BEAUTY: CHRISTMAS HAUL

I've mentioned this before but I LOVE gifts. It's one of my top love languages and it always means so much to me when someone gives me something thoughtful. I also LOVE giving gifts, wrapping them, watching people open them. I get so giddy and it's my favorite part of any birthday celebration and one of my favorite things about Christmas. I find myself getting so addicted to some of my favorite beauty gurus on YouTube and their "Christmas Loot" videos that I thought it would be fun to feature a few favorites that I received during Christmastime! Also, I'm super excited to be featuring a couple of great companies that make top-notch goodies! 

Of course Christmas isn't all about gifts, but having a spirit of giving, and loving on those close to you through giving, whether that be a heartfelt letter or pair of earrings from their wish-list is so fun! :) 

PRODUCTS MENTIONED

* Western Cutout Boots - Forever 21 // http://bit.ly/1g1ROWR

* Filtered Water Bottle - Black + Blume // http://tinyurl.com/782r8br 

* Gold Sugar Perfume - Pink Sugar // http://bit.ly/1eWBIBc

* Royal Jelly Body Butter - Savannah Bee // http://tinyurl.com/kx7r3vs

* Travel America Calendar - Rifle Paper Co. // http://tinyurl.com/pwqzbyj

* Charlie Diaper Bag - Timi & Leslie // http://tinyurl.com/m6kthuo

* Master Class Palette II - Smashbox // http://bit.ly/1hVObCT 

What was one of your most favorite, treasured or thoughtful gifts you gave or received for Christmas?

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A QUICK HELLO!

Hello, friends! I hope all of you had a wonderful, warm, and magical Christmas. I have loved taking a much needed break during this season and am really looking forward to the rest of my time off. :) Just wanted to stop in and say a quick hello!! Jon and I had a wonderful Christmas together and we are making plans to go out of town to see family this weekend for one more Christmas celebration!

I'll be back soon with regularly scheduled posting and some fun things to bring in the new year! Love all of you and am so thankful for each of you. Thank you for being such wonderful readers and supporting my blog!!

Tell me how your Christmas was!!

BEAUTY: SPARKLY LINER TUTORIAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

I have always been a glitter lovin' girl at heart. No matter what style phase I find myself in, I'm always drawn to sparkle. My favorite way to incorporate a little shine into my everyday look is by adding in little touches. Of course every now and then you might as well rock the sequin pants right? Christmas is the perfect time to bring out the glitter and one of my go-to ways of doing that during the holidays is with a little glitter liner. I love using glitter liner over a pot of glitter because it really stays put beautifully and doesn't get all over your cheekbones and counter top. ;) Check out my quick glitter liner tutorial to help you out with a fun look for all of your holiday parties!



PRODUCTS MENTIONED
* Stay All Day Waterproof Liner in Carbon Black - Stila
* Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Midnight Cowboy - Urban Decay
* Flawless Definition Mascara - BareMinerals

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!!

Proudly a partner of the Pushpin TV Network. Like their Facebook page here for more videos on fashion, beauty, DIY, and cooking! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here! 

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY!

If you've been a reader of my blog for any amount of time, you might have caught on that my FAVORITE holiday of all time is Christmas! I'm such a child at heart when it comes to Christmastime. I love everything about it. While I'm not the best at DIYs or recipes, I DO love gifts! I couldn't let this Christmas go by without doing something special to celebrate Christmas! :) SO in celebration, I am hosting a giveaway brought to you by my amazing sponsors!! There are over $300 worth of gifts and prizes included in this ONE giveaway bundle! Keep some for yourself and give others away to family and friends!! See all of the giveaway details below!

