becky's holiday guide to better-than-santa-gift-giving

this is my grandmother (and my uncle) with a twilight poster.  probably one of the most hilarious christmas memories i have.

content recycling disclaimer:  this was a post i published on my other blog last year around christmas time.

Gift-giving is one of my favorite activities.  I am pretty sure I enjoy giving gifts slightly more than receiving them.  This may sound pious and altruistic of me, but be not deceived.  Gift giving is a competitive sport, and one that I have definitely started playing to win.  Few things are more awesome than giving someone the best gift they received that year.  It says to the world, “I am caring, insightful, personal, generous, and quite possibly omniscient.”  Santa?  Who the eff is Santa?  Your gift wasn’t constructed by the slave labor of midgets, it was hand selected by moi.

Clearly nothing can make me sound as self-possessed as I do discussing gift giving.  But in honor of the season I present to you a list of tips on how to up your skillz as a gifter.  Tis the season to get gifty, and all my Christmas shopping is done before black Friday.  Come now, you can’t say you have nothing to learn.

1. No gift cards.  Christmas would not be complete without my brother’s annual rant on gift cards, and while I can’t say I relate to his theatrics, I will admit I agree with him.  Unless, of course, the gift card has been requested, or you have an EXTREMELY close relationship with the recipient, and KNOW they will welcome the shopping spree, well, a gift card isn’t the worst gift, but you’re never gonna make it to a final four gift bracket with a little snip of plastic.  At best a gift card is a weak substitute for cash, and at worst you have given someone an errand.  You have said, I didn’t know what to buy you, but I care more about how you spend my money by restricting where you can use it, than I do about giving you what you want.
2. Join private sale websites.  Private sale sites like myhabit.com (owned by amazon) and hautelook.com (owned by Nordstrom) put high quality luxury gifts into a more reasonable price range.  Yes, I know, it’s the thought that counts.  But isn’t it terribly thoughtful of you to willingly endure regular spam email so that your friends and family can have awesome Christmas gifts?  Their sales cycle in and out too so if you don’t see anything Aunt Cindy would like you can always check back the next day and get a good deal on something excellent like this.
3. Choose function over fashion.  Decorative accents or fashion accessories are dangerous territory.  There are only 2 people in the world for whom I would feel confident buying a gift with no function other than looks.  One is my boyfriend of three years (whose need for decorative objects is minimal), and the other is my sister, with whom I share an apartment.  You don’t need to start buying everyone drill bits, but making sure your gift actually DOES something will make up for any discrepancies in what is “cute.”  Odds are good your cousin isn’t going to tell you she thinks your taste is heinous.  Even if she does, she’ll probably still bust out an ugly set of luggage tags in a travel pinch more frequently than she will those hideous throw pillows you bought her.  If you MUST go decorative, stick to holiday themed objects (like tree ornaments, for example).  That way nobody will be scrambling to find those ugly earrings to wear upon your arrival, your gift will be temporarily displayed with all the other junk.
4. Ask yourself if he’d rather buy it for himself.  This question can divert all kinds of gifting missteps.  It can help prevent personal preference problems like the ones I discussed above (for example, she’d probably rather buy her own fragrance than have stinky perfume for free).  Or, perhaps you, like me, are one of the less affluent gifters on your holiday guest list.  This can put a lot of gifts off limits to ensure what you buy isn’t going to serve as junky inspiration for a shopping trip.  Don’t buy a cheap bargain fleece throw that barely covers your recipient’s legs if you know they would prefer to drop the $40 it takes to buy one of these bad boys.  Certainly if they are of the mind that a blanket is a blanket by all means go with the bargain, but if you are worried you are skimping on quality they consider necessary, go a different direction.
5. Tread lightly with DIY.  Some homemade gifts really cannot be beat.  Mrs. DC’s candied pecans, my grandma’s homemade caramels, something hand knitted, crocheted, or intricately sewn.  Others… well… hate to break it to you, pinterest, but nobody wants a mason jar full of sugar and olive oil labeled “body scrub.”  Homemade gifts are fine when the thought really is what counts.  Don’t forget that just because you made it, that doesn’t always make it thoughtful.  Be personal and think about what others genuinely would enjoy receiving, not what you would be easiest and cheapest to give.

happy december everyone!

word count:  35,770

our awkward DIY engagement photoshoot

our incredible wedding photographer costs a pretty penny, so when it came time to think about engagement photos we definitely had our work cut out for us.  i have taken more selfies of me and steve than i care to admit, so instead of standing awkwardly in front of a stranger with talent, we opted to stand awkwardly in front of a tripod to take our official photos of betrothal.

true story:  DIY actually isn't too bad a way to go if you know how to use a good camera and lens.  sure, it's kind of weird jogging between tripod and steve planted in the "don't move or else you'll be blurry" position, while strangers decide to stop and watch with interest from a standpoint that happens to be, you know, in the background of the photo...  but it's also free, which is neat.

