Dear Santa

This year we're making a special effort to put more emphasis on the purpose of Christmas, enjoying quality time with loved ones... and taking away some of the consumerism of the holiday. While I'm convinced that this will make our holiday season more sentimental, it's really REALLY tough to ignore this one item on my Holiday Wishlist:

All I really want is to bling in the New Year with this stunning cherry red Marc Jacobs bag! Is that bad? What's top on your list this year?

*Photo courtesy of Nordstom

Wedding inspiration: winter white & purple

Southern Weddings is one place that just ignites our wedding inspiration and keeps ideas flooding in. If you're not a regular over at their site {or their magazine} please sister, become one- you will not be disappointed! This year we've loved seeing shades of purple make it's way into wedding color palettes. Regardless of what season the nuptials are taking place, this color adds romance, fun and elegance. This inspiration shoot over on Southern Weddings only makes us fall harder- the warm candle light, shimmering tree, vintage lace, all in winter white, rich purples and accented with gold- what's not to love?

I just love how they used pinecones at each place setting to add that rustic element and a punch of texture. Be sure and check out the rest of these gorgeous photos to see the hot cocoa bar they had... complete with vanilla chai and cider options! What a sweet idea for a winter wedding!!

*Photos courtesy of Chudleigh Weddings via Southern Weddings

Wrappers Delight

After hours on end of fighting crowds and searching for the perfect gifts, relief washes over you and the hunt is finished. Now comes the fun part... wrapping! Yes, this is one of my personal favorite parts about giving a gift. It's like going to a nice restaurant and looking at the beautiful presentation of a dish that you're about to dig in to. It's an art. Each year I choose a color palette {yes this sounds a little crazy, but don't hate} and all of the gifts I give are wrapped to coordinate with each other. I just can't fathom how anyone could hate gift wrapping?! Since your shopping is done {or will be soon} we figured that now is the perfect time to share some super fun, funky & EASY ways to dress up those gifts!

1- Font Fun

2- Make your own bows

3- Brighten things up with yarn

4- Recycle old sheet music

5- Bakers twine + a cute tag

6- Use foreign newspaper

7- Bow alternatives

Hopefully this helps in your search for how to wrap and adorn those sweet gifts this year! Have fun with it and embrace the chance to decorate something other than trees & cookies!

Here's to the holidays!

Just nine days left until Christmas!! Will you be finishing up holiday shopping this weekend? Holiday party hopping? Baking festive treats? Whatever you end up doing we hope it's filled with smiles and relaxation... and time to enjoy the season. While juggling various weekend to-do's we'll be sipping on a White Chocolate Peppermint Martini that we saw over on Wedding Chicks the other day. It's been calling our name ever since {still having a chocolate & peppermint love-fest} and it's sounding like the perfect way to slip into the weekend. Couldn't resist sharing just incase you wanted to join us!

White Chocolate Peppermint Martini

2 oz Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur 1 oz Peppermint Schnapps 1 oz Vanilla Vodka 1oz Whipping cream

Combine ingredients in a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour. Oh, and don't forget to rim with crushed candy canes for that extra special touch!

Here's to the holidays! Happy Friday, darlings!!

*Photos courtesy of Christina Diane via Wedding Chicks

A Christmas Purseday

Tis the season for holiday parties!! The only thing better than a low key tacky Christmas sweater party is getting fancified {yes, that's a word} for an elegant affair. If you're slipping into the classic little black dress, you need an accessory to make it POP, right? Something nice and festive, yea? Well ladies, feast your eyes on these ruffly little silk clutches by Minnesota based, Ila Handbags.

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Now to decide what color would best compliment the mistletoe...

Winter wedding trend: Pinecones

One of my favorite things about winter weddings is the fact that something can be simultaneously romantic, chic and cozy. It's a rare occasion that all 3 of these are combined but this glitzy pinecone inspiration board sums it up quite nicely! Perfectly rustic chic, don't you think? Truly, I can't think of a better winter wedding decoration- pinecones are plentiful {almost obnoxiously so}, inexpensive and they add texture and shape to so many details. WIN!

