Christmas Present Wrapping Inspiration: The Reveal

Hello, Owls! Since I had so much fun wrapping our Christmas presents this year, I decided to share some of them with you. I was going to wait until we shipped all our gifts to our families in New York, but what's the fun in that? I probably wouldn't be as on top of Christmas every year if we didn't travel so much. We usually have to ship out our gifts, and I want to make sure they arrive at their destination well before Christmas (because heck, part of the fun of Christmas gifts is the anticipation of guessing what they are and opening them, right?).

This year, I decided to use Kraft paper, which I bought at Michaels for about $4.50 for a large roll, some Martha Stewart partridge paper we bought last year on sale at Kmart and some Kraft paper printed with some leaves that we bought at Target last year on sale. I used primarily baker's twine, regular twine and cheap ribbon to tie everything with, and handmade cutouts to label all the gifts.






Presents for Mr. Owl! I used a 1-inch circle punch to create the, well, circles, and tied them together with twine and ribbon. The owl gift bag was part of a two-pack at World Market (the other gift bag was a cute squirrel).



Our dog Betty decided she wanted to model some of the other presents. I LOVED the gift boxes Anthropologie was giving out this year with gift purchases. They're a really pretty ivory color (and very sturdy, which is great for shipping!) with a tie closure. I thought they were pretty enough on their own, so I just added some baker's twine, and made my own tags with the hole punch and a Martha Stewart partridge punch.



So, umm, Mr. Owl and I sometimes call each other "sexy."



And finally, my tools.


I hope that inspires some of you to get crafty with your gift wrapping this year!

Christmas present wrapping inspiration

Every year, I try to come up with new, fun ideas with how to wrap my Christmas presents. I think this year, I've finally found a style that I'll be using for years to come. Here's a sneak peek. Stay tuned for the full feature!

Christmas Tree Garland - Crazy Awesome

I've finished our Christmas tree garland! My finger tips are ripped to shreds and completely sore, and I was working on completing it while Mr. Owl was assembling our artificial tree, but it's done. I'm so happy with how it came out, and I've decided it was totally worth the hours and hours of work I put into it.

We always put up our tree and decorate for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving, so we're ready to go for the holiday season, minus one more DIY project I'm still working on.

And, here's how the garland came out:










Once I finished over 100 puffs, I strung them together with twine, and voila! I'm loving our Christmas tree this year. Yay! What DIY projects are you taking on for the holiday season?

Handmade Christmas Tree Garland: Crazy Awesome, or Just Crazy?

Mr. Owl and I have lived together for a long time. Almost six years, I think (is it bad I don't really remember?). It's taken us (read: me) a long time to figure out our holiday style. We started off our first Christmas living together with reds and golds, and that was too traditional for us. Then we moved to bright colors everywhere, which stuck for a few years, but then realized it was too much. The past two years, we've done bright colors mixed with natural elements (pine cones, greenery, etc.) that seems to work perfectly for us (read: me).

Recently, I saw this Christmas garland at Anthropologie, and I couldn't get it out of my head. I loved the homemade feel, the materials and the overall look. I was not, however, ready to spend 40 bucks per strand on it. So I decided, in a moment of insanity, to learn to knit teeny, tiny little mittens, and make it myself.

About five seconds later, I decided that wasn't a good idea. Maybe next year? Umm, yeah, we'll see.

So then I saw on OnceWed:


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... and decided that this was doable, if not still slightly crazy.

I went out and bought some fabric in the main colors we use around Christmastime:


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... and I got to work.

And realized that this was going to take a lot longer than I thought. It's been about a week, and I only have 23 poms finished:


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But I've decided it totally worth it, and part of a new personal challenge. If it's reasonably possible to make something for our home myself, I'm going to do it. Part of me is excited that some day, our kids will put this garland on our Christmas tree, and I can tell them the story about how one year, Mommy went temporarily insane and decided to make over 100 fabric pom poms for this garland. It's the little things like this that make Christmas memorable, right? I mean, it wouldn't be Christmas at my mom's house if she didn't still hang the ornaments me and Sister Owl made for her in elementary school (clothespin reindeer, anyone?). It's all about memories - and handmade ones are pretty awesome.

