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Happy Cyber Monday!

A Tree Grows in Manhattan

The tree lighting at Rockefeller Center is one of my favorite holiday traditions. This year the lighting of the World’s Most Famous Tree will take place on Wednesday, December 2 – and for the twelfth year in a row – will be broadcast on NBC. It is always a star-studded affair, and this year’s event will be hosted be 30 Rock’s Jane Krakowski and Chuck’s Zachary Levi. There will also be performances by Alicia Keys, Shakira, Michael Bublé, Barry Manilow and of course, the Radio City Rockettes.

The annual special lets you experience all the splendor and beauty of New York City at Christmas, but without any of the traffic, crowds or cold weather! I can’t wait to curl up on the couch with a glass of eggnog while I watch the performances and let the holiday spirit wash over me.

Decorating the Christmas tree is my favorite holiday tradition. Every year, we kick off the holiday season with eggnog and Frank Sinatra. His Christmas albums are a big hit in my family. We have a lot of ornaments from my dad’s childhood, but every year we add more to our already crowded tree. These adorable ornaments by Etsy seller PACountryCrafts can be customized with names, while these animal ornaments by Etsy seller stylishornaments are hand-painted.

I think the only way to make decorating the tree more fun is to share the experience with friends, as well as family. Consider having a tree-trimming party this season! A Christmas Tree themed invitation like Retro Trees is a jolly way to invite those you love to gather around and deck the halls. But if a dinner party is more your style, Festive Dinner should be right up your alley. After all, the holidays are about sharing with those who bring us joy!

 

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us

{Wednesday Trendsday} A Holiday Wish List

Last week, Brittany shared her holiday wish list with you featuring fabulous items from Etsy. I have a few trendy and not-so-trendy little items that have caught my eye this holiday season, but I can't shop for myself without thinking of my mini-me. My mini-me is my 2 year old niece Sydney. She is the sun of our family. She lights up every room, and never fails to make us insanely happy. Lucky for me, she looks just like me and people often mistake her for my daughter. We have the same hair color, face shape, and smile. We have other things in common too. For example, we both enjoy musicals, reading, and eating dessert before dinner. We also have the uncanny ability to make a clean room look like a tornado hit it in about 30 seconds. This season when I'm dropping hints to my husband here are few things I'll be wishing for, and a few things I would love to get Syd the Kid:

A book for me: Occasions by Kate Spade. Kate Spade is my favorite designer. I love her simple and whimsical styles, and this petite book infuses those styles in party planning ideas for all occasions- big and small. It's the perfect addition to my library, and may be perfect for someone on your list as well!
A book for Sydney: Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. This book was my favorite as a child, and I have a hunch she would love it too. Madeline is about a brave little French girl who lives in a convent. My mom lived in a convent in Canada as a child, so this story would be sweet for Sydney to associate with her grandma. 

Stationery for me: Cecily Blue by Whitney English. I've had my eye on this sweet note cards since we added them to the site. I love the varying shades of blue. 
Stationery for Sydney: Pink Bubbles by Whitney English. These bright note cards are perfect for any little girl and I know Sydney will love them. She can also use them as thank you cards when she celebrates her third birthday in January.

Shoes for me: Diamonte Suede Platform Peep Toes by J.Crew. These Italian shoes really are irresistible. They are a little pricey, so I think I may just get these if I've been REALLY good. So, not likely.
Shoes for Sydney: Fabric Ballet Flats from J.Crew.  These are also a little bit of a splurge but they're an adorable jumping off point for holiday shoe shopping inspiration. At the young age of two, Sydney's favorite toy is my heels so I think she would appreciate a fine pair of shoes under the tree this year.

Something sweet for me: Walk on Air Enamel Bracelet from Kate Spade. I just adore this bangle! It's perfect for any girly-girl in your life who likes things sweet and simple.
Something sweet for Sydney: Oatmeal Bear from Pottery Barn Kids. This cuddly bear is perfect for any little one and as an added bonus, $10.00 of the purchase price benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  

Top it off for me: Red Sequin Heart Headband from ban.do. I love unique headbands and Sydney loves borrowing them from me, so this would be a gift we could share.
Top it off for Sydney: Glimmer Pom Pom Hat from J.Crew. This would be adorable and warm for Christmas and the remainder of the winter season.

Crafty for me: Pencils with Swarovski Crystals. These pencils are so cool looking, and would look amazing on my desk. They would make the perfect gift for any of your creative friends or family members.
Crafty for Sydney: Play Doh 24 Pack. It's incredible to see what someone so little can do with some big ideas and a bunch of mushy Play Doh. This is one of our favorite activities and these colorful containers would make great stocking stuffers.

Thanks for reading about a few of my favorite things! What is on your wish list this year? Stay tuned next week for Antoinette's holiday wish list! 

Thanksgiving Card Of the Day

A Time for Thanks

A Forecast of Forever | Wedding Day Weather

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a beautiful outdoor wedding. As is the case with all outdoor weddings, the weather is a huge component, especially in Florida when even the month of November can bring a few stray showers.

The evening wedding was set up in a small garden in Tampa's historic Ybor City. On the day of the wedding, the weather forecast called for about a 30% chance of rain and when I arrived at the venue, it was just barely holding off. As we waited for the bride to arrive, we sat with fingers crossed for the weather to stay clear. When the procession started, the droplets did as well. Luckily, it was just a slight drizzle. Nothing to ruin the beautiful sight of good friends saying "I do."

After the short ceremony, the wedding party left to take pictures, which unfortunately I don't have any shots of, but I'm sure turned out amazing. Above are a few of the shots I took from my camera of the big day. I love how the light reflected off the slightly wet surface of the bricks (top left). Toward the end of the reception, the wedding party jumped into the gorgeous fountain that was in the center of the courtyard to get some fun pictures together (center).

All in all, it was a great wedding that wasn't at all phased by the surprise shower. I did look into the good luck/bad luck of rain on weddings, though. I found that the good luck belief says "If it rains on your wedding and everything proceeds smoothly, the marriage will be a success because it shows you work well together in the face of obstacles." Most definitely true for this amazing couple. Congrats, Sam and Jeremie!

In lieu of the "shower" theme, I also found a few of our bridal/wedding shower invites that take advantage of the weather. These umbrella and raindrop invites are positively adorable.

Tweet with me @brittanica2

Invitations:

Shower that Girl, Happy Under Our Umbrella, Polka Umbrella, Bridal Silhouette.

Thanksgiving Card Of the Day

Turkey Feathers

Invitation Consultants' Design on Upscale Baby

Recently Upscale Baby reviewed our signature brand Red Leaf Papers new baby boy birth announcement Lullaby Baby. See the review. Also check out the Upscale Baby Blog for great baby product reviews and my favorite, the Steals and Deals.

Black Friday Week

Christmas Invitation of the Day

Merry Poolside - Christmas poolside is warm and cozy!