{Clockwise from top: via, via, via, via, via, via, via, via}

For all those brides who are dreaming up ideas for your winter wedding, may you be inspired! Even though we're not in wedding planning mode, some of these ideas are so fun they may just sneak into the holiday home decor!!

Let it snow

Happy Monday! Maybe it's just me but I'm so excited for this week to get started! The weekend was delightfully fun, complete with an elegant belated birthday celebration with some dear friends {orchestrated by Emily} followed by lots of restful relaxation. Despite the non-traditional weather we've been having in New England these last few weeks, we can't deny that Christmas is going to be here before we know it! While it would be amazing for the snow to hold off for a few more weeks, it's been engrained in us to dream of a white Christmas. Well, to give the illusion of a white Christmas, I just love these little mason jar snow globes that I first spotted over at Anthropologie, but they're no longer available. Thankfully, those of us with a crafty side can partake in this sweet little DIY we found over on Kelly Moore's adorable blog.

If you dare, Do It Yourself... but we want to see pics of your festive holiday scene!!! Thank you Kelly, for the inspiration!

Chocolatey Peppermint Goodness

The second weekend in December marks an important milestone in the holiday season... the weekend of baking!!! Resist no longer, friends! The season is in full swing and this year, I have my eyes on all things chocolatey and peppermint. Here are a few drool-worthy goodies that I've had my eyes on as I map out the 2011 Holiday Baking Extravaganza...

1. Peppermint Ball Cookies

2. Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps

3.  Peppermint Bark

Have you tried any of these before?! They're all new for me or twists on old classics, but I'm willing to put in the time to bake and re-bake until the recipe is just perfect. :) What are your favorite kinds of holiday treats? Any recipes that we MUST try this year???

On the Go

Around this time of year it's hard to not have travel on the mind. Whether you're the one jet setting this year or you have guests headed your way, visiting and visitors are just part of the joy of the season! It's surely been on our mind at Paper Moss as we're gearing up to visit family and couldn't be more excited to share the holidays with them. All this thinking about travel however, has lead my wandering mind to scout out a new luggage set... and this geometric black and white DVF set fit the bill just right! A girl has got to travel in style, right?

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Or if you feel like making a bold statement, they also have it in orange. Thank you Dianne VonFurstenburg for tempting us with yet another one of your creations!

In the Midst

Hello lovely!! Are you finding some good wedding inspiration around the blogosphere today? It can be tiring searching high and low for wedding inspiration... making those to - do lists... setting up appointments... crunching numbers... going to fittings... tastings...and showers. How does a bride - to - be do it?!

On this Wedding Wednesday, we want to do nothing but encourage you to pause and take some moments to focus on & truly appreciate the love of your life.

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YES, wedding plans can be overwhelming, but once the big day is over, your adventure as Mr. & Mrs. begins!!!

Bare your Sole

As if fixating on our day - to - day shoe fashion choices is not overwhelming enough, picking the perfect wedding shoes can be quite a fete. Regardless if you go with traditional white or a saucy pair of bright heels, you can surely dress up the bottoms for yet another sweet little detail! I just love the adornment on the soles of this bride's wedding shoes... and her reception shoes!

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Saving a Life

Happy Monday! How was everyone's weekend?! Hopefully you were able to do some festively fun & wintery activities amidst some relaxation. This weekend we had the opportunity to reflect on some ways to serve others during the holiday season. Something that I recently ran across on an Etsy shop, For the Fatherless keeps popping back into my head- an ornament which helps support a couple that is raising funds for their dream of adopting a Congolese baby. A baby that would otherwise might grow up in poverty or in a foster home... they want to give him a new chance. Doesn't that make this little glass ball all the more precious??

