Archives for December 2015

It’s two days later and Christmas has come and gone. Presents have been opened, films have been watched, and a copious amount of food has been consumed. I’m not sure about you, but I have definitely eaten more than my share of christmas treats in the span of three days.

This Christmas season, my family opened up our home to our extended family. All eighteen of us sat around our table for a Portuguese style dinner. This meant potatoes, chouriço, and chicken that would put Nando’s out of business. Everyone had a task to do to make this dinner a success. Mine? Table decorating.

As some of you may know, I love decorating. With two Christmas banquets from the year already under my belt, I was excited put my new found knowledge of holiday table design to the test. I always find that Christmas decorating can have the tendency to look a little tacky. I wanted to stay away from that and give our table a more modern (or in other words, Pinterest inspired “this looks like it came from tumblr) twist. I’m a sucker for anything rustic.

My holiday table…

I kept the table simple with a white table cloth and white plates. For candlelight, I used mason jars (which you can find at any thrift store or even your local grocer) and placed white, unscented tea lights in each. The stumps were borrowed from the church I work at, which gave the table a rustic feel. I added foliage, a gold spray painted pine cone (to bring out the gold trim on the plates), and some berries that I found in my garden. The other two stumps were used as a “mat” for the hot dishes.

What’s so great about this, is that you can find most of the decor from your backyard, a local park, and even a dollar store. It’s cost efficient which is great for the holidays when money can get to be a bit tight.

Even though Christmas has come and gone, you can easily use this similar idea for any dinner party or even New Years day! New Years is all about gold, black, and glitter. Trade in your red napkins for gold or black ones and dip your jars in some glitter. Or, bookmark this page to keep in mind for next Christmas!

I hope that your Christmas was wonderful – spent with everyone that you love, and full of so much food, laughter, and joy.

J. x

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

It’s that time when the weather get’s a bit crisper, the ground a little icier, and the clothes a little warmer. It’s that time of year when you put on your comfiest shoes and immerse yourself into the madness that is Christmas shopping. It’s an exciting season, but what I love most about it is the activity that comes after the hustle of gift buying. It’s christmas gift wrapping.

I’m a bit obsessed with it. I think it’s my all-time favourite activity during this time of the year. If you’re a creative person like myself, you get a thrill of excitement when you wrap up a gift. It’s the best time to try something different – maybe use twine and foliage instead of a bow; or chalkboard paper instead of wrapping paper. Whatever it is that you choose to do, it’s a great opportunity to try something different. And besides – who doesn’t love a good DIY!

Just like Julie Andrews, brown paper packages tied up with string is definitely one of my favourite things. It’s a pretty simple way to wrap a gift. It’s easy and it looks pretty too! This year, I thought it would be fun to share with you some of my favourite ways to use kraft paper when wrapping gifts. I hope that this will inspire you in case you’ve run out of wrapping ideas, or if you want to try something different!

Go ahead and have a look, and be sure to tell me which idea you like or if you have any yourself!

Some of the supplies used: brown kraft paper, letter stamps, twine, burlap, and foliage.