New Services Offered!! WOOHOO!!

Over the past month, I have been trying to figure out ways that I can make Spire Design Group even better. I realize the need for affordable design and convenience and I have been racking my brain trying to come up with ideas of how I can offer that to people. Last year I began Offering "Design in a Box" which has been great and allowed me to help people all over the US. However, I wanted to be able to offer services that were quicker and also more accessible. Like, if someone just had a question or wanted to talk to me about a pillow or something. After much research and thought, I have decided to start offering the following "e-design" services:


Phone Consult: $30 an hour

Have a question about your space or just need to get a professional opinion before you make a design decision?? Spire Design Group will schedule an appointment via e-mail and answer any design question you have. You can e-mail pictures to us ahead of time to ensure we understand the question and are equipped to give you the best possible advice!


E-mail Question: $15 each

Need advice on a design dilemma? No problem. E-mail your question and/or pictures to us and we will be happy to help you figure out the best solution or guide you to the perfect choice for your home!


Design Board: $150 each room

We will e-mail you a questionnaire to help us better understand your need and wants. We ask that in addition to sending back the completed questionnaire, you also send pictures of the room as it currently is, as well as measurements of the space.
In return, you will receive a customized mood board with color scheme solutions, affordable furniture and accessory suggestions, layout ideas and more to transform your space. You can follow the plan to completely change the look of your entire space. You will receive the source and price of all items we suggest you purchase for your room design as well as suggestions on where to place things. It will make designing so much easier!!


I am still working out the kinks in my services and offerings, so bear with me. But if any of these appeal to you dear readers, send me an e-mail and lets get started!!! I hope this will make interior design that much more accessible to everyone!!! And, I am still offering Design in a Box as well as design services for clients within the state. I am only adding to the services Spire Design Group currently offers! No reason not to work with a designer now!!! It's too easy!!

And be sure to check out my new friend Gussy's blog tomorrow!! You might read about someone you know!!!! HEHE!!!

No real reason for these pictures. I just hate posting without something for you all to look at!! I think this office space looks incredibly cozy!!! I could work here!!! Have a great day!!!!

These Are a Few Of My Favorite Things...Around my House

So, a few of you have asked to see what my home looks like for Christmas this year. I have to say, I didn't go all out as I had planned, but I think I managed to go a little bit crazy at least!! I thought I would show you the "highlights" around my house and my favorite things that I love to see each year at Christmas!!

Last year I made this Advent calendar. It was part of a class that I took at my favorite local shop Lola Rue. Each of the numbers are made with unusual items. Everything from buttons to dice to miniature ornaments. It is a cookie sheet turned over and the numbers are on magnets and stuck to the back until ready to use. I am on day 7 today (of course) but when it is all completed, it is super cute! If I do say so myself!! This has become one of my favorite things and I hope will be a great tradition for when we have kids! I love how vintage it looks!

This is my dining room. Nothing too fancy this year. I chose to use what I already had around the house rather than buying or making anything. I used simple metallic red candles and brought out just about every crystal candlestick we own. I had a TON of Christmas ornaments that I didn't use, so I scattered them on the table. The runner was a gift a few years ago and we never had a dining table to use it on until now! So I was excited to get to use it this year!!

This little guy is Randy Reindeer. Randy has been with me every Christmas since I was probably 6 or 7. I believe he was a collectible at Burger King one year?? (Remember when you could buy something at a fast food place and get a different stuffed animal each week?? I think that is where Randy came from!) Any who, when I moved out on my own, my mom gave me quite a few of my ornaments and decorations and Randy was one of them. Something about that face...so cute!!!

The boot tree!!!! I love this! We spent Thanksgiving in Arizona a few years ago with my husbands side of the family. My mother in law bought my sister in law and I these trees to remember our trip. It has become one of my most favorite Christmas decorations!!! I am not what you would call "country" but this tree is so me!!!

