Mini Glass Garden

i love putting together gifts and this one was especially fun because the idea struck while i was standing in the store aisle, so it could be tested on the spot.  i love succulents + mercury glass and thought together they would be beautiful inside a glass cloche.   the result was an unexpected and beautiful mini garden for my parents... 

target style #134 - mini mercury glass garden

[smith & hawken glass cloche + three candle holders]

the succulents were from home depot, but you could obviously use any plants you wanted.

the good thing about this gift -  if the recipient doesn't have a green thumb they still have

beautiful versatile pieces that can be separated again for candles, etc. 

we also made a little paper flag on a skewer [not pictured] and stuck it in the middle.

an easy way to make this gift personalized with whatever message you want,

even enlisting kids to write or draw something would be sweet i think.

Pink + Gold

loving this new collection from threshold featuring two of my current favorites...

all part of the botanic blush collection:

 round metal honeycomb accent table in gold / tufted bench in cream and gold

scalloped wall mirror / pink oblong velvet pillow / shell inlay tray

tufted ottoman in pink and gold and wood and brass bar cart -

which i have been eyeing for weeks!

Cable Knit

a classic that never really goes out of style and a great way to balance out a pair of leather pants.  i'm still so obsessed with mine that i actually bought a second pair.  they are ideal for winter - comfortable as leggings, but warmer, and if my kids spill something on me i just wipe them off.  ha ha ha, no really.  my husband has no complaints either.  they. are. perfect...

this pair along with many more styles available here

target style #132 - classic chunky cable knit sweater

and #133 - black cable knit beanie

Spotted + Striped

spotted my little bronze pillow on the forever21 blog in the home tour of toshiko, and yes the zebra [from this party] is still going strong...

...and now tied to a viking helmet // image via my instagram

use code "forevertoshiko" for 20% off any item
in my etsy shop good now thru december 31st!

Peace & Love

hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Dear Santa

i know it's a little last minute, but here's a few things i have been pinning over...

mexicana wallet/clutch in silver by cleobella, bohemian bardot ring by samantha wills,

chenille cardigan from h&m, and the petty boot in saddle leather by sam edelman

The Awe Moment

it's my favorite part of christmas morning.  that moment they tip toe down the stairs and their eyes light up.  to me it's not about how much you spent or the number of presents... it's all about the presentation.  you can create a lot of magic with little money and some imagination.  here's a range of ideas that can be easily customized to fit your own family...

simple or elaborate, big or small it can be done with a couple chairs,

blankets and pillows, and even twinkle lights.  lace tent via a cup of jo

cut paper into fringe or use rows of ribbon hung on the wall

or in a doorway for a grand entrance.  this beautiful leather fringe

wall hanging kit was designed by darby smart via one kings lane.

the possibilities are endless and can keep little ones entertained for hours

small items in mass can have a big impact, especially when you add

a backdrop like this. cityscape wall decals via les enfants du design

tie string or ribbon around small toys and turn them into ornaments and

even hide them in the tree to make it like a scavenger hunt.

toy ornaments via sweet paul magazine

a classic - and one we are doing this year.

dean is obsessed with our thomas set and we are adding

a couple new engines to our collection this way.

this picture is one of my favorites from my instagram.

bringing out old toys to meet the new ones that are part of the same collection.

put party [or santa] hats on their existing favorites and

gather them up to watch them open their new gifts.

dinosaur birthday party via bringing the happy.

all unnamed/sourced images via pinterest

Lazy Morning

we will not be traveling home for christmas this year due to my husband's work schedule, so things will be much slower paced than normal.  it will be bittersweet not having any place to be, but it just occurred to me that i can really spend the majority of the day drinking coffee in this new robe...

vintage cotton white v-neck tee / black leggings / my vintage moccasins similar to this minnetonka pair

monogram mugs - loved mine for years and they now come in gold too! + this red tartan plaid robe

Wishlist

i've had a lot of fun shopping for the boys this year, especially because i accomplished ninety percent of it from my computer.  cole has only asked for legos and dean the same, but he's easily influenced.  here's what i know they'll love and am excited to give them...

1/ plush-a-saur dinosaurs  2/ automoblox originals  3/ marvel avenger action figures  4/ this moose belongs to me by oliver jeffries  5/ magna tab uppercase  6/ lego originals + duplos  7/ ridley's silver harmonica   8/ oeuf pirate eye patches  9/ areaware cube robot

Sign of Joy

i'm a sucker for vintage style marquee signs so when i spotted this one for so cheap i was thrilled.  i'm already thinking about spraying it a fun color for next year and maybe even leaving it up permanently. who doesn't want joy all year round...

target find #131 - joy marquee

the best part is the bulbs are plastic so it's safe for curious little ones.
only $19 and even cheaper with my debit redcard + cartwheel
if you have never tried the cartwheel app - it is so worth it!

