On this weekend’s meander..men’s holiday gift ideas, some fresh ideas in Christmas stockings, my new faux tree, a wonderful local floral design studio and more..
Well it’s been a busy week and I kind of hit the ground running this month getting two trees up, which is not the norm for me, but I was in a holiday home tour this week (more below) so I was motivated..unlike my usual procrastinating self! I did manage to make a decision and buy a faux (not fake- per Juliet) Christmas tree.
I had been coming around to the idea as real trees have been getting pricier, less nice, and harder to come by..and I had mentioned before often become a stick in our dry climate here by Christmas..which is worrying. I ended up getting this flocked Fraser Fir tree ( I know also shocking I got white ) at Home Depot. I kind of fell in love with this one as soon as I walked in. It had soft dot lights and some brown and green bits which made it look more natural to me!
I haven’t decorated it.. but I’m trying some of what we have and not use ALL the ornaments and keep it to the ones I really love and the sentimental kid ones.. I also am adding branches and greens to give it a less uniform look..
It’s also my first year using a tree collar! Similar tree collar here and here and I recently saw this collar in woven black on someone’s tree and it looks great.
Let’s talk stockings..
How’s your stocking game? I always like to add one new one each year that catches my eye. We don’t do matched, rather coordinated. I like arty looking stockings (aka socks to my family), and everyone has something different.
Our mudroom right now with a few cute stockings and some greens.. I will add some to the fireplace area later this week.
I had to share a few stockings that I am loving.. these by Marimekko at West Elm are ADORABLE!
These faux fur stockings are on sale and can be personalized..and this linen white and gold bead stocking has a fun modern feel.
You can have a custom made Liberty fabric stocking if you order by December 4 on Etsy..(more prints available…and These stockings in mixed fabrics are also beautiful.
I love these mod Jonathan Adler stockings..
Then there are these sweet block printed stockings with bells..and this collection is good if you want neutrals..There are also William Morris stockings, and these in mud cloth on Etsy.
Beautiful Holiday Wrap
I recently came across this cute and whimsical shop RubyStripe, on Etsy making darling wrap and tags. This is a small, women owned business and their tags and wrap are next level pretty. The shop says ships from San Jose, so they came up as a local seller for me.. This is just a snippet of their holiday collection. They have so much more if you like handpainted and feminine.
Gifts for the Guys
I know a few people asked for suggestions for the guys, and since men make up most of my family..I have a few ideas for you.
These Ugg slip-ons are a great gift for anyone… and they have outside soles so they can wear them on a coffee run or something too. They come in black also.
This cozy sweater is great for a younger guys. I know my 24 year old son who likes fun sweaters would love it.
I bought all the men in our family these four way stretch 7 Diamond plaids last year. When I felt them at Nordstrom, I knew they’d love them. They are a bit more pricey, so I opted for one of these in place of a sweater. I even got my dad one. They are soft and super stretchy and very warm and come in many colors.. They are their favorite shirts and like outerwear they are so cozy.
I bought my college son this Rumpl Puffy blanket last year that comes with a cool stuff sack. It has extreme warmth and he takes it camping, to tailgates and always has it in his car. A fun idea for anyone who camps or loves the outside. Comes in nine different designs.
This half zip fleece in a fun patterns is also popular with young guys and this is a good price. Especially for the kid who always ‘loses’ his every year! Griffin, I’m talking about you..
This RVCA Crewneck , below in grey, has a classic fit and feels so soft inside and out. I bought one for my dad who likes old school sweatshirt style, but appreciates the warmth. I’m thinking of getting one for the Utah son too.
And this zip up fleece hoodie on right, has a cool pattern both my sons would love.
This sweater by Marine Layer is a bit pricier, but super nicely made and a classic for those ski guys or just like that retro style like my oldest does. This sweater is heavy cotton and so nicely made.
Two years ago I got Max this Ugg robe and he still loves it!
The other thing the boys always want is socks… like this 3 pack from UGG are so, so soft…and these Bombas sport socks hug your arches and you never want to wear any others for sports once you have a pair.
Lastly..This Hatch alarm clock/sound machine/reading light was a hit last year, so I am including it again. A great gift for anyone -and for those who want the phone out of the bedroom.
I just bought this for my sons.. Joshua Weisman’s, An Unapologetic Cookbook, is supposed to help you find your cooking intuition. The recipes were absolutely delicious looking dishes my guys would want to eat and could make.
I got these packing cubes for both the guys as they are traveling more now and a good price for a really useful gift! I bought these two options, but there are also black and other simpler designs available.
This UGG sweatshirt is nice and comes in four colors..
I will try to add to this list as we move through the season and update it if things run out..
A few other good things to share...
Blooms by Tara
My friend Tara is a talented local floral designer that does events and even subscriptions so you can always have beautiful flowers in house. I asked her If I could share on the weekend post as I often get inquiries about local flower designers. Tara is your go-to and she has a beautiful aesthetic!
Blooms by Tara is a bespoke floral design studio located in Los Gatos that specializes in floral design and styling for private events, birthdays, small businesses, retail, open houses, and also offer monthly subscription services. – A great idea for holidays! Follow Tara on Instagram to see her latest work. To inquire about services, contact her via Instagram direct message, or by phone 408-234-2173.
Holiday Home Tour 2022
I was lucky to be invited to join a Holiday Home Tour this week. There were five days of fantastic and creative holiday decor ideas and Juliet and I were part of Wednesday’s tour which was living rooms/ dens. If you missed it, I shared my little pink Christmas tree I have in my little office/den area!
Juliet shared her beautiful and cozy blue library and all her pretty and festive decor..I loved her mantel!
Links also to Cindy, Mary Ann and Annie’s homes along with all the talented ladies and their homes from all over the country is at the end of this post..
Juliet and I also did our first LIVE on Instagram. Though we were a little shaky in the technical parts at first, it was a lot of fun sort of like coffee hour-and great to chat with those who popped by and left comments! Hopefully this might be a regular thing, so if you aren’t following along on Instagram, please do. We love to interact with you all. You can watch our chat here!
DO you make a December bucket list? There are so many holiday activities. The best part of the holiday are the rituals I think! For us, it’s always baking cookies, going to San Francisco for lunch and shopping, and one night to drive by the lights of Willow Glen and a few others. I just alwasys hope to squeeze it all in..If you need ideas for fun things to do, Elizabeth had a great post this week chock full of ideas! I’m printing it out and trying to add a few more.
Tomorrow is another one of those special December things- our town of Los Gatos has it’s annual holiday parade. It’s the biggest holiday parade west of the Rockies! I’ll share and write more about it next week on a post with a few other on hometown holidays. Plus festive outfit ideas are coming on Tuesday for December’s Signature Style…
And that is my weekend meanderings for this week. Please stop over at Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs to see what fun they are sharing..
MAKE MINE A SPRITZER
PINECONES AND ACORNS
Have a lovely weekend,
Kim
If you missed last weekend’s meander..I shared a recipe for persimmon bread, my Thanksgiving table, and a gift ideas for women.
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Pour the dark in a big 1/4 inch thick puddle on parchment and drizzle the white over any way you like. I topped mine with hazelnuts and flaky salt, but you can see other variations on her blog. You can get a fancier look if you use a toothpick and swirl the chocolate, which I didn’t do. Fun and easy and is looks very gourmet and tastes amazing. It would also be great with dried fruits, other nuts or chopped candy pieces- whatever you like!
