Christmas Archives - McKenzie Interior Design

Merriest of Christmas Greetings!

Published on December 25, 2017December 6, 2017 by steve mckenzie'sLeave a comment

Merry Christmas dear friends, family, clients, customers and team members!! We wish you the happiest holiday and pray you spend the day with your loved ones, enjoying this special time together.

And don’t forget, take a minute to put your feet up, relax and be IN the moment…

Game Time

Published on December 7, 2017December 6, 2017 by steve mckenzie's1 Comment

Not only do we have college football and basketball games (Go Butler Bulldogs!) to look forward to this winter, but our family looks forward to board games together. As our kids are young adults now, it’s the season to gather round the table for some game time.

Steve and I took up backgammon this year and love it. Keeps us unplugged and thinking strategically about the next move. Perhaps this would be a welcome gift for someone on your list?

Here is one of the hottest new games, have you played Catan? Looking forward to learning this interactive game of settlers with our adult kids.

Another fun intergenerational family activity is a puzzle. Many folks leave one out on a table so family and friends can stop and work on it a bit at a time.

Along with the perennial favorite Georgia puzzle, there are some new ones in stock – State Flags, and New England states. Stop in or call for the best selection.

Atlanta, state, puzzle, game, — Georgia State Puzzle – 500 pieces for ages 10 and up

Game time calls for crunch snacks. This Asian-inspired snack mix from Cooking Light looks like just the right recipe to share over your next game.

Thank you for letting us share our thoughts as we make plans to create special memories together. That’s what this is all about, right? And let’s keep it easy, unplugged and authentic. Tell us what your family does to have fun together.

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

Oh, where will we be?!

Published on November 2, 2016November 2, 2016 by steve mckenzie'sLeave a comment

Tis’ the season, we suppose… And we’re only busier from here! See steve mckenzie’s allover Atlanta this month. We’re out and about sharing our fabulous home accessories, art, holiday decor and more – make plans to see us soon!

question — Sneak Peek at the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Home for the Holiday Show House, opens Nov. 18th!

But, the first stop is one you can make right now to a recent post, where you can learn our top tips for creating and sending holiday cards, effortlessly. Be sure to enter the giveaway, which ends at midnight tonight!!

Next stop, Decatur, for the Decatur Art Walk:

Find Steve and his art at Trinity Mercantile onFriday, Nov. 4th from 5-9pm.
116 East Trinity Place / Decatur, GA

Next up is the Holiday Gift Show:

things to do in Atlanta — NMP Holiday Gift Show

Unique home accessories, gifts and more at the NMP Holiday Gift Show

Friday, Nov. 11th, 9-4pm and Saturday, Nov. 12th, 9-4pm

Finally, we’re headed to West Elm Ponce City Market:

Meet Steve and see his NEW art prints and stationery

Sunday, Nov. 13th, 12-5pm

675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE

Phew! We already need a cocktail :-)) We’re so excited to be out and about through the month of November and hope to see you soon, wherever we may be!

5 Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Cards + a Minted Giveaway

Published on October 20, 2016October 18, 2016 by steve mckenzie's23 Comments

Who’s ready to choose their Christmas cards. What?? I haven’t put away my Bermuda shorts yet, you say! As a corporate wife of a Berkshire Hathaway company CEO, mom of an active family of now young adults, and all that entails, I’ve learned a few things over the years and would like to share some words of wisdom with you.

Planning ahead will save you time, money and avoid stress. Plain and simple.

Read on for my helpful tips and a Giveaway from Minted.com!

Since you may need some time to pull together photos, addresses, etc, it is really smart to start thinking about this holiday tradition now. To help you with holiday cards, here’s my easy action plan, aided by Minted.com, which provides unique images from independent artists.

its-a-wonderful-life-script-by-christine-taylor

First, what card suits your family this year? Spend some time thinking about all the fun events, birthdays, milestones for your family. There are so many options these days – Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s. Was there a special occasion in your family this year, perhaps a wedding or big trip? Now that we’re Empty Nesters (I think that’s defined by what’s in your fridge these days which are mostly condiments, cheese and wine), holiday cards take on a different look. No matching smocked outfits, less time all together as a family, school, work and their own families happen, so there are fewer photo opportunities. If you’re going to be taking photos with the extended family at Christmas, perhaps a Happy New Year’s card suits you best.
Schedule 15-20 minutes for a few days to go through your photos. Are the family photos on your phone? Your spouse’s phone? Did someone take a good couples photo of you at an event? Save them in a universal spot like Google photos or iPhotos.
Delete bad photos. Never a better time than now and it frees up more space to capture new memories.
Now that you have an idea of what the contenders are, in terms of images, develop a game plan to fill in the photo blanks. For instance, here’s my current photo summary and game plan…
- I have 0 photos of me and spouse – Someone needs to take a cute pic of us!
- Good quantity of SM, me and child #3
- Cute photos of our married kids sent to me already
- I need photos of this year’s college graduate. Who has one?
- Plenty of photos of Duke the Shop dog!
  Duke the Shop Dog
Now for the fun part – browse your favorite online stationery source. I’m super-excited about Minted. Save your favorite unique designs with their handy heart symbol, download your photos and see how it looks in each design. Minted has a handy “Find It Fast” button where you can see your photos in several cards, making it easy to choose your favorites.

unique images — Minted.com makes it easy to send holiday sentiments!

My goal is to have narrowed down my choices to three by late October and an order goal of November 5th. I’ve learned what works for me – plan ahead and diminish the panic feeling as we head toward Thanksgiving (my mailing date goal). Enjoy this time thinking about your family, and the dear friends who will enjoy your special cards. ~Jill

Bonus = A Giveaway! Minted has generously offered to share their unique designs from independent artists with a $100 Giveaway toward holiday cards. See the latest trends and updated classic holiday card designs. Click here to enter to win $100 to shop Minted! No purchase necessary and giveaway ends midnight Nov. 2nd.

This post and images (except Duke’s photos) are sponsored by Minted, but all text, and opinions are all my own.

Merry Christmas from steve mckenzie’s!

Published on December 25, 2015December 23, 2015 by steve mckenzie'sLeave a comment

Warmest wishes to you and yours this holiday season! We appreciate your business and support over this last year and look forward to serving you in 2016!

Please note, the steve mckenzie’s showroom will be closed through the new year. However, we’re open 24/7 at stevemckenzies.com – or we can be reached at 404.618.0422. We look forward to seeing you in-store when we resume our regular hours on January 4th, 2016!