Author Archives: Krista Salmon

12.23.10

Those Flowers.

Remember those flowers from this post? Want to learn how to make them? They were super easy, and inexpensive too!

Every year for Christmas the Ya’s (minus our dear Claudia who lives in North Carolina) and I get together and try to do something fun together rather than getting each other gifts. This year, it was a floral design class at Helen Olivia. Located in Old Town, Alexandria, Helen Olivia is offers premier floral design to many clients and just recently outfitted the Residence of the Vice President for Christmas.

MJ and I hard at work on our mantle pieces.

Danielle and Lissy showcasing their carnations.

Arranging my mantle piece….There are so many things wrong about this picture (like the sprouting of my double chin)… I cannot wait to cleanse!


Marianne Raub, the owner offers many classes to meet the desires and skill sets of many aspiring floral designers. This week’s class was focused on Christmas. We made a mantle piece as well as the pomanders that you saw on my green console.


I must admit, when we walked up and saw the collection of carnations and mums, I was quite skeptical. But how adorable did these turn out?


Here’s how to do it:

1.) Buy 24 of each flower, three oasis balls and 3 vases of your choice. I found that the carnations worked far better than the mums. I would also suggest roses, however, it will be much more expensive.
2.) Soak Oasis Balls in water for 30 minutes.
3.) Cut each stem about 1/4 of an inch from the base. Always cut stems at an angle to maximize water absorption.
4. )Starting at the top of the oasis ball, push stem into oasis, making sure that the base of the flower is touching the foam.
5.) Continue to fill oasis ball with flowers tightly. You will have about a 2 inch portion of oasis that is uncovered, but that will be where you rest the pomander on the vase. It will not be seen.
5.) Fill vase with objects that you have chosen- Christmas balls, winter berries, candy canes– you name it.
6.) Place pomander on vase and enjoy– these should last up to a week.

12.22.10

Kiki’s List Giveaway: Nammoura Dessert Plates.

They are sold out online, but this little elf shopped ahead and bought a set of four Nammoura Dessert plates from Anthropologie in all four colors. I have decided to make my fourth and final gift in my four weeks of giving something that is a reflection of my style… Classic and colorful with a hint of eclectic. I love the bold Ikat petals on these delicate porcelain plates… it’s just the right mix for a party of pretty! I can’t wait to give them to one very lucky Kiki’s List Follower.





Here are the rules for the contest:

1.) You must be a Follower of Kiki’s List.

2. )To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post between today, Wednesday, December 22, 2010 and Friday, December 24 telling me why you should win. A winner will be selected at random and will be announced next Monday, December 27.

3.) To receive an additional entry, you can link to this post on your own blog (include the url to your blog post in your comment). It is up to you to return to this post to enter your second entry after blogging about the giveaway.

4.)Post about this giveaway on Facebook for another additional entry. You must enter the link to this post in you status update. It is up to you to return to this post to enter your second entry after FB’ing about the giveaway.

5.) Lastly, tweet about this giveaway for one last additional entry.

Good Luck and Happy Holidays!

12.22.10

Friends.

I am so fortunate to have the very best friends in the world. Supportive, generous and kind… and not afraid to regulate on any faux pas. Nearly 10 years ago, in jest Mike referred to us as “The Divine Ya-Ya Sisterhood of the Traveling Fat Pants.” Well, from that what stuck was The Ya’s. So now that is what we are called.


Though I do not see, or speak to them everyday, I know that they are always there. I am so grateful to have found a group of women who truly get me and are so unconditionally loving.


A friend is someone who gives you what you need, when you may not even know that you need it. I will never forget the day my mom died. After a long day at my parents’ house and the funeral home I came home to a kitchen filled with groceries, flowers and cards from my besties. I still tear up just thinking about it.

So at this time of year, as I reflect on what is important to me, I’d like to toast my dear friends- The Ya’s for always being there, even when I didn’t know I needed it.

12.21.10

A Beautiful Mistake.


I love the look and texture that boxwood provides during the holidays. Every year when we go to pick out our tree, I buy boxwood garland for our banisters and doorways. This year, however, I somehow picked up two boxwood wreaths rather than garland, as illustrated by my hula hooping models below.


