Holiday House Rules

Art.

JWH and I have this running dialog about the fact that we don't need a heckuva lot more stuff. The Sonos speakers I got for Christmas are great, don't get me wrong, and he can knock off the next few holidays by adding a few more to the house...but the general gist of it is, by age, ehhhmm, 40, you tend to have all you really need.

But, holidays persist.

So we vouched to try to buy each other "experiences." One year for my birthday JWH took me to see my all time favorite band, for instance. Yay! So much fun. He then took me to Bermuda. Double yay! For his birthday I threw him a surprise party. See, all nice, and not a bit of additional clutter in the house. 

But not wholly sustainable. At least not the parties and the Bermuda parts. Concerts, sure. Dinners? Yes. Maybe a weekend in New York? Sure. Now and then.

So this year I went in a new direction and got him some art for Christmas. Just small, nothing crazy. Even with the framing (which is always so crazy), it's still not a family heirloom. But, I kind of had the bug. Art is a good gift. I know he wants more "real" art. 

It went over well. I'd guess he rates it as a B or B+ gift. But, if I were to go further, like into real, real art...well with the investment, it had better earn and A+ grade. But how do you do that? Art is subjective, and non-returnable. It's easy enough to see something and think "yeah, he will like that." But to pull the trigger is hard. Very hard. Do I risk it all and end up with an expensive flop (and a framed thing cluttering the house, oh, horrors!)? Dither and miss the chance? Walk away? 

Well, last week I had to decide. I saw something. I thought he'd love it. It was limited edition. It was accessible, at least for now...so I sent an email. I did not give him the name of the artist (step away from the Google), or the price point, but I showed him a few images. These:

(I'm not linking because I do not want him Googling, behave, JWH, if you want artist info, and are not JWH, comment or email me.)

In the end, he liked it (the one I thought he'd like, not the one I liked). And in the end, I will decide over the coming months if I will get one for him. The artist knows I'm interested and promises a chance to purchase before she goes dormant.

So a half surprise? Maybe he will forget and I will get it and he will be delighted? Maybe he will covet it and be sad that it's not under the tree? No one knows for sure. 

Maybe there is a better way, altogether?

Dunno. If you know. Tell me.

Merry Christmas to me.

We have a rule around here: no buying things for yourself in the holiday season. And, due to JWH's late November birthday, that pretty much means he is cut off from consumption around mid October. So when I come home on an autumn evening and see a box from Amazon and some new book or gadget for the husband, I lose my shit. I'm all like, "Dude, you know the rule!" And he's all like, "lady, chill, it was $14!" But deep down, he knows I'm right. It's not the 14 bucks, it's the fact that he's hard to shop for, so if there is something he wants, and will use, and he can just hold out for 6 weeks so that my mom can buy it for him, put it in a "very nice box" and wrap it artfully, with all edges folded, of course, then he is the one who needs to chill. 

This is our rule. 

The rule that I broke this week with the ordering of an iPhone 5 for my little self. Do I feel guilty? No. No one is going to buy me an iPhone for Christmas, because, as we found out, you can't. JWH tried to get one for me at the mall recently, but even though he is my legal spouse, was in possession of my only child, and has a phone on the same account and access to the online account...well that is all not good enough for Apple. You need to be there to get your own damned phone. Which of course they were out of when I next made it to the mall. 

Ugh. 

So, I ordered it. And, more to breaking of the holiday non-shop rules, I also ordered 2 cases. Two. While my iPhone 3G remained blissfully caseless, unsheathed, recklessly free for 4 years (and, oh, yes, it's pristine, thank you very much), the 5 will get some protection. See, the 3G was so perfectly weighted, the backing so finely grippy, yet smooth enough to easily slide into a pocket (Insert here JWH's advice for the women of the world: "Do not put your phone in your back pocket, it makes your ass look bad."*). Anyway, the 4 and 5 models of the iPhone are hard to hold. The aluminum shell or whatever the hell it is, is just plain old droppy. So I need to case that sucker. 

