It's Fall (Y'all?)

Even if it is a toasty 84°F (29°C) outside!

Yet, despite this warm weather and my general lack of love for seasonal decor, I thought these beauties were hard to resist! Trader Joe's has stocked a lovely collection of fall bouquets right now for a fairly reasonable price. Yet, one bouquet usually runs a good $9.99 with hardly enough flowers to make one vase look full.

So, I have learned a trick - don't go for the pre-assembled bouquets but rather, go for the "filler" flowers and make your own bouquet. Today, I got a bunch of Cattail, Safari Sunset, and Mums for the total price of $12.99 and got myself three vases instead of one! And now, my living room has officially caught up to the proper season!  Happy Sunday!

The Early Spirit of Christmas

A Wrap List

• Geometric Pattern Paper (2)
• Classic and Solid Color Paper (1)
• Pretty Tags
• Crafting Cord
• Christmas Ornaments

I Know It's Early but...

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I have... barely. And I have a confession to make. Usually, the thing that gets me going for Christmas is not the presents themselves but rather the wrapping they go into. And this year, like many others, I started the season by picking out the patterns and palette I will be using. 

Continuing with this modern kick I have had for Christmas this year, I decided to go with something a bit bolder, both in terms of patterns and palette. Let's start with the palette. Last year, I did a very traditional and ornate gold on beige on white palette for all presents. This year, I wanted something a bit more dynamic and something that pops more. And what better color to do that with than red? So, this year is the year of:

Muted Gold & Silver, White & Bold Red! 

I absolutely love the way these colors work together. Better yet, the added contrast of each pattern is where all the real fun begins! I started my paper selection with the chevron paper because of its very bold pattern. I also loved the color combination of shiny silver against recycled paper beige. The next paper roll that made the cut was the traditional paisley pattern with the same color combination and a bit more of a traditional feel. The biggest statement of all, however, was the houndstooth paper. Even though it is not a typical Christmas wrapping paper, once you play it against all the other papers which are oh so Christmas, it makes absolute and perfect sense. Its brown/gray color was also absolutely the perfect addition to the rest of the colors.

And It's Affordable!

The best part of this exercise I went through is how affordable it was! Marshalls and TJ Maxx have a fantastic selection of wrapping paper that will probably not last long so get out there while you can! A roll of pretty paper like the ones I got runs at about $2.99 - $3.99 there. Compare that to a similar roll at, say, Paper Source or Crate and Barrel, and you have just saved yourself half the money you would have otherwise spent! The tags were also a great find at my local Marshalls. All in all, I spent less than $20 on all the wrapping supplies I will need this year.

So there it is, a whole blog post on wrapping Christmas presents... Sometimes, I even surprise myself with the things that inspire me!

A Modern Take on a Tradition

Oh, how I love Christmas time! Mostly because of my very fond memories of growing up in a family where traditions matter. But also because of the unlimited opportunities to get creative with the festivities! My every-day style is very clean, modern and uncluttered. Yet, in years past, I somehow always opted for very ornate, rich and traditional Christmas decorations. 

This year...

I wondered how to make my Christmas decorations and entertainment more aligned with the rest of my year preferences. At first, a modern, yet warm and cozy Christmas sounded like an oxymoron. But then I found these lovely treasures! I thought the best way of staying warm was to utilize sweet golden colors and contrast those with shiny silver tones. The added festive feel of clear glass gives a touch of glamour without going over-board!

I can already feel the excitement building!    

Shopping List

• Christmas Tree: $158.20
• Dinnerware: $8.95 - $9.95
• Placemats: $2.95
• Glass Orb Garland: $49.95
• Glass Candlesticks: $4.95
• Festive Bowls: $4.95 - $14.95
• Wire Cube Set: $14.95
• Animal Ornaments: $6
• Gold Flatware Set: $23 – $84
• Prefab Candleholder: $6.95

(Click on the images below to shop online)