CRAP, I thought….When am I going to find the time to return that? Well, I made the time a few days later, and unfortunately, all of our local nurseries were sold out of boxwood roping. So, I decided to take my wreaths and make the best of it. In a 15 minute dash, I ran into my local Michael’s and grabbed whatever I thought could work. Inspired by my Blue Christmas post, I went to town. A mix of butterflies, wicker stars, jingle bells and Christmas balls… I think it turned out pretty cute. The whole thing took me 30 minutes to put together. It’s as easy as 1-2-3… just attach all objects with floral wire and wrap it tightly to make sure your ornaments don’t blow away with the cold winter’s wind!

Because I had two wreaths, I made another one for our friends Will and Aimee and gave it to them when they had us over for dinner. I am still super bummed about the lack of garland on our banisters this year, but I guess if I look at the glass as half full, that’s one less thing that I need to cross of my holiday to do list!

12.20.10

Tis The Season: Teachers.


Last Friday, we hosted a luncheon for all of the teachers at the girls’ school. Because collectively they have been touched by every teacher there, I thought it would be nice to honor all of them rather than just giving the average gift card to their current teachers. Honestly, the luncheon equated to only a little more than I would have spent on the smaller group of teachers. The teachers were so appreciative– I think everyone really enjoyed it.


It is always so hard to make sure that you take care of everyone on your list, and for some reason, teachers always seem to be the hardest to shop for. I cannot thank my girls’ teachers enough for the love and care that they give my babies. They truly make a difference in my children’s lives’ everyday.

There are so many options for so many budgets; last year we gave them personalized CD’s wrapped up with a Christmas Candle– I still hear from some of them how much they love listening to our play list. Fresh flowers and potted plants are a great surprise, and something that they can use on their holiday table. And if you run out of creativity– gift cards are always welcome; Starbucks, Michaels, Paper Source- the possibilities are endless!

So this one’s for all of you teachers out there… Check out the holiday gift items that made it onto Kiki’s List:

1. Custom CD Labels– $26 for 20
5. Monogrammed Compact– $29.95
6. Cupco Cup + Starbucks Gift card– $7.99 + Gift card amount
11. Mani and Pedi– Varies
12. Potted Paperwhites- $19.95

12.17.10

Shop For a Cure.


Many of you were so touched by our friends the Carmicals, and their battle with pediatric cancer. Through Declan’s Journey, thousands of people around the world were touched by this baby boy and his family. Sadly, Declan lost that battle on August 18, just eight days shy of his 1st birthday.


This past week, I spoke with Sherri on the phone and was able to catch up, which was long overdue. As you may know, Declan is buried just steps from my Mom, and the girls and I visit him often. Even after everything that Sherri has been through, the first thing that she said to me was that she thinks of me every time she visits Declan. I guess once you become part of the not-so-elite club of losing someone close to you, you get it. We even joked about how the girls and I had ice cream at Declan’s grave on his birthday. While some may think it’s morbid, or weird, it’s become a part of our lives. My mother was such a force within my life, and somehow, someway my girls feel that too. They ask to go see Grandma and actually get upset if we happen to drive by the cemetery and not stop. Sherri and I laughed about how the cemetery is like a second home to our kids— but it’s peaceful, and it’s beautiful.

So, while Sherri has found as much peace as she can visiting her baby in a cemetery, she continues to fight so that she can hopefully save other mothers from the heartache that she and Stan have been through. I will never forget how proud, touched and amazed I was at Declan’s funeral when Sherri wrote a letter to her precious boy and vowed to keep up this fight.. and what a fighter she is.

Sherri and Stan have started Journey-4-A-Cure, a foundation started in honor of Declan to advance research for a cure to pediatric cancer. Recently, they have teamed up with RuMe Bags for a promotion through December 31. Purchase any items and not only will you receive 10% off, but RuMe Bags will also donate 30% of your purchase to Journey-4-A-Cure. (Promo Code: CURE.)


They have some great designs that fold up perfectly to fit in your purse, laptop bag, or even carry on.. and how adorable is the Jr. line? I know that I will be purchasing the cuff for myself as well as Mike– great for all of the activities that we will be doing during our post-holiday boot camp. Also, I snagged a few of the reusable baggies for snacks for the girls… They can also be used as make-up bags, or a little change purse for my beach bag.

So many great options for stocking stuffers, already at great prices. Now you can get an additional 10% and donate to a great cause… Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Love this line, and I hope you do too. Let’s all shop for a cure!