One Dog’s Life; Milk Bone Treats For Everyone! #Walmart #CBias #ILoveMyk9

As the More is More Mom®, I’m all about….more celebrations! Because more of everything is always better, we love a good party. This week, Amanda turned sweet 16. We were all up and out the door for a family outing to the Department of Motor Vehicles; everyone but Wrigley. While Chuck, Nick and I sat, awaiting Amanda’s return from the behind the wheel driving test, Nick asked, “Will all four of us come with Wrigley when he gets his license?” Ha! This guy is already on a pretty long leash.

This week, our Wrigley is turning 9 years old; that’s 63 in dog years, which makes him considerably older than his parents. Wrigley symbolizes the best parts of our family. He is fun loving, determined, a total gamer, supportive, loving and fiercely loyal. Wrigley is love. In fact, we frequently ask, “Where is Love? What is Love doing? Does Love want to go for a run?”

When Wrigley is feeling deprived, he tends to counter surf. Just before Halloween I ran out, leaving Wrigley behind. I returned to find four packages of taffy apples on the floor. One he opened like a book, eating just about everything but the sticks. Out of another, he slit a half-round hole in the plastic and extricated just one taffy apple with the precision of a surgeon. There were nuts, sprinkles and sticky stuff smeared all over the floor. I texted Nick at school telling him what Wrigley had done, and he asked if I punished Wrigley. To which I replied, “No. I took a picture.” There’s no sense in teaching an old dog new tricks.

It’s tough having a birthday right after Christmas (just ask Amanda), so I decided that I should do something a little special for Wrigley’s birthday this week. But what do you get for the pup that has everything? I headed over to Walmart to check out their Pet Care Department. We run through a lot of treats in our household (since we tend to reward bad behavior), so I like to keep a nice variety on hand. However, there were so many good choices, it was hard to decide.

My first selection was easy; Milk Bone® Beef and Filet Bites because there was a Chocolate Labrador, just like Wrigley, on the package. After much deliberation, I grabbed a bag of Pup-Peroni® Combo Bites.  When I spotted Milo’s Kitchen® Meatballs, I had to snag them. They’re one of Wrigley’s all-time favorites! After scouring the puppy toy department I made a few selections. I think Wrigley’s going to have a fantastic birthday!

More family celebrations, more dog treats, more visits to Walmart, more puppy love……

To schedule an Interior Design appointment or a Life Style consultation, please email moreismoremom@aol.com

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insight study for Collective Bias #CBias  http://collectivebias.com

All ideas and experiences shared here are my own.

Shades of Christmas

As the More is More Mom®, I’m all about…..more colors of the season! While autumn speaks to warm and earthy tones, Christmas is a time for luxury, sparkle and rich, bold hues. Inspiration is absolutely everywhere! One of the simplest ways to transform your space is through color.

When working with my Interior Design clients, I am frequently called upon to develop a color palette. I’m never without my Benjamin Moore fan-deck!  There are so many wonderful ways to incorporate color; paint the walls, the trim, a light fixture, accessories or a piece of furniture. This season, I’ve been inspired by an array of colors in ornaments, home décor and gifts…..

Christmas ornaments always make me happy! What I love most are the whimsical shapes and beautiful colors. This collection of ornaments is so vibrant; a veritable rainbow. The hot pink, bright blue and happy green tones are fantastic!

1348 Razzle Dazzle

791 Paddington Blue

427 Napa Vineyards

Gingerbread is a Christmas classic! Why not envelop your room in a warm caramel color. Red is a happy and gorgeous compliment.

1118 Classic Caramel

Stockings should always be hung by the chimney with care, and these Jester stockings are adorable! Red and green is the ultimate Christmas color combination.

1308 Red Parrot

538 Vienna Green

While ornaments bursting with personality are certainly inspiring, why not look to rich neutrals as a way to express your family’s story? This pillow may be simple in design, but its tones reflect a feeling of calm that would be the perfect back drop to any number of complimentary colors.

