holidaze...

So Over the years, I've become a bit of a bag snob (thanks to hubby). Not that it has to be some over priced designer bag (not completely). A nice, leather, or canvas classic looking bag. That I will carry for years and years:-) I think leather goods are a great gift that never go out of style.. 

Here are a few I wouldnt mind adding to my collection..

mulberry brynmore for macbook pro

I  think this is supposed to be a mans bag, but I would totally rock it.

marc by marc jacobs classic q francesca

this one also comes in a delicious gray.. heavenly..

gucci monogram bag

I ran across this perusing net-a-porters web site..I know, I know.. dont judge me.. but I like it.. I'm not big on labels splattered across a product.. but this i'd carry. it has an older heir about it..  I like to say, I'm a sixty year old (bunnie) trapped inside the body of the a thirty (something) year old.. at any rate.. 

I LIKE IT! NAH!

chloe paraty medium leather bag...

I know these bags are probably so last season.. not my problem. 

they are cute. and i likem'.. 

also on net-a-porters site...

okay, so the real reason I like these bags, are they are beautiful and can also double as a diaper bag. i like to call them carry-alls.. i.e. juice boxes, rubbermaid full of honey nut cheerios and wipees.

so there.. thats my short list.

Thought I'd post a few pix of the house. We've actually been enjoying the trimmings since before Thanksgiving.. Next time, I will have a better plan on how to keep my live greenery alive for such a long period.. Sadly, they are all turning  brown now, even though I misted them with water every other day.. Oh well..

I love the holidays.. my house looks so much more decorated and put together than it does in real life...

hubby insisted a long time ago that we have garnet and gold as our Christmas colors.. 

him being a FSU seminole and all?!

and here is Cooper. munchkin came up wiht that name all by herself.. he has been quite good at keeping her in line this holiday season.. dont want him giving Santa a bad report.. I think I might have to keep him around throughout the year as my side kick!

the sweetest thing

so the super sweetest thing happened today.. although I'm completely under the weather (my reasoning for being behind in my twelve days of Christmas adventure) and hubby would be just getting into town, I was determined to make it to church with the munchkin this morning.. We dashed out the door with about 10 minutes to make our destination on time. Lo and behold we forgot CoCo.. the munchkins lovey, which she noticed as we were about to get off the exit and proceeded to have a complete and total breakdown/meltdown, begging and screaming for me to PLEASE turn the car around to go and get her.. after I told her I could not, she asked if daddy could bring her? Since he was just getting off his plane, I pretended to call him and ask if he could (so I could at least get her to stop crying).. I know bad mommy (dont judge me).. I PANICKED OKAY!  So I did however send him a text to tell him what I had done once we sat down in church..  Long story short (I know, a little late for that) about 15 minutes before church let out, the munchkin spotted daddy standing in the back of the church holding CoCo (and a juice box).. OMG.. I LOVE this guy.. and so does she:-)

So in keeping with sweet things, I found these super sweet gifts, perfect for Christmas or any other special occassions.. I must admit, I've never tasted any of these, so feel free to send me a sample. But if they taste as lovely as they look..okay, I'm getting hungry now..

 

bee chocolates from john and kira.

ladybug tower from john and kira

john kelly peanut butter truffle bar

payard chocolate stars

murrays cheese raw blueberry honey

byrd company georgia peach cookies

richart holiday micromacaroons

Can you say YUM?!

Okay, since i'm on a roll with the sugary sweets, I thought I'd post some pix of the munchkin and her pals decorating Christmas Cookies..

we immediately got dressed in tiara and wand just in case we needed a little magic...

Ginger bread, Icing, sprinkles oh my!

I could eat her up!

Two Turtle Doves

So I decided to do a little research to see how late I really was with this whole Twelve Days of Christmas thing, and as it seems.. I'm quite a bit early.

Contrary to much popular belief, these are not the twelve days before Christmas, but in most of the Western Church are the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany  (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th).   In the Western church, Epiphany is usually celebrated as the time the Wise Men or Magi arrived to present gifts to the young Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12). 

You can thank me (and resources at wikipedia) later for this history lesson:-)

So yes.. GIFTS.. My true lave gave to me.  Or at least a gift I always appreciate is a great pair of shoes.. As I searched for shoes that I would really love to add to my collection, a pair of cute heels, some comfy stylish loafers, and a new pair of boots, I realized.. I'm quite boring in the shoe department.  Or at least not nearly as daring as I once was in my young and footloose and fancy free days.. I mean, I once wore a pair of silver, mule, clogs.. to a college football game no less.. 

and you people called yourselves my friends!

Something on this lady's site always catches my eye. She does a good job of dropping an eye catching item from her collection in your email box (if you're a subscriber) to peak your interest.

I'm totally smitten with these Cicely Satin High Heel Pumps by Tory Burch.  I'd pair them with dress pants or a pencil skirt or even a cute a line dress.. In my current condition I wont be attending any fancy parties this season, but a girl can dream cant she...

