Happy Weekend.


Anna Grapes

+ What a clever idea, a holiday Sputnik mobile.

+ Have you seen this art made entirely out of typewriter letters and punctuation marks? Genius.

+ Cute holiday cookie stencils to download.

+ Thinking about this recipe for Bacon and Egg Soup!

+ If you’re late on your holiday cards maybe consider sending out Happy New Year cards instead.

+ Check out The Twelve Terrors of Christmas by John Updike and Edward Gorey. Love it.

+ Really want to check out this bar.

+ I’ve been reading this poem almost daily for the past two weeks.

+ Love this father/son art blog.

+ Pouring through this from What Katie Ate.

Happy Weekend!

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Resolution Record.

After five days of not touching my reader and over 1,000 posts to catch up on, this is what knocked my socks off the farthest: The Small Object’s downloadable resolution record.

As I’ve mentioned I’m not all that into resolutions, but imagine the possibilities of this bad boy! Diets, exercise, remembering to feed the kids (er) – absolutely anything you want to keep track of doing on a daily basis. She’s provided the genius template, now you provide the rest.

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Happy {2010} Weekend.

I cut out New Year’s resolutions a few years ago after making too many unfulfilled promises to myself and feeling bad about it. I’m not knocking them if you’re a fan, I’m just no good with such a big weight on my shoulders. (I’ll lose 50 lbs. I’ll . I’ll single-handedly be responsible for world peace.)

I’m more of a believer that instead of resolving to do something, we should try to make smaller life decisions that are part of our day to day existences. I plan on trying to drink more water, keeping in closer touch with friends and family and starting to landscape around my house. Easy enough because I know they’re all possible without too much trouble. What are your goals for 2010?

And because I’ve been out of the loop for the past few weeks, some of my favorite posts that have graced my reader recently:

+ DIY Origami Box Ornaments with a great step-by-step tutorial :: Creature Comforts

+ Super cute free holiday tags, perfect for a homemade goodie gift! :: Creature Comforts

+ A bevy of holiday packaging freebies :: Benign Objects

+ A clever free printable holiday card :: Creature Comforts

+ Sad I didn’t see these really well designed desktop wallpapers sooner! Downloaded for next year :: Nien Studios

+ A great Christmas mix of songs both new and old :: m.writes

+ And a fantastic mixcast full of indie Christmas tunes, too :: kitsune noir

+ Pretty red and aqua holiday downloads :: Eat. Drink. Chic.

+ Loving these type-centric gift tags :: Wiley Valentine

+ And these gift tags :: Creature Comforts

+ And these tags and labels :: Creature Comforts

+ And these gift tags, too! :: heysusy

+ Did you see Livy’s gorgeous vintage village that she made? :: A Field Journal

+ 12 Days of Christmas boxes for you to fill with goodies :: The Dieline

+ Insta-gift: print these free recipe cards and labels :: mstetson design

+ I’ll be busy printing out this 2010 calendar this weekend! :: poppytalk

+ And this one :: redblackbrown

+ I can hardly believe this printable pocket calendar is f-r-e-e! :: Creature Comforts

Happy Weekend + Best Wishes in 2010!

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The Ideal New Year’s Party.

I’d greet guests at the door wearing this

And this

And of course, these. Which probably wouldn’t last on my feet for long.

There would be plenty of bubbly flowing and guests wandering around with these beauties in hand.

And nothing would be served but dessert.

And this would be sitting in the corner, warming chilly hands and feet.

While this set the mood overhead.
And plenty of candlelight of course…

And music…

And dancing…

And magic.

And when the ball dropped at the stroke of midnight…

Everyone would have someone to ring in the New Year with.

{via ffffound, no source}
Yes, exactly like that.
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Happy New Year!

Thanks for stopping by from time to time in 2008. It was lovely getting to “meet” each and every one of you. 2009 can only bring bigger and better things to us all and I can’t wait to share it with you through Design Crush!