Here are the 2 I ordered. One is cool and minimalist, the other is, well, protective. If you are going to completely cover up all the industrial design coolness of the actual device, you might as well cover it up in something that will protect the device from more than just scratches. 

(Quirky)

(Amazon)

*The asterisk is because I do, indeed, still put my iPhone in my back pocket. At work, almost every day. And thanks to JWH I now think, every time I do it, that now my ass must look like utter shit. And then I remember that I'm at work and my ass is hardly the point. They value me for my brain and my uncanny ability to get shit done. Like now, when I must leave you all and go see about ordering a 10 foot topiary and constructing an indoor croquet court. Easy shit like that. With my phone in my damned pocket.

Well hello there.

Wherein I complain and then brag.

How to do both in in one sentence?

"I have been so busy lately, but at least my Christmas shopping is done."

Bang. So busy, I, and yet so, so, incredibly efficient. Yay, me! But really, no, it's a disease. Normal people do not have spreadsheets for shopping and do not start buying things months in advance. Normal people do not wrap things before Thanksgiving so they can be sent home with their parents to avoid having to carry too much on actual Christmas. Normal people probably "enjoy" the holidays more, too, or experience them. I hide and avoid malls and such. Truly. Hate the music.

I do need to go on ONE small foray. I need a My Little Pony Coloring book. Yep, my spectacular kid wants Santa to bring her items totalling something in the range of $3.99. Let this last, oh let this last. 

Seen any Pony coloring books around? Preferably inoffensive ones that leave no hint that the MLP brand expends beyond the coloring books and the little plastic ponies? My child has no need of the knowledge of playsets or whatnot. That shit is banned from Holiday House, I tell you (JJH). You send it here and I will wait until she is asleep and fake an "accident" whereby it is destroyed by falling furniture, flooding, or feline interference (aka "blame the cat"). 

The other thing I will brag and complain about? I have to maintain the Amazon wish list for my non-reading child and my non-participatory husband, so I have to update it and monitor it constantly (to make sure there are items left in various price ranges, to make sure they get the things they really want, to delete items we get from other sources - Lego is Danish, did you know that? We are getting our Christmas Lego from Denmark, that's how fancy we are at Holiday House!). The upside of all this list management is that the Bun and JWH get all sorts of delightful and surprising gifts. Me? I get what I put on there and I know pretty much the instant it's bought. So, no surprises for me. Sad trombone.

Not that I want off-list swag. But, to make the list and then blissfully be unaware if any of it was purchased? This is the 21st century dream, I tell you.

 

Secret Agent Josephine »Free Valentines for you!

via secret-agent-josephine.com

Do you not have your shit together yet? Are you, like me, crazed at work and losing track of the details like, oh, you know... taxes, birthday parties, your blog...

If so, I am here to save the day. Or, more honestly, Josephine is. Among may others, I suppose...if you Google "Free Valentine Printables" you will get many, many hits. Choose according to your whim, I suppose is my main message. My secondary message being that I chose the ones above. A certain 5 year old loves "aminals" and I love me a quick printable that negates the need to go to CVS at lunch.

Lunch? What's that? I hear tale of such things sometimes, but I think it really is urban legend. Everyone has a lovely office mate who brings them salads every day from the Kebab House, right? No? Just me? Well, then call me the luckiest girl alive. 

Except or those girls who actually get to leave their desks, perhaps. Call that my tertiary point: I need to get out of heeeeeereeee.

The results show, part 2.

I posted here about some goodies I got for Christmas. Fully 90% of my gifts were home decor related, it seems. You could practically see my 20 year old nephew's horror from across the room as I opened pillow covers, shams, alarm clocks and baskets. Luckily, he was not around when I popped open this gift from abroad. Might have put him over the edge to see such glee over a flower pot!

 

 

So cool. Really loving the freed up space on the windowsill and with a "water once a month" schedule I truly hope I can keep this pretty alive!