Mix and Match Dining Room Chairs

My latest home decor obsession is the look of mismatched dining chairs. I know that someday, when Mr. Owl and I have a house, one of my "must haves" is an eat-in kitchen, separate from the dining room (partially because I'm lazy and don't like traveling far with my daily bowl of cereal). But mostly, this is important to me because I feel like the kitchen is a great hub for the house - especially during holidays. If we ever host a holiday dinner, I'd like friends and family to be able to sit in the kitchen and catch up while we prepare the meal. If we have kids someday, I want them to be able to decorate cookies for Santa while I whip up another batch of dough. You get my drift, yeah?

I absolutely LOVE the look of mix and match chairs for our future, not-yet-in-existance kitchen table.



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The amazing power couple, Chelsea and Tec Petaja's home, featured on design*sponge



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An update and the best home decor item ever

Hello, hello, little nesting owls. It's been a while since I've posted here, and I sincerely apologize. If you read The Elegant Owl, you know my life has been crazy. I have some exciting announcements to make soon, though, which will explain where all my time has gone, and I'm really excited about it. So please, hang tight for now.

In the meantime, I drooled over this today. Is it not the most amazing thing you've ever seen? Okay, maybe not the most amazing thing, but I'm kind of in love with it. And, at the same time, I know I'll never have it. Such is life!


Tea Time Chandelier from Anthropologie

PSA: A Life-Changing Event

Hello little owls. I know I'm neglecting The Nesting Owl as of late, and that's all due to my hectic schedule at SH Weddings. I promise soon I'll be back with some more lovely decor inspiration and an update on how I organized our disaster of an office.

But, in the meantime, I must share a life-changing even that's happened recently. But first, I have to explain something.

I'm a make-up Moron. With a capital "M." In the past, my make-up routine has consisted of a tinted moisturizer, maybe some under-eye concealer if I'm especially tired that day, one color of neutral eyeshadow all over the lip, some liner and some blush.

That's it. I have tons of eye shadow colors, and I don't know know how to use them, and I don't even know if they're right for my skin tone.

Enter, my life-changing moment: the day I discovered Make-Up Geek.

I've been forever-frustrated since our wedding, when my make-up artist at the always awesome Make Me Fabulous made me look amazing. My skin was flawless, and not red and discolored, and my eyes popped like Whoa. Since that day, I've been unable to recreate the look.

Finally, I turned to You Tube one night when I couldn't sleep. I found TONS of tutorials on how to not be a moron when applying make-up. And then, I stumbled upon Make Up Geek, a professional make-up artist that does close-up demonstrations of make-up applications and provides step-by-step instructions.

I watched video after video, learning the formulas for applying the perfect make-up. Did you know there's a pattern for applying eye make-up, tweaked a little for each eye shape? Yeah, me neither. Apparently there's this thing called "the outer V," and that's what makes your eyes pop and give them their shape.

I learned that for my red skin, I need to apply a heavier foundation (duh), and that I'm a warm tone, which means my skin has yellow undertones. I learned all about MAC products and their amazingess. I've always stayed away from MAC because they looked too bold for me, and quite honestly, the stores with the super fabulous make-up artists and the uber trendy music playing intimidate me. But I've come to realize that their saturated colors are what keeps me from looking washed out.

Each tutorial shows you all the colors she uses, the tools and cheap substitutes. Can't afford to pay $26 for MAC's Studio Fix Foundation every few months? Me neither. That's why I now use Revlon's Color Stay, a tip courtesy of Make Up Geek.

I've been studying these videos for a few weeks now, and my world has opened up. I kid you not. I'm obsessed.

So, I now present you to my new make-up collection of must haves, and almost all these tips and suggestions I learned from Make Up Geek:


Primer. Make Up Geek recommends Monistat Chafing Gel as an inexpensive option to the Smashbox and MAC alternatives. I know, it's totally weird, but apparently, it gives you the same, smooth finish for a fraction of the cost. I have yet to buy this one, but after my little Nars primer sample runs out, this is my next purchase. My wedding days usually last at least 14 hours, so primer is a must!



Next step is concealer, and I invested in the Mac one, which is MAC's Studio Sculp Concealer. I have very stubborn redness and under eye discoloration, and I've tried so many concealers out there. This one tops them all, and also, what my wedding day make-up artist used on me.