I’m signing out for the year and will be back Friday. Until then…

Here’s to 2009!

:: photo via ffffound

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On the Rocks: New Year’s Eve Edition.

One of these years I’m going to throw the perfect New Year’s fete. The cocktails would of course be of the utmost importance. (Especially if you want your guests to beg you for a repeat 365 days later…) I wouldn’t want them to be too champagne heavy – although some sort of bubbly would be a must – and unique enough that you’ve never experienced them before. Something like these…

Ingredients:
– 16 pieces bubblegum, preferably Double Bubble, cut in half
– 2 cups vodka
– 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
– 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
– 1 tablespoon simple syrup
– 1/2 egg white or 1 tablespoon pasteurized liquid egg white
– 1 cup ice

In large airtight container, combine bubblegum and vodka. Seal and allow to infuse, stirring every 6 hours, for 24 hours. Pour vodka through fine mesh strainer, discarding bubble gum. In cocktail shaker, stir together 2 ounces bubblegum-infused vodka, lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white if using. Add ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via epicurious

Ingredients:
– 1.5 oz cherry-infused Woodford Reserve Bourbon
– 1.5 oz cherry-infused Graham’s Six Grapes Port
– Ice cubes

To garnish: 3 spirits-soaked cherries

For the cherry-infused spirits:
– 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
– 8 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon
– 8 oz Graham’s Six Grapes Port

Put 1/2 cup of cherries into each of two clean jam jars. Top one jar with bourbon and the other with port, and store them in the fridge for a week. To serve, strain the alcohol (reserving the cherries) and combine the bourbon and port in a highball glass over ice (Plonk shakes it with ice and strains into a martini glass). Garnish with the spirits-soaked fruit. Serves 1.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via Men’s Journal

Ingredients:
– 2 cups lemonade
– 2 cups orange juice
– 3 cups pineapple juice
– 2 cups gingerale
– 1 to 1 1/2 cups vodka
– pineapple spears for garnish
– fresh cranberries for garnish
– ice cubes

Combine the first 5 ingredients and keep chilled until ready to serve. Serve over ice cubes. Garnish with pineapple spears and cranberries. Serves 6-8.

:: cocktail recipe and photo via Dragon’s Kitchen

Ingredients:
– 3/4 cup sugar
– 3/4 cup water
– 1 1/2 cups packed mint leaves, plus 12 mint sprigs, for garnish
– 6 limes, cut into wedges
– 2 cups light rum
– Cracked ice
– 3 cups Champagne or sparkling wine

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over high heat just until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. In a large pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the mint leaves and lime wedges and muddle well with a wooden spoon. Add the rum and stir well. Strain the drink into another pitcher. Fill tall glasses with cracked ice and pour in the drink, filling them about two-thirds full. Top with Champagne, garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

:: cocktail recipe via Food & Wine

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New Year’s Eve.

I always set my expectations too high for New Year’s Eve. Fine, I always set my expectations too high for every holiday. It’s a sickness, I tell you!

This year most of my friends seem to be doing their own thing – from attending a mystery dinner to having people over for a chill night in. I, however, remain undecided and only know that it must include the fab black cocktail dress I plan on wearing!

What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?

:: photo via ffffound

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To Resolute or Not to Resolute.

So, resolutions… are you for or against them?

I always have a few in the back of my mind and one that’s been around every year since I turned about 15 – stop over-analyzing and over-thinking every little thing to death. Since it’s still around you can guess how that one works out year after year.

But this year I’m venturing down a new path. I’m making an attempt at changing my entire outlook. (So really, it’s more of a permanent change than a resolution.) This year I’m planning on not worrying about the future. Not how I’ll get there or when I’ll arrive. I’m just going to focus on the journey. I feel like a lot of the time I’m waiting around for my life to start, when really it’s happening all around me and passing me by every single day.

What’s your New Years resolution for 2009?

:: image via ffffound

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