~festive gift wrapping ideas~{think outside the box}

I love coming up with creative ways on gift wrapping. 
Gift wrapping should show care and time put into the presentation.

This year I got most of my gift wrap at TJ Maxx, and some at Target.

And here are a few fun ideas you can take away!

Use gift tags and vintage tickets as gift toppers

These don't have to be fancy.

The goat ornament was $3 at Target, and the deer and tree are vintage.

Herringbone paper from here.

What I love about using ornaments that are flat like the goat, you can write the gift recipients name right on the back.

Striped ribbon can be found here and white ribbon here.

Think of using stickers to embellish presents.

If you don't have any, you can make your own with sticker paper and a printer.

You can find the 12/25 printables here.

The Eat drink and be merry stickers are meant for cups, but they look great on white gift bags, which can be found 2 for $1 in the party section of the Dollar Tree.

I made these of our dog Harley using PicMonkey and the "polaroid" feature, then printed them on sticker paper.

Go with a color scheme

Using certain colors to unify gifts is always a good idea. Here I paired this ribbon with classic black and white papers. Don't just buy papers out of the Christmas isle, look at party stores, or in different areas of the store.

I also used these XO tags that I bought on sale after Valentine's Day last year.

Make childrens gifts super fun

Kids love fancy wrapping.

They love big huge bows and fun paper.

Those big red gaudy velvet bows that we hate? They are inexpensive and look great on kids gifts.

This gift is for my 8 year old niece, so I chose a tag with the number 8 on it.
Blue striped ribbon can be found here.
Red checked bags were from the dollar spot at Target a couple years ago.

Monogram it!

Use tags that have a letter on them to correspond to the gift recipients name, first or last.

I found this red chippy letter in a vintage shop, perfect for my mom Rosalie's gift.

This M is from the scrapbooking section at the craft store.

And I love using white boxes, no wrapping needed!

Go custom with your gift tags

I got these tags at Minted last year.

I love them because they are so unique. They even have tags you can add photos too.

View them all here.

I hope you got some good ideas to try!

Don't forget to pin these images for future reference.

xoxo

from
http://www.mysweetsavannahblog.com/2017/11/festive-gift-wrapping-ideasthink.html

~a great advent idea with free printables~

I discovered these great magnetc pinboards from Chart a la Carte.

Their signature board (available in white and driftwood) offers a wide range of uses, styles and creative possibilities.  A unique construction allows dual use of both magnets and push pins.  It also features a detachable frame (held in place by magnets) for easy style changes in fabric, and a magnetic storage compartment with plenty of room for extra magnets and markers.  Equipped with magnetic storage on the back, the board can store larger magnets or a reversible chalkboard panel, which doubles as a whiteboard (chalkboard panel and flower magnets sold separately).

Not only are these versatile, stylish, and perfect for organization, but right now they have the cutest advent calendar option available!

How cute are those?

For my kids I printed out messages they can get everyday in December. I wrote things like some quotes to their favorite Christmas movie, Christmas Vacation, some fun facts about them, silly stories from when they were little, etc.

If you would like to use the printables below to create one of your own advent calendars, feel free to print them off and use a paper cutter to cut them out.

If you just want the envelopes, stickers, and tacks, click here to purchase.

But I highly recommend getting the boards, they have literally changed my OCD organizing mind!

These are also great conversation starters for the family and gets the family connected!

Have fun with these!

xoxo

from
http://www.mysweetsavannahblog.com/2017/11/a-great-advent-idea-with-free-printables.html

~sweet potato creme brûlée~

I made this for Thanksgiving but it would be great for a dessert for any occasion.

Sweet potato creme brûlée by Epicurious.

~enjoy~

xoxo

from
http://www.mysweetsavannahblog.com/2017/11/sweet-potato-creme-brulee.html

COTE DE TEXAS 2017 GIFT GUIDE

Now that Thanksgiving is over – everyone is putting out their Holiday Gift Guide.  I thought I would do my own Cote de Texas – Gift Guide for the Holiday Season.  This way, for Christmas, all I have to do is read my own blog to do all my shopping!   I WISH it was that easy!

Still, isn’t Internet Shopping the best?   The thought of going to the Galleria to shop for all the holiday gifts seems so daunting now.  How did we ever survive before Internet shopping????

The biggest and priciest item on my list is this 55” flatscreen that the New York Times says is their favorite TV.  I’m including it because it is ROKU READY.

Roku? What is ROKU?  

  Mr. Slippersocksman and I are ADDICTED to Roku.   Thanks to Roku, we are thinking about going off the grid – and telling Uverse to go stuff it.   We already get HBO on Roku instead of Uverse and we watch Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Amazon on Roku.  I have even stopped watching movies on On Demand – the buffering is awful, but on ROKU, we don’t have any buffering at all.  Roku is the future.  I think. 

To order this TV just click on the photo.

To order ROKU -  you have to have a smart TV.

AND, remember vinyl?  Bravo’s Real Housewives of New York, Carole Radziwill, has a turntable that she keeps on the console behind her sofa.   Her turntable is quite contemporary, of course.  Carole is so hip - I’m not surprised she listens to vinyl.  If you want to join in on the latest trend – be sure to get a turntable that is Bluetooth ready – it will connect automatically to your speakers.  

And, it’s so much fun dragging out all your old albums.

Click on photo to order this Bluetooth ready turntable.

For the holidays, I love to give candles.  Everyone loves a candle!

