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freeloader // 5
i don’t think i’ve been THIS into the christmas spirit in many years. maybe because we didn’t get a tree last year, but we have been going hard in our apartment. i’m talking holiday itunes radio on everyday. so why not share the holiday joy with you? here’s a minimal holiday background for yo phone!
#jewsforchristmas
this wallpaper is for personal use only, and NOT for re-distribution.
if you’d like to post a link sharing them, you may not directly post the downloadable files.
please credit and link back to this post for downloading the wallpaper.
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holiday gift guide / for the boyfriends, husbands & brothers
i actually have the best time buying for my boyfriend and brother, because i get to buy stuff i’d want if i were to have a penis.
here are some fun and affordable gift ideas for the guys in your life!
01. a handsome walnut portable speaker that they take camping, to the beach, to the shower? i mean. no brainer
02. a fun & unique accessory for their bar, this snake bottle opener can make you both happy
03. for the hip sports fan, american needle makes all sorts of these rad patterned baseball caps
04. a perfect book for the foodie who loves trying new restaurants. (i have this and love it)
05. a q chord is a digital instrument that he can play like a guitar, keyboard, piano, etc. i got one for my boyfriend a few years ago and he still loves playing with it. highly recommend for the musician or music lover
06. a framed art print of his favorite movie or comic or band always goes well
07. any boy that cooks wants a new fancy chef knife. give him one with a cookbook and you’re getting a dinner cooked for you
08. a cute dopp kit is something no guy i know would buy for himself. fill it with goodies and he’ll be too happy
09. perfect to fill the dopp kit, some imperial gel pomade may also improve his hair for your benefit
10. my bf never wore cologne prior to me gifting him some. and happy to say he doesn’t leave the house without it.
11. what guy wouldn’t want a new fancy tie that you picked out so he knows it’s good
12. hands down – best gift for ANYONE that doesn’t own one and likes sparkling water. our sodastream is a part of the family now
13. get him a few fun records if he has a record player…
14. and if he doesn’t, get him a record player to go along with them! -
diy simple gold triangle garland
in my opinion, there’s a fine line between tacky and modern when it comes to christmas decorating. so i always err on the simple side. shocker. so here is a VERY simple and of course, very easy diy decoration you can make in a few minutes!
all you need is a large piece of gold scrapbook paper (or two depending on how long you’d like it). i attached the triangles with scotch tape, but you could glue also.
cut out a zillion triangles from your paper. this is the boring part, but i did it while i watched netflix.
tape your piece of string on one side of a long table, tighten the string and tape the other side down. slide your triangles under the string and tape! i did it in a 2 x 3 pattern, but there are obviously a bunch of variating patterns you could try. they kind of look like modern little christmas trees right?!
and duh – that’s it! hang across your mantle, over a door frame or just along your wall for a little touch of festive decor.
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diy simple gold triangle garland
in my opinion, there’s a fine line between tacky and modern when it comes to christmas decorating. so i always err on the simple side. shocker. so here is a VERY simple and of course, very easy diy decoration you can make in a few minutes!
all you need is a large piece of gold scrapbook paper (or two depending on how long you’d like it). i attached the triangles with scotch tape, but you could glue also.
cut out a zillion triangles from your paper. this is the boring part, but i did it while i watched netflix.
tape your piece of string on one side of a long table, tighten the string and tape the other side down. slide your triangles under the string and tape! i did it in a 2 x 3 pattern, but there are obviously a bunch of variating patterns you could try. they kind of look like modern little christmas trees right?!
and duh – that’s it! hang across your mantle, over a door frame or just along your wall for a little touch of festive decor.
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payday wishlist
friday came fast this week — i’ve been a little overwhelmed with all the holiday everything. while being consumed with blog ideas, i haven’t even had a chance to think about christmas shopping or getting OUR tree yet. it is driving me nuts seeing all the trees getting decorated on instagram! but hopefully, we’re getting one this afternoon! we’re also have a birthday dinner tonight for my brother at one of my favorite pasta joints. we’re also participating in a chili cook off. definitely my first.
we’ve been avoiding putting the heat on in our apartment for weeks now because our bill gets so high, but i did it yesterday and am proudly no longer shivering. probably for the best. hope you have a great weekend!
01. i am one of those people that buys playing cards every time i travel – you can’t have enough decks. how cute are these ones?! i’m a sucker for salmon colored anything.
02. they look like toms. but they’re leather. therefore i could wear them and feel like i dressed up. love.
03. i’m all about the huge drapey clothes – the more like a potato sack i look, the better. i want this jacket.
04. i love the shape and pattern on this narrow vase, how cute would it look with some simple roses?!
05. love this baggu drawstring bucket bag, it’s small but big enough to hoard too much in.
