Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Santa Baby

My Christmas list looked a little something like this:

Dear Santa,
I've been a super good girl.  This year I would like:
  a new couch
  a queen size bed (so there is room for me and JEGs.)
  a house
  freedom from debt
  eh... and while you are at it, let's give world peace thing a try.

Love..
  Lizzie

Three days later, I got this response:

Dear Lizzie,
  Nice try.

Sincerely,
   Santa.

Alrighty then... let's try again.

So I have this bizzare obsession with perfume bottles.  I have always loved those old style atomizers, and I *think* I would feel just like a Hollywood starlet if I could use one every day.  This year, I stumbled upon these incredibly affordable options from IKEA.

I would also love what I call a "weekend sweater".  Nothing too fancy or tight.  Just something I can throw on with my a pair of jeans and some boots and call it a day.  Maybe a chunky necklace if I am feeling sassy.  American Eagle heard my call.



As we all know, my feet eat shoes.  I have completely busted up my favorite pair of brown boots, so I am thinking these great shoes from Rampage will work as a replacement.
Finally, I would love a blanket to curl up on the couch with.  Right now JEGs and I are using a comforter from a double bed, and it's obnoxiously large.  I really love this chunky knit throw from Lands End. 
What are you guys jotting on your list this year?

Always & Forever,
  Me

Monday, December 13, 2010

Dare to DIY: Week 5

It's time to deck the halls!!

Ok, so my halls, aren't completely decked yet, so I'm going to run through what I did last year. 

Last year, I aimed for a very natural feeling- branches, holly and candle light- but all with a touch of shimmer.  One of my favorite things was the centerpieces I set up on our coffee table

I took pine cones I collected and hit them with a little gold spray paint

added amongst the holly was smaller red ornaments as well as acorns with a dusting of gold paint

the dried holly was by far my favorite element


Also, around the apartment I took old Ball Jars and added some gilded ribbon, sand and a candle for extra ambiance.  A candle wreath added some panache.   Also, I had some pumpkins leftover from my Halloween and Thanksgiving decor, so I added a little simmer to them with more gold spray paint.

We can't forget my manger scene-- a gift from my mother

Since we don't have a mantle, I hung our stockings (with care, of course) from a self above our dining table.


These stocking hangers were picked up for nothing via Freecycle.  The glassware behind them are vintage goblets with Christmas balls placed inside.

I loved the mix of metallic with the natural elements



One thing I did add this year was a simple table setting

Instead of your normal chargers, I used leaves from a rhodendrum bush


I just love how un-perfect they are

For the centerpiece, I placed two candle wreaths on cake stands and added a few more pine cones




Have you decorated yet?  What is your favorite area to decorate?  Is it the lights on the front lawn, or do you love putting the star on the tree?

Don't forget to stop by Kim for the rest of the Dare to DIYers!

Always & Forever,
  ME

Friday, December 10, 2010

Suck it, Michael's


For the past couple of weeks I have been coveting these sequin candles from Michael's.  I have grand ideas of how to incorporate them into my holiday decor


However, they are priced at $6.99 each.  Holy mother of pearl!  In my grand plan, I needed four of them, and if ya'll don't know by now, I'm kinda of cheap.  I was not about to hand over $30 of my hard earned money for these bad boys.

So I did what any logical blogger would do-- I do it my damn self.

I knew I already  had a bunch of red glitter leftover from my cheerleading coaching days, so I stopped by Walmart and picked up four pillar candles for $1.50 each.


On a flat surface I laid out some wax paper and shook some loose glitter into a pile.




I used painters tape and taped the top part of the candle to create a clean line.  I used simple Elmer's Clear  Glue and covered the bottom part of the candle. 

Next, I rolled the candle in the pile of glitter



Once I removed the tape, I had a clean line



Thumbs up indeed.

I am really happy with the outcome and I can't wait to use them in my decorating!


 So for less then the cost of one candle, I was able to make four.  Boo YAH.

How about you guys... do you meander through stores and think "well hell, I can do that?" 

Always & Forever,
  ME

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

House Crashing: Falconhead

Recently, I have acquire some new readers and followers.  First off, welcome! and thank you for joining this my little corner of the interwebs.   I don't want to be rude, so let me take a minute and show you around our home.  And when I say minute, I pretty much mean 60 seconds- our apartment is kinda small.

This is the layout of our dear Falconhead


We live in a three story apartment building, however, we are lucky enough to have a first floor apartment.  Although our privacy is sometimes compromised, it does make it easier for our guests.  Instead of having to buzz you in, or run to the main door to let them in, they simply walk up to our porch and knock on the door.


Our "foyer" if you will..





As you walk in and bang a louie, you can now see pretty much the entire apartment in one fell swoop:


When we first moved in, we had the dining table by the porch door and the buffet sat under the shelves (you can see that here).   However, once we realize how much we were utilizing the porch door, having the table directly in front of you when you walked in was rather cumbersome.  Now we have a spacious entry, AND our dirty dishes don't have to travel 60 miles from the table to the kitchen sink.

Speaking of kitchens, here is ours:


The openness of the kitchen into the great room was really something that sold us on the apartment.  I love how I can be cooking dinner and still watch TV or hold a conversation with JEGs while he is on the couch.  It really has been great for entertaining.

Surprisingly, I have a lot of people ask me if we painted the apartment, or if it was already painted when we moved in.  The answer is yes, we painted it.  When we moved in every single wall was that builder grade white, and I hated it.  I knew we were going to be here for at least two years, and I wanted to put some color and life into these walls.  So we went bold.

