better late than never? christmas edition

Yes, I am just getting around to posting these. And I'm not even guilty. Muhaha.

Christmas was pretty great this year. We travelled down to Long Beach/ Laguna for the holidays so I didn't want go overdo it on the decorations since we weren't going to be home. I still wanted a festive feel, and most importantly, the house had to smell like Christmas trees. Rather than getting a great big one and trying to squeeze it into our teeeeeny apartment, I got discarded branches from the Christmas tree lot and put them in vases all around the house.  

Branches: $0 

House smelling like fairy wonderland Christmastime: $Priceless.

Christmas tree from Michaels | Sign hand stamped by me, frame from Ikea 

Acorn votive from Crate & Barrel

 Brass monkey from India | Frame from Cost Plus | Flowers from Ric, just because. 

Holly branch from Michaels | Tray from Long Beach Flea Market

 Tree from Ikea | Lights and ornaments from Michaels

Sign hand stamped by me, frame from Ikea | Acorn from the curb outside my apartment 

Branches from Christmas tree lot | Vase from Ikea

Mr. Owl from my 2009 trip to Turkey | Holly from Michales 

Blurry gold votives in the back from Target

Desk from EQ3 | TV from Katie | Lamp from Ikea 

Cute guy trying to ignore me so he can read came with the chair (thanks, Ikea!)

happy 2014!

Ric and I are the San Juan Capistrano Mission over Christmas break.

As a little New Year pressie, check out these free awesome printable calendars from Oh The Lovely Things! I'm going to print these on nice cardstock and put them on our fridge. These would be a nice thing to add to a gift if someone has a January or February birthday! I especially like the idea of putting them on some twine with little clothespin clips. I have some clips that I bought for a friends baby shower a couple of summers ago, and use them often! Great investment.

deck the halls // christmas song chalkboard sign

This project is so easy. Just find a piece of wood that works, spray that sucker, and write your favorite Christmas song lyric!

1. Find a piece of cheap wood in the Ikea As Is section | 2. Buy Krylon Chalkboard Spray Paint from your local craft store | 3. Find some Chalk Ink (I got mine from the local Japanese 99 Cent store!)