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December 7, 2015

My Holiday Cards (+ an Artifact Uprising Giveaway)

Every year I think I’m going to skip out on doing a photo card to send out for the holidays, but then I see a design that I just can’t stop thinking about and order them. This year was no different, thanks to Artifact Uprising‘s modern looks and beautiful sayings.

After 8 1/2 years of Design Crush I figured now was a good time to do a card to send out to sponsors and PR folk who I work with on the regular. I really liked the idea of sharing a peek at my home and aesthetic for the photo, so you might recognize the shot on it from this month’s holiday mantle post.

For my family and personal friends it was none other than my pup, Bebe, front and center! I snapped this photo of her last year before decorating, and paired with the sentiment it was a perfect match. (This is also the first year I’ve included my pets names on a card – the decision to makes me laugh!)

I also toyed with the idea of New Year cards as I rushed to get the house decorated, gifts bought, and cards written out and in the mail. They’re such a great option for those of us who note December as the busiest month of the year both personally and work-wise. In fact, I’m already half planning on it for holiday season!

Now it’s your turn to win $150 to spend at Artifact Uprising! They have amazing cards and lots of other good stuff to personalize, so think outside the box. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted In behind the scenes, cards, christmas, create, holidays, living, new years, paper goods, sponsored post

December 3, 2015

Favorite Books to Give

The Nomad Cookbook

Books are one of my favorite things to give and receive throughout the year, so what better time to share some of my favorites than now? Most are design, interiors, or food related because when it comes down to it those are the subjects I like to share most with others. (You never would have guessed that, right?!)

The Kinfolk Home // See San Francisco // The 52 Lists Project // Bright Bazaar

Food52 Baking // The Year of Cozy // The Sugar Hit // Whip It Up

Sage Living // 100 Years of Color // Outside the Box // The Forest Feast

Posted In create, holidays, living, read up

December 1, 2015

A Minimal Mantel

My holiday decor game plan goes something like this:

Work around what you already have.
Stay true to your style.
Don’t do a lot of rearranging.

It’s a plan of action that’s served me well in the past, but when Pier 1 challenged me to do a mantle refresh I knew it was time to try something new. Their holiday collection revolves around several styles this season, a little something for everyone, and it was fun to pull from a few to create a look that was 100% me.

The starting point was this amazing Peacock Ombre Wreath. My tree is full of jewel-toned ornaments, mostly in different variations of pinks and reds, so this piece on the other side of the room just made sense. It’s colorful and saturated and a great focal point to build my mantel off of.

Christmas is all about sparkle, so anything I did wouldn’t be complete with some sort of lights. I fell for these Ornament String Lights in a heartbeat. The ten shimmery ornaments are handblown and have a mercury glass finish, something that’s always been one of my holiday staples. I stretched a strand along the mantle and tucked about half into the lower part of the wreath. It ended up feeling very abstract and modern, which I love! And they’re operated by a battery pack, a total bonus.

To add some extra height I pulled in the Glitter Ice Pine Tree Set. They’re such a great touch with those silvery bases, but manage not to compete with the brilliance of the wreath. Decorating with threes is something I always do – in this case the tallest of the three trees was offset on one side by the middle and smallest sized. My mid-century rocking bird is the only piece I left from the usual mantle setup because it just added something special.

The last touch was a pair of LED Birch Tree Pillars that tie in nicely with the all-encompassing tree theme I ended up with. They have two settings – one for a steady light and one that flickers like a real candle! I’ve been turning them on every evening and the yellow tone of the lights is just so warming.

This post is brought to you by Pier 1 Imports. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush creating fresh content!

Posted In behind the scenes, christmas, holidays, house and home, living, sponsored post

November 30, 2015

Mega Holiday Card Roundup

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

This year, instead of breaking up our usual December roundups into parts, we’re going big. A mega holiday card collection, a mega 2016 calendar post, mega holiday DIYs, and our usual imaginary Christmas celebration. This way you’ll be less likely to miss out on any favorites and all the more likely to get into a festive spirit! To start off here are 50 holiday cards I’d love to show up in my mailbox.

