Things and To-Do's and What-not's

I have no organization for this whatsoever. So it's bullet points today.

• My child has decided I am the human equivalent of the Grinch this year because we are not putting up a tree this year. I know. I'm awful. But we have a very, very, very small apartment, and we are going on a trip over Christmas break, so the whole deal of getting everything down just to enjoy it for three weeks was honestly? Not worth it to me.
• My hubby & I got to go to the Saints/Giants game last week. We had incredible seats and the game was awesome! Definitely one of my favorite memories of living in NOLA will be attending the Saints games. Who dat!!!
• I picked out my own Christmas gifts this year (thanks, hubby!). The first was an enameled cast iron grill pan I got for $14 at JCPenny's the day after Thanksgiving - online, mind you! No crazy crowds for me! :)
• My second gift is the Project Life starter kit. I have been wanting this for a while. You see, I used to paper scrapbook. The papers, the embellishments, the tools - you name it, I did it. Then I had a baby and I could no longer spend 2 hours of my day working on just one page. I had printed out $100s of dollars of photos of my baby during her first year of life, determined to scrap them old school. It's now 5.5 years later and those photos are still in their envelopes from Sam's in a tupperware bin under my bed. I've considered doing a digital book for her baby book, but just couldn't bring myself to do it knowing how much money I had in photos stored under the bed. So when I saw Becky Higgins was having a Black Friday sale on her products, I ordered the core kit (in Amber; I thought it would make a nice pattern for a baby book) and some pages. It's now on my crafty to-do list to get my almost-six-year-old's baby book finished.
• I need to finished SC's growth chart I'm painting for her. I'll post photos when I'm done!
• My other project is a gift from my MIL. While we were in Baton Rouge over Thanksgiving, I went by the antique store Circa 1857. There I found some old paned windows for $15 each! The previous owner had painted the panes but a little paint remover with take that off. My MIL checked them over thoroughly to make sure they were structurally sound (she's a lot more knowledgable about that kind of stuff than I am), and then she got them for me as a Christmas gift. I cannot wait to start working on them! They need some TLC but when they're done, I'm going to hang them on the walls and put photos in the panes (I was inspired to do this by a window/frame my pastor's wife has in her living room).
• I cleaned out my closet last weekend. As in, I pulled out every. single. item. of clothing and tried it on. If it didn't fit, it left. If it fit but I (honestly) knew I'd never wear it again, it left. I have a stack to take to the consignment shop now, and I feel so much better having gotten rid of what was not needed. It feels really good to declutter and only keep the things that have a use.
• I've been trying some new recipes I've found on Pinterest. I'll post some good ones soon! :)
• In a few weeks we leave for Tennessee for Christmas vacation with my parents & grandparents. I'm sooo stoked. We love traveling to cold weather places! (I wonder why? LOL.) SC has actually been asking for snow in her prayers. :) My parents are paying for the whole trip for us, as our Christmas gift, and B & I could not be more excited (or grateful!).
• I'm completely done with Christmas shopping for SC and with birthday shopping for her (since her birthday is in early 2012). I also almost have her birthday party completely planned. Pretty much the only thing I have left to do is order invitations and buy the food. Hmm, I wonder where I can get some cute Fancy Nancy invitations? ;)
• But speaking of Christmas gifts, I've been a bit crazy. You see, I went shopping with my good friend Haley the week before Thanksgiving, and we took Target by storm. We got everything on our lists for our kiddos (it was a kiddo-free night for both of us!) and we closed the place down. But I've been watching sale ads like a hawk and each time I see a sale or a coupon, I go and get it at the sale price and return the other. I even unwrapped something the other day because I was able to use a coupon and save $5 on the gift (yep, crazy). My hubby would probably argue I'm not saving any money because I have to keep driving to Metairie or Kenner, but the way I look at it is, I'm going to those places anyway - might as well make some exchanges to get the lowest price! :)
• I completely copied this for the backs of our family Christmas cards. Seriously, what a wonderful infographic about a family! I'm already brainstorming for an infographic creation of my own to offer for Christmas cards next year!
• We have been reading the advent devotional from A Holy Experience... soooo good, and such a wonderful way to sit back and be still and remember the true reason for this season, which is Christ.
• Very excited about some new opportunities coming up at our church. I will post more details soon! :)
• I am still selling bags for Asha House. Leave a comment (with a way for me to get in touch with you) if you are interested in getting a bag to help get women and children out of sex trafficking in India!
• And finally, business stuff. I am very, very excited about some new lines I'll be launching in 2012. I plan to introduce a whole line of bridal shower/party invitations, as well as expand the baby shower line and introduce a line of baby announcements. I will spend Christmas break working to get all of these ready to launch.
• It's cold and rainy here today (yay!), I have chicken noodle soup in the crock pot, and my baby girl and I are chilling out all day. We might make some cupcakes later, or we may just stay snuggled on the couch. It's a good day.

