merry christmas 2013

{Bear is growing up quick!  Look at Matt photobombing the background}

 

 

 

 



 

 

mom brined a turkey overnight with lemon, brown sugar, rosemary and seasonings.  it made the turkey moist and flavorful and gave it a zesty almost wine-like taste.  i took it easy this year and only made a broccoli casserole.  everything was so good and i was happy to spend some time with my loved ones.  when you get out of retail, it makes you so much more grateful for the time you get to relax and spend with your friends and family that the retail life normally takes away from you during this season.

 

 

 

 

Matt got me this great breakfast tray from West Elm I've been pining over.  it is just as great as I thought it would be....except that it just encourages my laziness!  here i am already enjoying it Christmas night, eating leftovers in bed like a slob.  it supports my laptop perfectly too for when i just want to literally lay around all day.....gotta squeeze out two more days at work and then it will be the weekend again!  *phew*

 

 





hello, my name is Bear

a collage of images of my mom's new teacup Pomeranian, Bear.  what a dang cutie!  he's a fluffy ball of cuteness and was actually really well-behaved too.  I loved doggie-sitting him for a couple of weeks while they were in Vietnam.  Missing him already!

{making himself comfortable on my new quilt}

 

 

 

{his favorite place to nap: squished between two flannel pillows}

 

 

 

{hiding under the Christmas tree}

 

 

 

{hello there!}

 

 

home sweet home

Finally got the apartment clean after watching my mom's new teacup Pomeranian for a couple weeks.  I loved that lil dude, but it was nice to get the apartment nice and clean again the way I like to keep it. 

 

 





I finally splurged and bought the Rivulets quilt I've been lusting over because I needed a cozy quilt now that the weather was beginning to get cold.  I'm in love with this fall-ish berry color, it goes well with the darker look I'm going for in my bedroom.  It is pretty with my navy blue ikat curtains.  I love the heart string lights I picked up at Ikea, it leaves a warm glow at night while I sleep.



a cozy holiday

 

 

My first holiday living on my own in my own cozy apartment has been so sweet and nice.  It is strange how you begin to crave alone time once you are spoiled with it.  I made this lil collage with my #abeautifulmess app of my favorite wintertime cozy things:  knitting with a thick yarn, a huge mug of pumpkin spice coffee, a well-lit brick fireplace, colorful tights with oxfords.

buy handmade

since I am a crafty girl myself with my own Etsy shop, I try to buy handmade whenever I can.  most of my  most cherished items are handmade pieces of jewelry, art, or pottery from fellow crafters.  here are some of my personal picks from my Etsy wish list this year.  buy local and handmade when you can, it is more personal and you're supporting small business!  happy shopping y'all!

 

 

 

 

black Italian leather tote $205

 

 

best of beauty 2013

this year was definitely a big year for beauty products for me this year!  last year, i decided it was time to amp up my beauty routine and start taking better care of my aging skin.  i'd always been pretty lazy about my daily routine so it was beginning to catch up with me.  here are some of my favorite products I've discovered this year and added to my ever-expanding collection and what I think of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil $32

Josie Maran Argan Oil $48



 

i'd been anxious to try Josie Maran's Argan Oil products since I'd been seeing it pop up in magazines everywhere.  and as always, natural is always better!  if you are unsure, purchase the mini set show here that includes a small size of the Argan Cleansing Oil and the matching Argan Oil which comes with a dropper for $18.  this product is great for aging skin that could use a boost of moisture.  the reviews online are great for this product and I loved it as well.  i am nervous that my current breakouts could be from over-use of the product, since I am bad about slathering products on without thought.  use the Argan oil on spots that need that extra-moisture boost: under and around eyes, dry cheeks, elbows, etc.

 

 

 

getting there

warm beet salad with honeyed goat cheese

 

my new favorite salad!  I racked up at the farmer's market yesterday morning.  it will definitely be my new Saturday morning routine to load up on seasonal veggies.  I spent $20 and got a ridiculously huge box of vegetables including a huge amount of beets with the stems and beet greens attached!  what is awesome about owning a juicer is that you really don't waste anything.  I juice the stems and the skins of most of my veggies.  my new favorite salad I will definitely be making regularly, feel free to add some walnuts, chicken, or avocado for added protein and healthy fats.

 

the green life

this Black Friday morning, I was dying to burn some cash even though i'm kinda strapped at the moment.  it was painfully hard to make the (smarter) decision and go for the juicer I've been wanting over the gorgeous, burgundy pebbled-leather tote bag I was drooling over, but i'm proud to say that I did!  here is a picture of the first glorious juice I made as soon as I got home with my new Breville juicer.  I used a whole bag of baby spinach, carrots, cucumber, kale, and apples. 

 

thankful for thanksgiving

having fun playing with my new A Beautiful Mess app on my new Iphone!

Hosted Thanksgiving for my sister, brother and mother and the ham was overcooked,

gravy a little salty, the turkey a little bland, but still thankful to have a home-cooked

meal with  my family regardless.  today matt and I will be decorating the Christmas

tree and I will be doing what I do every year, throwing together all the leftovers

into a crazy Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole.  not the healthiest, but just mix

leftover stuffing along with shredded turkey and ham, a couple cans of cream of

mushroom soup and cheese and you're done!

 

 

 

I went ahead and made TWO of my famous corn soufflés, Matt's favorite!  so he

could overindulge all he wants and still have leftovers.  I also made a turkey,

a ham, pan gravy, and cranberry-walnut stuffing.

