Creative Gift Wrapping Ideas

{Pinterest via Anniegirl}

So, if your weekend was spent scouting out the last of your gifts, you might be looking for some creative ideas about how to wrap up all your treasures. I am here with some cool ideas and helpful tips...

Go natural

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Use brown paper and embellish with things like wood contact paper...

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Or make your own wood grained paper using brown paper with Martha Stewart...

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Or dress it up with yarn! I'm loving this idea!

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Or give it a fun gift tag like this with yarn and popsicle sticks!

Make a splash with color

I always approach selecting wrapping paper with a great amount of thought. If you think about it, the wrapping paper can be a huge part of your Christmas decor when all the presents are laid out under the tree. For instance, I am going for a lodgy, vintage ski chalet look this holiday season so I have selected lodgy, vintage-like paper to complement the theme.

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If you would rather use colorful paper this season, try going monochromatic

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Or try color coding your gifts, assigning each person a different color. Not only is that fun, it will make it super easy to sort the gifts for opening.

Use some bling

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Dress up your gifts this year, and use broaches for bows. Not only will it add a beautiful sparkle, its a gift in and of itself!

Go vintage

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Add a bit of a trip down memory lane and use vintage wrapping paper found on site like Etsy or your local thrift store.

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Or use vintage linens to wrap up your gifts. Not only unique, it too is a gift in and of itself!

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This year's Thanksgiving Table Decor

Hi y'all. Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I am! My son and I braved the single digit temps and the crowded grocery store yesterday to bring home our bounty. What a bounty it is too, I had that cart heaping. I have already started ahead on some of the side dishes and pulled the turkey out of the freezer. I'm trying a couple new recipes for hors d'oeuvres this year, like Fire Roasted Avocado Fresco, Buffalo Chicken Dip, and Buckeye Bars. You know, good 'ol football snacks. Besides prepping in the kitchen, I am putting the final touches on the table too. Here's a peek at my Thanksgiving table this year.

I made the table runners out of this awesome Thanksgiving toile I found at JoAnn's. I love how using multiple runners fills the space on the table.

I am loving my new acorn salt and pepper set. I snagged it from the Pottery Barn outlet while I was in Texas last month. I love how it matches my new dinner plates. The rim of the plates has a bronzy metallic finish, which the same as the salt and pepper set. The plates are from, get this, Target. Oh yes, there is a reason I love that store :)

The wine glasses are Villeroy & Boch, also snatched up on my trip to Texas. {love} The water goblets are from, believe it or not, The Dollar Tree. I bought 8 of them a couple years back and they have been awesome! Lastly, the silver is a cherished family heirloom and I use any excuse to bring it out.

I made the centerpiece with a wooden tray (Target clearance find), an antler from a local antique store, my corn wrapped hurricane, and a white pumpkin candle from Kohl's I believe? I am loving the rustic vibe this year. Probably because I live in Alaska now, ha!

I scored these brass leaves at an awesome and fairly well-known antique store in Austin, Uncommon Objects. I love that store and could spend days looking at everything in there. I particularly loved these leaves because they float above the table and add so much interest and a touch of history.

Here's a glance at my sideboard all ready for Turkey Day. Two of my favorite things are my lighted pear lamp and the mid-century cut glass "Bourbon" and "Scotch" decanters. They bring out my inner Mad Men vibe ;)

Let's take a peek at the rest of the decor around the house while we are at it...

I made the "Thankful Hearts" felt banner in the same fashion as my Halloween "Boo Banner." I wanted to make the pattern into a free download, but I missed that bus this year. I will definitely make it available with sufficient time to make it for next year. Something to look forward to, right?

And here's a sneak peek at the hall decor. Notice something different? More on that next week. I want to make sure we have all recovered from our turkey comas before I whip that one out. We will want to savor it.

And here's our wood stash, all ready to go for those Thanksgiving Day fires... ahhhhh

Well, that's most of my fall and Thanksgiving decor this year. I go all out for Thanksgiving because, well for starters, its my favorite holiday, and delving into Thanksgiving decor helps take the edge off the itch to decorate for Christmas. Around our house we love Thanksgiving too much to ever pass over it and go straight into Christmas, but can you keep a secret? I may or may not have been digging out all the Christmas boxes and have them stashed away in the guest room ready to whip out on Thanksgiving Eve while we watch all the holiday specials. Ooo I'm so excited! I love all this Thanksgiving decor but with two feet of snow on the ground and negative degree temps, it been feeling alot like Christmas for at least a month!

Master bedroom progress and a splash of vintage brass!

