They were already marked down 60% with an additional 20% off. And the metallic pink color is too cute to resist.
Friday, December 12, 2008
feeding the addiction
Couldn't help it. Just bought these:
They were already marked down 60% with an additional 20% off. And the metallic pink color is too cute to resist.
They were already marked down 60% with an additional 20% off. And the metallic pink color is too cute to resist.
Christmas at the office
Next week is our office holiday week: every day we're doing some kind of festive holiday event or game, including trivia contests, a gift exchange and cookie decorating. It all kicks off with our office holiday party this week at Art & Soul DC down on Capitol Hill. Should be fun!
Last year's holiday festivities were very profitable for me. I won a $50 gift card to Nordstroms at the office holiday party raffle. Then my officemate and I took the grand prize in the office door decorating contest and won $100!
Every year, the office holds a door decorating contest with monetary prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. We went all out last year to decorate our door:
We made a 3D chimney mantle and had actual boots hanging from the door to look like Santa coming down the chimney. And since we are both VT grads and our office is Hokie territory, we hung a Hokie stocking from the mantle. Everything else was construction paper.
Not sure how we'll decorate our door this year, but it will have to be good so we can retain our grand prize title!
Last year's holiday festivities were very profitable for me. I won a $50 gift card to Nordstroms at the office holiday party raffle. Then my officemate and I took the grand prize in the office door decorating contest and won $100!
Every year, the office holds a door decorating contest with monetary prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. We went all out last year to decorate our door:
We made a 3D chimney mantle and had actual boots hanging from the door to look like Santa coming down the chimney. And since we are both VT grads and our office is Hokie territory, we hung a Hokie stocking from the mantle. Everything else was construction paper.
Not sure how we'll decorate our door this year, but it will have to be good so we can retain our grand prize title!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
little blue boxes
What girl wouldn't want to open up that iconic blue box and find a little bit of Tiffany & Co glamor on Christmas morning?
Tiffany Notes Letter round pendant
Bam! A huge Amethyst Ring
Tiffany 1837 Lock bracelet
Tiffany Notes locket
Toggle charm bracelet
cute Tiffany charms to go on that bracelet
Tiffany Blue Blox ornament
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
stockings hung from the staircase with care
This picture reminds me of how my mom decorated our houses for Christmas. Even though we had a fireplace, she would hang the stockings on the staircase just like this instead of hanging them from the mantel. Most of our old govt. houses on base (military family!) had wooden staircases just like this and my mom would decorate the banister with garland and hang the stockings like so. Last year was one of the rare times my actually mom hung them from the mantle:
(notice my dad's "Army Boot" stocking)
Almost all of my family's stockings are handmade. My mom made my dad's Army Boot stocking many years ago, but she accidentally sewed up the toe, so you can't really fill it up much. One of our family traditions is that everyone receives an orange in the bottom (toe) of their stocking (don't know where this one came from) but my dad doesn't usually get one since it would fill up the whole thing!
My Memomma (my maternal grandmother) made all three of my sister's and mine's stockings. She was a very talented seamstress and could do just about anything with a needle and thread, so she sewed and cross-stitched a stocking for each of us when we were born. Each one is personalized with our full name, birth date, and birthplace and has a variation on the same pattern. They are so special and are quite the treasures.
My stocking. Sorry, I had to blur some of the info to retain some privacy. (Yep, my real name is Elizabeth)
I love my stocking, not only because it's beautiful and unique, but because it reflects the love and time my Memomma put into making it, and it will always remind me of her.
Too bad our apartment doesn't have a pretty staircase I can hang it from!
(notice my dad's "Army Boot" stocking)Almost all of my family's stockings are handmade. My mom made my dad's Army Boot stocking many years ago, but she accidentally sewed up the toe, so you can't really fill it up much. One of our family traditions is that everyone receives an orange in the bottom (toe) of their stocking (don't know where this one came from) but my dad doesn't usually get one since it would fill up the whole thing!
My Memomma (my maternal grandmother) made all three of my sister's and mine's stockings. She was a very talented seamstress and could do just about anything with a needle and thread, so she sewed and cross-stitched a stocking for each of us when we were born. Each one is personalized with our full name, birth date, and birthplace and has a variation on the same pattern. They are so special and are quite the treasures.
My stocking. Sorry, I had to blur some of the info to retain some privacy. (Yep, my real name is Elizabeth)I love my stocking, not only because it's beautiful and unique, but because it reflects the love and time my Memomma put into making it, and it will always remind me of her.
Too bad our apartment doesn't have a pretty staircase I can hang it from!
homemade Christmas: tree skirt
So I was finally able to cross some things off of my to-do list! We had put up our little Christmas tree over the weekend, but it was lacking a tree skirt and the top was bare. So when flipping through the latest issue of MS Living, what do I find? Instructions on how to make a cute little tree skirt.
Immediately I think, "Hey! I'll make one for our tree!" And so I did.
It was fairly easy to make; no sewing involved. All you really do is glue fabric and ribbon together, and it turns out pretty cute! Since our tree is decorated in pinks, purples, blues, and greens, I didn't want to go the traditional green and red route as it would clash. So I picked out a cute pink/cranberry polka dot fabric, and went to work!
Pretty much the only supplies you need for this project. Fabric, ribbon, some fabric glue and fabric stiffener:
Following the instructions, I cut the fabric to size so that I had one long skinny piece measuring 13" x 118" (I had to glue two pieces of fabric together to get the finished single piece).
Then I "painted" the fabric in fabric stiffener. This part is what took the longest, as it takes a little while to cover all the fabric and it has to dry for a good while. But when it's done, you have a big piece of "stiff" fabric that's almost like paper.
