Ha Ha Holidays...

Some of my favorite things make you laugh.  A real laugh.  From the gut, milk out your nose, can't keep it back kind of laugh. In school, I remember one of my teachers said that "truly funny things are things that are true." It was worded much better than that, but I have a terrible memory and I'm happy that I can remember the gist of it. 

The year has flown by and I haven't touched half of my to do list, not to mention my resolutions. Nope, not even half of my holiday to do list. I'll let you in on a secret...I haven't started my Christmas cards yet. On the list...towards the top, I think. Instead, I found something better. A funny book. The holidays can get a bit crazy. Now, I don't feel so bad about it.

...and it is hillarious.  It's dedicated "to all the unbalanced mothers". Look at the chapter names...

"Life's Too Short To Fold Fitted Sheets: Your Ultimate Guide To Domestic Liberation" (Chronicle Books) is
written by Lisa Quinn, and I think I love her. She's a self professed "Martha junkie", a domestic diva and insanely funny.

There are hillarious parts and sections with useful hints.  Like really useful...kid appropriate fabrics and flooring so you can clean less...um, yes, please!  With a smidge of snarky. "Because honestly, who out there really wants to spend an entire Saturday constructing crepe paper peonies for the brunch centerpiece"
I am as addicted to parties as any of you.  Love them, I wouldn't want to be in any other industry. She really hits it home about the stresses about it, though.  Sometimes you just want to walk away...far, far away...

It might be mom-wifey-lit.  But hey, I'm a mom.  It is beyond hillariously funny and just one of those books that reminds you how good you really do have it, with all the imperfections that come, too.  Perfect for the Holidays as a gift to your own domestic diva...be sure to wrap is really pretty...or in a paper bag just for kicks.

On the same note... I will be posting until next Wednesday, December 15th.  Then I will be taking a break until January 15th.  I really do have a ton on my list, and this year I wanted most of my gifts to be handmade.
Lots of updates coming to the shop and links to add to the blog.  I'll still be reading and twittering, just at a slower pace...to enjoy the season and plan a trip to the inlaws...

GIFT GUIDE 2010 LINK LOVES

Oh my heavens, have you seen the gift guides out there? Every single time I check twitter,  I practcally find another one! Which is incredible and fun and slightly dangerous for my pocketbook  I must admit, my fellow bloggers, that you wonderful people have the best taste in presents.  I enjoyed looking at your collections far more than every single printed set in those glossies. WAY more.  So, I have compiled a list.  She's not pretty (the goodies at the end of the hunt are) and she's light on words...but she will get you where you need to go, STAT. Which is good, seeing as it is the 9th already.
**Keep in mind, some blogs have extensive 'bouts of gorgeousness lasting more than one day, I linked to the main site so you can keep checking back.
Enjoy!

bump smitten "2010 Gift Guide for the Mom-to-Be"
coco + kelley "Wish Lists and Gift Guides"
creature comforts "Gifted Magazine"
cupcakes and cutlery "Helping Some Sistas Out - The Gift Guide"
design*sponge "2010 gift guides"
enchanted dream weddings “Gifts that Give Back”
frenchie and flea “Holiday Gift Guide”
green4u "Holiday Gift Wish List: 2010 Edition"
hank and hunt our very own "Holiday Gift Guide"
little sooti "Christmas Gift Guide 2010"
mrs. lilien “Mrs. Holiday Gift Advisory”
merci new york "Holiday Hostess Gifts"
oh joy "Holiday Gift Guide"
pizzazzerie "2010 Holiday Gift Guide"
passing notes "Holiday Gift Guide"
the tomkat studio "2010 Holiday Gift Guide"
valley & co. "Holidays at Home"
with style and grace "TheUltimate Gift Guide for Her"

PS - while hunting down all these incredible links…I found an incredible round up over on this lovely blog…(not to miss, she has all the incredible links to the really good stuff)

loving.living.small

Ooh and one more thing - this is a link guide to esty shops that trade goods and services.  Brilliant!
oh hello friend "Holiday Shop Trade Guide"

