barely there

one of the most loved gifts i've ever received was this necklace from my sister and brother-in-law. i love it because it's so perfectly delicate and barely there, but has a little glimmer and falls just perfectly. because i love it so, so much, my husband bought me the matching bracelet as a sweet surprise for channukah. normally, i'm not one for matchy matchy or things in sets, but because these pieces are so subtle and quietly lovely, i love wearing them both. and i do...every single day.

 

i've been loving initial jewelry lately, and last week on a business trip, i admired this lovely initial necklace that had that barely there quality. i particularly love the way the certain letters (like the H and the N) which are suspended on a bias and looked just perfect. 

you can also get them with more than one letter (perfect for one's own initials or those of children), and also with numbers. and of course, the bracelets are as dainty as the necklaces.

while i totally love huge, flashy jewelry (i'll gladly admit that), my love for that kind of bling is rivaled only for my love of this kind of delicate perfection...like whispered bling. love it.

flex your wrist

have you seen flex watches? i love them! they don't ship until feb 1st but what a nice spot of brightness in the cold winter to look forward to! they're fun and playful, sporty and sleek. and they support good causes - eleven of them! 

the watches (only $30 each) come in eleven colors and each supports a different cause - gray is for imerman angels,  red is for mariners outreach, blue, which is my favorite, is for nika water. oooh and i love the black too. i love all of them, really. especially this light blue one. i guess i'd be a good candidate for the ten pack. the ten pack would be a great way to save $5 per for next year's holiday gifts or bridesmaids gifts. or for oneself. there's always that too...

they also sell just the bands for $15, so you could opt for the white or gray watch (silver face) and then get a few different color bands that would work with those faces. the possibilities are pretty much endless.

salty and sweet

are you being hosted this weekend? hostess gifts can be both easy to shop for and hard...on one hand, there are several quick, easy wins. a bottle of wine, a bunch of beautiful flowers, or a nicely presented plant can't go wrong and i'm a big fan of all those options. but then there are the times you want to go a little different. for times like that, i love the idea i saw on my baking addiction of giving homemade vanilla sea salt. 

first, i think it's beyond lovely to give something you made, and what's different about this is that it's not a batch of brownies or a cake that's eaten and then over that day, one and done. this is more of a slow burn - something that can be kept in the pantry of the recipient and used many different ways over many weeks and months, and each time they taste it and discover a new use for the salty and sweet treat, they'll think of you and the lovely hosts they were on the night they got it from you. i love that! 

 

if you're not fancy with a crafting tool that makes perfect labels, which is like a different language to me, i think a plain paper tag (even one neatly cut from a grocery bag) with a hand-scrawled "vanilla sea salt" is kind of more charming. and this way, there's no mistaking who made it...from your kitchen to theirs.

caffeine and inspiration

i found starbucks to be full of inspiration this morning...maybe i'm lightheaded from lack of nutrition, or maybe it just was that inspiring...first, isn't the color story of the christmas blend packaging beautiful?

and don't you know people who get such joy from the red holiday cups? i know i do. get the joy, i mean, though i also know other people who do. it's a sure sign that the holidays are here, and so i love the idea of getting someone an ornament of that very cup! it's as perennial reminder of the holidays for some as the idea of a christmas tree, so why not go for synergy? they come in a set that includes the plain old white cups, or individually as the red ones. paired with a starbucks gift card, this makes the perfect stocking stuffer or thank you gift.

 

i also love the new selection of mugs, including the classic line which are clean and graphic with the starbucks sizes emblazoned on them (clearly the venti would be my choice) and even include a teeny, tiny, totally adorable tasting cup at 3 ounces, known as a demi in barista land. this one is so cute for when you just want a sip...or to serve at the end of an evening with mini biscotti and chocolate covered spoons. or if you want to feel like alice in wonderland. 

i also love the ones with the sort of freestyle mug designs inspired by their italian roast. aren't they pretty? i like that they're so unbranded, so they'd look fine in anyone's home.

and how about this starbucks reserve mug that seems to be made just for me...at first, i was thinking "why would you buy this unless your last name starts with an R?" and then i realized, it doesn't matter, because mine DOES START WITH AN R!

p.s. did you know you could buy the starbucks flavored syrups? who knew?

