Gifts For All Ages (Part 2)...Tweens and Teens

This is Kris's favorite...The Ticket Stub Diary ($12.95, spoonsisters.com)a journal to preserve and save tickets from special events (i.e. concerts, football games, dances, movies (Twilight anyone?).

This Laptop Decal is $26 from Margot Madison at Etsy and can be personalized to protect and beautify your laptop.

Wake up to these adorable alarm clocks from
Pottery Barn Teen.

Just a few holiday gift ideas to put in your back pocket...

Gifts For All Ages (Part 1)

For the little ones we found this adorable Tickle Monster book and tickle mitts ($ 31.95) and  that are sure become an obsession (seriously you might have to hide them:)...and these Terrible Two Slippers ($ 19.95) are another way to crack them up. These are from spoonsisters.com, an awesome site for great gifts ideas.

For the bigger kids...there is the personalized aluminum water bottle from Em Tanner ($24), these Slumber Party Mini Box of Questions ($8, spoonsisters.com) this Facebox Activity Kit ($10.95, paper-source.com) to make all sorts of funny faces, and this Beat the Buzzer shot clock ($25, garnet hill) Stay tuned for more gift ideas to put in your back pocket...

Many Happy Returns

You thought choosing your card was hard...try adding address/return labels to the mix! There are so many cute and unique ones out there and at affordable prices that make adding that little extra something hard to resist. The photo labels in the top row are from Peartree Greetings.com, the second row labels are from Invitation Box.com and are $35 for 120. The newest of new are these wraps...the one on top is from Tarabledesigns on Etsy and the one on the bottom is from Paper-Moments.com. The address goes on the front with your return address on the back!  Easy and cute and will make a great first impression. Put that in your back pocket...

P.S. Oh and don't forget to personalize your stamps (below) at USPS.com...so easy and  cute...a great stocking stuffer too:)

'Tis the Season

OMG! In lieu of the long update letter, we found these adorable, unique holiday cards at Margot Madison on Etsy that highlight the years events and milestones. This means a lot less work for you ;)...

If you make it through the family picture without sweating profusely and cursing at your kids/husband there are a ton of websites to help you find the perfect card:

Minted.com, Doodlebugdezigns.com, TinyPrints.com, Photoaffections.com,
Beeyondpaper.com, Peartreegreetings.com.
Put these in your back pocket...

Pillow Talk

We have found that the easiest way to change the look of a room is by simply changing your pillows (we are talking pillow covers people...heck just put the new ones over the old ones, less to store and it's a surprise every time you take them off :) We are huge believers in the your main pieces of furniture being B-A-S-I-C, that way you are always ready for an instant update. We are totally into John Robshaw, and these are a few of our favorites, however these would surely not go unnoticed on the Visa billl:) Some less expensive options can be found on Etsy (the above right picture is from Homesweet and is $35) or we found this one at Pottery Barn and both own several. Look for block prints, cheveron prints or graphic patterns as an update to the old stand by florals. Put that in your back pocket.... 

The look for less...

These are two pictures from awesome dining rooms at Bungalow, an amazing store in Scottsdale, Arizona that is full of the BEST STUFF on the planet! It is such a fun juxtaposition of home decor and furniture with styling that we can only look at and say "I love that, but how in the h-- did they pull that all together?!?" We are talking  taxidermy turtles on top of a stack of coffee table books and a million pieces of coral in a vase next to some antlers???? It just works. Well we don't get to Bungalow often enough and the economy has put a damper on our "pocket change" (love these pocket puns, LOL!) but thanks to Ikea we can attempt to imitate the lux look we love. The slipcovered dining chair above isonly$ 99 for the armchair and $ 79 for the basic parsons chair and look a lot like the Lee Industries chair at Bungalow. The covers are removable and washable and we suggest taking them to an embroidery shop and having them monogrammed. The monogram is extra step that makes an Ikea chair something unique and special. Put this in your back pocket...