HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Okay, folks. . . I am headed home for the holidays and won't be back here until the New Year! Hope you find some time to spend with your family, relax and stuff yourself silly with delicious treats (like this!).

Most of all, hope you have a very happy holiday and a joyous new year!


(all images from Pinterest here, here and here)

LAST MINUTE SHOPPERS REJOICE

Phew! This has been a crazy, whirlwind week and it's still going! We are in the midst of a major exhibition installation at the museum and I have been putting in my fair share of late nights at the office. That said, I am starting to realize that there are a handful of people on my gift list that may have fallen through the cracks given my hectic holiday schedule. So what's a busy girl to do? Clearly, turn to Amazon and its amazing two day shipping!*

If you have an Amazon Prime membership like me, you revel in two day free shipping. It means that you can still get some amazing holiday gifts delivered to your door in time for Christmas. And even if you don't have Amazon Prime at your disposal, you can still get some these goodies with just a few quick clicks! So here are the things on my to gift and to get list that will get there in a hurry.

one
Mark Bittman's Quick & Easy Recipes, $13.57

two
Umbra Casa Tissue Box Cover, $4.99

three
Fred and Friends Pickle Bottle Stopper, $7.50

four
Jawbone Jambox, $129.99

five
Sticks Wall-Mount Rack with Five Hooks, $25

six
Moleskine 2013 Planner, $13.45

seven
Joseph & Joseph Elevate Carousel Set, $46.56

eight
Amazon Gift Card, variable amounts


*Though it may be hard to believe, this is not a sponsored post! I just really love Amazon and buy things there all the time. 

THE ARTIST SPEAKS

ANNE HAMILTON AT THE ARMORY

Oh my goodness, I can't tell you how obsessed I am with Anne Hamilton. Seriously, obsessed! I had the distinct pleasure of meeting this wonderfully kind, beautifully inventive artist several years ago and was delighted by her poise and grace and friendliness, not to mention the creativity that seems to radiate from her. That said, I have never had the pleasure of experiencing one of her many fabulous large-scale installation pieces in person—despite having written about them for school many times—until now.

The Park Avenue Armory (written about before here, here and here) is hosting an ANNE HAMILTON: the event of a thread, a huge installation that involves swings and a billowing curtain and  boxes full of delightfully surprising noises and sounds. The exhibition got a great review from Roberta Smith of the NYTimes (a rare occurrence!) and is open until January 6. You know I'll be there!

Read more about the show here.

(all photos by Philip Greenberg for the NYTimes)

OFF THE WALL

How crazy is this?! Russian-born London-based architect Andrei Saltykov created this one-of-a-kind bookshelf based on a map of the United States. Claiming it was a better choice than Britain or Russia because it was more evenly segmented (and had more straight lines!) he decided to go the extra mile and use miniature string lights to indicate the location of the capital in each state. Amazing!

This has got my creative juices flowing . . . wouldn't it be cool to make a version with your home state? Read more about Saltykov and his project at Dwell here.

p.s. He put Alaska in his bathroom! Love it!

ADVENT CALENDAR ROUND UP

Despite the fact that it is unseasonably warm and rainy here in New York and despite the fact that we are nearly half-way through December already, I thought I would share a round up of the best DIY advent calendars roaming the blogosphere these days. Because advent calendars (even if started late!) are the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit in the face of busy winter schedules and uncooperatively balmy forecasts.

Without further ado, let the advents commence! And bring on the holidays!


Mountain Advent Calendar from You Are My Fav



Chalkboard Advent Calendar from Oh Happy Day



Free Printable Advent Calendar from Hey Look



Mini Tree Advent Calendar from Oh Happy Day



Envelope Advent Calendar from A Few Things From My Life



Giant Advent Calendar from Oh Happy Day



Printable Advent Calendar from Mr.Printables.com



Punch Advent Calendar from You Are My Fav



DIY Advent Calendar from Inspired to Share


Happy DIY! You can also check out this advent project, which I did last year.

MAX WANGER GOES RETAIL

I love Max Wanger. This morning when I searched through my blog archives, I was actually shocked to discover that I hadn't written about him before. He is an amazing photographer who does weddings and family portraits (among other things) and makes them look transcendentally beautiful.

Well, drumroll please, Mr. Wanger now has an online shop chock full of his favorite prints. You can buy them in various sizes and at various price points. I can imagine a small one in the hallway, a large one over the sofa, and a medium one under the tree . . .

Check out all the goodies here.

WEBSITE WONDER

Have you entered gone to a website—and pow!—been smacked in the face by awesomeness? Well that's how I felt when I saw the website of graphic designer and hand-letterer extraordinaire Jen Mussari. I love how interactive it is; the thumbnail images of her works can be moved around the screen and hop out of the way when you select one of the links. It's cool and understated without skimping on personality. Brava, Ms. Mussari!

Check it all out here.

ALL WRAPPED UP: CHRISTMAS REDS

Since school and work have been kicking my butt recently, I am going to introduce a short and sweet post series centered around the one thing that has gotten my creative juices flowing of late: holiday wrapping! Buying and wrapping presents for other people is one of my favorite holiday pastimes and I have amassed quite an archive of ideas and sources that I want to share with you.

So without further delay, here are my top three choices for a bold and bright christmas package:

Merry Christmas Paper Topper, $10

Moroccan Christmas Wrapping Paper, $20 for 5 Sheets

Craft Paper Gift Tags, $4.50 for 10

IN LOVE, TRULY BESOTTED

          




























Have you heard of the shop Besotted Brand? I first read about it a month or so ago and now I am seeing references to their gorgeous products everywhere (must be the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon!)!

I am swooning over every pretty package and goodie in their shop and I bet you will too. Check it all out here.