THREADS HIGHLIGHTS

I love being able to take the time to share outfit posts with you, especially now that I've incorporated the addition of "get the look" on each post. I've always been highly inspired by fashion bloggers, especially my favorites Kelli Murray and Bonnie Barton. I love seeing how people put things together in unique and quirky ways. It's easy to look into your closet and pick the same things over and over again, but taking a little extra time to mix something you wouldn't normally or gather inspiration from your favorite fashion icons is a great way to inspire yourself.

This coming year, I'm planning on putting more time into my style posts as well as incorporating more posts on the subject of beauty. I've got some great ideas, vlogs, and other things in store and I can't wait to get going on all of my new content! Aside from more dedication to my "threads and beauty" posts, you can also be expecting some new exciting features as well as improvements to some of the old ones. 

Here are a couple "threads" highlights throughout 2012:

1// Polka Dotted Maxi & Cream Lace Top 2// Floral Jeans & Coral Heels 3// Bohemian Creams 4// Peach Collar 5// Felt Hat & Chambray 6// Glitz & Aztec Prints 7// Fall Layers 8// My Favorite Boots 9// Blanket Sweater I could wear forever. 

Cheers, my friends!

2012 HIGHLIGHTS

2012 has been a fantastic year. I feel so blessed by all of the memories and new friends made this year. As I've been soaking up the last couple days of the 2012 and taking a little break from work, I've been thinking a lot about next year and what I would like to accomplish and what it will bring. As I was preparing for this post, I took a little time to look back through my entries for 2012. It's so neat to see the year through photographs. It makes me so grateful for this blog and the memories captured here. Here's a couple of my favorite moments from 2012:

1// Started the year with my "thrift-tiquing" challenge and blogged about it throughout the year.
2// Jon and I found out we were going to be first-time aunt and uncle. We're in love with Emerson and so grateful that she is in our lives. A couple months ago, Jessica and Josh asked us if we would be Emerson's godparents. We are so honored!
3// In January, I went RED! It's been my favorite hair color to date. I love being a red-head.
4// Jenny and I started our first of many Pinterest Parties. It's been such an amazing way to meet friends, build community, and have a dedicated time for crafting.
5// Jenny and I launched our new Maiedae website!
6// Celebrated two years of marriage with my sweet husband.
7// Went to Universal Studios with Zach and Leah to celebrate our anniversaries.
8// Got to be part of my best friend's wedding. She made such a beautiful bride and it was an honor to be part of her special day.
9// Jon and I moved into our new home in July!
10// Got the opportunity to be featured in BUST Magazine.
11// Turned twenty-four.
12// Took a mini vacation with our family to Tybee Island.
13// Made a lot of personal health and wellness changes.
14// Went on a double-date with Jon's parents to the symphony.
15// Spent treasured time with new and old friends.
16// Celebrated fall in Georgia with Jon.
17// Was asked to intern at Blogshop Atlanta, met new friends, and learned a lot. :)
18// Took new Maiedae photos with Jenny.
19// Finished decorating my dining room and was featured on ABM.
20// Jon and I hosted our first diner party with friends in our newly finished dining room space.

What are some of your favorite memories from 2012?

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from the Wallace family. May you be warm with those you love and filled with joy. :) Soak in the rest of 2012 friends, 2013 is almost here!

GIVEAWAY: EVER+MI CRUSH (CLOSED)

A couple days ago, I posted an outfit featuring a dress from a new online boutique called ever+mi.crush. I loved wearing the Think Mink dress, and I was especially a fan of the pockets! ever+mi.crush is offering my readers a chance to win a $40 gift card to their shop! They have a great dress selection and lots of beautiful accessories. See how to enter below!

GIVEAWAY TIME: Win a $40 gift card from ever+mi.crush!

Main Entry: Visit ever+mi.crush and tell me what you would buy with your $40 gift card below. Be sure to leave a contact email address, so I can reach you if you win!

Bonus Entires (please leave one comment per entry): 

* Like ever+mi.crush on Facebook.

* Sign up for the ever+mi.crush Newsletter, subscribe at the bottom of the webpage. 

