hello again

i've been MIA. i know now every time i write i say "sorry i've been MIA"!
i'm dealing with christmas and we're going to australia for 2 weeks on Saturday so that is all very time consuming!

image found here


!

a-wreath-a franklin

i've never had a wreath before.
it always seemed like something i might do in my 30s.

but i got one - i might as well be in my 30s i suppose.
i went to Tinsel Trading (my favorite place everrr) and bought vintage glass beads and pretty birds and vintage velvet flowers and leaves and ribbons. it was all pretty randomly selected but i think it works!

it was fun to decorate!

christmas christmas

so im making headway on my xmas deco!
i'm kind of going overboard but whatever it's so fun.

my friend liz made little houses out of cardboard (primo architect) and i painted and glittered and xmas'd them up!

here she is...

we had SO much fun decorating our tree this weekend, it was so romantic and fit every idealistic view i have of decorating for christmas. it really really was a perfect weekend and now i can't believe every night i get to look at this pretty tree in my apartment.

yay !

off to get a tree!

i've been waiting for this day since February!

image found here

the beginning

so this is the very very beginning of my Christmas decorations. very simple and kind of summery, actually - but i decided to put something colorful up so there you go - I'm calling it Christmas! i'm gonna make a bunch more so there are like 15 all jumbled up there!

this sucks.

so i've been busier than ever - with work, and play - and i am making all my presents for people - ALL of which i want to show you, however, i can't.

so, i've literally got nothing to show!
thats why this sucks...

the good news is...
i finished addressing all of our holiday cards and i'm super excited to send them out!!

this is the first year i'm doing real life cards, not silly ones i found at urban outfitters *no shame if you did that*. considering this is my job now, i figured i'd sort of get a move on. we are doing post cards, which i'm pretty excited about... it's easy, cute, cheap and there's not that much room to write a message - which is good when you have 100 to send!

here is the front of our cards!
last year my bff liz made jamie and me these amazing hand painted silhouettes, so i scanned them in and made them red and a bit more seasonal, then put some mistletoe in! very easy and fun. i didn't want a picture really, but wanted something that was still us! i know the silo thing is a little "over and out" but i still love it, so pish posh.

purely ornamental

now that my sewing machine is fixed and i am of the quilted persuasion,
i'm a-gawna make me sum-a-deez!

mary made me's flickr

my god i love this

it's hard to find cute wrapping paper. usually i re-purpose grocery bags/magazines/newspaper/coloring books etc etc and while i'd love to say it's because of eco-awareness (partly, it is) mostly it's because all wrapping paper is flat.out.fugly...

except for THIS!



Sarah Marie

kwismas kookiez

oh gee, these are cute!

I bet you could just use little letter (clean, duh) stamps too and write
messages like "Santa's Got a Big Chimney" or something glorious and perverse along those lines.

But most likely I'll spring for the designer cookie cutters!




williams sonoma

silk stockings

so i love xmas stockings.

my family always does stockings last and they are filled to the brim, waiting side by side on the couch, for us to devour. things have changed a bit now that we're older - everyone contributes to eachother's stockings and now my mother's is filled with jewellery and gift certificates - as opposed to gag gifts like condoms and ben gay.

the one thing that is lacking however - is the actual stocking. yes, they've been in the family for years. but those years started in the 80s. so the stockings are decidedly unattractive.

this year i think im gonna make everyone a new stocking (no one in my family reads this, to be sure), but in the event that this idea doesn't materialize, i found some adorable stockings online that i'd like to share!

eco stocking, rikrak, $18

mary jane stocking, sewlola, $24

colossal (4 feet long!!) stocking, anthropologie, $148

limited edition hand-stitched stocking, pottery barn, $24

vintage-inspired stocking, caseyl, $35

antique quilt-scrap christmas stocking, sydg, $25

modern argyle christmas stocking, $98, churchtown chapeau

and there ya have it!

Merry Craftmas

So this Christmas I have endeavored to make almost 100% of my gifts. Of course, with a list of 60 (YES 60, I can't believe it myself) I will most likely not have time to make things of quality without repetition for every single person. Luckily, I've already begun and have gotten through a good chunk of my list.

Helping me along the way is my collection of amazing craft, sewing and knitting books and patterns. I've bought these books over the course of the last year, when my interest in the handmade has gone from purchasing to creating them myself. These books, however, are not cheap, so the wonderful STC Craft site has given the gift of 20 free patterns for holiday crafting.

If you, too, are a "maker", you will love all these patterns that are perfect for gift giving - men, women, and children alike - or for keeping for yourself. I have the unfortunate sickness of never wanting to make anything twice, and of never committing to make anything for myself. I've made things for my future non-baby that doesn't even EXIST yet, but I can't seem to sit down and make something for myself. So silly.

Anyway, here is the link to the fabulous and generous post by STC Craft. And if you've never made anything - here is a good way to dip your toes in the water!

From a once ultimate consumer, I am now a dedicated crafter (gosh I wish there was a different word for it, crafter seems so - how do i put it - "quirky buttons" to me) and am more fulfilled than I have ever been in my entire life. Giving someone something you have put your time, care, and heart into is more gratifying and long lasting than anything you could ever buy. There are tons of simple and quick projects (even baking cookies and packaging them nicely) that make people smile and feel special instantly.