December 24, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Welcome To Our Christmas Home

Welcome!

If you celebrate Christmas, today is probably a very busy day for you. I wrapped a mountain of presents last night while the entire family sat down to watch “White Christmas.” We went to dinner at a local Irish pub after I finished making four chicken pot pies (three of which are for dinner tonight). I also made these appetizers and when I wake up today I plan on making Pioneer Woman’s Best Chocolate Cake for dessert.

My father, stepmom, my sister, brother-in-law and nephew will be joining us for dinner tonight. I purchased three dozen premade plain Christmas sugar cookies for the children to decorate and leave out for Santa. I think my three year old nephew will enjoy that. I know Santa will! Tomorrow it is just our little family celebrating the day together. I like simplicity.

I decorated the house the same this year as I did last year with a few new additions.

I strung some wrapping pompoms on the chandelier in the living room. My husband picked this chandelier out a few years ago at a local antique store. I love the mellow mustardy color. I also love that he picked it out. I would never have noticed it. I never look up. I remember when he showed me his find while we were in the store together and being filled with wonder and happiness that I can always count on him to look up for me. It is nice to have a partner who completes you. This chandelier represents that to me. He looks up and for that I am grateful.

My husband came home several times in the last two weeks with sweet surprise gifts of ornaments for our trees.

I changed the slipcover on our couch to accommodate a velvet one I purchased from eBay many years ago. It was a nice change this winter. I made the giant pillow from an old feedbag, but the two Kantha pillows were recently from Anthropologie and the neat feather pillow in the middle is from World Market.

Murphy has enjoyed lounging on the “new” old couch. I wish I could join him, but there is always so much to do!

I love using paper pompoms as flowers in December. They are over the top and last forever. These are four years old. The pink pompoms are actually from Michael’s craft store. They were $4 but with a coupon, I paid $2 a piece. I purchased four and strung them on this vase chandelier from my first apartment.

And on our antique mirror.

Tonight the kids will unwrap their new pajamas. The house will be filled with anticipation, although this is my very first year with wise children, if you get what I mean, so the anticipation will probably not be quite the same as years past. And I have to say, this has very much hampered this Christmas and made it a little less special.

Hold on to those little ones. Enjoy the magic. I, myself, will be looking for Rudolph’s nose tonight. I wish I had taken more pictures… Of the pompom wreath at the front door with the fox nestled inside like two odd long lost soul mates… Of our bathroom where the embroidered hooks hold wreaths and ornaments… Of the garlands above our kitchen sink… But I didn’t. I guess that will have to wait until next year.

If you celebrate Christmas, how do you decorate? Do you do the same thing each year or do you have a theme? Are you ready for the big day? What is on your menu? On Christmas day, my husband makes chicken enchiladas and we spend the whole day in pajamas. I cannot wait!

Merry Christmas to all (if you celebrate, if not, Happy Thursday!)! And I hope you have the coziest and sweetest of days!

December 23, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

A Leopard Cannot Change Its Spots Stripes?

When my husband saw this outfit he was quiet.

Not a word.

Or a peep.

Out of him.

My daughter had no such restraint. “That headband with that vest?”

“No. Just no.”

This, of course, made me giggle.

I had purchased this red and white striped wrap dress from H&M the week before when I went shopping with my daughter. I knew immediately I wanted to wear it over my Bermeja Tunic Dress (sold out, similar dress here) as a vest. It was a bargain at $5. I loved the way Shy Girl Loud Voice remixed the Bermeja Tunic Dress with her vest (I previously styled the Bermeja Tunic Dress here and here). The headband was also from H&M. I believe it was more than the dress/vest at $6. I wanted to crawl into this leopard trend with soft baby moves. It is out of my comfort zone.

So, I took some pictures with the headband and some without.

That way everyone is happy.

Except Murphy.

We took Murphy with us that day to get pictures, because my husband had taken Ollie for a car ride earlier in the day and left Murphy at home with me.

After listening to Murphy crying at the door for a half an hour, I called my husband to inform him that he had broken the dog.

Murphy could not comprehend not going with Ollie.

But Murphy hates car rides.

He gets anxious.

He loves the walks.

He is the exact opposite of Ollie, not only in looks, but in activities.

Ollie had to be carried home after his last walk.

This made it difficult for my husband because he was all ready carrying me.

Murphy was definitely not as good as Ollie during the photo shoot. Murphy does not follow direction well. He is always on the lookout for someone who is going to come and steal all of the goldfish crackers. He has convinced himself it is going to happen and will stay up nights guarding the pantry door.

Being in a desert surrounded by nothing but dirt and brush made him leery. He was convinced The Goldfish Thief was lurking behind every bush.

Nevermind that we did not bring any goldfish crackers on this trip. Goldfish crackers appear like magic and thieves appear more quickly than that.

It is basic dog logic. The only logic that I currently adhere to.

My poor dog. If only he knew…

The only Goldfish Thief around them here parts…

Was the one holding his leash.

Have you jumped on this leopard trend? Do you own anything leopard? Are you yay or nay about the headband? Don’t worry. It won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t like it. I have pretty tough skin… And cheddar cheese cracker breath.

