A Cozy Christmas

I've had such a lovely time decorating our home for Christmas that I decided to link up to The Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes 2010. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Decorating

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I love everything about the Christmas season; having and attending festive parties, baking Christmas cookies, and especially decorating! Here are some of my favorite Holiday spaces in blogland thus far:

Knight Moves

Simplyvonne

Be sure to link up to the nester's Christmas 2010 Tour of Homes on Monday!

{ and thanks, Lindsay, for making the suggestion! }

Apple Cider Donut FAILURE

Yeah, so I found this delicious recipe awhile back and decided to give it a try:

{FIY that is most definitely not a picture of my donuts}

The batter smelled amazing, looked amazing, tasted amazing...

and then I burnt the donuts. Every. Last. One.

Some things are better left to the professionals...

Please feel free to share your own cooking, baking, or decorating disasters to help me feel a little less pathetic for wasting 3 hours of  my life on donuts...

etsy love: Pink Christmas

loop loft

Sea Pinks

the little red door

cheeky mama designs

Prince Design UK

Chalet Chic

bungalow quilts

Mixit

Foosie Design

lucy snowe photography

What etsy items have you been loving lately?

Black Friday

This will totally be me on Friday:

I've gotta be honest: Last year was the very first time I ever went shopping on Black Friday. It was me, my husband, my brother-in-law, and my sister, and we had the BEST time! That was, of course, before I thought I'd lost my wallet {one wasted hour of frantically searching every store in the mall later, I found it in one of my shopping bags, oi!}...but thankfully, we had a fabulous day of shopping in spite of that. I was able to buy almost ALL of my Christmas presents, which is quite a feat for me! Since everyone warned me that it would be total chaos {which, I must mention, I loved}, I decided to have a plan of attack. Here's what I did, and what I plan to do again this year:

1) Scour your city {and the internet} for ads : That way, you can compare prices before the big day

2) Have your shopping list ready : I asked my our relatives for their lists a month ago and they're just now trickling in ~ get with the program, people!

3) Don't forget about you! : The hubs and I have been mulling over certain potential purchases for a few months that are much more likely to happen if we are able to score some great deals on Friday

4) Establish a game plan : Decide what store you're going to first, second, third, etc.

5) Take time to refresh : You may feel like you have to go to every store before everything is gone, but you need to be sure to stop for breakfast/lunch so you can stay energized!

6) Know when to move on : You may find that some stores' Black Friday sales are less than exciting...if that's the case, get the heck outta there and go somewhere else! Don't waste time scouring the store when the store next door may have just what you're looking for.

What about you? Are you going to brave the crowds to bring home some bargains for your fam & friends? Any tips for Black Friday newbies?

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!! :)

GLEE!

Are you a Gleek?

If not, you should be. I started watching the show to fill the void left by LOST, and I've been hooked from the moment I first heard Sue mock Will's hairstyle.

Check out some clips from this season:

I definitely prefer The Warblers' version over Katy Perry's!

I think this may be my favorite mash-up yet!

Wedding Planning

Hello blogland! I'm sorry I've neglected my poor little blog, but I've been busy finishing up my little sister's wedding invitations and putting the finishing touches on her Bridal Shower plans! Pics to come soon :) In the meantime, here is some eye candy to start your week:

{one of my favs ~ somehow elegant, yet casual}

Blog Love: 11.4

This is one DIY project I will definitely be trying!

Oscar is one lucky guy to have this serene space.

Holly can even make a petti coat look chic.

I am totally loving this turquoise, gray, and yellow design board.

mmm this Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe sounds easy and oh-so-delicious!

What have you been loving lately?

Natalie Wagner Photography

Well, the Engagement Photo Shoot with my sister and her fiancee was a HUGE success! Here are a few pics from the shoot:

I'm quite pleased with how they turned out!

Since I'm starting my own photography business {natalie wagner photography}, I thought the best thing to do was:

a) start a blog

b) get my own facebook page.

So, here they are:

Please check them out and let me know what you think!

Oh, and feel free to follow and like my pages! :)

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for a CSN giveaway coming soon!

Ruffled Cake Stand

I'm on the hunt for the perfect cake stand. I'd like to use it for my sister's Bridal Shower, as well as her wedding {they're having a Candy Bar}.

Qualifications:
- white
- pedestal
- "ruffled" edges
- 12" or more in diameter
- $30 or less

Here are some pictures of what I'm looking for {these particular stands are no longer available, wahh}:

Please let me know if you have any idea where I can buy something similar!


