*ETSY UPDATE sneak peek*

Yeah, you read it right. I've got some handmade headbands coming to my long neglected Etsy Shop, "You're Fancy."!!  One of my huge goals for the new year is to "MAKE MORE" which includes making more handmade (along with a list of other things like making more meals at home, making more effort to exercise, etc)

The headbands are made of crocheted blossoms, felt, and a unique vintage button detail.  I will be updating the shop on TUESDAY, JANUARY 4TH.  

It makes me so happy to make things with my hands, and I'm excited to share these with you.
XO

a photobooth 2010.

In 2010, I....

learned how to make french macarons,

enjoyed watching the Vancouver Olympics in our Canada hoodies,

knitted mittens,

stretched, a lot,

received beautiful and thoughtful gifts for our new baby girl, 

took care of this little Fawn,

found a love for Aveda comforting tea,

and spent a whole lot of time with these two cute faces.

It's been a great year!

if I were going to a NYE party...

I would want to wear a black velvet Orla Kiely dress, a cape, metallic heels, gold jewelry by Stella & Dot (and the MJ Daisy fragrance ring), a feather clutch, and curls in my hair.

But alas, I will be wearing my lululemon pants and big'ol comfy sweater instead... because once we get the kids in bed, we're going to be watching The Pacific, eating popcorn, and drinking Mike's hard lemonade to bring in 2011, just the two of us. That's how we roll this year. :P

What are you wearing this NYE?

My little one.

Is just not so little anymore. 

Simon willingly passed down his highchair to his little sister (now that she can finally sit on her own!), and he has graduated to eating with us at the table like a "big boy".

She seems pretty happy about it. :)

Cream Cookies

(blackberry photo)

I tried out the new mixer, and a new recipe as well!! My aunt makes the most amazing cream cookies, and they are Ryan's favorite.. so I asked her for the recipe and she gladly shared.  I am so pleased with how they turned out! (and pleased with how the mixer works too!)

happy.

What's your favorite thing to bake during the holidays?

The new mixer.

I smile every time I go into my kitchen. :)

It was the #1 thing on my wish list! 

What was your favorite gift this year?

xo

holiday haze.

I hope you all had a very enjoyable Christmas! Ours was lovely. It seems like the hustle and bustle sort of put you in a haze that fast forwards you straight into the new year..... but I'm taking this week off (so is Ryan!!) to get rested, re-organized, and hopefully re-energized.

My Mom was a hero and took both kids for the night so Ryan and I could have a little getaway, and it was awesome. We went to Grand Forks, had a fantastic dinner together, shopped for next years Christmas ornaments at Target, went shoe shopping, hot tubbing, watched tv together, slept in, and enjoyed every second of it. (thanks Mom!!)

We still have 2 gatherings to attend next weekend, but other than that I think we can pretty much wrap up Christmas 2010.  It was great.. (did I mention that I finally got my KitchenAid Mixer!??! In pear! SO happy.)  I didn't take hardly ANY photos, which is a shame, but I seem to be neglecting my camera these days.  It seems that at the end of the year a lot of things get neglected, huh?  I guess that's what new years resolutions are for, right? Right.  I'll work on finalizing those this week, and do a post.

Here's a list to share some things, for fun:
- I love ihop.
- I can't wait to make cream cookies with my new mixer.
- The Littlest Pet Shop Blythe collection is amazing.
- My house needs a TON of work done, I don't even know where to start.
- Ryan is still sick.
- My throat is sore *again* tonight. What gives?
- My mom & I are "Nook" buddies, and we lend ebooks. It's like a new level to our relationship! lol
- I love steak too much to be a vegetarian.
- Ryan got a new pair of Dr. Martens today.
- .. so then I could get the pretty taupe ankle boots that I LOVE! (for half price)
- I still like listening to Christmas music.
- I love watching Simon play.
- I'm so thankful for family & friends who make Christmastime a wonderfultime.
XOXO

New favorite Tunes - Anchor & Braille.

I have been a fan of Anberlin ever since Blueprints for the Black Market, and deemed them my all time favorite band when I was 17.  I love Stephen Christian's voice, and many of Anberlin's songs bring me back to favorite memories.  Needless to say, when I heard that Stephen was doing an acoustic side project, "Anchor & Braille", I was pretty excited.