December 19, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Oh Christmas Tree

Picking out our Christmas tree was a bit of a scavenger hunt this year. We went to our tried and true place. The one we have been going to for the last ten years. And they did not have a single Noble Fir. They said they had been selling out of them by 4:00 each day. Well, with my husband’s work schedule, kids’ schooling and life, 4:00 was out of our reach for the week.

We decided to search for a Christmas tree elsewhere.

I am a true have-to-have-a-real-tree girl. I just am. I like the picking out of the tree each year. I like the smell. I like the tradition. I just like it.

We drove to a place that used to sell Christmas trees the year before, but they were not selling trees this year.

I remembered seeing a Christmas tree lot on the other side of town earlier in the week. We drove there and it was amazing. They were hoarding all of the Noble Firs!

The tree we picked out for our main tree (we also get a smaller one, because I am a greedy tree decorator) ended up being about nine feet tall, but was marked 7-8 and the guy gave it to us for that price. It was a steal! And since my husband refuses to look at any tree taller than eight feet, my stealthy sneaky big-tree-heart exploded with joy.

It almost made me as happy as this dress. I purchased Free People’s Bombora Dress during Free People’s annual 25% off sale. It showed sold out, but in my cart it went to backorder. I honestly did not think it would ship, so I never mentioned it. I thought it was a fluke. I was very surprised to see it show up at my door three weeks later.

It was a happy surprise.

It reminded me of my favorite Christmas movie, “White Christmas.” When I was a little girl my mother would tell me that when it was time for my prom she would make me a prom dress exactly like the ending Christmas dresses in that movie. By the time I finally went to my prom, I no longer wanted a fur-lined red velvet number for an event in May. Instead I opted for a custom designed (by myself) little number modeled after Marissa Tomei’s dress in the movie, “Only You.” In my head it was perfection. In real life, the seamstress did not understand what I was going for and I ended up going to prom in a periwinkle dress with triangle cutouts. Oh. It was bad. So very, very bad. As reality versus dreams usually are.

If only they had had this dress back then. Then both my mother and myself could have been happy.

It only took twenty years for that scavenger hunt to come to a conclusion. What look from a movie do you love? Do you love the hunt for an item? If you have a Christmas tree, do you go real or fake? Theme or sentimental? Our big tree is sentimental. Our little tree is a gnome forrest theme… Of course.

*Also, I am sorry I have been behind on emails, comments and blogs. I plan on catching up this weekend. : )

December 9, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Blue Moon

After the unfortunate outfit mishap with my previous outfit I had originally planned on wearing on my date night with my husband (post and explanation here), I had to go home and swiftly change.

I knew I had to pull out the big guns. ~~Oh, wait, I all ready did that. Groan.~~ And so I quickly changed into my husband’s favorite dress. Well, one of them.

This Anthropologie Arched Careena Dress from a few years ago is always the solution to my husband’s heart (I have seen this being sold on eBay. This dress came in three colors and is very forgiving in sizes. I am usually a size six or eight and I purchased this in a twelve because it was the only size available once it hit clearance at my store many years ago. I do not think it runs small. I just think it is an easy dress to size up or down in).

It is the prettiest blue. It is feminine. It is flattering. It nips in at the waist and then flares out. Plus, it has ruffles, which usually isn’t such a guy magnet. But in this case, it works.

Besides I would have to try really, really hard to flash or moon someone in this.

I assume.

I think it was best that I didn’t try. Besides, my shoes were all ready on due to the previous outfit encounter, so I could not manage a reenactment of my shame.

I want to talk about my agate necklace really quick. I forgot to mention the green agate necklace I wore in the previous post. Both necklaces are by Leila Jewelry and I had stalked them for almost a year at Nordstrom Rack until one fateful day during their 30% off clearance sale a few weeks ago, I decided to run into the store hoping beyond hope that there would be a chance that they had finally been discounted and they would still be available. It was truly my lucky day. They still had three of the four I had been watching (the fourth one having sold was the most amazing hot pink) and they had indeed gone on sale. I so very happily scooped up all three for around $17 each. Retail price was $148 each (they are gold plated).

It was a once in a blue moon kind of score.

I paired the dress with my Anthropologie Vegan Leather Jacket (previously worn here and here). My daughter has been borrowing this jacket a lot this season. In fact, she has been borrowing most of my outer wear. She is very petite, so my cardigans and this jacket are the only things we can share. I actually love sharing my clothes with her. I love lending out items. It seems like it would go against my hoarder’s heart, but it makes me happy to share. They are just clothes. And I like the joy I see on my daughter’s face when she wears some of the items.

It is fun.

And fun is the best.

In fact, I once lent this dress to a dear friend and now any time I wear it, I also think of her and smile. Clothes are good for making memories. They are even better at holding on to them.

Do you lend your clothes out? I do to close friends and relatives. There are a few item exceptions. My pieces from Etsy and my Kantha dresses. Do you have a date night dress that you reach for again and again?

I do not mind wearing this one over and over.

I like it.

My husband likes it.

In fact… We are over the moon.

*this post was edited using VSCOCAM’s C1 filter at level 3.

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

styled

Welcome To Our Christmas Home

A Leopard Cannot Change Its Spots Stripes?

Oh Christmas Tree

Blue Moon