06. there’s something i love about lace tablecloths – it’s kinda … grandma chic? so i was so excited to see this. -
i link you
jordan revealed her new bedroom and oh man. i want bay windows in my bedroom. i want a hanging chair. i want black. jeeealous. (via oh happy day)
kyle lambert time lapse paints morgan freeman on his ipad. it’s just insane. (via youtube)
i am so so into making these overnight cinnamon buns. (via mbakes)
a photo series of flattering versus unflattering nude poses. you could learn a lot of naked skills from this. NSFW! (via beautiful decay)
guns replaced by thumbs ups in movies. it’s just so positive! (via thumbs and ammo)
how cute are these homemade leather catch-alls?! perfect holiday gift. (via house of earnest)
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diy holiday gift / bloody mary gift set
christmas is only three weeks away – so i’m going to show you guys some easy homemade gifts that hopefully won’t let your family or friends wishing they’d gotten an itunes gift card. with today’s gift — there’s absolutely no way!
the instructions are pretty simple for this project. get some pretty bottles and tins, print out my free printable labels and follow the recipes!
the recipes +
bloody mary mix
(doubled & adapted from emeril)ingredients
6 cups tomato juice
6 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperdirections
in a blender combine the tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, garlic, and hot sauce and process until smooth. transfer to a nonreactive container and add salt and black pepper, to taste. refrigerate overnight.* i prefer my bloodys on the spicy side — so i added extra everything spicy.
bloody mary rimming salt
(adapted from the seattle times)1 cup kosher salt
2 tb celery seed
2 1/2 tb granulated garlic
2 tb smoked paprika
1 tb black peppermix together the ingredients in a bowl. good for up to six months.
the packaging +
materials
empty bottles (i used these lovely 8oz french bottles from specialty bottle. each bottle holds about 2.5 bloodys)
empty tins (i used these flat 8oz tins which fit my glass rims perfectly)
round labels (the printable i designed specifically for this 2″ avery label)download and print out the labels i’ve provided below. you can print onto the same avery labels or you can just print onto paper, cut out and glue. half the labels are for the rimming salt and half for the mix. carefully apply labels to your bottles and tins (i recommend prior to filling because you can hold easier when empty)
after making the mix and salt, and letting the mix chill overnight, spoon the salt into tin and pour mix into bottles with a funnel. chill mix until ready to deliver to your lucky friends, family, or hostess. place in a gift bag and you’re a big hit this christmas.
these labels are for personal use only, and NOT for re-distribution.
if you’d like to post a link sharing them, you may not directly post the downloadable files.
please credit and link back to this post for downloading the labels.
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holiday gift guide / for the moms
my mom is a very tough person to buy for. if she doesn’t like her gift, it will be locked away in a closet never to see the light of day again. here are some simple and hopefully timeless items that have no reason to sit in a closet.
love you mom!
click through for sources
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diy makeshift christmas tree
did everyone have a good thanksgiving?! i ate and drank too much and our dinner was nice and relaxing. and now it’s december. whoa. we decided to hold off on buying a christmas tree for a few days, so for now – enjoy this one!
christmas trees are super expensive and super high maintenance. so for those of you who are deciding to skip a tree this year, here is a REALLY easy alternative!
last year, we moved right before thanksgiving and were going on a trip the day after xmas — so we never got a tree. but i woke up on christmas morning to a tree made of lights taped to the wall by my boyfriend and it was a christmas miracle. and i’ve been planning this easy diy ever since. true story.
all you need for this is a large scale engineer print. at 36×48, this print cost me only $9 at kinkos. luckily i was able to use this BEAUTIFUL photo by hermann platzer (he graciously allowed me to use it for the project – check out his work here).
rather than taping it straight on the wall, i decided to hang it like a tapestry. so using a wooden dowel, tape the top of the print directly on it. i’m sure there’s a better way to do this. but i didn’t do it. tie some string on other side and hang it on a nail. THAT’S IT.
for the minimalists, you’re all done. but i then decided to make an ornament garland using mini ornaments i bought for $5 at CVS and some silver thread. i simply strung ornaments a couple inches apart and knotted the thread to secure. but you could decorate your fake tree with lights, tinsel, whatever.
tape the garland on top of the print and you’ve got yourself a pretty decent substitute. light a christmas tree scented candle and you’ll forget all about your missing tree sorrows.
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happy thanksgiving
i’m taking off for the rest of the week to celebrate and eat. we’re having thanksgiving at my moms, who lives very close by, so firstly i’m thankful for almost never having to go on an airplane for the holiday. today we’re cooking some side dishes to bring over (my boyfriend makes the best stuffing ever).
and for the cheesy portion : i just wanted to also say that while i’m obviously very thankful for the people and cats in my life and all the love, support and laughs they provide me. but this year i’m also really thankful for this blog and you, the readers. having this space has done so much for me, developing my skills, challenging myself to the point of many a tantrum, being comfortable with who i am, and hopefully inspiring others. its the feedback that makes me feel like i do all this work for a reason. and if i can make people feel happy and motivated, i’m happy and motivated too.
ok ok enough. have a great holiday if you’re in the states, and if you’re elsewhere — sorry for all the boring thanksgiving posts.
