Lovely, Useful, Just Plain Awesome Last Minute Gifts To Give (Or Get)

image via elle.com

If in the off chance that you, like me, are a thrill seeker (procrastinator) and prefer to save a bulk of your holiday shopping for the very. last. minute., I have a few gifty ideas that with the help of seriously expidited shipping could be in your loved one's hands (your hands, who are we kidding) by Christmas day. Jump over here for some seriously chic DIY gift wrap ideas and you're all set.

Living on the edge is fun, yes?

Full disclosure: I have no idea how Regime des Fleurs Water/Wood and Turquoise smells, but it sports the prettiest bottle of all time. Your most discerning pal will think you hung the moon when she unwraps this bad boy.

I love the idea of gifting a cluster of brass candlesticks to your favorite ambiance-loving bud. I'd kick things off with a quick swing by the thrift store for some vintage numbers (they always have them) and then round things out with a few of these gold numbers from World Market (the medium is still available, and it's on sale + free shipping for Christmas. Hurry!) 

For your foodie friends, a sculptural black marble cheese board (+ a big block of stinky fromage and some tart jam) is a guaranteed win. I love these beauties from The Mansion, but have seen equally lovely ones in store at William Sonoma and Crate and Barrel. (For you local Dallas peeps, I was at Bel Air Home yesterday and they had a lovely cache as well.)

Here's a secret: everyone loves a delicate layering necklace. Everyone. My friend Christine makes the prettiest. Full stop.

Ok, ok, this one's for me. Husband, if you're reading this, you can snap up one of these Seletti Eusapia hybrid dish at J.Crew (just one, as I'm planning to pop this loveliness into a shadow box, hang it on the wall, and call it a day). And you're in luck, as the J. Crew is another v. kind retailer meeting the needs of the seriously time challenged with free shipping and guaranteed holiday delivery.

In return, I will buy you (myself) a nice set of hand-painted ceramic sake cups and a giant bottle of tasty sake to toast making it to Christmas Eve with our sanity intact (because wine is so 2013).

You could do some bulk shopping action (not usually my M.O., but desperate times...) and get all your favorite kiddos (and nautical loving grown ups) this seriously cool sailing ship kit. (I used a white one in an install recently, and it was incredibly pretty.)

Last but not least, how about a brass hex pot (also available locally at Bel Air Home) + a snake plant for your least horticulturally inclined pal (because you just can't kill a snake plant).

Happy shopping friends!

Holiday Gifts for Art Loving Peeps

Sarah Lyon's "Next Door, Stephen's Studio" -- So achingly beautiful; Your Victorian lit obsessed sister needs this. 

Alex Yudzon's "Mr. Tickle" -- I want this one. Bad. So does your cheeky best friend. 

Claire Colette's "Night Moves" -- This has your minimalist brother-in-law's name all over it. 

Lucia Simek's "Cleft" -- Your mom is wishing for marble counter tops, but you're giving her art instead. Hello, best. daughter. ever. 

Andrew Zarou's "Sibelius Tree" -- The fun pop of color would help ignite the art bug in your babysitter.

If you happen to be one of those people that, despite best intentions, doesn't really start shopping for holiday gifts until the 23rd hour (or day) then, friends, you've come to the right place. (Oh and we're kindred spirits.)

All those awesome late November gift guides seem like a distant memory to me by the time I get around to procuring the perfect presents for my loved ones. And when I do remember one, I end up clicking on a link only to find out that all the (incredibly smart) early birds out there have rendered said item unavailable. What's a holiday gift slacker to do?

So for my fellow procrastinators out there, I'm going to share some gifty things this week that might come in handy as you get your shop on.

First up, some rather awesome (and affordable) art. I've mentioned Grove and Ceremony here on the blog before, as they always curate such an amazing group of artists. And yet again, they did not disappoint. All of the pieces above are available as 8x10 prints for $50. Pop one into a frame and you're officially the coolest and most cultured gift giver of all time.

Done and done.

Five Mother's Day-ish Things To Give (Or Get)

I love me some Mother's Day, friends, I'm not gonna lie. I mean, let's face it, for 364 days a year we mamas are housekeeper, short-order cook, nurse, counselor, cruise director, tutor, et al. So it's pretty great to have one day when your family serves you coffee in bed, gives you little homemade cards professing their undying devotion, takes you to brunch, and lets you lounge around all day reading magazines and watching Girls on the Netflix, yes?