* Tweet about it! You can copy this: Win a $40 gift card to @evermicrush on @maiedae + buy yourself a dress for the new year! http://tinyurl.com/blokcrg

In one week, a winner will be chosen at random and announced on this post! Best of luck and Merry Christmas to you!!

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Congratulations, Hannah of Patchwork Lantern! Please contact me at Savannah@maiedae.com with your shipping information! 

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

It's been a very relaxing week. Jon and I have been off work for the last half of the week and we've been filling it with Christmas festivities; Dr. Who, movies, visits with friends, family time, and cuddles with our little niece. I can't wait to celebrate Christmas Eve with Jon tomorrow. :)

Snapshot(s) of the Week: 1// Ooogling over my new favorite store in the world, Lush. 2// Enjoying a yummy breakfast with friends. 3// Made my first ever batch of homemade macarons! I followed this recipe by Kim of Oh Sweet Joy. They turned out so yummy, I'm planning on making lemon next! 4// It's been so rainy in Georgia lately...Hoping for a crisp and cold Christmas morning, minus the rain. ;)

5 Favorite Posts:
* Penmanship and Wacom Tablets - Pugly Pixel 
* Mint + Dark Chocolate Macaron Recipe - Oh, Sweet Joy! 
* Favorite Desk Accessories - Design Love Fest
* DIY Light Up Headboard - A Beautiful Mess
* Holiday Cosmo - Making Nice in the Midwest 

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Breanna Rose - Love this girl's blog. She's also a fantastic designer.

Inspiring Me this Week:
* It may be a little cliche, but I'm feeling extremely inspired and excited about the new year. I can't wait for 2013 to begin and to see what this new year holds!

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* I'm watching a Christmas movie right now while Jon wraps my presents upstairs. :)
* I don't know why, but I could really go for a donut!
* Currently wearing: grey socks, jeans, white-t, grey cardigan, and messy hair.

THREADS

I'm so excited I finally got a haircut! My curls get really weighed down if I wait too long in-between cuts, so the couple inches off the bottom really made them come back to life. Having naturally curly hair can make it hard to get a "styled" looking cut which is why I love adding in a little asymmetry. I've had a couple requests to share come curly girl hair care tips and red dye advice. I definitely have those posts on my queue for 2013 so if you have any specific "hair" related questions please feel free to leave them in the comment section below and I'll be sure to answer them in an upcoming post!

My Outfit: .01// Leather Jacket - Forever21 .02// Think Mink Dress by Darling UK - c / o ever+mi.crush .03// Gold Belt - Target .04// Shiny Leggings - Express .05// Grey Socks - Target .06// Black Booties - c / o Blowfish Shoes .07// Surya Necklace - Palomarie .08// Mini Bullet Necklace - Handmade

Get the Look: 1// Think Mink Dress - ever+mi.crush 2// Leather Jacket - Chicnova 3// Grey Socks - YouHeShe  4// Surya Necklace - Palomarie 5// Bullet Necklace - Swell 6// Wedge - Kohls 7// Glitter Belt - Wonder 8// Leather Leggings - Topshop

Jon and I are spending the weekend with friends! We have plans to eat out, watch Christmas movies AND I made my very first batch of french macarons! I'm waiting for them to cool so I can put them together, but so far so good! I'll have a share a couple pictures. Hope you have a wonderful weekend. :)

MAIEDAE READER SURVEY

Hello!! If you have a little bit of spare time, please take my 10 question reader survey. As I'm preparing for the new year, I have some exciting plans in store for this blog and I'd love to get a little feedback from you!

I'll use this information to help guide some of my decisions for 2013 and get to know you a little better, too. :) The survey is anonymous and will only be shared with the Maiedae team. The survey will run for one week. Thank you for your help and thank you for being such wonderful readers! I truly love what I do and it's such a joy to share my life with you. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

FANCY SHMANCY: DECORATE YOURSELF

I am a diehard glitter girl at heart. I can't help my love for a little glam, no matter how hard I try...I LOVE sparkles. To me, just a little touch of shine is perfect. Since getting my haircut, I've been thinking about getting a few hair pieces to replace the plain bobby pins I usually use. I love all of the products at Bando. Hair clips, jumbo bobbies, shoe clips, scarfs, jeweled combs...It's an eye feast for any girl with a crush on sparkle. ;)