G I V E A W A Y  I T E M S
1 // $25 Gift Card to the Run 2 The Wild shop! - Sponsored by Courtney of Run 2 The Wild
2 // $25 Gift Card to LUSH Cosmetics - Sponsored by Me
3 // 15-Piece Christmas Collection Chocolate Box - Sponsored by Amanda of Pavonia Patisserie
4 // $25 Platinum & Rust Gift Card - Sponsored by Leah of Platinum & Rust
5 // A Year of Magic eCourse - Sponsored by Stephanie of Stylings & Stories
6 // Personalized Copper Keychain - Sponsored by Kelly of Your Charmed Life
7 // Drybar VIP Pack - Sponsored by Kym of Travel Babbles
8 // Harajuku Bow Necklace - Sponsored by Jacquie of Shade of a Bonsai
9 // Surprise Christmas Gift Box $25 Value - Sponsored by Eliza of Case Study
10 // Monogrammed Pullover - Sponsored by Britt of The Fisk Files
11 // $25 Gift Card to Shepard's Daughter - Sponsored by Rachel of Shepard's Daughter 
12 // Personalized Notecard Set - Sponsored by Andi of AP Design

T H E  D E T A I L S
One winner will be selected at random to win ALL 12 prizes, a $300 value! Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Giveaway will be run using rafflecopter. There are 2 required entries and several bonus entry options! Best wishes to you and a very Merry Christmas!!!! :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DECEMBER WISHLIST

This year for Christmas I decided to include a couple practical/useful items on my wishlist. I've had my eye on a lot of mommy goodness for Christmastime and I've been trying to think of things to help me prepare for little Soren's arrival. :) -- I've done a little Christmas shopping so far and I really need to get my butt into gear and finish up!

1// Timi & Leslie Diaper Bag 2// Rifle Paper Co. Weekly Desk Pad 3// Happier at Home & Bringing Up Bebe 4// Fossil Watch 5// Pocket Journal 6// Solly Baby Wrap 7// Smashbox Masterclass Palette    

What's on your Christmas wishlist?? :)

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!

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.

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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!

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!

CHEER: DINNER PARTY

Last Saturday, Jon and I hosted our first dinner party. I set a goal to finish my dining room decorating on December 1st so we could host it in our newly decorated space. We ended up pushing two tables together and fit 12 people in our space. Everyone brought a side dish and we had a feast! This may sound silly, but I felt like such an adult! We all dressed up, lit candles, I pulled out our best dinnerware and we had a fancy meal all together as friends.

I love celebrating the holidays with my family, but there's something special about being able to celebrate with your community as well. :) I am STOKED that our dining room is finally done! If you've been following along on my Project Condo series you know it's taken me some time. I haven't revealed the final photos yet, but I will very soon! For our dinner party, I was able to use some of the fancier things we haven't been able to use yet. I love how the whole setting looked. It was Christmasy, simple, and just enough "adult". ;)

For the table setting, Jon helped me cut out place-mats from kraft wrapping paper that I picked up from Target and Jenny wrote everyone's name on the side. This was a clever way to assign seats and make it look pretty. I got the idea from Chelsea of Oh My Deer who made a similar handmade place-mat and loved the idea! It's a lot less expensive than buying 12 place-mats. I was also tempted to buy these tear off paper place-mats at West Elm, which I might end up doing later, but liked this idea for the party better.

Because I didn't have quite enough silverware for everyone to have the branch flatware setting, I decided to mix and match what I had to give it a more collected look. I did the same thing with the glasses too. I had purchased around 20 random glasses (some mason and some jam jars) from thrift stores for one of Jenny's showers when she was engaged and I loved how they were all different, but looked great together. I've used these glasses on so many occasions! Definitely worth the hunt!!

I decided to decorate the table with pieces I already had around the house, plus a little glam. I bought the gold candle wreath from Michael's and used holly from the backyard to decorate the table. I love how everything came together. The dinner party totally made me want to start one of those dinner clubs and make a fancy meal every month...maybe even a themed dinner night?? Ah! That would be so fun!

Dinnerware & Decor Found Here: 1// Organic Dinner Plates - West Elm 2// Salt & Pepper Shakers - Gneiss Spices 3// Faux Antler - Z Gallerie 4// Branch Flatware - West Elm 5// Silverware - Gift 6// Blue Glass - Anthropologie 7// Mason Mug - Thrifted

Do you throw dinner parties during the holidays?? What is your favorite thing to cook? How do you like to decorate the table? Oh, and while you're answering those questions, be sure to check out my friend Gina's farm to table Thanksgiving on her blog. Best idea ever!

