merry christmas and happy new year!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and were able to spend the holidays with your loved ones. 

If you are like me it took me a while to get our Christmas card out this year! I almost even just decided to do a New Years card, but at the last minute here is what I threw together from outside in our courtyard...my mom took the pic for us! :)

Minted

I don't know if it was the short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas or what, but I feel like many others, like myself, had trouble getting it all together this year. There is still time to get out a cute New Years card and they are all 15% off at Minted right now! 

I will post a yummy New Years Day recipe this weekend you can all enjoy! 

Happy Friday! 

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Decorating for Christmas is one of my most favorite things to do! Below are a few pics from what all has been done inside so far. Enjoy!

Living Room:

little Bets snuck into this one :)

 Dining Room:

Hallway into the Kitchen and Breakfast area:

Breakfast Room:

A new addition this year...

 I put a small tree on our counter in the kitchen and filled it with some of our family's old silver pieces. I love it! 

Here is a close up:

The black and white bow tree in our bedroom:

Thanks for visiting! I will put up some of our outdoor decorations up soon :) 

Happy Saturday and Christmas decorating! 

hostess with the mostess

With all of the holiday parties gearing up I thought I would share some of my favorite hostess gift ideas with you all. 'Tis the Season! :) 

alphabet petite plates
I have loved these little plates since I first saw them! They are a great gift to keep on hand for any occasion really and at such a great price you can order a variety of letters!

calligraphy ornaments
These are just gorgeous! I love them all!

Holiday Candle
These candles are amazing! They just smell like Christmas!

monogrammed soaps
These are always a nice addition to any guest bathroom!

 limited edition gold mugs
These would be cute filled with hot cocoa mix and a peppermint stirer or even fun christmas candy or bark. 

gift tags
How cute are these gift tags!?! They have many different designs and packed in a cute box with a bow I think anyone would love to be able to use these for the next dinner party they attend.





a pretty frame

WITH....

a pretty print inside
This is actually a Christmas card, but It would be so neat to write a little note inside frame it and then when the season is over your host will get a special treat when they change out the print :)






Rosemary Plant
I think this is my favorite! It would be so cute in a galvanized tin with a red bow! You can find these plants everywhere right now too!


I hope this helps ease some of the stress of the season for you by giving you some ideas ahead of time! You can never go wrong with a nice bottle of red in a cute wine bag either! :) Enjoy celebrating the season with your friends and family! 

Happy Thursday! 

the most wonderful time of the year

It's Nutcracker Market time!! :)


I look forward to it every year and this year even more so because I have a new house to decorate! YAY!  I thought I would share a few of my all time fave shops - not to be missed. 

Coton Colors - Booth 554

This booth has just a ton of cute hand painted accessories. Many of which make great hostess gifts for holiday parties :) 

Donne di Domani Pasta Sauce - Booth 920

These sweet little ladies make this marinara sauce every year just to sell at the Market. It is not only amazing, but it benefits charity! I personally like the Spicy. It sells out every year so make sure you get by there.


Leftover Antiques - Booth 1456

Beautiful things for the home from this cute little shop in Brenham.

Marye-Kelley - Booth 1101

Decoupaged EVERYTHING! From wedding invitation plates, picture frames, mail boxes, and paperweights. These are all great gifts as well for all occasions!

Paul Michael Company - 925

Patchwork and Petals - Booth 234

These photos dont do this booth justice! It is such a beautiful shop with all handmade arrangments (similar to the one above) and accessories. They also have the most amazing feathers,  potpourri and oil that I leave with way too much of every year. Make sure you say hi to Meg one of my best friends that works this booth! :)

The Pewter Company - Booth 523

Great serveware for entertaining for the holidays!


The Round Top Collection - Booth 900

Love all of the iron decor at The Round Top Collection. It is one of the largest booths and has great Thanksgiving, Christmas and other year round decor for your home and yard. 

The Royal Standard - 1833

This is one of my favorite shops in Baton Rouge! Geaux Tigers! I get so excited that I get to shop from it here in Houston.  It is quite an ecclectic shop with home accessories, decor, serving peices, and even coolor bags and jewelry.

Sandstone Gardens - Booth 1401



Great home decor and accessories!

Treasured Accessory - Booth 1563



All the way from Calabasas, CA! This little shop has great jewelry that is not too pricey. Lots of fun bangle sets!



The Write Designs - 718

Who doesn't love a custom styrofoam cup?!? This is definately a must for me every year! I stock up on plenty of "G" cups for the year and also some for a few of the holidays. The "redneck stemware" were a hit last Thanksgiving at the ranch :)
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I hope this helps any of you heading out to the market this weekend! I unfortunately can not go until Friday, but I will be ready :) I will try to update this post with any other fun shops that I see while I am there! Please let me know your favorite shops too!

Happy Wednesday and Nutcracker Market week!