As preppy as I am, its hard for even me to believe that I dont already have a pair of drivers//loafers.. I've been eyeing the selection at Cole Haan for some time, but have never made the splurge..  

I ran across Tods's gommino loafer and fell in love with these patent leather beauties.. 

So I was in Anthropologie a couple of weeks ago and saw a chic in the cutest purple cowl neck sweater dress and black wedge boots. They were mesmerizing.. I wish I would have just asked her where she got them from.. but I didn't.. and this was the closest I could find...

I like the clean and simple lines of this Rachel 1 black leather boot  by BCBG at Piperlime.com.

And last bur certainly not least.. I love this woman. Tracee Ellis Ross is always so effortlessly stylish put together..  And the hair,  I would sell  off a few of my prized possesions for those signature curly q's of hers.. but I digress. 

fashionbombdaily

Oddly enough I would totally rock these sneakers.. Currently I only own the pair of Saucony running shoes that I worked out in when I  was all gung ho over the summer. 

Keeping in true Pearls and Khakis fashion however, I would probably wear these  Isabel Marant’s $725 Bekett Sneakers with some skinny jeans, a white Gap, long sleeve tee and my favorite cropped trench I found on super duper sale at Target:-) 

So yes! 

I had a few friends over a few nights back to finish up a little project that we had planned to do with the kids but realized it was a bit more complex and required some concentration and adult beverages...

oh and snacks!

YARN and FELT WREATHS (click here for the tutorial i snagged)!

Which must always be paired with SWEET POTATO PIE!

 See what you can accomplish with Spinach Dip and Bruschetta nearby:-)

Voila!

deck the halls..

This is totally off topic, but let me just say, I'm watching a recorded I Used To Be Fat, on MTV.  And I love this trainer guy Joey. He is INTENSE (and kinda hot too). And this kid Jose is AMAZING! So far he's lost 80 pounds in 60 days (with 30 days to go)! I'm proud of him like he's my own kid..  I know I have a problem...

at any rate, i had planned to do like a whole twelve days of Christmas list of my favorite gifts to give and receive. I think i'm getting started just a tad bit late. But I always say, better late than never.. No need for anyone else to have to suffer for my tardiness (i'll be working on that in the new year)..

First up:

I like giving cute pajamas as Christmas gifts.  If you're like me, I only buy new pajamas if I'm going on vacation or something of the sort. I assume other people are the same, because when visiting, I usually see a combination of sweats, scrubs, old t shirts and other well worn miscellaneous items of mismatched clothes..

that's where I step in:-)

i HATE being cold.. and this jcrew navy night shirt in silk polka dot is flirty

 but still (somewhat ) warm.. 

Now, I ran this by hubby and he wasnt a fan, but I think this Gabriella Slip at Anthropologie is super cute.  A little matronly yes, but very Charlotte:-)

These Kardashionian style set wouldnt ordinarily make my list. Although I've recently admitted to admiring Kourtney K's smart and chic style. I'm not usually a fan of animal print, but I've decided that it has it's place. And what better place to channel your inner animal than, well you know (okay TMI, right?!) Oddly I found this Leopard Print Pajama Set over at Ralph Lauren..

okay, last but not least I would totally wear , I mean give this this tory  burch luella pajama set. 

Comfy check. Warm, check. Lovely check.

okay shows over and this dude lost 115 pounds... I'm so inspired.  I need a tissue. I'm so proud.

and even prouder of my REAL child. this morning hubby and i attended her first recital/holiday performance at preschool. it was the funniest and cutest thing i have seen. the look of terror on their little faces when they came onto the stage and saw all of the papparzzi (i.e. crazed parents with cameras and camcorders) ready to eat them like the little candy canes they were dressed like, was quite a sight.  I LOVED IT!! Further proof that I am a deranged stage mom, just waiting for my opportunity to shine.  I was also dressed in a sparkly top just in case they needed an understudy to step in.

she asked me this morning if she could wear her pearls.

she refused to look at the camera, and had a blank stare once she saw us in the audience.. I'm sensing a pattern here.. it's only the beginning:-)

How to Spend It

So, we have decided to exchange photos of gifts we WOULD give one another. Call it the SUPER wish list. I am not a huge fan of Rolex because of its status as the "I've made it" brand. I have to say that this Datejust Special Edition in yellow gold is flippin' sweet. I'd give it to the wife fo' sho. Bring back the gold!

Christmas in Hollis

We got the BARNEYS NEWYORK Holiday catalog in the mail this weekend and they got the bomb joints. Lacoste is doing their limited edition polos for the 4th year. This year they teamed up with Brazilian designers Humberto and Campanas.

There was a time I would have order it immediately. Greed was good! I just folded and put the polos away until spring and this would go nice with the collection to start 2010.