Happy Christmas Eve

A pic from Sunday. Downtown was all dressed up and so were we!

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone! We have had such a lovely holiday season this year and plan on spending the next couple of days sipping sherry & espressos and listening to Nat on the record player. I also have a feeling I will be rereading our stack of Christmas books. (Did you read this post on A Cup of Jo about exchanging books on Christmas Eve in Iceland? I just love that!)

If you want a little something to read over the next few days or just need some quick, festive eye candy, here are a few things we’re digging around the interwebs…

Children’s Holiday Letters to Satan | The New Yorker

The New Yorker always has the best Christmas shorts. (In fact, if you’re in to that sort of thing, my in-laws got me Christmas at The New Yorker our first year all together, and I treasure it.) This year, my favorite was this one by Matt Passet, in which children mistakingly address their letters to “Satan,” and he responds. To the 9 year-old who asks for an Xbox:

This game “Grand Theft Auto” indeed seems quite fun, but why waste your days sitting in front of the TV when the sun is shining outside… don’t remember reading about any shortage of cars, guns, or hookers. Dammit, Daniel, get out there and live!

My Quest to Dress Like Miss Yvonne

I mentioned Miss Yvonne’s outfit in the Cocktails & Carols post and last night, I finally got a good picture of it. Check out that hair!

25 Days of Christmas Children’s Books

My friend Caryn, has been sharing a Christmas children’s book each day on Three Books a Night. I love when she does this each year, and my absolute favorite this time has been Hilary Knight’s “A Christmas Stocking Story.” Don’t you just love that little elephant?

Go watch White Christmas right now if you haven’t!

On Sunday, we had the pleasure of getting all gussied up and heading to the Tennessee Theatre to introduce some of our friends to White Christmas on the big screen! Isn’t it funny how you can watch certain movies again and again yet still catch new things? My favorite part of that film is always the chemistry between Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.

In case you need a drink…

Last year, we had two signature cocktails for our Cocktails and Carols party: a Jingle Julep and a Sage Ginger Sparkler. Click here to get the recipes.

Party Hair How-To

Today I’ve put together a little Party Hair How-To just in time for your weekend festivities. I get so many questions about how I put my hair up, and it’s really pretty simple. Just remember: Dirty hair works best and dry shampoo (which I spray on in the beginning) is really what gives it that big-hair-don’t-care look.

Let me know if you try the ‘do yourself! I’d love to see a pic.

Heart Hair Clip

As you know, I’ve been on a bit of a hair accessory kick lately. I love the sparkly baubles to put in my hair, but I really hate paying much for them. A few weeks ago, I showed you this Vintage Button Hair Bauble I made from some of Nana’s button collection. Today, I thought I’d show you how I made this sequined heart.

For this, I just layered sequins onto a piece of wool felt one night while watching Pitch Perfect. (Seriously, how much do you adore that movie?)

Tip: Use real wool felt. It’s heftier than the cheaper synthetic stuff and will keep its shape.

As you can see, this time I used a piece of paper to try to prop the clip open against the hot glue. While it did the trick or helping me not glue the clip shut, it left behind some paper. So not only does it look terrible; it also makes the piece harder to take in and out.

After experimenting a bit more, I’d just recommend holding the clip open. The glue doesn’t take very long to dry.

After the last hair post, I got several questions (on the post and via social media) about how I do my hair. I’ll post a video of that soon!

Vintage Button Hair Bauble

When I was little, I would spend afternoons sorting through my mom’s old button collection while she sewed. So when I inherited Husband’s beautiful Nana’s vintage collection, it was like getting a jar full of gold! Since then, I’ve been trying to figure out ways to incorporate these little treasures into my everyday style. My latest idea: hair baubles! Here’s how you can make your own.

First things first: Gather your materials.

2 identically cut pieces of felt
a hair clip (you can get these from any craft store or beauty supply)
needle
thread
vintage buttons
a glue gun

I started by sewing buttons onto the green piece of felt that I didn’t mind showing up a little behind them. Start with the biggest ones and then fill in with smaller buttons, beads, and pearls.