Gifted Magazine from Creature Comforts

If you haven't heard or seen this little lovely and read it like a hundred times, honestly...where have you been?  This little piece of heaven, aka Gifted Magazine, is a gorgeous online holiday magazine curated by the loveliest of all, Ms. Ez of Creature Comforts.  I have been mildly (ok, crazy) obsessed with her blog since the beginning.  Do you remember your first blog crushes? Well, Ez was my very first.  She still is one of my all-time favorites.  AND... this girl can make one heck of a magazine.  Honestly, someone (editors can you hear me???) give this fabulous lady a magazine.  oh...wait. She's so amazing, she already got herself one.  And it rocks.

Gifted Magazine is the perfect holiday gift guide.  It even has DIYs to die for.  This little darling below is on my to do list. It is why I just had 24 gauge wire lying around to make the tinsel words.  And with mere weeks to go...I am gonna make this wreath this week.  Such a simple idea, but my pretty little head is just buzzing about with options to use this twistie tie theory. Adore.



Still stumped about what to get for someone? Or what to make?  Go indulge yourself and view the completely FREE and completely AWESOME Gifted Magazine...or revisit it over and over and dream of having it in print...dear santa, I have been (mostly) good this year...

Visions of Loveliness - Holiday Carnival

Hello sweeties, I hope you had a lovely weekend! I have been waiting anxiously for this little pretty post by Sharon of Cupcakes and Cutlery.  Ever since she told me it was carnival themed I have been dying to see it.  and...it is fabulous...could it ever not be?  Take it away my lovely...

Sharon says, "I have yet to pick one look for my Christmas decorating. This year, though, I am totally feeling a Christmas carnival vibe. If I had the energy and time to start all my holiday decorating for this theme, this board is what I would aim for it to look like. I think it would be a super fun holiday party theme too. It could be really casual, sort of naughty feeling with the homemade peppermint liquor and bright, gaudy colors, fun for kids and adults and totally unexpected! I hope you all have a fantastic holiday!!!!"

SOURCES:

MILK AND STRAW
RED SHOES AND STRIPED TIGHTS
WHITE XMAS TREE
HOMEMADE PEPPERMINT LIQUOR
XMAS BINGO
CANDY APPLES
BALLOON SHADOWS
VINTAGE INSPIRED ORNAMENTS BY INDIGO BUNTING DESIGN
XMAS LIGHTS
XMAS COTTON CANDY
CARNIVAL TICKET FLOWER
WHITE AND BLACK CREPE PAPER
RECYCLED RECORD ORNAMENTS
"CHRISTMAS" CARD
GINGERBREAD FAVORS
BALLOON WREATH
FUNNEL CAKE
FAVOR BAGS

A BIG MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO SHARON! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR BEAUTIFUL COLORFUL WORLD WITH US!

XO

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Happy Holidays! Here's a roundup of some little lovelies.  I am also pleased to announce that you can find MORE gift guides over on Cupcakes and Cutlery and   Green4u (We decided to unveil these babies together for more shopping goodness, tons of goodness)

I just added to it this morning so there will be more goodies sprinkled around the month...Enjoy!

BROADS THAT BAKE

rollings of cinnamon apron ice milk aprons $85

spoon recipe cards rifle paper co. $10

rolling pin williams sonoma $18

individual pie tin donna hay $2.95

dining room measuring spoons anthropologie $24

 

LADY LUXE

ribbed fingerless gloves Gap $20

drapey bow earrings anthropologie $30

essie 4 pack of polish jcrew  $20

doodles pen kate spade $45

merino throw pendelton  $98

 

FETE FANATIC

calligraphy return address stamp emilie friday’s $49

best ever cupcake icing kit bake it pretty $17

pink round cake stand sweet and saucy supply $65

cupcake tray sprinkles $25

weekly calendar kate spade $18

 

LITTLE ONES

dachshund “lola” strawberries and cream $27

organic skittles bowling set little sapling toys $21

catalina tablet desk pottery barn kids $79

furry bear hoodie gap $25

little fox teething toy little sapling toys $12

stroller blanket baby dry goods $38

 

FOR HIM & (MORE) FOR HER

"the boy mechanic" popular mechanics $10

pop rocks glass jonathan adler $

plaid scarf lands end $29

leather iphone case restoration hardware $39

cashmere lined gloves jcrew $98

fifth avenue stripe earmuffs kate spade $65

wanderlust pacifica solid perfume set sephora $15

gillian o'malley slippers target $10

Hmmm....and Santa... if you can find these kate spade bourgeois bow earrings from last year...I will love you forever!!!

