My favorite Christmas album:

One of my favorite things about December is wearing out my Christmas cds. My absolute all time favorite Christmas album is "A Christmas Gift For You" featuring some of my favorite Motown bands- The Ronettes and The Crystals, and Darlene Love, too. I love each and every song. What is your favorite Christmas album or song? I'd love to hear!

Natalie's Holiday Gift Guide Part III - Do It Yourself!

This Christmas, people are pinching their pennies more than usual. More than ever, do-it-yourself gifts are not only special because they were made by you, but also perfect because they are almost always budget friendly. I've searched high and low for some unique projects that you can all do yourself...and I think your loved ones are sure to adore all of them, too!

1. Silhouettes are a gift that every mom and grandmother love to receive. Wait! I hope I haven't lost you just yet. DIY silhouettes are actually not hard at all - promise. If you're good with scissors and a stapler, you're good to go! Simple instructions can be found here.

2. Wine charms made from funky ribbon and old pins and broaches are the perfect gift for any cocktail party throwing diva. For instructions on how to make your own vintage wine charms, click here.

3. Dads, like almost all other men, are hard to shop for. I bet he would love to have a paper weight for his office made by little ol' you though. Step by step do-it-yourself info found here!

4. Bath bomb ICE CREAM scoops. Is there anything more fun to make and give to your friends?! Click here for the "recipe."

5. Shadow boxes are a neat way to remember that trip you took to Paris this summer with your lover, or you know, Daytona Beach - whatev! A shadow box is whatever you want to make it...all about your memories at your beloved alma mater, your pets, your family, your profession...the list goes on and on. A very creative gift that your loved ones will treasure always. To find an affordable shadow box, I would recommend scoping out your local Michaels or Hobby Lobby!

6. And finally, another cutesy DIY gift that your mother, grandmother, aunt, or sweet next door neighbor is sure to ooh and ahh over is the precious candle in a teacup. Need I say more?

Good luck with your DIY Christmas crafting! xo

Registry par-tay!

Recently James and I attended a Macy's Registry Party at Lenox; it was so much fun! James liked the scanner :) Lindsay, one of my best friends, (we are each other's MoHs) is also getting married next spring. Since her fiance currently lives in New York, her beautiful mother came along to help her register! It was good times:

:)

New friends:

Just a ridiculously cute kitty picture for your Wednesday morning :)

via decor8

Southern Living's 50 Best-Loved Cookie Recipes!

Southern Living has collected 50 of their "Best-Loved Cookie Recipes," and I would like to share my favorite five with you:

Mississippi Mud Cookies
Peanut Butter-Toffee Turtle Cookies Mudslide Brownies
Sparkling Ginger Stars

Death by Caramel Bars

No one has cookie swaps anymore - (or is that a party that 20-somethings don't do until we're all older with children?!) but next year I might just have to host one. My mom used to go to one every Christmas, and I looooved getting to sample all the cookies when she got home for days afterward. If you are attending a cookie swap this month, lucky you! Hopefully these five recipes, (and many more at the Southern Living website), will help you find something yummo to share with friends :)

Natalie's Holiday Gift Guide Part II - The Biggest Christmas Gift Challenge: Men

Well, I was going to do a Holiday Gift Guide every Monday til Christmas, but that only gives me three posts, and I decided that's not nearly enough! So, away with the Monday thing; I'm just going to post them whenever I feel like it up until the week of Christmas. Yay!

This particular gift guide post is for one of the men in your life ages 14 - 40, give or take a few years. You know, your too-cool-for-school nephew, your boyfriend, husband, or fiance, or your brother. I don't know about you, but every year, I find that my brother and my father are so hard to shop for (Father Holiday Gift Guide to come later). I hope you like what I picked out, and maybe it will inspire you to find the perfect Christmas present for them this year!

1. I've decided every man needs a robe during the winter months. I've heard from several people that the best ones come from Lands' End (on sale right now for $44.63). However, I've spotted a few at my local TJ Maxx lately by Ralph Lauren and IZOD for the amazing price of $24.99.

2. The best stocking stuffer I've found this year is a package of "Santa's Coal" (chocolates). James is totally getting some! It's good for a nice laugh. You can buy them at the Candy Crate for $2.45, but I've seen them for sale at the counter at Bed, Bath & Beyond, too for about the same price.

3. This is for all the guys out there (young and old, like my dear fiance) that love everything Star Wars. James enthusiastically pointed out this "Tauntaun Sleeping Bag" the other night online, and if it wasn't so expensive (and if I hadn't just lost my job), I would totally have to get it for him. There is a smaller one for children, too. It looks like most places on the web are sold out right now, but if you hit up ebay, you might get lucky!