Herewith the five things I'd be happy to receive alongside my cup--o-jo come Sunday:

1. The Glow: An Inspiring Guide to Stylish Motherhood: The immensely lovely website branches out to the non-virtual world with a gorgeous new tome. Want.

2. Beagle Agua De Perfume: I spritzed this on my arm the last time I was in Steven Alan (despite the doggy name), and it did not disappoint. It's billed as a scent "inspired by the voyages of the HMS Beagle with fragrances of floral and wood with hints of gunpowder and rum mellowed by the sweet masculine fragrance of mahogany and copper." Ummm...ok. All I know is it smells amaze.

3. Julie Cohn Bronze Dome Ring: I wear a stack of Julie's artful, sculptural rings every. single. day. But on more minimal days, I'd just wear this chunky beauty and let things roll.

4. Clare Vivier Cognac Messenger: Oh Clare, You can do no wrong. Never mind that I already have two of her messengers. This one is the perfect shade of tan, and it's lined. Done and done.

5. Michele Quan Thrown Bell: I'm a sucker for any and all pottery. Full stop. And Michele's bells are all Big Sur meets Helsinki ceramic goodness. I'd hang this in the thatch of bamboo outside our bedroom window and be happy every time I clamped eyes on it.

Gift Guide-apalooza...

Audrey and I worked together on selecting our favorite gifts for an 8-year-old girl over on tada! shop.



My round-up of favorite gifts for all the inspiring ladies in your life over on Etsy...



And last but not least a few things I'd love to give (or get) over on modern eve.

I think there's a bit of an art to selecting a (really) good gift... You have to channel the recipient and home in on what they truly love, what makes them tick, what delights them. But to really get it right, I would propose there's a bit of "soothsaying" required, as the best gift (in my humble opinion) is something you really didn't know how much you'd love (use, need) until the giver presented it to you.

Can you tell I put a lot of thought into this whole gift-giving enterprise? (I might be a bit gift obsessed. I'm not going to lie.)

So I was really excited when the fantastic folks at Etsy, the lovely ladies at tada! shop, and my friend Katie of Modern Eve asked me to share some favorite gifts this year... I had a blast pulling the respective guides together, sleuthing out lovely things for kiddos (actually Audrey's responsible for that guide) and besties alike, so in lieu of doing a full-blown gift guide here on Simple Lovely this year, I thought I'd share these with you guys.

I also thought it would be fun (and according to my Mother, helpful to my family ;-) to share what I'm wishing for this year. Here goes...

My Wish List:

My list clockwise from top: Heath Studio Mugs, Cy Twombly: Fifty Years of Works on Paper, Odette Arrow Ring (I'm working on my own "stack"), CV Leopard Fold-Over Clutch

So...What's on your list this year??

A Question, Some Internet Loveliness and The Joy of Clementines...

First the question...

Let's say there was a certain necklace that you'd been "stalking" for a while...now let's say that you're on the site where said necklace is sold doing some last minute Christmas shopping for your two daughters when you notice that the necklace is hugely on sale.

Hugely.

Would it be bad to throw it into your shopping cart as a gift for yourself even though you're supposed to be buying gifts for other people?

Just wondering, because I may have done that. Maybe ;-)


And speaking of gifts...I pulled together a little gift guide for iVillage a couple of weeks ago (above) and shortly after, I received a note from the (incredibly) generous Alice Q. Foodie wondering if I would like her copy of The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper (which was on my list), as she doesn't use it anymore.

I said yes (!), and she sent it my way (along with a pretty card and some sweet stickers for the girlies), and I've been buried in it ever since.

That Alice is awfully lovely + amazing, yes?

image via roland bello...and clearly it's one of my favorite images, as it's now been on my blog three different times (first here and then here)...

And finally there are the Clementines...the ones that we wait to buy until December 1st every year because it makes them feel special and rare and slightly unattainable in an age where nothing really feels rare or unattainable anymore.

I wrote about the special things we save for the holidays over at Say Yes to Hoboken for Liz's fantastic "Blognog" series today...

Is there anything special you save for December?

