A Passion for Scrapbooking, Decorating and Shopping

Intaglios...

If it weren't for Things that Inspire, I would have never discovered such wonderfully classic works of art by Quatrefoil Design.

If it weren't for Willow Decor, I would have never realized just how beautiful this work of art would look on the walls of her home.

If it weren't for my dear friend, Kitty, who shares a great appreciation for classical inspirations, prompting a discussion of this type of artwork, I may not have noticed new pieces being offered by Quatrefoil Design.

The new pieces I am referring to are two 17 3/4" x 21 3/4" framed intaglios, named the Joni I and Joni II. They were inspired by designs from Joni, author of the infamous design blog, Cote de Texas.  

My order arrived just before Christmas, and before Santa could say "Ho, Ho, Ho," they were hung in our upstairs hallway.

 Merry Christmas, hallway!  And Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you.  

Views of snow fallen...

When I look at snow, I see serenity, calm surroundings and beauty.  All brought to us by Mother Nature. It's just like having a 2nd home in the Grand Tetons, with pretty views such as this:

The reality is the tasks behind the beauty that Mother Nature shares with us.
 

Manual labor.

It has been quite sometime since my guy has had to shovel nearly 2' feet of snow.  It's pretty to look at but no fun to deal with.  

I recently made a request for a White Christmas.  With the cold temps we are experiencing in the Mid-Atlantic region, I think this snow will stick around for a while.  And I may just get my wish.

Capitals...

For the love of all things architectural, I hope you will join me in admiring a few capitals I discovered online:

Vintage Wooden Capitals from Wisteria.  The display looks so inviting. Such a shame they are on backorder right now because I'd love to ask Santa for one.

Speaking of Santa, look at this Corinthian Christmas Tree Stand, also from Wisteria.  I've never seen anything like it before.  It casts an appearance of romanticism with a bit of ruggedness.

Very sexy, architecturally-speaking.

I am now contemplating ideas on next year's tree decor.  

Restoration Hardware's Roman Capital makes for a nice pedestal. Even all alone, it speaks volumes in terms of great design and curves. 

And these are the type of curves I would not mind having.  

Joie de Vivre calendar contest...

Since January of this year, I have had an opportunity each month to display great artwork depicting a favorite design element of mine, the chair.  

 At the hands of Kimberly Applegate, she is offering her 2010 calendar and a contest that ends at midnight tonight.  If you'd like a chance to win, go there now!!!

And if you do not win, reward yourself with this calendar.  Better yet, reward yourself with a print of Ms. Applegate's artwork.  

Can you believe Christmas is just two weeks away!?  

Ginger snaps & pumpkin pie...

One of my pastimes is to read cookbooks and magazines, seeking recipes that appeal to me.  I then turn them over to my guy who has a great passion for cooking and baking.  

When I came across a pumpkin pie recipe that included ginger snaps in the November issue of Southern Living magazine, I thought I found the ideal recipe for my father-in-law's taste buds.  He loves pumpkin pie and always enjoys ginger snaps with his coffee.  

And on Thanksgiving Day, we filled our tummies with traditional dishes and this pumpkin pie.

I do not care for pumpkin pie.  Never have.

This pie, well it turned me into a pumpkin-pie-eater.  

And this pumpkin-pie-eater is making a request for another pie at Christmas.  

Just do not put me in charge of the whipped cream again.  If you could have only seen the look on everyones face when they asked me "where's the whipped cream?"  

I learned that if I'm going to be a pumpkin-pie-eater, whipped cream is a must.  Duly noted.

Pretty & Practical Buys for the Home...

...via today's Washington Post, included was a feature on gift ideas for the home.  It is worth checking out.  They included gift ideas from Valerianne, a linen shop I've come to know and the egg crates from Anthropologie are unique and adorable.

For you online shoppers, they included links.  How convenient. 

What a woman wants...

I wish I could speak for every woman and help those in need of gift ideas for the female gender.  I can only speak for myself when I say that I am fickle.  One day, I could be in the mood for a nice pair of cowboy boots and the next I'm asking for a toilet.  Yes, I still want the Toto toilet.

Today, I am sharing a few gift ideas that perhaps the woman or women in your life could want. 

Wallets are a standard gift in our household.  I usually purchase one for my mom every other year.  The Nordstrom Croco Clutch Wallet is a wonderfully thin yet practical wallet.  I know someone who owns one and each time she whips it out, I think "what a nice wallet".  It's not bulky and is quite a stylish accessory.

And more importantly, there are plenty of credit card slots and a zippered change purse. 

The Roberto Coin Small Diamond Circle necklace has a delicate dose of diamonds that won't break the bank.  In 18k white gold, which goes with just about anything.  It's quite a classy gift.

Apple's Magic Mouse is one I can recommend personally.  It's the next best thing to sliced bread.  There are no wheels or buttons to contend with.  To better acquaint yourself with this mouse, it's best to watch the video.

If she travels frequently, the Vera Bradley Frill YTB Duffel Bag is the ideal accessory.  I use this bag to carry all my toiletries, cosmetics, blow dryer, the works.

I like that it is laminated.  And there is something about the shape of this bag that makes it so sexy.

If you wish to gift someone with a fragrance, be sure you know what they like.  Otherwise, you can purchase a sample box of colognes, like Jo Malone's collection.  Like artwork, you really need to know the person you are buying for because it's such a personal preference.

And if she loves photography, cameras always make a nice gift.  From point-and-shoots to digital SLRs, you can't go wrong.  If she has a digital SLR, a lens is ideal such as the Canon 100mm macro for close-up photography or 85mm for portraits.

May these gift ideas help get you jump started with your gift-giving tasks.

Gift me a card, please...

Today was spent not out at the shopping malls but at home, in my pajamas shopping online.  It was nice to take advantage of some great deals and not have to leave my home.

 As much as I like to shop for products for loved ones, I am finding that gift cards are the easiest and practical way to go in our family.  And what I discovered today is Amazon offers gift cards not only for their own website but for many other retailers too.  It certainly makes life easy for me to shop from one site.

In addition to Amazon's selection of gift cards, I have a few others to recommend:

Joann.com is a great, all-around gift card for nearly any type of crafter.  Sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, jewelry-making, and so-on.  I think it is the most well-rounded destination for crafters.

A gift card to Starbucks is very practical.  With the cold weather moving-in, it would be hard to resist a Gingerbread Latte'.  

GiftCertificates.com offers a neat concept in gift certificates where they are redeemable and exchanged for original gift certificates from various retailers.  It gives the recipient to select the retailer of their choice.

The Container Store is one shop I could spend hours in, looking at anything that could possibly make my life easier and more organized.  Right now, they are offering a great deal where if you purchase $100 in gift cards, you get a $25 gift card for yourself.  

Target...what a great place to shop for just about anything.  Toys, home accessories, clothing, beauty, music, electronics and all sorts of great things that cause us to leave the store with more shopping bags then we intended.  I like the ability to purchase their gift cards online so I may send them directly to the gift recipient.

iTunes gift cards are what any iPod user can benefit from.  

Nordstrom is one of my favorite department stores.  And for folks who love shoes, they have a great selection to choose from in all shapes and sizes.

Gift cards are great stocking fillers too.  

I hope your Thanksgiving with family and friends were filled with special moments.  And that today's kick-off to the holiday shopping season was a productive one.