christmas

We got started on the holidays a little late this year, but with this DIY holiday gift wrap, they are officially here. After being in Seattle all of October and having lots to catch up on when I got back, November was a blur. On Saturday I woke up knowing we had to do something, so we drove back up to our old neighborhood, grabbed breakfast, and went to a tree lot to get the cutest, tiniest tree (photos to come!). I have mixed emotions about our apartment right now. We’ve had a love/hate relationship with it ever since moving in, for various reasons. With everything going on in the summer and fall, I didn’t finish decorating. So now that we put holiday decor up, it feels a bit cozier, though there isn’t that reading chair or bookshelf in the corner like I’d planned by now. [Read more…] about DIY holiday gift wrap

People have certain decorating traditions from year to year: fake tree vs. real, red and green vs. blue and white, a little pink or no pink, handcrafted or not, traditional or modern, quirky or trendy. Holidays have changed a lot over the years for my family and me, and my aesthetic for decorating has never quite stayed the same. Sometimes I want to grab a white tree and break out my coveted collection of vintage aqua + pink bulbs (which I haven’t done yet, for fear the cats would make them their play things). Sometimes I want to go to a real tree farm, which I’ve never done either. I like to think I’ll try any and all. Same goes for gift wrapping. On this particular day I was feeling the traditional look of red + gold as paired with some of today’s cutest trends, like polka dots, chevron, and glitter…

Chevron & Polka Dot Bags: Gift shop in Larchmont Village | Ribbon: Scrap pieces from Pulp, Los Angeles | Glitter mats: Michael’s | Bells & clothespins: My stash | Boxes & gift wrap: Recycled

Sunday I had a little holiday craft session. I’d shopped LA on Small Business Saturday and the weekend after, but in the end, I wrapped my gifts using mostly pieces from my collection. Small gifts can be the best gifts: jewelry, tickets, a handwritten letter, goold ‘ol cash.There’s no doubt about that. My mother always insisted on wrapping every single little thing in our stockings, which were full of dollar-store accessories and travel sized goodies. She knew if you had to unwrap everything, you’d enjoy the moment a lot longer. Why not make the outside just as exciting as the inside?

For small, special gifts:

Try a cute paper bag instead of a box, and close it with washi tape and ribbon.
Double up on different types of ribbon.
Glitter never disappoints.
Sneak a little somethin’ extra onto the ribbon, like an accessory or decoration.
Always handcraft your tag.