12 Days of Christmas: Holiday Cheer in the Home

'Tis the season for holiday decorating! Whether its a Ryan Gosling mural/portrait (life size) in a Santa hat or a homemade nativity set your cat made your out of pasta and pine cones, ITS ALL SO WONDERFUL! Holly and berries strung over mantles, sparkly Christmas trees with bright stars on top, Christmas bowls set out with your favorite candy, and a wreath from the local Christmas tree stand hung right on your door.. me oh my, I'm practically an arctic puffin ("Not now, arctic puffin!") but I just love decorating for Christmas. Here's what I've been able to muster up for my home sweet apartment on a dime's budget.

Wreath made from old book pages and three pom-pom holly berries! After a viewing of 'Something Borrowed' and halfway through 'Elf",covered in hot glue strings, help from a BFF, (and a Poinsettia cocktail), the wreath was finally finished! (And so worth it)! The perfect addiction to my living room along side my pom-pom garland so when I'm watching 'Love Actually' for the 1000th time I can remind myself that at least I have crafts.

Sparkles and pine cones and trees and deer, yes that's what I like to have accompany me whilst I eat my homemade spaghetti o's (when I'm being civilized and not eating them on the couch and watching Real Housewives on Bravo)!

Last year I did a snowflake making tutorial because the folding of the paper IS THE CRUCIAL PART!! And everyone deserves to make at least one paper snowflake in their life that isn't a rectangle with holes cut out of it! And with the leftover pages from the book wreath that I had, I just HAD to make a bazillion snowflakes for my little apartment so when its 50 degrees here in Tennessee, I can pretend its a giant snow storm (you just need a glass of wine and to squint your eyes a bit and shake your head and it looks exactly the same)!

Cranberry and popcorn garland!

Easily brings cheer to any place in the home instantly. Also a quick snack for my cat if one night I accidentally go visit Santa at the mall instead of coming home after work. It's like a break-in-case-of-an-emergency/great holiday decor snack for Wensley.

Can you bottle up Christmas stockings, peppermint hot chocolate, mistletoe kisses, buttoned up jackets and mittens, cookie baking and present wrapping?? Well no, not yet (the elves and I are still working on that) but this candle is as close as you can get! Served with candy cane kisses (YES THIS IS A REAL THING AND YES THEY WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!) it basically creates the perfect cheery atmosphere. (Sufjan Steven's 'Come on let's boogey to the elf dance' playing in the background is optional but highly suggested!)

Even Sir Wensley has gotten into the Christmas spirit even if he didn't know it because he was too busy being paralyzed with fear with all his ho-ho-holiday cheer! He's all like 'OMG Mom is singing 'Where are you Christmas' as loud as she can again!" But its whatever, I know he believes in Santa Claus because I found his letter to him behind the couch! (He's asking for Meg Ryan and a bottle of whiskey, by the way.)

Hope your day is filled with holiday cheer!

Chantilly Lace

First the kitchen was my favorite part of my apartment (CHEESE, MUFFINS, AND BAKING GALORE Y'ALLS!) And then my bedroom was my favorite place ever and Robert Redford wasn't even there so you know.. BUT NOW the living room has stolen my heart. Movie marathons on my couch with every single candle lit (I'm currently watching 'Meet Me in St. Louis' and its like OMG JUDY I LUV U!) Here's some snapshots of my living room. I don't know how Wensley St. Clair managed to sneak to almost every shot. What a fame whore. He really needs to control his partying ways. He won't be cute forever.. (oh wait, yes he will!)

Lots of blankets, a door turned coffee table, candles, and Ikea things. What can I say blankets are the best! (tied with plaid wearing, bearded men buying you a cup of coffee&a scone)

After I had burned through that candle, I cleaned it out and turned it to a mini vase! (Even though every time I completely burn through a candle a little part of me dies with it.) And I used twine and butterfly paper to spruce up a wine bottle.

My most favorite side of the couch. Chest from Nashville flea market for $30 and lamp is from Ikea. Both posters are from amazon for dollars and cents and frames are from Walmart. You don't have to spend buckets of hundys to have a nice home!

Wensley, bro-dude, people are really getting tired of your antics. (BAHA JK LUV U!) Vase is from Ikea and flowers from Trader Joe's. It was so sweet, I showed up to my doorstep with these flowers and asked myself on a date. So if anyone's worried about me being a crazy single white lady, don't worry... I'm doing just fine!

'Gone with the Wind' poster so at any moment during the day I can be reminded of: "You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how." OH CLARK GABLE! How you have my heart. And basically anything else you want of mine. You want this $1 flea market cactus.. ITS YOURS!

Bagel sandwiches are my new jam. And by jam I mean nutella. Because who puts jam on toast anymore ever since nutella has been available in U.S. grocery stores!? Cheese, egg whites, onion, garlic, &spinach. Mmmhmm. Thats how I like to start my mornings (&my afternoon snacks).

