Christmas Cocktail Dresses, Shoes and more

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Five on Friday!

Hooray hooray it is Friday!!  Did you all have a nice week?  I’ve got my hair cut and now I am ready for Holiday Parties!!  Speaking of Holiday parties… do you have an outfit to wear?

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Party Dresses

Gold Sequin Dress

Black dress 

White Dress

Beautiful Green Dress

Off the Shoulder


Peek a Boo Sheath

Lace and Sequin Dress

Lace Off the Shoulder Dress

Embellished Sheath Dress – Only $65!

Pretty Evening Shoes 

Well, initially I thought I would just look at pretty dresses, but with pretty dresses you need to wear pretty shoes… 

so I found myself looking at pretty evening shoes. 

Glitter Pumps in Silver – timeless and classic 

Manolo Blahnik Evening shoes (they come in flats too!)

Ever since these were on Sex and the City I have been dreaming of owning a pair.

Royal Evening Pumps – fast shipping and lots of color options

Cute Bow pumps at a nice price!

Another cute bow shoe! These are SO CUTE

Floral Wrap heels These would go great with a black dress

Angel Wing heels – I saw these in person. They are so fun!

Let’s be honest though. I can dream of wearing beautiful stilettos like these

but in reality I would likely wear something like these: Cute Glitter Kitten Heels

Christmas House Tour


Have you missed my Christmas House Tour?? Visit Part 1 here and Part 2 here! Yes it was so big I had to put it into two posts!!

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I love these little vintage ornaments in my antique Limoge teacups. This is my kind of Christmas decor. . . . #christmasdecorations #christmasornament #christmasdecor #christmas2016

A photo posted by Cedar Hill Farmhouse (@cedarhillfarmhouse) on

Monday Morning minis #patinafarm #ojai #minidonkey

A photo posted by Brooke Giannetti (@velvetandlinen) on

Five

I don’t have a “five”today. Have a nice weekend – back tomorrow with another post for 25 days of Christmas!


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Christmas at Roger’s Gardens 2016

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Here is a look at my favorite store in the USA to buy Christmas decorations… Roger’s Gardens!! Have you ever been?? It is located in Newport Beach, CA. 

Visiting there is such a dream during Christmas time!

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They have SO many different trees decorated in different styles that you are sure to see something you like! 

I won’t do much talking and let the pictures talk instead. But I did love this tinsel tree below:

And I love these little handmade trees – but they are $750!

This room was SUPER COOL – they had icicles dripping from the ceiling…

I wanted this kitty ornament but it was out of my ornament price range.

I love these little snowmen…

Aren’t all of these santas cute too?

I thought this under-the-sea tree was super inventive!

Perfect for a kitchen tree… maybe my chef tree needs some more food ornaments?

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Farmhouse Christmas Decor – Thursday Favorite Things

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Welcome to Thursday Favorite Things! I had so much fun last week going through many of your posts – I just love the Christmas season, don’t you?

Plus, it gets dark at 5pm so my body clock thinks it is bedtime so I find myself blogging/reading more in the Winter!

This week I have rounded up some fabulous vintage Farmhouse Christmas decorating ideas!

The Painted Hinge shared this vintage farmhouse free printable gift tags! Aren’t they cute??

A Porch with a View shared this wonderful walnut tree tutorial.  I love decorating with natural elements, especially for the Fall and Winter!

Five Marigolds shared DIY Christmas ornaments for kids using bottle brush trees! 

Adirondack Girl at Heart shared these cute vintage bottlebrush tree decorations! 

Don’t forget to check out our Thursday Favorite Things Pinterest Board 


Katherine’s Corner
Peonies and Orange Blossoms
Reinvented Collection
Surrounding’s by Debi
Marilyn’s Treats
Vintage Mama’s Cottage


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Christmas House Tour 2016 Part 2

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Welcome to PART 2 of my Christmas Home tour! If you missed Part 1, you can start here.
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A French country Christmas

Today we start off our tour at the fireplace.  Quimper stockings line the fireplace… and a stocking for our Chloé cat! 

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

Instead of greenery on the mantel, this year the fireplace is lined with my Steiff snowman collection!  The one on the far right is new this year -stuffed him in my suitcase and hauled it back from Germany! 

