christmas

post holiday shopping

by Lara on April 12, 2010

in crafty

Now probably isn’t the best time to be writing this post since there aren’t any major decorating holidays coming up but whatever, this has been on my mind.

I’m a major bargain hunter, especially after a big holiday like Christmas, Easter, etc. After the holiday is when I do most of my shopping for supplies needed for the next year. 75% off Christmas decorations? Don’t mind if I do!

Even if you aren’t big on decorating, post holiday time is also a great time to grab up things you can use year round and that’s what this post is about. Keeping your eyes peeled for things you can use every day!

After Christmas, I like to stock up on gift wrapping supplies that are seasonless. It’s been the trend lately to wrap x-mas gifts in non-traditional colors so you can score a roll of lime green paper and pink curling ribbons for next to nothing. Plain gift bags in colors like blue and silver, tissue paper galore and plain boxes of all sizes are up for grabs. You’ll be stocked for all of next year’s gifts.

Holidays focusing on a big meal will offer you a lot of fancy serving dishes, plain white bowls and plates that are always useful, I’ve gotten a white fabric tablecloth for $2, glassware for dirt cheap, etc.

Candles are also always a bargain after a holiday. You won’t mind smelling a cinnamon spice candle after Thanksgiving.

Plush toys are everywhere for Easter baskets. Grab a soft brown bunny or lamb after Easter for $1 and stash it away to tuck into a baby gift this Summer.

Holiday baking supplies are also aways on clearance. You can still use the cupcake liners with tulips on them all Spring that you got for 25-cents after Easter, as well as cookie cutter sets, colorful sugar sprinkles and shaped silicone baking pans.

As far as clothing goes, kids are the best to buy for since they can get away with cute silly motifs. Just figure out what size your child will be a year from then and get them a cute little pajama set for a couple bucks. Put it away in your holiday storage box and it will be a suprise when you take it out next year!

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Things I didn’t get but finally did!

by Lara on February 24, 2010

in beauty,decor,fashion

After Christmas, I did a selfish little post “Things I didn’t get but need to“. Well… I’ve managed to chip away at that list!

- For my birthday on March 23, my mom is getting me this sweet white laptop bag by Acme Made. I’ve had my eye on it for a while and it’s on super sale!

- Heading back from our ski trip we hit IKEA and I got the red PS cabinet for our kitchen! That thing was such a bitch to put together and I managed to bend part of it in a fit of Hulk-strength rage, but the bf fixed that right up and it’s stocked with all my serving dishes, mixing bowls and dumb shit women find necessary to have in a kitchen! Yay! So now, I can quit talking about it!

- On the Target clearance rack, I found a blue cable knit hoodie… not the cardigan I wanted but that’ll do pig!

- For my b-day, I’m also getting a toaster and that weird curling iron you just pull through your hair a certain way! I am stupid excited about having a toaster! Pathetic.

- I got a haircut! Really, it was just a trim but she cleaned up my layers and blended my blunt bangs that have been growing out. Hell yes.

- I found a big fish bowl that was collecting dust at my folks’ house and finally transplanted my enormous Schefflera plant. It’s still dropping leaves like crazy but I think it’s just the heat being on in the winter.

- Not the Tiffany necklace or the one I had that looked just like it but, I finally found another chunky chain necklace. It’s a bit shorter and it’s light as a feather (cheap shiny coated plastic) but it’s the look I’ve been wanting and at $6.80, I won’t feel so bad when I lose it… and that’ll do pig as well.

- The last thing on my list to get is a chest of drawers. I saw that top one with the glass fronts in person and it was made like crap. The bottom one is solid wood and at the same price… it will be mine next trip to NOVA. The flat front has got my head spinning thinking of ways to try some SylvanSF-esque type treatment with decals like I wrote about earlier.

Not a bad whack at taking care of business in less than 2 months! I cannot think of another single thing that I want or need in my life right now other than the usual love, food and happiness. Everything else is just cake. That’s a nice feeling.

What’s on your list?

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Happy New Year!

by Lara on January 5, 2010

in art,decor

Hey there! Phew! The holidays are OVER! I hope everyone survived unscathed and is ready to take on this great new year!

My blog posts have been few and far between lately with all that’s been going on. Here’s what I’ve been up to this past month.

First off, if you didn’t know already, I am my mom’s primary caregiver. She has M.S. and I also help run my father’s construction company and take care of their home, the house I grew up in. So, not only did I have to get my own apartment ready for x-mas and keep the cheer alive there, I had to do it at my folks’ house as well. Taking care of two homes is exhausting enough as it is but during the holidays, I go into this insanely hyper-efficient Martha Stewart mode and it takes a toll on me once it’s all done.

