Posts from — December 2008

For the 6th year in a row, I attended Rachel’s annual Gingerbread House decorating party for an afternoon filled with bowls of candy, simmering cider and close friends.  Since it’s something I practically plan out for an entire year, I brought a few extra boxes of Hot Tamales for a thatched roof and used Jujubes as holiday lights.  The final product not only looks delicious, but our apartment is now filled with a rich ginger aroma, which perfectly complements the fresh pine scent of our Christmas tree.

This weekend, I’m planning on taking advantage of the chilly weather and will be dividing my time between lounging around in my pajamas and engaging in holiday themed activities.  Here’s what I’ve got going on:

-Buying our Christmas tree (believe it or not, they have the best prices around)
-Decorating the tree (in whites, silvers and blues) while drinking this
-Attending my friend’s annual Gingerbread House party (I’m leaning towards these for my roof)
-Making white bean soup in our crock pot so that it’s ready when we get home
-Organizing my closet so I can accommodate for these

Curling up in front of a crackling fireplace on a rainy day is one of life’s greatest luxuries.  Sadly, my current apartment doesn’t come equipped with one, but I’ve gotten so much joy simply glancing through all of the wonderful images of them at Dominomag.com.  Since so much emphasis is placed on the mantle this month, I thought I’d round up some of my favorite fireplaces that leave me feeling nice and toasty.

Don’t you just want to pull up that stool and roast marshmallows?

I would sit at this table every morning sipping my coffee and warming my back by the fire.

How cozy is that flannel throw and perfectly placed reading lamp?

This is such a clever idea for a non-working fireplace (so is this).

The white washed bricks lend such a relaxed, beachy feel.

Urban Outfitters Beanie, H&M Top, Vintage Bracelet, Express Belt, Trina Turk Skirt, Hue Tights, Vintage Boots, Foley + Corinna Bag

Even though there are still two weeks left until Christmas, this morning my boyfriend surprised me with a Nikon D40, a digital SLR camera that I’ve been dreaming of ever since my friend Rachel bought one a few months back.  Though we still have a lot to learn about all of its capabilities, I can already see a clear distinction in the quality of the photographs and it will come in extra useful for our trip here in March.

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, nobody can deny the heartfelt appeal of holiday movies.  My top five favorites range from animated classics to modern romance and always put me in the best of seasonal spirits.  So make some popcorn, curl up with a cozy blanket and revisit your childhood with some festive films.

What are your favorite holiday films?

Club Monaco has always stocked their stores with comfortable basics at reasonable prices but it wasn’t until recently, when I stumbled upon their Winter 2008 Collection, that I became completely smitten.  Packed with an Anglomania-inspired lineup of androgynous coats and swingy skirts, all of the pieces are interchangeable and wonderfully classic.   Though you can’t purchase pieces online, I highly recommend paying a visit to a nearby store to check out their new eclectic vibe (I just bought the black necklace on the top left and the ruffled blouse on the bottom row).

Yesterday I ventured out for my first holiday shopping excursion and was delighted by the abundance of all things sparkly, sequined and shimmering.  All of the unabashedly feminine dresses begged for tough elements, so began my search for a pair of deconstructed buckled boots.  I first stumbled across Fiorentini + Baker’s option at Barney’s and couldn’t deny their supple leather, tri buckles and steep price.  Luckily, Steve Madden has an indisputably similar option that will leave you with extra money to splurge on pieces (like this and this) to balance them out perfectly.

EDIT: I managed to find an even cheaper version of the Steve Maddens here for $112!