NYE 1920's Style

Happy New Year, zomblets!

Did everyone have a good NYE? I went to a 1920's themed party at a cocktail bar. It was really fun getting dressed up for it and and even more fun dancing the night away with friends. It was kind of a last minute decision to go so I had to make due with what was already in my closet but I think we (the O.G. zombie super models) have done ourselves justice. I wasn't very good about taking full length outfit pictures but I did snap a few head shots before running out the door.

I went for the classic 1920's smokey eyes and red lips look. I wanted to do some finger waves but I ran out of time so I just rocked some crazy curls instead. I had a fur collared shrug but combined with the hair it made me look a little bit like a hooker so I ditched it for cable knit shrug with sparkly shoulders, slipped into my Seychelles and flounced out the door! Marnie wore a gorgeous Anthro shift dress (which is really a 60's throwback) but perfectly matched this vintage hat, which I bought from one of my favorite Etsy sellers. The hat is also 60's but it's got that flapper thing going on so I think it worked out. 

Everyone's New Year's resolution: Wear more vintage hats! 

It's Friday I'm In Love!

Zooey is so adorable I don't know if I love her or hate her... but I do love her voice, this song and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. What a cute smile that boy has. Anyway, Happy New Year to you, readers!

DIY NYE Headband

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I had a great time visiting family and friends and EATING. Actually, I tried not to eat too much but it's hard when that's what every event is centered around. Did everybody get something awesome for Christmas? Well the good new is, even if you didn't, I have one last present for you! Check out my holiday headband and get ready for a DIY tutorial.

You will need:

Pipe cleaners (in the color of your choice but I recommend silver or gold)

A ruler (optional)

Step 1: Fold the pipe cleaner in roughly 1 inch increments. After you make the first fold use that to measurement to match the next folds against. You want to try to fold as close to the same length as possible. The severity of the fold will determine the pointy-ness of each stars "arms". Continue to fold until you have made 10 folds. Your pipe cleaner should look like this:

Step 2: Now that you have made ten folds, pull the folds apart in groups of two or in 'V' shapes to make a star. After you have the shape you want close up the star by twisting the excess pipe cleaner around the adjoining piece. Repeat steps 1 & 2 until you have about 10 stars. The process should look like this: 

Step 3: Once your stars are made you can begin tying them together to create your headband. To do this simply cut a piece of pipe cleaner (about 3/4 inch in length) and use it to wrap the two starts together. I like to fold it in a staple shape the clamps the stars together but allows for a little flexibility. You can experiment with different patterns but in my example above I attach the stars in an alternating height pattern. See below:

Once you have attached all your stars to each other you should have a circle of stars that you can wear around your head. You may need to add or subtract the number of stars based on your head size. I like mine to be a little loose and 10 stars worked for me. Enjoy!

It's Friday I'm In Love!

Can you believe it's Christmas eve EVE? 

I still have one more gift to buy and one more to make! Yikes. I'm really not looking forward to shopping! Anyhow this picture above is a still from one of my all time favorite Christmas movies: Christmas in Connecticut. If you haven't seen it you should definitely give it a watch this weekend. Just for fun here's a list of some of my other favorite X-Mas movies. 

Miracle on 34th Street (the 1947 B&W version)

A Christmas Story 

Home Alone

A Muppet Christmas Carol

The Nightmare Before Christmas 

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Lethal Weapon

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Elf

Merry Christmas & thanks for reading! Look for a DIY tutorial on an awesome NYE headband for next week. 

My Christmas Wrapping

I did a little wrapping last night inspired by the Etsy video I showed you last week. My cat had a lot of fun jumping all over the paper bags I used and I had a lot of fun making things out of tinfoil and pipe cleaners! Take a look:

Making Christmas

So, you know how I have been putting up all these cute holiday wrapping and decorating ideas? Well, I have to admit that I haven't done any of the sort at my house. Maybe if I were unemployed I'd have the energy to do stuff like that... but I did find the time to do this:

Yeah, it's called Upcycling. Why throw away your Halloween pumpkin when after one short month you can convert it into a Christmas decoration? It's possible I'm a burgeoning Martha Stewart. Just thought I should let you all know.

More Creative Wrapping

Did anyone else see this awesome how to video from Etsy today? I love this simple and chic wrap job. Plus, it's awesome that they were able to do it with things you can find lying around the house!


How-Tuesday: Upcycled Gift Wrap from Etsy on Vimeo.

Holiday Dresses!

