my CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

I know that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but so is Christmas! It really is my most favorite time of the year. I enjoy thinking about gifts for other people and seeing their reaction when they open a present they love. Here is what is on my wish list this year and maybe it will inspire some ideas for you as well. 

ONE: Your Child and Your Baby in pictures - These seem like great resources for photography and I'm always looking for pointers and tips - especially now that I'm shooting my own baby boy!

TWO: Personalized brass bracelet - This would be so special with our wedding date engraved on it, 02.26.11

THREE: Marc Jacobs "Henry Dinky" watch - I love the black face on this watch and it will be a nice contrast to my everyday, gold chronograph watch. 

FOUR: Tory Burch "Miller" sandal in vanilla - My beloved white flats broke this past summer and I've been on the search for a replacement pair ever since. This yummy vanilla cream color seems perfect to pair with any outfit. (size 8)

FIVE: Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy and Modern Calligraphy books 

SIX: Wooden SmartBox - I've been looking for something to store and organize my calligraphy tools in and this looks perfect - small nooks for nibs, a handle for carrying, 2 layers for depth, areas for my pens ... sold!

SEVEN: Winsor and Newton gouache - This primary or set of 10 would be ideal for introducing watercolor into my calligraphy. I need to break away from the standard black and walnut ink! 

EIGHT: Tory Burch "Thea-Mini" Crossbody - I have a similar one that I got in New York (hm hm chinatown) that I have loved using so upgrading to the real deal would be sweet. It is great for a day on the go when you just need a few items and you don't want to fool with keeping something on your shoulder or arm. 

NINE: Professional Guillotine - Now that I'm doing more and more freelance work, my old paper cutter just isn't cutting it (literally!). This would be awesome for cutting multiple invitations, stationary, etc. and not to mention, save me time! 

TEN: Green studs - Emerald green is a very trendy color right now and these would be perfect for everyday wear or a fun, holiday party.

And if you still need ideas, check out my wish list or gift ideas boards! 

CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

I know most of you all ready have your shopping complete, but I have just begun! Hence the late post of my Christmas wish list! Better late then never. I love looking at all the gift and wish lists on blogs right now - I get some of my best gift (and wish list) ideas from them! It's like finding little hidden gems amongst the world wide web.

ONE: black spotty fingerless gloves: how cute are these? 
TWO: biker jacket: I am really digging the cropped leather jackets this fall and this one isn't too pricy to get my taste. My dream would be a real leather camel colored one ... (maybe like this one?)
THREE: kate spade rose gold watch
FOUR: kate spade locket
FIVE: capri blue giant mercury jar: I LOVE this candle and a giant one would be fabulous ... please join me on my coffee table this holiday season!
SIX: brass plant mister: not only would this be perfect for sprinkling my indoor boxwoods and succulents, but also adorable to keep on display
SEVEN: slipper with leopard tassel: you can't have enough black flats 
EIGHT: floating lily candelabra: I haven't fully decided on a good table piece, but I think this one would be fun regardless (and it's on sale, whoop whoop!)

LAST MINUTE GIFT?

Do you need a quick, last minute gift idea? Well, here is a good one for you! I made loaves of apple sauce bread for Brandon's co-workers and it was so good I wanted to share the recipe. Surprisingly, it is healthy! It is made with whole wheat flour, apple sauce, and a few other simple ingredients. I was able to use my kitchen aid mixer for the first time and it sure made the job easier. I made six loaves in two different batches and I didn't have to stir anything!

After the bread was done I used flour sack towels to wrap the loaves and tie it off with twine. I had these leftover fruit baskets from a wedding project so they were the perfect "basket" to deliver them in. I just noticed the holly tree out front of Melrose so I picked a few sprigs to adorn the punched name tags I made. What do you think? I think for a 2 hour craft project they turned out pretty cute! I hope Brandon's co-workers will enjoy it!

If you are looking for another great idea, I posted about gifting home made BBQ rub during my wedding planning. It was such an easy, but unique present to pass out to our hosts. 


In other "cooking" news, I found two great holiday items that are amazing and you need to try. If you love your house to smell like Christmas then you need to make this potpourri I found on pinterest. It smells wonderful and the best thing is you can leave it on your stove and just add water and reheat the mix. Usually I simmer cider on the stove with similar ingredients but this is so much easier. 

And, In my Christmas decor post I mentioned I host an annual Feliz Navidad party, well this year I decided to forgo the margaritas and make this champagne strawberry punch I found on pinterest instead. I had high hopes of making both to represent green and red, but time got the best of me. It was quite delicious and a big hit. What gets easier than combining a bottle of champagne, ginger ale, and frozen strawberries? 

Do you have any holiday recipes you love? Please share!

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD!