P.S. My brother-in-law is now in Rehab after his motorcycle accident on Sunday. He's doing Physical Therapy 3-6 hours a day and is slowly healing. Thank you so much for your kind words and prayers!

Brosef

My brosef (brother-in-law), Jon, was in a motorcycle accident while driving home from church on Sunday. He was the only one involved in the accident. Jon's injuries include:

3 broken ribs
a broken wrist
a broken leg (above the knee)
a broken collarbone
a bruised liver
a broken arm (it literally broke in half)
bruises all over his head
bruised and bleeding kidneys
a punctured and partially collapsed lung

He arrived at the hospital in critical condition. The doctors had to remove his spleen and drain his lungs. They are watching his lungs and kidneys closely. He had a blood transfusion, during which he was given 2 units of blood. He was put on a respirator to help his breathing. Additionally, his left arm was broken in half and was protruding out of his skin (OUCH!).

They were able to put in a plate and 7 pins, and the doctors said the surgery was very successful. There is one nerve that may be slightly damaged, which has resulted in his left arm being numb, but the doctors do not believe there will be permanent nerve damage. All of the injuries appear to be on the left side of his body.

Other than a black eye, Jon's head, neck, and face appear to be in good condition, which is truly a miracle!

Jon lives in Western Virginia (he is Vice President of an Engineering firm in Abingdon, VA), but they had to air-lift him to a hospital in Kingsport, TN.

My husband's parents and sister have already driven down to see him. My husband and I could only get 2 days off from work, so we will be making the 10 hour drive there and 10 hour drive back in a span of 2 days. Several of Jon's friends from New York are also driving down to see him.

Please pray for safe traveling for everyone, talented surgeons, and continued healing for Jon.

Obsessed

Look what I found:

Eclipse DVD Details: Release Date, Features and More!

September 21st, 2010 4:09 PM by Hilton Hater

Tags: Eclipse

If you can stop staring at our gallery of Robert Pattinson photos for one minute,Twilight Saga fans, we have an update on the latest film in this beloved franchise.

Eclipse will come out on DVD on December 4. Included in the two-disc Special Edition will be:

• Audio commentary w/Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.
• Audio commentary w/Stephenie Meyer and Wyck Godfrey.
• Eight deleted/extended scenes.
• A 90-minute, six-part making of documentary.
• A picture gallery.
• Music videos from Metric and Muse.

Just in time for Christmas! ;)

Candle Sconces

I'd really like to purchase some contemporary candle sconces to place on either side of the mirror in our living room. Most of what I've found online are a bit traditional for our taste. John and Sherry's sconces are just what I'm looking for:

Unfortunately, it appears that ZGallerie no longer sells them. Wah wah wah.

This one is fun:

...but it might be a little too blingy for my husband's liking.

I love the modern design and color of this one:

...but it's about 5 times more than I'd like to pay.

Any ideas?

Also, who would like to buy me this fabulous rug from CSN for our living room?

The 5'x8' is only $532...

I never know how often I should wash our sheets. It ranges from once a week to every other week. I normally wash them in cold water so they will last longer, but this article really has me wondering.

How often do you wash your bedding?


{I've also added this question to my weekly poll, located at the top, right-hand corner of this page}

Blog Love: 10.4

Here are some things that I believe are quite delish:

Aubrey and Lindsay's sweet DIY headboard for Oscar's nursery.

Boots + Tights = Fall Perfection

This pretty, eclectic nursery featured at Spearmint Baby.

Holly's beautiful new place ~ congrats!

E-mail etiquette ~ true AND funny.

This is an old post but I am totally making these this year!

The "Coziness Action Step" is spot on.

John and Sherry's faux ceramic gourds {perfect for Fall!}.

Don't you just love those posts and pics? What are some blogs you've been digging this week?

So Long, Sweet Summer

Well, summer is officially over and guess what? I never posted a picture of my balcony transformation! It gets worse: I never took an "after" pic! Wups!

We were able to get several candles, chairs, planters, and other outdoor items on the cheap {or for FREE}, so the project ended up costing even less than we anticipated. The hubs and I have enjoyed several meals and late-night card games on our pretty new balcony. Thanks for all of your suggestions and encouragement throughout the project!

Here is a picture of the deck in the middle of the transformation:

Notice the GIANT bird?! One day, while I was finishing up some Grad work in our Guest Room/Office, Ben suddenly shouted my name and told me I had to get out there, quick! I ran out to the Living Room to find him staring out the window at the HUGE/amazing/scary creature. Is it a hawk? Whatever it is, it is MASSIVE, and we caught it lounging on our deck railing about 5 different times throughout the summer.

At least he seemed to appreciate our deck transformation. :)