(In case you have not been paying attention, it's a Boskke Sky Planter, in medium.)

5 years!

No, not a blogiversary. A Momiversary. The bun is 5 today. So, I'll be taking the day off to visit her class, make cookies with the little twerps, and then take her to Friendly's (where they must put crack in the kids meals since all children seem to become addicted to what is really just Kraft mac and cheese and semi-stale ice cream).

Oh, and my re-upholstered chairs are slated to deliver today. I'm not sure who s more excited - her about the cookies and ice cream or me about the chairs!

The really big deal.

Okay, I hinted here about what I might have gotten for Christmas. Honestly, I would have shared sooner if:

A) it seemed more real, and

B) I felt like my kitchen or camera skills were up to the task of highlighting this loveliness.

But, then, all cannot be perfect...I'll just have to show you them again and again and again as I whip the kitchen into shape around them. Somewhere in blogland, angels are singing. Mid century modern angels. Here, let me show you the other one...

You can tell it's love, right? I wonder if I will now stop taking note of every picture with a Wegner Wishbone chair in it? No more saying, "of course that room is lovely, they have those chairs?" What on earth will I do with my spare time?

*Hubby gets extra points for the surprise aspect, imagine going to get a coffee on Christmas morning and finding these?

**Hubby gets double extra points for saying nothing when, week before Christmas, I convinced the kid she was ready to be done with her special chair and old enough for a regular chair. Yeah, not great timing...poor guy now needs to get me a 3rd one!

Holiday wish lists: results.

Awww, yeah, I got some goodies from Santa this year. He's been reading the blog on Thursdays and took good notes.

First, I got the Muji alarm clocks I liked, and some nice West elm shams to boot!

And a West Elm birdie:

I also got the yoga pants I desperately needed to get me out of the 90's in terms of workout wear...no pictures of that, I'm afraid.

I have more to assemble, install, and set up, too, so more to come...a hint? If you were to name my number one most coveted and posted about decor item, what would it be?? Oh, the suspense!!!

End of year silliness.

Am I the only one who keeps a list of silly names I see on Facebook?

I have no idea if these are real people, though I suspect they are...and they are separated from me by one degree only, so I'm sure they are super-cool. Still, their names make me giggle. I'm talkin' bout you:

• Frenzy Hunter
• Keri Out
• Sorteir Poitier
• Eugene Orifice
• Stikeleather Feigh
• Kristy Belly
• Carrie Baldassari
• Liz A. Lemoine
• Lauren Blue Schifferdecker (this one is just fun to say!)

And with that, I'm out for 2011. Have a great New Year!

 

Still on holiday hiatus, but...

Assuming you also have today off, or maybe even this whole week at home with your family...perhaps you'd like to make one of my favorite things?

Granola. 

Yep, I am hardly a cook, but I do make a nice fresh granola that has been a crowd pleaser right along.

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 cups sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup good honey

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Loosely stir (a good job for 4 year olds) the oats, coconut, and almonds together in a medium-sized bowl. Trust me here, you want a bowl that is just big enough to comfortable stir the stuff up, no bigger.

In a small bowl (okay, here it does not really matter...), whisk together the oil and honey. Then, pour a bit of this liquid stuff into the dry stuff. Stir. See how having a smallish bowl makes it easier to get some goop on all the oats, rather than just on one concentrated area where you poured it? Repeat until all the dry mix is  coated.

Spread the stuff onto a cookie sheet and bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture for about 25 minutes. I set my timer to 20 minutes and then re-evaluate, actually. You want the granola 1 step from burnt. When you see crispy brown edges and it's just starting to smell like, "oh, crap did I burn it?" is when it's perfect. Really, stand there until panic rises in your throat. Then take it out and serve it up!

Serve with yogurt (him) or fruit (me).

Smittens.

