by way of ney: 12/01/2011

merry, merry, merry

I can't believe it is Friday December 23rd already! Christmas is so close and so is a little break I'll be taking from the blog world & the real life job. I am happy happy happy to be heading out of town for a few days after Christmas on a mini road trip up the coast of California. We'll be doing a lot of driving, a little wine tasting, some relaxing, people watching and exploring and we'll end up at the Bacara Resort (one of my favorite places) in Santa Barbara for NYE. I can't help but be forever grateful to the gifts that have been given since I started this blog in June. So much love and so much support have come from all of you reaching out during the last few months of hard times for me. I honestly LOVE you all for it!

If you need a bit more holiday:

my wish list and gift guides

wrapping ideas

our home tour

awesome outfits all planned out

a holiday clip to make you laugh

and one that might make you cry

something yummy to eat

and, lastly, something amazing to listen to

I hope that your Christmas is all that you want it to be and that your New Year's celebration is just a mere reflection of the blessed year to come. Cheers to 2012, fresh starts, and a fresh new season of life.

xo,
Chanel

christmas about our house

Wowza! Only 3 days until Christmas!

I am super happy to be guest posting over at Across the Pond today. My dear friend Megan is doing a series about "firsts" so if you want in on the hilarity of it all check it out. But first...our holiday home! And, if you are joining me from Across the Pond, WELCOME! I'm so glad that you're here. Make yourself comfy and stay awhile.

I always think it is so fun to see houses around the holidays. Some people can't seem to help themselves and buy everything that lights up, glows, sparkles or says "Tis the Season" to put all around their lawns and their homes. Other decorate hardly at all. Some people have a new theme every year. Always challenging themselves to come up with something new, something different, something that could rival the windows down 5th Avenue. Others stick to the same year after year. This year I was so excited to decorate our new place. Actually having a mantle...yippee! I brought in the standard favorites and added some new things too.

Welcome to Christmas around our house! Come on in...

Every year I play with the idea of having an all white and glittering Christmas but the truth of the matter is that I can never get away from the ornaments I've had since I was a kid, some passed down through the family. The vintage garlands, felted tree skirts, and nativities as old as me all mean too much to me. I love the look and feel of the nostalgic Christmas we have at our house.

Trimmed tree...

[from our first Christmas together and a trip to Olvera Street]

[an ornament I gave to KC for our second Christmas]

[ornaments from when I was a baby]

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care...

[my DIY "JOY" sign]

My white and glittering table top...

[a mix of live trees, vintage trees, mercury glass and glittered ornaments]

[a classic wooden nutcracker, a German glittered star and a vintage bulb ornament]

[mercury glass, silver bulbs, and winter berry branches]

[peppermint treats abound]

Our halls are fully decked and we are loving it!

If you want to check out some gift ideas (for you last minute shoppers):
my wish list
(which will also link you up to all my other gift guides)

Happy shopping, happy gifting, happy holiday!

wrap it up!

As promised many times last week....gift wrap ideas are finally here today! I think that the way a gift is all wrapped up is just as important (well almost) as what is inside. I think it should be thoughtful and inspiring.

This year I started with bits like these that are both vintage and vintage inspired:

I used kraft paper, white boxes, or jars to wrap up most of my gifts. I love kraft paper because it is has such a raw and natural feel to it, you can find it recycled, it's cheap and it provides a great contrast to add sparkly ribbons and additions to. If you don't have kraft paper laying around you can always cut up a paper grocery sack and flip it inside out.

And, I ended up with these:

[a topiary for my friend Ivy]

[cut into a shoe box, wrapped it in kraft paper, tied layers of ribbon over a doily]

[details]

[layered yarn with a white glittered snowflake, topped with a teeny snowman]

[these little boxes of cookies and fleur de sel caramels went to each of the families I work with]

[kraft paper wrapped with red layered yarn with glittered thread and topped with vintage angels]

[are they just the cutest things?!?! A gift themselves!]

[a glittered bag with a kraft paper tag]

[jarred chocolate covered bing cherries]

How about you? What do your gifts look like this year? Have you wrapped them up yet or do you still have lots to go? Do you usually have a theme to your wrapping or do you just wrap away?

santa baby...

Since it's Friday and I've posted all the gift guides that I had planned I thought I would share just a few things that I wouldn't be mad about seeing under the tree. Some of these things you've seen in the past gift guides. Some are new. Really all I want for Christmas is a little break from the crazy that has been normal in my life right now. I am definitely looking forward to a little time to slow down and just be in the holiday spirit with my loving and ever encouraging husband. This weekend we're having a little holiday party so get excited for a post with all the fun next week! Until then...happy weekend!

tiger lily collections necklace

(been lusting after this for a while)

j.crew earrings

gorgeous grey and rose gold Michael Kors watch

Chan Luu gold leather wrap bracelet

Fresh Sugar Rose tinted lip treatment

Marc Jacobs Havana aviators

gold glittered iPhone case

polka dot clutch

leopard socks

Lululemon DTB bag

grey chuck taylors

N.Peal cashmere cable knit snood

hearthstone snood

any cashmere oversized sweater

colored jeans like these from J Brand

(note: I would never spend this much on colored jeans)

don't miss these additions to your shopping list for the weekend:

mommies with young ones

the man

homebody

the giver

gift gude: the giver

What to give the person that is always giving of themselves and never wants anything? All of these gifts give back in an impacting way and leave both the giver and the receiver happy to know that the gift goes full circle.