A Few Random Bits...

So I had to share the lovely little family "surprise party" that Audrey and Bryan orchestrated for me on Tuesday... Audrey picked out and arranged all the decorations (balloons and party hats and noise makers), and then made everyone hide when I got home from work so they could properly surprise me.

It was so perfectly sweet and mellow. One of my nicest birthdays ever...

And on the gift front, there was this necklace from hubby. Oh my, I love this necklace...


And lovely flowers...

And Handcrafted Modern from my parents (which you know I've been coveting madly). Friends, it is fantastic. Insanely stunning interiors, hugely inspiring. I would highly recommend it...

And finally (and admittedly completely random), the opening line of this week's Goop made me giggle out loud (and confirmed my massive girl crush on Gwyneth...)


"I don’t know how it is where all of you are, but I am freezing my ass off."


Just sayin.

p.s. Happy birthday lovely cousin Erin!!!

The Gift Guides Part II

Now admittedly, my girlies are obsessed with all things plastic and disposal and (in Millie's case) containing the letters, B, A, R, B, I, E in the name, but that doesn't mean I don't try to elevate things a bit.


Herewith my picks for the kiddos...

For your daughter (niece, goddaughter, neighbor) who has decided pink is the ugliest color in the world and here forth will only accept items that are not pink (but preferably green).

Groovy indie rock coloring book / Mod garland / Poetic wall decal / (Genius) Sunprint Kit / Thumbprint note card set / Loads of Japanese masking tape


and...

For your daughter (niece, goddaughter, neighbor) that lives for (in no particular order) princesses, fairies, rainbows, unicorns and p.i.n.k.

Dreamy angel wings / (Über) ruffly backpack / Cozy unicorn slippers / Sweet bird puzzle / Lovely handmade doll / Magical star headband (or necklace)

For the boys (big and small)…because really they like the same things, yes?

California surf culture photography / DIY kits (and tools) for the aspiring woodworker / A super stylish take on a classics / Legos for the architecture buff / The makings of an imaginary safari / Aron's fantastic book to kick-start your science mojo

The Gift Guides Part I

Friends it's officially "game on". We've hit December 1st, time for all-in holiday celebrating. The Christmas tunes are getting cranked, we're busting out the hot cocoa and the decorations, endless viewings of Charlie Brown Christmas shall ensue.

And, yes there will be gift guides.

I have to say, I'm a bit obsessed with gift guides...I pour through all the ones in the magazines (Domino used to do the best ones, yes?) and have loved all the excellent guides on the blogs this year (Catherine, Casey and Michelle did especially fantastic ones).

I've been working on my little guide for weeks, sleuthing out all the things I really do want to buy for all my nearest and dearest (and the things I secretly hope I get myself). I also considered the fact that I've spent a lot of time this year doing spending hiatuses and decluttering and generally simplifying, which made me put even more thought into picking things that really felt special and lasting...

So without further ado, the first of the guides. Enjoy!

***

For The Obsessive "Declutterer" Who Savors Experiences Over Possessions...

A Jar of your famous homemade salad dressing + a John Robshaw tea towel and the recipe / William Sonoma bay leaf wreath / A membership to your local museum, arboretum, botanic gardens, zoo / A box of clementines + some handmade chocolates + a bottle of proscecco / Gifts for Women for Women International

For Your Mama, Sister, Best Friend, Cousin...
(a.k.a. all those rockin' and amazing women in your life)



MCMC's "Maine" perfume / monogrammed rubber stamp from MaeMae Paperie / Madewell's perfect brass bangle / beautiful note cards from Studio Fludd / Tom Dixon's "Etch" votive holder / A subscription to The Gentlewoman


Up tomorrow -- the kiddos!

Christmas Card Confessions + A (FAB) Giveaway...

some outtakes from my christmas card "photo session" with the girlies sporting their new kit + lili dresses and a little sneak peek of part of our 2010 card...

It pains me to admit this, but I have a spotty history with holiday cards.

For years, well… I didn’t send them at all. And I wish I could attribute this slacker-ish behavior to some seemingly lofty principal like trying to conserve paper or spending the time that I would be addressing and stamping said cards volunteering at a soup kitchen.