4. Now I know "A Man, A Can, A Plan" is a book that's been out for awhile. Several of my college guy friends owned it...and I've always thought it was a genius idea. For the man that is an aspiring chef (but is a little challenged in the kitchen), the follow-up book, "A Man, A Can, A Plan: A Second Helping" is where it's at! Amazon, $10.85; also found at bookstores everywhere.

5. These custom "Coasters by Hazel" are locally made in Atlanta and my absolute favorite gift idea this Christmas. Hazel has countless coasters of local Atlanta, Athens, and Savannah landmarks, and beyond. She also makes coasters with your personal photos as well. Coasters are $12 each or $39 for a set of 4. For a store near you in Georgia, (there are several!) click here.

6. Urban Outfitters is a great place to shop for the men in your life this Christmas. They always have unique - and sometimes bizarre - gifts that most men appreciate, ranging from books to cameras to clothing. One of my favorite t-shirts they're selling this Christmas features Bob Ross (the MAN) for $24.

Men sure are hard to shop for. Good luck out there! xo

My lovely Aunt and her $6 1920's style hat

Look at my beautiful Aunt! This is my Aunt Cheryl, photographed in Gainesville, GA on Sunday during the annual "Christmas on Green Street." Christmas on Green Street "gives visitors and residents alike the chance to pick up on Gainesville's turn of the century charm, preserved in the historic homes that line Green Street and that fate saved from the Great Tornado of 1936 which destroyed the city's downtown commercial district. Cheryl Tefft [my Aunt] was one of 20 ladies with the Gainesville Newcomers Club who donned early 1900's dress and welcomed visitors to the hospitality of the vintage homes. Her 1912 era dress included a wide brimmed hat covered with red and black ostrich feathers."

She claims she took a hot glue gun, a $6 boa from Michael's and her black beach hat to make her nice piece of flair. I like to think that I take after her a little :)

Christmas at the new apartment!

It is starting to feel a lot like Christmas in the new apartment. We've decorated the tree, put up my bird tree (the white feather tree...with yes, a peacock tree topper bird...), and put out my little festive touches here and there. The Santa and the Rudolph figurines above were my great grandmother's! The "Bianca" postcard was an etsy purchase, and the postcard frame (which I LOVE), is from dear Miss Wanda's booth at Scott's Antique Market.

Hope your home is filled with fun festivities as well this month! :)

Rachel McAdams - the cutest actress ever

Did anyone else see Rachel McAdams on Conan the other night? She is so stinkin adorable. Does anyone else remember the Best Kiss reenacted on MTV's Movie Awards a few years ago?! Makes my heart melt. (They were a real-life couple at the time). She and Ryan Gosling were the cutest. couple. ever.

Natalie's Holiday Gift Guide - Christmas Party Hostess Gifts

Hostess gifts are some of my more favorite gifts to buy; I enjoy trying to shop around and think of something creative to give friends and loved ones. The traditional bottle of wine is always a safe bet (everyone loves a good bottle of wine!), but here are some other (mostly budget friendly) options to consider!

1. Ornaments are a wonderful gift to give your hostess - especially if you can find one that relates to his or her hobbies or interests. These days I've seen everything from profession-related ornaments to dinosaur ornaments and beyond. You never know what you're going to see these days! Pictured above is the Grandfather Christmas Gem, $36, by Christopher Radko (Macy's). Almost identical, less-expensive versions can be found at Hobby Lobby (The Robert Stanley Collection) ranging in price from $3.99 to $12.99 - and they're usually on sale!

2. Gingerbread cookies are my fav, and this recipe by the butter-loving Paula Deen promises to be super tasty.

3. I love the idea of baking a bunch of fudge in cookie cutters that your hostess can use again! Find the Betty Crocker recipe here.

4. I could probably spend hours at Swoozies - the one-stop hostess gift shop. There are so many festive, adorable items to choose from! Some of my budget-friendly favorites include the Merry Christmas, Y'all! towel and cocktail napkins; $9.95 and $5.95.

5. World Market has a huge collection of unique, inexpensive holiday ornaments. The set of 3 dinosaurs caught my eye; on sale for $4.47!

6. While you're at World Market, pick up some vino from their huge winery or grab their seasonal Winter Brews, 9 pack of "Beers of the World," for only $15.99.

Happy Christmas hostess gift shopping! xo

Spot the sleepy kitten:

My cat has really taken a liking to my closet in our new place. She is terrified of the heater when it comes on, and she sprints to this closet on the other end of the apartment. Poor little Bianca...

