Gift writing

Now that the gifts are unwrapped, I can finally share some of my favorite DIY holiday gift creations. After my Mom saw this post about the kitchen chalkboard Derek and I created, she was eager to have a chalkboard of her own.

I kept my eyes open at the thriftstore until I came across just the right piece to turn into a chalkboard and when I saw this plate with some questionable ribbon on it for $1 I knew I had it.

We took the ribbon out, sprayed the plate with chalkboad paint (four coats!) and picked out some new ribbon combined with jute twine.

I was so pleased with the result and my Mom loved it and hung it up right away with a message to welcome guests to our Christmas Eve open house.

Did you DIY any gifts this year? Please share if so and check in later this week for more projects ...

Happy holidays!

Happy holidays everyone! How was your holiday weekend? Mine was spent in Minnesota with Derek and my family and I must confess it was one of the merriest Christmases I can remember. Here were a few highlights ...

My mom's pretty holiday decor ...

Snowy scenes and sisters ...

Cross country skiing with the whole crew (and a snapshot of one of the few times my Mom wasn't on her behind) ...

Our impromptu ugly Christmas sweater party and the fact that my Dad's was covered with glitter ...

Tomorrow we are off to see Derek's family in St. Louis for more winter fun. So happy Christmas to all! Thank you for stopping by my little blog and I wish you and yours oodles and oodles of holiday cheer.

xox,
Taylor and Derek

Eggnog cheesecake bars

I had some leftover eggnog after this yummy recipe, and with just one day to go until Derek and I headed out of town, I thought it would be good to use it up while making something yummy to bring my family for the holidays.

I couldn't find any eggnog recipes that were really striking my fancy, so I decided to invent my own! Hence, eggnog cheesecake bars were born, adapted from this recipe for pumpkin bars.


These turned out very yummy and rich! Let me know if you try them out.

Eggnog cheesecake bars

Base/Topping:
1 package Snickerdoodle cookie mix (I used Krustaez)
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup cold butter - sliced

Filling:
1/2 cup eggnog
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon would work)
1.5 tsp rum extract
2 TB whipping cream
2 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the snickerdoodle mix (and cinnamon sugar if it came with it) and walnuts.
2. A few slices at a time, add in the butter, mixing into a crumbly, sticky mix either with your (very clean!) hands or a food processor.
3. Set aside one cup of the mixture, and press the remaining base into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch brownie pan.
4. Bake for 10 minutes then let cool for at least 10 minutes.
5. While the base is baking, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
6. Add in all the other ingredients and beat until combined.
7. Pour the filling on top of the base and smooth out.
8. Top with the remaining cup of the base.
9. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until top is light brown.
10. Chill/harden for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
11. Dive-in!

Wrap star

One of the best parts of Christmas is seeing all the beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree and speculating about what could be inside. But with all the fancy bags, wraps, and ribbons out there, it would be easy to spend just as much for the trimmings, as you do for the actual gift.

That's why I love craft paper. For about $3, you get a huge roll that can last you through several Christmases. For a few more dollars, you can pick up some fancy ribbon (I used a coupon at Michael's so these nice rolls were about $2 each) and then add some extra accouterments. I save buttons, stickers, bits of ribbon and other crafty knick-nacks I come across throughout the year, and end up with a huge bag of treats to use in my wrapping. This year, I also incorporated some jute twine from a never-ending $2.50 roll I bought for this project and a cute wine cork on one gift to hint at what's inside ...

The other great thing about craft paper? It's infinitely adaptable. Change out the ribbon color, sticker theme, etc., and you don't have to buy new wrapping for birthdays, Valentine's Day, anything!

Bear with me

This weekend, Derek and I were on the hunt for ugly Christmas sweaters for a party we'll be going to, and hit up several area thrift stores trying to track down some tinsel, holly, pom-pom covered gems.

In the midst of this search, we came across several little trinkets that, unlike a holiday sweater, had the potential to be rescued, rehabilitated, and turned into some adorable pieces for our home. A few of these pieces became Christmas gifts, so stay tuned to see those makeovers after they're unwrapped next week, but for now I wanted to share this sweet little California brown bear we found for $4.

At the same thrift store we found this guy, we picked up a 99 cent glass votive holder. We brought them both home and gave the bear a few coats of white spray paint.

A teeny bit of hot glue and one pine-tree scented candle later - we have an adorable little candle holder perfect for our Cali home and this little side table that was looking a bit BEAR (pun-intended) before. 



Weekend wrap-up (really)

Happy weekend all! What are you up to this weekend? Derek and I will be doing some last minute preparations for Christmas since we're off to see both of our parents starting next week. We'll be shopping, baking, packing, and wrapping and I'm turning to this awesome site for gift-wrap inspiration.

P.S. Today is the last day to enter my giftcard giveaway. Don't delay! And you can still use the coupon code "taylored" at check-out now through Dec.31 at TheAfternoon.com

P.P.S. If you're looking for something crazy-delicious and even more crazy-easy to make to bring to a holiday gathering try this ... if you can manage not to eat it all first.

photos from here

Chalkboard clock

When Derek and I moved in together, he brought with him several items from his old house, few of which fit into our combined decor. One such item was a metallic silver and black wall clock, very '80s looking, that he picked up for free. Instead of tossing it out, we decided to use some leftover chalkboard paint from this project to give it a facelift.

The result is a cool clock facade that we can customize with as many colors and designs as we so please - infinitely re-doable! So in honor of the season, we decorated the clock with Derek and Taylor's 12 Days of Christmas - an idea I borrowed from Young House Love's personalized calendar - making each hour on the clock a special number to us like "2 love birds," "7 years" - how long we've known each other, "11 days of Christmas vacation" and "12 months until next Christmas."

Any ideas on what we should change it to in January? 12 new year's resolutions?