One last set of images from my trip last week… a random assortment of things found at my grandparents’ house.

Beautiful letterpress coasters from Atlanta, Georgia shop Red Bird Ink.

These first three photos are from the portfolio of Faith Blakeney, an interior designer I found by way of Old Brand New. In the top one I love all the white with splashes of pattern and color. And the second photo looks like a perfect place to curl up with a book on a summer afternoon. The last photo of the kitchen is charming as can be, but I like it because it reminds me that not-so-perfect kitchens can be cute with the right touch. My husband and I recently decided to put our kitchen renovation plans on hold indefinitely, and in the meantime we’re painting, pulling up vinyl, and dreaming up wall paint colors. Make do with what you’ve got!

This photo is from Chrissy Poitras and Kyle Topping’s home, as featured on Design*Sponge (photographed by Evan Nash). I love the mix of patterns and casual, lived-in-but-neat feel. Below is another photo from their home (oh to have old wallpaper that just happens to be beautiful). My husband is anti-wallpaper, but I’m working on him. I love the white floor, too.

This next photo is sort of a wild card, I suppose, in that it’s full of furniture and other things I’d probably never buy, but I wish I would! Found on The Selby, Alexandre Herchcovitch’s home has a whimsical sense of humor and great colors.

Over the Christmas vacation my husband and I did a few little home projects (above). My favorite update was that we finally turned our sunroom into a usable space (remember our pictures from last year?). This weekend we’ll go rug shopping. Built-in bookshelves, a second chair, artwork, and window treatments are on our to-do list. But I love how a new lamp from Target, a small Ikea rug, and a thrift store chair completely changed the space. We also started painting our kitchen cabinets, which I think will be the biggest change of all. So fun. Photos coming soon!

You can read more about our house projects right here.

Love these dopp kits, just released from Maptote!

We have a few tea towels leftover from this weekend’s craft market, and they’re now in the shop. Hurry before they’re gone!

I love those vertical plant walls and have been looking for a way to bring something like that indoors (without needing to hire someone’s green thumb to keep it pretty). Along the same lines, West Elm and Shane Powers will launch this collection of ceramic wall planters the first week of January, and I can’t wait. They’ll range in price from $19-$69, and it will be hard not to buy a few for each room!

Here are some ornaments we have our eye on this year!

Clockwise: Coral Candy Orb / Bear / Vintage Flocked Finial / Yarn Skein / Crackled Clear Lozenge / Walrus / Lemonwood / Paint in Color Orb / Bristle Brush Fox / Brilliant Bird / DIY Matryoshka Doll (instructions)

For your dad: Wall clock form Scandinavian Deko

For your mom: hand-dyed napkins from 100 Layer Cake

For your sweetheart: tiny polaroid magnets from Ambrosia Girl

For your grandparents (or teachers or neighbors or friends!): Paperwhite bulb bags from Joke on Frolic

For your sister: hand-drawn mugs from Creature Comforts

For the dog: t-shirts turned into rope toys by DIYourFaceOff

For the little ones: fabric transfer from How About Orange (would look great on t-shirts and onesies, too!)

For your brother: While it would be cooler (and easier) to get illustrator Kyle Hilton to create custom paper dolls for you, I love One Plus One’s idea of your loved one transformed into their favorite super-hero.

For the cat: DIY cat toys from Design*Sponge

 For your friend: ipad case by Lotta Jansdotter in the Anthology Gift Guide

A round-up of gift-worthy items from some of our featured sponsors!

1. Good Timers Ceramic Mug by Kin Ship Press / 2. North Carolina Necklace by Vespertine / 3. Thunderbird Ring by Ruby Lane / 4. Zig Zag Postcards by The Change Factory / 5. Western Meadowlark Specimen Letterpress Print by Mossière / 6. Spring Court Velcro Trainers from Smallable / 7. Snow Angel Letterpress Cards from Felt & Wire / 8. Peaceful Snowflake Cards by Juniper Berry / 9. Looking for Beauty Print by Creature Comforts / 10. Hana-Hukin Kitchen Cloth from Uguisu

Thanks, all! Sponsors help make Mint possible, and I am so grateful for their support. If you’re interested in advertising on Mint, please get in touch by emailing ellie at mintdesignblog dot com, and I’ll be happy to give you all the details.