Hope your day is simple splendid and filled with your favorite things!

Chantilly Lace- Big Bopper (Went to dinner at an Irish pub last week and there was a Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin cover duo there and it was wonderful. But I oh so wanted to special request this song. "BUT BABY I AIN'T GOT NO MONEY HONEY!)

Good Vibrations

I'e been watching Christmas movies all day and dreaming of the holidayzzz. And I'm wondering, on this unbearably hot summer day, if my application to be one of the elves at Santa's workshop got lost in the mail or what?! {Also can we talk about how cute the two little girls are in The Holiday... adorbz.} Maybe its the Costco shopping spree I just went on {20 lbs. of cherries and enough hummus to last me a lifetime} or its Jim Carrey in The Grinch, but I've just been filled with joy lately.. and here are a few more reasons why.

That unbeatable duo of an iced coffee and lemon berry muffin on a summer day. Really you can take away everything but the muffin and I could be just as happy. Oh muffins, who invented you?! How are you so grand?! Cheese is really starting to get jealous!

THE MOTHER F-ING BEACH BOYS!!!
You best believe it. I crossed off a bucket list item when I saw The Beach Boys at the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga. Oh what a day it was. Driving up with bff, Katie, listening to The Beach Boys greatest hit on repeat and then seeing the Beach Boy with guest drummer {wait for it.....} JOHN STAMOS!!!! Sure it was only two of the original member left {MISS U CARL!} but it was still incredibly most wonderfully great!

Hmm, how do I begin to describe this sandwich that was bigger than my head and had more cheese than what was in my fridge {which is a lot, believe me}. Oh Jimmy Johns YOU SO GOOD TO ME!

After building a whole entire couch with OUR BARE HANDS, we had to feast on hummus, cheese, bread, pizza, and anything else we could because even we couldn't handle our strength.

Julie Darling Donuts.

Somehow these donuts have made a a donut shaped hole in my heart that can only be filled with their blueberry donut holes. I mean oh. my. gosh. they are so insanely delicious. And I don't dare go to Chattanooga without stopping by here to pick up a bag {or two} of donuts.

My mecca, my safe place, my place for Real Housewives watching and The Way We Were crying.

Is a blog post complete any more without a picture of Wensley St. Clair?! I mean his hair is all over my chair so why shouldn't he be all over my blog? Plus he's got the darnedest face and is mastering at being the world's cutest cat while being the dumbest one at the same time. He loves to chase his own tail and the amount of times he's run into the wall is embarrassing. Needless to say we are perfect for each other.

I've got a glass of red wine and Love Actually waiting for me.. Happy Christmas in July!

Good Vibrations- The Beach Boys

I like bread and butter. I like toast and jam!

a few snapshots of the past week not including my delicious pesto pastah dinner, superbowl fun complete with friends, cupcakes, &wine, snowy days, lime green scarves and fox hats, oc marathons, dying over certain tree huggers insanity, board game nights, homemade trail mix, target adventures that led me to buy a SUPER SAVER 35 pack of toilet paper {???????}, screaming... i mean singing at the top of my lungs to the fantastic mr. fox soundtrack, breaking the winter ban on shaving my legs, and too much bread!

the franklin theater had the lighting of their new marquee! and ain't she a beaut! of course it felt like a total tease since the theater won't actually reopen for business again till june! {don't they understand i need to be in walking distance of a working theater at all times?!?! I LOVE THE MOVIES!}

while folding my laundry {yes, yes.. lets all gasp with surprise! i was actually doing chores. TAKE THAT JUNE CLEAVER!} i realized i have a certain addiction. before you sign me up for A&E's intervention let it be known that i'm admitting my obession with stripes! 1, 2, 3...7, 8, 9! lets not even talk about the striped shirt i was wearing when i took this picture! {woops..} and folks this is just my blue stripes collection! {fine A&E i'll do your show but promise me i'll get jeff as m inventionist! and family no bringing up my floral addiction!!}

the beginnings of one of my bedroom walls. my favorite is probably the cat picture. i got the frame from goodwill and picked up the crazy cat picture {i mean the cat is wearing glasses and reading a book?! ADORABLE SLASH THE-GREATEST-THING-EVER!} the butterfly wrapping paper was given to me by the same store i got the card! flower was made with newspaper, felt, and a button!

frosting up some caramel cupcakes.

seems like our 2 day new-year's-resolution-to-eat-healthy slow period is OVVVA! thank the high heavens for people who can't stick with them! you make me proud, city of franklin!

oranges as big as my coffee and coffees as big as my head!

is it obvious that this is one of my favorite ways to decorate the walls?! its just so fun&easy! and my flower anthropologie hook is holding my canon a35 datelux camera!

its my one day off before the craziness of valentines weekend at work. {its like people like giving cupcakes to the ones they love or something.. pshh.} i plan on spending it watching grey's anatomy {season 2- OH HAII ADDISON! way to ruin everything with derek&meredith!}, baking {i've got 4 over ripe bananas calling my name!},decorating, and crafting!

hope your day is simply swell and awfully sweet!

