it up. And how did we miss it for our first dance? Wish we could find this CD...who knows where it is - the Hubs looses CDs like a washing machine looses that right-foot sock. Serious.


Happy Wednesday...It sure is dragging on, don'tcha think?

December 6

Cutest Chirstmas Commercial...Remember those days when you just couldn't wait?

December 5

The Perfect Tree

Glossy Adirondack

Vintage and Dove

Love, The Archers

December 3

Blog Crush = the lil bee

Melisa is an awesome blogger and I just love her post from today.... I feel the pic of the lights in the trees will simply sums up our weekend.

image via lil bee via Everything is Illuminated by Irena S.

"Snow" is expected Saturday evening. Well rain mixed with some white stuff, but I'll take it. See "snow" where I live isn't as much of a headache - it comes, is usually pretty and then goes and is 50 degrees again...We typically all turn into kids and want to run around and play and it's just a good time.
If you need a new read, which I know most everyone is already hip to the Bee, but you should surely check her out.

December 2

Babies are taking over.

Literally. No longer is Facebook a place of comfort to go and look at friend's weddings or drunken nights out on the town. It's bellys and baby showers and newborns and hospital scales (which by the way are really outdated looking) and cute smiles and hats and I just can't take it anymore.

So here's the latest tot to grace my facebook news feed. Hubs oldest and dearest buddy's wife had her 1st babe like 4 weeks early. talk about the best Christmas present ever. He is pretty darn cute. Looks like we will be making the trip to PA sometime soon for a snuggle.

Can you even stand it?



December 1

I love the Christmas holidays. I love watching this non-stop.

Such a wonderful movie, sweet and kind and true.
A few of my favorites include -

If you have never seen it - well what are you waiting for??! go out and get it now! Just buy it, you won't regret it!

This year...

Mistletoe Green Christmas

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Just found this obituary for John's grandfather Jack that was written up in The Southampton Press. The loss of him this summer still weighs heavy on all of us, but he was such a fantastic man and his smile, laughter, and style will always live on in all of us.

John A. "Jack" Sidebotham of Bridgehampton dies at 83
Publication: The Southampton Press
Sep 1, 2010 8:43 AM

John A. Sidebotham

John A. Sidebotham of Bridgehampton died August 14 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, of vascular disease. He was 83.

For more than 25 years Mr. Sidebotham, known as Jack, had been a resident of Bridgehampton and before that New York City. Following his discharge from the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II, Mr. Sidebotham became a celebrated advertising art director during the heyday of print advertising and the dawn of television.

Selected to create the first-ever television commercial department at Young & Rubicam Advertising in New York City, in 1955, he helped set the standard for creative television advertising with his iconic Bert and Harry Piel animated commercials for the Piels Brothers Brewery of Brooklyn. The voices of the animated characters were portrayed by radio comedians Bob Elliot and Ray Goulding, and the commercials have become a mainstay in collections of vintage television advertising.

While at McCaffrey & McCall Advertising in the 1970s, Mr. Sidebotham was a major contributor to ABC Television’s popular program, “Schoolhouse Rock,” designing characters for educational songs written by composers Bob Dorough and Lynn Ahrens. In 2008, already into his 80s, Mr. Sidebotham designed a new version of “Interplanet Janet,” explaining the advantages of alternative energy sources for the Disney Educational Productions 2009 DVD release, “Schoolhouse Rock! Earth.”

In 1966, he made his first foray into the world of books, doing cartoon illustrations for “How To Give Away Your Faith” by Paul E. Little. In 1976, he authored “The Art of Cartooning” for Grumbacher Art Publishing.

From 1986 to 1996 Mr. Sidebotham was a volunteer for the International Executive Service Corps as a consultant in advertising techniques in Kenya, Egypt, Thailand and Costa Rica. In the late ’90s, Mr. Sidebotham was executive art director for the Land’s End catalogue; he subsequently served in the same capacity for the Duluth Trading Company catalogue.

In a profession that celebrates puffery and hyperbole, survivors said, Mr. Sidebotham was a man of selfless understatement and endearing wit, so often self-effacing. In an age of hand-drawn storyboards and advertising layouts, Mr. Sidebotham’s cartoon characters came to resemble his co-workers and himself. On the reverse side of ordering pads at PJ Clarke’s restaurant, he regularly sketched cartoons to tease, charm and lampoon his lunch companions.

As his professional work helped guide the fortunes of Exxon, Mercedes-Benz, ABC Television, Quaker Oats and other major corporate enterprises, survivors recalled that he would frequently confess to one and all his complete bewilderment at being paid for having so much fun every day.

Mr. Sidebotham is survived by his second wife, Bernadette Leddy of New York, whom he married in 1974. By his first marriage, to Grace Nelson of St. Louis, he had four children: Joy Sidebotham Archer, Jay Sidebotham, Jan Sidebotham, and George Sidebotham.

week of thanks

both are via

Would love to pull up a chair to either of these fine tables and count my many blessings.  Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

A few things I'm thankful for....John-the best gift I could ever receive, our home, our friends and family, our health and happiness and many other things that I'm sure will pop into my head throughout this week.

Yaaaa-Yuuuuuu

So I wasn't too far off last week. I just hope by the time it all goes down I will still want to watch.

Who are we kidding? Of course I will!

Congrats Kate and William!!!

On another random note, after the Archer Refridgerator Nightmare of 2010, I am proud to say we have a new, sleek friend in the kitchen. She's pretty amazing....although she's probably not too happy about her ugly surroundings. Maybe she will change all that :)

Not my actual fridge, but it is my fridge. Yaaa Yuhhhh.

Will they?

I sure hope so!

Falling...

Hello November! 

Poor November gets little love falling smack in the middle of Halloween and Christmas. But I love this month. Fall is in full swing and the 2 trees in my front yard are just the most amazing shade of yellow/gold.

A few things I'm looking forward to this week as the temperature and leaves fall.

Cooking up some of this for the week.

Turkey Chili

Our front yard has a gorgeous gold rug.

via

Living in these every evening.

via

Pumpkin Carving

Tonight the hubs and I will carve our pumpkin. I found some templates over on BHG.com and now just have to decide.  Which do you like?

Ahhh decisions decisions. Do you try to get creative with your pumpkins?  Saw this fantastic idea over the weekend and LOVED IT.

have to have...

I am dying for some cute brown leather boots. But the cheapie in me doesn't want to spend the cash. Thank goodness for my super shopper friend HP. She pointed me in the direction of the Rack Room and I found them.
Wanting these:

At $129 they aren't bad (and I have $20 in banana bucks) -

but then I found these:

HP got these on her lunch break and they are asking $49.99. I'm sold. Maybe. I always try to go the cheaper way, but end up getting sucked back to the higher priced item...What do you think? (HP says the cheapies look even better in person) It's worth a shot.