Oooo la la!!! Check out my new brass beauty. I gave my UPS man confirmation that I am nuts today, as I snatched the box from his hands and ripped open the package containing this vintage brass pharmacy lamp right before his eyes. Oh I am in love! I ordered it off Etsy, and though it seemed to take forever to ship in all reality it was probably only because I wanted to have it in my grubby hands right now! This is the first piece for my master bedroom facelift. I really didn't want to change any of the elements of the room until I had it in there.

Read on, for the rest of the update and more bedroom inspiration...

Beautiful Historic Printable Art

I wanted to give my "chalet-chic" living room some character by hanging vintage ski posters and historic artwork or drawings. In my search of the perfect art, I stumbled across the U.S. Fish & Wildlife National Digital Library. The library is completely public domain! I feel like someone just gave me the keys to the Smithsonian. In the spirit of paying it forward, I downloaded a couple images, restored them in Photoshop, and have made them into printables and downloadable images for your pleasure. Read on for the links and downloads...

Monogram Letter Displays and a Craigslist Treasure

I have been on the hunt for a dining room hutch or sideboard for a couple years now. After years of scouring catalogs, trolling furniture stores, and combing Craigslist I finally found it!! And you wont believe what I paid for it... really! Well, now that I have it I needed some display art for the top. If you haven't guessed by now, I my newest obsession is decorating with monograms. I love it! Read on to find out about my good deal and how to make some lettered display art for yourself!

Vintage Themed First Birthday Party

Tomorrow is my son's second birthday party! I honestly can't believe he is about to turn two. Everyone told me it would all go by so fast and to enjoy every second of it, and I believed them, I did. But really? WOW! That was the fastest 2 years of my life. Where did it go?

These are some pictures from his first birthday party last December. We picked a vintage children's book theme for his first birthday party. It was such a fun theme! Read on for for pictures and details...

Baby Dress from an Antique Tablecloth

My cousin's wife is about to have their first baby. Its a girl! I had hoped it would be a girl. See, this summer once I heard they were expecting, I began collecting antique linens and lace to make the new baby a beautiful dress so I had a vested interest that she would be a girl ;) My cousin's baby shower is this weekend, and I just finished the dress! All I used was a yard of quilting fabric and the lacey corners of an antique tablecloth. The pattern I came up with is so easy it can be done in 3 seams or less and can be adjusted to fit girls from 3 months to 2 years old and even longer if she uses it as a tank top. Read on for details, the pattern, and the tutorial...

Tiffany Lamps on Clearance?? YES!

What could make me skip and start chanting "good things come to those who wait!"? Three words- Tiffany Lamps and Clearance! Oh how I have longed for a Tiffany lamp. I adore them. I swoon over them. I drool over them. And now thanks to an AMAZING sale I can drool over them in my own living room! Read on for details...

Antique Table Refinish

This past summer I bought an antique table for my breakfast nook. It had been painted a light cream color. I knew I would have to refinish and reupholster it to make it what I wanted. After months of waiting, I finally did it! Read on for the before and after and to see how I did it...

A Goodwill Goldmine!

Quite often I can come home from thrifting with just one or two small treasures or even empty handed. The experienced thrifty knows that patience is a virtue, persistence is key, and that tomorrow is another day- another truckload. But yesterday was not one of those days! I walked into Goodwill and felt like I walked into a goldmine! Read on to see my treasures...


My first find of the day were these mint-condition microfiber chairs...

Yep, you read the tag right! $39.99 a piece, with another 20% off furniture sale! I had just walked in the door but I literally raced to find a salesperson so I could claim them! By the time the salesperson and I had returned to the chairs to finish filling out the sales slip there was already a crowd around them. Sorry people, today the luck was mine!


After I shooed the disappointed thrifters off my chairs, I wandered the store a bit more and came across this copper lantern...

Isn't it pretty? I love it and I knew it would go perfectly with my decor. I have drooled over similar lanterns in home decor mags for years now. 


My last thrifty find is this adorable pear lamp. It's so gorgeous! It just might be my favorite... 

Don't you just love when the stars align and you are blessed with such thrifty luck? These finds were like striking gold for me! I find some awesome deals but nothing like this! Have you ever had such a lucky strike? What are your most treasured thrifty finds?

Spotlight on Tiffany {Best of the 1920's}

Another icon of the 1920's in America are Tiffany lamps. These stunning lamps are the result of very fine handcraftsmanship and artistic design. They are referred to as Tiffany lamps because the creator was Louis Comfort Tiffany, the son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, the founder of Tiffany & Co. Tiffany started up Tiffany Studios and first focused on interior design and stained glass windows. Some of his treasured windows are still popping up in old home renovations. It has been thought until recently that Tiffany lamps were soley designed by Tiffany, but recent revelations suggest that Clara Driscoll and a team of talented young women also played a large role in the lamp designs. Rather ironic, as the 1920's were a turning point for Women's rights.

