Category Archives: Christmas

A Little Holiday Inspiration

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I would describe myself a lover of the holiday season, not necessarily Christmas in the traditional sense. I believe the holiday season is a time to relax and get together with friends and family and to celebrate the past year. It is usually the only time of year that most of my family is able to get together, so it makes the time even more special. In addition to the family time, my favorite parts of this time of year are indulging probably more than I should in food and drink, as well as decorating, listening to holiday music (preferably Charlie Brown) and relaxing with at least a couple of weeks off of work.

I always hold off until December 1st to do anything Christmas related (with the exception of a bit of early gift shopping), but once the clock strikes midnight, I am ready to bring out the boxes of decor and make a trip to the tree lot (this year I’ll be getting the tree a couple of days early because I like to get it the first day the lot opens, which for me will be November 29th, but I will hold off on decorating until the 1st). I’ve been putting together a bit of inspiration to help me along this year and thought I would share it here. First up are a few of the looks I am going for:

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1. Bottle brush tree shadow boxes via Pop Sugar. I really want to duplicate this idea, it is so simple but fun. I have a weird tall and narrow window leading up my staircase and a version of this on the sill with string lights coming down the length of the window would be so unbelievably cute.

2. Naked tree in a galvanized steel bucket via Dreamy Whites. Very simple and very lovely.

3. Pinecone garland via Pinterest. I actually made this garland last year and kept it up until about April in my dining room. A very simple project!

4. Holiday tree via Yvestown. I’ve actually had this image on my Pinterest for a couple of years – I love the pops of color used on the tree, especially with everything else being very neutral. I’m planning to hit up a vintage Christmas market in about a week so I’m hoping they’ll have some bright colored glass ball ornaments!

And now I pulled together some of my favorite ornaments and decor items to put the final touches on:

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1. Mercury glass ornaments $21.99, Christmas Traditions –  I hang a ton of ornaments from my tree, but I also put them in vases or hang them from the windows. And mercury glass is one of my favorite things.

2. Retro-inspired glass ornaments $14.95, Paper Source – I love a pop of color with an otherwise simple design and especially love these as they remind me of the vintage ornaments you see at the junk shops every now and then (maybe I’ll score some of these at the vintage sale next weekend!).

3. Crochet snowflake garland $18.00, Terrain – I have a similar garland and I hang it from my chalkboard wall – it looks so lovely against the black background. Also, I love anything crocheted.

4. Gold bottle brush tree $16.99, Target – Bottle brush trees seem to be very popular the last few years and I love them, especially a gold one!

5. Partridge pillow $34.00, West Elm – This pillow is adorable and I love the dramatic colors – it would match my living room drapes perfectly (I may have ordered it on sale – I hope it comes soon!)

6. Gnome rotary candle holder $14.00, Terrain – I may have audibly shrieked when I saw this – it is so amazing! Although Terrain does not offer international shipping, I was able to track this thing down on a Scandinavian supply website for a few more dollars and ordered it for myself. I couldn’t resist!

7. Woodland creatures ornaments $5.95, Crate & Barrel – I love animal themed anything and these ornaments are adorable, especially the bear.

8. String lights $24.00, West Elm – These string lights are probably the best thing to happen to holiday decor since the giant plastic light-up santas, they are so pretty and give off such a beautiful yellow glow. I splurged on a string last year from Restoration Hardware to keep in a vase on my front table, but it seems that lots of other stores are now carrying them for a bit cheaper, so I may need to pick up a few more strings. I also may have recently picked up another string to decorate the antlers on my giant taxidermy buck.

9. Gold mercury glass mini ornaments $15.00, Restoration Hardware – I bought a gang of these last year on clearance after Christmas and I love them. Since they are small, they don’t weigh down my tree branches. Plus they are gold and beautiful and I want all of them.

I’m going to hold off on showing you what I end up doing with my house until closer to Christmas – up next are the gift guides! But in the meantime, what are some of your favorite decor items? Do you go for a more traditional look, modern look, or do you glam it up completely? I’d love to know!

