(Photo via Rifle Paper Co)
If you didn’t catch my post this weekend for 12th & Broad‘s Style Scout, here’s a recap:
Gift wrapping, you either love it or hate it.
For years I hated wrapping presents. I would wait till the last minute and rush the process. Wadded up, bulky, tons of tape and whatever paper was left on Christmas Eve. This is how I wrapped presents year after year. My gifts were easily recognized for all the wrong reasons.
It wasn’t until I stepped into my first paper store that I fell in love with gift wrap and stationary. I learned that gift wrapping was an art form and could be fun (and beautiful) if I would simply plan ahead.
(Photo via Rifle Paper Co)
Here’s what I have learned over the years:
1. Keep the Shopping Simple. Throughout the year, pick up paper, cards and various wrapping accessories at stores that you already shop. Don’t over think it. Some of my favorite gift wrap for the holidays has been found in the summer.
2. Shop Local. Nashville has an incredible selection of paper goods & craft supplies. Make sure to check out Kore Nashville, Pulp Nashville at Hey Rooster General Store, Rock Paper Scissors, Hester & Cook, and All Seasons
3. Not a Big Shopper? Online Only? Choose 1-3 paper sources that you really like, check in a few times a year and buy a little at a time. My favorite online sources are Rifle Paper Co, Ferme Papier and 1canoe2 and Paper Source (many of the Nashville shops carry these lines).
4. Feeling Crafty? There is a plethora of DIY gift wrapping ideas on Pinterest. The options are endless!
5. Choose Your Materials Carefully. This is an important process. I have found that if I choose paper I love, I will love the process of gift wrapping. There are so many types of papers, varying in weight and finish. And oh, the accessories. So many choices! Find one that suites you. It will make all the difference in the world.
6. Make Room. Christmas is not the only time you wrap a gift. There are lots of other holidays and events. Create a space where you can store your gift wrapping items, and stock up on supplies
7. Make Time. You don’t need a whole lot of it, but you do need to set some time aside. The gifts have to be wrapped one way or another. Giving a little extra attention to detail isn’t going to cost you a lot of extra time. The key is to plan ahead with your supplies and set-up
8. Why All the Fuss? A well-wrapped gift conveys a message of love and thoughtfulness.
Need some inspiration? Looking for something unique? Here is my holiday gift wrap round-up for 2014:
Holiday Cards:
1. Foil Joyeux Noel
2. Ferme Santa – Hipster Mr. & Mrs. Clause
3. Merry Llama
4. Reindeer Mistletoe
5. Tis the Season to Be Jolly Card
Wrapping Paper:
1. Forest Path Wrapping Paper
2. Cursive Wrapping Paper
3. Dark Blue and Gold Star Wrapping Paper (in-store only)
4. Black and Gold Polka Dot Wrapping Paper (in-store only)
5. Floral Gift Wrap – Black/White
6. Graphite Lace
7. Winter Wonderland
8. Holiday Greens
9. Bitch Wrapping Paper
10. Holiday Dots Wrapping Paper
Gift Tags, Ribbon & Twine:
1. Merry Bitchmas Gift Tag Set
2. Foil Wilderness Gift Tags – Dear
3. Emerald Peonies
4. St. Nick
5. Pinecone Gift Tags
6. 3-in-1 Photo Card
7. Nutscene Twine
8. Heirloon Stripe Red Paper Ribbon
9. Honeycomb Paper Ribbon
10. Skinny Cream & Gold Ribbon
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So this week has been a bit crazy with work and life. And to make things a bit more interesting, I wrote three gift guides for the blog and another publication. I cannot tell you how happy I am that it is the weekend! Starting a blog during the holidays was kind of an insane move. But I’m hoping that come January, things will be smooth sailing. Fingers crossed.
I had full intention to write about all the wonderful local events I was attending in early December. But,um…that didn’t happen. Life buzzed by and all these goodies just stood in the blog queue. So today’s post is quite simple. Here’s where I have been as of late.
My first December event was the Porter Flea Holiday Market and preview party. Porter Flea Holiday Market is an annual modern handmade market that happens the first weekend of December. It’s a much anticipated event for most Nashvillian’s. All of your favorite locally made items in one place for the holidays. Such a great concept!