So, yeah, I cleaned and decorated 2 places which meant that once I opened the storage closet, I had to organize that as well. I had to haul everything to my place and then haul it all back after I took it down (since we don’t have enough storage space).

I baked 7 dozen mini pecan tarts, 12 dozen oatmeal cookies and 6 pounds of fudge. That all went in a bunch of tins to give away. I don’t know how I managed to lose weight this month but I did. I guess running around like a maniac will do that to you.

I painted a blatant rip off of this painting by Hannah Stouffer, only I used oranges, reds and browns, which is now in our livingroom.

Then there was shopping… well planned out shopping spread out over 2 months so I wouldn’t be broke come Christmas. Since we were going up to NOVA the day after Christmas to see the bf’s family, I had to add them to the list as well. We had a really nice visit and I finally met his sister after a whole year! She’s awesome.

I got the bf a Navy issue peacoat and books, and treats and tshirts, some xbox thing, and more silly treats. He got me those flashy Onitsuka Tigers with the gold on them that I have been coveting for months as well as a Marimekko shower curtain and fabric panel I plan on stapling to a canvas. Oh, and he told his sister to get me this sweet sweet mounted deer head wall decal from Decor Designs on Etsy. The one I have is like the center one. It’s above a door so along with the painting, we’re getting a real ski lodge effect in there!

“Hetkiä/Moments” shower curtain

“Pelimanni” fabric panel designed by Iiro A. Ahokas

Since my mom can’t shop, I pick out things I want (which is sad and awesome at the same time) so, she hooked me up with a bunch of matching bra and panty sets which I was in desperate need of, a fresh bottle of Kenzo Amour, a handbag, and a few things I’ve mentioned already.

My father made us a round wood kitchen table. Six months in our apartment together and we were still eating on the sofa. My dad makes reproduction Chippendale style furniture and truly hates clean modern design so, he had to put his stank on the base, which really isn’t our thing but oh well, it’s a table and I’m thankful.

We ordered 2 of these chairs and just got them on Monday, from of all places Sears! Seriously, they have a line that’s attempting to compete with Ikea-style design. They’re completely awesome and we’re ordering 2 more this week. They go great in the living room as well so, we will probably keep 2 in there until we have people over for dinner.

It snowed about 10 inches the weekend before Christmas. So there were magical walks and lots of cozying up and staying in. I loved every minute of it!

my neighborhood

New Years Eve, we decided to keep it low key and avoid the insanity. I fixed a big steak dinner and we took a walk around our neighborhood with a giant mimosa in a plastic container and shared earbuds, listening to music and looking at Christmas lights. It was magical until we witnessed a 3 car accident right at the intersection we were about to cross. Luckily, the bf grabbed the back of my coat before I darted out. My hero!

This past week, I got a wild hair to tackle my parents’ basement, again, but way more seriously than I ever had before. I swear, my father should be on Hoarders. Only, he actually collects antiques with inherent value and they are over running my parents’ home. I have sorted, organized, wrapped and boxed tons of stuff in sturdy plastic boxes instead of the open dusty torn cardboard boxes everything was thrown in. Old toys, trains, antique tools, pottery, old kitchen gadgets, you name it. Then the closets down there needed to get cleaned out so I could get the boxes in there. Holy crap. I filled a huge trashcan in one afternoon and there have been two enormous car loads to the Goodwill truck this week already and it’s just Tuesday.

This Spring I plan to start painting the entire interior of my parents’ home and convince my father to redo the outdated bathrooms and replace my mom’s bedroom carpet with hardwood flooring. It WILL be done.

Oh, and have you seen the Valentine’s Day stuff in the stores already? OMG.

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Tight Times

by Lara on December 9, 2009

in decor,fashion

Do you remember the show Reading Rainbow? One story has stuck with me since I was a child. It was called Tight Times. A family is going through financial troubles and the little boy finds a kitten outside and of course wants to keep it. Things are so rough that the parents get upset about having another mouth to feed but after everyone breaks down and starts crying, they figure that they indeed can spare a bit more to keep the kitty. (watch the episode here)

Everyone I know is having a hard time staying above water right now but still want to give those they love a meaningful gift, so here are some inexpensive but thoughtful suggestions to get your Christmas shopping done without breaking the bank!

I am a huge TJ Maxx fan. I honestly think you could get all your shopping done there. It’s full of practical luxuries, so cheap it can make your head spin at times. So here are some frugal gift suggestions that could be knocked out in a jiffy at everyone’s favorite discount store.