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted a lime green kitchen, and I felt like this was the perfect place to do that- between the open concept living area and my plethora of neutral furniture, I was willing to take a risk.  We used Valpar's Jalapeno Jelly on the three walls in the kitchen, and toned it down by painting the rest of the great room a darker neutral with Valspar's Jekyll Club Cherokee Tan (I didn't name it, folks). 



As we move down the hall, you'll pass our one and only bathroom.  This room is huuuge, and people always comment about the size when they see it (that's what she said). We didn't paint this room because we felt like the red shower curtain and accessories were bold enough. 



I will tell you one thing:  that white porcelain tile is a pain in the ass to keep clean.  White grout + red towel fuzzies= me swiffering this room twice a week.

Last, but certainly not least, we have the boudoir:



The paint in this room is Valspar's Lighthouse Shadows, and I adore it.   I find it so calm and serene-- a perfect oasis.

Another thing people often comment about  is the furniture in our bedroom.  The two dressers and my bedside table were passed down to me, and was my paternal grandparents.  When JEGs and I moved we found a date of 1934 stamped on the back of the mirror.  I adore them-- JEGs, notsamuch.   Also, the hope chest at the foot of the bed also belonged to my father's motherand was purchased roughly around the same time the dressers were made.  When I inherited it, it was in rough shape;  a leg was missing, the stain was worn off, it wouldn't open correctly and the trim in the front was broken.  For my 28th birthday, JEGs (with the help of his friend Joey) brought it back to life by repairing everything that was broken, and Momma G ( my wonderful mother-in-law) sanded it down and restained the entire thing.  Probably the best gift I have ever been given.

Thanks for letting me show you around our humble abode.  Drop on by if you are ever in the neighborhood!

Always & Forever,
  The Duchess of Falconhead.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Dare to DIY: Week 4

This week it's all about giving!

I started this project with the idea of creating a homemade ornament like last year.  However, when I saw this weeks assignment for Kim's Dare to DIY Party was to make a homemade gift, I thought this would be great to share as a small token for family members or friends.

This is what you will need:



  • Felt
  • Scissors (they can be your own.  You don't have to steal Jeff's like I did).
  • batting ( mine was leftover from this project.)
  • thread
  • sewing needles
  • pen
  • template (you can also use a cookie cutter for an outline)
One of my favorite symbols of the season is the dove.  They are the symbols of love and peace and are found in Christianity and Judaism.

...or I might be obsessed with bird silhouettes.  That is a possibility.

Take the template and trace it twice on the felt in opposite directions (you'll need one for the front and one for the back).


 Cut them out.


Next, stitch a design on the front.  I chose a lazy daisy stitch to create a floral design on the front.  After you have finished your design on the front, use a blanket stitch all the way around to sew the front and back together.   Before you sew it shut, stuff in a little batting.

Voila.  You have yourself a vintage-inspired bird ornament.


I also stitched the year on the back:


Looking back, it kinda reminds of my keychain.  Maybe I do have an obsession.

So how about you folks?  Do DIY gifts, or are you a strictly by-the-list person?

Always & Forever,
  ME

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Fabulous November


 
Hi November. 
So you came, you gave us a chill in the air-- but we won't hold that against you.  You had some pretty awesome things packed into your 30 days:

Parenthood:

 I was kinda skeptical of this show when I first saw the cast.  Yeah, it had some big names in there (Craig T. Nelson, Monica Potter, Joy Bryant) but it also had Dax Shepard.  C'mon, this guy was on Punk'd and the most memorable thing I can remember him ever saying is "that's a 81 Honda... HOW DARE YOU."   However, insomnia will make you do a lot of things, and one night I watched 5 episodes on demand.  I have been hooked ever since.

 The show is about having kids and dealing with the day to day problems a family has, however, that is not what has hooked me.  I love the relationship between the the siblings (Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shephard, Erika Christensen) and I am enchanted how easily the banter is amongst the characters-- the teasing and constantly talking over each other-- it's something I can relate to.  It's also like a reunion of actors from "Shows Lizzie Loved, But Are Now Off the Air" (American Dreams, Dirty Sexy Money, Gilmore Girls, Trust Me). 


Nuptials

We attended a beautiful wedding in Macungie, PA and I am still talking about how wonderful it was!  Read more about it here.


Winter Ale

I might have to hand in my Fabulousity Card, because friends, I think I am a beer drinker.  I blame JEGs.
First he introduced me to Yuengling, and I was all, "Ok.. I can drink about half a glass".  Then he brought home Sam Adam's Oktoberfest and I was finishing a full beer on my own.  Now, I have met Winter Lager and I can't get enough.  So good.  In the words of my friend Heather "NOM NOM NOM". 

Thankful
If nothing else, this month makes you really sit back and realize what you are thankful for in your life.  I am, of course, incredibly thankful for my family: my mother and father, my three brothers,  my two amazing sisters-in-law, my three fabulous nieces and my adorable nephew.  However, this year I am so thankful to include (and be included) in a new family-- my in laws.  I am so thankful for the mother-in-law and father-in-law I was given.  They are such good, caring, and honest people-- and my mother-in-law has awesome taste in accessories and handbags!  I know!!  I couldn't have molded her better if I tried!

I'm also super thankful for my job and the people I work with.  I have a great pilot who I get along with and really has my back.  My other co-workers are such great people to work with and every day I think about how blessed I am to go to a job that I really enjoy.

Most of all, I am thankful for JEGs.  I still look at him and wonder how I got so lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life.  I have a man who listens to my crazy ideas, deals with my stubbornness,  warms my toes, fixes my car and most importantly keeps me laughing. 

So thanks for hanging around November, you were pretty chill (ba dum chee).  Here is your coat and your hat--- make way for December!

Always & Forever,
  ME