do it yourself

Window Art

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As most know already, my brother got married last October. (I wrote about it here and here.) Although only one event was taking place at our house, we still wanted to decorate it fully. We were also taking a bus down to LA and wanted to decorate it.

After talking to a particularly crafty friend of mine, I decided to look into glass markers. I was instantly reminded about high school and Spirit Week; the parking lot would be filled with cars decorated with things like Seniors 2004 on the windows.

They were the perfect solution: easy to apply, they came in bright colors, and would be able to withstand a 6 hour drive down I-5.

After making a quick trip to Michaels, I got to drawing. Here’s a look at how it turned out.

A Ganesh

An om

The decorated bus

One of the many professional wedding pictures

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Holiday Host Gifts

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Now that it is officially December 1st, it feels like an appropriate time to talk about all things Christmas related. I was so surprised to see how many stores were decorated for Christmas…in October! But now with a swift change of the calendar, I have fully embraced the holiday spirit.

Many bloggers are posting great gift ideas for family and friends. However, around this time of year come many holiday parties. It always nice to bring something for the host and hostess who have generously invited you over.

I love to bake and make homemade gifts. With these thoughts in mind, here are my ideas for affordable and homemade host gifts for the holidays, with a personal touch:

With every passing Christmas, my love for peppermint grows exponentially. Here is a great recipe that I plan on trying out myself this holiday season! Place the bark in a decorative bag or tin, either of which can be found at Etsy or Target.

Last Christmas, I made holiday cookies and found the holiday cookie cutters in the dollar aisle at Target. If you have a child, or a niece/nephew, have them help you with the decorating. They will love it! Be sure to make a little extra, because after carefully decorating I am sure they will want to eat a few. 🙂 Since the cookies are pretty in itself, they don’t need help in the presentation department. Simply wrap the cookies in some cellophane, tie it with a ribbon, and you are good to go.

Is there a more perfect winter drink than hot chocolate? I think not. Provide your host with all the essentials to make an amazing mug of hot chocolate. You can even cater to your host’s preferences, if you know them well enough. For instance, include pieces of shaved Andes mints for someone who loves mint. (Hint hint :)) Put all the items in a cute jar, add a pretty label, perhaps even a ribbon and hand it over to the host to enjoy!

For those of you that don’t like baking, this is the item for you. All it requires is some assembly but it is still just as thoughtful!

What is your go-to gifts for hosts during the holidays?

(All images courtesy of Pinterest.)

Wall Decals

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Growing up, I was not allowed to hang up anything on the walls of my room. My parents were afraid that putting up posters of the Backstreet Boys and picture frames would leave holes in the wall, thus damaging it. Also, considering that I live in Northern California, we always had to be cautious about what we put on our walls (if anything) in case an earthquake were to occur.

I recently rearranged things so I began searching for the perfect wall decoration for my room that would not harm me if an earthquake were to happen and it would not leave holes in the wall or chip the paint. Not an easy task!

I had an idea when I saw this featured on one of my favorite blogs, Cupcakes and Cashmere. As much as I loved the idea of a tassel garland, the price tag and the size were not for me.

A few weeks later, I came across these wall decals that were on sale at Michaels. It fit my requirements and complimented the color of my walls perfectly. I knew just the place to put it.

What do you have on your walls for decoration?