This year, Madewell Nashville hosted a preview party featuring Handmade Studio TN and Consider the Wldfwrs. I love preview parties. They are intimate and a slower pace, allowing you to take your time.
Handmade Studio TN is dear to my heart, as I was the first to carry her beautiful pottery line. All her new wares are gorgeous and stunningly simplistic. Consider the Wldfwrs is the newest jewelry kid on the block and on everyone’s must-have list. Beautiful, delicate designs that just make your heart swell.
My favorite thing at Porter Flea was the fantastic props! The first thing you saw as you entered the market were the 3-D prism shapes designed and created by the Craftcourse Nashville duo. Over-sized paper prisms hanging in the entry, exit, on tables, in corners and the backdrop for the most fabulous photo booth. Impressive ladies!
And a big shout out to my dear friends at Bright Event Productions for the handmade Porter Flea light sign. Well done!
Every year, my husband and I attend the 12 South Winter Warmer. Also on the first weekend of December. Tickets go on sale in October and sell out in minutes. Yes, minutes. It’s hands down, the best beer festival of the year. You bundle up in your finest winter attire and drink the whole day. It’s kind of awesome.
Oh! And I finally chose boots for my Montreal trip. After trying on a million boots, the Sorel Conquest Carly won me over. They made their debut at the 12 South Winter Warmer. My toes were toasty, and I received so many compliments on how stylish they were. Definitely chose the right ones.
Finally, the annual gingerbread house (okay, graham cracker house) evening. For the last few years, my dear friend Kristin has hosted a gingerbread house night. It’s pretty much an excuse to shut our brains off, drink wine and build ridiculous structures made of sugar. There’s only one rule, leave your crazy life and perfectionism at the door. This night is not about creating beautiful things, it’s about enjoying each others company. And laughing a lot! As you can see, there is nothing perfect about my crooked house that has no door and a weird open loft on top. But it’s full of memories, and that’s all that matters. If you haven’t created something without giving a shit, you should try it sometime. It’s very freeing.
How are you spending your December days?
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The gold and white gift guide is finally here! So many goodies for the home, I can hardly stand it! Seriously, this guide is damn good. If you aren’t sure about gold decor, put all your opinions on hold and be prepared to be converted…
{From Left to Right} 1. Gold Gator Spreaders (Set of 2) 2. Glass with gold-colored trim 3. Halcyon Golden Jigger 4. Pression Gold-Rimmed Highball Glass (set of 2) 5. Noctua Bottle Opener 6. 24K Gold-Plated Cocktail Shaker 7. Aureate Plumes Pitcher 8. In Good Spirits Cocktail Shaker 9. Gold Tipped Flatware
{From Left to Right} 10. Gold Leaf Frames 11. Gold Butterfly Chair 12. Sphere Gold & White Pendant
{From Left to Right} 13. Pure Gold Candle (unscented) 14. Metal Brass Candle Holder 15. Metal Brass Basket
{From Left to Right} 16. Gold Leopard Coasters 17. Camile Crocodile Gold Tray 18. Acropolis Bookends 19. Constellation Tray 20. All That Glitters Tiny Gold Container (set of 3) 21. Hollywood Coasters
{From Left to Right} 22. Gold Metallic Floral Pillow 23. Luminous Dot Pillow (too good to not mention again) 24. Triangle Sequins Gold-Silver Pillow
{From Left to Right} 25. Gold & White Star Cotton Tablecloth 26. Stainless Steel Gold Beverage Tub 27. Mongolian Lamb Faux Fur Throw 28. Geo Salt & Pepper Shakers 29. Gold & White Table Runner 30. Gold & Stripe Baggu Weekender
*The gorgeous Geo Bottle Stoppers {top picture} can be found at West Elm.
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Photo via Stylizimo
“As the days become gray, our homes become the center of our attention. The mantle we had almost forgotten is now highlighted by a roaring fire and suddenly needs dressing. The rarely used dining table is now a perfect place for new décor. And all the projects we’ve been thinking about this past year are now in full production. It’s December, that time of year when we cozy up the house.”
This past weekend, I published my first post with 12th & Broad’s Style Scout: Playful, Modern and Simply Beautiful Holiday Decor. I discussed Christmas decor, new found treasures and how to spruce up your holiday collection. And! I featured a partial round-up of my favorite holiday and winter decor for this season. Today I bring you the full round-up. All 42 fantastic items that will dazzle any home. Enjoy!
