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Baaaaha. A holiday blog was my last!?!?!? I suck at blogging. Maybe cause I HAVE NO INTERNET. Brb. Hopefully soon

Holly-days

I have been sucked in. I have always had the idea in my head that I need to wait for Christmas/Holiday music until AFTER Thanksgiving but, I have given in. Everyone else is doing it! The Peppermint Mocha's and Carmel Apple Spice at Starbucks also make me think of all the gifts I want to buy. The hard part is figuring out just WHAT!

I've bought my mom wayyyyy too many clothes and although I can spice up any gift with some Madewell purchases I also know that I want the majority of my presents to have a sentimental or thoughtful meaning. That being said, here are a few things I would recommend for anyone :)

some of my favorite books :)



any gift that gives back! Toms Shoes gives a shoe to a child in need with every purchase and West Elm has a whole section of "Gifts that give back" There are a variety of these mugs that give 50% of proceeds to the mug's selected charity (This one benefit's The Boy's and Girls Club).

Finally, This cool website allows you to create your own hardcover photo BOOK for someone special in your life. I've got a few ideas myself. There's a promotion right now for Buy One Get One FREE on this website.

You can always send me an email if you want in on my special new vintage button rings and knot rings too! (Pictures up soon in another post).

My mom always told me that Holly the Elf would come and help Santa bring the presents.... I think when I grow up I want to be holly the elf.There are more ideas to ponder and thoughts to think but here are a few cool ideas! Toot-i-loo

CK

Nook-Wardrobe-Desk-Dresser

One of my best friends, Hanah (akaVintage Story) sent me this pic! She doesn't know where she found it but all I know is that when I have the means, I'm making myself one as I'm sure she will too. Actually, we'll collab like we normally do :)

To me, this is the perfect desk/nook/dresser/etc. Leave the hinges open when you have everything beautified and organized and when one of those days rolls around and you just need to let your creative juices loose, you can close those little doors up hiding the mess behind!     

Not only do I love the idea, I pretty much love everything about it. The wallpapered back wall, the butterfly decorations, a peg board to the left for all kinds of supplies and oh, those globes!

Please remind me to collect globes.

Another note about peg boards, they are brilliant. I mean, I have drawers and drawers of things that could easily be statements had I a peg board. My brain usually goes to tool displays and in-store peg boards but when you have a creative space you can do whatever you want with it! paint it, be-dazzle it, wallpaper it, you could even stain it. Depending On the size, your peg board also won't break your bank!

I found these ones from the blog, Have Heart

Minty pegboard with some complementary colors up in there!



Kitchen pegboard with some good-lookin' cookery

Crafty craft pegboard

(You can remind me to grab a peg board too.)

This wardrobe-nook-desk-drawer picture will be locked away in my special picture-files for later use. Cause I will make this one day, one day....

Ta-Ta for now, tootles my friendles!



Senioritis Thoughts

College is an accessory. We have a tiny little piece of paper (and maybe some swag) at the end of it all to tell people who we are. That's a lot to say on one piece of paper eh? I feel like I've been everywhere...

 

 I remember people speculating and giving me their opinions and thoughts when I was applying to all of them, but what do they know? They don't have my experience with my accessories.

I graduated with my Associates degree from FIDM and am BEYOND grateful for that experience but as I finish up my Bachelor of Arts degree I can't help but be so excited about where I ended up. Both degrees give me so much brain accessories and knowledge that I don't know what to do with myself!
Literally.

It's frustrating but a blessing at the same time. Who can say that they have too many options in their brain about what to do with their life? I just know that I want to make an impact, help people realize the necessary things in their lives (great schooling, good work ethic, maybe some Live in Love Jewelry would be an accessory treat ;)) while also showing them the UNnecessary accessories (bad boyfriends, that way-too-expensive car)

ANYWAY, who knows how I'll figure a way to do it but I know I have SO many college experiences to thank, this last one probably, definitely, the most.

I promise my posts won't always be this heartfelt and thought-y

Hi my name is Courtney and I'm a ring-aholic

I love to scour my grandmothers jewelry box. My yearly trips to the lake in Virginia would not have been complete had I not dug through her handmade wooden treasure chest at the edge of her vanity.  One time, I even found my mothers wedding dress and added to the laughter of 9 year old me tripping down the stairs by putting on some extravagent pearls, multiple rings and maybe a bracelet (or five).

Maybe it's my innate desire for old things but, I love vintage rings.

Well, I love rings in general.

Not vintage, but super coooooool.

more ring for your buck, stacking rings!!

I wear the same mix of rings for a good while and then I'll do a mini switcheroo and no one notices but me. (It's all about making yourself feel like you're changing it up :))

This weekend I was in my cousin's BEAUTIFUL wedding and the mother of the bride wore one of my grandmothers antique rings. I was j- lous! It had even been passed down to my grandmother by her Aunt Helen. Now that is some serious heritage! It looked VERY similar to this one I found on Etsy...

buy it here on Clutterslaststand's etsy shop!

Hopefully one day I can inherit some goodies from that old wooden treasure chest but until then, I'll keep my own collection going :)

Epiphanies and T-shirt Uniforms

       When I was in high school we were forced to wear horrendous t-shirt uniforms. Sure, you could choose from a few different styles and a variety of colors but for me, that wasn't enough. Growing up on a small island, we didn't have much to choose from anyway so my adornments were already limited. I was already without many options and then they went and threw anything slightly cute down the drain!? Rude. Now, this is not to say that I was in any way a "fashionista", it is just merely a means by which I can explain my brain thoughts.


To combat this uniform predicament I had only one choice, to accessorize.


     As I have evolved as a person, lady, friend, I have come to realize that not only do we accessorize with adornments on our body, ( like I, circa 2005 with long necklaces, flats and gypsy skirts) we are constantly accessorizing our life.


     We choose our friends, our bookshelves, our hairstyles, our jewelry, our schooling, our careers, our pillow shams and, the art for our walls. We accessorize to build our lives in a way that makes us come home from a long day and simply smile. And so, although our significant others are not "accessories", they add to our lives and by definition, they accessorize it. Not anywhere near the same caliber but similarly, we choose the items we fill our warm apartments with and the jewelry pieces we accent our outfit with.

Like this piece I made all by myself!! (yours for $26) :)

And so, here are all the frills (without the t-shirt uniforms).