Archive for the ‘Holiday 2008’ Category

Welcome Back Everyone!

Monday, December 29th, 2008

I hope all of you had lovely holidays! I was here and there, busy traveling and seeing family. Some gift-giving highlights from my holiday:
I got crafty this year and refinished a desk chair for my mom’s office. She’d been eying the Bungalow 5 bamboo one in black and so I took the bamboo chair I got at Brimfield this year and painted it glossy black and had it re-upholstered in a great stripe fabric I found at Zimman’s! It came out PERFECT!

(before and after)
For my Dad I took I few of the really old family photos we found at my grandmother’s house and had them matted and framed. We are going to create a photo wall going up their front stairs using these as a starting point. They are such spectacular pictures that are so rare for a family to have!

And speaking of craftiness and great photography, my brother Sean set up these great shots of each of us based on pictures of us already taken or using parts of our lives as inspiration. I almost DIED when I saw mine- a Lego people replica of my famous wedding shot!!! How fantastic is it?
(Side note: He just had a book published of his photos of toys taken with his SX-70 Polaroid camera here- he also is the founder of SavePolaroid.com)

The others of the family are fantastic as well:
My parents in front of their house with a big ol’ pile of mulch (a running family joke- my dad seems to ALWAYS be mulching somewhere…)

My brother and his fiancee in the Turks and Caicos (where they are getting married in the spring!)

And my youngest brother Connor in Boston with his new Mini Cooper (which was hit by another car over the holiday- sadness).

Sean will do photos like these on comission so be sure to contact him through his site for pricing. Such a great gift!

Oh, and if you feel so inclined, Apartment Therapy is taking nominations for “The Homies” awards for best design blog… hint, hint. :)

I have boat loads of work to do to catch up, but sure am glad to be back!

Holiday 2008 Gift Guide: For Him

Friday, December 12th, 2008

Shopping for the guys in your life can either be really easy (Wii + Guitar Hero) or really hard. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Update your guy’s business attire by getting him a nylon messenger bag to replace the staid leather briefcase. There is a great selection on Zappos.com, where I found these A. Testoni and Patagonia versions that are clean and classic but hip.

How about framing a gig poster for one of his favorite bands? These are by Aesthetic Apparatus and are definitely wall-worthy!

This would be a perfect stocking stuffer for my husband, who always gets ticked off at people who park badly- a set of cards with “Nice Parking” on them by Jack Spade- ready to slide under any windshield anonymously!

No guy isn’t gonna have this on his list this year.

Going all out and getting him a watch? Here are three of my favorites in different price ranges: High- the classic and restyled Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Medium- The Tag Heuer Carrera. Low: The Swiss Army Classic Alliance (on Overstock!)

I *love* this sweater and want it for my own hubby-a bit of a departure from the typical V-neck/half-zip but polished enough to wear business casual. For a more preppy look, one I think is flawless on any man, get him a classic blazer to pair with dark jeans and an open collar shirt.

Perhaps your guy digs funny t-shirts- these from Rumplo are pretty darn funny.


(this Princess Bride one cracked me up…)

A Blackberry Storm- the iPhone-esque version for the business guy who’s on the go.

A super charging station for all his gadgets!

A great book for any golfer with a title that’ll make him giggle.

For the handy man, this Black and Decker power screwdriver is compact enough to fix anything and even has a screw holder!

Maybe you don’t want a big foosball table in your house, so get him this table top version.

More X-mas Decor

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008


I put my Scroogey feelings aside the other day while in A.C. Moore craft store when I saw a slew of turquoise and brown ornaments for 60% off. Taking a hint from Domino, I used satin ribbon and tied them to my chandelier.
I also am pullin’ out the moss wreath I made last year for myself. I spent days covered in moss pieces and hot glue making this and one for my friend below. I love moss though, and of course Pottery Barn now offers a moss wreath and even a garland (awesome).

Something that made me feel more happy this week was finally getting the perfect deep, dark brown hair color yesterday at my new salon. :) Hey, it’s never happened before!

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