A tree for everyone

Sorry for the lack of posts- I am up to my eyeballs in work for my final project.  I have to put together 4 materials boards, 4 renderings, and 2 papers by tomorrow at 5pm- yikes!  I'm totally a beginner when it comes to rendering so it is taking me a LONGGGGG time to even get something that looks halfway decent. 

In the meantime I thought I would post a gathering of my favorite trees this year.  Enjoy the Christmas eye candy while I'm in the middle of ripping mine out, won't you?

all of these trees and more can be found on my Christmas Pinterest board (along with their sources, please forgive me for not posting them here)

My Christmas Wreaths

My Christmas decor has been up for awhile now, but with a final to work on and my family room floor being a mess I haven't had time to take proper photos of everything.  But, I did get a chance to snap a few photos of the copy cat wreath decor I put together last week.

It took me alot longer to put this together than I thought- with measuring all the ribbon to the right lengths, picking out what ornament would go with what ribbon, you know all those anal details.

For a refresher, this was my inspiration

(via Cottage Living)

And after futzing around with ribbon and ornaments for about 2 hours this is what I came up with

It was really hard to get a good shot of this because when the sun was out you couldn't see any of the ornaments, hence the night time photo

I ran out of yellow ribbon just as I was starting this project so it could stand to get a little more yellow in there like the inspiration photo, but for now I love how festive they look on my windows.

Oh how I love Christmastime!

2011 Gift Guide for the Stocking

Back again with another installment of my 2011 Gift Guide,  this time it's stocking stuffers! Over the past few months I have spent HOURS searching the internet for ideas.  This list is for everyone, young or old, guy or girl, there is something for everyone.  Sit back and get ready to shop- there are 28 fun ideas here

1.I love a clean shaven man and this The Art of Shaving kit is just the ticket for that smooth face.

2. Everyone needs a foot rub now and then, try one with Burt's Bees foot lotion

3. Back when my husband, then boyfriend, started spending Christmas morning with my family he started the tradition of buying everyone a Tis Best Charity Gift Card for our stockings.  It's been 5 years since he started the tradition and it is one of my very favorites.  Sometimes we all need a little reminder that it's better to give than to receive.

4. Cant resist the pretty packaging on this Mor Soap

5. All kids should have a place to write down their thoughts, these JCrew Field Notes pads are just the place.

6. this elephant jewelry dish is the perfect resting place for your jewelry at night

7. If I got this Jonathan Adler whale eraser as a kid it would have been one of those that I kept special and never used.  Did you have those kinds of erasers or pencils?

8. I want this Leopard phone case, I just need an iPhone to go in it first. Details, Details.

9. There is a running joke in my family that my Grandpa used to get underwear and socks in his stocking every Christmas and he hated it.  I don't think these Christmas Boxers would be so bad to find in your stocking Christmas morning.

10. This Evil eye bracelet would sure keep that evil away.

11.These albums are currently my favorite and on endless repeat. Nothing But The Best by Frank Sinatra and Christmas by Michael Buble

12. I've been dying to try this Fresh Sugar lip gloss everyone swears by it so I just had to include it.

13. I dont eat meat but when I texted my brother asking if he liked bacon, his response was "Duh, everyone loves bacon except you!" I think I'll have to get this Bacon popcorn for his stocking.

14. On Christmas morning at my parents house after all the presents are opened and we've had a chance relax we open the wish ball to see if the wishes we wrote down the previous Christmas have come true.  Then we write down new wishes for the upcoming year and put them in the Wish Ornament Ball.  A few years ago my mom bought my husband and I one so we can carry on the tradition too.  

15. This Claw bottle opener is so cool looking.  Would be awesome for your own bar.

16.I love everything at Pixelimpress and this Pixelimpress desktop calendar would bring fun color to any desk.

