Spicely



My mom and dad gave us a Spicely set for Christmas. Have you ever heard of it? It's essentially a spice set filled with unusual, organic spices that are perfect for a single or a few uses each. We received the international sampler, which is full of international cuisine seasonings like curry and masala. It will definitely enhance and refresh our spice rack for 2013. I thought I'd share in case anyone is ever looking for a unique gift for a foodie. What were some of your favorite holiday gifts this year? XO

Holiday Wrapping Inspiration

Here are a few of my favorite gift wrapping ideas, spotted around the web. This year I stuck to using paper with gold and silver accents to match our gold and silver tree, but these ideas are so creative and lovely.

I'll be traveling back to Georgia tonight to spend a bit of time with my family and then it's off to North Carolina to visit with Lucas's sweet family. Happy holidays to you and yours!

Sources: {Personalized name packaging via You Are My Fave, Pear packaging via Mint Design Blog, Typographic packaging via ManMade, Foliage packaging via HeyLook}.


Photo Booth Fun!


Cheeeeese! SO much holiday party love right here.

Holiday Party 2012


We went to the Wildfire holiday party last night at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, which is a charming, old hotel smack dab in the middle of Union Square. The cozy room we stayed in had a four poster bed, plush carpet, and a roomy bathtub, so it was the perfect place to get ready before the party. We got together with a few friends and ordered pizza before the festivities began, so we could get some carbs in our system. :) The holiday party itself was a blast - we had casino games like black jack, craps, and roulette, photo booths with props, festive food (think: ham and roasted chestnuts!), and, of course, drinks! Fun was definitely had by all and I truly work at the best company in the world.
 

P.S. - "How Drunk Can You Get at Your Office Christmas Party?" I can state, with confidence, that every single person at the party last night broke these rules. :)

2012 Holiday Card


P.S. - our 2011 holiday card, if you're interested. :)

Gift Guide: Your Momma

My mom never wants us to get her anything, so sometimes it's tough to shop for her. Here are a few gifts that make me think of her:

1. Monogrammed tray because she is the ultimate, Southern tailgater: Etsy (varies $30-$60).
2. Fresh wreath to hang on the door: Williams-Sonoma ($75).
3. Driving loafers that she can walk comfortably in during her work trips: Tory Burch ($275).
4. A Handmade Weddings book, since she is great at sewing, baking, and crafting: Nordstrom ($25).
5. Clip on earrings, which would look great with her red hair: Kate Spade ($48).
6. A soy travel candle, which would make her hotel rooms feel cozy: Jonathan Product ($10).

Max Wanger Print Shop

The talented photographer, Max Wanger, just launched a lovely print shop. Wouldn't these look great hanging above a bed? His photography has such a relaxing feel to it.


Thanksgiving Holiday

My friends, I'd love to share a few photos from my trip home to Georgia for Thanksgiving, if you'd like to see.

Thanksgiving Day was a great time to catch up with my family. As with all great family gatherings, we ate entirely too much and spent the rest of the day relaxing. We had lunch together and then spent the rest of the day catching up and watching football...we even busted out our corn hole set. The highlight of the day is that I got the chance to hang out with my niece-pup, Lucy, who fits right in with my crazy family.


On Saturday we headed to Athens for the UGA vs. GT game, where we had the chance to catch up with old college friends. It was freezing but fun nonetheless!
I had some quality BFF-time with Kristina on Sunday afternoon. We all went by Vinewood to scope it out, to Serenbe to check out a few rehearsal dinner spots, and then to a wedding tasting. It's nice to get a lot of wedding planning done while we're home!
Miss you already, Georgia.

DIY Holiday Ornament

While in GA for Thanksgiving, we made a few DIY holiday ornaments. It's a really simple, festive craft project.

Here's what you'll need: 
-Straight pins
-Seed beads (optional)
-Styrofoam balls (we used 1.5'' and 3'', but you could use any size)
-Twine or fishing line
-Sequins

What to do:
-Take your twine or fishing line and tie it around your ball. Leave enough line to tie a loop.
-Take a straight pin and put on a seed bead (if you wish) and a sequin - push it into the ball.
-Repeat, and make sure to slightly overlap the sequins.
-Fill up the entire ball with sequins.
-Hang on the tree and enjoy!
That's all! It's an easy DIY project and it will really add sparkle to your tree.

Holiday Gift Guide: Your BFF


Sometimes I'm at a loss for what to buy Lucas, my family, or my coworkers, but I feel like it's always easy to buy gifts for my BFF, Kristina. I know her so well that I can always find a million things that I know she'll love. Here are a few gifts that are BFF-appropriate, inspired by my best friend since Kindergarten:

1. "What Would Audrey Do?" so she can read about your shared idol: Amazon ($10).
2. Gold mercury glass votives to decorate her new place: One Kings Lane ($25).
3. Gold stud earrings: Bing Bang ($40).
4. Pink NARS Lipstick, which would look pretty with anything: Sephora ($24).
5. A Birchbox subscription, because she loves beauty products almost as much as she loves getting packages: Birchbox ($120).
6. A pretty scalloped bangle: Kate Spade ($48).
7. A polka dot peplum top, which would look pretty for the holidays: Dorothy Parker ($27).
8. A ladylike purse in her favorite color: J.Crew ($238).

P.S. - gift guide for men!

Girls Season 2


Girls Season 2 looks amazing. Cannot wait until January!

Holiday Gift Guide: Your Favorite Guy

Here are a few perfect holiday gifts for the best guy in your life (I've given most of these things to Lucas in the past, actually):

1. A cozy sweater with elbow patches, that will bring out his true professorial self: J.crew ($198).
2. New glasses to truly complete the look: Warby Parker ($90).
3. A new watch, since you always ask him the time: Nixon ($125).
4. Classic, rugged boots that will look both simple and stylish: Clarks ($120).
5. A new overnight duffle to replace the Adidas bag he carries from college: Fossil ($248).

These gifts will (hopefully!) be appreciated year round. I'd love to hear what are you giving your favorite guy? XO

Holiday Movies


The week after Thanksgiving means that it's finally holiday movie season! Without a doubt, I have to watch these four movies over the holidays every year. What are your favorites?

{Seen Above: Love Actually, Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone, The Holiday}

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

I'm heading back to Georgia for the Thanksgiving holidays and am so excited to spend some time with friends and family. Here are a few things on the to-do list:

-Thanksgiving lunch with my family followed by our traditional trip to the movies (my vote is for Lincoln)
-Black Friday shopping with my mama
-A mini-reunion with college friends to see UGA vs. GT, the annual football game dubbed "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate" :)
-Two wedding tastings (we've narrowed it down to two caterers and are deciding this week)
-A trip to our wedding venue so that Kristina and Lucas can see it
-Snuggling by the fireplace, hot chocolate, and food!

Have a wonderful holiday! XO

Stanford Graduate Interdisciplinary Fellowship

Lucas was one of a handful of Stanford graduate students chosen to be a 2012 Stanford Graduate Interdisciplinary Fellow. We attended the awards ceremony last week and I was beaming with pride!

Lucas's advisor introduced him and gave a brief summary of Lucas's research. He also said that Lucas was not only one of the most brilliant students that he's ever had, but also one of the nicest. I think that describes him in a nutshell. :)
I was blown away with these students' accomplishments - these people are seriously curing cancer and fixing global warming.
I am so proud of your accomplishments, Lucas. You are so deserving of this honor. XO