oh happy day christmas

oh happy day! writer, jordan, posted pictures of her j'adorable christmas. all the animal toys laid out and marching towards the tree and the teepee set up with a balloon covered carpet reminds me so much of how my parents decorated our house for christmas morning (and still do!). 

hannah or i would wake up and whoever woke up first, would stir the remaining sleeping sister. we'd make our way, hands cupped around our eyes like blinders so as not to spoil the surprise,  downstairs to the parents' room. the four of us head to the living room which was always set up spectacularly, in a new and creative way each year. one year, the ceiling was covered in waves of wrapping paper, another where the windows were covered in red tissue and paper snowflakes, another when a ribbon tied to our door knobs with candy canes every few inches, led us to the decorated room. we're 22 and 24 now. . . do they have to stop?!?! 

picture from oh happy day!

my family map

now that christmas is over, i can finally show you my family map! back in october, i started working on a project with a custom map and design studio, this paper ship. i wanted them to draw a map of special places to my family and here's what they came up with!

thanks joel + ashley!!

snowflakes

in honor of the blizzard going on, here are a few pictures sent by my lovie calee of the paper snowflakes she made to jazz up her cubicle :) 

now, go make some yourself!

christmas eve on vinalhaven

 

sheep!

hannah at the frozen quarry

merry christmas from the island!

martha! martha! martha!

it happened. it really happened. i went to the martha stewart show! by some miraculous twist of fate, victoria was awarded tickets and invited me and one day later, i received tickets and invited her! two martha shows in two days! 

the experience was...beyond. it's beyond. a great rush of excitement took over my body as i walked onto the set that i had only ever seen on the small screen. t'was too cool for words. 

on day one, we were given vip tickets and were seated in the second row on the stage floor (as opposed to the stadium seating in the back). we thought it couldn't get better! then came day two. with our "regular" tickets in hand,victoria, hannah and i walked to the stage and were asked how many were in our party. "three!"...."ok..ummm....right this way!". expecting to be placed in the back, the woman looked around a moment at the available seats, walked us passed the stadium seating entrance and right to the front row! the front of all rows! it must have been our strategically chosen martha-inspired outfits. 

where we sat gave us such an insider experience to the taping of the show: the show's production manager got very close and personal as he kneeled right below us, waving cue cards for martha to know she had 2 minutes...1 minute...30 seconds left to finish up the ribbon trees she was making with blythe danner. 

as the crew got ready for the taping, i slipped into dreamland (i'm sure in part induced by the many studio lights) and imagined myself working on the set: adding some seeded eucalyptus to the table with the candles, placing all the craft materials out that martha and guest will need to complete it in the 4 minutes they have and fixing the hanging ornament over the sink that looks a tad off center (oh don't worry, it didn't but just if!). one day! i feel it...

below are a few pictures i took of the experience

vip seating in front of the crating table :)

a section of the bajillion lights above the studio. see the faux water tower in the lower right? 

a peak inside the kitchen

martha's set kitchen

front and center! f.r.o.n.t + c.e.n.t.e.r.

green house set

the domestic diva in the flesh. so fit and svelt!

with victoria + hannah. 3 aspiring marthas. 

shout out to the fourth aspiring martha, artem!

xox

what a package!

thanks to nice package and a number of other great blogs that have written about wrapping presents, i want this year's christmas to be my best wrapping job yet!

things i'll need:

* several types of wrapping paper: glitzy, some plain and simple, holiday (candy canes or trees) and one for funny boys. 

* cute and funky ribbons: very handsome, beautiful grosgrain and velvet. or wrapped bakers twine.

* good scissors and tape

* wrapping ideas... 

via ms. stewart

ridiculously cute! from creature comforts

pom pom topper from nice package (my new obsession)

love! by sweet paul (pg. 18-20)

via creature comforts

(or: a twig, a sprig of pine, a holly branch, a fall leaf, etc.)

***

more wrapping ideas from martha stewart, pages 113-136 of the online gifted magazine

and learn how to cut a paper snowflake!

xox

patiently waiting pooch

what a sweet pup face! looks like he's waiting for his best friend to get back home from work. 

is there anything better??

(merci sixohthree!)

phew!

it's a humanity miracle! two hours after i got home after a showing of burlesque (so cheese yet so fun!), i went to purchase some of the songs on itunes and realized my wallet was nowhere to be found. after several panicked searches through my coat and purse, i called the theater to double check there. they found it!

it's so wonderful to be reminded of the kind people who return wallets.

thank you, jennifer at beaucatcher!

crosswind farms

in an earlier post, i mentioned that i started up horseback riding again, and i wanted to share a few more pictures of the barn. crosswind farms is absolutely gorgeous--you're surrounded by rolling hills and mountains on all sides and it just feeeels good to be out there.

fun holiday gift: recycled bottle votive

funky and beautiful recycled beer bottle votive holders from redefine home. 

 $24 for one.

fun holiday gift: journal

ha! after chatting with several artists (and over hearing many of their conversations) this past weekend in miami, this book couldn't be closer to the truth.

it's blank.

$12.50 from the whitney museum store

fun holiday gift: a note

j'adorable card from rifle paper company. 8 cards for $12 or singles for $3.

the stationary brand and design studio had a booth at this year's martha stewart holiday craft sale this past weekend...oh how i wish i could have gone!

did any of you up in the nyc area get to?

egg-corn ornaments

i'm watching martha's holiday open house and i've fallen in love with an ornament she crafted with claire danes. she calls them egg-corns (get it? get it?).

before the ornament project, she made these cream cheese-lemon bow cookies and christmas cottages with jennifer garner--she's so adorable. 

i will certainly be trying out this craft for christmas this year!

antique ornament wreath

my oh my, miss lindsey has certainly proven to us again how amazingly crafty and talented she is! after she was struck by a handmade ornament wreath made by an etsy seller (alas, one she can no longer find!), she began collecting antique ornaments to try to make one of her own. and look how fabulously she made out! click here to see her blog post about the project.

a fellow follower commented that the wreath could be used as a table centerpiece with candles inside it--i love it!

martha would go bananas.