HC-79 Greenbriar Beige

One of the season’s greatest luxuries is warm and sumptuous shearling. Several of these colors would be fantastic on your walls, but they all lend themselves to being infused throughout your home by way of throw pillows and blankets, artwork and accessories.

1342 Mardi Gras

 

 

1117 Guest House

HC 71 Hasbrouk Brown

1588 Gray Pinstripe

1603 Graphite

 

With so many amazing inspirations all around us, it’s easy to bring a little bit of the season into every room in our homes.

More Christmas inspiration, more bold hues, more rich neutrals, more creating beautiful homes……

To learn more about Vanessa Nunley Designs, please visit me at http://vanessanunleydesigns.com

To schedule an Interior Design or Life Style consultation, and for any questions or comments, please email me at moreismoremom@aol.com

Holiday Inspirations: Perfect Parties and Extraordinary Entertaining at the Arlington Design Center!

As the More is More Mom®, I’m all about…….more Holiday Inspirations! This is the best time of year; full of festivity and celebration. Halloween is really the kick off to the holiday season, with Thanksgiving and Christmas not far behind. While there are certainly plenty of opportunities to connect with family and friends throughout the year, the holidays are steeped with sentiment and tradition.

 

My Interior Design business takes me all around Chicago and the suburbs, but I must admit, I am always drawn to the Arlington Design Center to meet the needs of my design clients. Whether I’m looking for fabric, furniture, furnishings or flooring, they are really my one stop shop.

 

I love the ADC and am so excited to have been invited to be the speaker at their Holiday Inspirations event, open to the public, at 11 am, on Tuesday, November 15.

 

“Perfect Parties and Extraordinary Entertaining” is the essence of my presentation. I will be sharing my professional tips and inspirations for entertaining and creating whimsical tablescapes for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve.

 

Why not zip over to the Arlington Design Center and get in on the fun? It’s easy. To register, visit;

https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e4oy3n3u7e549f43&oseq=

 

In addition to traditional Interior Design services, I am also available for holiday decorating, creating memorable tablescapes and party and event planning.

 

Please feel free to contact me at moreismoremom@aol.com

 

 

More beautiful homes, more entertaining, more whimsical tablescapes, more connecting with family and friends….

If you would like to learn more about my Interior Design services, please visit my website:

http://vanessanunleydesigns.com

Memories of Christmas….

As the More is More Mom®, I’m all about……a more relaxing Christmas with my family! Well, we did it; we simplified our Christmas Eve celebration. Gone, this year, was the four course, four star dinner (along with the days of prep and hours of clean up). Gone was the elaborate and gorgeous tablescape (along with the ironing of the linens and the polishing of the silver). Gone were the fancy frocks (along with the dry cleaning bill). This year we ushered in Christmas with casual, comfortable style, with all the pomp and circumstance reserved for Christmas Day.

I thrive on the rat race. I absolutely live for complicated matters, trouble and aggravation, all for the sake of authenticity, but even I must confess, the respite was welcome. The afternoon began with our annual cocktail and appetizer festivities with my friend Judy and her family. Putting our children (one college and three High School students) in charge of arriving at church early enough to secure a pew, while the adults arrived in just enough time for a little socializing before we took our seats.

What a treat! Instead of getting dinner underway after mass, we slipped into our sweats, packed up the car, with Wrigley in tow, and headed to my mom and George’s house in Chicago for our new and improved celebration. On the way, we made a pit stop at our favorite Chinese restaurant, Chicago’s famous Orange Garden. By 7 pm, we were sitting around the dinner table enjoying the most Heavenly and delicious meal. Who needs a beef tenderloin and crab bisque soup when you’ve got the world’s best egg rolls and shrimp fried rice? Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra (you have seen the cult classic; The Christmas Story, with Ralphie and the Red Ryder BB gun haven’t you?)……and clean up was a snap!

 

Wrigley and his stuffed Christmas bone

 

The remains of a Christmas toy...

It was all so relaxing (except for constantly wrestling Wrigley away from the packages, the tree, the Chinese food, the cookies, everything on the coffee table and all of the squeakers he immediately removed from all of his new toys)! We exchanged gifts, had a few laughs and watched Will Ferrell, in one of his finest performances, Elf. The perfect end to the perfect evening.