You can follow along with 12 Days of Christmas Cheer on the Maiedae Facebook page! Also, be sure to check out how Jenny sets her table on her blog later today! Happy weekend, friends!

CHEER: TRADITIONS PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

I think one of the things that makes the holidays so special is the traditions surrounding them. Traditions can make beautiful memories, they can be something passed down from older generations, or made up. They can be serious or random and silly, which tend to by my favorite. ;) If you asked my friends if I was a traditional type of person they would most likely tell you no...they would probably say that I like making things my own and tend to lean away from tradition. However, when it comes to family and deep friendships, I love the traditions that can be created around them, especially during Christmastime.

For day 7 of Christmas Cheer I'll be sharing some of my favorite traditions; past, present and future. See Jenny's traditions on her blog later this evening!

Photo Via

P A S T
* Growing up, every Christmas morning we had to stay in our beds until our parents woke us up. We would always wake up SUPER early and be so excited about Christmas morning. Sometimes my little brother and sister would sneak into my room and we would all wait together in our PJs anticipating the moment. In order to wake us up, my dad would turn on Christmas music as loud as possible and scream, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!". That was our cue to run downstairs. That is one of my favorite memories. My dad still does it now even though my parents are nearly empty-nesters. ;)
* On Christmas Eve, instead of having a huge, fancy meal, my family would order pizza and buy a couple of different sodas. This is not often revealed to others, but while enjoying our pizza, we would have a burping contest. Classy, huh? ;) I never won, but my mom and sister are the reigning champs.
* The night before Christmas, we would all snuggle together and watch a Christmas movie. Before I got married, the traditional movie was The Polar Express. After watching the movie, my dad would read about the birth of Jesus in the Bible and then tell us to head to bed. I might have been the only teenager that could hardy sleep on Christmas night and CONSTANTLY had Christmas dreams!!

P R E S E N T
* Now that I've been married for nearly three years, Jon and I have begun building our own traditions during the holidays. One thing we started doing was dedicating all of Christmas Eve to being together. We make a yummy breakfast, watch Christmas movies, go out to eat and late at night open gifts from each other. This is our special time to be together, just the two of us. :)
* On Christmas morning, we drive over to my parents' house to celebrate Christmas with my family and then after lunchtime, we head over to his parents' house to celebrate Christmas with them. I love that his family and my family are only 5 minutes apart!
* My mother-in-law is fabulous at giving gifts and wrapping them! When I first started dating Jon, I always admired how beautiful her gifts looked. They were all wrapped so delicately and had ornaments and big bows all over. Every year for the past couple years, we've gone wrapping paper shopping together. We grab a coffee and hit the stores looking for our favorite gift wrapping "look" for the season. I love how it motivates me to spend time wrapping and making our gifts look snazzy.

F U T U R E
* One day, when Jon and I decide to start a family, I would love to start a tradition of building a tent on the first night we put up our tree and camping out in the living room. We'll watch Christmas movies, drink cocoa, and tell stories. I can't wait. :)
* I would love to celebrate Advent with our Children. Create activities and read stories to go along with it to help them learn and enjoy Christmas. I think it would be fun to make our own Advent decorations each year.
* The night before Christmas, I would love for my family to open one present and that present be a pair of fancy PJs. Everyone can put on their PJs and we'll all cuddle up and watch a Christmas movie together before sending them to bed. I think I might like to wake them up like my parents did for me as a kid too. :)

I'm looking forward to creating more traditions with my husband and even more when we start a little family. What are some of your favorite holiday traditions??