17. There are no words for how cute these Lucy's Bow Socks are!

18. Love these Baggu bags- they are small enough to fit in your purse but sturdy enough to carry ALOT.

19. Another way to glam up your desk is with these Iomoi pens

20. Got dry winter hands?  This L'Occitane Hand Cream is just the fix.

21. This Moose Munch is one of my Mom's favorite treats so I just had to include it in my list (hi Mom!)

22. Turn your kids into little fashionistas with these Kids Leopard Gloves

23. No explanation needed, Smith's Rosebud Salve is the best!

24. Gotta keep those shoes shined and this LL Bean Shoe Care Kit is how to keep them clean

25. Headed on a Winter vacation? You won't lose your luggage with one of these Graphic Image Luggage Tags

26. These froggie LED Flashlights are adorable and fun to play with.

27. Dr. Bronners Pure Castile Soap has so many uses, I couldn't possibly list them all here. But, I will tell you this stuff is awesome.

28. My Dad LOVES to get his head scratched. This Head Scratcher would make him a very happy man on Christmas morning.

(This is NOT a sponsored post, these are just my own opinions)

2011 Gift Guide for the Gentlemen

So yesterday was all about the ladies and today is all about the men in our lives.  I've always had a difficult time shopping for my dad, brother, grandpa and now husband.  There doesn't seem to be as many wants/needs on their Christmas lists as the women in my lives.

Anywoo- here are a few of my favorite:

1. Just like I love my monograms, I love a man who does too.  What man wouldn't want to mark their meat with this Williams Sonoma brander?

2. a hot key chain for that hot man of yours.  Or maybe just your dad?

3. Have you ever been in a single guys apartment?  What comes to my mind is empty walls and black leather sofas.  I had my brother in mind when I picked this Ork Boston poster, and they come in lots of other cities too!

4. Love that all the new gloves out there have that magic finger pad so you can use your phone with gloves on. Genius. These ones are from Patagonia.

5. Who doesn't love Top Gun?  Gotta have the Ray Ban aviators.

6. Everyone has an iPod, iPad or something along those lines these days and I think these retro style headphones are so fun!

7. Another monogram, oops.  Love this Colby Leather Toiletry Case, it's perfect for the traveling man.

8. OK so maybe not every guy will love this cute brass duck bottle opener, but the women in their lives sure will.

9. Stylish birch storage boxes for the guy in your life to stash all his stuff.

2011 Gift Guide for the Ladies

Its that time of year again!  Time to start checking those lists to make sure everyone on your gift list is taken care of.  Need some ideas for the ladies in your life? Here are my current favorites:

1. perfect for any outfit this BCBG Harlow Reptile Print Clutch can be dressed up or down

2. For your bag or travel love the colors on this Tory Burch makeup bag

3. Bath towel or beach towel these Turkish towels are bright and cheery

4. the Kendra Scott Darby earrings are such a lovely shade of green 

5. love this Kate Spade bud vase on your nightstand, side table or tucked on a bookshelf for a bright surprise

6. there are about a million places I can think of to put a tray, especially this Furbish Studio leopard print tray

7. My best friends got me this Max & Chloe monogram necklace for my birthday and I have not taken it off since

8. You can never have too many L.L. Bean Boat and Tote Bags.  Monogram it or label it for what its used for, I'd love a new "Laundry" one

9. I'm on a big rose gold kick and these knot earrings are simple and classic

10. Every girl needs a stylish case for her iPad (or kindle, or any other tech device) Amagansett Tablet Computer Case

11. I love places to corral all my stuff and this Square Horn Bowl is perfect in any room, from bathroom to bedroom

12. Anything with a monogram is a lovely gift in my book, and I'm not even Southern!  A monogrammed jewelry case from Leontine Linens is the perfect present for any monogram lover

crafty Christmas

There are so many Christmas DIY projects that I have been dying to try.  I hate that the Christmas season is so short (Christmas season to me should be all year, but in reality it is the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas Day).  It doesn't leave much time to get all those projects on my list done with time left over to enjoy them.

Two years ago when I made my own peacock themed ornaments with clear glass balls and some paint 

Super easy and so cute.  I've been meaning to get to the craft store to pick up some more of those glass balls so I can make more in all different colors.  I love that these can be made to match any Christmas decor theme.