My company holiday party is this Saturday. I'm going to rock a silk red dress that I had custom made by Alexandra Grecco. (Hopefully I get some good pics)! Red dresses are a classic choice for holiday attire but there are so many more ways to get festive!

My favorite choice for holiday wear is probably 60's dresses. I love the short flirty hem lines, the big bows and the sophisticated neck lines. This little number from Anthropologie is an excellent throwback and makes for a great party dress. You could rock this for Christmas parties and then wear it again on New Year's eve!

Another option that I love is the icy blue dress. Conjure images of silvery blue snowflakes in this gorgeous vintage dress from StitchyLifeVintage.

Speaking of snowflakes you can always get literal with a an awesome vintage print dress like this one from DaisyAndStella. What a gorgeous 50's party dress! 

Don't underestimate the power of the black dress. Especially when it has a little silver or gold to it. I love this one from Free People. 

Why not stop the show with a festive green dress? The right green dress can be hard to come by but if you find one you'll likely light up the room like a Christmas tree! This one over at VeraVague is gorgeous. It's just the right shade of green. When picking a green dress for the holidays you definitely want to look for a really rich color. Nothing neon or pastel. 

I'm also a big fan of gold for holiday dresses. You can go 60's and get a brocade one, or you can go modern and rock some kind of body-con sparkly number but I like this one from Spool72 because it adds a bohemian touch with those awesome ruffles.

If you want to wear something with sense of humor this holiday season you could rock this fun Rachel Antonoff frock from Modcloth. I love the festive print and I think you get really creative with how you style it. A crazy hat perhaps? If this isn't a party dress, I don't know what is. 

If you aren't into silliness I think the most elegant choice for a holiday party is ivory. I don't look very good in this color but I am swooning over this dress from DearGolden! I can't help but think of what an amazing dress this would be for a winter wedding also. It reminds me of the dress Grace Kelly wore in Rear Window. 

Holiday Gift Guide for KIDS!

Good morning everyone,

I have another exciting gift guide for you. This one is for the little ones in your life. I don't have any but I have been having fun playing Aunt with my boyfriend's new nephew and nieces. Here's some fun Etsy finds that are sure to please!

Click here to see the guide.

Some of these items I wish I had myself. Ah, to be a kid again!

Holiday Gift-Wrapping Ideas

Good morning zomblets!

Today I have some gift-wrapping inspirations to share with you. Lately I have been super inspired by some of the ultra cute gift wrapping I have been seeing around the blogosphere. I am hoping to put it to use this Christmas and get ultra creative with my wrapping. Do you get into doing awesome wrapping? You may remember my wrap job from my friend's western style wedding - I lucked out when I found some snakeskin wrapping paper! I will try to remember to take a picture of what I come up with for this Christmas.

Via

Try sprucing up newspaper with some string and letter tags! 

Via

I love these adorable embroidered tags. What a fun DIY project.

Via

Check out this awesome tutorial on how to make bows out of twist ties!

Via

Re-purpose paint chips to be cute holiday tags!

Via

I love this classy/earthy wrapping!

Via

Check out this bow made from a toilet paper roll!

Via

And last but not least I love this animal cutout wrapping. So cute!

Etsy Holiday Gift Guide

Good morning Z-land!

Can you believe December is upon us? If you are like me you are in a panic about what to buy for your friends and fam and then how you can afford it all! This year I am really liking the idea of services as gifts instead of good. Buy your parents dance classes, your brother a whale watching tour, get your BFF to the rock climbing gym! This kind of gift can be expensive but you can always check out groupons or get your siblings in on it and split the cost. In these depressing times, I think experiences feel much more rewarding than material possessions. Buuut... there's still something to be said for material possessions! Especially when they are awesome hand-made things and for that reason I put together a little Etsy gift guide.   

Click here to see the collection.

Etsy is great place to find unique gifts but don't forget you can always DIY and create your own unique treasure! Stay tuned for more gift guides and some posts on creative wrapping.

Thanksgiving Recipe Medley!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is already upon us! For the past 3 years I have been going with my boyfriend's family to Yosemite. It's such a cool tradition. Last year it snowed and it was so gorgeous!

His family is huge... I'm talking 70 people at Thanksgiving dinner! This year, my boyfriend and I ended up in charge of organizing the food (which is as you can imagine a huge task). Of course, this sent me recipe pinning frenzy! Check out my favs below.

Turkey with Lemon & Herb

Cornbread Stuffing

Cranberry Chutney

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Spinach, Arugula, Cranberry, Walnut Salad

Holiday Cocktail: Cranberry Margarita

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Maple Apple Pie

Are you excited for next week? Where will you be spending your holiday?