Christmas Giveaway Giveaway!

The fabulous Miggy has organized a Christmas Giveaway Giveaway. Instead of signing up to win the prize, you nominate someone in need to win it. I'm thrilled to join in on the fun and will be hosting a giveaway tomorrow and Wednesday. In the meantime, be sure to check out these other participating giveaways:

Liz at Say Yes! to Hoboken is giving away these pillows from Freshly Picked!

And Molly is giving away a Target giftcard!

So don't be shy. Go nominate someone and bask in the spirit of giving this Christmas!

Gift Guide: For the Kids

This guide is put together with my own children in mind, but hopefully it can give you some ideas, too.

For the Chef: There are so many ways to do this, but I started by purchasing an adorable child-sized apron, a cookbook with simple instructions and lots of pictures, and a few cooking utensils. {If this cupcake keeper from Rose & Radish had been available, I'd fill it with fancy cupcake liners and a cupcake cookbook. Wouldn't that have been adorable?}

For the Artist: An inexpensive easel coupled with a roll of paper, loads of paints, brushes, markers and chalk, and your child is ready to create a masterpiece.

For the Author: I'm a big fan of these Illustory kits. We've given one to Little Miss C every year since she was 5 years old, and have delighted in seeing her storytelling abilities develop. I love that we're able to order more than one copy of the finished book. It makes a great Mother's Day present for the grandma's. :)

For the Engineer: E loves to spend hours making paper airplanes. Unfortunately, only his daddy knows how to make the kind that can fly. Hopefully this kit remedies the situation.

For the Kid with Too Much Energy: Sports equipment. Hockey sticks, soccer goals, t ball sets-- they all come with the added benefit of giving a child a place to channel all that energy. Kites are also good. They force a kid to run around a lot. :)

For the Planes, Trains and Automobiles Enthusiast: A dump truck made with STEEL! For some reason, my boys will happily spend the entire day filling the bed with gravel and dirt, dumping it out, then filling it again. I like that the steel can hold up to the abuse. Especially when E tries to give his little brother a ride.

For the Kid who has Everything: you can't go wrong with a big cardboard box and some packing peanuts. Half the time it's all they want to play with anyway. :)

Merry Christmas!

It's December! In lieu of Christmas cards, we've started sending out a Christmas video every year. This is the latest edition. From our home to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! May your holiday season be filled with family, food, and lots of frolicking in the snow!

{If you missed last years Christmas Greeting, see it here}

Gift Guide: Handmade Gifts

I have a few rules when it comes to home-made gifts. One is that it has to be cost effective. It is far too easy to tell oneself that going home-made is cheaper, only to find oneself elbow deep in crafting supplies, out of time and out of money! Not that I speak from experience or anything....

No need to add stress to the holidays! Simply pick ONE project to do for the people you plan on gifting to. It's faster, far more inexpensive, and I often find that the results are more professional looking. Learning curve and whatnot. :)

Idea #1- Make a necklace! There are as many tutorials out there as there are colors and types of beads. Pictured above is my knock off of an Anthropologie necklace. Other favorites include this pearl and ribbon necklace, this jadeite necklace, or simply buy a bunch of these porcelain keys {or spray paint a few old skeleton keys} and string them on some ribbon. Viola!

Idea #2 Freezer Paper Stencils. These are so easy {and addictive!} You can stencil tee shirts! Tote bags! Pillows! The options are endless!

Idea #3 Make a Headband! Ruffles, flowers, sequins and feathers are all the rage right now. Why not take advantage and make a headband or two {or three or four...} I like these feathered varieties {with a vintage brooch attached} or one of these luxe looking velvet ones.

Idea #4 Make a Clock! With a clock kit from the craft store, you can make a clock out of pretty much anything. I like the idea of using buttons or embroidery.

Happy Crafting!

Advent

I just purchased this beautiful advent calendar-- in time for December 1st! {I know! How on top of things am I?} It's supposed to be for the kids, but I'm the one excited about it. I'm going to do all kinds of mean mom things like make them wash their hands before they open one of the little windows. Gotta make that baby last a few years, and then maybe I'll frame it. Yup, it's that pretty. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone had a gratitude-filled day. Here's a glimpse into our Thanksgiving festivities. Enjoy!

PS- The part in the car where I look like I'm doing sign language? I'm painting my nails. :)

Gift Guide: Little Luxuries

I can't help myself. Thanksgiving is coming, but mentally I'm already skipping to Christmas. I thought perhaps I'd create a few gift guides to get it out of my system. First up: Little Luxuries for that stylish lady in your life!

I never seem to have a good reason to buy this japanese masking tape {$25}, but it sure looks fun! I think some of the best gifts are things that people want but won't necessarily buy for themselves. So. Give tape to that crafty girlfriend!

The Perry Street Clock by Kate Spade {$40} comes in several cheery colors, but yellow is my favorite. Wouldn't it look fabulous by a cup of bright pencils or atop a stack of books?

These candles by Henri Bendel {$26} are strongly scented, but not in the least artificial smelling. Lemon Verbena is clean, citrusy, and layers well with Pomegranate.

The Black Apple has so many original, whimsical little prints {$16}, it'd be hard to choose just one. I love this one, titled "My Coat is the Winter Skyline"

I'm always in favor of a pretty little apron. I love the yellow and teal combo in this one from Anthropologie {$28}.

A beautifully letterpressed calendar is high on my 'want' list for 2010. This one from Linda & Harriett {$30} is designed in such a way that at the end of each month, you can tear away the bottom half and send it as an artistic postcard. How sweet is that?

This calendar by Satsuma Press costs more{$44}, but is so soothing and lovely, I can't help but crave it.

Why not try these shoe clips by B Poetic {$26}? They are soft, romantic, and can transform any pair of shoes into something special.

Every time I walk past one of these stylish water bottles by Earthlust {$18}, I find myself sorely tempted to buy one. But it's difficult to spend money on oneself, so it remains on my 'someday to purchase' list. Wouldn't it make a great gift for a friend trying to go green?

Lastly is the classic standby: a really great fragrance. However, it can be extremely difficult to pick out something as highly personal as a fragrance, so why not give this amazing sampler? For $50, it comes with 12 small vials of lovely perfumes, as well as a gift certificate for one full sized bottle of the recipients choice. I know at Sephora the smallest bottle of D&G Light Blue costs $75, so that's already a substantial savings. :)

That's it for little luxuries! Next up: homemade gifts.