The Newbeats- Bread and Butter

Lazy day for you, me, and the honeybee.

on the mornings i manage to wake up at a decent time {and i'm thinking like 9:30 since i don't usually work till 1.. yeah i know, i hate me too} i like to take my time and savor the morning. and while some nights i stay up way too late having o.c. marathons and live tweeting the event {late night tweeting is dangerous! my greatest downfall!} therefore resulting in a complete loss of my mornings.. i try my best to pencil in some good ole lazy time! {i mean it is one of my new year's resolutions... no it's not. okay yes, yes it is. that and eat more muffins. i'm a mother's greatest nightmare!}

a visit to the tea drawer.

quickly becoming one of my favorite drawers in the house.. that is of course after our cheese drawer. {sharp chedder cheese drawer!} EVERY HOME NEEDS A DRAWER DEDICATED SOLELY TO CHEESE AND TEA!

listening to the beach boys high water record is a sure fire way to start the day off just wonderful. 'God Only Knows', 'Heros and Villians', 'Good Vibrations', 'Fun, Fun, Fun' all on the same record. well hootin scootin bungee jump sign me up! {see?! gets you saying things like hootin' scootin'! i mean is that even a saying!?}

early morning craftin'. folks i've got a whole apartment to help decorate! museum walls are my favorite. and tend to be popping up all around our lovely little place! plus with my budget of a couple bucks its quite easy to do!

oh look its my "I Love Your Style" book from Staley! {and girrrl do I love it!} also another one of my most favorite books ever, "The Daring Book for Girls!" i love my little reading corner. i just need a great chair to complete it. i'm thinking floral vintage with a k-mart plastic lawn chair price tag! also the bundle of letters were a golden flea market find. all written during the 50s and 60s to a Mr. Max Pentecost.

if you haven't made my signature muffins yet then i don't know if we can continue on being friends. loljkiloveyou! but for real.. i pop these bad boys in like tic tacs. it needs to stop. but they are just SOOO GOOD!

hope your mornings are gloriously swell and filled with joy!

p.s. post title inspired by this 60s classic by spanky and our gang. going to try a new thing on the blog... every post title will be from a song!

Well, hot and heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ!

boy oh boy, me oh my! we've got to stop meeting like this. like a sixteen yr old who just got their license, wrecking havoc on the town and never home anymore. but to cut to the chase january has been a CRAZY month! the biggest change? I'VE MOVED! to the most adorable little apartment. with a most wonderful roommate. and i'm finally now settling down.. almost have all my clothes unpacked {emphasis on the almost, as with every place i've ever lived i always have a box of clothes i never get around to unpacking. i've really got to kick that habit!} with last week having 5 trips to goodwill {and two different locations} and way to many trips to the grocery store {its not my fault i get my dark chocolate covered edamame from trader joe's, my frozen veggies from publix, and my trail mix from costco! i gots to get those low prices!} anyway this week=debit card on lock down. and unfortunately for you that means lots of blog updates! woo! here's a few snapshots of the new diggs.

the vase is from goodwill.. for 50 cents! and what makes the purchase even sweeter? urban outfitters is selling an almost identical one for $19! sticking it to the overly-priced hipster man! huzzah! picture was put together from the help of a printer, discount wrapping paper, and a $1 frame from the cutest little thrift store in franklin-our little thrift store!

two pillows, one from target one homemade. and you wouldn't even be able to tell the difference!

two gals who love to bake?! you best believe our cookbook collection is oh the chiiiz-hain. {okay so i've maybe had two cups of tea and a cup of coffee this morning. i don't even know what i'm saying!} but of course the muffin bible was one of my contributions to the stack... YOU KNOWZ IT GRRRL!

my most favorite new blanket. that basically ties my whole entire room together. and if i could would maybe even hang it up on my wall. thanks ma!

candles, flowers, and birds.

i starting to see a slight unintentional theme to my room!

eek! i can't wait to share more with you! while the move has been stressful.. its been the most wonderful and exciting adventure. complete with {and not limited to} flickering lights {thanks ghost betty!} crackling fuse box, broken locks, overflowing dishwasher {classic movie style... and completely my fault... woops}, and fire alarms walling off the walls... like i said definitely been an adventure. and while i'll miss living in nashville {and my most wonderful roommate there!} i'm only a bike ride's away from sweet cece's. and that my friends is more dangerous than the fuse box that almost caught on fire!

hope you day is marvelously outstanding!