On the 16th Day of Christmas

 On the 16th Day of Christmas, which I know that's not a thing, but I am making it one! I'm here to talk about all things gift giving. I have a 12 Days of Gift Giving Guide and they are all the things I use and love. And I know they are all the things people would love to receive. Let's get started!

Have you heard of the Tesalate Beach Blanket? This is a product from an Australian based company, and when they reached out to work together, I was so excited! I've seen the ads and I love the concept, and even though we don't live by the beach, that doesn't mean it won't get a ton of use. We are definitely an outdoor family come spring to late fall with trips to the park, picnics in the backyard, and plenty of pool time. And this blanket is going to get a work out. So what is a Tesalate Beach Blanket?

This blanket is made from an engineered material that keeps water, sand, dirt, and the heft that follows at bay! It is designed to handle up to 1 liter of water without dripping so perfect for our pool side lounging! And it dries in half of the time of a regular towel! Ever had an incredibly wet car seat, from sitting on a soaked towel, after a full day of swimming? And all the debris shakes off! Perfect for fresh cut grass, leaves, and other park collectors.

I chose the beach blanket, more room for more people, in the Phoenix pattern. I thought it would also make a great rug for the patio as well, but during the winter months, I'm thinking it will be a great compliment to any room of our house when we need a fun sitting area. What a great spot for kids to gather over winter break to catch crumbs from cookies and snacks. A fun backdrop to board games, movie watching with oversized pillow and mugs of hot chocolate, or grabbing that book and sitting in front of the fireplace! And anything black and white gets a thumbs up from me!! A great gift for anyone!

So what else is on my list this holiday season? Here is the recap in one photo. Nickel & Suede earrings, PrettyGarden lounge sets (which would look gorgeous against the Phoenix beach blanket), Static Nails nail polish, Makeup Eraser, Unhide Blanket (again curl up under the blanket with a good book, laying on an oversized pillow, on the Tesalate Beach Blanket), and speaking of books, I absolutely loved Make Something Good Today. It was so inspiring. I am obsessed with my Initial Necklace from jBloom, but you can find them just about anywhere. I'm wearing the heck out of my New Balance sneakers, while carrying my Lululemon crossbody bag, drinking from my Stanley Quench Cup, and constantly applying my Glossier Balm dotcom in Birthday.

What would you add to cart today if you were shopping from my gift guide?

Happy Holiday Shopping!

XO,

Andrea

*The Tesalate Beach Blanket was a gift, but all photos and comments are my own.

Christmas Ornament DIY

It's the holiday season, and around here, that means it's time for all the crafting! I like to get McKinley in on the action by having him make ornaments for family members, which we are planning on doing any day now, but I got to thinking about crafts for adults. What can I make that would be fun for adult crafters to recreate and make for family, friends, or for the very own tree?

 I was poking around my mom's sewing room last week, looking for something else entirely, when I found some plastic pull apart ornaments. That small discovery got me thinking. What can I do with these treasures? And then it came to me. See through ornaments! I poked around a little more and found all of these darling miniature Christmas decorations and decided immediately that cute little holiday scenes would be darling inside these ornaments. I immediately pulled out all of my crafting supplies. Here's what you'll need!

Full disclaimer, I tried the E6000 and it just wasn't strong enough, so I switched to my trusted glue gun. Totally did the trick! 

So what do you do? Well, first off, put all the figures inside one piece the ornament for placement. Like what've you created? Then start gluing. And please note, make sure you line everything up with the ornament hanger! If not, everything will be completely off center and will have to start all over. Glue from a glue gun isn't very forgiving once you've pulled the piece off. The glue leaves a dingy spot that you can't get clean. (Yes, I learned this from trial and error!)

If it's a winter scene, I love adding the fake snow to create a snow globe effect! 

Because these are pull apart, you can run the risk of these popping open. I decided to add a little glue around the entire ornament and cover it with thin ribbon that compliments the scene inside. And, it helps finish the look of the ornament. If you have a ribbon with a saying, start your ribbon at the top, with the saying facing you, and wrap to the bottom. I didn't do this the first time and the wording was backwards.....

When you get to the bottom, it's time to finish the edges. Add a small dab of glue, place a piece of ribbon over it and snip off the excess. Add another dab of glue to the bottom piece and lay the top piece over. Snip off the end. And done!

How adorable is this little guy? And because it turned out so cute, I couldn't stop myself from creating more! Here are all the ones I made!

These would make darling teacher's gifts as well! Such a fun project with so many creative options! Which one is your favorite? I have to say mine is the pink and green trees! But Santa and the sled is cute too. Or what about that darling toy soldier.....

XO,

Andrea

Mama DIY: Jingle Bell Wreath

One of my favorite things to make, and gifts to give, is the old fashioned jingle bell wreath. I started making them a few years ago and then McKinley got in on the action and began helping me. And, he's been giving them as teacher gifts every year since Preschool. They are a great teacher gift, actually. Nothing like giving a handmade/homemade gift. 

This year wasn't any different. We made a jingle bell wreath for McKinley's first grade teacher, but we also plan to make on for our neighbor who so sweetly gifts McKinley things throughout the year. I love gifting to our neighbors. And these wreathes are so easy to make. Follow along below.

You'll need:

Jingle bells of different sizes, stem wire (I used 16 gauge), crafting pliers, and ribbon.