1// Metallic Mini Pom-Pom Flower 2// Flurry Pouf 3// Glitter Bow Shoe-Clips 4// Good Time Color Riot Comb 5// Flash Bobbi Set 6// Sparkle & Shine Jumbo Bobbi 7// Crystal Crush Bobbi 8// Sparkle & Shine Bobbi Set 9// Up to No Good 

I'm thinking I need some jumbo bobbi's and bow shoe clips in my life. ;)

PROJECT CONDO: THE DETAILS

I was so excited to be able to reveal my finished dining room space on A Beautiful Mess last week! It's been such an exciting accomplishment to finally finish this room. I've learned so much and overall really felt like keeping my focus on one room at a time helped me complete the space well and love the end results...AND have a completed room!

I've had a couple questions regarding where I purchased some of the items and furniture in my space and I wanted to give a full disclosure post, as well as share a couple extra photos of the finished room! If I missed anything or if you have any questions, please tweet me @maiedae or leave a comment below!

O N  T H E  W A L L
For the artwork, I really wanted to chose pieces that would add color into the room. All of my big pieces are very neutral and I needed something that would pop and add in the interest I was trying to achieve. For the art collage, I tried several combinations of art I already had and new art to see what looked best together. Once my favorite art was selected, I framed everything. I had Jenny help me lay the frames on the floor to create the shape I wanted. What I love about this is that I can easily change out the artwork if I decide I like something better and still keep the same look. In addition to the art collage, I really wanted a statement art piece. I fell in love with The Places in America print and decided to build a statement frame out of wood scraps to add more drama and really make it stand out. I love that Jon and I can record the places we've been and want to go on it with little push-pins. It's a special piece we can continue to enjoy throughout the years. And finally, I wanted to balance out all of the art with something different, so I decided on a handmade papier-mache deer head to hang next to the curtains. It's one of the first things you see when you walk into the room, which is great because I feel like it's a perfect "greeting" piece.

* The Universe - Society6
* Tiny Trees - Renegade Shop in Chicago (now closed, but check out their site)
* I Love My Family - BeauChamping
* Renegade Craft Fair - Renegade Shop in Chicago (now closed, but check out their site)
* Yes Ma'am Print - Jordan Grace Owens
* Green Andy Warhol Car - art.com
* Small Nebula Prints - Elise Mahan Fine Art
* Papier-Mache Deer Head - West Elm
* Places in America Print - You Me & The Royal We
* Wooden Frames - Michael's Craft Store
* America Pallet Frame - Handmade with my father-in-law

T A B L E  A R E A
I knew I wanted a wooden table, and this was actually one of the first purchases we made for the space. I love how the legs face different directions and the coloring is fantastic. I was also set on not having all of the same exact chairs. We started with the metal chairs and then purchased the high-backs when the room was nearly finished. At first I thought that these would go at the head of the table, but in order to balance out the room and still make the art collage visible, we decided on a "benched" look near the windows.

* Metal Tub Chairs - World Market
* Suede High-Backs - World Market
* Blox Wood Table - CB2
* Sheepskin - IKEA
* Faux Deer Antler - Z Gallerie
* Celestial Coasters - Anthropologie

C A B I N E T
The cabinet was my second furniture piece purchase for the room. Jon and I loved the metal detailing on the doors and the little touch of vintage it added to the room. Jenny helped me decorate the inside with dinnerware and glassware pieces, as well as special items we've collected and been given. I love how it looks sophisticated and also serves as a functional piece.

* Plants - Whole Foods
* Tray under plants - IKEA
* Candle Holders - Target
* Organic Dinner Plates - West Elm
* Vintage Cabinet - Antiqued from Kudzu

R O L L I N G  B U F F E T  T A B L E
I originally envisioned using a bar cart or some other piece of furniture for this space, but after we purchased the cabinet we decided something like a buffet table for serving would be perfect. I created a small bar area and left the rest of the space mostly open on top for meals, snacks and extra drinks when we host get-togethers. It's very practical AND ended up being a great space for my record player and records.

