FRIDAY'S FAB $15 // LAST MINUTE STOCKING STUFFERS

As we all know, there are only three days left until Christmas! I'm starting to feel the mayhem that comes along with waiting too long to get presents, bake cookies and plan Christmas dinner. All of which I hope to accomplish this weekend..fingers crossed. 

Stocking stuffers are something I always forget to buy and they always end up being last minute picks. Sounds familiar? Have no fear! I've selected four fun stocking stuffers, all which can be found at popular stores in the U.S. and all cost under $15.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and merry Christmas vacation - however long it may be! This year, I will be making my first Christmas dinner for friends, taking advantage of 65 degree weather in December and hopefully doing lots of family FaceTime! It's going to be hard not being with family this year but I hope to make new memories and start some of our own holiday traditions while were at it. Cheers and Feliz Navidad! 

Stocking Stuffers (from top left, clockwise):

• Polka Dot Pouch, Nordstrom
• Striped Scarf, Forever21
• Birch Straws, Anthropologie
• Salted Carmel Candle, Target

FAB $15 // HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR THE LITTLE LADIES

Can I just say how fast this holiday season is flying by this year? Can I also say that I'm sorry for my lack of posting lately and that this post didn't get out on Friday like it was supposed to?

Life has been crazy and between my trip to Maine (which I promise I'll be posting pictures of soon), work and Christmas coming in a few days, I just haven't had the time. I do hope to get back in the swing of it more in the new year though and have some really fun posts in the works!

This week's Holiday Gift Guide features four fun gifts, all under $15 for the little ladies in your life. Honestly, if those headbands and sweater fit me, I'd absolutely be wearing them right now!

Hope everyone had a wonderful week and I'll see you back here soon!


Gifts for the little lady:
1 // Knit Crown by Gap, $8
2 // Fawn Sweater by Old Navy, $12
3 // Headbands by Little Hip Squeaks, $10 each, packaged in three, however
4 // California Teething Toy (comes in almost all states!) by LittleSaplingToys on Etsy, $12

FRIDAY'S FAB $15 // MANLY GIFTS

Is it just me, or are guys impossible to shop for? Because of this, I always find myself buying the same ol' staples for my dad, brother and fiance - ties, shirts and gimmicky electronics that they will never use. This week I've curated a group of gifts that I think any guy would love in their stockings this year, all while staying oh-so-very manly ;)

1 // Ninja Wasabi Soap for Dangerous Men, by ElixrSoap on Etsy, $5
2 // Rustic Beer Opener, by Areaware, $14
3 // Wood iPhone Skin, by TreeShell on Etsy, $13
4 // Gun Powder Candle, by Man-Cans $9.50

For more Fab $15 posts, click here.

For the rest of my holiday gift guides, click here.

FRIDAY'S FAB $15 // HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR THE LITTLE MAN

When this post goes up on Friday I will be in Maine visiting my new little nephew. I plan to share lots of photos when I return so stay tuned.

Ever since my sister found out she was having a boy I became obsessed with all the cute little guy clothes out there - I used to think only little girl clothes were cute, but BOY (haha, pun) was I wrong.

For this week's Fab $15 gift guide, I've chosen four of my favorite finds for the little man in your life, all at a great price!

Have a great weekend and I'll see you back here next week.

Click here for more Friday Fab $15 posts.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

HOLIDAY INSPIRATION BOARD // NEUTRALS

Hope everyone had a wonderful and filling Thanksgiving! I look forward to the day after Thanksgiving every year, not because of Black Friday (although I enjoy that too!), but because nobody can judge you at that point for putting out your Christmas decorations.

I love holiday decorations so much that there are little hints of Christmas in my home year-round. White deer heads and snow globes never go into storage around these parts. Even if you think tinsel and bright lights are obnoxious (I so don't!), or you are afraid that red and green are cheesy, there are still so many great neutral-toned ways you can jazz up your house around the holidays. I think the images above do it oh-so wonderfully.

How about you? Any Christmas decor that never quite makes it into storage?

From top to bottom:
diy rope light strand by a merry mishap

nutella cookies by hungry rabbit nyc 

pink antler decal from plaza interior

heart & antlers from basic label sweden

merry christmas window decal by unfinished kitchen door

FAB $15 GIFT GUIDE // TARGET HOME

Target never lets me down...except for when I check out and pay their $200 cover charge. Either way, they have been so ON lately, especially with their home goods. I'm currently loving their new Threshold line and all the new Christmas items are charming as ever.

In the spirit of giving (and saving a little money at the same time) I've created this week's Holiday Gift Guide around Target goodies and each can be found for $15 or under. You can now check hostess gifts off that list!