Anyway, I've been searching the internet and Christmas magazines for some of my very favorite Christmas ornament DIY projects. Some have tutorial links and the others look easy enough that you could make them at home too  

tin foil tape ornaments

tissue paper ornaments

painted glass ornaments- there is no tutorial on these, but they are so awesome looking that I am dying to try them

polka dot glitter ornaments

this one made me laugh- especially after Movember just ended.  There is no tutorial as it is sold on Etsy, but you could easily make your own with a plain glass ornament, some white paint, and a sharpie to make you own stash design.

These ones are paper mache- but you could totally paint stripes on any round ornament to make your own version in any color combo

  reindeer ornaments- such a cute idea for kids

Glitter geometric ornaments- I think I just love this one because its pictured with pink and orange

More glitter (Sorry Nicole. It will be over soon, I promise) I like how this one has just a touch of glitter. It could be made in so many different color combos too

So these thumbtack balls aren't necessarily Christmas ornaments (she actually made these to be vase fillers) but stick about a million thumbtacks into a styrofoam ball, add a ribbon hanger and you have such a fun ornament.  I really love the texture of these!

Another version of the painted ornament- but this time only cover part of the inside with paint.

Who knew with pledge and glitter you could get a professional looking glitter ball? Not me, that's for sure.

Sequin balls- I can't imagine the time spent sandwiching all these sequins together, but when its all finished it's a really pretty ornament.

layered paillettes ornament- looks like fish scales- would be so cute in blues and greens like a fishy!

to finish all those pretty ornaments I LOVE the idea of using ribbon to wrap around the top metal part. It just adds that extra detail to make your DIY ornaments look finished (from BHG)

Are there any I missed?  What are your favorite DIY ornament projects?

The most wonderful time of the year

Thanksgiving is now over and my focus can 100% be Christmas!  It's the most wonderful time of year and seriously brings out the two year old in me. 

We got our tree on Sunday and it's already up and almost finished.  I say almost because I've still got a few more DIY projects to get done before I can say its complete.

With much of my free time spent on Pinterest this year, the inspiration is endless.  So many amazing Christmas ideas, the list of projects I want to get done is overwhelming at times.  But in a good way, I mean I do LOVEEEE Christmas.

Here are some of my favorite Christmas inspiration photos for this year

Can you tell I'm going for lots of color this year?  No plain old red and green for me, bring on the color!  

Gather round

I'm not hosting my own Thanksgiving this year, but I really wish I was!  It would be so nice to be in my own home and have my family come to me.  I am huge into tradition and next year I'm starting my own as a newlywed that's for sure!

Even though I'm not setting my own table, I have gathered my favorites from around the web.  Most are from other bloggers too, I find them as the best source of inspiration.

Bryn Alexandra Interiors- Love the use of burlap and the wood candlesticks

Eddie Ross as seen in Lonny Magazine- Gold, blue and orange. It doesnt get better than those 3 colors together.

Eddie Ross- the pink and red combo is so beautiful here, and the plaid tablecloth just makes the entire table.

Full House- Christina went above and beyond here.  The paper punch table runner is GENIUS!

This simple table from Martha Stewart is perfect. Anyone can do candles and pumpkins- love it!

Matters of Style took some ikat fabric and created this beauty.  I think the gold chargers and the beautiful china pull together this amazing look.

Lauren from Pure Style Home does everythign to perfection and makes it look effortless.  For her centerpiece she just went in her backyard and gathered some ferns, paired with a few pumpkins and she pulled together this stunning table.

Thanksgiving and pink normally arent paired together- but Southern Living did this pink Thanksgiving table and I just love it.  I think I need some pink china for next year.

So many ideas, its going to be hard for me to narrow it down.  But I guess I've got some time to start thinking about it, right?

Currently Loving

I'm currently really loving these things- they are bringing me lots of inspiration today!

