giving thanks to you!

I've teamed up with the lovely Angela of the extraordinarily gorgeous vintage shop Greatest Friend to bring you this extraordinarily gorgeous undies set! All you've got to do in order enter is leave a comment here (open to all you international pals too)! I'll be selecting a winner at random a week from today and announcing said winner on December 1st. If you'd like to have your name entered a second time into the drawing pop over to her shop and let me know your favourite piece and if you'd like a third entry share a favourite comedic, heart warming or tear inducing holiday (any holiday) story with me here! EXCLAMATION POINTS!

Angela's Links

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Set Measurements

Pants

15" waist
20" hip
15" length
11" rise

Top

Cup: 7" x 7" (C)
Around: 33-34"
Straps: 14.5"

Good luck and a very happy beginning to the holiday season to all! xx

Holiday Hairstyle1: Headband

Holiday Hairstyle #1: Headband

hairstyle how to, hair instructions" width="160" height="200"> Paris Hilton wears this popular look

A great holiday style that always looks chic is voluminous hair styled off the face with a headband. For a style like this, wash your hair with a volumizing shampoo and conditioner like Kenra Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner. Next, blow dry hair upside down to give maximum volume to limp locks. Then, put large hot rollers throughout your hair and let sit until they cool (about 30 minutes). Tease your hair at the roots and smooth all the hair back off the face and secure with a headband. Spritz hair with a firm hold hairspray to give your look the staying power it needs to make it through the event.

Holiday Hairstyle #2: Ponytail

hairstyle how to, hair instructions" width="160" height="200"> Kristen Bell's ponytail screams chic!

Another stylish look is the ponytail. The party perfect ponytail is a dressed up version of an everyday pony. This is a look that can take you from work time to party time very easy. To get this look: Run a flat iron over ½ inch sections of your hair at a time, making sure that you get maximum smoothness. Then tease the top of your hair at the roots to give a little lift. Next, pull your hair into a ponytail, smoothing out your teased roots so they are smoothed into the pony. Then wrap a section of your hair around the elastic to conceal it and secure with a bobby pin. From here you can leave it or dress it up with a beautiful hair accessory, it’s your call.

Holiday Hairstyle

hairstyle how to, hair instructions" width="160" height="200"> Julia Stiles has the perfect messy updo!

For a holiday event that calls for more of a dressed-up ‘do, try a chic updo. For an effortless, but glamorous look, pull your hair back into a ponytail. Split the ponytail into two and wrap both the pieces around the pony and secure with another elastic band or bobby pins; the messier the better. If any pieces fall out around your face, leave them or curl them with a large barrel curling iron to give the look dimension. Spray the entire style with a light hold spray like Paul Mitchell Soft Spray, which will finish your look without making it stiff or sticky.

With all these stylish holiday hair choices, you should be able to switch your look from one party to the next with ease. Have a great holiday, and more importantly, great holiday hair!

Taken from http://antiquedress.blogspot.com/

Holiday hair and make-up

How to do holiday hair and make-up

Protect your skin Sunscreen is a must. I live in Australia so I’m used to thinking about the sun and its effects. When you’re buying make-up look for foundations with SPF already in them. Mineral make-up is especially good as it gives you coverage as well as sun protection. You should be looking for factor 15 and above.

Multitask Take multipurpose products on holiday. For cheeks and lips try a water-resistant tint so that you can wear it swimming. Top it up with a little gloss in the evening. You need to be careful, though, of wearing lip-gloss during the day as it can contribute to sunburn; most glosses don’t have any SPF. Try a light balmy lipstick if you don’t want to use a tint; the pigments will offer some protection.

make-up that will last If you like to go swimming or you’re going to a very hot and humid place, you want make-up that will let your skin perspire but that still stays on. A lot of women, though they won’t admit it, go to the beach with make-up on. You don’t have to look made-up, but it’s nice to have a little coverage. For the face use a sheer tinted moisturiser, and concealer where you need it. To help your make-up be more water-resistant, lightly powder your face using a sheer colour, without any orangey tones.

Easy on the eye I tend to wear less eye make-up when I’m on holiday. For subtle definition, use a black eyeliner on the inner top lash-line only. Lift up the eyelid with your finger and draw on the inside, so you don’t have any visible colour on the actual lid. It defines your eyes as if you’ve had your eyelashes tinted. I love tube-forming mascara – it’s a polymer that sits on your lashes, unlike regular mascara, which paints them. This means that the mascara won’t come off when you’re in the water. And it won’t give you panda eyes in the way waterproof mascara can.

As the sun goes down For warm, light evenings, illuminating products are really good to pack. A shimmer eye pencil and illuminating gel to use on your cheekbones are very handy. Add a bit more bronzer, and sculpt your cheekbones a little. Apply bronzer under the chin where you don’t tan – it will even things out. Peaches and corals are really flattering blushers. Gold is a great colour for eyes

Beach head You don’t want to do too much blow-drying or styling of your hair. If you do want a professional tousled look, use straightening irons, but twist sections of your hair around them so it kinks in areas. This is also good for frizz. Use a salt spray for instant volume and texture. I like the Solar Sublime range by L’Oréal – it’s especially good if you have dry, coloured hair.

Taken from http://antiquedress.blogspot.com/

Trim a Tree with Uncommon Ornaments

For some folks, the Yuletide chore of decorating the Christmas tree can be just as tiring, and let's face it, downright dull. Sure, you've got lots of holiday memories wrapped up in the mish-mash of Christmas ornaments you've collected over time, but you're still yearning for something a little bit different and lots more exciting.

