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The Modern Farmhouse {Style Inspiration}

Simplicity Meets Tradition in this popular revival 

The classic farm home style of architecture is as American as apple pie, and now a days it's not just a look for rural farmers. Modern, sleek, clean adaptations of this iconic home style have transformed the way we look at the classification of what a farmhouse truly is. Contemporary twists on barn lighting and shiplap (oh shiplap - how I love thee) are popping up all around the country. 
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Holiday Home Tour ~ 2015

decorating for the joy of it

As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season turns up, and the stresses of it all seems to take over, I find that simply glancing around my home brings about feelings of comfort and joy. After all, isn't that what holiday decor should be? A gentle reminder to celebrate and relish in the moments of peace and happiness within your own home. This is why I take the time and put love in all the little details around our home.

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Tree Farm Tradition

The Official Start to our holiday 


Each year we drive 45 minutes out of the way to a special little tree farm (well, it's actually quite large) called Bob's Trees in Galway, NY. I think this is our 10th year doing so and it's always fun. We lucked out with a 58 degree day in Upstate NY - which is unheard of this time of year. Our traditional photos of getting the tree involve strong winds, snow blowing everywhere and all of us bundled to the point of being unrecognizable. But not this year ---- and it was perfect!
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Tartan | Inspiration

Dreaming in plaid


When I think classic, quintessential holiday design, I think Tartan. Found in various shades, patterns and uses, it is a simple way to add elegance and depth to your holiday decor. I've saved you the time and have gone ahead and scoured Pinterest for my favorite looks and designs. 
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Magnificent Mugs

Sipping in Style this Thanksgiving

Wow! It's truly been a while since I've brought some fresh content to the blog. Life outside of The Unique Nest has brought some challenging adjustments to my career (moving from teacher to Assistant Principal in a large upstate NY high school) but I am back and ready to write!!! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for continuing to follow along and give me the love that you have. My readers are simply amazing! 

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Repurposed Antique Tractor Seat

Master Bath Seating with vintage charm

Sometimes you just get lucky when shopping. It usually happens when you have no money with you, and you weren't looking to buy anything. This was the case with the amazing stool I found a few weeks back. I love it SO MUCH that it needed it's own blog post :)

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DIY Coffee Station

How this antique toolbox became a kitchen focal point


A couple weeks ago I discovered a beautiful new artisan co-op shop in my home town (read the full post about The Olde Mercantile here). I left with beautiful finds - some old and some new - but wasn't quite sure of what I would do with any of them, I just knew I had to have the items. Little did I know that an old wooden toolbox, some galvanized metal coasters and a painted mason jar would work perfectly in tandem to inspire a little DIY coffee station in my kitchen.
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Charming Country Décor

Antique Finds from a new shop in my hometown

It's exciting enough when I discover a new store where I can scourer antique treasures and vintage finds, but to discover it in my own hometown of Cohoes, NY is REALLY exciting! The Olde Mercantile is a charming co-op country store with lots of amazing home decor. From candles and signage, to cloth napkins and antique tool boxes, you will find an amazing assortment.
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Summertime Family Room Facelift

New pillows & rug brighten up this heavy traffic space


One of the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways to freshen up any space in your home is to accessorize seasonally. Keep the big pieces in place (sofas, coffee tables, etc.) and then everything else is fair game. To spruce up my family room for the summer months I started with some gorgeous nautical inspired pillows from Homegoods and a new rug from Rugs USA and super plush rug pad from Rug Pad USA.  

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$10 Drop Cloth Curtains

Cheap, Easy & Durable Outdoor Solution 

One of the greatest parts of our home is our amazing front porch. I always dreamt of having a large opening porch space to relax and unwind and I'm so blessed to have created that space in our current home. Yet, each day between around 4 o'clock in the afternoon the sun becomes so intense that it makes it difficult to sit out there. I didn't have the budget for large custom roll shades and it didn't want the maintenance or installation costs.
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Country Living Fair (2014) -- A step back in time

Amazing finds at the Country Living Fair

Sharing a recap from the wonderful time I had visiting the Country Living Fair last June.  It was my first formal invite to attend an event in the capacity of a Hometalk Blogger and I was thrilled for the chance to share my finds with my favorite magazine  ~ Country Living.
I attended the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck, NY with my amazing mother Sandie and my sweet sweet 8-year old daughter Evarista "Evey". They are my partners in crime and my best girls...it was a true girls day...
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Outdoor Striped Rugs You'll Love!