I recently purchased a small high quality wok great for quick side veggies for $4.50. This and a package of asian noodles, some sesame oil, a head of garlic and a small ginger root (picked up on your next grocery trip), all bundled together could get your favorite foodie inspired for around $10. You could do the same thing with a pasta strainer or large bowl, some interesting sauce, and a bag of fun pasta. A friend did this, with bottles of wine added, for everyone she knew one year and it was a huge hit. It also makes an excellent hostess gift for any parties you attend.

Another nice combo gift great for mom, grandma, or any lady friend is the fancy tea cup/tea package. There are tons of random patterns of china tea cup/saucer sets, mugs, tea pots, kettles, and a bevy of fancy flavored teas and cocoas available at ridiculously cheap prices. Pair some tea up with a thoughtfully picked out cup or pot, and maybe even a box of cookies, for a gift that should be well below $20.

Practical gifts like scarves and gloves can be boring unless chosen in fun colors that the recipients normally wouldn’t pick out for themselves, but will be excited to work into their wardrobe. There are tons of gorgeous Italian and Irish wool scarves available right now for both men and women at about $15.

 

Babies all the way to teens aren’t left out. For baby, there are adorable hats, pretty storage boxes for nurseries, a slew of cute onesies and clothing, soft blankets, toys for all ages, and classic books. For older kids there are small electronics like colorful ear phones (usually some from Skullcandy) , portable ipod speakers and cases, hip room decor like bright throws and mirrors, there are tights (usually from Betsey Johnson), fuzzy slippers, pajamas, and luxuriously packaged bath products (for anyone really), all hitting well below $20.   

 

 If any of the above suggestions don’t work for office pals, there are tons of stationary and desk organizing tools.

There are loads of beautifully designed hand soaps and towels both for kitchen and bath that would go well together.

There are name brand wallets, cosmetic bags, clutches, yoga accessories, men’s accessories, cook books, coffee table books, photo albums, handblown glass vases, picture frames like crazy, scented candles, kitchen tools, gourmet spices… all at inexpensive price points.

When it comes to presentation, I really can’t stand the suggestion of wrapping a gift up in an additional gift, like a jewelry box wrapped in a scarf. No, I’m not spending an extra chunk of change to wrap the originally intended present. Then there’s the ideas of painting or stamping your own paper. Please. The season is hectic enough.

For wrapping gifts, I usually hit the 50%-75% off sales after Christmas and stock up for the next year. Take advantage at the stores you shop at and ask for their complimentary boxes, especially for odd sized items. A well wrapped gift can make a small item pretty fantastic to open. If you need to stock up on gift wrapping supplies right now, I highly recommend the dollar store. They have tissue paper with designs and huge packs of solid colors, curling ribbon, rolls of wire edged fabric ribbon for luxurious bows, bags of traditional bows, tags, tape, gift bags and boxes of all sizes and the usual seasonal wrapping paper – all for $1. Sometimes just sticking with a solid red or white paper or the big rolls of brown craft paper will allow a $1 ornament to stand out as a gift tie-on. There are glitter snowflakes, large sequined balls, and other novelty ornaments. You can also check the craft section for bunches of berries, fake birds and raffia ribbon for a rustic look.

There’s no reason to go broke this holiday season! Have fun being a thoughtful smart shopper!

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sequins

by Lara on November 24, 2009

in fashion

Holiday season is upon us and that means everything in the stores has a thick crust of sequins on it. I would like someone to tell me how all these things are going to wear over time because I have experienced nothing but heartbreak. (We aren’t even going to talk about glitter because if you own it, you deserve to suffer the consequences. In the early 90s, my bff bought a pair of fuchsia glitter Doc Martens and they started looking pretty rough rather quickly.)

Sequins are made of fragile plastic with a metallic paint coating that rubs off and eventually looks worn out. They are also prone to cracking in half and falling off. Then there are the ones that are glued on. You can spot a missing or misaligned sequin a mile away. At least I can, but I may have a mild case of OCD.

If you must wear them… there are good sequins and bad sequins.

GOOD SEQUINS

Not much can happen to this embellished tank. You still have to carefully hand wash it in cold water and it won’t last forever but you still have a chance.

To avoid looking like a Miss America contestant, sequined dresses should be short and to the point. This dress will also require special care but with no belt to rub, cap sleeves, each sequin neatly lined up (not shingled) and tightly secured, and being all one subtle color, this would work well. Minimal accessories needed.

Other good sequins can be found as a light mist on something sheer, a pair of panties you don’t plan on keeping on for very long, and as the most delicate of details that makes something plain very special.

BAD SEQUINS

You know how your shoes wear, so what’s going to happen at the bends of these Converse? They’re part of the fabric so you can’t even sew on new ones to repair!

