Happy New Year, Feliz Ano Nuevo, Felice Anno Nuovo, & Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise Duit

It's almost New Year 2011!

We look forward to this night.

Music, good food, wine, & champagne.



We celebrate different time zones. Our family is from everywhere.

We stay up and enjoy every one's Midnight.



We have family in

Italia,

Ireland,

Guatemala,

Argentina,

Boston,

&

California


We celebrate the feast of seven fishes.

It's usually done on Christmas Eve but we started doing this tradition on

New Years Eve.

Lobsters,

Shrimp, mussels, little necks, bacala, scallops, calamari

in a simple Meditteranean broth.

It's delish.....

Can't wait to start tomorrow morning.

For desserts,

from our local town bakery

The Annabella

Cranberry and meringue,

then on New Years Day

the kids and I make Struffoli.

I wanted to Thank everyone for a wonderful year!

I had the privilidge of following fabulous and inspiring women with so much talent.

It's only been a short while for me to start

Claudia Coming Home.

I have loved every moment and had fun. I still have a lot to learn.

Thank You for following.

It makes me happy!

Lots to look forward to in 2011 such as

The Big

One Year Anniversary of Claudia Coming Home,

I also look forward to your posts and pictures that inspire.....

Have a Happy New Year and see you in 2011!

Salut and start making sweet memories!

Claudia

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Buon Natale & Nollaig Shona Duit!

Have a beautiful day with your family and friends!

I have been up all night gift wrapping, building dream houses, and adding final touches for Christmas morning.

I hope to be able to sleep for the next two hours before our kids wake up!

This always happens to me every year but it's so much fun to see their faces light up.

Here are a few Christmas touches around our home.

Enjoy this wonderful day and Merry Christmas from our family to yours!














We were blessed with a White Christmas!

It was a fun week playing in the snow.


Take care,

Claudia

Wishing for a White Christmas!

Here in New England we are wishing for a White Christmas
to go along with our Christmas decor!

My husband flew out to Hong Kong yesterday morning and so we decided to pick our Christmas tree and do all the decorating last weekend before he left.

That is early for us.

Now if it would only snow.

The kids had their first sleep over under the Christmas tree.

Their cute little eyes covered with the 3D Christmas glasses.
Have you seen those?

Really cute idea for Advent and stocking stuffers.
They can see different Christmas images of Santa, reindeers, and snowmen.

They love them!

After they fell asleep I watched one of my favorite movies
White Christmas right next to a cozy fire.

Just wish my hubby was here with me to enjoy it.

Soon enough....

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Here are some inspirational holiday decor.

Have a great Sunday!

Image by Country Home

Image by Country Living

Image by Country Living

Image by Country Living

Image by Country Living

Image by Country Living

Image by Coastal Living

Image by Country Home


Take care,

Claudia

Advent Calendar

Hello,

It's the first week of December. It's so exciting!

We are getting ready around here to decorate for Christmas.

We started listening to our Christmas music playlists, gathering together after dinner and
watching our favorite Christmas shows.

Last night after the kids went to bed I watched one of my favorite Black and White movies

The Bells of St. Mary's.

While watching the great Ingrid Bergman I made an Advent Calendar.

I have purchased in the past card board box calenders filled with chocolates and have done the wooden boxes with hidden treasures but I was tired of the same old thing.

So I decided to look on the web and found a couple of inspirations!

I loved one of them but it wouldn't get here in time.....

I decided to make one. It's simple but it's cute and the kids love it!

Do you keep the tradition of an Advent Calendar?

Image from Land of Nod

Image from Land of Nod

This one I almost bought but wasn't going to get here in time.
Isn't it cute?
Lots of room to put lots of goodies.

Image from Potterybarn

This one is my favorite. I wish I had more time to copy this idea.
Isn't it fabulous?
Image from Potterybarn


Here is mine.



Have fun decorating!

Take care, Claudia

My new Rustic Table Runner from Faded Plains

Hello,

I hope you all had a festive and memorable Thanksgiving!

We had lots of fun cooking, drinking red wine, playing music, and making memories.

The day before Thanksgiving I opened up a beautiful package from Faded Plains.

One of my inspirational blogs I follow.

I love all of Andrea's beautiful vintage goods in her shop.

Look on my inspirational blog roll and you will find Faded Plains.

It's a wonderful blog with so many gorgeous pictures of her home and her etsy shop.

Please take a look.

I took a few pictures of my recent purchase of this 100% cotton French blue rustic table runner.

It's sitting on my farm table in the dining room.

It looks so pretty.



Don't you just love how she wrapped up the package?



It was hard for me to unwrap it.

I saved the packaging and she also sent a lavender scent sachet along with the runner.

Beautiful touches.

Take care,
Claudia

Zac Brown Band

Hello,

I just discovered the Zac Brown Band and can't get enough of this band. Our home has been filled with his music.