1. Ben Moore (and also Sherwin Williams) fan decks.  I'm working on my final project for school and these babies have been getting some use.  They are worth their weight in gold right now, I don't know what I would do without them!

2. LOVE the color of these Kendra Scott earrings.  So perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

3. Ok so this painting has the most beautiful colors- but I am a horrible blogger and I have no idea who its by- please help so I can give credit!

4. I had this glitter nailpolish on this past weekend for my birthday celebration and I loved it.  Its like a party on your nails!

5. The current issue of House of Fifty is ahhhh-mahhh-zing.  So many ideas, so much inspiration, Janell is awesome!

6. How cute is this hook?  It would be such an unexpected wall hook for your winter coats. 

7. I really think this Harry Allen piggy would be a great reminder to my inner shopping freak that I need to SAVE more.  The gold one is my favorite of course.  Of course the $125 price tag for him would be going against the whole "save" message.

8. More glitter!  This holiday season I want to glitter EVERYTHING I can get my hands on.  I probably wont since just a little glitter does the trick, but I still love all these colors.

Giving Thanks

I'm having a really (REALLY) hard time not posting about all things Christmas.  I know it's not even Thanksgiving, but I'm one of those people that wishes Christmas could be celebrated all year long.  Anywho, I will do my best to wait and I'm trying really hard to just keep thinking Thanksgiving over and over.

I'm not hosting my own Thanksgiving this year, but I hope one of these years.  To prepare I have been collecting DIY decor ideas that would be super cute for any Thanksgiving table.

Acorns are free- can't get better than that.  Just collect some acorns outside, drill some holes in them, and then string them on wire to make a super cute napkin ring.  Oh, and I often times find acorns without their tops attached but I grab a bunch of them too.  Just use a hot glue gun to reattach the tops. Done and done.

I'm really into felt lately (more on that later).  It requires no sewing and is available in so many colors.  Just print out some leaf templates from online, you might want to blow them up in size, and cut them out from your felt.  Layer them on your Thanksgiving table for an instant tablecloth.  Bonus, if you double the felt, they work as a trivet as well and will protect your table.

(here are some templates I found)

Love these turkeys, they remind me of those hand turkeys I made in preschool.  This is a cute way to make placecards and you can even get kids involved in this craft.  Nothing says Thanksgiving like a good old fashioned construction paper turkey, right?

Halloween is over but pumpkins are still cool.  Just take some white or orange mini jacks and use your drill with a forstner or spade drill bit (the width of your tealight) to drill down halfway in the pumpkin.  After your hole is drilled just plop the tealight in and you have the perfect Thanksgiving table votive.

Other items that can be incorporated into a Thanksgiving table are: Indian corn, feathers, corn husks, apples, pomegranites, nuts, dried leaves, bittersweet, gourds, cranberries, flowers, cabbage, pinecones and so much more! The possibilities are endless.

What decor are you planning for your own Thanksgiving table this year? Do share.

PS- thank you everyone for all the sweet birthday wishes!  I had an amazing weekend full of surprises and love from friends and family.  I was absent yesterday because, as predicted, I was still paying for my celebrating, oops.



(photos from Martha Stewart, BHG and pinterest of course)



They say it's your...

...birthday!

I'm signing off early this week to begin my 30th birthday celebration. 

It's going to be 11-11-11 tomorrow and it also marks the day that I've spent 30 years on this earth.  I've got lots to celebrate and lots to be thankful for.  Too much to ever put into words.

I plan on consuming too many bottles of champagne, too much food and too many sweets.  And I plan on enjoying every, single second of it.

They say 11-11-11 is a lucky day and well, since it's my birthday I happen to think it's extra lucky.  I hope in between all the bottles of champagne I remember to go buy a lottery ticket.

So I'm off to party like a rock star for the next 4 days.  If I'm not here on Monday it's because my body is reminding me I am indeed 30 and I shouldn't be drinking like I was 21.

peaceloveandhappiness. LindsB out.

(photos from Rue Magazine)