I'll now leave you with a photo of my super-sweet girl my super-awesome-super-talented hubby captured this weekend.

(almost can't handle the sweetness - love this girl so much!)

How about you? How is your December treating you?

Raindrops on roses...

I decided to link up with Nester today for her Favorite Things blog link up! I won't beat a dead horse, but you should go read her post about Favorite Things Parties. It sounds like such a fun idea! I need to pin it to remember for a ladies Christmas party one year. I'd love to do it this year, but it requires 1, money; and 2, time - two things I don't have an abundance of this month. :) BUT - heads up to all my friends - if we ever get together for a Favorite Things party, there's a 99.99% chance you'll receive something on this list (depending on what price range we select).

So, to get started for my favorite things - Food & Drinks.

It's no secret I'm not a coffee drinker. I like my coffee white and sweet, which I think pretty much disqualifies me from ever having my opinions about coffee taken seriously. But something about the cooler months makes me *gasp* brew a pot or two just for me, and these are the things I love with it.

1. Community Coffee Hazelnut. I prefer grinding whole bean, but ground is OK too. It's the best coffee ever.

2. Almond Joy creamer.

3. White Chocolate Caramel Latte Creamer.

But with it being the Christmas season I cannot forget hot chocolate. Behold, the best flavors (ever) of hot chocolate.

1. Ghirardelli White Mocha Hot Chocolate Mix. They sell THE BEST white hot chocolate at PJ's, and I'm always seeing cans of this sitting on the counter, so I think this might be the mix they use.

2. Land O' Lakes French Vanilla hot chocolate. It's especially good when mixed with hot milk.

Next... Entertainment.

I don't get to spend a lot of time indulging in different forms of entertainment, but when I do, these are what I go for.

1. Arrested Development, Season 1. Yeah, yeah, I know no one watches DVDs anymore, that they've gone the way of walking to and from school for eight miles in the snow. But I'm trying to keep these affordable here. AD is, in my opinion, the funniest show ever made. I can sit down to watch it - even after seeing it a zillion times - and still laugh until the point of tears. It's that good.

2. LOST, Season 1. I don't really need an explanation for this one, do I?

3. Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. My favorite book series, one that always brings me to tears each time I read it.

4. Radical by David Platt. I don't think another book, with the exception of the Bible, has had as great an impact on my life as Radical has. It's a must-read.

5. Holy Night by Kevin Max. My favorite Christmas album. Any old-school DC Talk fan will fall madly in love with his amazing vocals to classic Christmas songs and hymns.

Next... Essentials in my bag.

These are the things I carry with me everywhere. I start going into panic mode if one of them is missing.

1. Vera Bradley Zip ID case. Yes, I realize next year I'll have been out of college for a decade, and therefore why would I need a small wallet with a place for an ID? I'll tell you why. BECAUSE I'M A MOM. And sometimes I don't want to have to fool with carrying a purse when I've got a zillion other things to carry. I don't know what I'd do without my wallet that attaches to my keys. And if you shop Vera's sales, you can get one for less than $5.

2. Key wristlet. See #1 for why this is essential. My dear friend mab gave me one of these last year, and it has forever changed my life. I can hardly remember the days where I used to dangle my keys from one finger while managing a child, a purse, several bags, etc.

3. B&BW Pocket Bac in Japanese Cherry Blossom. Use this once and your hands smell awesome the rest of the day.

4. Erin Condren Life Planner. OK, technically this doesn't fall into the under $30 category. BUT if you manage to snag an Erin Condren gift card from One King's Lane (another one of Nester's favorite sites), you can get this amazing-not-sure-what-I-did-before-this planner for a cool $25.

And finally... The Home.

A few items I have in my house that I will treasure forever.

1. Saints sherpa throw blanket. I wrote about this blanket before. It's the best ("The best, Jerry!") blanket I've EVER owned. It's so fluffy!!! (Name that movie.) And just in case the Saints aren't your team (which I don't know why they wouldn't be - that's just crazy talk!), there are other NFL teams available. Just don't buy the Cowboys one. We can't be friends anymore if you get the Cowboys blanket. (I'm kidding... kind of.)

