IHWSH - Thanksgiving Feast

With Turkey Day less than a week away, it's time to start planning how you will present that Thanksgiving feast you're preparing. So just in case you're still on the hunt, this week's I'll Have What She's Having features the serving/tabletop items we would use if we were hosting this year:

Katie's Picks:
1. Flocks & Herds Napkin Rings
2. Gold Brushed Bowls
3. Be Thankful Dish
4. Bronze Age Flatware

Jayne's Picks:
5. Dessert Plates
6. Bakers with Cork (built-in trivet!)
7. Pumpkin Casserole
8. Turkey Gravy Boat

I Guess I Like Stuff That's Madewell

I'm working on putting together my Christmas wish list - a task that is ever so much more complicated thanks to Pinterest, because there are one MILLION things I want - and I find that I keep going back and adding more and more items from Madewell. It seems they have even MORE stuff I want now that I'm not in Dallas anymore where there is a store (sigh, I miss Northpark). I will say that Madewell is the only store (ok, other than IKEA) that I love that I can't find here in Kansas City. And...H&M opens on the Plaza TOMORROW!!! KC rules.

So, if Madewell asked me to make a "Jayne's Wish List" for their website (totally going to happen):

1. Spotted Snowfall Sweater 2. Railway Minibag 3. Furry Earmuffs 4. Llama Love Sweater 5. Cheetah Print Mini Wallet 6. Jolie Belt 7. Leopard Skimmer 8. Sparkle Bib Necklace 9. Buckle-Up Wedge 10. Arrow Bracelet 11. Lumbercheck Tunic 12. Spotted Snowfall Hat 13. Striped Mohair Sweater 14. blanknyc Skinny Jeans

See what I mean? I know you're editing your wish list right now.

Furbish to the Max

Last year, I started following one of my favorite blogs, I Suwannee.  The author of the blog, Jamie Meares, is an interior designer and owns a shop in Raleigh, NC called Furbish.  She has the coolest taste - I want everything in the shop!  I love that each of the items has personality.  I've added several things from Furbish to my wish list as well as my shopping list to buy for others.

Some of my faves:

Ikat Throw

Spotted Ottoman Tray - I own this, and it's awesome (and huge!)

Ceramic Candle - and you can use as a pretty canister when the candle it gone.

She has tons of amazing pillows, like these.

Beautiful Paule Marrot Cocktail Napkins

And lots of fun jewelry, like these pineapple earrings.

Probably my very favorite Furbish items are the "Mr. and Mrs." glasses, last seen in my bar cart post here.  If any of you happen to be in the Raleigh area on Saturday, December 3rd, she's having a "Holler-day Open House" and offering 15% off gifts for everyone!

My "Run-In" With Martha Stewart

This past Friday, Dac heard at work that Martha Stewart was in town for a book signing that night. When I heard this, I hopped online immediately (thinking, how on earth did I not know about this?!)...only to be severely disappointed. The price tag for admission was $75, which would mean $150 for both of us to go. As much as I love Martha and daydream about having her life or being as crafty and just all around on TOP of it as her, I just couldn't justify it.

I wasn't willing to give up there, though. We went down to the Plaza, to Unity Temple where she would be presenting, just to "see what was going on." I was convinced I could somehow bump into her or at least catch a glimpse. It turned out being much easier than I thought. We just walked in through the back door, and we think we could have easily just walked into the auditorium and sat down and nobody would have noticed - too bad we're such goody two shoes nerds. I DID see her through the glass doors of the auditorium though, so I decided that would have to be sufficient.

You can tell that's her, right? Because it totally is. I was in the same building as Martha Stewart!
And I found out why the admission ticket was $75... because her whopping 6 lb. book is $75 itself:

via Martha Stewart website

So while I wasn't willing to spring $75 for this book at the moment, I definitely do subscribe to her magazine. Martha Stewart Living is a monthly source of happiness and inspiration for me. I just got the December issue on Friday (ironic?), and it is full of great stuff like...