Tomorrow is baking day! Jenny and I are getting together early in the morning to bake some cookies to give out for Christmas. I'm for sure breaking out the aprons! ;)

CHEER: DRESS UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS

I love an excuse to dress up. Being in my mid-twenties and working full-time doesn't always provide a lot of opportunities to put on a fun dress and rock a little glitz. During Christmastime, Jon and I end up having a handful of Christmas parties to attend between our two jobs. This year, I've really been leaning towards black and gold for holiday wear. I've always had a soft side for a little shine and glitter. I can't deny it. ;)

Tips on Dressing Up for the Holidays:
* Rock an over-sized scarf, snood, or wrap so you can still show off your outfit and feel warm. I love how Anna of In Honor of Design wears her fur snood for the holidays. Very classic and glamorous.
* Try a sock bun or a new hair-do! This was my first attempt at "sock-bunning". My hair has gotten to that way too long to manage stage so I wanted to try a simple up-do. I was pleased to see that the sock bun didn't look too crazy with naturally curly hair like mine, since I usually see it done with straight hair. This look is easy AND feels dressy. Try your own sock bun here.
* Be yourself. I think sometimes it's a little tricky making your personal sense of style into something more fancy if your personal style isn't too fancy to begin with. Add elements of what you like to your little black dress. Incorporate your favorite pair of shoes, jewelry, and a fun nail color.

Outift Details: 1// Over-sized Scarf - Target 2// Gold Top - Forever21 3// High Low Skirt - American Eagle 4// Gold Dot Tights - American Eagle 5// Leather Boots - c/o Blowfish Shoes 

What are some of your favorite fancy things to wear during the holidays??

Thanks so much for following along with 12 Days of Christmas Cheer!! Jenny will be sharing some outfit inspiration later today on her blog! We are 6 days in and still have 6 days of Christmas Cheer blogging ahead! Follow along on our Facebook page here.

CHEER: DECORATE FOR CHRISTMAS

Every year after Thanksgiving I look forward to the "a-okay" from my husband to start decorating for Christmas. This year, Jon surprised me with a real tree. We bought a pre-lit tree before we got married and used it for two years, but this year I had my heart set on a real one. We went to a little tree farm in Georgia that our families go to get their trees and picked out our very own. It's beautiful. Just a few glittering lights and a handful of collected ornaments. We love it and so do the cats. ;)

This Christmas is also the first Christmas that we have a fireplace for our stockings! It's probably one of my favorite things about our new place. We set up a fire as often as possible now that the weather is getting cooler. :) For day 5 of Christmas Cheer, Jenny and I wanted to share with you a couple snapshots of our Christmas decorating. I'll be sharing my mantel decorations and Jenny will be sharing her beautiful Christmas tree and DIY tree skirt later today. :) 

When decorating my mantel, I went for a more "neutral Christmas" look. I reused a fall inspired mobile DIY to add some texture to the wall, stuck some candles in a few of my collected bottles, used spare Christmas tree branches to add a touch of nature and a few of my favorite pieces from around the house. 

A couple tips when decorating your home for Christmas:

* Use natural pieces from around your yard or from your tree. I re-used the extra Christmas tree branches all around my condo, cut a couple pieces of holly from outside to decorate, and used some of the pine cones I picked up from work. 

* Candles are an easy way to add warmth to any corner of your home. Since Jon is sensitive to strong scents, I usually stick with the simple white candles and let them sit out alone or put them in decorative candle holders. 

* If you're having a difficult time decorating an area of your home, try decorating it by a color palette and picking things from around your home that compliment that color combination. 

* Once you've decorated a space, step back and see if you like the way it looks as a whole in your room. Maybe take a couple things out or rearrange it until it feels right. My favorite thing to do is to get help from Jenny so another pair of eyes can take a look at it and offer suggestions.

* And most importantly, have fun. :) 

What are some of your holiday decorating tips?? :) Feel free to follow along with my Christmas pin board to get more inspiration AND please share your pin board in the comment section below. :)

CHEER: PHOTOS FOR CHRISTMASTIME

One thing that I've always wanted to do, and just started doing this year, is taking family photos for Christmas. Jon and I talked about it when we first got married, but always ended up waiting until the last minute. This year we had our friend Danielle from Valimont Photography snap some holiday pictures for us a couple weeks ago. I love how they turned out and I'm so thankful that we took the time to get our pictures taken. While I love photographing my life and can usually be found with my camera by my side, photos of Jon and I together don't happen very often. Sometimes paying a friend and//or professional photographer for 30 minutes of their time is totally worth it. :)

For today's 12 Days of Christmas Cheer, I'm sharing some family photo inspiration for Christmastime! It's not too late to get your family together to snap a couple shots to put in your Christmas cards. ;)