 

Cub fans..

 

Nick, Wrigley and Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks

 

Wrigley rubbing Wrigley Field for good luck!

After sleeping in, we opened presents from “Santa” and had a huge breakfast. I made egg casserole and bacon, and George made his world famous, special requested, beer waffles. It was divine. For me, the best part of the day was when my Nick and I laced up our running shoes and took Wrigley for our very own, second annual, Reindeer Run. We zig zagged through the city streets to the Friendly Confines, Wrigley Field. I took a picture of my fellas in front of a souvenir shop, the statue of Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, and of Wrigley tapping his paw against Wrigley Field for good luck (it was like kissing the Blarney Stone or pulling the sword, Excalibur, out of the stone). Perhaps the curse will be broken in 2011. You heard it hear first.

The evening brought a beautiful dinner with our family and cherished friends. More of everything is always better!

More new traditions, more time with family, more meaningful memories and experiences….

Girlfriends Celebrating Girlfriends….

As the More is More Mom®, I’m all about…..more girlfriends celebrating girlfriends! While we love, love, love our families, there is nothing like the kinship we share with our closest gal pals. We look to one each other to bare our souls, cry, laugh, support and toast one another. Quite frankly, that is exactly how we make it through the day. Well, that and a good, stiff drink (or glass of Pino).We support each other in good times, bad times, happy times, sad times and silly times.

Last week I was reminded just how much I cherish my friends (not that I really needed a reminder). A gaggle of us were attending a beautiful Christmas luncheon, which happened to occur on my birthday. All of the sudden, a group of girls broke out the props and into song….all for me! My dear friend Jess made up the sweetest and silliest song about “Vanessa” and how I do it all with “f-anessa”, shouldn’t “str-essa”, I “con-fessa”…..I think you get the picture. The props were fantastic; an apron (trimmed in red marabou), dish-washing gloves (trimmed in red marabou), a tiara (trimmed in red marabou), a red beauty queen sash featuring the words; Organized Hoarder (they know me so well!), a marabou scepter and a leopard trim necklace that said “Blogger Star”. I truly can’t remember the last time I felt so special.

That’s the point….feeling special. What can we do to let our loved ones, family and friends, know just how much we cherish and adore them?

This past weekend my dear friend Molly had a milestone birthday. It’s funny how you get to know people. Molly’s daughter Coco and my Amanda have been the closest of friends since the moment they met in first grade…nine years ago. Like daughters like mothers, Molly and I shared an instant, special kinship, too. In fact, all four of us girls share a special bond. We are all in the December Birthday Club. I am the 2nd, Coco the 3rd, Molly the 5th and Amanda the 30th. Our connection had been pre-determined by the stars: 2 x 3 = 6 x 5 = 30. Isn’t that totally freaky? Our friendships were destiny….. Every year, the four of us get together to celebrate December Birthday Club. We shop, we eat, we see movies, we see sights. It’s the perfect way to be together and we look forward to it every year.

Anyway, the question became, amongst Molly’s friends, “What is the best way to honor a wonderful friend’s birthday?” She doesn’t like fanfare. She doesn’t like attention. So, Molly’s very best friend in the entire world had a fantastic idea: Since Molly loves her fabulous porch and celebrating Christmas…..why not surprise her by putting up a gorgeous Christmas tree on her front porch and asking her dearest of friends to contribute personal sentiments and ornaments for the tree?

 

What a simple, yet unbelievable, idea! Ornaments came pouring in from across the country, state and town. Each person attached a personal note to each ornament honoring Molly and their friendship. The evening before Molly’s birthday, as soon as she left for the evening, the tree went up and a group of us got together to trim the tree. As soon as Molly returned home, her group of girlfriends (and some spouses) descended upon her to surprise her for her birthday. At midnight, the corks were popping, and we toasted our dear friend and wished her the happiest of birthdays!!

More friendships, more thoughtfulness, more special times, more being together….