{From Left to Right} 1. Decorative Sisal Trees 2. Champagne Glitter Trees 3. Felt Trees 4. Wooden Cutout Trees 5. Gold Bottle Brush Tabletop Tree 6. German Glitter Village
{From Left to Right} 7. Glitter Star Garland 8. Mercury Glass Bulb Lights 9. Champagne Garland
{From Left to Right} 10. Luminous Dots Pillow 11. Faux Fur Pillow (white) 12. Northwood Pillows (penguin) 13. Northwood Pillows (moose) 14. Mongolian Lamb Pillow 15. Faux Fur Pillow (blue)
{From Left to Right} 16. Wood Penguin 17. Hand-painted Wanderlust Globe 18. Reclaimed Metal Reindeer Candle Holder 19. Mercury Cut Glass Hurricanes 20. Threshold Gold Bar Cart 21. Pinecone Wreaths
{From Right to Left} 22. Diptyque Red Tubereuse Candle 23. Tobacco & Patchouli – Paddywax Apothecary 24. Côtes du Rhône Three Wick Candle 25. Izola Candles 26. Woodland Truffle Classic Candle 27. Welton Parfums Kelly Hoppen Candle No. Iv
{From Left to Right} 28. Ferm Living Paper Balls and Stars 29. Birch Reindeer Ornaments 30. Wire Ornaments 31. Set of Three Heart Ornaments 32. Stuffed Ornaments – Squirrels and Pinecones 33. Foiled Gold Ornament
{From Left to Right} 34. Breathless Paper Coasters 35. Gilded Dapper Animal Mug 36. Set of 5 Matryoshka Nesting Dolls 37. Hello Darling Dish Towel (set of 2) 38. Festive Fair Isle Cheese Board 39. Fox Love Tea Towel
{From Left to Right} 40. Lodge Stripe Wool Throw 41. Italian Wool & Alpaca Cable Knit Throw 42. Faux Fur Snow Leopard Throw – Stone White
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Anita Schmadtke, a talented Nashville based jewelry designer, founder of Anita Schmadtke Designs and a dear friend of mine.
Anita and I go back to my store days at Nest. When you own a store, you get a lot of artisans trying to sell you their wares. And to be completely honest, most of the designs were terrible. Good people, just poorly made products. So by the time Anita had walked through my front door, I was a bit jaded. In fact, I was annoyed before the poor woman opened her mouth. Which is terrible because Anita didn’t even want to come in. Her friends pushed her into the shop (that’s what good friends do, right?) after having lunch next door. Just thinking about that day makes me giggle. Annoyed shop owner and nervous artist, the odds for a sale were not good.
But then she showed me her jewelry…
I almost fell out of my chair with surprise. Beautiful, minimal, well-crafted hammered silver with a unique twist. I had been scouring for this style all year, and no one could pair it down to the level I wanted without feeling flat. I was seeking a modern, sophisticated style that was chic, but not pretentious. Something artists, designers and taste-makers would wear whenever they wanted, with whatever they wanted. This was before minimalism was a big trend in jewelry. Everything was chunky and overly bright. Anita had something new….she was designing modern wearable art.
As you can probably guess, I took everything she had and sold her jewelry immediately. Every day, all day. I could not keep her jewelry in stock. I sold her beautiful wares until I closed my doors. Not only did she stock my shop with lovely jewelry, she became a very good friend. Cheering me on and standing by my side through so many adventures.
That was almost five years ago, and she is still making gorgeous jewelry. Her pieces can be found here in Nashville, as well as local boutiques and museums throughout the US. I can always spot an ASD piece on the street. There is just something so special in the simplicity of her designs. And now she is implementing brass and copper into her pieces, creating a whole new level of goodness.
This Friday & Saturday, you can see Anita Schmadtke’s jewelry at the Holiday Market at Studio Be. She will be featuring new designs, as well as her classic earrings and necklaces. This is a great opportunity to pick up locally made gifts for the holidays.
If you can’t make it this weekend, you can always stop into Art & Invention in East Nashville or Katy’s in Belle Meade. Both stores keep a large stock of Anita’s jewelry. And if you would like to know where ASD jewelry is sold outside of Nashville, you can contact Anita on her Facebook page here.
Whatever you do, make a point to see this jewelry in person. You will not be disappointed!
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