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

The bedroom is more French country… I love decorating with tartan and tartan bedding is my favorite!  The wool blanket is from Pendleton.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

A pretty floral arrangement in Christmas colors brighten up the room!

Christmas floral arrangement

The armoire is decked out with garland.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

The romantic cottage French tree brightens the bedroom at night.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

A little Frenchy vignette with dried pink roses and mercury glass Christmas trees.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

I love this woodland deer! 

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

A few little Christmas villages are sprinkled here and there…

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

My favorite pyramid is so much fun at night!

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

The chef tree is back this year! 

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

Ms. Mora has some colorful branches on top of her face.

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

One last look…

Christmas house tour with French and German decorating

I hope you all enjoyed my Christmas house tour!

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Christmas China – Plates and Dinnerware

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I *love* Christmas dinnerware so I thought today we could look at some Christmas china!

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I wrote about Christmas china several years ago, however new patterns have been released!

Prouna Nutcracker Plates – aren’t they fun?

Vietri  – hip and modern!

 

Christmas Tree Grove by Spode – very old world feeling!

 

Villeroy and Boch Toy’s Delight – I love the edge on this plate, don’t you?

 

Metallic Merry Plates – perfect and simple.

 

Fiesta Dinnerware Twelve Day of Christmas plates – love 12 days of Christmas!!

 

Juliska Country Estate Winter Frolic Scalloped Edge Plates – These are what I own!

 

Villeroy And Boch Christmas Tree Plate – I have always loved this pattern.

 

Spode Christmas in Gold – perfect for a formal setting!

 

Christmas Foliage Collection – wouldn’t these look nice in a stack of plates with tartan??

 

Winter Ball Collection – these remind me of old transferware plates!

 

Vietri Christmas tree plates – love the trees!

Holiday icon plates – I can see these appetizer plates at a “hip” party.

 

Snowman Plates – perfect for snowman lovers!

 

 

Juliska Winter Games appetizer plates – there are 12 and they are all different!

 

Vietri Snowman Salad Plate

 

Deerly Loved Plates – perfect for a Scandinavian Christmas theme!

 

Nutcracker Plates – aren’t these fun and colorful?

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Animal Wreaths, Christmas, and more! – 5 on Friday

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25 Days of Christmas! 

Several years ago during my first year of blogging, I blogged for 25 days of Christmas. I had a lot of fun doing it! I haven’t done it in several years so I thought I would do it again this year!  For the 25 days of Christmas I will be blogging about… Christmas! HOORAY!  Some posts will be detailed and longer, others might just be a picture or two.
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Animal Wreaths

I was surfing the net when I came across these animal wreaths by Linda Dalziel.  She makes them all by hand.  Aren’t they CUTE?!?!?!  You can order them through her Facebook page!! All of the pictures below are from her page.

Spotted… Christmas bag!

How cute is this Gingerbread house bag???

The Crown

Did you finish watching the Crown? I did!!! Did you love it? I did! I love period dramas.  Does anyone have any show suggestions for me that are similar??  I don’t want to say much in fear of spoiling it, but then it’s not like her life isn’t well known to the world.  

I have already watched Mr. Selfridge and The Paradise.

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Advent Calendars and the 25 days of Christmas!

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Happy December everyone!  This post is a little late today but I wanted to share a Christmas post every day for the 25 Days of Christmas!!

I thought talking about the advent calendar would be a perfect way to celebrate the 1st day of Christmas!

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I *love* my gingerbread advent calendar.  It is made of wood and every year I stuff it with miniature ornaments.  Then everyday I open a new door and get a new ornament to put on the tree!

I use the same miniature ornaments every year but you see I put them in the box in January and store them year-long in this box.  By December I have forgotten what I put in there!  

Occasionally my husband or Mom sneaks something into a door so it is a surprise! 

This year though they gave my something special – a Diptyque advent calendar!  I am SO excited!

 Here it is opened…

Here is today’s surprise! a mini figurie candle! 

This is a fancy advent calendar, but they don’t all have to be! I like the chocolate stuffed ones and even the paper ones! 

 Advent calendars started in the 1800s.  Advent marks the beginning of the Christmas season for many churches.  In 1839, the first public Advent wreath was hung in Hamburg, Germany.  In 1902, the first printed Advent calendar was made.  After that, each year the calendar evolved eventually into a calendar with 24 little doors.