These sequined leggings are almost $350 at Saks. What is your ass and the backs of your knees going to look like after a while? Like a worn out Las Vegas hooker, that’s what. $350 at Saks or $20 at F21… they’re both going to look like hell after a few wears.

More bad sequins – on jeans but at least they would be easy to remove when they go bust, on handbags (those giant sequin bags and tiny 80s prom clutches), those hoodies everyone got obsessed with (my hoodies earn their keep), and anything else tight that would bend harshly with your body, and doesn’t respect your hard earned cash.

So ladies, you may want to spare yourself the trouble and financial waste and just put on a sparkly cuff bracelet instead!

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pound cake

by Lara on November 22, 2009

in crafty

I hope this is going to be my last food post because honestly, I don’t like them on my blog. I just really want to share this recipe with you. I don’t like keeping good things a secret. It’s catty. This recipe for pound cake has been in my family for 4 generations (at least) and it’s killer and so damn easy. 

First, this is the kind of cake pan you need. It’s a two piece tube cake pan (or angel food cake pan) with a removable bottom. I have never tried this recipe in loaf pans but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. You would just have to figure the cooking time out for yourself. You can also use a bundt pan but the best part (the crunchy top) ends up getting smooshed on the bottom.

So here goes (a hand mixer is fine) -

2 sticks of butter (at or near room temp in a big bowl) (you can also use 1 stick of butter and one stick of margarine)

Cream the butter with 3 cups of sugar and 6 large eggs.

Slowly add 3 cups of all-purpose flour (sift if you want… or not) and one cup of milk (or heavy whipping cream, or 2% milk…)

Here’s the fun part: You can add a splash of vanilla extract and leave it at that or, you can add lemon extract and lemon zest, orange extract and orange zest, vanilla-almond-rum-coconut-lemon-orange extracts all together for a super tasting poundcake, any of the above flavored extracts and 1/2 cup or more of any type of chopped nuts (dust with flour first and then fold them in at the end, pour into pan and sprinkle some on top- black walnuts are weird)… really do whatever the heck you want to with this thing.

Spray the pan with some Pam (or grease however you like) and pour the batter (which should be thick) into your pan. (My pan has never leaked but you may want to put some aluminum foil on the shelf under the cake the first time.)

Pop into a cold (non-preheated) oven at 325 degrees and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. The top will get golden and crunchy and it’s almost like candy.

Let it cool for about 15 minutes then gently run a knife along the edge of the cake. Put a plate on top of the pan and flip it. If the removable bottom part of the pan sticks, use a knife for that too. Place whatever stand or plate you want on the bottom of the cake and flip again.

This cake can get dry fast. I use a glass domed cake stand and put the lid over it and let it steam until it’s completely cool. You may want to wipe the condensation out of the lid at least once so that it doest drip down the sides of the lid and make the bottom soggy, or just edge the cake with rolled up paper towels under the lid until it’s cooled off.

If you don’t have a cake stand, plastic wrap it up on a plate.

If you want to make one well in advance, they freeze and thaw beautifully under plastic wrap and aluminum foil. They make great gifts. It’s awesome with coffee, great for strawberry shortcake in the summer… I pretty much have one baked at my folk’s house every couple weeks and amazingly, they’re not huge.

Could not be a more simple and forgiving cake. They are so hard to mess up. Hope you enjoy!

This isn’t my pic but basically this is what it will look like… only mine looks better! Ha! (photo via myrecipes.com)

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+ & -

by Lara on November 18, 2009

in + & -

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  • long romantic walks through my neighborhood
  • I love this cheap ornament idea. While you could get a whole box of silver balls for what it would take to make a few of these thumbtack ornaments, they ARE homemade and a few in a cute box would make a neat sentimental gift. My mom and I used to sit at the kitchen table and make ornaments in a similar way, using straight pins, sequins and beads. They were a bit more glitsy and you had lots of color and pattern options.

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A lot of things seem to be really popular right now and I am not impressed.

 

  • Tea towels. These are little thin woven cotton towels with decorative motifs. They don’t absorb a thing!
  • Giant bulky headphones.
  • Expensive jewelry and hair accessories made out of things I could get for $2 at the craft store.
  • Teapot cozies. Seriously?
  • Twilight. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson creep me the hell out.
  • Friends’ parents on Facebook. They have straight ruined it for me. I barely get on there anymore.
  • Furniture made from garbage. 1. 2.
  • That bedspread made to look like cardboard boxes. Yuck!
  • Perpetual calendars are a pain in the ass.
  • Why are Legos so expensive!?
  • Moleskines… when you could get a small notebook for $1
  • Lomo cameras. I’ve had almost all of them and maybe got 2 good pics out of each roll of film. Total crapshoot.
  • Pantone.
  • Foursquare. I don’t need the world knowing everything I do and aren’t our online identities self indulgent enough?
  • Mustache kitsch.
  • Ponchos.
  • Drop crotch pants.
  • Cleaning products that require the endless purchase of refills when the original tool was an inexpensive one-time buy and worked just fine.
  • Criticizing Obama feels like a criminal offense these days.