I'm still out egg-nogging and whatnot, but in case you are surfing the net today and need some cheer. Behold, my favorite ornaments. They are called "Smittens" because their little mittens are magnetic, so they hold hands. Awwww. 

Holiday hiatus.

I'm taking one. See you sometime next week.

The tree.

I admit, I've been kind of mailing it in these last few days. It's Christmas, so be forgiving. I promise to ramp back up in the new year. To tide you over, here is this year's tree in it's final (enormous) state.

Between being ill and the total debacle of the tree (it fell, it's now tied to the wall  - and crooked), I almost lost track of my holiday mojo. But, in just a few days the Bun will celebrate her 5th Christmas. And, this year she gets it. She's 4 years old and asked Santa, via verbal communication to me, for "a surprise... for girls." God forbid she gets a boy surprise. I love that she is still not tainted by consumerism and has no specific toys that she is requesting. The proof in the pudding, though, will be if this year she is not totally freaked out by the gifts that appear under the tree. When she was 2 she would not even enter the room, when she was 3 she wouldn't touch the gifts. I'm thinking this year might be the shred-the-wrapping-in-fit-of-delight year?

Good times. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

My mother's cookies.

I do not cook. But I bake. And, to small children at least, this is awesome. 

I make cupcakes, a mean chocolate chip cookie, the occasional poppyseed cake, and Christmas Cookies. I'm really known for that last one. And by "known" I mean that every time I give someone these cookies they are like, "You made these? You?!?!"

I try not to take offense at what their shock implies. I know the cookies kick ass. 

The funny thing is, when I googled this recipe, in hopes of attributing it it whatever 1960's cookbook my mom got it from...well, it apparently came off the sack of Pillsbury Flour sometime around 1970. I'm so not shocked, as my mom was a Shake 'n Bake, Cambells Soup casserole, sauce from a jar kind of gal. So anyway, here is a link to where you can find the other options, but I only make one of the cookies varieties from the base: the monumental crowd-pleaser, the Peanut Butter Blossom. Aw yeah.

Make Ahead Base

• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tbs salt 
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 6 cups flour

In a large bowl, combine butter, salt, and baking powder using mixer to blend well. Add flour to butter mixture and blend until you have fine crumbs. Store tightly covered in refrig up to 4 weeks.

Peanut Blossoms

• 2 cups base mix
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening (I use Spectrum, from Whole Foods seems less gross and works fine)
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I use Peter Pan)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and blend till smooth. Then, make one inch balls and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately top each with chocolate kiss. Push down a little bit, a few cracks are okay, but too make cracks and you have lost the integrity of the cookie and will be forced to eat it as a sample.

 

More stuff I want for Christmas.

Well, really, why not, right? 'Tis the season and I'm all done shopping and wrapping for the rest of the world, so why not focus on me, me, me.

(The herringbone shams, in iron, from West Elm)

 
(The typography calendar, from Studio Hinrichs)

 

(A letterpress card set, from Design Within Reach)

(And, you know I love me some stripes...from Boden)

(Sinch headphone control device)

See? I'm totally easy to please. Not a single Tiffany item on the list!

Ok, I lied. I do have a mantel.

It's just lame. I do not have it in me to rearrange the whole shebang for each season, but I did put some holiday greens up there. In a vase that I lived with the grocery bag I carried the greens home in. How very "green" of me, I know.

And, while I'm at it, here are the aforementioned Spode tree* and the santa candle.

I may be sick, but I have not let it go completely to hell around here...

*Funny story: a group of us at work got the Spode trees as a gift from a vendor one year. At the time we all were like, "whaaaa?" and giggled about having gotten a silly musical tree. We were practical folks. Not sentimental much...Yet to this day we all still have them and display them every year. And we giggle about that. They kind of snuck up on us and became part of all our traditions. Sneaky little trees!

Tree of all trees.