top to bottom:

1] Nest Blue Garden candle that gives back to Save the Whales Inc

2] TOMS sunglasses give eye sight One for One

3] Through World Vision you can give a family a goat for nourishment

through its dairy and earns them money through its offspring

4] Built iPhone case to give to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

5] Jonathan Adler umbrella to give to Ovarian Cancer Research

6] One World Futbol (designed by Sting) gives a indestructible soccer ball to kids in refugee camps,

war zones, the inner city, or poverty-stricken neighborhoods.

(Check out their site and the video of these kids with this ball.)

7] TOMS shoes give shoes One for One

Giftsthatgive.com has great gifts that give back $1 of every $5 you spend to the charity of your choice (listed on their site).

Yay! Loved this one...have fun giving to the givers!

If you missed these...here they are:

mommies with young ones

the man

the homebody

gift guide: homebody

I figured that this was the next appropriate gift guide since it is how I've been feeling lately. The weather, plus everything else that I've got going on right now, has left me feeling underwhelmed about leaving the house, braving the weather outside (yes, I know, it's just Southern California but it's been cold), and all the things that come with going out into the world. Even on a normal day, with normal circumstances, I love the opportunity to curl up with a good book, a hot latte or tea, and stay in my cozy warm clothes in my cozy warm house. There is something great about not feeling any pressure to have to leave. If this doesn't sound like you, then you at least now someone in your life who is this way. This is the gift guide for them. The homebody who loves being cuddled up and surrounded by all things good at home.

top to bottom:

1] Kate Spade has designed the most happy iPhone case I've seen

2] a sassy and adorable iPad case by J.Crew...now on sale for $30! Score!

3] Tazo tea. The best chamomile (Calm) and the best green tea (Zen)

4] Scrabble initial mug

5] Cire Trudon candle (smells amazing, looks glamorous)

6] sea foam blue houndstooth pillow

7] Jonathan Adler hand loomed, down stuffed "?" or initial pillow

8] Jonathan Adler Bargello hand embroidered pillow

9] amazing bootie moccasin slippers from Target

(I have these and LOVE these!)

10] Fair Isle leggings from J. Crew

(just found out these recently sold out...boo, hiss... but I've seen similar

patterned leggings at both H&M and Nordstrom)

Gift guides for all these in your life:

mommies with young ones

the man

gift guide: the man

The man in your life, the one who loves you, encourages you, and supports you unconditionally (whether he is your husband, dad, boyfriend or another) deserves to be loved on majorly this holiday season. As do you, of course. But, this gift guide is all about him. If he is anything like my husband, when he needs something, he goes and gets it. Also there isn't much that he wants. There aren't many things that he openly discloses wanting but these are ALL things that I know he'd love.

left to right:

1] a surfboard by CHANEL

(an obviously costly gift but one that will either be used well, inspire him to learn a new sport, or look gorgeous hanging on your wall)

2] limited edition original photo by Laura Bell produced by 20x200

(this one is manly and will give him something beautiful to look at when he's at the office and you're not around.)

3] DODOcase by J.Crew for his Kindle...alone or with the Kindle to go in it

4] Krave pack of sampler of 5 gourmet jerkies

(flavors range from basil citrus turkey and curry beef)

5] Timex water resistant watch

6] leather iPhone case

7] freshly picked leather card holder made by hand

8] reversible Quiksilver beanie

9] Ugg slippers with enough structure that he can wear them out of the house too

Sorry that I wasn't able to post the gift wrap ideas as promised yesterday! I promise they are coming soon. Plus, I'm sure you've still got shopping to do first.

If you've missed the other gift guides, you can find them here:

mommies with young ones

Happy gift giving!

gift guide: mommies with young ones

I'm at that stage in my life when it seems that half of my good girlfriends have babies and the other half are thinking about it. It is super precious to have the little ones of good friends in your life. I seriously love it! If you have good girlfriends, who have little ones, you know that they need some extra love and care. These precious gifts should do the trick. Some amazing gifts for mommy and a few awesome ones for the little babe.

across the top:

1] a gorgeous long 36" turquoise Swarovski necklace from Tiger Lily Collections

2] a personalized 14k gold disc: can be customized with a letter, number or word of your choice

(if you are interested in this necklace simply email me and

I'll set you up with my mom who designs and creates them by hand)

3] bamboo felt cloud nap pillow from goodbyebluemonday

(pretty much everything in this store is adorable)

4] stripey elephant sewing kit from Not On The High Street

(buy this kit and your girlfriend can make this for little one)

5] beautiful and classic tortoise shell watch by NIXON

6] grey Chuck Taylor All Stars

7] cable net cashmere snood by N.Peal

8] a vegan friendly saddle bag stylish enough for mom and big enough for baby gear

gift guide: hostess

gift guide: outdoor lover

gift guide: traveler

gift guide: on the go girl

Happy giving and enjoy your weekend!

