I've been working on my Christmas cards lately. This is one of my favourtie traditions. It started off being something I did with my sister-in-law, but since we don't live near one anther, I craft on my own. The hard part is coming up with unique designs every year. I get inspiration from Pinterest and other social media, but I always come up with my own designs, based on my crafting supplies. I usually make about four cards in the same deign, but decided to double that this year. So, making the same number of cards, but only coming up with half the designs. Truthfully, I should be making them all year round so that I have a good little sock pile to choose from by the time Christmas comes around. Alas, I don't have the space to leave my crafting supplies out all the time... So, I give myself a few weeks a year to let the crafting chaos reign on my desk and then I put it all away. I made three different designs this year and all of them happen to be in shades of beige, red and black. I didn't set out for it to be that way, but the colour palette manifested itself and I just ran with it!
TWO // Dream Purse
Ever since seeing this gingerbread house bag in store last year, I have been thinking about it. My sister insisted I needed it because it was the most "me" bag ever. She was not wrong. I didn't buy it on the spot because it was pricey and I needed to think on it. Well, I thought for a bit too long and it was sold out by Black Friday... I did check on Posh, but they were even more expensive. So, I had missed out. Not a big deal as this was not a need.
Nevertheless, when I saw that Kate Spade brought it back this year, I was not going to f*ck around and find out. I lurked on the website and saw it at 40% off. Now I was doing all the math to make sure it mathed - I'm talking exchange rate, shipping and duties. I set that aside and talked it through with my husband. He asked me what my number was. That settled it for me. I set my budget and decided I'd take the plunge. The next day, it was listed at 50% off. That was my sign. I called our local store to see if they had any in stock (I wouldn't have to worry about the exchange rate, shipping and duties). The attendant on the phone was super helpful. They had plenty in stock and they were also at 50% discount, bringing my total $2 under my set budget. I went through with the purchase and had my husband pick it up two days later, when he was going by the store. It's exactly as I remember it and I love it just as much as I did when I first set eyes on it. This is my most favourite bag to date and it will be part of my holidays for years to come. This was not an impulse purchase because it had been on my mind for a year. I finally decided to treat myself and have no regrets! This really is the year I embrace my gingerbread aesthetic.
THREE // Winter Pear Candle
I've got a decent selection of seasonal scented candles, but never turn down a new one. I was at Bath and Body Works with my mom, just sniffing the new releases and fell in love with the Winter Pear Forrest scent. It's fresh, crisp and just a little sweet - making it ideal for the holidays. I like pine scents and spicy holiday blends, but it's nice to have a lighter, fresher scent to change things up. I even see myself using this candle well into the winter months. I love changing up my candles with my seasonal décor to really delight all the senses. I'm a big smell person and link scents to most of my memories. The nostalgia of a memory flooding back when you get a whiff of your seasonal candle is unmatched.
FOUR // Green Velvet Dress
I got this dress on clearance a few years ago and have yet to wear it... The green velvet is perfect for the holidays, and the V-neck and wrap silhouette make it a classic. It's soft, forgiving and super comfortable. It really is a great option for any festive setting. My goal is to find an occasion to wear it this year! I tend to wear more red around the holidays but have expanded my colour palette to include more evergreen pieces. I try to wear a bit of both and love the subtlety of wearing a dark green shade. It's festive, but not in your face like red can be.
FIVE // Festive Manicure
Now that I'm done making my cards, I can paint my nails again! I try to keep them polish-free when I'm crafting as a dark polish tends to leave marks on my cardboard. To avoid these little unsightly marks, I tend to just not wear nail polish while crafting. I also find that crafting can be hard on a manicure and ruin it in any case. Now, it did take me a few weeks of work to get these cards ready, so my nails have been bare for a bit. I was itching to give myself a bright red manicure for the holidays and I finally did it! This is my favourite red nail polish by Manucurist. I'm loving the pop of colour!
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