Meow.

Being home has made me miss Lucy so much more than usual. It was nice to be distracted by these adorable cats on my grandparents' farm during our visit. If only I could have taken one home!




Listening to: "God Love Her" Toby Keith
Thought of the Day: "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." -Neale Donald Walsch

Cozying up for Christmas

Isn't this disgusting? When they all get thrown into garbage cans, it's easy to forget how much we consume. According to Cup Kozy, a company that sells a plethora of cozies, 14 billion cups of coffee are wrapped in sleeves every year, generating 2.8 billion pounds of trash! Yikes!

{Image via daily dose of imagery}

Back here, I talked about an easy way to be a little bit greener by using a reusable coffee cozy. So, staying with the homemade Christmas gift theme, I made my mom and dad (who go to Panera every Sunday morning after mass), cozies for their cups. The project was relatively simple, requiring only basic sewing abilities. There are a lot of patterns and tutorials online, but I just dove in and made it up as I went along, using a cardboard Panera sleeve as a size guide.


For my dad's, I cut felt for the inner insulation layer to the exact size of the sleeve and then cut the burlap piece about 1/2 inch wider on all sides. The edges were sewn quickly with a sewing machine (a little crooked because I was going fast, but it works with the rougher feel of the burlap) and then I hand-stitched the edges together.


For my mom, I made a reversible sleeve, one side with cut-out felt hearts and the other with printed pink polka dot felt. I cut both pieces (the grey and the polka dot) to the exact size of the sleeve and then used a blanket stitch to bind them together.


Listening to: "Wait Your Turn" Rihanna
Thought of the Day: "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful." -Mae West

Magical Lights

Christmas lights are so magical.
I love driving around town looking at the colorful, twinkling glow, soaking up the Christmas spirit.





Listening to: "Joy to the World" Mariah Carey

Thought of the Day: "Give what you have to somebody; it may be better than you think." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

{Images via weheartit, flickr}

Happy Friday!

Isn't this tree gorgeous?

I hope you have a great weekend! I'll be traveling with my family to Kansas to spend the week of Christmas with my grandparents. Oddly enough, I am actually looking forward to the 11 hour drive. While we do get a little sick of each other, it's always fun to talk with my sister and play the license plate game and name games with my little brother.

Listening to: "Already Gone" Sugarland
Thought of the Day: "If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another." -Tenzin Gyatso

{Image via This is Glamourous}

Christmas Memories

Today I helped out in the lunchroom of my little brother's grade school (also my former school). It was weird to be back and seeing old teachers and classrooms brought back some memories. Tomorrow his 4th grade is having their Christmas party and at lunch some of the kids were telling me about the plans. It was so cute hearing them get so excited about their secret Santas, homemade snow globes, and Christmas treats. Some favorite Christmas childhood memories of mine include:

{sledding on my grandparents' farm in Kansas}

{the smell of hot spicy apple cider throughout my grandma's house}

{lying under our tree looking up at the twinkling lights}

{candy cane reindeer}

Listening to: "Crash into Me" - Dave Matthews Band
Thought of the Day: "Life is a gift and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more." Anthony Robbins

{images via: Martha Stewart, flickr, CBYSparkle}

Cookies and Cocoa

Over the weekend as I checking out at Walmart, the cashier and I were discussing the hairiness of the holidays. One of her statements made an impact on me, as she said that while she likes the holidays, she is ready for Christmas to just be over with already. With this in mind, I crafted some homemade gifts for my friends who I am saying goodbye to for Christmas break as finals wind to an end. Perfect for chilly nights, I made hot chocolate mixes and festive cookies.


Peppermint Stick Cocoa Mix
via Sunset Magazine, Dec. 2004
Ingredients:
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy (preferably from candy canes so there are more red stripes!)
1/2 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Layer ingredients in a 1 quart jar.
Close and add tag that says:
1. Combine ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add 1/3 cup mix to 1 cup hot water.
3. Stir and enjoy!
4. Store remaining mix in an air-tight container.

{Peanut Butter Kiss cookies via Betty Crocker - with the addition of a kiss!}

{Christmas M&M cookies via Smitten Kitchen}

Listening to: "Satellites" Beyonce
Thought of the Day: "Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action." - James Levin

Christmas Wish List

Dream Christmas Wish List:

{Kate Spade Guilia heels, $325}

{Essie Mint Candy Apple, $8}

{J.Crew Crystal-and-pearl libretto necklace, $118}

{Coach Tribeca Metallic Patent Tote, $298}

Listening to: "Christmas Is All Around" Billy Mack
Thought of the Day: "Children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do." -Jean de la Bruyere

Sweet Simplicity

After seeing this crafty Christmas tree (perfect for a small apartment!) on you are my fave, I had to check out Sweet Paul, a blog with beautiful photographs, delicious recipes and creativity galore! I love the crisp whites, cool blues and touches of green he uses for the holidays. It's such a refleshing departure from the traditional red and green.

{they're cupcake liners!}

{ingenious wreath - a never ending circle of love}

{Advent wreath reinvented}

Listening to: "I'm Alive" Kenny Chesney
Thought of the day: "Love cures people - both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it." -Dr. Karl Menninger

{all images via Sweet Paul}

Reading Wall

Despite my crafty decorations (here and here) in my bedroom, I still think the walls are too blank. With the white walls, blonde wood furniture (not my choice), and my lovely white comforter, there is a lot of light in the room. After discovering these awesome shelves, I think I have found an answer. Considering they are from Europe and that I don't buy things I have the slightest inkling that I could make myself, I think this will be a Christmas break project. Plus, it will be the perfect time to scour some thrift shops for cheap books with fun covers to fill my shelves. (That makes it sound like I don't read, but I do, I just don't buy books. I grew up in a family that went - and still does go! - to the library every Saturday.)

{I love how these shelves look like they are built into the wall,

but they actually are cubes with a frame mounted on the wall!}

Listening to: "Replay" - Sean Kingston

Thought of the Day: "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean

ps - I went to Target today and got really excited about Christmas. They have 40 glass ball ornaments for $15. I think I might be buying some silver and blue ones to hang with some silky ribbon. I can't wait :)