Wrap Stars:
A life goal of mine is to be able to wrap presents like Martha - always so pretty and perfect.

Brownie Bow:
A clever idea to stencil a shape onto a brownie! Bow stencil available on Martha's website.

Doily Runner:
Who knew doilies could look so cool and un-granny like? All it took was a coat of metallic glitter!

Very Special Storybooks:

This was my favorite idea in the magazine by far. Martha turned photos of her granddaughter Jude into storybooks as a gift for her first Christmas. Much better than simple captions in a scrapbook, these fictional stories Martha created will be a fun and special keepsake for Jude to treasure. Adorable.

Nice to meet you, Martha.

Seasons Greetings

Part of me hates to deal with anything Christmas until after Thanksgiving, but that part of me has to get over it. Figuring out your holiday cards are usually early on the to-do list - and if they're not, they usually end up on my "that'll be great for next year" list. If any of y'all are still searching, I pulled together some of my favorites this year. There's only one photo card on the list, from my favorite source for those - minted.com. Beautiful products and good customer service.

My mom and I talked about ordering a set of the "Music Notes" (below, #4) just to frame because they're so cool. Anyone else have suggestions for card sources? What's the best card you've ever received? My favorite every year comes from our friends (and our amazing wedding photographers) bobbi+mike. See their most recent Christmas card here (which has links to their past cards, including my very favorite, inspired by "A Christmas Story" found here).

 

1) 12 Days Reality Check

2) Christmas Crackers Letterpress Cards
3) Good Cheer Letterpress Cards
4) Music Notes Holiday Cards
5) Tis the Season
6) New Years Burst
7) Pop Fizz Clink

IHWSH - Perfume

"A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future." - Coco Chanel

That seems a little extreme, but it's never a bad thing to smell good! We're always on the lookout for new scents we love...so this week's "I'll Have What She's Having" features perfumes that we either already use or are dying to try:

Katie's Picks:
1. Kate Spade Twirl - My current favorite, this perfume is pretty and perfect. And I love the bottle!
2. Hanae Mori - My officemate at the firm when I was in law school wore this perfume that summer, and I fell in love with the scent. It's light and airy and sweet.
3. Clinique Happy Heart - An old favorite (and a great price!)
4. Michael Kors - One of my roommates in grad school (SuperMAM!) wore this and it made me want to be just like her. Now, I love to wear it in the winter, because it's the strongest perfume I own.

Jayne's Picks:
5. Chanel Chance - Sam (our brother) gave me this for my birthday, and I love it! It reminds me a little of Dolce and Gabana Light Blue, which I wore all through college.
6. Daisy by Marc Jacobs - My favorite everyday scent, and Dac always compliments it. The description says it is floral, with a vintage edge - and I agree.
7. Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift - I want to be her, so I figure I will probably love the scent she selected. Like her songs, it is inspired by her personal life.
8. Vera Wang Lovestruck - Leighton Meester says this is "the perfect amount of sophistication." I'll take it.

Feeling a Little Romantic

Daylight savings has ended... which means darkness at 6:00pm. Rather than being depressed about this, I thought I would look at the bright side. Nighttime is more cozy and romantic, right? So in the spirit of romance, I wanted to share some pretty things in my favorite romantic shade... pale pink. I love pale pink combined with gray (who doesn't) and other neutrals like beige and cream, and also navy blue. Here are some pretty things I've recently found whilst Pinteresting, reading blogs and shopping around...

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

How awesome would this bar look against a light pink wall? I really want this thing...

SKOL bar via Bunny Williams

Some other little chic pink things:

Chroma Candle Stick: Anthropologie / Pumps: Jessica Simpson (zappos) / Top: Romwe / Lamp: IKEA / Shoes: Hunter / Tumbler: IKEA / Knob: Anthropologie

One last bit of pink inspiration during the dark nights of winter ahead:

[via Pinterest]