I have a drawer full of aprons in my kitchen. None of them, however, are as adorable as these vintage-inspired looks. Turn up the fashion in the kitchen by donning one of these feminine creations.
chambray apron from Anthropogie
cotton and lace trim apron from Anthropologie
color block apron from Anthropologie
half apron from Sur La Table
toille apron from Sur La Table
Parisian apron from Jessie Steele
Today is the start of February and despite some unseasonably warm weather here in the DC area, we are in the thick of winter when toes get cold and its easy to get chilled to the bone. Combat the chills with these luxurious, cashmere hot water bottles. The one from Orvis comes with matching sleeping socks and Jonathan Adler’s version showcases a peace sign.
Orvis hot water bottle
Jonathan Adler's cashmere hot water bottle
colored spoons by Creatively Christy
Still looking for that perfect gift for that special someone? Check out these helpful holiday gift guides.
GOOP Holiday Gift Guide – Gwyneth Paltrow’s curated website provides a list of ideas for Women, Men, The Home, and Kids
Tasting Table’s Holiday Gift Guide — Tasting Table offers ideas for foodies and culinary buffs
Rachel Zoe’s Holiday Gift Guide – The trendsetter and fashionista offers great ideas for the fashionable friend in your life
Martha Stewart’s Holiday Gift Guide – Martha Stewart editors share gift ideas for Him, Her, Kids, and Stocking Stuffers
Men’s Health Holiday Gift Guide – The magazine offers a long list of ideas for men’s gifts – great for those hard-to-buy-for men!
Happy Gift Giving!
Instead of bringing the standard bottle of wine to holiday parties this year, try some of these unique hostess gift ideas that will surely brighten up the season!
Holiday Spreaders from Williams-Sonoma
Holiday Banner Cookie-Bar Pan by Crate & Barrel
Four Seasons Dishtowel Set by Terrain
Antique Soap Dishes by Pottery Barn
Moroccan Lantern Candle Holder by Paper Source
Vintage Silverware Magnets by Ballard Designs
Wine Thermometer by Sur la Table
Knit Cozy Mugs by Leif - perfect when paired with hot chocolate mix!
Want to add some festive flair to your holiday gifts this year? Here are some creative packaging ideas from Martha Stewart that promise to do just that!
For packaging holiday cookies and other baked goods, try making these easy envelopes and tins using the clip-art templates provided (click pictures below to open links).
Cookie Envelopes
Doily Tins
Recycle last year’s holiday cards by transforming them into colorful gift box toppers.
Cheerful Gift Boxes
Instead of ribbon, try embellishing gifts with decorative tape made from traditional Japanese washi paper that comes in a variety of fun graphic designs. Tape can be purchased online from happytape.
Decorative Holiday Tape
Personalize gift cards with these fabric-covered envelopes and onament-shaped holders.
Gift Card Holders
Each year, I promise to buy an Advent calendar or make some sort of Advent countdown and each year it never happens. So this year, I vowed to do it.
I knew I wanted to make a countdown instead of a calendar and I also wanted to use materials I already had in the house. I happen to have an embarrassing amount of cylinder vases and thought I might try to utilize those. So I picked 25 vases of varying heights and set them on my sideboard. I found a fun font (try www.dafont.com or www.fontspace.com for some free ones) and printed out numerals from 1 to 25. I cut them in small rectangles and affixed them to the cylinders using double-sided tape.
I then printed out Bible verses for each day and cut them so that they would rest in a place card holder. In the picture below, you will see Day 1′s scripture verse set to the side in the holder.
The plan is to fill each vase with water and set a floating candle in the top, lighting each one as Advent progresses day by day. I currently have them all set on the sideboard, but I could just as easily break them up into groupings and set them around the house.
There it is! My quick, easy Advent Countdown!
Looking for creative, budget-friendly ways to organize and store household items? Look no further! Here are some ideas from Real Simple for repurposing everyday objects to help assist in keeping spaces tidy. For even more ideas, click here.
Business Card Organizer as Gift Card Holder
Desk Organizer as Cupboard Divider
Corkboard as Jewelry Organizer
Shoe Box as Ribbon Organizer
Tissue Box as Plastic Bag Holder
My husband and I are heading out to Nantucket for a short vacation next week. After a hectic event season, I am ready for some R&R, and Nantucket — with its peaceful, laid-back, island pace; beautiful, pristine beaches; and a slew of great restaurants — is just the place for the restoration I need.
With all of the luggage restrictions and fees these days, I have to attack packing in a whole new way. Efficiency is key. Before, I had no problem packing as many shoes as I needed, for example. Now, I approach the shoe problem by being thoughtful about my attire.
I map out a rough schedule of what I plan to do each day (nothing rigid — just things like Day: hiking, beach; Night: dinner out (be sure to research in advance the dress policy of the restaurants you are going to)) and then count the number of total outfits I will need. I pull them out, lay them on the bed, and begin to assess — can I reuse a pair of pants instead of bringing two? Are most of my outfits “black shoe” outfits or “brown shoe” outfits. I pick a color and stick with it so I don’t have to bring both color shoes.
I think about the shoes I am going to wear traveling on the plane. Are they easy to slip on and off? Can I reuse them again? (I shy away from boots, for example, unless I plan to wear them again on the way home and I REALLY want to bring them.)
My toiletries usually consist of travel-size versions of my regular beauty routine. Tip: I ALWAYS buy my makeup at Neiman Marcus when they have their Beauty Event. I don’t buy any other time of the year. If you spend a certain aount at one counter — Laura Mercier is my favorite — they give you their gift and on top of that you get a gift from Neiman Marcus in a cool tote/hand bag. It is full of travel-size containers of products. So convenient!
Here are some other ideas and tips for efficient travel packing:
Happy and safe travels!
Chinese lanterns have been a popular way over the last several years to decorate a party space. I love the Fall twist Martha Stewart gives these lanterns, making them into seasonal, festive pumpkins. And they look super easy to make, too.
The Rex & Regina Blog shares both trendy and traditional ways to extend gracious hospitality through weddings, other social occasions, and at-home entertaining. Learn more about Rex & Regina.