I adore these lamps and have been scoping them out for a few years now. Nowadays most Tiffany lamps are reproduction but usually still start over $100. Authentic Tiffany's are priceless and a gorgeous piece of American Design history. Aren't they just spectacular?

These next two are my favorites...

But with my move to Alaska on my mind, maybe I should be keeping my eye out for some like this next one...

Before we got orders to move, I literally had these pendants lights from Plow and Hearth in my cart. I planned to put them above my kitchen island. They are so beautiful and they screw right into a recessed light can. That's right! They screw right into a socket!! BRILLIANT! And right now they are only $60!

These are just the lamps that caught my eye. There is so much more out there, anything from sconces to chandeliers. All of these lamps are online at merchants such as Tiffany Lamps Galore, Simply Table Lamps, and Overstock and range in price anywhere from $65 to $309. All images are numbered for reference below:

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Flapper Fashionistas {Best of the 1920's}

The 1920's were a historical decade for women. This was a momumental time for Women's Suffrage, and a time when women abandoned the stiff, modest Victorian dresses and corsets for the swinging fashions of the flapper girl. This breakaway from the traditional full length dresses and rib shattering corsets really paved the path for modern fashions. Lately, I've been seeing a big swing back to the 1920's in new fashion trends. For instance, embellished headbands are a close derivatative from the headbands of the flapper girls...

Doesn't this band from Forever 21 conjure up thoughts of speakeasies, fringed dresses, and jazz? Target has their own line of these Flapper inspired bands for $10...

Another piece of today's fashion that can traced back to the twenties are these oh-so-popular cloche hats...

I am totally digging that green buckled cloche. So cute for Fall! And the grey Banana Republic cloche is so classic! If you're looking for something a little more feminine check out this beauty from WonderTrading's Etsy shop....

Or this classy one from Ranch Vintage...

I was giddy when I saw that Banana Republic just came out with a new Art Deco inspired line! Their fashions are a great throwback to the Flappers, but if you want something a little less subtle check out these gorgeous Etsy finds...

Timeless Vixen Vintage

Ahh, isnt that dress just dreamy? I love it! I am also loving the fun, flirty, jersey fringe on this black little number...

Glamarita

An Ode to My Dream House {Best of the 1920's}

 

Early on in the twentieth century, Craftsman Style or Art & Crafts Style homes became very popular in America. These homes were built to be very efficifent and with very fine craftsmanship. They were defined by their simplicity, a revolt against the highly ornate Victorian era. This timeless and simplicitic design has transcended from the 1920's into the modern day home in so many ways. Take a look at these kitchens for example...

Craftsman style is the height of fashion right now. You cant open a Pottery Barn catalogue (especially PBK) or watch HGTV without seeing one of these kitchens. They are gorgeous! These kitchens are just as popular today as they were during the peak of the Roaring Twenties because of their clean lines, effecient storage (note the cabinets use all the vertical space in the room), and substantial yet simplictic hardware. I just adore those top glass cabinets.....{sigh}

Another defining feature of 1920's home design is the extensive amount of millwork, wainscoting, and built-ins. This is a rendering of a traditional Craftsman style living room...

This is a brand new modern day home...

Note the built-ins, millwork, and beamed ceiling. Isnt it gorgeous? Oh how I wish I owned the key to that house! Here is another example, of a renovated Craftsman home...

All these homes have such an attention to detail and common sense about them. Look at this columned room...

{Sigh} I am in love. One day I will own my dream home, a 1920's Craftmans style bungalow. Until then there have been a few very creative gals improvising and recreating this effect in their own homes. Like Thrifty Decor Chick's staircase...

This was a just a plain-jane, regular staircase until she added her own wainscoting. Click here to see how she did it!

Decor Chick also has a few tricks up her sleeve with this EASY faux wainscoting technique...

Centsational Girl did an awesome job with her living room wainscoting project...

Lastly, I cant write a post about Craftsman home design without mentioning inglenooks.  Ahh, inglenooks... Wouldnt it be lovely to have a room soley devoted to a fireplace? Especially with chilly days of Fall approaching, how wonderful would it be to curl up on one of these benches with some hot cocoa and a good book?

Phew! You made it to the end of this post! Sorry its such a long one, but it was worth it wasn't it? :)

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