Category Archives: Lifestyle

12.29.10

Not Your Ordinary Holiday.

I think most of you know by now that I love a good bargain. Well, as most of us do before the holidays, I had been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and realized in the 11th hour that my table clothes were uber-boring and had minor stains.

I went to the fabric store for another project and found this fabric in the remnants pile for $5/yd. I loved how unexpected the grey and cream would be. I bought some red grosgrain ribbon to add around the hem to make it a bit more festive. After going to several cleaners and receiving quotes as high as $80 to hem two tablecloths, I decided 1.) I need a sewing machine and 2.) how much I love my mother-in-law. Since she was here without her sewing machine, I bought some no-sew hem tape and Grammy attached the ribbon on Christmas Eve morning and had it at the house just in the nick of time to set the table.

I didn’t have time to go to the flower market, so I used a mixture of whatever I could scoop up from Wegman’s and Costco. I added cranberries to the vases of all of the arrangement for a festive touch.
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I love the look of fresh fruit in floral arrangement. Just buy a pack of wooden skewers and pop the fruit on top.

Our monogrammed china.

My Christmas color palette is red, cream and apple green. It goes so well with my decor.

Remember these vases? They were reused here.
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I used pomegranates as place card holders. Not only is it my favorite fruit, but it has significant religious meaning and is thought to bring good luck.

12.23.10

Tags, Tags and More Tags.




I was introduced to Courtney Fernan through Kristen Krason at 6th Street Design School. Courtney is the author of A Thoughtful Place blog where she dishes out creative ways to make your house a home on a budget. I hopped over there last week and saw this post on gift labels, which inherently brought me over to Jones Design Company. Check out these labels that Emily created for all of her readers as a holiday gift. What a great idea! I of course printed some out and slapped them on the wine bottles that I will be giving my co-workers.

Happy downloading…. Thanks Emily!

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.

12.20.10

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!

12.16.10

Detox.


If there is one down side to blogging, it’s the 20 lbs that I have gained through the process (btw.. I just housed a burrito bowl from Chipotle before typing this….) That being said, for those of you that know me personally, know that I took part in a purification program almost two years ago. It is a three-week program created by Standard Process. In conjunction with a daily shake and various all-natural supplements, you essentially detoxify your body. The hardest part for me was the fact that I had to give up all preservatives. That’s right– all organic foods, no diet coke and no sugar, wheat or cheese. I know it sounds grueling, but honestly after the first day’s migraine, I was smooth sailing for the remainder of the time. I was even able to watch my family eat a pepperoni pizza while I happily ate my salad. The best part wasn’t the 15 lbs. that I lost, but the way that I felt. People told me that my hair and skin never looked better, I lost all bloat from my stomach… and for the first time in my life- I lost inches in my butt and thighs. I was never able to achieve that even at the gym! My sinuses were super clear, and any aches and pains that I was experiencing completely went away– I felt better than I have ever felt in my life. Oh, and on a more ahem… personal note…. if constipation is an issue for you, this will also do the trick. You wont be running to the bathroom, but you’ll definitely get on a regular schedule.

 
So, in preparation for our trip to Turks and Caicos in January, I will be doing the program again, and I am inviting all of you to come along! I purchase the supplements through my amazing Chiropractors at Beyond Wellness. Luckily for all of you, Beyond Wellness is offering these supplements to you at a 10% discount (total price of $200 for all three weeks worth of supplements) through Christmas and free shipping for those who are out of state.
 
I am planning on making this an online forum for all of those that participate with daily updates from me as well as information from the seminar that I took from Standard Process and tips and tricks for how to see the best results.
If you are interested email me for information.

You will not see the results unless you commit 100% to the program- so unless you are serious as a heart attack.. don’t waste your money. 😉 I would never endorse a product that I didn’t 200% believe in, so know that if you stick to the program… it works!
 
Start date is January 3– so guzzle up that eggnog and eat your figgy pudding, because come January 1- we’re all in boot camp!
 

11.17.10

Kiki’s List Giveaway: Hampton Paper Designs.








Hampton Paper Designs was started by my friend and fellow fashionista, Kristin Mika in 2007. After the birth of her second son, Jackson, Kristin felt that there was a void in stylish and simple stationery. After chatting with a family friend, Lucy Borge at a family party in the Hamptons, HPD was born.


With over 280 watercolor images to choose from, Hampton Paper Designs offers stationery to fit every lifestyle. The product line includes flat cards, fold-over cards, labels, framed art, invitations, notepads and even luggage tags. Kristin is even working on custom cookie designs- what a great party favor! Each order is wrapped meticulously and makes the perfect holiday gift.

Kristin lives in Oak Hill, Virginia with her husband Greg and two adorable sons, Thomas and Jackson.

Now here’s the fun part…. Kristin is giving away a pack of 24 correspondence cards with a design of your choice.




Here are the rules for the giveaway:

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, November 17, 2010 and Friday, November 19. telling me which design you choose and why. A winner will be selected at random and will be announced next Monday, November 22.

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 an 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.

Good Luck!