* Console Table - World Market
* Record Player - Crosby Turntables
* Wire Storage Baskets - Urban Outfitters
* Hammered & Copper Bowl - World Market
* Terrarium - Urban Outfitters
* Boyd Owl - Antiqued
* Mirrored Tray - World Market
* Honeycomb Glassware - West Elm

T H E  E X T R A S
* Curtains - Target
* Metal Pipe Curtain Rod - Do It Yourself
* 3-Jar Light - West Elm
* Paint Color - Sherwin Williams  
* Filament Light Bulbs - Restoration Hardware

Overall, the words for this room as I was designing it and picking out pieces were: industrial, a touch of vintage, a little rustic, sophisticated, functional, and comfortable. I feel like we achieved our desires for the space and that it's a perfect combination of Jon and me. I've loved sharing my dining room decorating process with you! To look back on all the brainstorming and the full process click here! Also, be sure to continue following along with my Project Condo posts to see how I decorate my next room!

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

So much has happened since my last wrap-up! Jenny and I had so much fun hosting the Christmas Cheer posts on our blogs. I hope they gave you lots of holiday inspiration. :) Jon and I have been busy wrapping up some big projects at our 9-5 jobs so we can have a relaxing holiday break. We finished our Christmas shopping, wrapped our gifts, and are working on sending out our Christmas cards by tomorrow! We've been to a couple Christmas parties, one for Jon's work and yesterday the ladies in my bible study got together and we did a gift exchange, decorated cookies, watched a Christmas movie, and had a wonderful time celebrating the end of the year and Christmas together.

I've got a lot of big thoughts going on in my head for 2013. Some of them are for personal growth and change and some of them are business related for Maiedae. I'm in a state of anxious excitement to see what this next year brings. I'm big time ready for some growth and change and I can't wait!

Snapshot(s) of the Week: 1// Haircut! 2// Kyo helping me clean. 3// New necklace from Palomarie. Love the little touch of pyrite. 4// Love making Oreo cheesecakes during the holidays.

5 Favorite Posts:
* Simon Filip - Breanna Rose
* 10 Commonly Misused Words & Phrases - Alt Design 
* Young Love, Mad Style - Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno
* Emma's Favorite Baked Macaroni - A Beautiful Mess
* About Skin - Door Sixteen 

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno - These girls are fabulous. I love their spunk, sense of adventure, and creativity...not to mention their impeccable sense of style.

Inspiring Me this Week:
* I might have discovered my all-time favorite store for life over the weekend. Kate and I finished up a little Christmas shopping and she introduced me to "Lush", a handmade bath, body, and cosmetics company. They use all natural ingredients and don't do any animal testing. I have no idea how I've managed to miss this company for so long, but I LOVE them so far. Once I do a little more experimenting with their products I'll be sure to do a full review post. If you're a Lush fan, please let me know what your favorite product is below so I can give it a try!

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* I'm not a fan of tea, but I have a secret desire to really like it-- same goes for wine. I'm working on the liking tea thing now and I have a couple wine connoisseur friends who are anxious to take me to some tastings.
* I'm REALLY loving white cheddar popcorn lately.
* Number one goal for this holiday break is to refresh myself creatively and take a little brain break.

THREADS

I've never been much of a hat person, but while doing a little shopping in Atlantic Station with Jon I came across this beautiful wide-brimmed fedora at GAP and tried it on for him. He loved it and convinced me to buy it. I'm happy I did, because this is my new favorite hat...perfect for when my curls get a little frizzy and I still want to look put together. :) Since these pictures were taken I've gotten a new haircut! New haircut pictures will be coming next week! I love the way my curls bounce back when I get my haircut...it's been a little over a year since my last cut and my ends NEEDED it! ;)

My Outfit: .01// Chambray Shirt - American Eagle .02// Wide Brimmed Hat - GAP .03// Beaded Belt - Forever21 .04// Corduroy Pants - GAP .05// Stud Ring - Forever21 .06// Target Red Lipstick - L'Oreal .07// Black Booties - c/o Blowfish Shoes

Get the Look: .01// Chambray Shirt - Tilly's .02// Wide Brimmed Hat - GAP .03// Studded Double Ring - Urban Outfitters .04// Beaded Belt - Oasis .05// Ankle Booties - Pacsun .06// Target Red Lipstick - L'Oreal .07// Corduroy Trousers - House of Fraser

Counting down the days until Wednesday! Jon and I will be officially starting our vacation time! I can't wait to take a little break and refresh for 2013. We've got a lot of Christmas celebrations with family planned and some much needed down-time.

