Rainy Day To-Do List

Yellow flowers blooming in the middle of winter, in the rain.
Inspiration if there ever was any.

It's a really grey kind of day, the kind of day that makes it absolutely impossible to take an indoor photo, even with extra lighting. So, no recipe post today for Street Cred, as I had planned. Oh well! I have plenty to keep me busy today. The normal housewifey jobs of laundry and cleaning, coupled with planning a trip to Wales this weekend will keep me busy for most of the afternoon.

Why Wales, you ask? Well, I have an appointment in Cardiff this Saturday which pertains to my visa, so we've decided to leave early in the morning and make a day out of it. I've never been to Cardiff before, and being a major capital city, I'm sure there is plenty to see and do (and if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments below!).

Some other little bits that I'm catching up on today as well:

Un-following on Bloglovin
I have hundreds on unread posts to go through every day, and it can be tedious and exhausting. Some of these blogs I began following when I started this one in 2011, and not only do I no longer read them, but they simply don't interest me at all. My tastes have changed, and my purpose for blogging has changed as well. Obviously, this isn't solely a "style blog" anymore. If it even ever was. So, hopefully, by going through the masses of blogs on my feed today, I'll be able to narrow it down to the ones I really do love and follow - and make space for those new bloggy friends that I'd like to find in 2015.

Yoga with Adriene
I really, really love her videos, but I'm not a daily yoga-doer. Sometimes a quick dose of one of her workouts is the perfect energy boost on an otherwise lazy, dreary day. And she has this amazing 30 Days of Yoga challenge thing (which began at the start of the month, and I haven't even done one yet), that I'd like to try out.

Valentine's Day!
It's coming, people, and it's coming up fast. Even though Steve and I aren't big on it, since it is a mostly commercial holiday - my favorite quote about Valentine's Day describes it as "a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap" (that's from a favorite film of mine, can you guess which one it is?). I have 0 ideas of what to do this year, and come to think of it, I can't even remember what I did last year, either. Did we go to dinner? Were there flowers? I have no clue. I need ideas, on a budget, and quick. Pinterest is probably going to be my new best friend for a little while until I figure this day out! Past traditions from my single years include downing a bottle of red wine while watching Titanic in the dark (because when you're a single female on February 14th, you're kind of happy at the end when all of the men die). Now that I no longer have to be super morbid, it's a little more of a challenge to actually put effort into a day that I formerly referred to as "Clearance Chocolate Eve".

And if I get everything on my list done today, I might bake cookies. Maybe. Now that I've hopped back on the gluten wagon, and I can't lick the bowl, my motivation to bake things (which was always licking the bowl) has completely gone out the window. But I might, because I know that the hubby likes them and I feel like being nice.

Maybe.

Last Minute

I'm really proud this year; for once, I've managed to complete all of my Christmas shopping a few weeks in advance. That's usually not the case, though, and I've become a sort of expert when it comes to last minute gifts. So if you're anything like me and panicking about the next 3 days, here are a few tried and true last minute gift and stocking stuffer ideas that don't include a Starbucks gift card:

The Handmade Scarf: Can you knit? Even the most elementary knitters (like myself) can bang out a pretty scarf before the big day arrives. It's a more thoughtful approach to a simple gift, and can be personalized with its wearer's favorite colors. Want to update the classic style a little? Sew the ends together with extra yarn to make an infinity scarf, or weave some ribbon through the finished knit. Tadaaa!

Fancy Coffee/Cocoa in a mug: Homegoods (HomeSense in the UK) is a great one-stop shop for this sort of thing. If your gift recipient is a coffee, tea, or cocoa drinker, you can find some one-of-a-kind luxurious beverages/mixes and unique mugs. Maybe even through some fancy cookies or chocolates in the mix, as well.  When in doubt, try Anthropologie for the classic monogram mugs (if you know someone who doesn't own one yet). Foodies on your list this year might love some spicy Mexican hot chocolate mix, and who doesn't love a little mini bottle of Bailey's for their Christmas morning coffee?

