Our Pacific Northwest Coastal Christmas

November 22, 2017Christmas, Coastal InteriorsAnneke McConnell

Happy Thanksgiving Eve you guys! And thanks for the love on my last blog post!!

This is one of my absolute FAVORITE times of the year to decorate. I'm not much of a seasonal decorator, but when it comes to Christmas time, I'm ready to transform our little beach house and make it feel a little magical. It doesn't take much since it's so tiny!

With twinkling lights, soft seasonal blankets, and holiday greens, I downright LOVE it! The older our kids get, it seems I can't decorate soon enough too. This is the first year I've decorated before Thanksgiving, but we do still need to put up our Christmas tree. Soon enough! Maybe tonight?

Enjoy this peek into our Pacific Northwest Beach House! Details are listed throughout the post and at the very end. :-)

I couldn't pass up these cute sea star Christmas trees when I spotted them at Homegoods. They were just too perfect! I found the stocking hangers there as well. The vintage sled was a fun touch to add this year, and it was a score of a find at a recent vintage market I went too. You may have seen me share all the cool treasures on my Instagram stories!

As much as I love real greenery, I've found that faux garlands and greens are more and more lifelike these days, pretty affordable (even the pre-lit ones), and make much less of a mess. I found a lot of ours in person at Michael's stores. :-)

Even though our three kiddos are a little bit older, they are LOVING this North Pole Post box. (It's almost sold out!) It's fun to see them playing pretends and writing notes to "Santa." Haha. The huge Nutcracker was another Homegoods find. I've often found a ton of similar items from TJMaxx which is their sister company!

I recently took our tv mount down (hence the holes in the rock) and am hoping to frame this DIY art soon and get it up there. Just add it to the "to-do" list! It's made of some project plywood I had cut to size for me at Home Depot, then painted with a white chalked paint followed by hand written sayings using a gold paint pen (my favorite gold leaf diy pen!).

I love how this pantry is working out in our kitchen since we got it! It was really easy to put together which is nice (not always the case!) and in all honesty I'll probably whitewash before too long since it has a warmer tone than I'd prefer personally. It also comes in white and has really given us the extra storage we so desperately need, until we can renovate! It's easy to reach for the kiddos too which is nice.

I always get A LOT of questions about our hardware and absolutely LOVE them! Since we did a DIY Makeover on our kitchen, I splurged a little more to get quality hardware that could withstand saltwater air and kiddo's hands. ;-) You can find them HERE.

These crystal Christmas trees were handed down to me through my family, but you can find something similar HERE and HERE. The wreath is sold out, but you can find a similar one HERE. The cute pom dish towel was another Michael's store find. I LOVE IT! Again, you can find our champagne brass hardware HERE. And I LOVE our Delta faucet, which you can find HERE. We had the Leland Kitchen Faucet in our previous home, and I loved it so much, I wanted another Delta faucet in the beach house.

When looking into the kitchen from our living room, I love how our island light adds a little contrast, brightens the entire space, but doesn't take up a ton of room. We don't have the high ceilings I'd love, but this was an amazing solution for us! You can currently find it HERE and HERE and it comes in an 7-light version as well.

Thanks for taking a peek at our Beach House Christmas here on the Puget Sound. We definitely have a love for the Pacific Northwest coast and making the holidays magical for our family. Have a blessed holiday with your family!

HERE ARE A FEW

PRE-BLACK FRIDAY SALES

WORTH MENTIONING:

BaubleBar

(30% off Holiday Collections and Gift Sets)

ShopBop

(up to 75% off)

Express

(50% off EVERYTHING)

OLD NAVY

50% off your entire purchase

That's CRAZY!

Wayfair

(up to 80% off)

Serena & Lily

(20% off EVERYTHING)

McGee & Co.

(20% off everything)

One Kings Lane

(20% off EVERYTHING)

I'm looking at getting THIS!! SO many great items!

Sam Edelman

30% off EVERYTHING

(Again, a favorite shoe brand. I love the Hazel and Olette, & Petty)

T3 Micro

25% off with code FRIDAY17

(These hair tools are amazing!)

Tory Burch

30% off Holiday Event

(one of my fave handbag designers!)

Nordstrom

Up to 50% off -my FAVE store to shop!

Saks Fifth Avenue

Up to 60% off - this is how to afford designer items!

Don't miss out on designer items like this Chloe Faye Bag and AG Jeans,

More Black Friday Deals and Gift Guides coming your way!

From the beach,

Anneke

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****This blog post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission when you click on a link and purchase an item. This is at no additional cost to you and helps support this blog and it's content.

