Holiday Gift Guide and Wish List

(click the image to see it larger!)

1. Origins Incredible Spreadable Scrub. Their scents are heavanly and it's always nice to have something a little luxurious in the bath. $26.
2. APC Blue Wedges: perfect blue, simple and comfortable. Good for under tights in the winter and with a cute dress in the summer.
3. The New Terrarium because I love terrariums.
4. BUrt's Bees Super Shiny Conditioner: Smells. So. Good.
5. Wooly Pockets: 2010 will be the year of incredible indoor living walls for the masses. I'm on board.
6. Homemade Life from the blogger behind Orangette. Home, food, family, a perfect book to read over the holidays.
7. New Bedding. Haven't found the right set yet, but our bedroom needs a revamping starting with some non threadbare bedding.
8. Kusmi Tea from Paris. It's luxurious and a little fancy since it's exotic and foreign. But it's affordable to buy and comes in a gorgeous tin you can reuse. It's also perfectly delicious.
9. Cafe Du Monde Coffee is from New Orleans and about the tastiest coffee I've ever brewed at home. I wouldn't mind going to the big easy for the real thing...
10. Kitty Kitty Print for $20. Because it is so awesome.
11. Flower Arranging Lessons. This is on my list and I want Dandelion Ranch to teach a class so I can take it, Dammit.
12. A really Good Pair of Tights: these are from Seven Alan and only cost $33. Perfect, chic and simple.
13. Hitacho Nest Beer from Japan has the best label and is so tasty. I get it at Whole Foods and it makes a great hostess gift or little splurge.
14. The National Parks: America's Best Idea: I missed this when it aired but I'm a huge fan of camping, road trips and national parks so I'd love to sink my teeth into a couple hours of the history of US National Parks.
15. Faux Bois Toolbox from Alice. Just a nice, interesting tool box for getting the job done.
16. Customized Address Stamp from Paperwink for $22.
17. A.P.C. Wallet perfectly worn and adult without being flashy or over the top.

Modernist Gingerbread Houses

All day I felt like it was starting to look a lot like Christmas. I made some homemade chai this morning (just boil cloves, cardamom and cinammon sticks on the stove for about 10 minutes and add a bit of loose leaf green tea at the end. Then add a splash of milk and some sugar) and then let the spices boil on the stove for a while. It filled the house with a really christmasy smell. Plus it's cold outside, like colder than it's been this year. So I want to stay at home and nest and wrap presents and make gingerbread houses like these Modernist Ones on Apartment Therapy.

Thank You For:

the internet
getting to work in interior design
health
hazel
both my parents
cooking and baking
plants
colors
time to sleep
time to think
time to organize the sock drawer
walks in the arroyo
great coworkers in all my jobs
hulu
all my friends and support
elliott
genevieve
france
my phone
full use of all limbs and senses
toilet paper
a washer and dryer
beautiful things
trader joes
all the people I connect with here
hope

And with that, I wish everyone time to think, to clean out the sock drawer and to rechard their batteries. Hope your thanksgiving is wonderful. And check back in friday for the winner of the giveaway!.

(image is from chiffonade)

Who's getting a tree this weekend?

I'm going to try to get a tree this weekend so I can start decorating!

I also have a lot of cleaning out to do to make the place feel 'company ready', starting with the garden. (If anyone asks, I really want a regular pair of gardening gloves for christmas). I'll post some pictures soon of how it's growing in!

(Picture from Martha Stewart)

Getting into the spirit of the season

Over the weekend I had a chance to catch up with two of my oldest friends. We sat around eating leftovers, drinking gingerbread ale and working on some simple holiday crafts.


I ended up making this garland out of construction paper and string. I really like how it turned out; sort of like out of focus lights. Now it's above the bed to get us in the holiday mood. You know what I mean.



I might make a bigger one for a christmas tree now that I ran across this picture in Martha Stewart:

Little update on the Living Room

I'm pretty happy with it and won't change much before moving out (but it's a compulsion so never say never, right?).

I also had some people over for the holidays and this is more or less what it all looked like, but sparklier:

Etsy for your hostess!

Phew. Sorry for my absence! I took myself on a little trip up the 395 and saw SNOW! and got COLD! And felt GREAT! Thanks for leaving your best gifts ever for the giveaway, there's still a day left until I announce a winner, so comment away!