Photos Found Here: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Tips on getting a good family photo:
1. If it's just you and your significant other, try setting up your camera on a tripod and using a self timer. I might even suggest buying an inexpensive wireless shutter release for your camera so you can easily snap pictures. For bigger families or if you don't have a good camera to shoot with, consider asking a friend with a DSLR to take some photos of you. :)
2. It's always best to take photos in natural lighting. Outside is even better, especially if it's a little overcast. Using a flash can appear harsh, but capturing the soft glow of lights inside or sharing your Christmas tree buying experience outside is the best for beautiful photos.
3. Get in your element. If you and your family are adventurers or bookworms, show that in your picture! Have fun and don't feel like you have to be too posed.
4. Use props! Sometimes it's easier to get into the photo taking spirit when you have a couple props. Try making your own Christmas sign, wrapping each other up in lights or wearing fun hats. Don't you just love the one of the kids on the chalkboard floor above? So clever!
5. Leave room for text. If you would like your photo to have text designed over it or plan to use something like TinyPrints to create your Christmas cards, make sure some of your photo options have a lot of space on one side, just have your photographer zoom out a little more so you can edit it how you like. :)

This year, I decided to design my own cards and took one of the pictures from our shoot and did a simple text treatment over it. We got our photos printed via Shutterfly and will be handwriting cards and putting the photos in each envelope. This turned out to be very affordable! Do you take family photos each year for Christmas? If so, what were some of your favorite photo taking memories and tips?? Be sure to check out Jenny's blog later today to get some great Christmas card inspiration. :)

Just in case you missed it, check out some of our other Christmas Cheer posts and be sure to follow along on our Facebook page!
Day 1: Advent Calendar DIY - Here + Jenny's
Day 2: Our Favorite Christmas Movies & Music - Here + Jenny's
Day 3: Snow Globe DIY + Homemade Marshmallow's 

CHEER: FOREST IN A JAR DIY

Welcome to the third day of Christmas Cheer! Today's theme is "playing in the snow", and since we don't usually get snow in Atlanta, Jenny and I decided to share two snow related DIYs with you. :)

Growing up near Seattle, Washington, we always had lots of snow during the holidays. I remember grabbing our laundry basket and sledding down the hills at our apartment complex with my little brother and sister. We loved making snowmen and measuring how high the snow would get in one night. When I moved to Georgia on my 8th birthday, I was always disappointed in the lack of snow, but I've learned to really appreciate the little flurries and snow we get now and then. The ice storms...not so much. ;) This year, I'm not crossing my fingers for snow since we had a 72 degree day yesterday. It's feeling more like fall then winter right now. But maybe we'll get a couple flurries?!

Jon has been wanting to take me on a skiing trip to Colorado sometime. I would LOVE to go and see all of the snow covered mountains and stay in a cabin with a huge fireplace...that's definitely on our "before we have kids" list...and also maybe on our "after we have kids" list too. :)

For this DIY, I was inspired by all of the beautiful homemade snow-globes I've seen lately. I liked the idea of making a water-less display so I wouldn't have to deal with the potential messes. I also like that these are easily something you can make very detailed and intricate or just keep them simple like I did.

Supplies// For these mini forests, I used mason jars from around the house, bought light blue transparent glass paint from Martha Stewart, fake snow, white glitter, mini Christmas trees, and used a hot glue gun. You can also use mini animals or Christmas scenes to decorate your forest.

Steps// 1. Paint the outside of your jars with transparent glass paint. This just gives it a little bit of a blue tone and blurs the glass so it has a neat "blizzard" look. I did this for two of the three jars. Put jars in the oven on 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool. 2. Hot glue trees, animals and other found objects to the lid or bottom of your jar. I like to alternate between the two. 3. Sprinkle in glitter and fake snow. If you shake the jar a little, the fake snow will stick to the sides and look like it's falling. 4. This is my favorite part. For the jars with the forests at the bottom of the jar, take the lid and dab hot glue to the bottom of the lid to create glue strands. Delicately dip the hot glue strands in fake snow to make it look like it's snowing. This took a little bit of time and patience, but turned out beautifully.

