Wednesday 18 December 2013

Links I Love


2. In the giving spirit, donate to one of your favorite causes this holiday season. (humanesociety.org)
3. Alternative gift wrapping ideas. (apartmenttherapy.com)
4. This gold garland begs to be used as a backdrop on New Year's Eve. (anastasiamariecards.com)
5. A smart open door policy to keep the house clean. (apartmenttherapy.com)
6. The sweetest Christmas tree meringues. (rasberricupcakes.com)
7. I bought myself these cozy pajamas {on sale!} and absolutely love them. (jcrew.com)
8. Minimal chic Scandinavian decorations. (remodelista.com)
9. Photos that make you look twice. (weallbleedthesamecolor.com)

Tuesday 17 December 2013

The 8 Best Holiday Candles

I have what can only be classified as a full-fledged obsession with candles. I hoard them anytime I find a scent I love and have different ones scattered around the house. But around the holidays, I stick to a certain type - they're woodsy, masculine and evoke a cozy nostalgia. Here are my eight favorite holiday candles to burn throughout the winter.

1. Thymes "Frasier Fir" - $35: It's one of the most natural smelling pine candles that has a creamy undertone that keeps it from being too pungent.
2. Diptyque "Feu de Bois" - $60:  It has a warm smokiness that complements other scents nicely {try burning it with Diptyque 'Rose'.}
3. Unionmade/Baxter "KML" - $35: The depth and aroma of this campfire scent bring the outdoors in.
4. Voluspa "Golden Cypress" - $27: This is my current go-to and I'm burning this candle as I type. Its scent is slightly softer and not as pronounced as others on this list, but still well-rounded. 
5. Mrs. Meyer's "Orange Clove" $7: This spicy, fruity blend is fragrant without being cloying.
6. Le Labo "Pin 12" - $70: It's sexy, subtle and the touch of musk gives it a unique twist.
7. Good Candle Brooklyn "Cedar" - $16: This is a recent discovery that's become a new favorite - I love how it's pure cedar with no frills.
8. Himalayan "Frosted Mistletoe" - $24: This adorably named candle blends the scents of apples and berries with pine into a wintery scent and cute packaging.

Holiday Stationery Sets

Homemade gifts are always a nice touch - they're personal, customization is a large portion, and often times, quite affordable. Since I'm old-fashioned and still love to send out handwritten notes, I go through an absurd amount of stationery. I decided to make a few notecard sets as holiday gifts for girlfriends who feel similarly about sending/receiving mail. Here are the steps I took as well as a simple embossing 101 tutorial {a little trick to make them look more professional}. 

What you need: Clear ink padtwineembossing powder, stamps, plain note sets and envelopes, stickers, embossing heat tool.

Embossing is really simple and makes everything look a bit more polished {though, of course, there's nothing wrong with just using stamps}. Here are the basic steps:

1. Apply clear ink onto stamp.
2. Place stamp in desired location and press down.
3. Sprinkle embossing powder on the stamped area.
4. Dust the extra embossing powder back into the container {make sure the only remaining embossing powder is in the desired stamp area}.
5. Keep your heating tool about 3 inches away and heat the stamped area until the powder melts into a solid form.

I made two different sets. The first is more traditional {and can be used year-round} in a simple black and white color scheme with my friend's initial at the top. The sweet scalloped detail on the cards, as well as the shiny embossing, keep them from feeling too plain.

The second set embraces a more festive, winter theme. I used grey cards with pinecone gold embossing, which I matched along the edges of the cards by using a gold Sharpie.

I finished both sets off with candy cane envelope sealing stickers and held everything together with sparkly twine. 


Saturday 14 December 2013

Holiday Wreaths Two Ways

Our place this year feels admittedly bare and not very festive. But I wanted to add a little something to the space, so I worked with two already-constructed grapevine wreaths {which are typically only a few dollars} and simply dressed them up a bit to make them unique. So if you've also waited until the last minute to put up some seasonal decorations, here are the two wreaths I made that took mere minutes to put together and were remarkably affordable.

For my first wreath, I went with a bit of a winter white theme utilizing Baby's Breath as well as some pine, so it would still have an outdoorsy scent.


I wanted a bit of asymmetry, which I achieved by only filling in the top. The grapevine wreath bases are very tightly woven so you just push the different stems you want to include into the vines, making sure they're secure.