I know that saying isn't perfectly true, but in my mind it is! This time of year everyone is representing in their sparkles and sequins and ready to ring in 2012 in style. Here are some of my current favorite items that are glittery and gold!

zara glitter heels - wouldn't these be perfect for New Years?

 jayson home gold swallow ornament - Our tree is full of birds and I love collecting new ones - especially sparkly ones!

scalloped glitter garland - I would love this hanging from our mantle!

anthropologie sequin swirled pullover

 pottery barn's glitter eiffel tower tree topper

 west elm gold sequin stocking

west elm glittered sphere ornaments

 mod cloth gold-oriented flats - I really wish I wouldn't have waited too late to order these!

 jcrew gold iphone case

And, my favorite - tory burch gold one shoulder top (on sale for $199)

Although glitter is my fav during Christmas ...

I heart this poster :)

IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!

Wow is it a week until Christmas all ready? Time flies when you are having fun! This December has been exciting with all the Holiday parties, Christmas movies, gift wrapping (yes, I love to wrap presents!), fire enjoying, and more - that I have not had much time to post! I am happy to squeeze this post in to share our festive Christmas decor. You may have seen a tiny peek at it here when I posted about our first fire.

Like I have said before - I love Christmas and filling the house with wonderful scents and decor is one of the highlights. I host an annual "Feliz Navidad" party for my girlfriends and that always helps kick to me in to full decorating mode. Here are some details from around the house. I am still collecting my Christmas decorations so each year I have been able to add a few new touches! 

The mantle - those are red and green bulbs (not pink like they look!). I wanted a larger wreath but that was the biggest natural wreath I could find, oh well!

I love my glitter reindeer!

This is a newbie for 2011 and it will definitely be repeated next year - I used this image as my inspiration and created a garland card holder. I bought 18' of natural garland from a local nursery and draped it around the doorway (I used command hooks to hold it) with lights. I used glitter clothespins my co-worker made (via pinterest) to clip the cards on the garland. The more sparkles the better! I was so happy with the way this project turned out! Since then we have collected many more cards, so here is a recent picture + a close up of the clothes pins (via my instagram).

p.s. you can see a tiny glimpse of the new baskets I hung over the buffet.

The tablescape

clippings from our tree are in the center surrounded by popcorn berries, pine cones, candles, and glitter deer (of course!)

Our Christmas china - Old St. Nick by Vietri

Also a newbie for this year - a glitter church, tree, and caroler purchased in Blue Ridge, GA during our couples trip to the mountains! I thought it was so cute and I could not resist the sparkles. It sits a top our buffet behind the dining table. 

The tree! Sorry I don't have a good picture ... this one is taken over our sofa so the bottom half is cut off. Bummer!

I made this DIY burlap garland last year, but with all the wedding festivities I got too tied up (no pun intended!) to post about it. So, I plan to share the directions this year! It adds the perfect neutral, and natural, touch to the tree.

My favorite gift wrap tied up with this red/white twill ribbon

glitter tulle!

Last but not least, one of my favorite Christmas traditions so far is the Homewood tradition of lining the streets with lit Christmas trees. It just seems so magical - I know that sounds cheesy, but it is so fun to ride around and see everyone chiming in. I took this picture one day on my ride home ... I just couldn't resist.

Merry to you and yours this December! I hope you all have a sparkly Christmas.

HOLIDAY WISH LIST

Since today is the first day of December I thought I would share my holiday wish list! Maybe these suggestions will help spur ideas for you as well! The hubs and I are celebrating our first newlywed Christmas together with my family in Virginia. It should be a fun, snow filled holiday and I can't wait. 

ONE: I love these new ring and bracelet cloches from Pottery Barn. I could definitely see these sitting on my dresser. (the web says they are unavailable, but hopefully that is temporary or they are still in store!?)
TWO: Flash reflector to help prevent the flash lighting being too harsh 
THREE: I can totally see myself sportin' these long button gloves this winter! I hate cold hands and feet!
FOUR: These "tiny tots" canvases by Lucie Wallace have been making their rounds on the blog world lately and I am obsessed with her style! I would take any of her paintings, but these cute little ones are more wallet friendly!
FIVE: This Timex watch face paired with the leopard strap is so classic. 
SIX: These mini ikat bowls from Anthropologie are perfect for storing jewelry. I want my drawer to be filled with these and look like this! 
SEVEN: This is a little unrealistic at the moment, but I would love a 35 mm lens for my Canon Rebel. I currently use a 50 mm and it is fantastic for close ups, but this 35 mm can capture so much more!
EIGHT: I can visualize this faux fur throw on my bed right now! So warm, cozy, and stylish!
NINE: And this would be perfect on Brandon's dresser to house his watch, change, wallet, etc. - need something for his jewelry too, right!?
TEN: I also think this would be adorable for holding jewelry on my dresser - check out this image!


What is on your wish list? Please share!