I have two favorite candles.   First, there is – NEST, Bamboo scent.   Such a gorgeous scent.  This candle will make the entire house smell of bamboo.  What exactly IS a bamboo scent?  Who knew bamboo had a scent?   All I know is this candle is wonderful and I have Shabby Slip’s Renea Abbott to thank for turning me on to this candle years and years ago.

But, my all time favorite candle is the Kenneth Turner – Original Scent.   For years, this candle was a must have in Houston.   The multi wick round candle was in a round terra cotta tub, placed in a wicker basket.  Below, designer Carol Glasser’s Kenneth Turner candle is plainly seen on her black chest.

Today, that terra cotta/wicker candle is no longer made for some insane reason.  You can still get the Original Scent, but just not in the beautiful package. 

Instead, you can order this five wick Kenneth Turner Original Scent candle in this pretty and very elegant glass bowl with a chrome base and lid.   Not cheap, it’s for that very special friend or yourself!  Click on the photo to order.

My favorite treats for the body are by Laura Mercier.  Anything by Laura Mercier.  But, I happen to be especially partial to her Crème Broule Soufflé Body Crème.  To order – click HERE.

Or, if you can’t decide between all the delicious Laura Mercier choices – why not try  this Sampler where you can enjoy them all -  HERE.

This is a real treat – the Oribe Gold Shampoo and Conditioner and Shiner

.  It’s not cheap, but it’s the most fabulous smelling shampoo in the world, ever. 

When I was much younger, I used to be addicted to Pantene.  It was such a wonderful smelling shampoo.  But they sold the company and the shampoo was never the same again.  Pantene went from being fabulous to being ordinary.  Now we have Oribe instead.

BEST SMELLING SHAMPOO/CONDITIONER/SHINER EVER.  Order HERE.

I love the Monique Lhuillier collection at Pottery Barn. I especially love the blush pink Hemstitch napkins. Order HERE.   The entire blush collection is beautiful.   Aw. to get married again!!

This is a great Mother’s gift, wife’s gift, or gift for your husband! Breakfast in Bed!  HERE

And I love this Zebra skin Tray – although it’s really cowhide.  HERE.

I actually need one to stack papers and magazines in.

I love a home baked pie – who doesn’t?  But this pie dish with the scalloped edges makes it look even tastier.

To order, click on the photo above!

This is a pretty gift – paired with a real or faux succulents.  S, M, L,  HERE.

To decorate the Christmas table, I love this centerpiece HERE

For a longer table, I would use four or five and place them in a long line.

The most elegant gift for Christmas or a birthday or if you are a house guest – is a piece of Juliska.   Any piece of the glass line will do – but this vase is especially pretty and not too expensive.  HERE

Another elegant gift I love to give is this box of monogrammed soap.  Who wouldn’t love this for a powder room?  Order - HERE

Wisteria has these wonderful Santos.  I’d keep them out all year long.  The antique Santos are so hard to find now and these are a great alternative.  HERE

Darling Uggs come in black, white and my favorite blush pink.  Order HERE.

I am addicted to these fun furs.   For a daughter, a sister, or you?  PINK FUN FUR  HERE

How about a fun fur for the sofa or the end of your bed? 

ASSORTED FAUX FUR THROWS.  HERE

A cashmere wrap is a classic, this one is oversized and greatly discounted, in black, gray, or beige HERE.

I’m obsessed with this triptych behind the sofa. 

The art work HERE

And the light fixture for a modern look – Love it!!  HERE.

Perfume?   My signature scent is Aromatics Elixir.  I never wear another scent and have worn this for decades. To order, click on the bottle.   The elixir is intense – a bottle lasts for years and years.

 

OK.  This is a gift for you only!   You’ve seen this on TV ads.  It makes bags under the eyes disappear.  It makes wrinkles less noticeable.   In other words, this one works better than any other.   Wonder Lift for wrinkles.  Click on the photo to order!!

This is my daughter’s favorite gadget – she doesn’t leave home without it:   The Yeti Tumbler – in cute colors like this turquoise blue.  LOVE!   Keeps drinks cold or hot forever.   Be sure to order their straws and holders.   This also comes in different sizes for different occasions.

   To order the Yeti,  click the photo!

AND – this is another new gadget that we are loving at home!  SodaStream.  You make your own carbonated drinks!  Or just plain carbonated water.  So easy.

  To order the SodaStream,  click on this photo above.

The NY Times named “Haute Bohemians” the Design Book of the Year.   I agree it’s a fabulously beautiful book filled with Miguel Flores-Vanna’s photographs that remind us how truly rare a good design photographer is. 

To order, click on the photo.

While “Haute Bohemians” is a favorite of mine, I am naming “Out East” Cote de Texas’ Design Book of the Year.   I love the collection of Hampton houses and gardens shown inside these pages.  There are two houses in particular that are worth the price of the book.   I keep this close by and open it often to dream and get inspiration from. 

Click on the photo to order.

Everyone knows that I am addicted to the Starz series “Outlander” based on the series of books by Diana Gabaldon.   While I often recommend the TV series – I don’t talk about the books much, but for the past few years, I’ve bene reading and rereading them. 

Diana wrote the first book, “Outlander” as a test to see if she COULD write a novel.  That just amazes me.   Million of copies later – she proved she could write and then write some more.

If you like a good romance and time travel and Scotland and handsome warriors, this is for you.  I highly recommend it.

What is YOUR favorite gift to give????  I’d love to hear what you like to give again and again.  Share it with us all in a comment.

                                          

from
http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2017/11/cote-de-texas-2017-gift-guide.html