"Santa with a boat", is how my husband and I affectionately refer to this little wooden jem. He was a wedding gift from my high school cheer leading coach Stacy. I remember opening the gift and thinking it was a little crazy. Where would we put "Santa with a boat"?? The first Christmas that my husband and I were married, we had just moved to Los Angeles. My husband was still in the Air Force and we were living on base in the hotel until our apartment was ready to move into. All of our Christmas decorations were in storage and we didn't buy a tree as we had no room and we were going back home to Indiana for the holidays. All of our "stuff" had been shipped to California before our wedding except for our wedding gifts. The gifts made the trip to California with us in our cars...including Santa. Santa was the ONLY Christmas decoration we had to put out that year. Now, he is one of my favorite Christmas memories!!

This is the stairway. Growing up, I never lived in a house with 2 stories, and I always wanted to. Primarily for this reason! I wanted to have a banister to decorate for Christmas!!! Its the simple things in life!!!

My little tree in the entryway was a hand me down from my mom, ornaments and all. She wanted to get rid of it last year and I was happy to take it. It has a more rustic look to it. Its the perfect size for an entryway. I set it up higher on an old milk crate and it really looks perfect!

This is the powder bath. (No, it is not orange. For some reason it photographs a little strangely!) Any who, I really like the way the decorations turned out. I used a small collection of snowmen, Santa's and greenery to make this feel all festive!! The basket on the toilet also has one of my very favorite items for Christmas...cinnamon scented pine cones!!! I LOVE that smell and my entire first level smells like it all season long!

My aunt Chickie gave me these stacking Santa's when I was about 8 I think. These truly have gone everywhere with me! College, first apartment, first home and now this house. I look forward to my stacking Santa's every year.

I bought this Merry Christmas sign last year at Lola Rue (my fav local home good store). I try to buy one really unique Christmas item each year and last year this was my item. I think it looks great on the mantle.

And this is my mantle! Pretty simple, I like to use green garland and sheer glitter ribbon. When the white lights shine through the ribbon it looks so special and pretty. I bought our stockings a few years ago at Pottery Barn. I still need to have our names put on them! Little Oliver has his own stocking as well. The sleigh is a another hand me down from mom and of course, you remember "Santa with the boat"!

And...this is my tree. I love our tree. We bought it the second Christmas we were married. We can't have a real tree because my husband "claims" he is allergic! Right....!!! This tree is a bit too small for the house we are in now, but it was the perfect apartment tree. Maybe next year we will upgrade?? The tree is again wrapped in sheer glitter ribbon and has billions of white lights. I love getting the ornaments out each year because most of our ornaments have a story or some meaning behind them.

I try to buy an ornament every time we take a trip. So we have things from Maui, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oklahoma City, San Diego, Disneyland, Phoenix and a few other places I am forgetting at the moment. I also have many ornaments that have been gifts over the years. I even have one from a friend that she made for me in high school!! (Thanks Kristin!)

Growing up, my aunt Chickie gave me an angel ornament every year starting from my first Christmas until I was in high school. My mom let me take all my angels with me when I moved out. These are extremely special to me and one of my most favorite Christmas traditions. I have started this tradition with my own niece and give her an angel each year. Hopefully one day when she is grown, she can put them on her own tree to share with her family.

Christmas is such a special magical time. I love the traditions and memories of the holiday season!! I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of my home and learning more about my favorite Christmas decorations.

What are some of your favorite Christmas decorations???

SNOW DAY!!!!

We had a little bit of snow today. And what better way to spend a snow filled morning than turning yourself, husband and dog into elves!!! Go to http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/L7BrYZMv7z6nmUJp?cmpid=ey_fb_self and turn your loved ones into elves. They even dance!!! Ok, back to serious business now!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Z Gallerie-Insane!!!

How many of you find yourself drooling over Z Gallerie?? Show of hands please!!! When the hubs and I lived in California, we were about 30 minutes from the one and only Z Gallerie outlet store. It was amazing and we picked up quite a few things for our home there. It was only open Saturdays, and a line would start to form about 7am and wrap around the building. (Yes, we were there many times at 7am!) Sadly, we had to leave behind our beloved outlet store. However, there are plenty of Z Gallerie stores around the country as well as an awesome online store http://www.zgallerie.com/. I do quite a bit of online shopping for clients on the Z Gallerie website, just for everyday odds and ends. I was insanely happy when they started showing the collection of Christmas items they offer!! WOOHOO!!! (Ok, I was really happy but the insane part came from a large amount of coffee I had consumed earlier in the day.) I thought I would share some of these pretties with you for inspiration on this COLD December day. I figured a lot of you might be pulling out the Christmas decor this weekend if you haven't already!! Enjoy, and wipe that drool off the keyboard...yuck!!!