Low / Mid / High --- a Price Point for Everyone :-)

Excitement floods my mind as I walk through the local Target store and see patio furniture and outdoor decor for sale. This time of year not only brings about warmer temps and happier people, it brings about an opportunity to live outdoors. Our winter in the northeast was BRUTAL this year. The longest 6 months ever! I'm beyond excited to get outside and really enjoy outdoor living.
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Deck Makeover {Laura Leigh Designs}

How this family transformed their deck with a little help from ME :) 




A year or so ago, friends of mine hired me to makeover their very large deck space. The family is young, loves to entertain, and is VERY busy (business owners, parents to 4-year old triplets and a 1 year-old daughter). Their existing deck was not living up to it's full potential and was so large that they were unsure of where to begin.

Here's a look at the deck BEFORE:
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TRENDY DENDY - April Looks

Fresh Fashion Picks for Work and Play 


I'm loving the looks that Cathleen (a.k.a 'Trendy Dendy') has selected for the month of April. While it is likely to be sun and sandal weather in parts of this great nation - we are still very much in transition here in the great Northeast. So for all my ladies looking to freshen up their winter wardrobe and move toward Spring, Cathleen shows you how to transition that winter apparel into a fun new look! Here we go...

Look #1 (my personal favorite)


Tory Burch Marion Slouchy Tote - www.toryburch.com
Tory Burch Reva Tumbled Leather Flats in Royal Tan - www.toryburch.com
Tory Burch Gold Aviator Sunglasses- www.toryburch.com
J.Crew Schoolboy Blazer in Navy - www.jcrew.com
J. Crew Classic Pave Link Bracelet - www.jcrew.com
Hunter Shirt in Black/White/Gray - www.railsclothing.com
Medium Wash Skinny Jeans - www.express.com

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My "Unique" DIY Fence

Privacy, Price & Prettiness All Wrapped into one!


Last summer I had one major home improvement goal...to install a fence! Between the dog sneaking out and the kids running too close to the road, I could not wait to get my fence installed. As with most of my home projects, I have big dreams and limited funds. My mother would tell me that "I have champagne taste with a beer wallet". Although this may be true, I'm going to keep on reaching for that champagne :)

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Client Gallery Wall

Turning a plain wall into a conversation piece


After moving into a brand new home one of the toughest decisions can be where to hang wall art. The thought of putting nails and holes into that beautifully sheet-rocked wall can be totally stressful! As silly as it sounds, I still have yet to make a decision on wall hangings in parts of my home and I've lived there about 18 months.  

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Coastal meets Country: A Spring Tablescape


Create an elegant look using navy, gold and cream tones

I couldn't be more excited to "Spring Ahead" this past weekend and transition from winter to spring. The shift in energy and the colors are a warm welcome to long frigid winter we encountered. This season, I selected a mix of navy, gold and cream, and added pops of lavender and yellow to bring a cheery spring feeling to this tablescape. The inspiration of this look all started with the striped place mats. I thought they were the perfect 'anchor' (no pun intended) to my spring coastal look (place mats by Bar Harbor Dining Accents; table runner by Dansk).
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TRENDY DENDY: MARCH {Look of the Month}

I'm so very excited to introduce you to our new fashion contributor Cathleen from 'Trendy Dendy'. Like myself, Cathleen busily juggles a full-time career with two children and a husband. Outside of her busy days on the job, one of Cathleen's biggest passions is fashion.  
Since she can remember, Cathleen has had an eye for style spotting and trends. While most days she is putting together a chic business ensemble, she also loves more casual looks. Stay tuned for more details on Cathleen coming soon. In the meantime - let's give Cathleen a warm welcome and check out her first official "look of the month" shall we?