11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20

21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30

31 / 32 / 33 / 34 / 35 / 36 / 37 / 38 / 39 / 40

41 / 42 / 43 /44 / 45 / 46 /47 / 48 / 49 / 50

Posted In cards, christmas, create, holidays, living, paper goods

November 30, 2015

Louise Gray

Way back in August I met the ladies behind Louise Gray – Alexandra Gray Bennett and Jocelin Johnson. So now not only do I want to find one of their amazing geometric quilts under my tree Christmas morning, I also want to go to happy hour with them the day after. Through Louise Gray they reinterpret the art of quilting using modern design to keep the traditional craft alive. Each one is handcrafted in the USA from 100% cotton, and looks just as good on your bed as it does adorning a wall as art.

Posted In accents, create, house and home, living, textiles

November 27, 2015

Fast Company Innovation Festival + Post-it Brand

A few weeks ago I hightailed it to New York for Fast Company’s Innovation Festival. The event featured industry leaders, CEOs, and some of the brightest minds in business all speaking about what’s next in terms of innovation, creativity, and design. Through open and honest talks and behind the scenes workshops at some of the most dynamic companies and startups in New York, we got a firsthand look at the business and culture behind it all. After three days I left highly impressed and inspired.

I was there at FCIF as a guest of Post-it Brand– I don’t need to introduce them, do I? I’ve been an office supply junkie since childhood so it was a natural fit. My Mom used to bring me home the supply catalogues from work and I’d go through and mark them as though they were toy catalogues! Post-it Notes were always one of the most coveted items with their variety of colors and shapes.

If you think about a few projects you’ve been a part of – both work and home – I’m willing to bet Post-it Brand has been present in some fashion. Their products just lend themselves so well to brainstorming, planning, and processing that it’s almost too easy.

Now they offer one of my favorite office products ever – three sizes of Post-it Big Pads that stick right to the wall. I’ve been using the medium-sized ones to plan out editorial content, then plastering the area around them with smaller Post-it Notes. They’ve definitely changed the way I process some of my thoughts and go about my business with Design Crush. This kind of collaborative thinking is what Post-it Brand is all about, and one of the many reasons they’re a staple in desks and homes around the world.

This post sponsored by Post-it Brand. Thank you for supporting the brands that help Design Crush create fresh content! Follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Posted In behind the scenes, create, living, office, paper goods, sponsored post

November 27, 2015

5 Favorite Food Blogs of the Moment

Spoon Fork Bacon is the collaborative food blog of Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenna Park, and between them the two create some seriously delicious recipes with a DIY thrown in here and there for good measure.

Recent Favorites: Sausage and Kale Baked Gnocchi, Maple Chiffon Pie, Fig Herb and Sausage Stuffing

Not Without Salt focuses on foods that are simple, fresh, seasonal, and delicious. (Most of my favorites do.) Ashley really focuses on helping you eat well and enjoying the cooking and baking that goes into that process.

Recent Favorites: Apple Cider Fritters with Cider Glaze, Ginger Peach Rum Punch, Hot Arugula Dip

Local Milk is helmed by Beth, who has a serious way with both words and camera. Sometimes I forget that I’m reading delicious recipes and get completely wrapped up in her prose.

Recent Favorites: Vegan Rose + Chocolate Chip Spelt Waffles, Root Vegetable Cheese Pot Pie + Herb Biscuit Crust, Golden Milk Cocoa

Hungry Girl por Vida‘s main babe, Cindy, shares recipes that I want to eat. Immediately. All of her savory and sweet dishes are easy and taste mind-glowingly delicious.

Recent Favorites: Orange Ginger Cream Cheese Muffins, Rumchata Spiked Coffee, Goat Cheese with Cherry Onion Compote

The Faux Martha‘s Melissa shares the recipes that dress her family’s table day in and day out. Weekday meals are down and dirty while weekend feasts are more time consuming, and I love the realness behind that.

Recent Favorites: Big Batch Apricot Muesli, Blender Ditch Baby, Balsamic Pasta

Posted In blog love, food, living, recipes, series

November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving

Photos by India Hobson via Design*Sponge

Wishing all of you here in the U.S. a warm and happy Thanksgiving! Full of friends and family, plenty of good things to eat, and a daylong celebration of all of the good we have in our lives.

Posted In holidays, living, thanksgiving

November 25, 2015

Censer Incense Burner

I haven’t burned incense since college, but Censer makes it look so chic that maybe I need to give it another try. The chalice base and porcelain dome are most definitely not the wooden ski-like incense burner I once owned. But it’s functionality doesn’t stop there, place a votive inside and the dome lights up transforming the piece.