Outdoor holiday decorating -- Berkeley style

There are so many ways to decorate the exterior of your home for the holidays. Some people are fond of inflatable Santas, others favor lots of sparkle and shine, and still others hang hundreds of lights. At VisualJill, we're taking a more natural, low-key approach.

The front of the house greets guests with a simple evergreen wreath, large green ceramic pots, and our favorite stock tank, filled with cyclamen, cabbage plants and a tiny pine tree right in the center.

Small pots of pansies and succulents adorn the steps, which lead to our front door. We hung the succulent wreath from burlap to add a rustic appeal, which goes nicely with the simple juniper garland.

On the porch, we featured a humble little cypress tree on one side of the bench and a blooming aloe vera plant in a cool bow bin on the other. The fountain is from Flora Grubb.

To make the tree feel a little less "Charlie Brown-ish", we put it in a galvanized pot and tied a wooden star on the front.

Finally, a simple straw wreath hangs on the inside of the porch window -- bought at Flowerland.

We kept it simple and natural, yet festive -- in true Berkeley style.

Warm and Wonderful Winter Fantasy at Anthropologie

Leave it to Anthropologie to come up with a fresh take on Holiday decorating! We walked into our local Berkeley store yesterday and were awestruck by the clever merchandising and styling throughout.

The ceiling is covered with curly strips of white, silver and bronze paper that hang down to give a snowfall effect, and complementary ivory items are showcased on beautiful tables. There is a touch of sparkle everywhere.

We loved this juxtaposition of the blue chipped painted wheelbarrow with the ethnic-inspired frock. Brilliant!

And check out this original display -- glass globes are suspended on long metal spikes to suggest snowballs.

Of course, since it's Anthropologie, there has to be a few pops of color . . . like the orange wall showcasing these modern-yet-folksy Christmas trees:

We are so inspired by what we saw. Congratulations to the Berkeley Anthro team for creating yet another incredible store environment. Now, time to get out our own Holiday boxes . . .

Discovering Maui's coolest little town

There's nothing like Hawaii to calm your senses and relax your soul. Last week Jill took a vacation to Maui, enjoying the sun, surf and tropical lushness that the island is famous for. She fell in love with a cool little beach town called Paia, on Maui's north shore.

Paia is full of great restaurants, bars, and boutiques -- you can find everything from hip beachwear to handmade jewelry here. One of her favorite shops is called Indigo, which features "some of the most beautiful tribal arts, antiques and rugs from Central and Southeast Asia." The selection is fabulous . . . here's just a taste of what they offer . . .

Luckily for those of us who can't hop a plane across the ocean, Indigo has a website and online store too!

New Colors from Benjamin Moore!

Last night we attended an event at the SF Design Center premiering Benjamin Moore's newest colors -- Color Stories. According to Benjamin Moore, "Color Stories' 240 full-spectrum colors are clearer, richer and more vibrant than conventional colors."

These color formulas are created using between 5 and 7 pigments (traditional methods use just 3 pigments). The result? More depth, overtones, nuance and luminosity, which means the shades actually change according to different light. They are gorgeous.