also true story:  DIY engagement photos are a solid way to be really self-conscious about how weird you look taking fancy selfies in public.  still, i recently finished designing our save the date postcard, so now that i have an official picture selected (to keep confidential until we send the postcards out), i figured i'd share the rest of our hilarious, semi-embarrassing photo-shoot.

steve was making fun of me because i kept getting pissy with him for looking stiff.

so when i told him "be whimsical" he opted for the julie andrews sound of music pose.

yup, pretty much.

how to throw a cinco de mayo party in under 12 hours

last year around 11:59 pm on the 4th of may i was scrolling through the DIY section of oh happy day!  i stumbled across one of jordan's many pinata tutorials and decided i was going to throw a cinco de mayo party... which would be scheduled to begin in about 12 hours.  

now i'm not going to say i got a lot of sleep that night (thank god meijer is a 24 hour superstore), and it was a risky move considering nobody was going to be invited with more than a few hours notice, but ultimately, it turned into one of my better parties!  almost 20 people showed up (which was PLENTY considering the party was being thrown in a 800 square foot 3rd floor walk up).  everyone had a blast and for a few hours of lost sleep, this easy peasey party was totally worth it!  so in case you're looking for a reason to entertain, let me walk you through the essentials to pulling it off!

step 1: food

enticing people to drop their plans in favor of a last minute party is a lot easier when you promise to feed them.  the best thing about a fiesta is how easy it is to prepare mexican food in bulk.  here was the menu:

short notice calls for super easy recipes.  with no time to make homemade salsa or queso, i settled for my favorite store-bought brands: garden fresh gourmet, and on the border monterey jack.  the tacos and rice are effortless, idiot-proof recipes that require only a few inexpensive ingredients along with a crockpot and a rice cooker, which is perfect, as both appliances can be used to keep food warm throughout the course of the party.  see the recipe for tacos here and the recipe for the mexican rice here.

step 2: drink

the best part about mexican-themed anything is that it usually can be used as an excuse for margaritas!  but every good host knows that variety is key for happy guests so here is how we stocked the bar:

limes (and salt!) are probably the most critical element to a cinco de mayo bar menu.  they can garnish a margarita, take the edge off a tequila shot, or freshen up the neck of a cerveza (psst modelo is definitely worth the upgrade from corona)!  i went with frozen margaritas, so be sure you have a good blender.  if you are going with margaritas on the rocks i would definitely recommend daily's margarita mix.  cheaper options are fine for frozen, but won't hold as good a flavor without all the slush.  if you really want to add variety grab a bottle of jose cuervo's premixed flavored margarita as well!  it couldn't be simpler (already mixed in the bottle.. just add ice and blend) and it adds a sweet twist as an alternative to lime lime and more lime.  my favorite flavors are mango and pomegranate!

step 3: fun stuff

it is a party after all!

if you've never made a homemade pinata (tutorial here), i would really recommend you try it.  it is easy, it is fun, and it will save you so much money in the long run (those store bought things aren't cheap)!  i'm not talking paper mache, a balloon, and mess... you can make an adorable pinata like that alligator with nothing more than scissors, a cardboard box, crepe paper, and glue (or tape if you're in a pinch like I was last year).  if you're thinking it won't turn out like it does in the picture you're wrong.  they are easy peasey and so stinking cute! they're a total crowd pleasing party game too!  i mean, who doesn't like to bash an adorable box full of candy after a couple shots of tequila?

i also threw together a flag garland like the one pictured (which has a tutorial here).  i used construction paper instead of tissue, which gave it more structure and kept the flags from looking wonky from the tissue folds.  it made a great festive touch!

no party would be complete without some music.  obviously i say go with what your guest list likes, but for something that sounds a little indie-pop and a little mariachi band, i would recommend heading your playlist with the song mission bells by armistice.  it sets the fiesta tone without getting too over the top theme-y.

so there you have it!  the easiest way to throw a cinco de mayo party in less than 12 hours.  adios amigos!

i heart seasonal decor

winter has really been getting to me this year.  i am pretty sure i could eliminate snow from the rest of my life and feel no remorse.  the other morning when heading to work my car had a frozen lock.  after busting through the passenger side door and shimmying my way over to the driver's seat i opened my driver's side door from the inside.  this ended up being a big mistake as the latch became frozen inside the door and i had to drive about halfway to work holding the door shut until the car had warmed up enough to loosen the latch.

*frown*

so, in an effort to cheer myself up yesterday, i decided to pack away the big wooden glitter snowflakes i had hanging in the front window and make something cute for valentine's day.  heart garlands seem to be all the rage on pinterest so i thought i'd make one of my own.  it definitely makes the front room cuter, but i'm still waiting for it to melt the ice outside.

(cardstock hearts painted red with acrylic.   smaller cardstock hearts hot glued in the middle with sharpie letters.  strung together with white thread.)