CHEER: TAKING TIME TO REFLECT

While decorating, making wish-lists, wrapping gifts, baking, and listening to a little Bing Crosby are fun ways to celebrate the holidays, I think one of the most important things to do each year is to take time to reflect. Reflect on the year; the times full of joy and the times filled with sadness, the new people you've met and the old friends you've gotten closer to, the big life moments and your favorite memories. After thinking about the previous year and its memories, it's exciting to think about the year ahead and what's to come. :)

For the last day of 12 Days of Christmas Cheer, I'll be sharing some of my favorite tips for reflecting on the year and getting excited about stepping into 2013! Personally, I feel like 2013 is going to be filled with life-changing moments. Jenny and I had our end of the year Maiedae meeting last night and we are thrilled about our plans for 2013. While I'm planning to soak up every last bit of 2012...I cannot WAIT for 2013.

Photo Via

Tips for Reflecting
1// Retreat - While you might not be able to pack your bags and visit your favorite getaway, think of a place that gives you peace and makes you feel relaxed. Maybe that's a local coffee shop or a favorite room in your home. Set aside some calendar time before the end of the year to visit your "retreat" and let the reflecting begin!

2// Record - What is your favorite way to record things? Maybe you have a journal or use a tablet to take notes on. Bring your favorite journal and take time to write out some of your favorite memories. What did you love about the year? What did you dislike about the year? What are you looking forward to in 2013? How do you want to grow? Write out your thoughts and keep it in a place you can refer to throughout the year and for next year's reflection time.

3// Listen - I think it's safe to say that a lot of people have an emotional connection to music. Create a playlist of your favorite and most inspirational tunes and listen to your playlist while your reflecting on the year. Take your time, sing along, and enjoy the process. :)

4// Goals - When setting goals and thinking about the year to come, be realistic and set goals that really make you excited! Decide whether you're a year-by-year, seasonal, monthly or weekly goal person and set goals according to what motivates you most.

5// Review - Grab someone close to you and ask them to talk with you about your reflections. Ask them to give you feedback on your thoughts for 2013 and laugh with them over memories from 2012.

6// Enjoy - Soak up everyday. This is the last 2012 and also the only 12-12-12! Celebrate, laugh, and find joy. Whatever you celebrate this holiday season, celebrate with those you love and make sure they know how much you truly love them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ok, friends! Live it up! Thank you so much for following along with our 12 Days of Christmas Cheer! I hope you enjoyed the little inspirations and DIYs along the way. :) Be sure to check out Jenny's blog later this evening to read her last Cheer post. I'll be getting back to my regularly scheduled posts starting tomorrow! In the meantime, I've got some Christmas cards to finish and some gifts to wrap!

PROJECT CONDO: A BEAUTIFUL MESS FEATURE

Today I have two exciting things to announce. The first is that our dining room is finally finished!! If you've been following along with my project condo series, you've seen my planning process, inspiration boards, progress peeks, and now, after six months, it's complete! Jon and I made it a goal to finish our dining room on December 1st so we could host a fancy holiday diner party. Shortly after, I took some final photos and have been waiting to show you, because my finished dining room is being featured on A Beautiful Mess today! Hop on over to Elsie and Emma's blog to take a look at my finished space!

It's hard to believe that we started off with absolutely no furniture and a red room! I have to say that this process really took a lot of patience and time. It was difficult to merge my taste with Jon's in a functional way that we both really liked. I definitely spent a lot of time looking at the room; adding in new pieces, taking a step back..questioning my choices. Jenny helped me a TON, I'm so thankful for her advice, frame hanging skills, and that she helped me take all of these pieces and execute them to create a finished space.

I'm so happy to have a place that fits our family and a space we can use for hosting and throwing get-togethers. Just for fun, here is a before and after shot from where we started in July and where we are now:

I'll be posting more details later on where I've got everything and my final notes on the entire process. I'm also excited to start the decorating for our next room! After some thoughts and planning we decided to take on the living room as our next project. We already have a couch we're way in love with...now we just need to build the space around it...and that's as far as I've gotten. Let the inspiration-board building begin! I'll be posting some before photos of our living room in January once the Christmas tree is down. ;) Be back later with a final 12 Days of Christmas Cheer post!