Sister Owl introduced me to MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundation, and I LOVE it. However, I don't love the price. Since foundation is something I use almost every day, I needed a less-expensive alternative. Make Up Geek introduced Revlon's ColorStay Foundation as the perfect substitute, and it's actually what she uses on a daily basis. I've only used it for a few days, and I think it works just as well, too.



So apparently there's this stuff called eyeshadow base, and it's really important. Is that why my eyeshadow would be a giant brown smudge at the end of the day? I guess so. Make Up Geek told me about MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly and I love it. My eyeshadows last all day long, and it also makes the colors stand out more.



I can't stand having individual eyeshadows, so I really needed to purchase the $5 four-quad compact for my new colors.



MAC's eyeshadow in Phloof is my lid color. I wanted something light, slightly shimmery and fun because the rest of my colors are neutrals. I also have small eyes so a light lid color was a must to open them up.



MAC's Wedge is my crease color. It looks really light in the store, but it's actually a little darker once its on.



MAC's Espresso is my "outer V" color. I only use a little to wing out my eye and make them stand out. It looks really light in the photo for some reason. It's actually a few shades darker.



MAC's Vanilla is my highlighting color for right under the brow.



Finally, for shadows, I also purchased MAC's Expensive Pink. This picture doesn't do the color justice, though. I bought a separate compact for just "fun colors" that I can use for going out and special occasions. This is my first and only for fun colors so far. Make Up Geek claims there's no other color out there like it, and it flatters all skin tones. In person, it's gorgeous.



To line my eyes, I've had the same routine for about a year. I use Stila's Smudge Pot in brown (I also have black for special occasions). I use an angled brush, and line my eyes with it. It lasts ALL day, and it's hard to get off, which is why I like it. I have very short lashes, and just can't get them to stand out much, so the gel liner is perfect for me because it gives the illusion of a thick lash line.



Of all the mascaras that are out there, my wedding day make-up artist used Loreal's Double Extend Mascara. It has a primer on one end, and the mascara on the other. I don't often have luck with mascara because, as I said before, I have very short lashes that are also very thick, so curling does nothing. This is the only mascara I've ever used that does something for my lashes. It's not much, but I'll take it! I also don't use it every day. Only for special occasions.



Make Up Geek recommends Maybelline's Dream Mousse Blush in Peach Satin, so I bought it. And surprise, I loved it. It's inexpensive, and you only need to use a tiny bit each day. The color is perfect - very fresh and lively - and it lasts all day. I bought an extra because they were Buy 1, Get 1 Free at Ulta, and I keep it in my purse. I find that if I need to freshen up one thing late-afternoon, it should be blush. It instantly makes me look more, well ... awake! Ha!



This is something I came up with on my own. To highlight cheeks, Make Up Geek recommends MAC's very expensive Mineralize Skinfinish and while I'm sure it's an amazing product, it's not in my budget right now. For half the cost, I found Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls, which I purchased in Translucent. I brush it along the tops of my cheek bones for a subtle glow, right where the light catches, and it lightens up my whole face.



Finally, last step! I set everything, especially on wedding days, so I don't melt! I'll dab a bit of whatever's-on-sale-at-the-drugstore mineral powder on my T-Zone (I buy small sizes to keep in my purse), and spray MAC's Fix and Spray all over to give my entire face a nice, subtle shine and set everything. I love it. It feels great in the morning, and it helps to keep everything in place until I get home at night.


So, there's my new and improved make-up routine. Luckily, I already had nice brushes, but did invest in MAC's No. 217 brush, which I can't seem to find an equivalent of anywhere else. I bought it on eBay, though, for less money. It takes me about 5-10 minutes more in the morning to get ready (before it only took me 5!), but it's worth it.

So many thanks to Marlena at Make Up Geek for being awesome and sharing all of your tips with the world. You can also visit her site with all her videos, product reviews, articles, etc.

So, why am I posting about make-up on a home decor blog? Well, there's actually a reason. Now, my tiny little make-up counter in our bathroom is overflowing with products. Another organization project for me this weekend! I'll post before and after photos on how to organize your make-up counter. Coming soon!