Also, I wanted to tell you that I wrote a guide for hostess gifts for etsy. Really they're things that go nicely in your home but aren't too much. My idea was that they could be used to spruce up your holidays, your hostess' holidays, or be given as a gift to your guests. Check it out.

Anthropologie

I stopped by anthropologie last weekend and was amazed by the wonderland they had created.


I love their sweet knit cupcakes.


And their presents wrapped in fabric


and tied with yarn.

Handmade Help

Hey, are you guys buying handmade? I'm doing my best to keep it simple, handmade or otherwise. I normally keep the buying to a minimum until right before christmas and then I succumb to the immediate gratification of buy buy buy!

So to keep my head screwed on tight, I've been scouring etsy.

I'm loving something's hiding in here. A lot of their stuff is sold out, but hopefully they'll restock for the holidays:





All these items are made of vintage vinyl wallpaper. when in doubt, draw flowers:






And from buttonpom really cute clutches for when you don't want to lug your purse around, but you also don't want to just carry your keys and wallet in your hand:






And just because sometimes I'm really into things that are kind of...bad...but good bad...and I'm always into kitties:

1983 Linen Kitty Calendar:



and this kitten print:

Sunset Handmade Ideas

Sunset has a whole mess of how-to's for the holidays. My favorites are the paper ornaments, diy wrapping paper, cocoa in a jar, and some otherpretty gifts.

The Christmas List is Working!

So from the last Christmas list posting I already got something! My good friend Jodi got me a broom! A perfectly good broom. Nothing more, nothing less. I can't wait to sweep my heart out.

A note: I'm sure you've seen it, but if not Design Sponge is rolling out some pretty comprehensive gift guides.

In the meantime I'll continue with my own:

I could totally use a regular old toaster:


I'm also thinking it might be time for some new shoes:
maybe these:


Oh AND something to cool the crap out of my laptop which gets SO hot (I'm a blogging machine). This one is dorky, but if it works...

Winter Wreaths at the Farmers Market

I want one of these handmade wreaths so badly! They're absolutely beautiful (sorry for the awful picture, only had the camera on the phone). They're all made out of fresh cut eucalyptus, and other branches and flowers that are meant to last. They smell heavenly.

They'll run you around $40-$50 but that's a deal compared to what you'd find at pottery barn or william sonoma. Oliver Wooley out of San Diego county makes all of them. You can find them at the saturday and sunday santa monica farmers markets or you can email him directly (they will ship anywhere): owoolley@gmail.com

Christmas Wishlist Continued (2)

Here are a couple more things that I can definitely live without but that would make life prettier.



Leah Nobilette ceramics from Relish


The ability to eat this winter salad


I'd like a broom, just a regular ol' broom for sweeping. I haven't found one that isn't multicolored with special flip up whatevers. I just want a broom.


Nilsson Blue Pitcher


Oh and Bauer anything really, but this Monterey Pitcher in Parrot Green (Or gosh, the french blue, or butter cream, or bauer orange...) sure is nice.

Fluffy Warm Hat

It looks a little bit like a cupcake. I like it in purple for some reason. Boden USA

Beautiful Simple Vases

from Viva Terra

Christmas Wish List

I have been accused recently of being hard to buy for. Apparently I am 'picky' and 'hard to please'. I had no idea because I always get such perfect gifts from my friends. I guess they've been stressing out all these years. So I'm starting a wish list (because that's what this blog is most of the time anyway and I think you guys like the same things I do).

To start:

Amy Sedaris "I like you"


Lorena Barrezueta Ceramics:




Meg Werner Photos. I actually couldn't wait and just bought these for myself. She has so many wonderful photos in her etsy shop. These are my favorites (oh also VERY affordable)



Tiny Beakers to use as bud vases or maybe a little flask

Mudpuppy/Michael McDowell Ceramics

I've gotten terribly behind! Mike from Mudpuppy emailed me (a week ago!) after my succulent posting about the containers that he makes and sells on his etsy site. I loved them immediately. (He also mentioned that he just uses rocks in the bottom to help with drainage.)

He also has these tiny frames that he makes out of plastic/resin but they look like porcelain. I an considering hanging 3 together (but I haven't justified buying more frames just yet...)



And if you're in the Denver area, make good on your handmade pledge and visit him at the 1st annual Handmade Holiday alternative craft fair November 30th, 6-9 p.m. and December 1st, 10-6 p.m.



ALSO, couldn't help but notice that Mike's regualr site (michaelmcdowell.com) has some other beauties (so keep you eye on him, he's going places):