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jeans c/o James Jeans, earrings c/o Lover’s Tempo,
bracelet c/o Viva Blanca, ring c/o Brooklyn Designs
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Happy Christmas Eve!!! I can’t believe the 24th is already upon us and that the big day is tomorrow! It won’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me well, but I’m running characteristically behind schedule (still have Christmas shopping to do today, don’t judge me!) so it’s only natural that myself and my lovely friend Alicia teamed up with our good friend and collaborator Ainsley of Ainsley Rose Photography to share how you can pull together a last minute Secret Santa get-together with loved ones in style (but with minimal effort)! You’ll want to click through to not only catch the whole shoot (Ainsley blew us away as usual) but to catch the tips just in time for any last minute gatherings today or post-Christmas!
The Set Up
As my friends know, we’re pretty centrally located and are often a drop-in point after someone’s gone to yoga, cruising through the neighbourhood or just in for a catch up. I’m also incidentally not the type of person who is able to/wants to maintain a temple clean house, so to deal with the last minute drop-ins, I keep one nook appropriately decorated during the holidays and always kept tidy. If anyone rings up saying they’re coming up, I can just concentrate on a last minute tidy of all the surrounding areas. I think I got this strategy from my parents, who while generally tidy people had four kids and a dog running around, so naturally we would leave all of our stuff around in the well-lived in areas. There were very strict rules about our front room – we basically weren’t even really allowed to walk in there or hang out, and especially during the holidays, it was kept immaculately tidy and just used for guests.
The Treats
I myself have food sensitivities and allergies, so while I quite literally will eat anything put in front of me (my family affectionately calls me Shamu because of my appetite, how cute/twisted!), I always appreciate when there are some generally safe options that I can opt for instead. You can’t do better than these One Bowl Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies by Oh She Glows – they’re nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, wheat-free, gluten-free and most importantly, some of the best cookies I’ve ever had. Quite literally anyone can eat them and they freeze well. It’s a bit of a struggle not to Shamu-style eat them all myself, but I try to keep a dozen of these delicious bites on hand so that when someone does pop in, I can quickly pop them into the oven to warm up. Proof of their deliciousness: we definitely ate a whole batch of these between three girls the day of the shoot.
Drink-wise, either have a signature holiday cocktail with all the makings on hand to quickly whip up an impressive but super easy drink or just ensure that you have some adorable mugs and some festive add-ons (I’m classic so candy canes it is). Again, if you’re not dairy-free but host a lot, it’s always great to keep a bit of almond milk on hand for those who can’t handle dairy or prefer a nut mylk option (I don’t know if that’s just me but that basically constitutes almost all of my friends and family these days, including myself). Whip up a quick hot chocolate and you’re set!
The Gifts
Something worth spending a bit more on is an adorable holiday card set to keep on hand (Rifle Paper Co. is always a win for me) – they’ll proudly be displayed afterwards and they make such a difference. Even if they’re just containing a gift card, they completely elevate a gift.
Wrapping-wise, anyone who knows me knows I am a God awful wrapper. Other than being called Shamu on the regular, my family also likes to openly mock my wrapping on Christmas (I swear my family’s not evil and we’re all actually way too close, but I am a middle child so this is my life). To compensate for my subpar wrapping skills, I a) pick the absolute prettiest paper I can find (GLITTER! GOLD!) and b) I embellish them to death. These adorable bows Taffete Designs dropped off the other day couldn’t have come at a better time because they completely elevated the gifts.
Again, it’s all about the little details – even if your Secret Santa exchange is set at $10 or you’re just dropping off some baking, these elevated details can all be automated so that you can throw together an impromptu but super special get-together like it ain’t no thang.
Final tips? Always have the music playing, keep it cozy and above all…have fun! The holidays can get so stressful, which is exactly the opposite of what they’re supposed to be. Make it easy on yourself today and for any last minute get-togethers in the lead up to New Year’s Eve by getting all your little party additions set up beforehand and you can enjoy the rest of the holiday in good cheer!
So with that, Merry Christmas everybody!!! I hope you have the most restful, joyful and love-filled Christmas with your loved ones. For those of you who don’t observe Christmas, have a wonderful day and enjoy the peace and quiet! Sending all my warmest wishes to you and yours!
A special thank you to Alicia Fashionista and Ainsley Rose Photography.
Cute! Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas to you, may it be a wonderful one!
http://lartoffashion.blogspot.com
I love those mugs! Merry Christmas
xo
http://www.laurajaneatelier.com
Beautiful! Merry Christmas.
– Sam
http://thelifeandtimesofsam.wordpress.com
My planner was wonderful! From the moment we hired her, she went so above and beyond our expectations! She's responsive and very helpful in event planning and I know that any wedding with her will go off without a hitch.
amazing plan and also i like your jeans so much
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