The traditional advent calendars only revealed a picture behind their doors, but soon began to include chocolate and toys.

 There are lots of different ones.  This one below is similar to mine, the Christmas House Advent Calendar.

I love this Christmas tree one! I think my cousin has it.

 Isn’t this Santa chimney one fun?

This galvanized tin one is perfect for farmhouse style decor.

Isn’t this stocking tree calendar cute?

This snowman one is super cute! 

This one is adorable and is from Villeroy and Boch with porcelain goodies!

Not all advent calendars go on the wall or table… here is a charm bracelet! A new charm for everyday! Isn’t it clever??

Isn’t this nativity one cute?

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Holiday Ideas – Thursday Favorite Things

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Hi everyone, welcome back to another week of Thursday Favorite Things! Last week we took a break for Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!

I don’t have features from the party two weeks ago but instead I am featuring some holiday posts from our hostesses! Have you visited their blogs??


Katherine is our main hostess and has a lovely blog.  She loves tea, recipes, decor, DIY projects, and runs a shop! Recently she wrote about this chocolate pretzel recipe which she says is one of her most popular holiday desserts! 

Debi at Surroundings by Debi used to have a floral and gift shop for 32 years.  She now runs a beautiful blog about home decor.  She recently wrote about the Festival of Trees – a feature of many Christmas trees from her shop.  They are all really lovely and will give you tons of Christmas tree inspiration!!

 Marilyn at Marilyn’s Treats writes about recipes and culinary tips and tricks!  This year she shared an applesauce fruit cake recipe – she states it is the *only* fruitcake she will eat and it is not a doorstop in disguise! 

 Nina at Vintage Mama’s Cottage is a blog about all sorts of fun crafty projects!  Last year she wrote a post about handcrafted Christmas ornaments! Aren’t these cookie cutter ornaments super fun?

Olivia at Reinvented Collection is an interior stylist, decorator, and faux finish pro.  On her blog you will find French Country and Old World decor styles and event ideas.  I have to share her Christmas Holiday Home tour from last year… I can’t get over how cute this little vignette is below! 

I hope you all enjoyed these features from our hostesses – please check them all out if you have not before! They are all really lovely blogs and lovely ladies!

Don’t forget to check out our Thursday Favorite Things Pinterest Board!  I also share your posts on my Facebook page so be sure you follow along! 


Katherine’s Corner
Peonies and Orange Blossoms
Reinvented Collection
Surrounding’s by Debi
Marilyn’s Treats
Vintage Mama’s Cottage


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Classic Vintage Christmas Tree

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Christmas is my most favorite time of year!  For me, the centerpiece of Christmas decorating is the Christmas tree! 

This post is sponsored by Tree Classics.  All content and opinions are my own. 

Classic Vintage Christmas tree

I believe that one cannot have too many Christmas trees. I love having one in every room and I love doing a theme for each one!  

I also love the ambient light that the trees provide during the dark of Winter!

So, when Tree Classics approached me and sent me a beautiful Christmas tree, I was ecstatic!

I was thrilled to choose the 7.5′ Alaskan Spruce Snap Tree because it has both colored and white lights!!

Classic Vintage Christmas tree with colored lights

My husband and I often debate about if we should put colored lights on our trees because we always use white lights.  This tree had the perfect solution: both!

With the click of a button, voila! Colored lights!

The color changing abilities of this tree led me to my decorating theme: a classic vintage tree! 

Classic Vintage Christmas tree with vintage ornaments

  This tree is loaded with vintage elements: vintage ephemera paper ornaments and garland, pipe cleaner ornaments, putz houses, and hand painted glass and wooden ornaments.

Classic Vintage Christmas tree decorating ideas

A decorating tip to the “perfect” Christmas tree is to have a unifying element. 

I have several on this tree: gold metallic bows, hand painted gold and maroon ball ornaments, and the vintage ephemera paper garland.

Classic Vintage Christmas tree ornament ideas

I liked that this tree had two different types of needles – it made it seem more real! I used these metallic gold bows on this tree.

Classic Vintage Christmas tree ornament ideas

You know, as I was decorating this tree, I was reminded of my Grandmother’s tree.  

Her tree was always decorated with colored lights.

My favorite part of the holidays is spending time with my family.  Some of my favorite memories involve the holidays.  What about you?