Next I sewed the navy piece of felt onto the back to keep all those knots from showing.

I could have sewed the hair clip on the navy piece before doing sewing the two together, but I chose to just hot glue it on. In retrospect, sewing probably would’ve made for a prettier back.

Voilà!

Hello, Gorgeous!

If you’re a new reader, “Hello, Gorgeous!” posts are a round-up of beautiful, random links that are making me smile this week. Enjoy!

Jackson Pollock, Modern Art was CIA weapon

Why did the CIA support them? Because in the
propaganda war with the Soviet Union, this new artistic movement
could be held up as proof of the creativity, the intellectual freedom,
and the cultural power of the US.

Without getting terribly political (at least for the moment), let me just say that I alway knew art could be used to change the world. The Independent ran a great article on how the CIA did just that during the Cold War.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mica Hendricks

“If she gets bored, we’ll do something else.
Yesterday, she wanted to be a superhero…”

Earlier this week, I heard an interview with artist Mica Angela Hendricks. She’s the mom who has gained some recent popularity by collaborating with her 4-year-old daughter on some really funky portraits. As it turns out, she wrote about the experience for Huffington Post that is worth a read. I especially love the lessons she shares at the end.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dr. Seuss "Nerd"

Did you know that Shakespeare invented the word “swagger?” Or that “Wendy” wasn’t really a name until J.M. Barrie? If not, you’ll love this article on Hello Giggles: 8 Everyday Words Invented by Famous Authors.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If you’ve ever attended Fashion Week, you know these people. In fact, you may have been these people. After my week’s commentary on the runways, it seems only appropriate to share…

Spring Fashion, Already?

While I have spent the majority of the last week talking about Fall collections, I’d be remiss not share a few of my notes from the Spring lines that were revealed this week in NYC.

Looking for outfits that may already be in your closet? Check out JCrew.

closet-jcrew

While some designers aren’t reinventing the wheel, we should take a moment to be thankful that Oscar is Oscar again. (For context, see notes on his Fall line.)

Oscar de la Renta, Spring 2014

For resort wear with a modern twist, I’m digging on Altuzarra.

resort-altuzurra

For the Mother Nature types: Marchesa will make you swoon…

mother-nature-marchesa

…and Anna Sui will get you ready to head out on the open road in search of the nearest native reservation.

mother-nature-anna-sui

While I knew Barbie had it right all along, this Spring Honor will be proving me right.

barbie-honor

If you ever dreamed of playing Elvis’ mother in a 60s movie: check out Kate Spade.

gidget-kate-spade

For those with a collegiate sense of humor: the humping balloon animals of Ostwald Helgason are for you!

balloon-otswald-helgason

Pamella Roland’s clothes are good–her hair is *Fabulous!* Also, that first outfit may be my absolute favorite.

hair-pamella-roland

Do you imagine yourself vacationing with Cary Grant in Italy? You should think about packing some Tory Burch.

italy-tory

Going for that Southern Belle meets Blossom look? Check out ZAC by Zac Posen.

belle-blossom-zac-posen

Auntie Anna

While Spring styles are debuting in NYC for Fashion Week, let’s take a look at your Fall wardrobe.

Auntie Anna | Anna Sui, Fall 2013

Auntie Anna is *that* aunt. You know the one. Your mother resents her because she’ll always be the fun one, your grandparents talk about her as “our little lamb that went astray,” and you have idolized her every move since the first time someone explained Woodstock.

She moved to Berkley at 18 and has since only come home for weddings and funerals, but each summer you beg your parents to take a little vacay to Cali. When they finally say yes, you pack your bags and head West to find Auntie Anna living your future dream. She entertains artists and musicians, throws lavish parties (think Auntie Mame), and teaches you how to make the perfect martini: no olives–they take up so much room in that little glass!