Using your pliers, start with the stem wire and make a small loop at the bottom of the wire.

When you start stringing the jingle bells, start with a small one at the end. It's helps cover the loop when finishing off the wreath.

Then start stringing the bells. Go with any pattern of colors you like. I am loving these more metallic bells and the blush colors! A little modern take on the jingle bell wreath.

Your strand will start looking like this. Add a smaller jingle bell along the way. I added two after three larger ones to help balance out the look.

When you come to the end of the wire, leave yourself enough room to string the end through the loop you made at the beginning. You probably don't need this much, but you can snip off the extra like I did, after you make the loop.

Once you string the wire through, use your pliers to make a loop to close the wreath. Snip off the extra and continue to try and hide the wire behind the jingle bells.

Once you've finished off the loops, shape your wire to create the roundness you desire! It's going to need a little finesse to get to the circle you want!

Now it's time to add the bow. I add the bow to the bottom of the wreath where the loop is. Yet another chance to hide the entrance! And if you can get your mom to make it even better! Gives me an excuse to take pictures of the bow making process and have someone make a better bow than myself! My mom is an expert bow maker!

In the past, we've made the bow and then strung floral wire through the back of the bow and attached it to the loop of the jingle bell, but it doesn't lay as well. Making the bow around the bells helps it hold its shape.

And here is the final product! Isn't it so pretty? I love hanging them from doorknobs, but they also look cute on smaller trees as a large ornament! We've done that in the past when displaying multiple wreaths in our booth. 

What do you think of this Holiday DIY? Is it something you will try and make and then give as a sweet gift? What are some of your favorite things to make and give as gifts? I would love for you to share.

XO,

Andrea

All She Wants for Christmas....

Did you know that Christmas is only 19 days away? Have you started your shopping? I have and I'm close to being done! McKinley is getting the bulk of the gifts from Santa, no surprise, but I do have some others gals to shop for and I think I've got them covered with these darling gift ideas.

Everything you see here is super girly and I'm totally okay with that! Do you have that girl in your life that loves to read? Then she's totally gonna want to curl up with a good book from her Book of the Month subscription while under that soft cream throw! I would never leave the couch with that cozy blanket around me! It's from Pottery Barn and they are offering 20% off your order! Check out their site and get the code. The Book of the Month appears to be pretty easy. Sign up your reader for a monthly subscription and they get to pick out the book they want to receive. Gotta love a gift that gives monthly! 

How about that girl that loves a good glass of bubbly? Do you know her? Well, she's writing this post right now! How cute are these uber chic stemless champagne flutes? I love the gold confetti! A modern take on the flute and I need them STAT! Head on over to Crate and Barrel to get yours. Also, how darling is that J.Crew tee! Definitely need to pre-order mine today. Speaking of J.Crew, those fuzzy leopard print slippers are EVERYTHING! And, you don't need pajamas to wear them. She could totally pair them with jeans while padding around the house.

Need to stay warm while outside? Look no further than this darling beanie from Stella & Dot. I personally own it and she needs it as well. The poms come in chocolate and cream, yes you get them both, and they simply snap off to change them over! I love versatility! Also from S&D is our ever popular Engravable line. Such a personal piece that every girl will love! These necklaces are perfection. And, I can always create mock ups for you prior to ordering. Check out my site!

Lastly, I am obsessed with Casetify! I have several of their phone cases and I could keep collecting them. Their designs are amazing! But why not keep it simple by simply giving her a single initial! Go with first or last name, it doesn't matter. It's sweet, personal, and will always make her smile!

Check out the gift ideas below!

Seriously! Aren't they all gorgeous? And couldn't you see your friend, daughter, granddaughter, etc in each and every one? Who will be the lucky recipient?

Happy Shopping!

XO,

Andrea

Giftable Ideas - A Phone Case from Casetify

I got a new phone earlier in the year and I've been on the hunt for a new case ever since. I had the perfect one for my previous phone, one that was the epitome of me, and I feel like a phone case is an extension of your personality. Like another accessory to your outfit. And finding the right one is trying! And time consuming. And hard!

That is until I found Casetify. I happened upon them from Pinterest, that amazing site that will suck you in for hours and won't let go! I found a photo of a darling case, clicked the link, and then got sucked into Casetify's website! And once you head there, you will see why! It's the best case site for any of your pieces of technology. 

However, it's so great, I made a wish list that is thirteen cases long and I can't decide on which is the perfect one for my phone. Maybe I need two. Or three! And, there are ones for the holidays and I'm thinking I need one to trade out during December next year. Seriously, I can't get over this site!

Check out all the ones I've chosen.

From this list, I call it miscellaneous, who can I pick just one? I mean those shoes! I would love to have them in real life! I wear Chanel perfume, my signature scent, I drink coffee, I love shoes, and I'm doing what I love. These are all perfect! 

Then there's these..... Top left, I have a hat just like that! The large photo on the right is how I see myself in my head, but let's be honest, I'm more the girl on left of her in the top knot. But they're all so chic and phone case worthy.

And these!! Oh, I adore these. Especially the red dress and the wreath! That has to be hands down my favorite from the holiday collection.

So how do I chose? Can you help? Even maybe help me narrow it down? Which one(s) do you think look most like me? And visit the site and tell me which ones look most like you! I die!

Happy Friday!

XO,

Andrea