Home: Warming Winter Decor

Happy Thursday!!! :)

The past couple of days have been really cold (Nope, I am not complaining, I actually love it, haha!), and it got me thinking ahead about winter home decor... Fortunately, Catherine sent me an article talking all about Warming Winter Decor, and of course, I have to share this with you guys! :D

Warming Winter Decor

 Even with the heating turned up, a house can still feel chilly if décor is dull and cold. Making an interior space feel warm and welcoming doesn’t require a complete overhaul or pricey renovation. Instead, create a welcoming atmosphere by adding a few key pieces to your home this winter. The run-up to Christmas can get busy, so look online for home accessories and have items delivered hassle-free to your door. Homeshopping at isme.com offers a great selection of homeware, so you can get your house looking and feeling cosy before the Christmas rush begins!

 Comfortable Cushions For Your Sofa -

 Any sofa or chair – especially those in neutral tones – can instantly be made more comfortable and stylish by adding a throw and some cushions. Choose from a colour palette of rich winter tones: think burgundy, rust and maroon, and opt for fabrics like wool which are great for retaining warmth. Cushions should fit your colour scheme; though avoid making these too matchy-matchy. Try different textures, such as silk or satin, which add contrast. Metallics reflect light brilliantly and add a touch of glamour to your sofa – gold will complement a brown-toned throw perfectly. 

 Snug As A Rug -

 A new rug is an ideal way to conserve heat in a room, injecting style whilst also saving on your heating bill!
Coordinate a rug with your throw and pillows to create a strong colour scheme and prevent your room from looking too cluttered. Alternatively, a white sheepskin rug is the ultimate in cosy chic and will work well with most existing interior schemes.

Light Up Your Room -

 Lighting can easily add ambience to a living or dining room. Tapered candles on a dining table are a classic look for a dinner party and will complete a festive table. Choose candleholders in metallic tones, which will catch and reflect flickering candlelight. If you’re hosting friends or family with children, candles are not the safest option, so use fairy lights instead. To avoid making your room look untidy, opt for plain white bulbs. Drape over a mantelpiece or bookshelf and add sprigs of fresh green foliage and holly for a truly festive feel.

  

By adding a few small touches to your home this season, your interiors will be made to feel welcoming and warm.
Shop online to create your winter wonderland quickly and stress-free!

***images from Pinterest***

A big thanks to Catherine for this wonderful article!

I am so excited for winter and for Christmas! :)

What do you guys think of these Warming Winter Decor tips?

Have you started decorating your home for winter/ the holidays?

I hope you are all having a wonderful week! :D

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An early Merry Christmas! :)

Happy Saturday!

I'm sure it's gonna be a busy weekend for everyone because tonight is Christmas Eve!

I wish we had this kind of Christmas here in California...

But, we gotta love what we have, right? ;)

This is what we have: palm trees and sunshine!

And, I'm not complaining. ;)

Anyways, gotta get back to what this post is really about... I just wanted to do my holiday greetings now just in case I don't get to go on here or on Twitter later tonight.

Wherever you are in the world, I wish you a wonderful holiday weekend with your family and friends!

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!! :D

Christmas is the happiness that lights our children's eyes.

Christmas is a song of bells ringing through the skies.

Christmas is a time of peace, of contentment deep within,

A time of love and silent hope that years will never dim.

--Sherrill Thompson

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I also just wanted to thank Julie from www.popchampagneblog.com for being such a sweet blogger friend!
She sent me a Christmas card with some goodies inside. Thanks, Julie! :)

One last thing, a big thank you to everyone who joined my $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway!

I will try to sneak in some time tomorrow to announce the winner -- I cannot wait to give this amazing gift to one lucky blogger. :)

Happy Holidays!

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Review: SinfulColors Holiday 2011 Collection

Review: Dr.'s REMEDY® Enriched Nail Polish

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Almost Christmas! :)

"Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most." 
-Ruth Carter Stapleton

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Christmas Outfit Ideas
$100 Shopbop Gift Card Giveaway

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H&M: Christmas Outfits

Happy Tuesday! :)

Christmas is only a couple of days away, and I'm sure everyone has holiday parties to attend here and there.

And of course, part of the fun of holiday parties are the outfits we're gonna wear, right?!

We've covered our gift list and our menu -- it's now time to talk about what we're gonna wear. ;)

I was on www.hm.com and I made four different outfits to show you guys what I would love to wear for the various Christmas celebrations I will be attending this holiday season:

1. I will be meeting up with my closest friends (the ones I mentioned on my Christmas gift list!) for a night of board games, catching up, food, margaritas, baked goodies, gifts, DVDs, and all that good stuff.

It's our little Christmas tradition and I am so so so excited!

It's gonna be a relaxed kind of thing -- just us spending some much needed quality bonding time together and catching up with each other's lives -- so for that, a simple outfit like the one above is more than perfect!