Coastal Chic Casual Entryway Design

November 20, 2017Coastal Interiors, Edesign, EntrywayAnneke McConnell

Happy Monday everyone! Can you believe it's Thanksgiving week already??! It's crazy how time flies. Before diving into today's design, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for all the love and messages on my last post about the past year of trials and perseverance. It was tough to hit publish, but the messages I'm receiving from women that were encouraged to get help makes it completely worth it!

Also, remember you can see all Holiday Home items I've rounded up for you including pretty stockings, Christmas trees and trimmings, Christmas wrapping paper, seasonal blankets, you name it.

Black Friday deals and sales have already kicked off, so I'll list a handful below that are definitely worth checking out! I've got the inside scoop on what sales are going LIVE for Black Friday, and let me tell you, they are CRAZY GOOD! Different stores are going live with their sales each day this week. I'm sworn to secrecy, but am getting all the info. ready for you and will send out an email to subscribers first. You can sign up below (I send blog updates, designs, etc.) and a few more emails during busy weeks like this!

Benson Cobb Artwork (2 sizes available) / Brass 4-light Wall Picture Light / Black Cage Lantern Foyer Chandelier / Turned Leg Console Table / Capiz Shell Decorative Tray / Coral Home Decor / Wicker Storage Basket with Handles / 34" Antique Brass Coastal Lantern / 26" Antique Brass Coastal Lantern / Neutral Diamond Pattern Rug

SHOP THE LOOK

Black Friday Sales that have begun:

WAYFAIR - up to 80% off

JOSS & MAIN - up to 80% off

COACH - 30% off Thanksgiving Event with code THANKS17 (love THIS bag!)

NORDSTROM - Early Savings now live (so many great jewelry pieces, clothing, and shoes)

NEIMAN MARCUS LAST CALL - up to 80% off Black Friday week (unreal deals!!)

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE - up to 40% off

MODA OPERANDI - up to 65% off with code 30EXTRA

OLD NAVY - New Flash Sales leading up to Black Friday (today is 50% off sweaters!)

EXPRESS - 25% off every $100 plus pre-Black Friday deals

Hope this helps and you're off to a great start this Thanksgiving week!

From the beach,

Anneke

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It's My Birthday! A Year of Trial and Hope.

November 16, 2017Personal Development, Winter FashionAnneke McConnell

Welp! Another year older and here we are. This is not my typical kind of blog post, but this is indeed a personal blog and today's post is all about real life..........like "I'm scared to put this out there" REAL life. Yes, it's tough opening up about your personal life online, but today IS officially my Birthday and today I'm HAPPY and CELEBRATING, which is a very different picture from last year.

It's My Birthday: A Year of Trial and Hope

sweater (sold out) / Necklace / Jeans

Last year, I vividly remember hopping onto Facebook a few days before my birthday and purposely making my birthday completely private so only I could see it. I mean, right??? Silly. But I didn't want any well wishes, except from close friends and family, and quite frankly I had a bad attitude about it overall.

Last year was so rough you guys.....but not many people knew. I hinted here and there on Instagram, but it's not very inspiring to show up as an Eeyore at "work", so I'd plug away day by day, trying to still be authentic, trying to be more bold, trying new things with the blog, business, video, and different content (I kept telling myself this was not stressful....it most definitely was and contributed to problems). As I pause and reflect on where I'm at today, I'm happy to share any "words of wisdom" in light of my 35 years here on God's green planet that may help someone else. It can't go without saying that my personal faith was an anchor through that time.

Now being in the online space comes with it's own set of challenges and one of them is loneliness. Throw in being a firefighter wife and introvert, plus living under the gray skies that is Seattle, and it's a quadruple whammy if you don't stay on top of it.

This time exactly last year was when things in my life felt really depressing, uncertain, frustrating, and like an epic emotional roller coaster. My husband and I were having major conflicts that resulted in a lot of fear and uncertainty about the future after being married for 14 years. It makes me tear up just typing that and thinking about that time. To be blunt, because I was having so much conflict with him at the time, the one person closest to me, I often wondered how anyone else could possibly like me or what I was doing. Then exacerbating everything was the fact that I had underlying health issues that NEEDED to be addressed. Okay.....you now have a picture of the #hotmess that was my state of being last year. I understand if you're like "Peace out lady!", but I'm writing this because it is a story of HOPE and PERSERVERANCE.