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$100 Rodan + Fields Gift Card GIVEAWAY

~  #uniquenestlove continues  ~

It's G I V E A W A Y time folks! As promised, for the entire month of February I have been giving away all sorts of goodies as part of #uniquenestlove. You're going to just love this final giveaway of the month. 
After trying the Redefine line by Rodan + Fields I had to share the product with you! It's too good to keep a secret. But just sharing how good it was didn't seem like enough - so my good friend and business consultant Nicole Calisi and I got together and brainstormed. We decided to offer a $100 gift card good for any Rodan + Fields product of your choice!

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Wall Art /// Black & White /// Kids Play Room

Quick update on those empty play room walls

Last month I posted some before and afters of my kid's play room makeover. In an attempt to "keep it real" with you the reader, I acknowledged the fact that I hadn't the time to shop for wall art let alone hang anything. So a few weeks later I'm happy to report that I'm feeling #homegoodshappy and was able to decorate the playroom with some black and white wall art and only spend about $65 in total doing so.

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Using "Shades of Gray" in Your Home


Using this timeless -yet trendy- color to add style to your space

With the grand opening of the much anticipated 50 Shades of Grey movie this weekend, it seemed appropriate that I post on the design end of this popular color trend. It's also fun to mention that I was featured in an article by NewHomeSource.com this week titled 50 Shades of Gray: How to Use Gray At Home. In the article, I share tips on using the color in your home and offer examples of how to do so.

'ETHEREAL MOOD' by SW throughout my 1st floor 
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February Blog Hop {The Inspiration Tribe}

THE INSPIRATION TRIBE BLOG HOP 

Welcome to The Inspiration Tribe's February Blog Hop

The best crafters, DIYer's and decorators have come together to create and share décor and gift ideas for every holiday, season or events throughout the year. We hope to inspire you to create as well as share those creations with others.

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Simple Valentine's DIY Wall Art

Creating simple holiday wall art in minutes!


I'm often the worst when it comes to decorating for a small holiday like Valentine's Day. It is such a short-lived event that it sneaks up on me and I'm always ill-prepared when it comes to decorating the house. 
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Playroom Makeover Part II (DIY Shelves & Floating Desk)

Styling for a functional kids playroom on a budget

A couple weeks back I shared the beginning stages of our playroom makeover with you. For more details on that post click here. The second stages of this project included a DIY seat cushion to sit atop the cube bench I had. We also stained and hung shelving and a floating desk for the kiddos to draw and play. The only part incomplete at this point is wall art (which is coming soon).



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February Giveaway Time {#uniquenestlove}

A month long of giveaway love from me to you!


There's no doubt that I have some pretty amazing followers that inspire me each and every day, and I wanted to do something special during the month of February to show my gratitude and appreciation. Without of all of you, there is no Unique Nest and so I'm spreading the love by teaming up with some amazing businesses and hosting a variety of giveaways throughout the month. 

I'm calling it #uniquenestlove and instructions will be posted on Instagram, Facebook and the blog with chances to win! You can also use the Rafflecopter widget embedded all the way to the bottom right hand side of the blog.

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Shiplap Fireplace with Built-Ins

My fireplace gets a custom makeover --- shiplap style!!!

It seems like it's been forever in the waiting, but the moment is finally here! It truly turned out better than it looked in my mind and I feel like a little kid who just got the coolest toy ever. I can't stop staring at my newly created space and I hope you like it too!!!

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Guinness & Coffee Pot Roast

This recipe is too good not to share!

I recently subscribed to Southern Living Magazine and boy am I glad that I did! They have the most delicious recipes and it's a break from the normal, traditional Northeast cookin' that I'm used to.

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Playroom Makeover Part I (DIY Storage Cubes)

A Place for Everything, and Everything in it's Place!

The 1st stages of "clutter central's" transformation…

It's pretty sad when you blog about home design and own a small business that focuses on helping people live in prettier spaces, yet your own home is lacking in these same areas. Truth be told, this is the reality of my life. There are only so many hours in a day and so many dollars in the bank account, and unfortunately this play room area of our house had taken a back-seat since we moved in.

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