Merry Belated Christmas!

As I sit here, recovering from my holiday weekend.  I have sweet thoughts of the people in my life that made my Christmas and my 2010 so memorable.  It all started on Friday night (Christmas Eve). Plans to travel south were derailed, so my boyfriend and I decided we'd take in a nice dinner in Los Feliz.  Wine was sipped, seafood devoured, and yes the best part - dessert savored.






Then it was Christmas Day -  Being away from family around the holidays has never been easy for me but this year was a little easier.  I was feeling very blessed for the friends in my life that I "spearheaded" (as Bryan calls it) the Christmas committee.  The most exciting part for me was setting the table.  Again, gotta give a shout out to my 99 cent store where I purchased majority of the items for $30!!  

Each plate had a charger, cracker, and name tag.

I got the idea while in the store to use ornaments as name tags.  Blue was chosen for Mark and JD (Bryan's roommates) who are Jewish!

The center piece was a left over charger, red and silver ornaments and a white candle.

The Food - Oh my goodness did we have a vegetarian feast.  The wonderful part was that each of us brought something to the table that represented our families and/or our culture.

Tofurkey

mmm...Mac&Cheese w/ WI sharp Cheddar!

Yams

The feast

A great time was had by all! I hope your holidays were as lovely and memorable as mine were.

With Love,
Carli Jo

XOXO

A Very LA X-mas

For the first time in 5 years, I am not going home for Christmas!! (Home being the great-cold state of WI.)  I know, its rough having to stay in warm, sunny LA in December!  Not being at my parents warm, comfy home with a blizzard outside did not stop me from being festive.  Below, you'll find a collection of photos taken at my apartment this holiday season.  Most of the items purchased are from - yes - the 99 cent store (gasp!) I found some great pieces to go along with what I already had.  You'll notice that I do not have a tree.  Don't worry...a tree did take place, just not at my place.  More on that later.
 

 

 

 

Sylar's position during the Xmas decorating session.

-Carli Jo 

Happy Holidays from Santa Monica!

poster image available at Brooklyn Limestone

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Be warm and well,
~Ashley

Fall Festivus

Last weekend I started thinking that maybe it was time to inject a little of the holiday spirit into our casa. I don't usually go overboard with the seasonal decorating, but I thought a few groupings here and there would give our place a little fall punch, if you will.

I picked up the woven copper colored plate and candy at (shhhh, don't tell) the 99 cent store. I'd never been in before, but at CJ's urging we checked it out. That. place. is. AWESOME. They have everything, and no joke it's all 99 cents!

Jeff and I headed to Salvation Army on Saturday and I scored this adorable little cloche for $1.99! I threw in a few pine cones I'd collected on a long ago Griffith Park excursion. It's fall, but subtle, which I really like.

While at Salvation Army I also grabbed this beautiful heavyweight candlestick holder for $2.99 and topped it with a beautiful 69 cent gourd from Trader Joe's.

Here's a slightly scarier tableau in a little cubby off the dining room. I bought the plate last year at Target and used a stamp and marker on an old canvas to create a little Halloween "art." The vine covered glass was a gift from my mom and the orange candle is from Ikea. I bought this perfect white pumpkin at the grocer's and added a little jadeite bowl filled with Tootsie Rolls. Please tell me there's someone else out there who craves Tootsie Rolls? Because I'm certainly the only in my house who does. The orange place mat is a reversible number I snagged at Anthropology in the sale section a few years back.

And a little closa, a little closa...(I make things up in my head from time to time.)

Anyone else sprucing up for the season?

Happy Trick-or-Treating,

~AJ