Dear Santa....

As a child, I asked for one thing EVERY year. A playhouse. That was the firsh thing on my list for Santa, the first thing I asked for when I sat on his lap. I wanted a playhouse more than anything. Well, sadly I never got one (cue violins and one single tear). Now that I am "older" I realize that it is inappropriate for me to ask for a playhouse. However, I could ask for an office???!!! This little space would be perfect and cozy for all my tea parties, I mean meetings. I think it is really sweet and would be just the right size. I hope Santa reads my blog???

In my parents defense, I was never deprived as a child!! Instead of a playhouse, I got a life size dollhouse that my dad spent many hours making. It means more to me than anything because he took the time to make it with his own hands. (Thanks dad!!!) Maybe I could convince about the office idea??? HE HE!!!

Simple Holiday Centerpieces and Table Decor

One of the best parts of the holiday season is getting to spend time with family and friends. And what better way to spend time together than a holiday party!!!??? I love hosting get togethers and I really love decorating for them! I love thinking up new ways to re-purpose items around house and make them feal more "festive". Centerpieces and table decor really set the mood for a dinner party. Making the space feel welcoming, energetic or cozy can be a real challenge. It can also cost a fortune!! Here are some great ideas for holiday decorating using items that you probably already own (or should!! Tell Santa!!!)



The hurricane. It is simple and classic and can be filled with an array of treasures!! This hurricane filled with Christmas tree balls looks elegant and paired with glowing candles, very romantic.

I love this idea!! Buckets are great to have around for making festive novelty centerpieces. This looks great for the holidays. Buckets are wonderful because they can be filled with everything from candy canes to evergreen sprigs. White buckets are a good thing to invest in because they can work in winter as well as summer.

The perfect place mats can be expensive and sometimes hard to find. The place mats in this picture are pieces of red felt! That is crazy! This table looks so chic with the mix of red, white and black. A nice twist on the traditional red and green I think!

Apothecary jars are a great purchase to make!! They can be used year round for any occasion. For the holidays they can be filled with candies, Christmas tree balls, tinsel, you name it. These have been filled with holly, berries and pine cones. Sitting in the center of the table, these would be beautiful!!! Apothecary jars are a great investment if you don't have any!!! Maybe a good thing to ask Santa for this year???!!!

Glassware that you have around the house can serve a dual purpose and be used as a centerpiece. This brandy sniffer is filled with bells in a variety of sizes.

I LOVE this idea!!! This is a muffin tin with tea lights and various colors and sizes of Christmas tree balls. So simple and yet so pretty! A few of these lined up and down a dining table or even on a kitchen island would be really special looking. The only cost you would potentially have would be the candles!

A Christmas ornament chandelier!! Fabulous!!! By using various shapes and sizes of traditional Christmas tree balls and ribbon, you can create a very contemporary display. This could be hung from an exisiting light fixture, the ceiling or even a doorway if the ribbon is short enough.

Everyone loves Hershey Kisses!! (They are typically a permanent fixture in my house!) This centerpiece is so tasty!!! Using a large hurricane, fill it up almost to the top with these sweet treats. You could do 2 or 3 hurricanes in various sizes and group them together using Kisses or any other wrapped seasonal candy. Hershey makes some great Christmas candies wrapped in pretty foils that would be delectable on display!! This serves 2 functions, centerpiece and dessert!!!


Decorating for holiday parties doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. Get creative with things you already own and think outside of the box! Have fun with decorating!!!

Help me Reach 100 Followers!!!!!

I have been writing my blog for over a year now. It has been a real love/hate relationship for the most part. I am not what you call "computer savvy" so it has been a real learning curve for me. I have gained a lot of "blog" knowledge over the year and I am gearing up to make some changes to my blog as well as my business in general. I am pretty excited!!! One thing that would make my little heart just soar would be getting 100 people to follow my blog!! I know that is ambitious, but I think I can do it!

So, all of you loyal readers, thank you for your support, and be sure to tell your friends and family to sign up. I may start giving away fabulous prizes!!! I would hate for you to miss out!!!