After listening through "Felt" the first time,  I was so happy! This music is just right.  His voice is lovely as always, and the songs are just a delight to listen to.  Really soothing for me.  Take a listen here. I give a big 2 thumbs up up up. <3

As for an update on our health situation... it blows! Literally! We've got so much snot in this household, it's disturbing.

The poor little Fawn has an ear infection, but she's been taking antibiotics for 2 days and I think she's starting to feel better.  "Coco"(her blabla doll, above) and I have been trying our best to comfort her. Between the 4 of us, we've gone through a lot of Buckley's, tylenol, Coryzalia (homeopathic decongestant for babies), honey lemon tea, Vick's baby rub, and a ton of Kleenex.  It's so hard to see your little ones sick... but I think the worst is over.  My Mom brought us homemade chicken noodle soup, and we've enjoyed that liquid gold for the last 4 meals straight! So good.

Our Christmas gatherings start tomorrow!! I go back to work tomorrow morning whether I feel like it or not, and then Jenna & I are going to Christmas Tea, and then we head to my Grandma's for the Giesbrecht Christmas!  I'm looking forward to the next week ahead.

Wishing you all good health over the holidays!! XO

Happy Hollydays!

lola.

My employees surprised me tonight (at our Christmas dinner) with a Marc Jacobs Lola bracelet!! I was so pleasantly surprised! I mentioned it a long time ago how much I loved Lola, and I guess they remembered. :)  Happy feelings.

Time to watch Inception with my hunny. (Have you seen it? What did you think?)

xo holly

[Home for the Holidays] - Feature at Smile & Wave

 I've got a cute & kitschy ornament DIY over at Rachel's blog, Smile & Wave!  It's so incredibly easy and fast, and a great way to do something a little more untraditional for your decor this holiday season!
Check it out, here. Make sure to check out all of the other "Home for the Holidays" posts as well.

We had a small Christmas party with some friends tonight, and it was a great time.  We made sushi, created a new peachy martini recipe, played Apples to Apples, and enjoyed each other's company!

Tomorrow calls for a laid back Sunday afternoon, followed by dinner out with the girls from the salon.... I love Sundays. 

xo holly

[Holiday Fashion] - Ruche Lookbook.

I always look forward to Ruche's look books. The last few have been fantastic, and the Holiday '10 edition did not disappoint. Here are my favorite Holiday items from Ruche right now: 

I love the backgrounds they used for the photos as well! Check out the look book here.

Do you plan out your outfits before any Holiday events?

Holiday*Manicure

Here's my picks for this years top shades for Christmas 2010!

All shades by OPI.

1. Tease-y Does It - a dark brown shade with a rich purple shimmer.

2. Sparkle-icious - oh so glam!

3. Glitzerland - the prettiest pale gold shade.

4. Ali's Big Break - the perfect Christmas red, with the right amount of shimmer.

5. Let Me Entertain You - a pretty holiday hot pink.

6. Holiday Glow (I'm wearing this shade today) - a rich coffee brown with silver sparkles!

7. Russian Navy (Suede) - a deep velvety blue that's very trendy.

The Russian Navy polish from the Suede collection might be my favorite this season! 

It looks so classy with gold, and try it with a "Top Coat French"!  Apply 2 coats of the Russian Navy, allow to dry.  Then, apply Top Coat to the tip of the nail, like you would with white for a french nail.  It's a super pretty yet subtle effect. :)

xo holly

[Gift Guide] - Stocking Stuffers.

Here are some items I love, that I think would make *stellar* stocking stuffers!