Classic Vintage Christmas tree ornament ideas

One of the things I really liked about this tree was the fact that the limbs and branches were really easy to move around.  Have a limb not quite in the right spot? No problem, just move it! 

I mention this because as a Christmas tree connoisseur (I think when you have five Christmas trees up in your house you are considered a connoisseur ), I have found that not all Christmas tree branches do that! It’s really nice to be able to move them just into the *right* spot. Plus, the branches look real!

Classic Vintage Christmas tree ornament ideas

I also received some beautiful ornaments too! They came in colors of silver and gold – totally the new decorating trend for Christmas trees I have noticed! 

 This one looks super cute with my metallic bow, don’t you think?

 I loved the sparkle on this ornament! I know I will have these for years to come – I loved the variety of the ornaments they sent me!

Now let’s talk about the finer details of this Tree Classics Tree.

The shipping from Tree Classics was *very* fast! It was shipped on Wednesday and came on Saturday and that included shipping over the Thanksgiving holiday! I was super impressed. 

The box it shipped in is below. Yes, it’s big. But a 7.5 foot tree isn’t going to come in a little box. Plus, you won’t be storing your tree in this box.

Tree Classics Tree

Here’s what came out of the box: only 3 things!

These little bags were super nice! They had handles and I just lifted them up out of the box! This is size of the tree for storage.

Tree Classics Tree

Now here is the cool part.  The stand has wheels!  

So I put the tree base on the stand right there in the hallway and wheeled it around until I was happy with its placement. This was super nice especially since the tree base is a little heavy. It will also be convenient when it comes time to put it away – just roll it into the closet! 

Tree Classics Tree

Here’s the part I found that could be improved: Read the instructions first! I had just lifted the tree up onto the stand without taking the bag off.  Well, I assumed it zipped right off… it did not. So I had to lift the base off, take it completely out of the bag, and then put it on the base. I thought it would be neater in future models to be able to just zip it right off! Or, you know, read the instructions.

Tree Classics Tree

Then I snapped the top on and done! The whole thing took probably 5 minutes (including my picture taking). You can watch a video on how to set up the tree here.

I also liked that it had just two parts: a top and bottom. Some of my other trees have four pieces. Have you ever found that getting A onto B onto C is sometimes confusing?? Especially if you’ve had the tree for years and the tags have fallen off? And then you’re staring at the tree trying to figure out why it looks funny? 

There is no confusion here!

Also, the snap tree aspect of it made this so it is a one-person operation! Sometimes those trees take two people to put together!

Here’s a link to a video on why the Snap Tree is special.

Classic Christmas tree

I am really enjoying my Alaskan Spruce Snap Tree with LED color changing lights!! It is the perfect tree for my classic vintage theme! 

Classic Christmas tree with colored lights

You can go to the Tree Classics Website here and also check out all the other snap trees– there are many! Thank you to Tree Classics for sponsoring this post! 

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Romantic Cottage Christmas Tree

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This year I was inspired to create a new themed tree… the romantic cottage Christmas tree!!

I knew I was going to put this tree in my bedroom which is decorated in a French country style.

 Where better to display this tree than in front of some purple toile curtains?

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Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

For this tree, I was drawn to the softer pastel colors…

…as if the ornaments had sat in a box and faded.

Additionally, I didn’t want a “loud” tree in my bedroom. This one had to be soft!

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

I also added in some dried roses.

It was a little bit by accident. I had not intended too, but you see, they sat neglected in the vase forever and dried. (They were alive in this post – yeah like a month ago. SHH!

I was walking by the dried flowers in the vase as I was putting ornaments on this tree.

And the vision struck! 

So I tucked them into the tree. 

And I liked how it looked. So I tucked more in. 

It really goes with the romantic cottage look, don’t you think?

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

I liked their faded color.  They matched the ornaments too.

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

It was coincidence that this romantic tree matched the drapes! 

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

For this tree, I was drawn to a pastel color palette.

Also, there are a few mercury glass ornaments tucked in here and there.

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

The tree topper came from an Etsy shop. Isn’t it lovely? It is actually an ornament but I secured it to the top of the tree. It matches the tree perfectly, both in color and style! 

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

I prefer viewing the tree at night time. 

The soft glow of the tree provides some nice ambient light, doesn’t it?

I love laying in bed at night looking at the twinkling lights.