Le Petite Cirque

my two sisters didn't exactly have to pull my arm when they asked me to help plan their daughters' circus-themed birthday party.  i pretty much jump at the chance to plan a party.  we started collecting on pinterest by setting up a secret board, something i also do with my design clients, which makes brainstorming fun and fast.  of course, it's always easy to get overwhelmed with good ideas and think you can do them all so we did our best to keep narrowing them down.  keeping in mind which would have the most impact with least stress, especially since it was december!  we ended up with a circus theme that was girly with a vintage and french feel, but still made the boys feel included...

one of the major things they wanted was a photo backdrop, so we drew a
simple line drawing of circus tents on a roll of white backdrop paper and hung
it between the curtains in front of the window.  it was dark by the time the party
started so we set up a spotlight off to the side and it gave a perfect circus tent feel.
we set up an old wood crate to stand on and my brother-in-law made an
oversized barbell out of styrofoam for strongmen photos.  

my sister has a major sweet tooth and went all out with the circus treats

that included cupcakes, mini cotton sticks, popcorn and a candy bar

with classics like cherry sours, jelly beans and circus peanuts.

the birthday girls nora and sophia

they included a couple games for the kids like this one

and made a point to involve the kids in the prep work beforehand.

it not only kept them busy, but they enjoyed wrapping all of these

cans and contributing to their party.

from the moment we got there, cole was eager to get into character

the zebra balloons were also a huge hit 

and we made head dresses out of supplies i already had, including paper, feathers and felt.

everyone had a great time, especially the guests of honor

sources: zebra balloons seen on oh joy and found here / ferris wheel photograph via coast to coast central
vintage barbell + red and white platform / stick on mustaches via the party store / white cotton candy my sister

mounted on pink and white striped straws / feather headdress inspiration via pinterest
vintage marching band hats i already owned + black top hat from the party store
black & white striped cupcakes with mini circus tent toppers via the craft store

Cheers

to a brand new site!  still centered around my love of design, kids + style.  a place of constant re-arranging, rowdy boys, crafty moments, comfy outfits, mini photo shoots, and finding inspiration everywhere.  welcome to...

thanks to Lynsey from Shiny Magic for helping bring it to life

In the Buff

loving this beautiful beige faux leather perforated jacket that feels like a breath of fresh air from all the black ones out there.  it's nice to change it up from this one and looks great with all the forms of black pants i've been living in lately...

target find #130 - perforated faux leather jacket in buff beige

[available in black too] it's perfectly fitted without being too tight and i especially love
the slightly flared sleeves i've ditched my purse these days for these little streamlined pouches,
i think it was all those years of carrying an enormous bag/diaper bag that did it.
this one is from neiman marcus [marc jacobs] collaboration with target last year.

Family Trees

as soon as i found these little felt trees i immediately wanted to make a holiday garland out of them.  i thought it would be the perfect project for cole, but it turned out dean was eager and able to do it just as easily.  he got so excited every time he added another one shouting - "i did it! i did it!"  it was very sweet to see him so proud of himself and i honestly can't remember the last time he sat in one place for that long...

what you need: this pack of 36 count tree table scatter found in the party aisle, string,

scissors, mini hole punch, and an extra large rounded needle which makes it a little easier.

i pre-punched all the trees for them, threaded their strings, and let them go from there.

some welcome quiet time from the tickling/wrestling going on lately

that almost always results in injuries like cole's current head wound. 

we hung one strand above the moon and the other in their room.

i'm in love with this new silver sequin pillow too, it and the gray & white

stripe are from h&m and the gold faux leather one is from my etsy shop. 

target style #129 - handmade mini tree garland

Casual Sequins

i absolutely love this current juxtaposition showing up everywhere.  here's a few of my favorite combos and pieces from the glamorous to the more laid back...

and i know i'm not the only one loving this casual, yet elegant combo.
this sequin skirt paired with a white tee + denim jacket
has been my most popular pin ever [at over a thousand]

all images via pinterest // click here for more of my pins

images: chevron silver sequin skirt + skull clutch, gold sequin bustier + blazer, white sequin leggings,

sequin mini dress, blake lively in a silver sequin cardigan, matte black sequin top,

sequin maxi skirt + white tee, and sequin sweater + converse.