Then, that day finally comes: she lets you raid her closet. This is what you choose…

You can see the rest of Anna Sui’s Fall collection here.

Oscar de la Renta: Pageant Queen Needs a Happy Pill

While Spring styles are debuting in NYC for Fashion Week, let’s take a look at your Fall wardrobe.

Oscar de la Renta | Fall, 2013

In case it isn’t obvious, I often wonder what designers are thinking when they put together their collections. The stories and inspiration fascinate me to no end. So when looking through Oscar de la Renta’s Fall collection, I couldn’t help but do the same. I pictured a beautiful woman traveling around the world, there were bright colors and playful hats–and then the evening gowns hit.

Pageant Queen Needs a Happy Pill OR Oscar de la Renta | Fall, 2013

I am not kidding; my reaction was visceral. I hated these gowns. But why? The cuts weren’t outrageous, the billows mimicked the rest of the collection… and then it hit me: the makeup, the big shoulders, This was Suzanne Sugarbaker gone mad!

It was if our favorite Southern beauty queen had dropped her basket, gotten on pills, dropped 75 pounds, and decided to walk down Oscar de la Renta’s runway.

Then, I found out John Galliano was backstage. That’s ok Oscar, he’d make me crazy too.

Muffin’s Favorite Fall Collection

While Spring styles are debuting in NYC for Fashion Week, let’s take a look at your Fall wardrobe.

a young Muffin

When Muffin was little, her parents worried about how much time she spent in the backyard. After spending mornings at St. Joseph’s, she’d come home, grab a book, and run outside where she’d spend the remainder of the afternoon reading and rescuing the occasional cat who’d found its way up a tree. At night, she’d play with the globe in her father’s study and dream of all the exotic places she’d visit and people she’d meet when at last she could bust out of the walls surrounding the family’s estate.

At 18, she lost an argument with her parents over joining the peace core and eventually ended up at Harvard where she studied Ancient Civilizations. When it was finally possible to take a year abroad, she took it very seriously and this is obviously what happened upon her return…

This Fall you may spot Muffin reading in coffee shops around Cambridge and showing off her new threads to friends.

“This cape is modeled after one given to the great chieftess Gitchi-gooni on her declaration day.”

“What–this old thing? Why my theatre teacher, the great stage actress Mae Farecenot, gave it to me just before she departed for the nudist colony.”

“While in Norway, I learned to knit my own caps from the grandmothers in the village who gathered around the fireplace of a local shop and told me tales from Norse mythology.”

Don’t get me wrong, I want every piece of Electric Feathers’ Fall collection. Every single piece.

Why This Belle Covets Veronica Beard

While Spring styles are debuting in NYC for Fashion Week, let’s take a look at your Fall wardrobe.

Fact: When I laid my big brown eyes on Veronica Beard‘s Fall collection, my little Southern heart went aflutter. There are several things a Southern woman looks for when choosing her Fall wardrobe aside from the obvious fashion-foward considerations…

1.) We like cuts that give a little tip of the hat (or coonskin cap as the case may be) to the past.

2.) We love having at least one element that makes us feel ultra feminine–whether it’s a touch of pink or a silk skirt.

3.) There must be sass. Every Southern girl has an attitude, and we’re proud of it. We’re strong, we’re opinionated, and we’re self-reliant. The most important accessory a belle wears is that glint in her eye that tells the world not to mess with her.

So, with that in mind, it should be easy to guess why I’ve been swooning over Veronica Beard‘s Fall collection since it’s debut. These girls may be in Manhattan, but they have enough soul for a gal from Tennessee.

Veronica Beard | Fall, 2013

A girl that wears Veronica Beard know how to shoot a gun.

She loves her daddy.

Her childhood crush was Davy Crockett himself.

I heart Davy Crockett.

She can forage for her own food, and knows how to season an iron skillet.

She may even possess the ability to talk to animals.

The phrase “…wild as a mink but sweet as a soda pop”? That was written for her.

Hannah and Husband

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