I love pairing oversized knit sweaters with super skinny pants or leggings. Ballet flats are the perfect shoes for this outfit. Simple stud earrings, a long necklace, and a bun complete the look.

2. We are also gonna have a mini-high school reunion. 

My friends and I are gonna go to dinner with a bunch of our high school classmates -- it's been three years since we last did that, so yup, it's gonna be interesting.

As for the outfit, I'm thinking something like this.

Sleek, black leather pants paired with a white tank top and a pretty purple cardigan.

I'm gonna finish the ensemble with black pumps, chandelier earrings, and a high ponytail.

3. Every year, my family and I go to church on Christmas Eve.

After church, we go home, we eat, and we open our gifts.

For Christmas Mass, my sisters and I wear dresses -- it's a bit of a tradition. ;)

I think this tube dress is perfect -- it's both dressy and simple, and the length is just right for church. 

I would use a leather jacket to make the look a little edgy, while the chandelier earrings, high-heeled sandals, and wavy hair keep it girly.

4. Christmas celebrations continue on until the next morning.

Our cousins and other relatives come over the next day for Christmas lunch (and more gifts!).

For Christmas Day, we usually go for a more casual ensemble.

This white sweater dress is absolutely perfect!

 I would wear it with tights -- gotta keep my legs warm (although, I think we're gonna have a warm Christmas this year!). Add ankle booties, stud earrings, and a side braid to top off this fun and casual Christmas look.

I am excited that it's time to celebrate Christmas again!

How are you celebrating the holidays?

Which of these four ensembles did you like the best? 

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P.S. Three more days left to enter my $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway!

To enter, please click here.

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Food Network Friday: Christmas Menu

Happy Friday!

Christmas is next week, isn't it crazy?!

Now that we've talked about our own Christmas wishlists and our gift lists, I think it's time we talk about food.

Is your Christmas menu planned and ready?

I was browsing through www.foodnetwork.com because I wanted to find a dish or a dessert I can contribute to my family's Christmas meal. And of course, no surprise, I found a lot of recipes that are perfect for Christmas!
I thought it'd be nice to share some with you guys:

1. Paula Deen's Old-Fashioned Holiday Glazed Ham

Total Time: 2 hours

Level: Easy

Ham has always been a part of my family's Christmas tradition.

 My Dad is always the one who picks out our Christmas ham.

My favorite thing about ham is the glaze, of course.

And I love how there is always some ham left over -- perfect for delicious ham sandwiches!

2. Horseradish-Crusted Steak Roulade

Total Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Level: Easy

Steak is one of my absolute favorites in the world!

Whenever we eat out, my sisters and brother always order pasta or salmon or cheeseburger.

Me? I order steak. All.The.Time. ;P

This steak roulade looks delicious, and I love how the red bell peppers and the leeks give the steak a nice Christmas color!

3. Vegetable Tarte Tatin

Total Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Level: Intermediate

Isn't this side dish just beautiful?!
The colors are gorgeous and it looks like some sort of delicious Christmas decoration to me. ;)

4. Beet-Orange Salad

Total Time: Less than 10 minutes

Level: Easy

This is a no- brainer!
This is a refreshing take on a salad -- perfect as a first course.

5. Homemade Spaetzle

Total Time: 20 minutes

Level: Easy

This noodle dish looks yummy!
It's simple and very easy to make!

6. Shrimp Scampi

Total Time: 30 minutes

Level: Easy

I looove shrimp and it would be nice to have this on the side -- a perfect complement to our steak roulade.

7. Fruitcake Parfaits


Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Level: Easy

Nothing screams Christmas more than fruitcake.
I think this dessert will be a hit with everyone!

8. Chocolate-y Christmas Cafe au Lait

Total Time: 26 minutes

Level: Easy

It's always nice to have something warm to drink after opening gifts -- this cafe au lait is perfect!
Delicious and so Christmas-y!

The recipe calls for strong coffee, but if you just want plain old hot chocolate, I don't think there's any harm in omitting coffee when you make this drink. ;)

***images and recipes from www.foodnetwork.com***

What's on your Christmas menu?
Which of these eight recipes did you like the best?

I wish all of you a wonderful and happy weekend!

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P.S. My $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway is open until the 23rd!
To enter, please click here.

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My Christmas Gift List! :)

Happy Wednesday! :)

On my last post I shared my Christmas wishlist with you guys, and today I wanted to share with you the stuff I have on my Christmas gift list.

I am on a budget, so it's great that these gift ideas are all affordable -- the most expensive one is $40! ;)

1. The Bizarre Truth: Culinary Misadventures Around the Globe by Andrew Zimmern ($12.98) -

My Dad is a big fan of Andrew Zimmern and his DVR is full of Bizarre Foods episodes, so I think this is a perfect gift for him.