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If you'd like to support their cause or give one of these sweet ornaments as a gift, orders must be made by midnight on December 7th in order to be received by Christmas! Wouldn't these be adorable party favors?

A new tradition

Growing up, one of the best parts about the weeks leading up to Christmas was getting a tree, decorating it as a family and admiring the glittering lights in anticipation. Now that we're all gown up, the fam has been more focused on the meaning of the holiday & the relationships that are so dear. While visiting a friend the other day, she mentioned that their family had made an effort to "make" a Christmas tree every year. This has granted them a memorable family tradition and allowed them to spend less. Not to mention that it has taken some emphasis away from the tree and put more emphasis on the importance of being generous to those less fortunate. The end product of this years creation was something the whole family could be proud of- still with all the lights and ornaments. 

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Seeing how they were so creative with their "tree" was inspiring and a good challenge to not get wrapped up in having a grand color coordinated, themed tree and obsessing over all of the festive little details. This time of year is meant to be shared with loved ones, spend quality time and be generous with the ways we've been blessed.

Do you have any unique traditions to preserve the sweetness of the season?

Sienna

We first caught wind of the Etsy shop, Sienna from our dear friend Tyra, of Tyra Bleek Photography. Can we just say THANK YOU, Tyra?! Her little tip has grown into a massive vendor crush on Sienna and I'm sure you can see why... Such a perfect idea for bridesmaids gifts, holiday presents or just a special treat for yourself! This lace one happens to be one of our faves, but the bright and geometric patterns on these other ones make it a tough choice!

Which one would you choose??? We're dying to know!

Falling in love

Fall and winter have always seemed like such a romantic time to get engaged. There is something so magical about this time of year and having such a significant moment occur in the midst of it all would make it all the more incredible! Plus, how fun would it be to do an engagement shoot spotted over at Love and Lavender?!

Adoring this in every way!! What time of year did you get engaged & did you get to do any fun engagement shoots?

*Photos courtesy of Connection Photography

Glittery + Golden

In honor of today, a personal day of celebration, I couldn't resist sharing some of the greatest party shoes that we've laid eyes on...

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Absolutely breathtaking, right?! It only seems practical to sport these glittery gold shoes on one's Golden Birthday... if only I {Anna} were on the ball with hunting them down, today would be the day! Instead, I'll just dream of them, stuff my face with cake and bump these to the list of possible New Years shoes!

If you haven't had your Golden day yet, please, take note: FIND THESE!!!

Winter warmers

I don't know where you stand on the issue but I firmly believe that there are few things worse then being cold. Being born and raised in the pacific northwest did nothing to prepare these hands and feet for the chilly winters here in New England. While last winter was all about acquiring some coats that are warm enough to prevent frostbite, this winter is about bringing a little fashion back into the frigid snow packed days. Gratefully, everywhere I turn there are bright chunky scarves, sequins laden knits, vintage inspired leather and faux fur aplenty! Here's a round up of our favorite cold weather warmers, each are oh-so-feminine in their own way...

1: Michael Kors

2: Juicy Couture

3: Anthropologie

4: Marc Jacobs

Which ones are your favorite?? Cold weather goodies also make fun holiday gifts & stocking stuffers... just something to keep in mind for those who are in holiday shopping mode!

Happy Black Friday!

The day after Thanksgiving... while some people have been camping out in front of stores since yesterday and probably have their holiday shopping done, others have taken the equally festive route of busting out the Christmas decor and turning on the holiday tunes. How are you spending your day?? Historically we've been inclined to do the latter, but this year it sadly has to wait. In the interim, the ideas for decorating are stacking up and will likely be phased in gradually throughout the next couple of weeks. This easy to make + oh so chic holiday wreath may have to make an appearance on the front door this year...

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If you're in search of some crafting for the weekend, check out the full tutorial over on the Two Junk Chix blog post! Happy Black Friday!