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Yesterday was my parents first Christmas back in their house since hurricane Katrina so it was extra special to be back there! My dad was sick in bed the whole day so that was not ideal but overall it was a great day. And look at what an awesome job my mom did decorating and cooking!
Still in need of a few last minute presents? Glass jars are great for repurposing as gifts. This idea works for everyone on your list since it is totally customizable! Just decorate the jars and fill them with something unique for each person.
DECORATE… Displaying gifts in a jar gives a clean appearance that lets the present last long after the holidays. I decorated my jars with washi tape and printed customized tags and labels for them.
THEN FILL… One of my favorite things to fill the jars with is homemade granola. It is delicious and keeps for months. If granola is not your thing, try other homemade items such as jam, cocoa or chai tea mix, candy or mixed nuts. The jars can also be filled with non-edible items such as bath salts, mini terrarium, snow globe, craft or sewing kit supplies… and as you can see, the possibilities are almost endless!
Gifts in a jar are a favorite homemade holiday gift of mine because they are easy, inexpensive and one-of-a-kind! I’ll be posting matching washi tape greeting cards and envelopes next week.
Washi tape from Pretty Tape.
After living in Boston for almost a year we finally ditched the cardboard box for a real coffee table, yay! Zander and I went to a few antique shops while in Maine during our Thanksgiving up there and picked out a table. We plan on refinishing it, but if that takes as long as just purchasing it did, that may take a while. I’ll be sure to post a before and after of that but in the meantime, here are some photos of other items that I found interesting while we were out looking.
Mix solid white albacore tuna fish with a small amount of mayonnaise. Place a spoonful of mixed tuna onto a stone ground wheat cracker. Top with a wedge of tomato, grated parmesan cheese, fresh chopped basil, salt & pepper and you have yourself a yummy afternoon snack!
Hopefully you have most of your holiday shopping done (unless you are a procrastinator like me) and now it is time to start thinking about wrapping all of those gifts! I have created a collection of my favorite supplies and some inspirations to help you create unique packages this year! You can also check out this holiday bag DIY from my archives.
twine / boxes / tags / something special / sparkle / tape / all inspiration photos click through to source
I’ve always loved when bloggers show a peek into their bags soooo I have decided to share mine! The items in my bag change daily but here’s what was in there when I dumped it this time. Hope you enjoy this little glimpse into my bag!
1/ Magazines from the coffee shop
2/ Tide to go (always spilling my coffee)
3/ Spare contacts
4/ Reusable bag
5/ Notebook (for ideas and sketching)
6/ Mints (my grandma sent me these Bourbon Street ones)
7/ Pens (always a bunch in there)
8/ iphone (still rocking the 3Gs)
9/ Wallet, business cards and T card
10/ Golden Half camera
11/ Hair clip and bobby pins (hate when my hair gets in my face)
12/ Umbrella (like to be prepared)
13/ Keys (and lots of discount/member cards)
14/ Chapstick and lipgloss (usually have a million in here but Burt’s Bees Pomegranate and Clinique Juicy Apple are my faves)
So, what’s in your bag?
Time to announce the winner of my first giveaway that helped to celebrate my blog’s two year anniversary!
Congratulations to Katherine of Through My Looking Glass, I’ll be in touch soon! And thanks to all of my readers and all those who entered!
November went by so quickly I can barely believe it! I feel like I did not accomplish all that I was supposed to this month but looking forward to a very productive December! Here are some of my favorite posts from the month… and don’t forget that TODAY is the last day to enter the Golden Half Camera giveaway!
1 // Pinterest Picks – Neutrals with a touch of mint
2 // Exploring Arnold Arboretum
3 // Design freebies from me to you
4 // The National Branding by Love and War
5 // Populaire – Favorite Font
6 // Boston Photo Tour – The North End
7 // Golden Half Camera Giveaway – TODAY is the last day to enter!
8 // Thankful For…
9 // Etsy Favorite – Friendship Bracelets
10 // Thanksgiving Instagrams
I have a lot planned for December but if you have any special requests just let me know! xo Ciera
I hope you all had a special holiday with family and friends! I had a relaxing weekend in Maine and now back to work! Here are some snapshots from the long weekend… early mornings… piling wood for the fire… green bean casserole… snow covered hills… all in the details… soup on the fire… carving the turkey… Thanksgiving dinner… loving all the clocks… last leaves falling… family dining room…drying flowers.
My username is CieraHolzenthal on Instagram if you want to follow my photo stream!
While writing my thanksgiving post I started thinking about how in grade school everyone used to exchange bracelets or necklaces as a sign of friendship. I have always loved the bright colors of friendship bracelets so I started looking through Etsy to see what was out there. Truthfully, I was not expecting to find so much awesomeness! I mean, look at these bracelets! I think these would make great gifts for any occasion, I want to get them for everyone I know! Do you have a favorite?
1 Ana Osgood Jewelry // 2 Nautical Wheeler // 3 Koko & Beau // 4 It’s Me, Mary // 5 TINNLILY // 6 Nautical Wheeler // 7 Simply You Jewelry // 8 Ana Osgood Jewelry
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