Plan Ahead DIY Holiday Gifts

Posted in Christmas, Holiday Gift Guides by

I know you’re probably rolling your eyes “Really lady, it’s not even December yet!”. And I totally agree with you. Why the heck am I even bringing up the subject?! Well, if you’re anything like me, you start stressing out over the holidays much too far in advance than is healthy. You would probably have even preferred to have everyone’s wish lists back in August so you could get a jump start on the shopping. Yes, I am borderline insane. But this year I am taking a huge step back – I want the holidays to include as little stress as possible – and that includes cutting back on the amount of money that I will be spending. Of course I will still be buying some gifts, but I will also be making a few of the gifts.

Making gifts can bring on a whole different kind of stress, but with some planning ahead, it doesn’t need to be a chore. Here are a few ideas, as well as a DIY below.

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1. Terrarium – I shared my own terrarium here but you could really get creative with this gift. Pick an interesting and inexpensive vessel (go vintage!) or create a little scene catered to your recipient’s interests (Doctor Who themed?!). Stuck for ideas? Pinterest is an amazing invention.

2. Knitting – This requires probably the most planning ahead, but there are lots of projects that you can make quickly and easily, especially with a chunky yarn. My advice is to make something that you’ve made before that you know will come out well – don’t be ambitious with a fancy sweater (of course I don’t take my own advice because I’m currently working on a very time-consuming holiday gift). My favorite easy knitting projects are ear warmers and wrist warmers. This neck warmer is on my knitting to do list and the pattern is free!

3. Custom embroidery on a linen dish towel. This can also be catered to your recipient’s interests – I’m currently working on this tomato themed one via You Grow Girl for myself.

4. Preserves – This is probably one of the easiest gifts if you have done any canning or preserving throughout the year (heaven knows I did). And I usually reserve a few of the tastiest and prettiest jars to give as gifts. Glam up your jars with some pretty labels and some baker’s twine (my favorite thing to wrap gifts in!). If you don’t have a stash of preserves on hand, take a look at my favorite canning blog, Food In Jars for some ideas – I just made the Pear & Cranberry Jam about a month ago.

5. Embossed leather key chain or luggage tag (personalized with name/phone number) – lovely DIY found here via Fair Goods.

6. Handmade recipe book or recipe cards. A book might be a bit ambitious, but putting your tried and true favorite recipes on pretty cards, tying them in some baker’s twine, and gifting them to your loved ones – easy and meaningful. I found a lovely free printable recipe card  (shown above).

Lavender Rosemary Foot Scrub DIY

I don’t know about you, but this time of year means my seasonal lizard skin comes out, especially on my poor neglected feet. I don’t usually notice just how bad my feet are until they start cutting holes in my socks. A few years ago a friend made me some natural foot scrub and it was the best thing I’ve ever used on my feet. It can be made with things you probably already have, otherwise you can pick these things up at the grocery store (I’ve also purchased natural products online from New Directions Aromatics and I’ve been pleased with the quality and selection).

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Ingredients
– 4 tbsp olive oil (alternatively you can use coconut oil or another oil of choice, but olive oil is my favorite for soft skin)
– 6 drops lavender essential oil
– 6 drops rosemary oil (you could also use eucalyptus or peppermint oil if you want)
– 1 cup epsom salts
– a spoonful of dried lavender buds

Instructions
– Combine the olive oil and essential oils.
– Stir oils into epsom salts (I used a fork)
– Stir in lavender buds.
– Put into glass jar and seal.
– Glam it up with a label and some pretty ribbon (any excuse to use my vintage typewriter to make a label!)

What are some of your go-to handmade holiday gifts? Or what are some of the best DIY gifts you’ve ever received? I’m always on the lookout for new ideas!

Look forward to more gift guides throughout the month of December, including more DIY gift tutorials!