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winter decorating

by Lara on November 16, 2009

in decor

I want to decorate our place a tiny bit for Winter. Nothing is going up until after Thanksgiving but I did find these glittery snowflakes at Target today and swiped them up in preparation. All of them for $6! The red ones are sparkly felt and were $1 each and the rest are glittered plastic and came in multi packs for $1. I’m seeing these hanging in a cluster on different lengths of fishing line from the ceiling in a corner of the livingroom.

I don’t particularly like decorating for the Christmas holiday. Wintery things make the whole season more special instead of having one specific day in mind. That way, you can leave things up past Christmas and not have to stare at Santas and candy canes.

I also love how bright blues, lime, pinks and purples have become so accepted. These are available at Target and they’re right up my alley!

ornaments

There was a great silver glitter deer ornament that stood on its own for $4 and I really wish I had grabbed it as well. He’d be super cute just hanging out among our every day things.

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no surprises

by Lara on November 9, 2009

in fashion

My mom has M.S. and I am her primary care-giver. It breaks her heart that she is unable to shop for me anymore but, come my b-day or Christmas, I know I’m getting what I want since she now has to let me pick things out for myself and do all the ordering… and wrapping. Yes, I have to wrap my own presents. So silly. I always make a big to do about ripping the paper and putting the bows on my head every year.

Now is the time of year when the incessant nagging for me to shop begins. Sounds terrible doesn’t it? Here are three things I picked out for myself from F21. To heck with surprises! I can’t wait to have these things at Christmas!

Striped metalic top

striped metallic top - oh how I love this! It’s not the most flattering thing but who cares. It’s so graphic and bold and comfy looking!

black velvet leggings - no need for a picture here. They say these have a slight sheen. I sure hope so.

bell hop zip hoodie

bell hop zip hoodie - I go through about 3 black hoodies each fall and winter. They always fade and inevitably get some oily spot on them that drives me insane and I have to toss them. Love that this one has so much personality. All those band jackets out there don’t do it for me… they feel so costumey. This is just enough.

 

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+ & -

by Lara on September 28, 2009

in + & -,geek

+

(If the f-word is NSFW, then don’t scroll down until you get home!)

  • I’m not feeling very serious today! This is a good thing!
  • I want to make dumplings soon. These two posts should get anyone through the process easily. Here and here. They are a bit labor intensive but soooo rewarding!
  • Speaking of food, on a fashion-centric blog, I really liked this post from Fashion is Spinach. It’s a swell revelation to have… a nice little reality check.
  • I love this video (and the song)! It’s not the official video but instead, a very creative fan made it!
  • The Keyboard Cat t-shirt made it on Threadless – of course! I can’t decide whether to get it or not… after all my oohs and ahhs, I’m really agonizing over it! damnit! Where would I wear it? I think the answer is EVERYWHERE!

  • My fave screamo (they call themselves metalcore) band ever, Underoath is coming back to the Norva on November 30th. This will be my 5th time seeing them. I’m 30 years old and I’m going to be screaming with a sea of 16 year old kids and I. Can’t. Wait! There is no shame in my game. Here’s a pic from the last time I saw them… and my post about that night! For the first time, I won’t be going by myself. The bf has NO idea what he’s getting himself into. He owes me. I took him to see Atmosphere for his b-day!

  • This Kakuzai notepad is adorable! At $25 and with 1,200 sheets, it would make a great x-mas gift! OMG why am I already thinking about Christmas!?!?! I’ve been stalking this notepad waiting for some update on where to buy it in the US, since the original source was in Japanese and someone finally let everyone know where to get one here! (via)

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  • This is one sad pup. He’s all over the place with his sadness, looking for his lost love!

  • I really want a new phone. My Helio Ocean just isn’t cutting it for my online demands. I need to see how much longer I have with my contract and iPhone here we come! I just wish they had different providers!

Natalie Dee

(Her blog is awesome!)

  • My mom’s b-day is coming up and she’s always wanted a big fuzzy (fake) sheep in the house. (I wonder where I get it from.) Anyhow, I found one and it’s a stool. Only it’s $1,200. Maybe next time mom.

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