2. Ultraflesh Mini-Lipstick Set ($29 for 6 lipsticks) -

My Mom travels a lot -- these mini-lipsticks are gonna be perfect for her. She can just keep them in her carry-on bag and take them out when she needs a touch-up (and the colors are gorgeous!).

3. Philosophy Hand Care Set ($40) -

My older sister loves to keep her hands clean and moisturized, and I just know she's gonna love this hand care set -- it's gonna be such a pretty addition to her bathroom!

4. TruBee Honey Wildflower Honey ($6 and up) -

My brother-in-law is a really good cook and he loves to drink tea -- he'll be able to use honey for different recipes and for tea. Another great thing about this? My sister can use it too! ;)

5. H&M Sequined Polyester Skirt ($20) -

My other sister loves sparkly stuff and I am 100% sure she is gonna be ecstatic about this beautiful skirt -- she can style it in different ways.

6. Bumble and Bumble Assorted Hairpins ($15/50 pieces) -

My youngest sister loves to try different hairstyles -- these assorted hairpins are gonna be used a lot!

She better not lose them though, those are like $3.33 per piece (yup, I did the math). ;)

7. American Eagle Striped boxer briefs (2 for $12.50) -

I honestly don't understand why my brother likes to wear his pants low... I mean, c'mon he has a belt! But anyways, what can I do, he's a teenager. I'm gonna give him these cute boxers, though -- even if his jeans are low, at least his boxers are nice, right? ;P

8. Fred Letterpress Cookie Cutter and Stamp Set ($20) -

My best friend is starting to experiment with baking, so this cookie cutter and stamp set will be a good gift for her.

We are gonna have fun baking cookies!

9. Merona Leopard print fleece scarf ($14.99) -

My friend, Andrea, lives up north and she always tells me how it's always so cold up there.

This fleece scarf is gonna keep her warm (she loves leopard print too, so that's a plus!).

10. Muji Mini Colored Pencils ($11) -

Stephanie is a fantastic artist! These mini colored pencils are perfect for her random doodles. I like that the pencils come in a cute container -- she can just keep them on her desk, right next to her sketch pad.

11. Tumi Photo Keychain ($19) -

Ivy is always always always losing her keys! I'm gonna give her this keychain and I'm gonna put a picture of her with me and our other friends -- hopefully it will be important enough to make her not lose her keys anymore. ;)

***ideas and images from www.instyle.com, www.people.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com***

Picking out and giving gifts is ultimately more fun and rewarding than receiving them.

I really like putting thought into the gifts I give -- I want them to be meaningful and useful, of course.

What do you think of these gift ideas? What's on your Christmas gift list?

How's Christmas shopping going?

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P.S. Speaking of shopping, I would love for you to join my $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway! It is open internationally and it ends on December 23rd -- perfect for some more Christmas shopping!

To enter, please click here.

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My Christmas Wishlist! :)

Thirteen days until Christmas! ;)

It's raining at the moment -- warm blanket + hot chocolate + blogging = perfect!

The other day, my sister asked me what I wanted for Christmas.

I honestly couldn't think of anything I wanted. I guess it's mainly because there's really nothing I am in dire need of... but now that I've had some time to think about it, I actually came up with a couple of things to put on my wishlist.

Most of them may be more "want" than "need" and some are a bit expensive, but hey, it's just a list, right? ;)

1. SPANX In-Power Line Super Higher Power, $38 -

This is something I've wanted for quite some time now.

I don't have the flattest stomach, so I think it would be fantastic to have this!

I can only imagine how well clothes would look with this on -- so sleek and smooth. :)

Here is a "before and after" photo from www.spanx.com:

Which SPANX product would you recommend?

2. Michael Kors watch -

Oversized Rose Gold Watch ($250), Madison Glitz Chronograph Watch ($225), Pilot Watch ($225), or Runway Time Teller Watch ($225)

I've wanted a Michael Kors watch for years now!

Michael Kors has amazing watches (and that is why I have four up there, haha!).

The one I really really really wanted though is this one:

...but, I don't know if it's still for sale.

It's not on the Michael Kors website.

Do you know if they still sell it?

3. iPhone 4s -

I looooove my iPhone and I think it would be great to have this.

Is Apple coming up with a newer iPhone model?

4. Nikon 1 Camera -

I'm not that into photography and I won't have much use for a DSLR, but I really like the Nikon 1 camera!

That would mean better photos for my blog! ;)

(A new laptop would be awesome too, haha!)

5. Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose -

My sister said this smells great!

6. Shopping -

I don't think we can ever go wrong with a good ol' shopping spree.

A gift card to Forever 21 is enough to make me happy. ;)

Wow, now that I actually took some time to think of things to put on my wishlist post, I can't stop, haha!

I also want a stand-mixer and some baking tools, but I think that should be on a separate post. ;)

What's on your Christmas wishlist?

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P.S. Join my $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway -- it is open internationally and it will end on December 23rd.

To enter, please click here.

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