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This is an idea I dreamed up back in December. I wanted to find the perfect shades of vintage glass glitter along with antiqued brass pendants. I call this the “you are…” series because the words enlightened, significant and blessed resonate with me. They are little reminders that we are all of these things everyday. I think any of these necklaces would make perfect gift for your mother, a dear friend, mother-to-be or bridesmaids.
I often say that a new idea is a curse because I just don’t have enough time to do it all. With that said an idea that I can’t shake away is probably a sign that I should find a way to make it work. My idea (that I’ve had for two years) is to start a Floyd blog. I won’t get into detail about why or how this is happening just yet, but it’s in the works. I have a vision for this blog and I’m so excited to execute it. I’ve got a lot of plans and the goal is to debut it at the beginning of April. Time to order blog (business) cards! Another project I’m working on is a workshop series with my friend Courtney. In our four hour workshop we will cover starting a website and blog using wordpress. We only have 10 slots open and our goal is to have everyone up and running with a new blog or website by the end of the class. If you already have a blog or website, we will cover the basics of blogging, making it unique to you and your business and tips for making money through blogging. We are aiming to hold it on April 17th. If you would like more information please feel free to email me at lorrieelizabeth(at)gmail.com. I have to say this first: changing our bedroom has been one the best decisions I’ve (we’ve) made. I know that is a bold and dramatic statement, but in the 24 hours since completion I’ve felt a sense of calm and peace in our new bedroom. It’s by far the best space I’ve ever created. It’s still not 100% finished, but where it’s at today is a huge step. Take a look…
I will see if I can scrounge up a “before” photo, but it is a huge difference. For starters, there were clothes everywhere, piled up and unorganized. There were also two walls painted sage green, which was here before we moved in. All told, this update cost about $100. $40 for the paint (Behr), $32 for the matching lamps (target), $10 for an extra side table (thrifted), $25 for the bed spread (tjmaxx- used a $25 gift card). Everything else we already had. The thing I love about our new room is that it’s a mix of old and new. Some of the furniture I’ve had since I was a child, while other items are from second-hand stores. The large painting was found in Brooklyn; I carried it home from the sidewalk one evening. I’ve since painted it, and thinking about painting it again. I knew I wanted a large piece of artwork above the bed. The only thing left to do is add a curtain to the closet, and maybe a small area rug. I’m so totally in love with this room. I actually woke startled- how did I end up here? The orange warms the room up so much, it feels cozy and inviting. I’ve been very slowly getting our room in order since moving in. And when I say slowly, I mean, it’s the only room (aside from our “storage” room) still with boxes. I know what’s in them and most of the stuff doesn’t even belong in the bedroom. The other problem in our bedroom is…my clothes. I have a clothes problem. Which to me, isn’t really a problem per say, but a problem because I need to purge, organize, sort and put in place. I tend to fold clothes on the bed, leave them there and when I go to bed, I stack the clean clothes somewhere else aside from their given place. I do this frequently, which lends to chaos. Once you come into our home you will quickly realize that the previous owner had a thing for paint two walls in a room a color usually on the darkish side and leaving the other two neutral. It’s a look that I kind of like, but don’t 100% understand. It leaves you thinking “did she get tired? run out of paint?” rather than “ooh good idea!” So our bedroom is half sage, half off-white. And I’m thinking there will be a change and soon. In my first order of “redo the bedroom” I purchased a new quilt for the bed. I still love our gray one and will probably move it into the guest room down the road, but it had been abused a bit by the cats. It was also very dark in our half-sage bedroom. A change from the old light purple room we were living in. I got the quilt from Marshalls over Christmas break for half-off, thanks to a gift card I was hoarding from last Christmas. Here it is:
This photo doesn’t do it justice, but it’s from the Cynthia Rowley Jolie line. At first I was hesitant about the moroccan feel of it, because I invisioned something else going in the room, but I loved it so much in the store and love it even more on the bed! I’ll make it work. Current layout of the bedroom:
Goals for the bedroom are:
And because I work well with deadlines, my completion goal date is March 14th (happy birthday to me!) Action list:
Bedroom Inspiration:
(via: www.bedofflowers.nl/en/index.html)
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Oh man, I 100% got sidetracked from my little Home for the Holidays project. I just got behind, but I think I’d like to give it a go next Christmas. We’ll see. I am loving this song and video lately. I heard it at a party on New Years Eve and it’s been playing ever since. I have a lot of focus right now with my other blog, so I’m trying to think of how I want to use this space. I like that not many people read my ramblings over here and I feel a bit more free to share whatever. Here are some post ideas: Home makeover projects Planning a garden Upcycled clothing ideas Jewelry selling advice (etsy and shows) Jewelry packaging Graphic design: inspiration, projects and ideas Recipes, catering and daily cooking adventures To-do lists and goals And that’s all that I can think of for now. I’ll be back tomorrow with one of these post ideas! Super excited to start watching my favorite holiday movies! I want to watch each one from now until Christmas preferably with hot chocolate, girl friends, gift making and cookie baking.
The Holiday. And if for nothing else: The cottage. Oh Iris, I love where you live.