wrapping in bold and brassy style

so yesterday, we talked about the cleanest, most classic papers i love from the container store for holiday wrapping, and today, i'm going in the other direction. as much as i love the festive and warm styling of yesterday's papers, i love the bold and brass of these too. i love how they engage some classic hints of christmas cheer, but they do it through a psychedelic, neon filter. do you love?

wrapping in clean and classic style

i know i've been atrociously bad about blogging recently, and it isn't that i haven't been thinking and dreaming about things to share - i have! i've just been pulled in many directions and my writing has fallen by the wayside for the last couple weeks.  i am promising here and now to be better. it's funny the things that move us to action, and in today's case, it's the simply beautiful wrapping papers at the container store. not that i've ever been a stranger to giftwrap porn.

first, i love the idea of mixing a few different striped papers. it's such a great way to be festive and add a little contained chaos, but in the most orderly of ways.

 

and i'm always a sucker for really clean, classic prints that are christmasy and festive in an old-timey way. with just the right combination of reds and greens and graphic christmas imagery, it's like the christmas fantasy i've always dreamed of (pay no attention to the latke grease on my apron).

i envision buying a few prints and wrapping all the gifts under the tree (read: menorah) in just those few papers. 

it's a fantasy, but an attainable one, don't you agree?

TGIF

try to get cuter than this mug with a ribbed knit cozy. just try. this would make a great holiday gift (get started early with honey gift files!), maybe paired with a special package of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, and a milk frother would elevate it to another level.

i hope you have a cozy weekend ahead...mine will consist of some clearing and purging at home, some cooking, and some DVR catch-up. you?

in the spirit

i had a fortuitous run-in last night with a friend at dinner here. (ps, the cauliflower "alla siciliana"on the antipasto tray was ridiculous). fortuitous because it was a pleasure to see familiar faces in the sea of fellow diners in a noisy place, but also because said friend had just purchased a spirit hood, which quickly became my new favorite thing. apparently i'm a little late to the table on this one. first of all, they're entirely adorable. second of all, buying them can help save an animal thanks to pro blue, their non-profit organization. 

my favorites are the brown bear (above), the polar bear and the grey wolf:

i particularly enjoy the ones with unexpected linings like the navajo above. how cozy! and each animal is said to embody certain traits that the wearer of the hood can emulate...the brown bear is brave, curious and gentle while the red wolf is a loyal, social spirit, taking on the role of teacher. got that?

if going full hood feels like a lot, i love the half hoods too, like this snow leopard one. and how perfect is this guy's face in that hood? i love these as a special, luxurious holiday gift - for you or someone you know who embodies a special animal spirit. or who likes furry things. either way.

tricks are for kids

okay, watches are for kids in this case. just needed something catchy. look at this fun watch from the gap. who says it's only for kids? not me!

and how about this kit from toy watch? as far as i'm concerned, they should be making this in several different colorways and styles. genius.

home sweet home

 

wouldn't this tray be the perfect housewarming, wedding or hostess gift? i love its earnestness...it's simple, but not too simple; retro, but but not overly so, and it's something that brings a smile to any surface in any home.

i really love sentiments -  like "home sweet home" -  which are so universally known and so frequently said. what i love most about them is that moment in your own life where you, unknowingly, stumble upon that very feeling...in this case, walking into the comforts of your home at the end of a long day, a trip, a special event, and that feeling, that sigh...home sweet home. and i love in those moments realizing how that universal phrase and sentiment came to be so universal.

do you love glass trays like this? read the high/low here.

game night

games are always fun to play with a group, aren't they? some of our favorites are taboo, mad gab and good old scattergories, but this one looks like fun of a different kind...perfect for a film buff who's hosting you for the weekend ... reminds me of playing scene it with mitchell and our friends and mitchell knew every answer before the question was even completed and the rest of us sat there drooling and feeling dumb. okay, so maybe this game wouldn't be good in MY house, but it would probably be great in someone else's and would make an awfully fun addition to a beach weekend, don't you think? 

i say wrap this up and give it with a tin of gourmet popcorn, a theater popcorn popper, or a big popcorn bowl like this one.

for a different snacky idea, how great is this martha thought of packing peanuts...literally! what a fun way to give ... really anything, especially something food or game themed. do it this weekend and let the games begin!