A lot of bloggers talk about creating a "holiday mantel," and while I applaud their commitment to refashioning their home for each season or holiday, well... I ain't got that in me. I put up a tree, hang up my holiday cards, put out the Spode tree and call it a day. Sometimes I go as far as to actually use the holiday hand towels I got as a gift, or put out the Santa candle I also got as a gift. But, sometimes those things never even make it out of the basement. See, I have a job. Oh, and a blog.

And, this year? Pneumonia.

Yeah. Awesome. Still, this year we had a unique opportunity to go a little hog wild. The living room chairs? They are finally going out for re-upholstery. On the 19th, to be exact. So, that leaves me with a front room with no furniture. JWH suggested we fill that hole with a mac-daddy tree.

And we did.

In years past we have had the tree in 3 other locations. (Click here for pictures.) This is the 4th in as many years. And next year, when the chairs are back? It'll move again. And, be smaller. This thing is humongous!

What I want for Christmas.

Really. 

I want a Boske Sky planter. Medium. To try (again) to grow some damned basil in my house, and to free up the overcrowded kitchen windowsill.

I want some new yoga pants from Nordstom. I like this brand. I have no idea if it's yoga-legit or pilates-poser, but right now I only have capris and my shins are getting cold.

I would like these ridiculously simple coasters. Really. Coasters. For Christmas.

I would also happily accept a massage, or manicure or pedicure. Or all 3. 

I would like this book. I read a review of it somewhere and I put it on my Amazon list, but it looks so boring, I guess, that no one has bought it for me. Very sad. To ty to win you over I will tell you that in this book they tell of a tribe where the language they use does not refer to themselves as the starting point for directional information. There is no "to my left." They use "North, South, East and West" instead. So, if they are facing East and telling a story about something that happened to the South of them at the time of the event, they point right. If they are facing West? They point left. To me that is simply, stunningly, crazy. I need to read more about it!

  

I'd also like a plant stand or 2 for the sunroom/mudroom. Something like this or this, or could you just see these spray painted in a fun bright color? It might have to wait until I get my mudroom more settled, too...but I do tend to jump the gun.

Oh and how about we round this out with some boots. Just so JWH can revel in the fact that I have almost as many pairs of shoes as he does? I like to spread the love like that.

 Yeah. If all that is under my tree, I'll be a happy girl. Actually, I'm a happy girl without it all, too.

Soft and nubby things from etsy.

It's coooold. So I'm thinking about soft and nubby things. Felt and whatnot. And, Christmas shopping season for you mere mortals) is just around the corner. So, how about some etsy love for these fine folks:

(The Loft Full of Goodies)

(ScratchCraft)

(Urban Fringe)

(Inspire Me Gifts)

(benzie handmade)

(anonimaMente)

I feel warmer already. And I'm seriously considering the wreath and garland for the holidays at Holiday House!

And, a set of felt coasters in gray would be a great stocking stuffer in the stocking with an "A" on it...just sayin'.

Boo.

Yeah, the snow kinda puts a damper on the Halloween thing. And, really, it's never been my favorite holiday. I did put up a spider, though.

Why so glum, you ask? Well, it's about the basement. See it's wet. I used to say it was "damp," but I got over my optimism. It has it's own personal river:

Yeah, 100+ year old basements are never pretty, but the water? Sigh. It stresses me out. We have never had a problem with mold, but recently we have become a mosquito breeding ground. In. The. House.

So, time to take action. I called a mason and expected the worst. This is what I got:

The little drawing on the bottom left depicts a french drain. And I'm getting 13" feet of that between the sink and the hot water heaters. French Drain - sounds so very sexy. I wonder what the French have to do with jackhammers and channels of crushed stone? Seems like an American thing to me. Or maybe German. Germans like tidy basements, don't they?

Anyway. After touring my basement for about half an hour and pointing out failed mortar and whatnot, I actually gulped when he wrote the "1" and then the "5" on the estimate. In my head, this was going to cost like 8 grand. I pictured myself talking JWH into it. Rationalizing. Talking about resale value. Then the "1" and the "5" and I was like, "Whoa! Fifteen thousand dollars!! No way! I'll learn to love the river. I'll name it. I'll farm salmon in it!" And then he stopped at $1500. And while that is not chump change, it's doable. And so it will be done. This. Week.