But the truth is (and you know I’m all about honesty) when it comes to this particular (and highly valuable) tradition, I’m l.a.z.y.

I always start thinking about the whole Christmas card extravaganza way too late. Then I reason I’ll do New Year’s cards instead. Then I get busy…and forget…or blow it off. It’s my dirty little secret. I’m not proud.

Once the girlies came along, I changed. A little... After Audrey was born, we did a family photo card, and it was comical, but not in a good way. We were sleep-deprived and shell-shocked and the card was a bit of a disaster. Wait maybe it was a little bit funny, but I can’t be sure, because I destroyed all unsent cards that year so I have no real evidence.

The past couple of years, I’m proud to say that I've shown some pretty significant improvement. Last year we did a family photo card from Minted that turned out pretty great. Of course the girls will likely need years of therapy to undo the harm that my profuse swearing leading up to the photo taking caused, but the card was cute.

This year we went the same route, again with Minted*, but sans family photo. We just can’t afford that much therapy. So I snapped some pics of just the girlies instead, as that’s really what everyone wants to see anyway... Oh and I should note that I’m awfully proud that I actually accomplished the whole crossing holiday cards off my list by early November.

I’ve come a long way.

*I dig Minted... I like their designs and their site is super easy to use, and this little endorsement is 100% me...it has nothing to do with the fact that they’re offering one of you guys a load of personalized holiday cards. I promise.


minted ad styled by the genius Jordan...


Ok so here’s the dealio on the awesome giveaway (you were wondering when I’d get to that, weren’t you?)

Minted is offering one of my readers 75 holiday photo cards of their choice, complete with liners, backers, and skinny wrap address labels. Excellent, yes?

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite Minted holiday card by next Wednesday, November 10th… Oh and feel free to also tell me about your holiday card mishaps. I need some solidarity here friends.

A Few Random Bits...

Apparently (unbeknownst to the other) Bryan and I both had mid-century modern on the brain when shopping for for our anniversary. He gifted me with an Eames House Bird, and I got him (which I really wanted for myself...is that bad?) the Julius Shulman "Modernism Rediscovered" books.

I guess this means we're meant to be...or at least that we have the same taste ;-)

I have some of my favorites over on The Marion House Book today. Hop on over if you want to take a peek...

And speaking of favorites...here are two of my favorite things from this closet visit (I swear Jeana's closet visits are one of the very best things going on the interwebs of late):

1. Totally genius use of the dining room table as makeshift library...
2. That amazing succulent planter... love.
   
   
   

And finally, lovely cousin Erin's house is in the Apartment Therapy "Room for Color" contest. So fun! Feel free to show her some love with a vote ;-)

Scenes from The Weekend Part II -- Audrey's French Fête

So (given the contents of my recent article) I’m going to say this in a whisper.

I *might* be completely on-board with the non at-home birthday party too.

There, I said it…we can move on now so I don’t feel like the world’s biggest hypocrite. Deal?

In all seriousness, I loved throwing this party. Loved. It. It was the perfect easing into, well letting go a bit… After six consecutive (highly planned) at-home fetes, it was nice to go “off-campus” so to speak. And given that it was the day after the Little Bean party, the timing for a new approach couldn’t have been better.

Here’s how things went down on the big day. Fifteen or so of Audrey's girlfriends to joined us at f.is for frank to make their very own pewter charms and beaded bracelets. We cranked up some French tunes, and the utterly fantastic Shannah and Casey showed the girlies all their jewelry making equipment and walked them through the process of making charms. Then each guest donned their artist’s beret and carved their masterpiece out of a little slab of clay.

Afterward we noshed on some simple vanilla cake, lemon macaroons and French lemonade (+ some bubbly for the mamas of course).

Finally they all lined up for some group snaps and voilà, we were done.

It was the easiest party I’ve ever thrown, and Audrey had a blast, which is really the most important part, non?


The Details:

• Location -- f. is for frank
• Berets -- Village Hat Shop
• “Bonjour” Bunting -- Common Threads (custom order)
• Tablecloth/Fabric -- IKEA
• Postcards -- Yellow Owl Workshop
• Striped Straws -- Fort and Field
• Book -- This is Paris (gift from our friend Annie)
• Cake, Macaroons, Lemonade, Bubbly – Central Market