1. Hand knit mittens.  Who doesn't love mittens!? If you don't have time to knit them yourself, Etsy has a great selection of beautiful pairs, like these!! ($35)

2. Cute hair bow.  A handmade bow or headband can be a great stocking stuffer for your friends, your daughter, or any girl on your list!  I love the ones at Red Velvet. ($10)

3. Aveda Hand Relief.  This lotion is amazing. Even the guys on your list could appreciate.  This rich lotion with vitamin E and jojoba smells oh-so-good, and it's winter staple at my house! (travel size $13)

4. Starlette Sparkler (by Giant Dwarf). This hair pin is the perfect amount of fancy.  It's beautifully made, and would make a great little gift for your bff. ($15)

5. Nugget Wrap Bracelet. This is my current favorite piece by Stella & Dot. It's beautiful. ($43)

6. DIY So Sparkly Crochet Hooks.  This is my favorite DIY I've seen this holiday season. Maybe because I'm a crocheter...  but if you have any crocheters on your list, these cute hooks would be perfect! The handmade touch makes it that much more special. 

7. Bodum Anywhere Travel Mug. Everyone loves hot beverages, from tea to coffee to cocoa, and this little mug is the perfect size! (Local peeps pick them up at Jonny's Java in Winkler!) ($9)

8. Zipper Pouch from The Dainty Squid.  These little pouches have SO many uses, plus..... wouldn't they make the greatest little keeper for that gift card?? (~$8)

I hope you enjoyed my suggestions for sweet Stocking Stuffers! Happy Shopping!

Does your family do the stocking tradition?

[Sponsor Highlight]

 I'd like to take a moment to highlight my November Sponsors...

DoveTree Art & Design is the beautiful work of Kari, a creative gal (who's from my hometown!) with a great talent for sewing, painting, and fashion!  I wore a DoveTree dress to my Holiday Gala at the salon this last week, and I drool over her beautiful artwork everytime I'm at Bloom.

You can check out her shop here.

Violet always makes me smile. :)

Her blog is a place where she blogs about life! Her stories, recipes, creative adventures, and her positive outlook on life always keep me coming back for more. I met Violet at a crochet class I taught at Lune Vintage last year, and I had the privilege of having a short visit with Violet and LA this fall when they came to the salon for some girl time!  

Drop by Violet's blog here, and say hello.

Charlie's blog, Polka Dots are Love, is a cute blog chock-full of great DIY's, recipes, treasure hunt finds, her love of vintage and creative lovelies, and more! Her latest Handmade Holiday tutorial is a fabulous idea!  Take a peek, and say hello.

Welcome To My Neighborhood is a blog by Sarah, mother of 3, and a lover of all things scrapbooking! Check out her blog here, and also her Etsy shop, Pineapple Scraps, for some cute vintage finds, buttons rings, paper doilies, and handmade embellishments!

Ali Croshaye is a blog where Ali shares her crocheted projects (which you can find at her shop, here)

Her young and bubbly personality make Ali's blog a fun read.

** ANNOUNCEMENT**  I won't be accepting blog sponsorship ad spaces until further notice.  I believe that when I have sponsors, I need to also have frequent posts, and quality posting.  I feel that my blogging has suffered a bit since having my 2nd little one, and work at the salon is super busy right now, so I simply don't have the time.   I have a goal to accept sponsorship in the new year, once a more regular blog schedule is created, and once I'm back in the blogging groove.  Thanks to everyone who was a sponsor for Create*Loves these past few months!! :) xo

[Christmas Wish List]

Christmas is a great time to shop for friends and family.  It can be a bit challenging at times to find the right gift for everyone on your list, so I have done you all a favor...and compiled my wishlist!! :-O  Kidding! I know Christmas is not all about gifts, but it's still fun to make wish lists... I've been making them every year since I was a little girl.  Here's a fun list of things I'm loving right now, but won't buy for myself. (Hence the title, wish)

[photo by Kari/DoveTree]

BLOOM Petal & Gift just opened in Winkler, and I have visited a few times, each time drooling over the lovely items Megan has chosen to have in the shop.  I love the white nesting tables, the silver candle sticks, the silk orchids, and the green hobnail pitcher and tumblers *hint hint for friends & family* ;)

These arm warmers are just oh-so-lovely, and the beige color would match my coat.

I've been swooning over the floral Dr. Martens.

Five years in a row, this KitchenAid Mixer is still on the list.

These beautiful mittens are unnecessary but equally amazing!

Talula needs a friend. I would love another Blythe doll.  I like so many of them (any of them, really) but the Ahcahcum Zukin is my most favorite.

Wish lists aside....

I got all I ever need right here.