My Grandma turned 90 this year and has finally agreed to relinquish cookie making duties to me this Christmas. (She’ll still be making her famous-among-hundreds nut rolls, however.) I’ve done a few cookie swaps over the years, and I have to admit they make the cookie task much more interesting. I love trying other peoples’ tried and true family recipes, and I love the variety that comes with a good ‘ol fashioned swap. Do you have a go-to?
I’m not feeling very in the holiday spirit this year, but I’m hoping the tree I’ll be putting up soon will kick in like some sort of Christmas upper and get me there fast. I’ve upgraded from a 6-foot tall tree to a 9-foot since my ceilings in this new place are higher. The curved staircase has this perfect little nook that seems tailor-made for a tree (I’ll be sure and Instagram a photo or ten once it’s decked out). I’ve picked up a few new ornaments to make sure I have enough, and I’m wishing these shiny things below were on that list.
This week on Design Crush:
Are you following along with 24 Merry Days? Twenty-four bloggers are doing giveaways for 24 days this month. Drake General Store x Design Crush is giving away a cherry-picked prize pack worth a whopping $1,000! Check out eight art prints I’ve got my eye on this month.
Crushing on the ceramic work of RedRaven Studios.
Time to start fresh with some clean stockings this Christmas?
The wall hangings of artist Heather Levine are stunning.
More holiday cards, just in case you have yet to pick yours out!
This monthly art subscription – Papirmass – is perfect for the art lover on your list.
Showstopping hand-painted wallpaper from Voutsa. 2015 calendars, part 5 to get you ready for January!
Sharing the last room on the first floor of my home, the kitchen.
A bevy of drinks for holiday entertaining and coping – Happy Alcoholidays!
Are stockings a holiday tradition in your family? In my home growing up I had one that I swear was nearly as tall as I was. I could stand in the thing. It always hung in the same spot (on a closet door) and was one of the best parts of Christmas morning. We also had them at my grandparents’ house until several years ago when the whole lot just disappeared. Stockings are still one of my favorite traditions during the holidays, so I rounded up a few that I’d love to hang on my mantle this December.
I began following Redraven Studios several years before moving back to Pittsburgh, in fact I didn’t even know they were from my hometown at that point. Founder Amy Hamley and her husband Ryan create the prettiest porcelain pieces – I had their Good Luck Porcelain Horseshoe hanging above my front door for several years and it was always complimented. This holiday season I’m eyeballing the Porcelain & Gold Leaf Feather Ornament for my tree (and maybe a few lucky recipients) along with the Canyon Series Dinnerware that is forever on my Wish List.
You guys, IT’S TIME! For the third year in a row 24 Merry Days is here to rock your socks right across the room. Maybe even clear out the front door.
Mastermind Audrey has once again matched up 24 bloggers and 24 prizes. Every day from December 1st through the 14th a different giveaway will be announced on a different blog and revealed on the 24 Merry Days site. I’ll be tweeting the latest one each day (@designcrush) along with hosting one that you’re definitely going to want to enter.
I’m a big fan of Minted, their goods, and what they’re doing for independent artists. I have several pieces of the art they sell in my home, and this is the second year I’ve turned to them for my holiday cards. Minted offers a fantastic collection of both photo and non-photo cards (my preference), and after narrowing them all down to four designs I settled on this one by Phrosene Ras. I love the bright and happy palette and the ability to customize the sentiment.
This year I took the time to input all of my addresses on the website so that Minted could print them right on the envelopes. While I’m normally all for hand-addressing my holiday cards this year is extremely busy, so I took the plunge and don’t have one regret. They look so good!
Minted also offers the option of a decorative element next to the address that coordinates with your card’s design. I really felt like this additional touch helped make up the difference (in my mind) for not writing things out on my own.
Minted will also add your return address on the envelope flap for free. The end result was clean, modern, and just my style.
I’m happy to team up with Minted to give a lucky reader $300 to spend on holiday cards, art, or whatever else might be calling your name! (They also have some lovely gift tags and wrapping paper.) Take advantage of their addressing service or wow your holiday card list with a design that features their new gold foil. Best of luck!
I’ll be sharing my holiday cards for the year with you in a few weeks, but have you started to think about yours? We’ll be picking and choosing our favorites from the absolutely huge selection available out there as the holiday season amps up and kicks off. Check out Part 1 here and now!
Advent calendars are one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. My mom started the tradition with me early and I’ve rarely missed a year. The paper variety that have the little door flaps that open to reveal a bit of a larger image or have a tiny piece of chocolate have always been my favorite, but I also love the idea of something more grand. Most of the ones I’ve included here are DIYs with a few for purchase thrown in for good measure. If you’d like to peek at roundups from years past – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Click on each image to go to the project. All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.