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

However, it looks nice in the daytime too.

You can create your own romantic cottage tree too – go for softer colors, metallics, and ornaments that look more handmade. 

I also prefer the look of the flocked tree with these muted colors.  The flocked tree also seems more romantic to me too! 

Vintage French Country Christmas Tree | Pastel Christmas Tree

I hope you all enjoyed my tree!

Joyeux Noël! 

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Holiday Gift Guide for Guys, Kids and more on Five on Friday!!

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I know I said I wasn’t going to post a Five on Friday this week, but the inspiration bug hit and here we are!
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I’ve included gift guide for guys and children. Earlier this week I posted one for us gals if you missed it. BTW, there is more to this Five on Friday than gift guides, so keep scrolling…

Men's Holiday Gift Guide 2016

1 \ T7 Portable Bluetooth Speaker – My husband says “this is cool” so that’s good enough for me!
2 \ Barbour Waxed Canvas Bag – a nice bag to take to work is always a bonus!
3 \ Gift Box Socks Set – fancy socks are all the rage right now
4 \ Barbour ‘Bedale’ Relaxed Fit Waterproof Waxed Cotton Jacket Barbour jackets are amazing. I have one but originally they were made for men.  They are perfect for rain and wind. They are incredibly warm. It really is a perfect jacket.
5 \ Allen Edmonds Wingtip dress shoe  – Allen Edmonds makes some of the nicest dress shoes. I bought these for my husband last year and he says he gets tons of compliments on them. Plus, they last for years, if you resole them.
6 \ Beats by Dr. Dre Beats Wireless Headphones – These headphones are cool.
7 \ Nike LunarGlide Men’s Running Shoe  – get him some nice tennis shoes- can be worn for atheleisure or at the gym!
8 and 9 \Nike Dri-FIT Men’s Running Pants and Nike Sweatshirt  – get him some nice lounge around home clothes that are acceptable to be worn “out in public”.
10 \ UGG  Suede Slipper  – He might poo-poo Uggs, but once he slips them on his feet he will change his opinion of uggs!
11 \ Apple Watch Sport   – If he is a techie, the Apple Watch is the best techie watch out there.

Children's Holiday Gift Guide 2016

1 \ LEGO Frozen Disney Princess Elsa’s Sparkling Ice Castle  – I loved Legos as a child and I’m pretty sure I would have loved this.
2 \ R2D2 Cool Mist Humidifier  – This cool mist humidifier is in the shape of R2D2. This is SO COOL, like honestly, I kind of want one… except I don’t need one. But for the little ones who always seem to have runny noses, this is perfect.
3 \ Ada Twist the Scientist Book – These seem to be pretty popular and I of course like the scientist book.
4 \ Sequin Top & Tulle Skirt Set (Big Girls)– Love this cute outfit for girls!
5 \ Batman Rain Boot (Toddler/Little Kid) How fun are these boots with wings??
6 \ Steiff Otto The Teddy Bear A teddy bear is a win for the little ones… why not get a teddy bear from the company that produced the first teddy bear… Steiff??
7 \ Toddler Bed Tent – This bed for toddlers is *awesome*… it’s made to look like a tent!
8 \ Larry the Llama Ride On – This wouldn’t be a children’s gift guide from me if I didn’t pick an animal that was either ridiculously large or one that you could sit on!
9 \ Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas – one of my favorite Christmas books.
10 \ PENGUIN BOOKS Madeline – One of my other favorite books. I think children need more books to read these days.
11 \ Construction Plate & Utensils  – This plate and utensil set looks awesome! Wouldn’t a kid have fun with this?

Christmas in Paris

Let’s take a look at some shopping across the pond… every year in Paris, the Galeries Lafayette has a large Christmas tree displayed. Not only that, but they change the theme every year! Let’s take a look, shall we?

Blog Update!

You may have noticed that I have updated my blog a little bit. I now have drop-down menus to take you to some of my pages!  I am pretty excited about this… it took literally *hours* to code because I had a ‘ instead of a ” and it took forever to figure out that was the issue.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the menus as it is now a little easier to scroll through my website.

Additionally, I now have two new Shops that you may have noticed.  The one on the top right is to shop my Instagram feed.  I think it is pretty cool!!

The one below shops both my feed and my some of my favorites: home decor, holiday favorites, and clothing favorites. You can get to that shop by clicking below.