2. Ikea Knappa pendant lamp. I first saw this lamp at my sister-in-law's house and fell in love. Then I called my other sister-in-law who lives in Dallas and begged her to go to their Ikea and get one for me. So she did and sent it down with my in-laws the next time they came to visit. Then my first sister-in-law, the one who originally had the lamp at her house (confused yet?), moved away from NOLA and asked if we'd like to use her lamp since she didn't have a space for it in her new place. So now we have two (!!!) Knappa lamps at our house, one over the computer desk and one in my daughter's room over her play kitchen. And I love them dearly. They are even more beautiful in person.

3. "Bienvenue" fleur-de-lis iron welcome sign. OK, there's a story here. Last Christmas I went to Hob Lob in Baton Rouge with my cousin's then-fiancee (they just got married at Thanksgiving this year!). As we turned to face the front of the store, I saw hanging on the wall this beautiful ring with the fleur-de-lis and "Bienvenue" on it. They also had one that said, "WHO DAT Nation" and, had I been able to purchase it that day, I would have gotten that one without hesitation. I am nothing if not a fan. Anyway, the tag on the sign was $100 and I didn't have a 40% off coupon with me, and I had no way of printing one before the end of the day. The responsible side of me thankfully took over and refused to let the but-it's-so-pretty side of me buy it without consideration of coupons and saving money. I consoled myself by promising myself that we would go home, I'd print my coupon and drive to Slidell to purchase the sign (we don't have a Hobby Lobby in NOLA - I know, first world problem). I did that very thing. When I got to Slidell, there were no signs. The manager at the Slidell store informed me that each store can buy different merchandise so it was probably something the Baton Rouge store bought locally in Baton Rouge. We didn't make it back up to Baton Rouge until March. I pretty much pushed my husband out of the car at his grandparents' house and sped back to College Drive to go to Hob Lob. No more signs. They called the O'Neal store. No signs. The manager came and told me that those signs usually sold out the day they stocked them, and he couldn't tell me when they would get another shipment in. Dejected, I left, vowing to never again delay purchasing something I loved that much. Fast forward to July. I was in my hometown staying with my mom while she recovered from surgery. I met my BFF from high school at this little wholesale boutique we always like to shop at together when I'm home. As we wandered through the shoe section, I just happened to glance up at the different metal decor hanging on the wall. Lo and behold, there was the sign. I asked Anna to get it down for me (she's quite a bit taller than I am) and I checked the price. $37! I ran to the counter and bought it immediately. It now hangs right beside our door. And I know the Amazon price is astronomical, but that's for 6, and it was the only place online I could find them. If you want one, you'll either have to buy six or have to travel to my hometown to get it. :)

So there you have it. My favorite things list. This has been fun! I can't wait to check out what others have chosen.

What are some things on YOUR Favorite Things list?

In-My-Dreams Gift Guide

***Edited to add: Yeah, so all of Danielle's gifts are $25 and under. The gifts listed below are not. Oops.

Today I am linking up with Danielle @ Breakfast at Toast (formerly of The Design Girl) for her birthday week celebration! She asked her readers who were interested to link up a gift idea post. So I made some gift lists. Of course, some of the items on these lists fall into the If-money-were-no-option-and-there-weren't-starving-children-in-Africa category, but it's always fun to dream!

GIFT LIST: ACCESSORY LOVE

1. Clear, dotted umbrella. {$19.20}

2. Missoni for Target trench in rose wine. {not sure because it's sold out!}

3. Missoni for Target shoulder bag. {not sure because it's sold out!}

4. Missoni for Target flats. {$29.99}

5. Vera Bradley Large Duffel in Totally Turq. {$49.99}

6. Vera Bradley Weekender in Totally Turq. {$69.99}

7. Vera Bradley Hanging Organizer in Totally Turq. {$24.99}

8. I Heart Louisiana necklace. {$55.00}

9. Silver Filigree Monogram Necklace. {$219.99}

10. "How Great Is Our God" hand-stamped necklace. {$26.00}

Here's why I heart everything on this list. The umbrella? I love clear umbrellas, and the bright dots make me super happy. I know everyone and their mama has blogged about Missoni by now, but I had to include these on the list. The Vera Bradleys? I will admit, at first I was totally skeptical of VB bags. I figured they would fall apart after a couple of weeks' use. But after owning seven different bags over the past several years, I'm a believer. These things are amazing. I'd love some big bags for traveling. I think the "I Heart Louisiana" is pretty self-explanatory. :) I'm a sucker for a beautiful monogram. And I've ordered from the Rusted Chain before and her work is outstanding. Can't wait to get another piece from her!

