Dear Santa ...

As I mentioned, I've had a hard time deciding what to ask for this year from Santa, but I finally came up with a few ideas. What's on your Christmas list?

Clockwise starting top left:
1. Long sweaters to wear over leggings or skinny jeans. Sweater shown from Old Navy, but Gap and Express also have some really cute affordable options.
2. Viva la Juicy perfume - I am always drawn to sweet, floral scents.
3. Brown Karima leather boots from Target. I've been looking EVERYWHERE for riding boots, and these are just what I've had in mind.
4. Weekend bralettes from VS Pink collection - perfect for lounging around the house. Comfy, but supportive.

Clockwise starting top left:1. Ceiling fan cleaner. Dust bunnies on my fans freak me out, it's really hard for me to reach my fan blades that seem to be a hot spot for dust. I tried putting my vaccum on my coffee table and using the attachment to reach and suck the dust off. Let's just say this didn't end well. It's time for a ceiling fan cleaner.
2. Williams-Sonoma large red spatula. I have the small Williams-Sonoma spatulas and they are perfecto for cleaning out a chopper or cans when cooking. Love them, they are so durable!
3. My very own personalized plate from La Plates. I have been looking for a little catchall for my nightstand to put lotion, polish and other random things, and a monogramed plate would be just the solution. I have decided on the square pattern and script monogram. I have to admit, I stole this idea from Deliciously Organized. Doesn't her plate look lovely as a tray?
4. Electric mattress pad. My BFF Liz and her hubs have one and it's to die. As she describes it, "it will make you all tingly to crawl into a perfectly warm bed." Magical!

Am I really at the point in my life where I'm asking for a ceiling fan cleaner for Christmas?? Ugh, I'm old.

TRESemme, TRESemme ... Ooh la la

I was in middle school and I remember exactly where I was when my mom started off a conversation with, "Now I'm going to tell you something, but that doesn't mean I want you to take advantage of it.'

... Not a great lead in, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know what this "something" was.

"I learned this trick in college."

... UMMM, not getting any better.

"This doesn't mean I want you to stop showering."

...What the hell!??

"If you ever don't have time to wash your hair for whatever reason, you can sprinkle a little baby powder in your hair, brush it and it will absorb the oil," she said. "Like I said, this doesn't mean don't shower."

Clearly she knew what I skeezebag I am because I hate washing my hair every day, but I have to do it if I don't want to look like a complete greaseball.

The baby powder in hair trick changed my life since I am not one of those girls that can go even a day without washing my hair because it gets disgustingly oily after about 12 hours. I have friends that will tell me they have not washed their hair in 3+ days and I'm in awe at how fresh their locks look. If I didn't wash my hair for 3 days (this may or may not have happened before), then my hair would literally look like it was dripping wet (not that I would know).

Needless to say, there have been many of days when I've sprinkled a little baby powder in my hair and been able to prolong washing my hair by a day.

So, when I kept hearing about the "dry shampoo" rage, I turned up my nose. Please, I don't need your fancy dry shampoo; I've got my big bottle of baby powder that's been nothing but good to me through the years.

Well, that was until my cousin let me try out this TRESemme Dry Shampoo over Thanksgiving break.
Don't get me wrong, baby powder works great, but dry shampoo works even better.
The smell of TRESemme's dry shampoo is delish, it gives you volume and absorbs the oils in your hair. (Baby powder won't give you volume or smell like shampoo.) I know there are a lot of dry shampoo options out there, but at only $4.79, I'm not looking any further.

So if you are a greasy gal (sick) like myself, try this product because it will change your life just like my mom's baby powder secret changed mine years ago.

Vintage Vanity Tray

So I made my first antique purchase, whadayathink?


I love this vintage vanity tray for the counter top in my bathroom. The best part? It was only $9.95. From my limited research, I found most vanity trays this style and size are going for about $19.95, but I searched the entire 25,000 square feet of the Allen Antique Mall (I could spend HOURS here and still not be bored) looking for the perfect piece and price.

Isn't it so interesting to think about the story behind an antique? I wonder whose dresser this was on and what their life story was.


Now it's on mine and that's where I like it.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

My Christmas cards arrived yesterday (I'll show my solution to my problem once they are delivered to fam & friends), my first ever real tree "straight from the farm" is up and my apartment is looking festive with holiday decor scattered throughout.