Please do not feel pressured to buy things.  It helps me run my blog. If you click on it I make a few cents  just buy clicking – if you buy something I make a little commission.  

Favorite Instagrams

If you don’t follow me on Instagram, you should! I have been previewing my Christmas decor over there…

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Holiday Gift Guide for the Glamorous Girl for Every Budget

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I am back once again with my annual gift guide! Since Black Friday is at the end of this week, I know all of us are going to be out shopping.  

I rounded up a few of my favorite picks for the glamorous girl. 

And, even if you don’t see yourself as “glamorous”, we gals all have a bit a glamour inside of us, so there is something here for everyone.  I also picked out favorites in all price ranges.

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

Handbags

1 \ Longchamp Le Pliage Shoulder Tote Bag – I have one of these and I *love* it. 

2 \ Tory Burch shoulder bag – this is a perfect bag for everyday

3 \ Chloe Bag – beautiful “splurge” bag

4 \ French Wallet – Is this not the cutest wallet ever?

Beauty and Fragrance

5 \  Diptyque Perfume If you love the Baies candle, this is the perfume version of it!

6 \ L’Occitane Hand Cream – This is seriously the best hand cream ever made.  

7 \ Flowerbomb Perfume – the bottle is super cute and I love the fragrance. I own this, but they have a special holiday bottle! 

8 \  Essie Sparkle Nail Polish  – Add some sparkle to your nails! Great stocking stuffer.

9 \ Mac Makeup Brush Set – a nice brush set for makeup is always a nice gift.

10 \ Honey Bath Set – For those that love bubble baths this honey bath set is perfect.

11 \ Clarisonic Mia Travel The Clarisonic is on my gift guide list year after year for a reason: it is SO NICE for your face.  My skin has never been better since I’ve started using this 5 years ago.  They have come out one that is small enough for travel. I cannot sing enough praise about the clarisonic.

12 \ Jo Malone Perfume – Although recently I’ve been only buying Diptqyue perfumes, I still love Jo Malone and especially the orange blossom scent. 

Shoes and Accessories

13 \ Silver sparkle smoking slipper – super cute smoking slipper and it is a great price!

14 \ Floral Nike Sneakers These floral Nike sneakers are perfect for running errands and they so super cute. They are going to sell out. 

15 \ Colorful Kate Spade WatchLove this colorful watch – this is a perfect gift for a teenager if you are struggling to pick out something for that age group!

16 \ Alex and Ani “Prints of Love” charm bangleThis company makes tons of different charm bracelets at ar reasonable price.  You can mix and match them. This one is the one for pet lovers.

17 \ Check scarf super cute budget friendly check scarf! 

18 \ Ralph Lauren Tartan Scarf – Ralph Lauren always has the prettiest tartans and this scarf is no exception.

19 \ Tory Burch Sandals  – These are my favorite sandals and are extremely popular! 

20 \ Colorful Socks These heart socks are super cute and are perfect stocking stuffers.

21 \ Tory Burch Faux Pearl Earrings These earrings are super chic.

22 \ Burberry Scarf – Every fashionista should own a Burberry scarf.

23 \ Michele Deco Watch – This watch is a splurge but it is so pretty. I love the mother of pearl and mixed metals.  The watch bands are interchangeable so you can choose from many different types! 

24 \ Louboutin Ombre Heels  – These pumps are beautiful. What else is there to say?

25 \ Ugg Bling Bailey Boots – I have the non-bling version of these and I LOVE them. I never thought I’d wear Ugg boots, but they are so comfy! I wear them around the house in Winter! 

26 \ Dior So Real Sunglasses  – These are the most fashionable sunglasses out right now and are for the super fashionista. 

For the Home

27 \ Diptyque Baies Candle – this is a splurge candle but it is the most beautiful scent.  This is my absolute favorite Diptyque candle. It smells of roses and blackcurrant leaves.

28 \ Pineapple Pencil Holder  – Cute pencil holder that looks like a pineapple!

29 \ Glass Display Box – perfect to display your jewelry and a good deal!  

30 \ Mackenzie Childs Courtly Check Teapot  – Super stylish on the stove – I own this. 

31 \ Bon Voyage 2017 Calendar Super cute 2017 Calendar! 