A Charlie Brown Christmas

I was browsing Target's online holiday section and stumbled upon this little "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" - isn't it cute?! I always joke that my 4 foot tree (sitting pretty on top of a foot and a half "tree table") is a Charlie Brown tree...but this one really takes the cake. For those of you who enjoy catching the 1965 special on tv, it airs tomorrow evening, December 8, at 8 pm EST and again on Tuesday, December 15, at 8 pm EST on ABC.

Target, 18" Charlie Brown tree, $14.99

Thank goodness!

Happy Friday, everyone :) I hope you all had a great week - mine has been busy busy unpacking all of the boxes from my move! I have also been without internet at my new place for an entire week and I think I almost went insane...a few times. I hope you all have a great weekend planned - I see James tonight for a little date before he goes into work, then tomorrow I am going to Pana and Jayce's Christmas/SEC Championship party (GO ALABAMA...I will never cheer for Florida...I just can't). It promises to be a nice little weekend, and I hope you all have a great one planned, too. To wrap up the week, here are a few noteworthy links!

• "Silver stars are not only for A+ papers but disco party hair as well."
• A wonderful book that I think is a must-have on photobooth photographs
• Lady bug toenails!
• A cute matchbox do-it-yourself advent calendar
• My friend Carrie's awesome honeymoon photos from Pompeii
• Did I mention my new hand-painted Christmas cards on etsy? :)

Also, to get everyone in the holiday spirit, I am going to be posting a Holiday Gift Guide each Monday in December with creative and unique gift ideas. Since many of you will be attending lots and lots of Christmas parties this month, Monday's list will be all about hostess gift ideas. See you then!

Have a wonderful weekend. xo

photo: "Ava Jump" by Ryan Schude

Quotable

Baby, it's COLD outside...

...and right about now I'd love to jump into this photo and take a nice long swim. Wouldn't you?

via

Christmas lights

I am obsessed with big Christmas lights - the huge ones that most people use for outdoor decor. However, I must confess that I like them on Christmas trees...something about how bright and colorful they are, and how they make me feel like I've been transported back into time - they have a retro feel to them. Lovely.

via LavenderDays

Dream cottage for me, circa 1986

I would have had a small heart attack as a child if I woke up on Christmas morning and this adorable little playhouse was waiting for me in my backyard. My brother and I were very lucky kids as children though; my dad built us an amazing tree house in our backyard - up in the trees with a ladder, window boxes, a porch and everything. I should find a picture somewhere. Every child's dream is a tree house of their very own, right?! I know we were ecstatic when we were able to climb up into it for the first time.

This cottage is quite pretty in the spring, too :)

via The Dainty Squid

Blown up family photos as art

I absolutely love the idea of taking a (high-res, no doubt) family photo, blowing it up to poster size, and framing it in a room in your house. This room looks like it belongs in a family beach cottage, and the retro photo of a little boy (in a bathing suit? a bib? what is he wearing?!) looks perfect above the couch.

via Creative Inspiration

Our new place!

Hello! Sorry for my elusiveness this week...I have been moving - and we all know what a task that can be. It's all coming along quite nicely - James and I have unpacked our boxes, decorated for Christmas, and had our new furniture delivered yesterday (yippee!!). Our new little place is Highland Manor in Inman Park, Atlanta, a building of apartments that were built in the 1920s. I can't tell you how much I love it. It's cozy and warm and full of charm in a great neighborhood. For a little peek, though, here is a quick tour in pictures before I moved in last Friday:

"After" photos to come very soon! xo

It's DECEMBER!

Oh my - happy December! I can't believe I'm writing that already. This year has flown by. I am all about Christmas traditions, and I think I might take a cue from the lovely Jordan Ferney over at one of my favorite blogs, Oh Happy Day!. She and her husband have an advent calendar and everyday they "try to do an activity to get excited for Christmas." I can't think of a better idea to spend the days leading up to December 25! Some of my favorite ideas from her list include:

• Make spiced cider
• Make thick hot chocolate with marshmallows
• Host a Christmas Sweater Party
• Put up a ribbon sash for Christmas cards
• Donate canned goods
• Drive around to see neighborhood lights
• Have a romantic candlelit dinner by the Christmas tree

I think I will add watching a Christmas movie (duh) (Elf, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, and Miracle on 24th Street are some favs), shopping together for Christmas presents for all of the nieces and nephews, bake some Christmas sweets for friends, watch the Christmas day parade & have a White Elephant Ornament Swap/Christmas Cocktail Party (in the works!).

What are your unique holiday traditions? I'd love to hear!

Photo of Pana and moi circa Christmas 2005...the good ol' days!