gift guide: on the go girl

Hello again! Here is your go-to gift guide of ideas for the girl in your life who is constantly on the go, constantly on the run. You know the one, she usually lives primarily out of her car and carries a bag that can hold all kinds of things that she'll need no matter what the next adventure. This gift guide is for her!

spiral from top left:

1] Sugar Rose tinted lip balm w/ SPF from Fresh

2] gorgeous framed aviator sunnies from Marc Jacobs

3] Timex Weekender watch in olive green (the band is changeable)

4] classic & fabulous k.slademade tote

(this exact one is no longer available but the Pony Tote which is a slightly different shape is)

5] graph paper field notebook from Three Potato Four (amazing store)

6] bobble water bottle that filters tap water as you drink

(could that be any more amazing for someone who is never home?!?!)

7] Kate Spade gold zip around wallet

8] a happy and graphic scarf by Danish designer Numph

If you missed them:

gift guide: hostess

gift guide: outdoor lover

gift guide: traveler

Happy Giving!

gift guide: traveler

The traveler in me was super excited to put this gift guide together. Some of these things are must haves when I travel, other are on the wish list. Whether the traveler in your life is always on a plane for work, or for fun, she is bound to love everything on this list.

top from left to right:

1] "cape inspired" scarf by Bruuns Bazaar

(It easily converts from a shawl to a big scarf making it perfect for someone constantly on the go and in need of packing light!)

2] an eye mask by Liberty London lined in velvet and with a light lavender scent

3] antioxidant hydramist by Dermalogica

(one of my favorite things for any day!)

4] tinted lip balm Burt's Bees

middle row:

5] Top Hat notebook for Madewell

6] faux snake passport cover

7] top quality headphones by SkullCandy

bottom row:

8] gorgeous black globe

(in remembrance of travels and to get a vision for the next one)

9] an original modern map silkscreened by hand by These Are Things

10) high contrast black & cream satchel by The Cambridge Satchel Company

gift guide: hostess here

gift guide: outdoor lover here

Happy giving!

gift guide: outdoor lover

Hi there! We're back in it with the holiday gift guides to give you some fabulous ideas. This one is for your girlfriend who loves all things outside even if it is a rainy wintery day.

across the top row:

1] cozy, convertible, nordic mittens

2] an adorable deer pin from Modcloth

3] an amazing wooden watch from wewood (a company with a great mission)

in the middle:

4] a rad umbrella from Brolliesgalore

5] a bright happy hat with an extra flare

at the bottom:

6] Hunter wellies and the coziest liners from kove

7] a diana camera to capture every moment of the adventure

Also, if you missed the hostess gift guide you can find it here! Happy giving!

friday blues

[found via we heart it]

To be frank, this week has sucked and I've felt like this little guy...teeny tiny and vulnerable most of it. For the first time since I was a small child I cried the kind of cry where you can't control your breathing, you know the kind. Ugly tears there have been and I am ready to put this week to rest and to start up a new one. This weekend we'll be kicking off the holidays with a holiday party and most likely picking up our tree at some point.

Next week I'll be bringing on the holiday gift guides because who doesn't love a little help with some ideas now and then? In the meantime, if you're headed to a holiday party and need some hostess gift ideas, check out this post.

Oh, and how the heck did it become December while I wasn't looking. I seriously can't believe it! Until Monday...have a good one.

a girl can dream: [warmth & ease]

Today I feel like I just want to crawl right back into bed and sleep until another day is here. I know that I need to get and up and get going. Get enjoying that life that was allowed to me by the amazing people (like my grandma) who were before me. Today will be my first day back to a partial day of work and I'm totally dreading it. Not dreading the kids, just dreading having to be a normal, functioning human again. Monday night when I got home from what felt like the longest day ever, I smelled gas. We had a gas leak and I had to stay awake until 2:00am when the Gas Company got here so we didn't have to worry about what would happen while we slept. Yesterday was pretty much completely crappy all together and ended in a wind storm and power outages. So, I woke up to a super windy day today, I'm thinking it's finally cooling off.

Our cooling off is nothing compared to most of the states...I know, I know. So, I am slowly finding my way into warmer clothes. The problem is that usually when it gets cold I am tempted to just run around in all things cozy. Unfortunately cozy doesn't always mean cute. How perfect are these two solutions?!?! These Sorel boots (now on sale!) are legit when it comes to warmth. I ordered mine and was so stoked when they arrived. They are fully lined in fluff, waterproof for rain or snow, plus...that houndstooth with bright blue laces (they come with black too)...AMAZING! I also love this Free People poncho (also here). I am loving the loose fitting sweater and ponchos that are every where this fall. This is a perfect pull over for the days that find themselves bordering cool. You can where a standard long sleeve or light sweater and then layer this on top for added warmth. Plus if you need a little extra coziness you can wrap and tuck your cashmere scarf right into that neckline.

Here's to today being a better day, or at least being cozy in it.