32 \ Juliska Berry and Threadbeautiful blue dinnerware! Love the ruffled edged teacup!

33 \ The Magnolia Story Book – The story of Chip & Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame.

34 \ Pendleton Wool Throw – I am obsessed with blankets and Pendleton makes my favorite wool blankets and throws.

35 \ Polka dot StaplerSuper cute stapler for your desk!

36 \ Selfie Button and Key FinderPerfect for the selfie-obsessed and those who lose their keys!

37 \ Portable Battery Pack for your PhoneThis is cute travel battery pack – perfect for on the go, traveling, or for those who suck the battery life!

38 \ Notecards for Every Occasion  – I thought this was so clever – a pack of notecards ready for every occasion… birthdays, thank you, get well soon…

Clothing

39 \ Beautiful Blue Wool Coat – This wool coat is beautiful in such a pretty blue.

40 \ Pretty in Pink Panel Duster Coat – This coat is a great deal and is in a pretty pink.

41 \ Lace Bow Tie Shirt – This lace bow tie shirt is hitting all of the current trends!

42 \ Sparkling Silver Tunic Top – What’s not to like about a Tory Burch Tunic?

43 \ Cashmere Black Sweater – Everyone always can use a black cashmere sweater. This one is a great bargain and I have it in several colors.

44 \ Blush Silk Kimono – Feel extra glam at night wearing this pretty silk kimono.

45 \ Barefoot Dreams Robe – This is my *favorite* robe ever. It is so warm and soft.

46 \ Ralph Lauren Knit Pajama Set – I love Ralph Lauren PJs. They are classic and comfy.


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How to Get Your Coffee Bar Ready for the Holidays

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

I thought I would share with you today on how to get your coffee bar ready for the Holidays! Now, the coffee bar doesn’t serve just coffee.  It serves up tea and hot chocolate too! There is something to please every guest here!

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How to Get Your Coffee Bar Ready for the Holidays

Clean it Up

The first thing you need to do to prepare your coffee bar for the holidays is to clean it up!  Clean your coffee machine, clean your counters, add your Christmas cheer!  

Provide a Variety of Teas, Coffees, and Hot Chocolate!

The next thing to do is to stock up on everything!  

First, I have a selection of various teas, including Christmas themed teas.  I love Tea Forte and they make the cutest tea bags, but really any selection of teas will work.

Second, I have a selection of hot chocolates – a peppermint hot chocolate and a regular milk hot chocolate.

Third, I have a selection of various coffee flavors, both decaf and regular.  We use Nespresso at home as our preferred coffee and we love it.  (Side note – used to have a Keurig, it broke, we switched to nepresso and have been in love with it for 4 years. We just got this new machine which steams the milk and we love it. Like seriously – no more Starbucks).

How to Get your Coffee Bar Ready for the Holidays!


Add a Variety of “Mix-Ins”

We have several different coffee syrups (caramel, sugar-free vanilla, and white chocolate).  

We have different types of honey and marshmallows.  We also have cinnamon sticks, granulated sugar, Splenda, raw sugar, and agave syrup.  

Don’t know where to find those extra mix ins? Well, some of the extra sugars/agave syrup are from when we ordered things to go at various restaurants and didn’t use them, but we didn’t want to waste them, so here they are! 

I also like to serve my coffees with an espresso bean on the side.  It makes it seem like a coffee shop!

We also have some biscottis for those that like their coffee and biscotti.  I buy the espresso beans at Trader Joe’s and biscotti at Costco.

How to Get your Coffee Bar Ready for the Holidays!
A “Vanilla Steamer” for the kids topped with a marshmallow

Below, various syrups are seen! There is hot chocolate hiding in the cookie jar (for now… Will someone make some cookies??) 

How to Get your Coffee Bar Ready for the Holidays!

Provide a Selection of Mugs and Stirring Spoons

 I have several different types of holiday mugs to choose from that accommodate different types of drinks! Big one is for drip coffee, one in the middle back is for lattes and latte macchiatos, little French one in the front is for cappuccinos, and the tartan ones are for espresso!

Additionally, you can see some spoons in an espresso cup in the middle shelf on the right.  Those are antique sterling spoons. The spoons are all mismatched from different patterns that we’ve collected here and there. What’s funny is that people pick through that cup looking at all of the different spoons until they settle on one they like! It’s funny because almost everyone does it!  I mean, I still do it! 