 Source: 1 ($15) // 2 ($7) // 3 ($10) // 4 ($13)

Check out more Fab $15 posts here.

FRIDAY'S FAB $15 // HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR HER

You guys! It's officially the holiday season. Let's call it. While I was watching TV last night, holiday commercials were playing galore and I got my first little twinge of holiday spirit (or maybe it was just excitement that the political commercials have finally stopped -  can we say hallelujah?). Either way, let the holiday blog posts begin. Last year I had such a fun time doing the 12 Days of Christmas posts, but this year you can look forward to weekly gift guides on Fridays, and yes, they will all be under $15! 

This week's gift guide is for the girly girl in your life. You know, the one who gets jazzed up to go out but also is oh-so content sitting at home watching a chick flick and eating ice cream - with a koozie, of course!

1.  A perfectly coral infinity scarf, Forever 21, $12 

2. Yes, that's an ice cream koozie!, Etsy, $15

3. Sparkly headband set, AEO, $12

4. Floral iPhone case, $13, Madewell

For other Friday Fab $15 posts, click here.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY: MY HERO

A special shout-out to my great uncle Diz on this Memorial Day.

He's a decorated WW2 vet with a long list of life accomplishments including five-time national raquetball champ, author, drafted by the Yankees, teacher, coach, uncle and all-around good guy! Certainly my hero.

Read all about his awesomeness here.

Easter With My Peeps (+ 5 tips for hosting in a small space)

 

Well, it's safe to say that I survived hosting my first Easter brunch last week. Not only did I survive, but we had such a fun and relaxing day. The beautiful weather didn't hurt either. By keeping the day semi-simple I was able to have 12 people in my studio apartment, feed everyone and even sit down for some ham and mimosas myself. I'm in no way a rock star hostess, in fact I don't even know that I know how to correctly set a table (oops) but I figured I'd share some tips that seemed to have worked. Here are five hopefully helpful tips on hosting in a small space. And for the record, by small I mean less than 500 square feet of an apartment. Southern California living at its finest.  

1. Keep the guest list small. While I would have liked to invite everyone and anyone that I know, I chose to keep the list smallish. A lot of my friends in San Diego are not from here so Easter and Thanksgiving always seem to be big friend holidays.

2. Move out non-functional items/clear out the room: My entire living area is in one room, everything from my couch and TV to my desk and dresser. By pushing everything out of the center of the room and turning my desk and dresser into serving tables, I made use of every inch my tiny place has to offer. When everything was moved to the outskirts of the room it felt surprisingly roomy!

3.Let the neighbors know: Having always lived in apartments since my college days, I realize that noise travels quickly to your neighbors apartments. I made sure to leave a little note on each of my neighbors doors letting them know we would be having a little gathering and that they were welcome to join. Who can fight with that? If you can't fight them, join them right?

4. Keep the menu simple & prep: With all the cute ideas and recipes flooding our brains on blogs and Pinterest, it's hard not to get carried away and make every egg and bird shaped food out there, but remember to KEEP IT SIMPLE. I made the staple foods- ham, potatoes, salad and desserts and asked everyone else to help with appetizers and drinks. This way I was able to focus on the bigger picture and not get carried away in all the details (ok, maybe I got a little carried away). Also, prep as much as you can the night before, this includes setting out all the dishes, making the desserts (it is ok, nobody will know you didn't make those cupcakes fresh that morning!) and setting up the room. Once Sunday morning came I was able to pull everything together and enjoy myself.

5. Rent! I know I may have an unfair advantage here because my boyfriend works for an event rental company, but holy cow, renting saved the day! By renting our chairs, plates and silverware I was able to throw everything in a box at the end of the day and not worry about washing dishes (no dishwasher here, of course). You may be surprised how reasonable renting really is. Definitely worth the extra few bucks.

Note: Framed subway art is from Eighteen25 and dress is from Forever21.

easter-spiration

Hoppy {early} Easter everyone! So excited another holiday is here to celebrate. I've taken on the task of hosting 12 {list keeps growing..} friends at my STUDIO apartment tomorrow to celebrate. This will also mark the making of my first ham. I will be sure to post photos of the day later in the week but here are some easter-infused things that have inspired me to do all this. Eek. Enjoy the day and don't forget to eat lots of peeps.

sources:

• bunny jars by torie jayne
• felt easter basket, the purl bee 
• gold & pink dipped easter eggs, fabulous k
• sushi peeps, memo's closet 
• confetti sprinkled linen napkins, design mom
• carrot soup recipe, martha stewart
• dipped easter eggs, oh joy!
• easter card, broadway stationery
• lemon tart, sacramento street