If you're in the snow globe making mood, check out these other DIYs. :)
* Snowy Diorama - Martha Stewart
* DIY Wintery Snow-globes - The Paper Mama
* Holiday Snow-globe - Apartment Therapy 

Also, be sure to check out Jenny's homemade Marshmallow recipe on her blog later today! You can follow along with our 12 Days of Christmas Cheer on Facebook and with the hashtag #12DaysofCheer. :) Happy Monday!

CHEER: MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES + MUSIC

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One of my favorite things to do during Christmas is cozy up with my husband and watch Christmas movies, or eat dinner over the tunes of my favorite Christmas songs. For me, there's nothing quite like a classic movie or song to put me in the Christmas spirit. This year, while Jon and I decorated our Christmas tree, we put on our all time favorite holiday movie, Scrooged, with Bill Murray. I cannot express to you how hilarious I find this movie. I love it! Jon and I love showing this movie to friends who've never seen it before. We've been able to convince a couple people that it's their new favorite Christmas movie too. ;)

And for the first time today, I watched Christmas Vacation. I'm ashamed to say I've never seen it before! How did this happen? It was hilarious and Chevy Chase is insane! It's so funny to watch him in Community and then see him in Christmas Vacation. :) For today's 12 Days of Christmas Cheer, we decided to share our favorite Christmas movies and songs. :) Later today, checkout Jenny's blog to see her choices!

Favorite Christmas movies: 1// The Santa Clause 2// Elf 3// Scrooged 4// The Grinch 5// Home Alone Favorite Christmas Songs: 1// "Pennies from Heaven" - Louis Prima 2// "White Christmas" - Bing Crosby 3// "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Frank Sinatra 4// "Santa Baby" - Marilyn Monroe 5// "Carol of the Bells" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

What are your favorite Christmas movies and songs?? Please share in the comments below! And don't forget to follow along with our Christmas Cheer series on our Facebook page!

CHEER: ADVENT CALENDAR DIY

Today is the first day of Christmas Cheer! AND the first day of December. Tonight I'm having a group of couples come over and Jon and I are hosting our first holiday dinner party. I woke up extra early to make my traditional Oreo cheesecake goodness. There will be fancy table settings, bread rolls, champagne, turkey, potatoes...I can't wait! Tricky part is, I only have a table that seats 6 and there will be 12 people dining with us this evening, but Jon and I are grabbing the fold out table from upstairs and putting together two tables of 6. It'll be a little squishy, but the yummy food and friends will make up for it. :)

This is the first year I decided to make my own advent calendar. In the past, I've picked up one from Target, stuck a few pieces of candy behind the doors and ended up forgetting about it. This year I was inspired by so many beautiful pins on Pinterest and Jenny's handmade advent calendar (which you can see over on her blog later today!), that I just had to give it a shot and make my own.

I was originally inspired by an advent calendar DIY on The Marion House Book because of the simplicity and organic feel. I decided to take supplies I already had to create my own.

Supplies// For this advent calendar I used a piece of plywood I've had sitting next to a bunch of boxes for months. I had intentions of doing something with it sooner, but decided it would be a perfect piece for an advent piece. To match the look of my home, I stained it. You'll also need 25 nails, paper tags and found objects that can be turned into ornaments. I also picked up a letter and number screen print pack via Martha Stewart from Michael's craft store and some gold paint.

Steps// 1. Stain or paint your wood. Let it dry overnight. 2. Number 25 tags//paper with the color of your choice. Since I don't love my painting skills, I just used a screen printing pack and they all turned out beautifully. 3. Gather 25 ornaments. I used things I found outside, mini ornaments I already had, cinnamon sticks and bells. Put them all on twine. 4. Evenly nail 25 nails onto your board. It helps to use a measuring tape and make dots where you want the nails to go, so everything looks even before nailing it in. 5. Hang your tags and ornaments on the calendar! 6. Each day you can either turn over a number or place the ornament on your tree. :)

I'm also loving these advent calendar DIYs: 
* Mini Tree Advent Calendar by Oh happy Day
* Magnetic Holiday Advent by Twig & Thistle
* Simple Advent Calendar by Charm Stitch 

Happy first day of Advent and happy first day of Christmas Cheer! You can follow along on our Facebook page where we will be posting each post from my blog and Jenny's blog and adding additional pictures. You can also follow along on Twitter and Instagram with our hashtag #12DaysofCheer. Are you as excited as I am about the holidays!?