GIFT LIST: FOR THE HUBBY

1. 27" iMac. {$1,699.00}

2. iPad 2. {$499.00}

3. PS3. {$249.00}

4. LSU season football tickets. {not sure of the price, but definitely in the $1,000's}

Why are men so hard to buy for? Why does everything they like cost several hundred, even thousands of dollars? These are the questions that play through my head. So if I had unlimited money and wanted to spoil my husband rotten, this is the list. He's actually already got a 27" at his office, but one at home would be nice. I did leave off a few things, like a new LED TV or a new Nikon with beaucoup lenses. But I don't know a whole lot about TVs or cameras, so let's just pretend this list includes his preferred television & whatever lenses he doesn't own yet. :)

GIFT LIST: MY FANCY GIRL

1. Frenchy Posh Puppy. {$13.91}

2. Fancy Nancy dress-up dress. {$18.16}

3. Fancy Nancy doll. {$31.86}

4. Fancy Nancy DS Game. {$18.15}

5. Tangled DS Game. {$19.54}

6. Pinkalicious DS Game. {$20.99}

7. Pink Nintendo DSi. {$149.00}

8. Pottery Barn Kids Darcy Caned Bed & Canopy. {$1,048.00}

9. Pottery Barn Kids Mia Chandelier. {$174.00}

My daughter is obsessed with Fancy Nancy. Obsessed. Since the first time she ever read the original book, she's been asking for a "fancy" room, even going as far as wanting me to tie broomsticks to the end of her bed to make a canopy - just like Nancy does. I've been scouring Pinterest for ways to make a fancy room on a budget (because an $1100 Pottery Barn bed is waaay out of our price range). I have a feeling Christmas this year is going to be very posh (that's fancy for fancy!).

GIFT LIST: FLEUR DE HOME

1. Anthro Fleur de Lys Dinnerware. {$10.00-38.00}

2. Anthro Fleur de Lys Pitcher. {$28.00}

3. Ballard Fleur de Lis Drinkware. {$39.00-45.00}

4. Pewter Triple Fleur de Lis hooks. {$15.00}

5. Rose Nesting Bowls. {$29.95}

6. Ballard Quatrefoil Border Rug. {$19.00-199.00}

7. Fleur de Lis Square Fruit Stand. {$40.00}

8. Ballard Fleur de Lis towels. {$16.00-32.00}

I'm on a mission to acquire some really nice fleur de lis items for my home, which became the basis for this gift list. I think these would do the trick for anyone wanting a touch a French in their home (the rug and the bowls are just lagniappe). :) Oh, who am I kidding. I'd take the entire Anthro Fleur de Lys line. The teapot is darling, and I don't even drink hot tea!

GIFT LIST: JUST FOR FUN

1. Mr. Coffee Frapuccino Maker. {$59.54}

2. Digital Project Life. {$99.99}

3. Angry Birds the Board Game. {$32.99}

4. Photoshop shortcuts keyboard skin. {$30.00-40.00}

5. Sucre NOLA Collection Chocolates + Macaroons. {$57.00}

6. Serendipity Frozen Hot Chocolate Gift Set. {$25.95}

These are some nifty little things I've tried out (Mr. Coffee - I will own you one day!); things I find absurd but awesome (Angry Birds game); things I think are amazing and can't wait to get them myself one day (Project Life); and every fun list needs something to munch on. :)

GIFT LIST: THE ULTIMATE FAN FAMILY

1. "One Dat, Two Dat, Are You a Who Dat?" {$16.95}

2. Drew Brees Superbowl Jersey. {$80.00}

3. Saints Sherpa throw blanket. {$21.99}

4. Saints nail polish set. {$14.99}

5. "Who D@!" Disputed Phrase shirt. {$22.00}

6. Saints dress for girls. {$45.00}

7. LSU dress for girls. {$45.00}

8. Black & Gold Saints earrings. {$8.00}

I won't embarrass myself and reveal how many of the things on this list our family actually owns. OK, I'll reveal one. The blanket. That is the most awesome blanket ever made. My husband and I, who for over eight years of marriage hardly ever fought, all of the sudden started fighting like toddlers over sharing that thing when my parents gave it to us for Christmas last year. It's such a good blanket. Even good enough for the consequential sessions in marriage counseling. (Oh, I kid. About the marriage counseling. But not about the blanket.)

That's all for my gifts post! I hope you've enjoyed window shopping through NOLA-tinted glasses. Have a great weekend, everyone! (And happy birthday, Danielle! I hope you have a wonderful birthday weekend!)