 

 

 

my mom, the baker, made a beautiful 2 layered coconut cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

keep calm and eat healthy

{repeat to self}

 

 

 

 

 

my weight has always fluctuated back and forth back and forth.  this time of year, I definitely lean towards the heavier side by overindulging in Pumpkin Spiced Lattes and snacking in front of the tv.  my britches are getting a little too snug for comfort and i'd love to be able to get into some of my cute menwear-style pants this winter.  I've always been a big eater, so in order to diet successfully I need to find nutrient-rich but satisfying meals that are low in calories that I can eat bucket loads of while still cutting down on my calorie intake.  a low-carb diet always works pretty well for me with lots of vegetables and fruits and nuts to snack on.  these are my favorite low-calorie, nutritious meals to make when my pants are feeling tight! 

 

 

 

Vintage Charlotte Holiday Market

this year's Vintage Charlotte Holiday Market was a huge success!  Vintage Charlotte is a pop-up market at the Fillmore with more than 50 handpicked vendors specializing in handmade and vintage goods.  there were more than 2000 visitors this year and my Kitsch and Fancy booth was basically slammed from the time we opened at 10!  thank god for my little assistant Irene or I woulda been in the weeds!  she definitely took charge and helped me manage the craziness.  we didn't even get to eat our breakfast biscuits!  this year's market was soooooooo fun, I can't wait to participate in the next one.  I will definitely be better prepared next time for the insanity, but was happy for the success we had anyway.

 

 

{HELLO!  cheesing at my booth}

 

 

 

{stacks on stacks on stacks}

 

 

 

 

{made plenty of signage listing each scent}

 

 

 

 

{fresh linen, my most popular scent at my Kitsch and Fancy Etsy shop}

 

 

 

 

{brought plenty of festive holiday scents like the Pumpkin Spice soap bar}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

trending: the tutu

the next trendy thing i would love to splurge on this season (to go with all the pointy-toed Valentino studded pumps of my dreams) would be the ballerina-inspired tutu skirt or a frilly feather skirt.  the fluffy, textured skirts are the epitome of girly and you can dress them up for a holiday party or down with boots and an oversized sweater.

{Balmain}

make it less princessy by pairing with a boot

 

 

 

{Oscar de la Renta}

love the idea of pairing it with a pretty cropped top and bootie for a super femme look

 

 

 

sophisticated in a nude/neutral palette by Wendy's Lookbook

 

 

 

 

{try it in black and mixing it up with animal print for an edgier look}

 

 

 

 

{free people layers their version with an oversized sweater and boots}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cozy cozy!

it is finally cold and Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away.  i went ahead and started putting up my Christmas decorations.  i'm basically ready for Christmas as soon as Halloween is over.  it's my favorite holiday---duh!  i hung a small, colorful wreath and strung some pretty lights around my fireplace.  here are some of my favorite cozy things to get ready for winter.

{a warm fireplace}

{the prettiest party dress for all the holiday parties}

{thick socks for pitter pattering around the house in}

{hot chocolate and pumpkin spiced lattes all season long}

{textured tapestries and stockings for all}

{lots of layers and the chunkiest hand knit scarf}

{three perfect mini gourds i picked for a decorative bowl}

{lazy nights in bed watching tv and finishing up this oatmeal colored scarf}

rugged bohemian beauty

got the final images from that gorgeous bohemian inspired photoshoot i styled a few weeks ago and couldn't be happier with the images.  they are absolutely beautiful and was soooo fun to style and shoot.  Kaitlyn is one of my favorite models to work with, she is fun and gives sooooooo much fierce face, what a beauty.   what an inspired day!  i can't wait for the next shoot..........maybe after the holidays.  they've been added to my online portfolio, yay!

my favorite image.  looks out of a catalog!  i kept this poncho because i just couldn't bring myself to bring it back.  i wanted the look to feel more rugged and edgy by adding sexy buckled wedge booties (you can't see them!) and layering on tons of chunky accessories in varying textures and metals.  i belted the poncho with my favorite leather corset belt to give it some sex appeal and showed some skin to make the look less heavy.

{hair/makeup by Heather A. Hawkins}

{that beautiful grass background wasn't as glamorous as it looks, there were ant hills everywhere.  i loved the bracelet stacks i used with this look and the chunky snood}

{i layered some leather belts, a studded brown, braided brown, and Chanel-inspired black belt with gold horses to give this outfit a pop}

{that face, that jewelry, that hair <3 p="">

{i wanted this outfit to feel a little more earthy and monotoned but lively with lots of textures.  i used a suede and shearling jacket with a pretty lace shirt underneath and baroque textured pants.  freshened up the look with a gold statement necklace of mine and layers of bangles}

photography by Mark Hanson at  http://www.markhansonphoto.com

model Kaitlyn Johnston at Directions USA model management

hair and makeup by Heather A. Hawkins www.heatherahawkins.com

styling by Sophie Nguyen at www.sophienguyen.foliohd.com

Holiday Vintage Market

had SOOOOOOOOOO much fun at the Holiday Vintage Market yesterday.  Vintage Charlotte is a bi-yearly pop-up event held at the Fillmore.  there were a ton of good vendors, but i was too busy to shop (a good and a bad thing?).  here i am not looking very cute behind my table before the morning bum-rush.  my sister helped me this time and was the best little assistant.  we didn't go home with too much left over.  a very successful day!  i always use crates and shelves from around the house as risers for display to keep the table interesting.  i also bring some of my vases with flowers and handmade signs for all the different scents i offer.  sorry for the poor quality of photos, it was dark in there and we were so rushed!

{hello!}

{soaps, lip balms, sugar scrubs, pamper gift bags lined up and ready to go}

{kitsch and fancy}

{kitsch and fancy holiday pack: pumpkin spice, holiday berries, maple pecan streusal, balsam fir tree $20}

. 

{purchases from Bly Design, i love it all!}