CHEER: BAKED GOODIES

One of the final things on Jenny's and my Christmas Cheer bucket list was to bake a whole kitchen full of goodies to give out to co-workers and friends. We decided to make chocolate chip, lemon crinkle, gingerbread, peanut butter balls, and turtles. Saturday morning was filled with flour, dirty dishes, fun conversation, taste tests, and listening to this remix over and over again.

One of my big baking to-do's before 2013 is to try my hand at baking French Macarons. I bought a cookbook, did some research on Macaron "best practices" and bought this amazing Macaron kit inspired by the lovely Kim of Oh Sweet Joy! I'm drooling over the perfection and deliciousness of her gingerbread and mint chocolate Macaron's. So yummy looking!

Here are a couple favorite recipes for the holidays. These are definitely all on my "to-bake" list!

1// Christmas Cookies - Loreta Blog
2// Butterscotch Pot de Creme - Noel Barnhurst
3// Eggnog Shooters - Hostess with the Mostess
4// Frosted Orange Cookies with Pistachio - Zucker Zimt und Liebe
5// Eggnog Muffins - Acute Designs
6// Cider Caramel Apple Pie - PinLaVie
7// White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread - Better Homes & Gardens
8// Kitchen Sink Cookies - Paula Deen
9// White Chocolate Cinnamon Pretzels - Your Cup of Cake
10// Coconut Nutmeg Pudding - Pastry Affair

What are your favorite things to bake during the holidays? 12 Days of Christmas Cheer is almost at an end! Tomorrow will be our last day. Be sure to check out Jenny's blog later today for some of her favorite family recipes. :)

CHEER: CHRISTMAS WISH-LIST

Have I mentioned that "Gifts" is one of my love languages? While I do love receiving gifts, especially thoughtful ones, I love giving gifts even more! One of my favorite things to do each Christmas is start a gift list for my family and friends. I love to take notes of little things they mention so I can get them something they really love. Presentation is also really important! I love carefully wrapping each gift and watching them open their presents. I'm of course the one on Christmas morning wanting everyone to take turns opening one gift at a time. ;)

Here are a couple things on my Christmas wish-list this year:

1// Chunky Stripe Snood - Dorothy Perkins
2// Black Suede Boots - Zappos
3// Prismatic Post Earrings - Urban Outfitters
4// Phone Lens Set - Photojojo
5// Moleskine Planner - Chronicle Books
6// Holiday Tea Samples - David's Tea
7// Sparkle Bobbi Set - Shop Bando
8// Stendig Calendar - Need Supply Co.
9// Hilarious iPhone Case - Kate Spade

What's on your Christmas wish-list this year?? Checkout Jenny's Christmas wish-list on her blog later today! And be sure to follow along with 12 Days of Christmas Cheer on our Facebook page!

CHEER: WREATH DIY

This year for our Christmas wreath, I wanted to make something simple, natural, and easy! I'm the type of DIYer that likes quick and simple projects. My favorite type of DIY projects are the ones that only need one picture. :) Since I've really been into the natural look for our home, I decided to make a holiday wreath from plant clipping in our back yard and left-over crafting feathers. After clipping my plant pieces, it took about 5 minutes to put together! I love that you can easily replace the plants with new ones throughout the season to make a quick wreath that looks pretty inside and outside. :)

For day 9 of Christmas Cheer Jenny and I will be sharing with you two different and simple wreath DIYs for the holidays! See Jenny's wreath here later today! Can you believe its already over a week into December? Before we know it we'll be writing 2013 on everything.

S U P P L I E S 1// Branch wreath base. I bought mine from Michael's. I love the traditional round wreath shape but decided to go with this oval shape instead. It's a good shape for plant arrangements. 2// Found objects from around your home and backyard. 3// Floral wire.

S T E P S 1// Arrange objects on your wreath however you like. 2 // Use floral wire to secure anything that's loose. 3// Hang up your new wreath inside or outside! Just make sure it's out of reach of your furry friends, since some plants like holly can be poisonous.

Three days of Christmas Cheer left! Follow along on our Facebook page!