We do not mess around here at Holiday House. No we don't.

 

Assuming you get flowers now and then.

Yes, that holiday is coming up, where some folks get all jiggy with the roses. I'm not a huge roses girl, but I do like little milk-bottle vases. They look as cute empty as not.

(Alyssa Ettinger, Beth Mueller, Hanna Rysgaard, Geoffrey Denman, Angus and Celeste)
 

 

Pretty things for your Valentine.

That Hallmark holiday - that you either love or hate - is coming right up. This post at Fossil, of some lovely DIY Valentine packaging, got me thinking...since no one needs any extra chocolate in February, what about some better ideas?

(The DIY packaging, so cute.)

(Card at Colette Paperie)

(Print at 20 x 200)

(Clock at Gifted Papers)

(Cat, and dog, bowls at Crate and Barrel)

(Best and most useful pot, ever, at Amazon)

(Painted boxes from Graham and Greene)

Happy Birthday!

Yep, I hinted at it yesterday...it was four years ago this morning that I was woken by the sound of a nurse pushing a little cart into my room. I thought to myself, "what the??? (insert 3 full beats) oohhhhh, yeah...I had a kid..."

Anywho, you can't swing a cat on the blogoshpere these days without seeing a birthday garland. And, while they make for a nice picture and all that, we will be having none of that at Holiday House tonight. We will have whatever mismatched (plastic) tablecloth, napkins and plates the bun picks out at the party store. And maybe a few balloons. We will never achieve this:

  (This Next, Party Decoration Ideas, and Meri Meri, if this is actually what you are looking for...no judgement, really)

The bun is really not a party girl. She wants only one person at her birthday: her cousin. The rest of us could go out for a long drive as far as she's concerned. Okay, maybe Nana could stay, in case they need a snack. Mostly I'm grateful that I do not have to put on a dog and pony show for a bunch of kids and their parents. But still, sometimes a kids party looks pretty fun, and there seems to be some precedent for a low-key, low-effort kind of affair.

These folks seem to have had a great time with cardboard boxes (although, don't think I missed the cloud garland).

Or, maybe its a good excuse to finally buy one of those cool cardboard houses and let the kids go nuts on it?

And I'm loving the easy-peasyness of this donut and lego party. These folks are my heroes, really.

Maybe next year I'll get motivated and, you know, throw a party. Gift bags? Do not even get me started...

Merry Christmas!

I'll be off wrapping and egg-nogging* - and perhaps even spending a night in this lovely room:

See the fire, the pretty view? What you don't see is the soaking tub and the "no children under 12 allowed" notice. Ahhhhh.

See you all next week!

*I do not consume eggnog, I consume only cookies from 8pm December 24th through 8 am December 26th. There, you caught me.

(Photo: Deer Hill Inn, Dover, VT)

 

The Christmas Tree debacle.

Holiday House has no obvious Christmas Tree location. Add that to the list of things to consider when next house hunting, I guess.

So, year one, it was in the "living room," against the little sliver of wall between the entry hall and the family room. (I put "living room" in quotes since it's really just a glorified foyer. We never know what to call it. And, dear god, please ignore the length of the drapes in the family room, they were placeholders.)

This location looked really pretty until the big day. It all went to heck as soon as there were actual gifts in the mix, they spilled all over the place and you had to step over them to get in and out of the house.

So, year two, we moved the rocker to achieve a little containment in the corner.

This location worked really well. But, this year we got tired of the couch being at a right angle to the tv and the couch now happily sits where the tree was...

So, this year we are trying this - the opposite corner, again moving the rocker.

  

What do you think?