TWELVE DAYS OF CHEER!

Starting tomorrow, we will be celebrating 12 days of Christmas Cheer! Jenny and I will be blogging each day to bring you a daily dose of holiday inspiration. We'll be sharing our favorite DIYs, recipes, and Christmas traditions. Each day will be themed and you'll get a post from my perspective here and a post from Jenny's perspective on her blog. Ready!? Grab some cocoa, turn up the Bing Crosby...let's get into the Christmas spirit!

The Christmas Cheer Bucket List
* December, Saturday 1st - Make an advent calendar
* December, Sunday 2nd - Listen to Christmas music & watch our favorite movies
* December, Monday 3rd - Play in the snow
* December, Tuesday 4th - Make Christmas cards
* December, Wednesday 5th - Decorate our home
* December, Thursday 6th - Dress up for a Christmas party
* December, Friday 7th - Traditions past, present & future
* December, Saturday 8th - Host a party and decorate our tables
* December, Sunday 9th - Make a wreath
* December, Monday 10th - Put together our Christmas wishlist
* December, Tuesday 11th - Bake goodies
* December, Wednesday 12th - Reflect

We can't wait for you to join us! Merry Christmas!!

GIVEAWAY: THREE TREASURES (CLOSED)

Today is a perfect day for a giveaway! I'm so excited to not only giveaway these great items, but introduce you to some new shops for the holidays! Jon and I started our Christmas shopping this week and we are hoping to get finished by next week. I've got a couple of special friends already checked off my list, but I still have the challenge of finding the perfect gift for my dad and father-in-law. Why are dads so hard to buy for? ;) To celebrate the Christmas shopping season, enter to win three gifts from three different shops to keep for yourself or give to someone you love. :)

1// Needle Felted Bernie the Bear Wooly by Handmade by Brynne ---> "In my eyes, life is about the little things. It’s so wonderful to see the joy that my little needle felted creations can bring someone. Everyone can appreciate something adorable and handmade. Working with wool is my artistic expression and I love bringing my designs to life." Taylar not only makes adorable little creatures in her shop; but she also make ornaments, cat toys, and nature inspired treasures. Too cute for words! Be sure to check out Taylar's blog and shop while you're on the hunt for unique Christmas gifts!

2// Surprise Package by Fair Ivy ---> "Fair ivy is a subscription company that delivers happiness—our customers receive beautiful, handmade gifts for women in the mail each month. Each one is sent by an individual crafter who lovingly creates and wraps the goodie so that even the experience of opening each one of our packages is a special treat. We send 2-4 new handmade gifts every single month, so that the surprise excitement never ends." This could be one of the best Christmas gift ideas ever. If someone you love has a thing for handmade, buy her a subscription to Fair Ivy! I love how each package is wrapped so carefully and the excitement of not knowing what's in it is the best. ;) ALSO, use coupon code: MAIEDAE5 to get $5.00 off a one-month order!

3// Print (winner's choice) by AW Photography ---> "A fashion portraiture and wedding photographer by day, I am almost always taking photos of people! While traveling or enjoying the little beauties of my home in California, however, I find much joy in photographing vast landscapes and small details. My prints are little captures of my life and surroundings to share." I love the slightly haunting style of her photography. So beautiful! See more of AW Photography on her blog!

Want to win!? Here's how to enter:

MAIN ENTRY
Leave a comment telling me one of your favorite places to shop for Christmas gifts.

BONUS ENTRIES (please leave one comment per entry)
1. "Like" Maiedae on Facebook.
2. Share the giveaway on Twitter!

One winner will be selected at random and announced within a week. Giveaway is open internationally. Best of luck and happy holiday shopping!! :)

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Congratulations #3, Brittany of Itsy Bitty Things! Please email me at Savannah@maiedae.com with your shipping information. :)