massmusings

Today, instead of doing a new SSS, I am going to give you all a little recap of Christmas at the Demont household in Maine. Every year after mass we spend Christmas Eve at my paternal grandmother's house and enjoy a meal and gift giving. On Christmas Day, we open gifts among the three of us (now four - Hi Drew!) Below are the pictures I took in attempts to capture the essence of my house at Christmas.

This is the main tree in our formal living room. It's the most traditional and probably my favorite. The tree skirt was made by my mom when I was a baby and she also created matching stockings to go along with it.

Seriously, my mother is a decorating superhero. She thinks of every detail!

The second of the trees featured on this post (in total there are 5). This is my mom's bird tree. My aunt also has a bird tree and I'll most likely continue the tradition when I get a house of my own. 

Formal dining room table centerpiece. 

Family china and silver that will someday be mine! Also, how cute are those wish ornaments that doubled as party favors?

This is arguably my favorite piece in our entire house. My parents purchased this chandelier in Venice, Italy. It's hand-blown Venetian glass and has to be installed piece by piece to ensure the proper weight balance.

The third tree is a bit more contemporary and has brighter colors and more abstract ornaments. It's located in the kitchen and has great light to accentuate the colors. 

This ornament is the family favorite. Each year when I was younger, we would always have a contest to see who could unwrap the "jingle girl" first. Looking back on it, I don't think that there was any prize or good luck associated with finding the ornament but it was fun so who really cares?

As I mentioned earlier, my mom made stockings that match the tree skirt. This is my stocking (my family calls me Katie)!

Our beautiful tree angel!

The full fireplace shot. 

By this point, dinner was ready and I clearly was already in line for the delicious food... not sorry about it. 

The next room in the 195 Webster series is the kitchen! I'll admit, not as much design and decoration went into the kitchen but it is definitely one of my favorite rooms in the house (I love to eat, duh.). Our apartment has a very open concept in the living space and our kitchen is located in it's own room off of the dining room. Below are pictures of the entire kitchen - I've added little tidbits about where I got certain things from as well, enjoy!

I love these simple dish cloths from Ikea. They cost about $1 each and they are perfect for wiping up messes or napkins at the dinner table. They are also super durable and very easy to wash (just throw them in the washing machine).

One thing that I'm investing in for the new year is more magnets! I love having pictures and clippings posted on the fridge but unfortunately I don't have enough magnates to display them all right now.

The view from the kitchen into the dining room. You may recognize this table from this post.

One thing that has kind of been a running joke for us has been the saying "I mustache you a question, but I'm shaving it for later." It was once featured on a shirt that Drew's frat made and ever since we have joked about mustaches. I insited that Drew buy this clock from Target when he moved into his first studio about a year and a half ago and it has followed us ever since. Now it has a home in our kitchen on Webster St. 

I love the glass panes in this cabinet. It makes for the perfect display of our wine glasses and funky ceramic pieces. 

This week I had to pick two winners because I was so in love with both of these photos. The first photo is actually of my cousin Sam who is clearly super stoked about his Christmas cookies. Thanks so my Aunt Linda for submitting it! Made my day :) The second picture was submitted by Sarah. This is her dog Riley, affectionately referred to as "fattie" (you can follow him on instagram here). Congratulations to Linda and Sarah!

This week's SSS features three great gold cuffs to wear for the holiday season and well after. The Splurge is a big one this week. Coming in at $11,500, this Paloma Picasso Olive Leaf Cuff from Tiffany's is at the top of most people's budgets. However, if you can afford to splurge on a nice piece of jewelry, this is the one to get. I love the details and slight curve to the shape. The Save is more affordable at $195. This Madura Fret Cuff from Tory Burch is my favorite. The tortoise shell with the intricate gold design is a perfect combination for all seasons. Classic and timeless with a twist of unique detail - love it. The Steal is a great starter cuff if you are just trying out this style of bangle. I like the thin lines that come together to form the overall cuff shape. For only $21, if you are going for a non-commital trial cuff, this Lori's Shoes Gold Wrap cuff is the way to go!

I hope that you all have a great weekend and are more on top of your Christmas shopping than I am! Speaking of that... these cuffs would make fabulous gifts. Happy Friday!

To start off the 195 Webster series, I'd like to start small so that I can give some background as to how we found the apartment, etc.

 Drew (my boyfriend) and I initially moved into this spacious, 2 bed, 2 bath apartment with our former roommate Nick. Located in East Boston, our apartment has a stunning view of the harbor as well as the Boston skyline. For the three of us, it could not have been more perfect. Far enough away from the city that we felt relaxed after a long day of work, but close enough that we could easily access the shops, restaurants and attractions that Boston has to offer. 

When Nick decided to take an exciting job opportunity in San Francisco, we were a little worried about finding a new roommate that would fit our lifestyle, and someone that would want to be friends with us! Thankfully, Liz reached out to us about the vacant room and we all now live together in this space that has truly become home. 

I'm starting the tour with the reading nook because it is one of my favorite places in the house. Although it is just a corner of our living room, it has a view of both the TV and the skyline, making it perfect for reading, working from home, or socializing with others who are sitting a few feet away on the couch. 

It's FRIDAY! WOOHOO!!! You know what that means, another great SSS coming atcha! This week I'm choosing to keep in line with the holiday theme and concentrating on fabulous red lips. I'm a huge fan of a bold, matte lip and these three choices will give you just that for your holiday event. 

The Splurge is Nars Semi-Matte in Jungle Red. I adore the deep, rich pigment and love that it stays in place for more than 20 mins.  The Save is Topshop lips in Screen Siren. Not only is the packaging adorable, but the hue is vibrant and perfect for those last minute outfits that need some extra oomph! The Steal is Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in On Fire Red. The fact that such a great product is only $6 needs to be celebrated. My experience with Maybelline has always been positive so it makes sense that I would love this lipstick. Perfect for trying out a new color and not wanting to commit to a hefty price tag.

I would love to know if you all find any other awesome lip products so feel free to email me at mass.musings@gmail.com. Have a great weekend!