Handpainted Ornaments: Grab some acrylic paints, some plain glass ornament balls, and get to painting! Personalize it with family names and the year/date and a few sparkles. Here's a little inspiration: paint a row of snowmen representing each family member, with different facial expressions. Have an old bean bag toy lying around? Use the filling beads to fill your ornament with "snow"! Personalized ornaments are so popular, and this is an inexpensive handmade option that can turn out to be super cute.

Gift Wrapping: This isn't a gift idea, but a fun idea for the holidays nonetheless. Put a little laughter into your gift giving by wrapping up your gift to be it's actual shape. Wrapping a sweater? Leave the sleeves out and wrap the item as it is! It's a fun and funny way to brighten up an otherwise usual gift.
Or, perhaps try decoy gift wrapping: disguise your gift as something completely different, whether by shape or by placing a small item in a ridiculously disproportionately large box.

Have any other great ideas for last-minute holiday gifts? Feel free to make suggestions in the comments!

*all found images*

Disappearing Gifts

Doesn't sound too appealing, does it? But hear me out.

I actually had this idea while watching Barefoot Contessa (because I have a dream that I'll someday be Ina Garten). She simply pointed out that sometimes it's difficult to buy for people who have everything (read: money) so the best gifts are disappearing ones.

What is a disappearing gift, you ask? Well, by Ina's definition, it is a gift that is used up in one sitting. Examples: movie or theater tickets, Groupons, baked goods, wine, activities - anything that is used promptly, and disappears. I love this concept because, let's face it, Christmas shopping can get really expensive. But these disappearing gifts can seem even more thoughful (and can help to avoid amassing mountains of cheap crap in your home). Clutterbugs be gone! Especially under tight budget constraints, I think that this idea works wonders, since it can be adapted in so many different ways.

As a college student, when money was obviously tight, I often made my parents a gift basket of wine and snacks and sweets that they couldn't buy where they live. It was a simple, thoughtful gift that took into consideration their love of food and wine, and my advantage of living in a big city (Thank you, Trader Joe's). My grandmother often baked enormous batches of her famous cookies, and gave each family member a tin. A favorite aunt makes homemade Bailey's and distributes mason jars to family members each year (which I will sorely miss now that I am 3000 miles away! Save me some if you're reading this!)

Anyone trying out disappearing gifts this year, or have any recommendations, post in the comments below!!

All images found on Pinterest

Discovering Decorating

I have a confession to make: I can't decorate a home.  A little over 6 months into married life, and I've really had the desire lately to make our little apartment (and future residences) more home-y. Gradually we've been acquiring furniture (bookshelves, a recliner, an end table) one at a time, as we find ones that "fit" both our apartment and our budget. I moved into our current one bedroom Brooklyn apartment three years ago, a month after college graduation, with nothing but an air mattress and a suitcase. A long two years of 12-hour workdays and assistant's pay left me with few options in the decor and self-indulgence department. But, when Steve moved in, I scrambled for about a month to redo the bedroom and rearrange the furniture to a more livable configuration. Our lease will soon be up, and whether or not we leave or stay, I've been manically searching for interior design inspiration on Pinterest. Modern style doesn't seem to suit me - I don't want anything that has to be pristine, or doesn't provide LOADS of storage in small spaces, and nothing can really be fragile because we live with a hellbent destruction machine, also known as my cat. I'm not a fan of clean lines and empty space. Modernist style doesn't feel like the kind of environment that I could take an afternoon nap in on a lazy Saturday.

I'd like an aesthetic that isn't cluttered, but doesn't look empty and white - something lived in, with furniture that you want to USE. I abuse my possessions, to some degree. The coffee table is also a painting easel, and the side of the sofa is occasionally a cat scratcher when no one is around to prevent it. So, here are some of my ideas of the way I'd like to start to decorate, and I'm BEGGING for help and inspiration!!! Throw it all my way!!!