Oh, and why is it a debacle? Because I can't keep a Christmas Tree from spontaneously dropping all its needles and and turning brown - instantly. They hate me. JWH suggested that we get the tree on the 23rd this year, you know, so it smells like pine on Christmas Morning and not death...

Where do you display your Christmas cards?

For years and years and years, I propped my cards up on the mantel, and the hall table, and then spilled them over onto the dining room table. It worked, it was festive and easy to clean up. And then, well, you all know the state of my mantel. So, this year I got crafty!

How it works: cut a piece of ribbon, use a push pin to attach it to the molding (or a stapler can attach it to the top of a door so the door can close), grab a pile of paper clips from the office. Ta-Da! This simple solution even solves the problem of the single-panel photo cards that I used to have to prop up!

Chicken Love.

Do all kids have a "lovey?" I know I did, but I never knew it was common or expected until I started reading parenting blogs. These blogs let me know that there is an eBay store devoted to helping parents find replacements for lost lovies. And one selling ID tag as well as hosting a "lost and found." (I know where my old one is: I came home from college on day to find "blankie" soaking up oil on the garage floor. Sigh.) This lovey thing is big business.

Well, I never wanted to be beholden to a lovey, so in typical HH fashion, we got prepared. Over-prepared, some might say. As soon as the bun showed a particular interest in a toy, we bought 10. Yes, that's $80 worth of lovey. And it served us well through the teething months when she chewed the feet beyond repair.

And now, for the first time, the lovey has made its way onto our holiday card. How could we not share the joy that this little chicken brings?

Adorable. And, now that Chickie is out there in the big time (his reign previously limited by restictions to bedroom and preschool showings), I'm thinking even bigger. Like a custom portrait akin to these by an upstate New York artist named Jennifer Maher.

 

Cute right? Can you picture it tucked up on a wall surrounded by pre-teen posters, pennants, and bulletin boards?

Photos: http://customtoyportrait.com/

 

 

Pretty things (that would be great stocking stuffers).

There is still time to order some things and not end up with a stocking full of random candy from the local 24-hour pharmacy...

At first I thought these were mittens, but they are little hand warmers to go in your pockets. Really soft ones!

(Restoration Hardware)

And, for when you have to take your hands out of your pockets, these "Echo Touch" gloves look pretty boring, but they are actually amazing. The subtle little fabric patches on the forefinger and thumb allow you to work your iPhone without removing your gloves. Life. Saver.

(MoMA Store)

Or, how about a cute little felted bird. (For anyone whose heart is not made of stone, really.)

   

(Etsy)

Or a seasonally appropriate partridge candle (available in sets or singles in 2 sizes).

     

(Esty, again)

Or a ponytail holder in vingage fabric.

 

(Etsy, last time I swear)

Really cute Japanese masking tape sets.

  (DWR)

And, since good candy is always welcome, L. A. Burdick will ship you a little teeny box of the cutest mice ever (or penquins or snowmen or bees...).

 
(L.A. Burdick)

'Tis the time for charitable giving.

Two Birds. That's what photographer Kim Lowe called her holiday fundraiser to benefit Cradles to Crayons. I'm already heavily involved with C2C, and that's why I noticed Kim's announcement and pounced on the opportunity to have the bun photographed. Two Birds, indeed, I supported a cause I care about and got the cutest holiday card photos, ever!

Kim Lowe is a wonderfully talented photographer. She had my shy girl laughing within seconds of meeting her. And, judging by the collage below, our experience was anything but unique. I hope you'll read Kim's entry and consider supporting C2C this year.

It's a sunny day. I'm driving my son to school. We're singing. I'm drumming on the steering wheel. We stop at a red light and over my shoulder I notice a little boy standing at the bus stop with his mother. He's young, probably about four years old. Looking all handsome in his Boston Red Sox jacket. It's a cool jacket. He's not wearing a hat so I notice his beautiful brown hair. I catch him looking up quickly, searching for the bus, before hiding his face again. His hands lost in his pockets. 

via flippygirl.blogspot.com