Colin Firth, need I say more? When this movie came out I was working at one of those mall kiosk selling cheesy glass knick-knacks (for the holidays) with my best friend. We listened to this soundtrack pretty much everyday on our way to work. I kind of love that we had a soundtrack for the holiday season that year.
Truth be told, I’ve never watched this movie in it’s entirety. Always bits and pieces when it comes on TV. I love Zooey Deschanel’s version of “Baby it’s Cold Outside”. So good.
Of course, this blast from the past. I can’t believe that this movie is a classic now. It came out 17 years ago. Wow.
My great aunt and uncle used to give me Shirley Temple movies for Christmas and Birthdays. I loved watching Heidi as a kid! And last but not least… What are your favorite holiday movies? My dear friend Krissie has contributed her Pumpkin French Toast Recipe. What better way to get in the holiday spirit?
One of my favorite things about the holidays are lazy mornings. I love staying in my pajamas and fuzzy socks without worrying about where I need to be. I love staying inside for breakfast. This time of year, I’m looking for ways to take a standard breakfast offering and make it seasonal. Adding a little peppermint to my coffee. A few cranberries to my muffins. Or some pumpkin to my French toast. Start with a big bowl and ¼ cup of milk.
To the milk, add 3 eggs
¼ cup pumpkin puree
and ¼ tsp each of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Finally, add 2 tbsp sugar and whisk it until it is all smooth and frothy.
Lay out some crusty bread in a shallow dish. In a perfect world, it would have made a single layer, but things are rarely perfect in my kitchen. It adds to the adventure.
Pour the pumpkin mixture over the bread and let it soak.
Now it’s time to make your kitchen small fantastic. Take ¼ cup of hazelnuts and chop ‘em up. Heat your skillet to high and put the hazelnuts in. You will need to stir them constantly (only stopping to take a picture, if necessary). Roast just until fragrant and slightly browned.
Flip your bread and let it keep sitting for a while. You only have to let it sit about 2 minutes on each side, but I bet I let it sit for 5 on each. Just to make sure it was good and absorbed, you know?
I really wish I had a griddle, but all I have is my skillet. (Did you hear that, Santa Claus? I’d love to have a griddle. Or some new knives. Or one of those enamel coated cast iron skillets. Just saying.) I melted some butter in the skillet.
And then add the French toast.
Cook 2-3 minutes or until golden. Then flip and repeat on the other side. Repeat with remaining bread.
Dust with some powdered sugar and the toasted hazelnuts. Yumm.
And, just like that, there’s some Holiday injected into a standard breakfast! Have a wonderful Holiday Season!
6 sliced slightly stale white bread Break eggs into a large bowl. Add milk, pumpkin, vanilla, sugar, salt and spices. Whisk until it is completely smooth and frothy. Place bread in a baking dish and pour pumpkin mixture over. Let sit for 5 minutes, turning once, making all sure bread is coated. In a large skillet, stirring frequently, toast hazelnuts until very fragrant and slightly browned. In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter until it is melted and starts to foam. Add slices of bread to the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes or until bottom turns golden brown. Flip and repeat. Repeat with remaining slices. Serve dusted with powdered sugar and sprinkled with hazelnuts. What I call the “mantel” is actually a shelf in the dining room. I picked this up for free about three years ago in our apartment building in Brooklyn. So glad I did! My theme this year is pretty eclectic as far as colors go. My goal is to find new ways to use what I already have. I love decorations that can be used in multiple ways.
The wooden santa is a favorite of mine! A couple of years ago I asked my moms friends if they has any old decorations that they weren’t using anymore and this santa was in the box of cast-aways. The wreath was a recent purchase from Magpie and Cake. I am 100% in love! I’ve been wanting to make a yarn wreath of my own, but when I spotted this one on sale, I couldn’t resist. I love how beautiful it is with my Christmas decor, but also love that I can use it year-round.
The apothecary jar was a wedding gift. I’ve used it for everything from holding crafting scissors, to moss for my jewelry display. I simply filled it with last years Christmas bulbs for a festive addition to the mantel/shelf.
The candelabra is from Goodwill and was used in my Halloween display. I might polish it for the holidays.
The red candle holder is from the college party days. I’ve used it in centerpieces with wreaths, or just a simple addition to the coffee table.
The knitted stockings were purchased at the Joanns after Christmas sale a few years ago. The felt stockings were gifts, and the glitter skeleton key was a recent Wal-Mart purchase for a dollar. The glitter garland is from Michaels (half-off) and I’ve been using it on my jewelry table.
And there you have it, Holiday mantel decorating! Looking for ways to make your cat love you even more? Dress him/her up in an elf costume! It works every time.
Simon ♥ I love baking and giving away cookies for the holidays! Last year I created gift baskets filled with fruit, nuts and handmade goodies. This year, I’m shipping these mexican hot chocolate cookies out to a few distant friends for a holiday swap. There are so many ways that you can creatively package cookies, but my favorite way is with these clear treat bags.
The labels were purchased on sale last year at Target (I think!). I’m positive that they are carrying them again this year. I love how cute the designs are. You can also tie decorative ribbon around your packages for a festive and personalized look.
Place your cookies in stockings, on the top of gifts, in baskets or on your co-workers desk. I can’t wait to send these out! |
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