How to Get your Coffee Bar Ready for the Holidays!

Other Tips

A three-tiered tray makes a great display for your coffee bar!  You can store a whole bunch of different items on it and you can turn it around to get to the back!

a cappuccino and my attempt at latte art! ha!

I hope you find my tips helpful!  We host Thanksgiving and frequently have people over during Christmas and this is a great way to entertain guests! Oh, plus we also use it everyday and like it too!! 

How to Get your Coffee Bar Ready for the Holidays!

Shop the Post:

Rustic Three Tiered Tray (or this cute holiday Red three tier tray)

Reindeer Games Mug

 Tartan Coffee cups in red (white tartan version here

Tartan Espresso Cups in Red

French Brasserie Espresso mug 

Snowman Marshmallows

Browse Nespresso Machines


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Five Thanksgiving Recipes

We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.

This week’s Five on Friday consists of Five Recipe for Thanksgiving.  We will be making each one of these next week!

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This apple, onion, and gruyere tart bite is our #1 Thanksgiving appetizer. It is so delicious and flies out of the oven!

 We make our own bread rolls from scratch.  They aren’t too hard to make; you just have to prepare for them! We usually make these onion rolls.

I know that this picture isn’t the prettiest, but this salad is delicious! It consists of mixed greens, apples, cranberries and pecans.  It is the Fall Harvest salad.

This pumpkin soup is so delicious. We initially made it “for the vegetarians” but then everyone ate it!

This is the best apple pie recipe. It tastes so good still warm with a little vanilla ice cream on the side!

I won’t be posting a Five on Friday next week due to the holiday weekend. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving! 

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The Crown, Antique Show, and more – Five on Friday

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The Crown

Did anyone else start watching The Crown this past weekend? I did! I didn’t binge watch it and finish the whole season like I know a lot of people probably did.  

Have you ever of it? If not, it is about the life of Queen Elizabeth.  

The TV show is on Netflix only and it is also the most expensive TV show ever made!  After seeing the costumes and sets, you will see why!!

If you are a fan of period dramas and are looking to fill your Downton Abbey void, this is for you!
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 Apparently the replica wedding dress cost $37,000 to make! 


Hillsborough Antique Show
I had fun strolling the antique show last week.  Here are just a few pictures ( would have taken more, but I was busy browsing and not shooting pictures!) I liked this cat.

I thought this was a good idea for home decorators…. a plain lamp with an antler wrapped around it.

I liked this little vignette.

Giveaway!

Don’t forget to enter into our giveaway if you have not yet!  You can enter HERE.


Pretty Dresses

Sometimes I like to look at pretty dresses and pretend that I have an unlimited budget and that I have somewhere fancy to wear them to. Do you ever do that? If not, dream with me…

Which one would you wear?

Dress 1

Dress 2

Dress 3

Dress 4

Dress 5

Dress 6

Dress 7

Dress 8

Dress 9 (this one is inspired from porcelain!)

Dress 10

I would choose…. Dress 8 I think. Or maybe dress 6. 

Instagram

Here are my favorite finds from Instagram.

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From the Shop

I may earn a small commission if you purchase with these links

Caning Natural Tote Handbag - Universal Thread™
The Hustler High Waist Fray Hem Ankle Bootcut Jeans
Le Panier Pliage Raffia Crossbody Bag
Extra Large Le Pliage Panier Tresse Straw Tote
The Bennet Buttondown Shirt by Maeve
T Monogram Perforated Leather Bucket Bag
Mellow Stud Mule
Le Pliage Marinière Recycled Nylon Canvas Travel Bag
Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA+++
Maxine Stripe Cotton Button-Up Shirt
Citizens of Humanity Charlotte High Rise Straight Jeans
Navy Equestrian Traversee M Linen Tote
Cream Carrie Blouse
Ellison Natural
Jolene High Rise Vintage Slim
Citizens of Humanity Blue Jolene Jeans
Charlotte High Rise Straight Jeans
Le Pliage Filet Top Handle Bag
Vintage cotton crewneck T-shirt
Air Heart Sunglasses
Le Pliage Torchon XS Top Handle Bag With Strap
Santorini Raffia Basket Bag
Chuck Taylor® All Star® Lift High Top Platform Sneaker
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