After it dried and I had a stiff piece of fabric, I ironed it flat. Then I measured three lengths of grosgrain ribbon 11.5' long to trim the skirt.
Then I just glued on the ribbon along both top and bottom edges of the fabric, using fabric glue.
I used bright green and cranberry ribbon as a twist on the traditional red and green. I left about 10" of ribbon hanging loose from the ends to tie the skirt together.
Then I started making 2.5" folds like an accordion (this is why you want the fabric to be stiff like paper)...
...until the whole thing was folded. I then ironed it to make the creases sharper.
In the instructions, you're supposed to punch holes along the top edge and cinch it together by stringing cord through the holes. Well, my old hole punch wasn't cutting through both the ribbon and fabric, so I just skipped that part for now. When I can get a decent hole punch, I'll go back and do that step, so it stays together nicely.
I just laid it around the bottom of the tree, and tied the end ribbons together, and voila! A cute, personalized, and relatively inexpensive tree skirt!
Then, because we didn't have a good tree-topper, I fashioned a big bow out of sparkly ribbon!
The finished result. It looks much better in person when the colorful ornaments sparkle off the lights. (sorry for the bad quality photos)
Immediately I think, "Hey! I'll make one for our tree!" And so I did.
It was fairly easy to make; no sewing involved. All you really do is glue fabric and ribbon together, and it turns out pretty cute! Since our tree is decorated in pinks, purples, blues, and greens, I didn't want to go the traditional green and red route as it would clash. So I picked out a cute pink/cranberry polka dot fabric, and went to work!
Pretty much the only supplies you need for this project. Fabric, ribbon, some fabric glue and fabric stiffener:
Following the instructions, I cut the fabric to size so that I had one long skinny piece measuring 13" x 118" (I had to glue two pieces of fabric together to get the finished single piece).
Then I "painted" the fabric in fabric stiffener. This part is what took the longest, as it takes a little while to cover all the fabric and it has to dry for a good while. But when it's done, you have a big piece of "stiff" fabric that's almost like paper.
After it dried and I had a stiff piece of fabric, I ironed it flat. Then I measured three lengths of grosgrain ribbon 11.5' long to trim the skirt.
Then I just glued on the ribbon along both top and bottom edges of the fabric, using fabric glue.
I used bright green and cranberry ribbon as a twist on the traditional red and green. I left about 10" of ribbon hanging loose from the ends to tie the skirt together.
Then I started making 2.5" folds like an accordion (this is why you want the fabric to be stiff like paper)...
...until the whole thing was folded. I then ironed it to make the creases sharper.
In the instructions, you're supposed to punch holes along the top edge and cinch it together by stringing cord through the holes. Well, my old hole punch wasn't cutting through both the ribbon and fabric, so I just skipped that part for now. When I can get a decent hole punch, I'll go back and do that step, so it stays together nicely.
I just laid it around the bottom of the tree, and tied the end ribbons together, and voila! A cute, personalized, and relatively inexpensive tree skirt!
Then, because we didn't have a good tree-topper, I fashioned a big bow out of sparkly ribbon!
The finished result. It looks much better in person when the colorful ornaments sparkle off the lights. (sorry for the bad quality photos)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
colors of the rainbow
All I want to do nowadays is make stuff. I've got a list a mile long of creative projects I want to try. Some are in the works, and I'm taking pictures of the process so that I can share them on here (they will come soon)!
Nevertheless, I am all about crafty, creative, colorful goodness lately, so these color wheels found on the lovely blog The Purl Bee are really inspiring me with their beautiful spectrum of hues.
Nevertheless, I am all about crafty, creative, colorful goodness lately, so these color wheels found on the lovely blog The Purl Bee are really inspiring me with their beautiful spectrum of hues.
cha-ching
Apparently living here in DC can be very profitable what with the Inauguration coming up. With all the hotel rooms in a 2 hour radius being booked, locals are offering up rooms in their houses for rent. Even people in Balitmore are getting offers to rent rooms in January...and Baltimore is about an hour away.
My coworker revealed yesterday that she's renting out her apartment (in Arlington, right by the metro) to a couple for three nights...for $2,000 a night!!
That's right...she's banking $6,000 off the Inauguration!
I'm thinking I'm taking off work on Inauguration Day. I don't fee like dealing with the traffic and ridiculous metro commute that day. This city will be packed!
My coworker revealed yesterday that she's renting out her apartment (in Arlington, right by the metro) to a couple for three nights...for $2,000 a night!!
That's right...she's banking $6,000 off the Inauguration!
I'm thinking I'm taking off work on Inauguration Day. I don't fee like dealing with the traffic and ridiculous metro commute that day. This city will be packed!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Icelandic
Currently living vicariously through the picturesque styling of the latest J.Crew catalog, shot in Iceland.
Happy Friday!
Happy Friday!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
cute as a button
a city afloat
In high school, I did a project on how Venice is sinking. The city is actually built upon a series of small islands in a lagoon off of the Adriatic Sea, so is naturally prone to low-level flooding. The buildings are stabilized by wooden piles in the sediment underwater and the foundations are subject to "sinking" when water levels rise.
I find it endearing that Venetians continue about their everyday lives despite the inches of water that routinely flood the city, as evidenced by this picture of gondoliers enjoying breakfast while knee-deep in water during the recent flood.
I find it endearing that Venetians continue about their everyday lives despite the inches of water that routinely flood the city, as evidenced by this picture of gondoliers enjoying breakfast while knee-deep in water during the recent flood.
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