For my second wreath, I did a breezy take on a traditional style by filling in the entire grapevine base. I used peppercorns as the main red element, which felt subdued and slightly less predictable than holly berries.


I found it helpful when constructing the wreaths to occasionally lift the entire thing up to a wall to get a feel for how it would look hanging {it's much easier that way to see areas that needed more foliage}

Links I Love

1. The best and worst eggnogs. (huffingtonpost.com)

2. This ornament balloon DIY would be great for a holiday party. (studiodiy.com)
3. Love this sexy, off-white blazer dress. (shopbop.com)
4. New favorite app: dining recommendations from the country's best chefs. (chefsfeed.com)
5. Who wouldn't want advice from Mindy Kaling? (vanityfair.com)
6. Cranberry orange breakfast knots. (completelydelicious.com)
7. 10 ways to dazzle at a meeting. (theeverygirl.com)
8. I can't believe these surreal photos were created without Photoshop. (boredpanda.com)

Monday 9 December 2013

Gift Guide 2013 - $250 and Under


If you have a little more to spend this season and are still hunting for a great gift, here's the final installment of this year's gift guide, showcasing items for $250 or less. Personally, if the only gift I ever received for the rest of my life was the Cowgirl Creamery club, I'd feel like I'd won the lottery. Also, be sure to check out my gift guides for items under $25 and under $100, along with our gift guide for men.
2. Edgy ear cuff ($135).
3. Rose gold wrap watch ($160).
11. Le Labo Neroli perfume ($160).

Gift Guide 2013 - $25 And Under


Time for my annual gift guide series, starting with items $25 or less. I'll be posting several guides over the coming weeks, including a gift guide for guys, so hopefully you'll find some inspiration for friends, family and yourself! 
1. The best hair-ties ($12.50) in soft neutrals.
2. Monogrammed mug ($10).
4. Sleek narrow belt ($25.90). 
5. The best nail combo pack ($25) with three fun colors. 
6. A fruit card note set ($18).
7. The sweetest pebble bud vase ($24).
8. Seasonal tartan iPhone case ($18.50).
9. Obtuse paper weight ($18).
10. Indulgent hand soap ($24) in a pretty bottle. 
11. "Wicked" hot chocolate ($18) from Jacques Torres.
12. Polished oyster shells ($14) to hold salt for dinner parties.

Friday 6 December 2013

Five Things


{The first batch of holiday sugar cookies}

There's always a letdown after Thanksgiving - a slight sadness that sets in after the leftovers have been eaten and family has gone home. I tried to ease into the week with mellow evenings, catching up on this season's The Walking Dead and starting a new book. But to get back into the holiday spirit. I'll making crafts, drinking champagne, and cookie decorating. Have a great weekend.

{The coolest cowhide chairs}


{I love an inspirational sign}



{Clementines that smell as good as they taste}



{These vintage-y champagne coupes that feel wonderfully celebratory}

Thursday 5 December 2013

Hairspiration


I'm not big on changing things up. I'm fiercely loyal to my normal routine and the same applies to my look. I've pretty much had long, black hair  for a while since I was a kid, and only in the last year have I started to experiment a bit. I had gotten a bit bored of my longer hair, so I compiled a few inspirational images {which I've found to be super helpful when it comes to getting the exact cut that I want} and want a longer, blunt bob. Sometimes a little change goes a long way.

Holiday Party Uniform

 It's fair to say that I think there's a certain magic associated with a holiday party. With the onslaught of events that line up this time of year, I like to have a go-to uniform, of sorts, which I've outlined below.

Coat: Make a statement with a bright, candy-colored coat ($196).
Jewels: Glitzy jewels are the perfect complement to an otherwise neutral outfit ($78).
Makeup: Keep your make-up simple with a touch of sparkle on the lids.
Top: I love the idea of a cropped top paired with a high-wasited skirt for a playful silhouette ($69.90). 
Bottom: A shimmery skirt in an exaggerated a-line shape ($220).
Nails: A deep eggplant nail polish is a refreshing change from a basic red ($6.50).
Bubbly: stock up on one of your favorite champagnes so that you always have a built-in hostess gift ($18.99).
Clutch: A dainty clutch that packs a big punch ($79.99).
Hair: A slightly undone chignon offsets the volume of the party skirt.
Heels: A glittery heel rounds out the look with a festive touch ($325).