It might be time to think outside of the gift-wrapped box folks often get stuck in this time of year and come up with a Christmas tree filled with collectible treasures to express your personality and interests. And no, a tree of this variety doesn't have to be ultra expensive to be impressive. Read on for a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Collectible Cups on the Tree

One neat idea, as shown in the photos here, came from my friend Claire Maxwell who owns Talbot Street Bed & Breakfast in Taylor, Texas. While open for the annual Taylor Christmas home tour, much to the delight of visitors wandering through the spectacularly decorated home, a tabletop tree that really epitomizes this idea was on display.

This particular tree held bough upon bough filled with small china cups Claire had collected here and there and everywhere. Some were children's dishes; others were of the demitasse variety. A lidless child's teapot, tied in place with a satin ribbon, was even perched near the tip of the tree where it worked beautifully as a topper.

Among the lightly colored cups, which really showed nicely nestled among the greenery, inexpensive red bead garland and sprigs of dried babies breath added the finishing touches. The result was a beautiful, old-fashioned tree allowing $1-3 cups to be used in a creative and fun holiday display with out going into debt to put it together.

Baby Shoes and Children's Toys on the Tree

While we were talking about her own decorating work, Claire also told me about an irresistible tree she'd seen once filled with adorable vintage baby shoes. And then we discussed toy rolling pins tied on with ribbons. The list went on and on when we started exploring kid's stuff to use as holiday ornaments.

Now, if you don't have a bunch of odd cups or infant shoes already collected up, these same ideas aren't going to work for you this holiday season. You'll have to get busy transforming common objects you already own into uncommon ornaments before Santa makes another trek down the chimney.

Other Ideas for Collectible Themed Christmas Trees

Cookie Cutters - Filling a tree with metal cookie cutters you've collected could be quite charming, even in a kitchen or dining area. Simply tie a ribbon hanger on each cutter and you've got instant ornaments. Christmas Postcards - Use a handful of vintage Christmas postcards to tuck within the branches among shiny ball ornaments in traditional holiday colors. Make color photocopies of cards on heavy card stock if you'd rather to hole punch and tie them to the tree instead. Framed Photographs - I once saw on the cover of a women's magazine how designers employed small black and white framed family photos among a bevy of red, white and blue ornaments. If nothing else, I bet you have some old photographs that would photocopy and frame up nicely for a project like this whether you go with the patriotic theme or not. Check your local dollar store for deals on small picture frames. Vintage Costume Jewelry - Consider using pearl necklaces from your local antique shop's bargain bin as garland or tie on large, sparkling brooches with ribbons. You can also pin brooches to the tops of sturdy ornaments or small pillows before hanging. Decorate a mini tree or rosemary bush by clipping rhinestone earrings to the branches. This is a great way to use single earrings when a mate goes missing.

Start Planning an Uncommon Strategy for Next Year

Of course, if you can't come up with a single idea that would work out for you now, there's always next year.

Just think about how many uncommon objects you could scout out for tree hanging between now and next Christmas, and all the fun you could have scavenging favorite shopping spots to find them.

After the thrill of the chase is long past, you'll find there's nothing quite as satisfying as a clever display of your treasured belongings and the joy you'll get from sharing them with others during the most wonderful time of the year.

Taken from http://antiquedress.blogspot.com/

Happy Christmas!

Wishing all of you the merriest of holidays and the happiest new year!

Landon and I are snuggled up with sleepy kittens, home fries, grilled cheese and Jimmy Stewart awaiting the arrival of my pops and brother (both pictured above). A most excellent christmas eve.

Much love to you! <3

ps. were any of you mega obsessed with My Lady Lovely Locks? Did you watch the cartoons (hi, I am curly crown)? I think that was the christmas that I finally got the prince, I was so excited!

you better be good, world

I hope you are ready to be bombarded with a variety of christmas themed posts for the remainder of the month! Starting with this christmas playlist that I arranged just for you, dear readers! Thank you all for sharing with me a bit about yourselves in the previous post and I encourage any more new readers to do the same, you are an inspiring and wonderful lot.

We've settled in comfortably to our new abode and are happily in the process (my favourite) of nesting and collecting furniture on which to place our rather expansive (thank you pasadena flea market!) collection of knick knacks. If any New York dwellers have suggestions for cheap and handsome furniture we would really appreciate it. This is the first time since leaving Vancouver that we've actually had a bedroom! Generally when entertaining company we all end up in (not unlike the grandparents in charlie and the chocolate factory) our bed eating, watching movies, playing board games or sleeping (up to five people once) now those things will be happening in our very own living room, like proper adults (will make for much cleaner mattress, I think our movers were a bit shocked at the site of our broccoli, wine, menstrual and flu stained mattress, I could only smile with my eyebrows up and shrug a little about it, certainly they've seen worse). Hopefully later this week I can share pictures of a moderately furnished apartment with you!

Enjoy the christmas jams! I'm planning on uploading one playlist a week until christmas (yes, I have that much and more christmas music at my disposal, clearly a woman obsessed).

flickr favourites 006 (holiday edition)

 

The most wonderful time of the year has arrived! Landon and i are trying to participate in as many quintessential "christmas in new york" activities as we can. Macy's thanksgiving day parade was the first to check off the list (if you have any secret ny holiday traditions please share!) i enjoyed it with my wonderful surprise birthday guest Rebecca. Landon cooked his first turkey (upside-down) at our orphan thanksgiving dinner yesterday, it was a most excellent feast with friends. now we have a full bed of buddies and homemade crumble watching home alone 2. Very thankful for everything right now. Hope you all had a terrific and delicious thanksgiving!