Ok, so fast forward to the end of December and I was having a complete meltdown (#noshame), and my husband told me I had to start somewhere and get some medical tests done. Just some basic blood work tests to see if something internal was going on. I was all over the place emotionally, and clearly wasn't myself. All my tests came back normal, so I began to think of when I last felt my best. It happened to be when I was seeing a naturopath on a nearby island (the previous year) that specializes in nutrition for people with autoimmune disorders. I initially saw him to get a handle on my Hashimoto's thyroid issues. So this was probably about late February of 2017.

I've been on prednisone treatment in the past for postpartum kidney disease a total of two years (6 months, 6 months, and 1 year) and dealt with the symptoms of Hashimoto's like moderate fatigue and brain fog. I know first hand what it's like to feel like a prisoner in your own body and you just have to keep pushing through. You have to believe that it will get better. But now I was dealing with extreme mood swings, and it felt like the nail in the coffin.

Seeing my naturopath, again, made me all emotional. (haha) But to have a doctor that will LISTEN to you and work with what you're going through (my initial appt. was an hour and a half long), that will ask you inquiring questions, and is dedicated to helping you truly be healthy - this is priceless these days. Remember the initial testing I did??? That particular doctor unfortunately rushed me through my appt. and when everything came back fine, sent me on my way like I was just fine. I understand not all doctors are like this.

Ok, so by working with my naturopath, over time we realized that my hormone levels were out of whack and my progesterone levels were low. In case you were wondering, low progesterone symptoms can include foggy thinking, fatigue, low labido, depression, mood swings, anxiety, menstrual irregularities, infertility, acne, dry skin, slow metabolism, weight gain, headaches, and thyroid issues. Can we all agree that hormones are no joke?! Sheesh!

I may never know, but it's possible I've had low progesterone for almost 20 years since I was diagnosed with thyroid issues as a teenager. THIS is why I get so fired up about health and wellness you guys......because it's been a fight for myself and so many others I know. It still is. If you are going through difficult health issues right now, don't give up! Be your own advocate and seek natural options first and foremost. If you're struggling with thyroid issues, I recommend checking out the Medical Medium Thyroid Healing book. Take it one day and one change at a time.

My naturopath determined the supplements I needed including Evening Primrose Oil capsules to try and help naturally elevate my progesterone levels. (Always check with your doctor before taking any over the counter medications and supplements) You guys.....within a few months I was feeling SO much better. I was feeling like my normal self. I was actually HAPPY. I would wake up excited about life and excited about upcoming projects. I felt more motivated to make those healthier "obvious" choices like drinking water, exercising, and getting enough sleep. I could focus more clearly on the task at hand and what my kiddos were telling me about their day. I started to feel more genuine, and whole, and loving, and just ME.

This has been quite the journey to say the least.

When it comes down to it, I've found certain habits to be crucial to my personal well being and quality of life. All of these things play a part in me living MY best life and if I waver from any of them too far or too long, life just isn't as soul filling:

Understanding, accepting, and working with my personality. I've found the Enneagram to be the most helpful test and went through the book The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery with my husband to better understand each other as we change over the years.
Drinking enough water. This makes me chuckle because it's so basic, but seriously. lol
Getting 7-9 hours of sleep.
Exercising consistently. Primarily strength training with light cardio and HIIT training.
Eating 5-6 small meals per day. I am personally gluten and dairy free. (like 90%) ;-)
Leaving margin for the unexpected, because life happens (good and bad).
Getting completely ready for the day. (working from home, some days are questionable, but making the effort most days makes all the difference)
Setting scheduled time aside for friends and family.
Getting fresh air every day. (again.....Seattle native here).
Setting aside time to spend one-on-one with each of our three kiddos and my husband.

I can't tell you what it means to be in such a better place in my life this year. I'm thankful to the family and friends who did know and supported us this past year. There will always be "down" moments in life, but when they extend into a "down season", having people around you who don't judge or abandon you and simply love you through it are priceless.

Hugs to you and thanks so much for being a part of my "Happy" things in life. :-) Thanks for taking time out of your day to read this and I hope it helps you or someone you know!

MY BIRTHDAY WISHLIST

From the beach,

Anneke

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Dining Room Inspiration Design

November 14, 2017Coastal Interiors, Edesign, DiningAnneke McConnell

With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, it's one of my favorite times of the year to create dining room, living room, and guest room designs. Today's dining room design has a bit of a rustic chic flair to it, which is inviting and warm, with a relaxed feel to it. It's probably my favorite kind of design......elevated casual??

Also, remember you can find all Holiday Home picks HERE. I just picked up THIS cute piece for our Holiday Home and love it! I can't wait to share more of our little beach house soon!