sincerely....

Source: Living, etc

most holiday seasons i have the grand plan, i want to be super woman...fantastic home, gourmet food and just all around hostess with the mostess...

but while i can usually get the food thing done and get the flat fitted out with lights and other bells and whistles, sending out greeting cards usually totally slips thru the cracks...

so this year, i am hoping a few apps on my good ol iphone will help a sista out...

here are some of the apps (and notes from their download pages) that i am testing out (well in advance?) that will send the cards out for me (winning)!

Red Stamp - Just voted Best Of the Web by InStyle Magazine.

Email, text, post, or paper mail personalized cards, notes, invitations + announcements effortlessly, right from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

Snap a photo + share the gratitude of great gifts as they are being opened. Give your host instant gratification on a well-thrown party as you head out their door. Mail fresh, modern, expertly designed invitations, announcements and holiday cards to your list of 1 or 189 in mere minutes. With just a couple of clicks, Red Stamp will print a high-end, eco-friendly paper postcard and mail it directly to your list of recipients, postage included.

Holiday Cards by Sincerely Ink - Featured in Fast Company, Mashable, Techcrunch and more

- Over 30 photo cards and illustrated designs
- Religious, non-religious, Christmas, Holiday, New Year & Hanukkah themes
- Personalize with your photo, family name & personal message
- Send cards to your whole Christmas list in under 10 minutes
- Stress-free delivery. Backed by the Sincerely Guarantee
- Large 5x7 inch cards for as little as $1.69 each including postage!
- Cards are printed on thick, glossy 5x7 inch photo postcards at 300dpi resolution
- Cards are delivered to US, UK, European & Canadian addresses in under 7 days. Rest of world takes 2-3 weeks.
- Easily add addresses online at sincerely.com/addressbook

Instajoy - just released on 11/15, so they are still getting it up to snuff but it is an email greeting card app that you can instantly email a greeting in just two touches from.

Cards from Apple - The new Cards app from Apple lets you create and mail beautifully crafted cards personalized with your own text and photos — right from your iPhone or iPod touch. Take a quick snapshot and with a few taps and swipes, an elegant thank you note or “wish-you-were-here” card is on its way to any address in the world.

Choose from 21 designs and customize your card with a personal message and photo. Then select an address from your Contacts and place your order in seconds.

All your cards are saved automatically, so it’s easy to send an invitation or birth announcement to more than one person.

so, i am going to play with them all a bit and i will hopefully get to post how they work out...

holiday decor...

i have decided that i will not get crazy and buy a lot of stuff this year...

last year macy's sucked me in with all the pretty displays (like the one in this picture i snapped the other day) and i purchased a bunch of very expensive new ornaments.

since even before i did that, i had a bunch of simple balls, etc in my holiday color of choice, silver, i am just going to make due with what i have...

but that doesn't stop me from oohin and ahhin stuff like this funky feather wreath which might just make me break this self imposed rule, but at just $19 it's a break i can deal with.

fall colors..

i was in one of my fav second hand stores when i came across these beauties and fell in love with them.

the colors are fall perfect...

a trip to home goods

i headed out to one of my fav home decor spots, home goods, and here are some of the goods i spotted...

i had this in the cart, i loved it so much but in the end, there was no way i was luggin it home on the bus...le sigh...

same thing for this globe...i love it but i couldn't carry it...

and besides, i am supposed to be on a budget and these things were/are not in it..

but budget or no budget, i may go back for this figure....i just love that she has such full hips....like me! 

my fav home decor blogs

my google reader runs really deep with home decor/ living blogs that i love...

i tweeted that i was going to go home and catch up on a few of them and got several requests to share some with my tweeps.

the great thing i love about blogs in general is the varied views, even if its about the same subjects, there is always a way to put a unique spin on them...

in no particular order, here are some of my favs...

of course you should subscribe to my home and hearth paper.li ;-)

http://paper.li/Curvatude/home-hearth

oh and check out the ones in my sidebar

http://savvyhome.blogspot.com

http://www.remodelaholic.com

http://www.bellemaison23.com

http://www.bobbyberkblog.com

http://www.centsationalgirl.com (she does the most fabulous refurb jobs)

http://www.davidlebovitz.com (food, food, paris and more food)

http://decor8blog.com (holly has been in the decor game for a long time, she also has a blog for her home in germany)

http://www.designshuffle.com/blog

http://freshhomeblog.com

http://www.housetweaking.com

http://blog.cb2.com

http://home23duncanboys.blogspot.com

http://isabellaandmaxrooms.blogspot.com

http://makingitlovely.com

http://www.thenester.com

http://thehappyhomeblog.com

http://theinspiredroom.net

http://www.allthingsthrifty.com

http://kjerstislykke.blogspot.com

http://madebygirl.blogspot.com (love jen, she seems like a really cool chica)

ok, i think that's enough for now!

please feel free to leave your favs if they are not listed!

thanks!

painted mason jars

i have seen this simple craft all over the web, so since i have a bunch of lagunitas jars that were used for a promotion at one of my clients, i decided to make some myself.

this project took all of five minutes.

i used some semi gloss paint that i have been using in the front room redo...

and ta da....

Christian Lacroix for Designers Guild

this is a most awesome collection full of color and whimsy...

luvs it...

hooked...

i can not count the number of home decor/diy blogs that i follow and i thought that i had all the biggest and best covered but today thanks to the nate berkus show i was introduced to Rashon Carraway aka Mr. Goodwill Hunting

 

i have 5 pieces in my house that i have collected in recent months that i am supposed to be making over that have just been sitting around collecting dust and he has added the needed spark to my up and down home decor fire...

he created his blog for the purpose of as his tag line states, "helping you live your BEST life through thrifting"

i'm sold!

check out some of his fab spaces...

 

check out this clip of his time on the nate berkus show today

new treasure

i made an impromptu stop into one of my fav second hand stores and happened upon this baby...

 overall its in incredible condition...

  there are just a couple of places on one side that will require a little extra love

and the top will require a good sanding...

i am still debating if i want to stain it or paint it, although painting is probably the route that i will go.

we shall see...

project upgrade is heating up...and now i just need to figure out where i am going to tackle these new projects at..

since it's winter here, i may have to get creative and use my heater and bathroom...

oh and i almost forgot about the side table that i got off of craigslist a few weeks ago...

i am getting very excited..

deck the halls...

images - livingetc