Usually I just blog about beautiful house accessories but thought this would be fun to write about. Our family loves all types of music but this new discovery has me so happy. When we did our kitchen renovations we installed speakers all over the first floor of the house. Our home always has music playing even if we are not here. I run out for errands and return with something fun on as I enter the house.

Back to Zac Brown Band. I think all of his music is brilliant and beautiful. Love the violin and banjo in the background. His voice is exceptional too. Just love it!!

Let me know if you like them too and which song is your favorite?

I love them all but I do think Coldhearted and Whiskey's Gone is fun!!! Can't get enough of that violin playing.

Back to dancing and listening to the Zac Brown Band!!


Have a great weekend! Enjoy!

Take care,
Claudia

Old Wooden Crates

Happy Friday everyone!

I came across this picture and thought it was a cool idea.

Old wooden crates stacked together.

This would look nice on an empty wall space.

I might have to steal this idea.

Just love it!

Also love the color of the wooden crates.

What do you think?

Would you use this as furniture in your home?

Image from Houzz


Have a great weekend!

Take care,

Claudia

Rain drops are falling on my head!

It's been cloudy and rainy and all I want to do is snuggle and watch old movies.

I need sunshine to get me in the mood for holiday decorating.

Which holidays are you getting ready for?

Most stores have forgotten about Thanksgiving and are decorating for Christmas.

I do enjoy the holiday issues of Country Living, Martha Stewart and some others to jump start

on

Christmas decorations. I still love the idea of everyone at our home enjoying the

Feast of Thanksgiving.

Here are some inspirational pictures.

Courtesy of Canadian House & Home


Courtesy of PotteryBarn

Image by Country Living

Image by Country Living

Image by Country Living

There's always a theme in our home. Music, fire, good food & wine!


Have a great weekend!

Take care,
Claudia

It's quiet this morning!

Hello,

I hear nothing! It's quiet for the very first time in weeks.

Our basement makeover is complete. Thanks to Canning Construction who made it possible. We love how it all came out.

We live in a Gambrel Cape house and one thing it lacks is closet space.

I have so many favorite spots in the new room.

Our kids are enjoying their new space.

Enjoy the pictures.

When we did the kitchen renovation this past year we changed the door leading to the basement. You can't see it clearly in the picture but it says MUDROOM.

Stairs leading to basement! Currently we added a handrail. Looking for rope to wrap the handrail.


Cubbies were added under the stairs. It was just open space before where I hid birthday and Christmas presents. These come in handy for the kids books and toys.

I love how the ceiling came out. This part of the basement the ceiling is lower because of our sunken living room above. We left the pine ceiling beams exposed and added track lighting. Not sure whether to stain them or paint them white yet.

Here is another look of the ceiling.

The washer and dryer are sitting behind these doors. The washer and dryer use to sit to the right where the sink is. To the left of the doors will be everyone's laundry basket. There is also space before the cubbies for the laundry baskets to store the ironing board.

Here is the folding station and sink. There is also plenty of storage underneath.

Another view of the folding station.

Oops duplicate!

Shelving above the folding station. I am planning to put some of my flower vases and decorative books.

Another view of shelves.

Washer and dryer. Added shelves above them for the detergents.

Added a sink to the folding station for fun crafts with the kids.

To the right of the folding station is a cute sitting cube. It's where the sub pump is hidden. All you have to do is lift the top. Some cute fabric there to finish it off.

This is the walk out to the yard. Need to replace the door still.

Opposite of stairs is a door leading to all of the utilities. Hidden away from everything. Also made a nook for the second refrigerator. Love this.

Utilities are hidden behind wall.

Another view.

When you come down the stairs and take a right you come to another part of the basement. Behind this door is all the electrical utilities. We also put a dehumidifier.

This is the fun part. We created a space for the kids homework, crafts, and storage. Love this area of the basement. Here is a picture of their desks. They each have their own cabinet space.

Another view of the craft table.

We created memory boards for each of the kids. Purchased these mix and match tile system from Potterybarn Teen. The kids love them.

Another view. They also each have their own outlets so that they can charge laptops and their ipods.

Another view. You can create your own tile system online so that you can see how it comes out.

Another view.

Another view. Almost forgot the craft table is butcher block.

Behind this closet door is more utilities. All of the water pipes and also valves to be able to access all water for the outside of the house.

We added another cubby. So when you come in from the garage which is on your left. We have another one of these cubbies upstairs in the family room. It will be nice to have this one so that when you come from the garage the kids can place their book bags and shoes.

This is my favorite part. Three closets. The first closet is for luggage and larger kitchen appliances.

Another view of closets.

Second and Third closets are made out of cedar. Love the smell of cedar! We also added another little storage space within the closet. It also leads under the stairs. This is where I can hide birthday presents and Christmas presents.

Another view.

Here is the third closet.

This is the first closet. Love having shelves for our things.

This wall space did not know what to do with. For now we are keeping the treadmill. Maybe more cubbies. I am actually enjoying the treadmill.

This is our basement.

Now it's time to paint and decorate.

Have a good week.

Take care,
Claudia