Merry & Bright

Merry Christmas! And almost a happy New Year! I am taking a break and will be back to blogging after the new year. I hope you all have a very blessed holiday season...

Christmas wish: free time!

Let me just preface this post by saying that one of my favorite parts of the Holiday season is spending time with friends and family and going from party to party. So much fun! And I can't wait to spend 6 whole days at home with my family- that is my favorite way to relax! 

That said, I'm exhausted. Already. And Christmas isn't even here yet! Yeesh! I find myself fantasizing about a whole week spent at home catching up on all the crafty goodness and home keeping that has not gotten done. Is my closet organized? No. Gotten my carpet cleaned? Nope. Used my Gocco I got for my birthday? Not even. Sad. 

So, here are a few of the crafts I will be making when I get a few seconds to myself- hopefully soon...

Gorgeous hand-made cascading flowers jacket (I like this even better than the J.Crew original-top photo, on the right) 

by Laura's sister Kristen at Orange Beautiful blog The Scoop. Get the tutorial here. Thank you both for sharing!

Suede & leather flower necklce by Babetteworld on Etsy. I want make my own- with hot pink flowers, but this would definitley make a gorgeous gift! Get yours here.

Make either a brooch, hairpiece, or belt (or all 3!) from this charming tutorial found from Ann on her blog Still Dottie. 

I will definitley be giving this a try! Find the tutorial here. Thank you Anne- i love your blog!

What a cute monogrammed cardi! Though this one is meant for little girls, I want to make my very own grown-up version.

I heart Tracy Porter

Oh Tracy! This woman knows her stuff. From her charming, quirky home goods to her eclectic hippie fashions and jewelry, she truly make the ordinary extraordinary. I am especially loving her teacup candles and gorgeous serving pieces for gifts this year. And to top it all off, her blog is chock full of style, home and life advice. Her blog inspires us all to remember to enjoy the little things in life, from a nice hot shower, to the joys of playing with a glue gun. There are even videos on her blog with helpful decorating tips! Visit her shop (here) and blog (here) and be inspired!

I heart this...a lot.

I stumbled upon the gorgeous work of Jewelry Designer Mylavaliere on Etsy today. And just in time for Christmas shopping! I absolutely adore her reworked vintage pieces- especially her headbands! And, as if her pieces weren't tempting enough, she also donates a portion of the proceeds to Doctors without Borders, United Way, Unicef, & invalidateprop8.com.

Helping charities, buying handmade AND being pretty?! Yay!!

(Find all her fun pieces here.)

 

Polyvore. So Inspired.

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I look in my closet, I feel so uninspired. Ugh. Enter Polyvore.com, my new fave for fashion inspiration. Not only are the layouts artistic and fun, but they give endless ideas for fashion fixes-and tell you where to find everything you see. Genius! Here are a few of my favorite layouts...