If you’re looking for a last-minute gift idea, need gift tags on the fly, or just something to keep the little ones busy, check out my DIY Home column for EatBoutique.com this month featuring my family’s tried-and-true salt dough recipe, which was also the very first kitchen craft I remember making with my mom!
Blogs like Catalog Living and posts like Let’s Make Fun Of: Anthropologie Furniture have always helped me and my creative colleagues let off steam, and this year’s annual Hater’s Guide to the Williams-Sonoma Catalog particularly hit home — particularly this line: “But this is ALWAYS the dream they sell at W-S and Barefoot Contessa and Martha Stewart and any other doily mill: the idea of EFFORTLESSNESS.” Here’s what’s been going on at my personal Doily Mill.
With just a few shipping days to go to order independent, Made in USA gifts, I wanted to remind you about the map of 250 gifts under $50 that we put together a few years ago. Just click on any state on the map to view a curated list of gifts for everyone on your list, all made in that state! Tara and I worked tirelessly to discover cool, design-forward, clever & unique finds to impress your friends and family, so I hope you’ll check it out and maybe grab a gift or two. Or shop our Pinterest boards to find a gift by recipient!
Texas Hill Country Lavender & Bluebonnet salt scrub for holiday gifts, inspired by our anniversary weekend at the Fredericksburg Herb Farm back in October & using the base recipe for my ever-popular coconut oil & salt scrub of half coarse salt, half epsom salt for sore & tired muscles, dried Hill Country lavender & bluebonnet essential oil.
When we moved to Texas, I took for granted so many of the annual traditions and resources that had become my failsafes — like buying a Christmas wreath for our front door every year from the fundraiser for my old skating team.
While this site was down for maintenance over the weekend, Tara and I were busy little bees posting all sorts of holiday projects over on DIY Boston / Boston.com. Like how to make this adorable army of clothespin reindeer ornaments, something I made with my mom and siblings growing up in the 80s in N
Just over a year since finding out — after many, many, MANY uncomfortable doctor’s visits, minor surgeries & tests — that I’m highly allergic to wheat (and shellfish) and having to suddenly switch to a completely gluten-free diet, I can say with authority that no time of year can be more frustrating (read: depressing) than the holidays.
It’s our first Christmas season in Texas, and not only do I miss spending festive nights and celebrating decades-old holiday traditions with friends and family back in Boston, I miss seeing familiar Christmas decor — around the city and even in our own home.
Sometimes there’s absolutely nothing better than a quiet night at home with a few friends, some drinks, snacks, and a board game. No fancy dress-up clothes. No shoes. No makeup. Maybe a mischievous pooch vying for attention. And if it were a cold night in December, the Yule Log/Fireplace on Netflix and the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack on Spotify. And laughs, lots of them.
This Christmas, I’m especially grateful for New England thrift stores — in particular, my heart, my home, my not-so-secret DIY resource: the Goodwill Boston Outlet. I’ve learned the hard way over the past two weeks not to assume that I can find plaid shirts or any