On my to-do list still is to make a DIY centerpiece for my dining room table (searching for inspiration), finish my Christmas wish list and even more importantly, start my Christmas shopping. For some reason I'm having a hard time deciding what to ask for this year. Could this mean I don't need anything?

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, I know I enjoyed a little break with my family. I just love the day after Thanksgiving when I can finally pull out my Christmas decoration boxes from the storage closet. (What I don't look forward to is putting them all away.) For now, though, I'll enjoy the extra sparkle all around me. Why can't it be Christmas all year long?

"These things only happen to you" is a reoccurring statement I constantly hear in my life, so I fully expected to see my tree plummet from the hood of my car and roll into oncoming traffic the second I pulled out of the Home Depot parking lot. However, luck was on my side this time and my Noble Fir made it home with me in one piece. All thanks to Brian, the friendly Home Depot man who secured my tree tightly after answering my one million and one questions about trees. Thank you kind sir.

[Before]

Hauling a tree up a flight of stairs and securing it in a tree stand is definitely a 2 person job. Thank goodness my Mom held the tree upright while I screwed the bolts in - not as easy as it would seem with tree branches digging into your head.

Ta-Da! [After]

I used gold as my primary color with red and silver as my secondary colors. Stringing the 800 lights was my LEAST favorite part by far. A pre-lit tree is a much better option in this respect.

(Tree: Home Depot. Lights, ribbon & tree stand: Wal-Mart. Tree skirt (Used a round Gold tablecloth - much cheaper at $9 compared to their tree skirts at $30): Target. Extra gold ornaments: 99 Cent Only store)
(Angel Tree Topper: TJMaxx)
I never really know where to string these gold glittery snowman lights I got on clearance one year in college at Kirlands. I don't have a mantle to put them on and they aren't very long so they don't really fit anywhere else. My mom suggested draping them over my entry mirror and I really like how it turned out. A little glittery glam makes my ♥ happy.

"Who are you ... Martha Stewart?" - my BFF Patty's response to my little DIY pinecone and mini silver and gold ornament arrangement I put on my bar top. This is why we're friends; I would have said the same thing to her if I saw this @ her apt. I think I may have actually got this idea from Martha's Web site. It's cheap and easy, so I elle ooh vee eee it.

(Mini ornaments: Target Dollar Spot & 99 Cent Only store. Cinnamon scented pinecones and glass bowl: Wal-Mart)

The DIY arrangement above, Santa from Kirklands and Bath and Body Works candle are on one end of my bar top.

On the other end hangs my hand sewn (a family tradition) stocking since I don't have a fireplace. The stocking hanger is from Kirklands and was about $3. A Christmas tree tray holds my Christmas cards from last year with some Cherry candy canes on top.

These are some gold and red festive accents on one of my living room end tables. Guess how much this whole thing cost? About $3.50! Unreal, right?

Last but not least, who can resist a cute snowman with reindeer slippers on his feet? This little guy is on my entry table under the mirror where the snowman lights are draped and I found it at TJMaxx in college for less than $10 (if my memory serves me correct).

My commitment to a cappuccino maker

I didn't do much this weekend other than a little laundry, cleaning and very minor organizing. I can't believe how lame I've become at the ripe old age of 26.

Yesterday after an early Sunday morning wake-up call from my nephew who I was babysitting for a few hours, I made myself a "cafe mocha" with my cappuccino maker that I don't use nearly enough. I needed a little pick me up because an energetic 3-year-old at 8 a.m. is almost more than I can handle.
I make my Cafe Mocha with Starbucks mocha powder and a generic breakfast blend coffee. In my opinion, my homemade version tastes virtually identical to the Starbucks version at a fraction of the cost. I even drink it out of a Starbucks mug!

Putting in a little extra effort saves me the $5 I would've spent at a Starbucks, which truly is outrageous for a cup of coffee. I typically fork over the extra money without thinking twice because on most days I'm too lazy to brew my own espresso or froth my own milk.

So I guess the moral of my story is that I'm going to make an effort to spend more time with my cappuccino maker and less time in a Starbucks line. I know cutting back on Starbucks sounds silly, but $5 here and there adds up.