PS - those lovely velvet bows and sequins are graphics from the amazing pugly pixel

Hello? Are you still there?

I have been MIA the last two weeks darlings and I apologize.  My posts are not as fabulous as they should be. My excuses:
It was Thanksgiving. K' thats a given.  Ours was small and lovely.  I cooked, cheated a bit, but ultimately rocked it out.  And...I didn't forget to make stuffing, like I might have done last year.

But then it was my birthday this past weekend.  Look at the pretty party in a box Sharon sent me!  My pictures are terrible because it was already dark when I put them up. Ok, so this is two posts in a row I claim bad lighting. I live in NV and the sun sets here faster than on the coast, people, Tahoe and the Sierras...nuff said. ***Sharon, my pictures all turned out really bad and didn't showcase how cute everything was in real life...and the candy/snack bar didn't last long, yes, the main person eating it when I was taking pictures was me, I should have excersized restraint, but it was my birthday and "I do what I waunt..." I loved it.  Thank you so much!!!***

I have also been working on a baby shower that my lovely sis-n-law is throwing this weekend.

 

I am pretty pleased and had so much fun doing it I am figuring on adding printies to the lineup over at the shop. I am debating...do I do a whole separate shop called "Hank + Hunt Printables" or just a new section? I am leaning towards the new section.  That way if anyone felt like buying a garland, they could with one final checkout.  Easy peasy. 

So, I am sorry for the delay.  I have lots of goodies lined up, a DIY (of the pretty garland she sent me above) and a inspiration board from Sharon, a DIY I'm working on for over on Valley & Co., a bunch of little goodies and my GIFT GUIDE tomorrow.  Ok, its a regular post, but its got great stuff in it. As in I deliberately checked every magazine I own, which is a stack a mile high this month, to make sure I couldn't find them on other gift guides.  PS. I still have a few online ones to check...which I will list tomorrow too.

PS I also made these instead of a birthday cake.  Seven layer cookies via Smitten Kitchen

So, yes, for the first time in 33 years, I didn't eat chemical frosting for my birthday.  And I am okay with that. It's going to be a fantastic year. These were perfect and pretty easy to make, really.  The assembly is the only hard part, if you are slightly OCD like I might be. But,  I want to remake these without the colors and white chocolate coating.  YUM.  That is coming soon, too.

Super Quick Advent Calendar Printable

Hello Lovelies!  I just made this little countdown this afternoon because I completely lost track of time and never made the gorgeous one I have in my dreams...for the second year running.   I was incredibly inspired by the pretty little countdown over on Potter and Butler yesterday using her fabulous gracious garland.

...now I have a little calendar countdown set of cute little ornaments and its easy and you can whip one out right now.  Easy peasy.  I made it for my 2 3/4' round punch because I don't like cutting circles.  I tried the circle cutter today and jabbed myself in the finger putting the tip on.  Ouch.  So, I added few more pages so the circles had more space for punching.  Punch each number out.  Punch a hole on top.  Run some thread and voila- 24 mini ornaments ready for countdown.  It's our first year doing this tradition, so I had to bat the boys away from putting ALL of them up at once.  I had the card holder, but you could also just string a piece of twine or ribbon and line them up with clothespins across the walls.  More pictures coming tomorrow, my light is already gone today.  But if you make this (or Emily's) tonight, you are still perfectly on schedule.  Enjoy.

Get your countdown HERE. Get Emily's prettier and more sophisticated one here.