Top hat - check, Carrot - check.....

I love making snowmen – and these snowman ideas from BHG.com bring the outdoor fun inside!

Two Eyes Made Out of Coal
Petite candy mints make for an icy and welcome treat. Draw snowmen faces and pretty script with edible markers from the cake-decorating aisle at the crafts store. To give them as a gift, arrange a grid on card stock and adhere the mints with a dot of royal icing. Slide the assortment into a cellophane bag and add a ribbon tie and tag. I think this would also work with marshmallows!

He Is a Fairy Tale, They Say
Fill a large cake plate with white-frosted cupcakes, and then fill in details of a snowman face with more orange and black frosting. Sprinkle the cupcakes with white cake sparkles for a snow-crystal finish.

We'll Have Some Fun
Creamy eggnog -- the adult or child-friendly version -- takes center stage in this Frosty vessel made from a large rose bowl. For a temporary design, paint the inside of the glass with melted orange and black chocolate coating. Or, to use the bowl and glasses next year, use glass paint from the crafts store to add the faces to the outside of the glass.

Before I Melt Away

Serve up sherbet or ice cream in real white chocolate cups that smile back. All you have to do is paint the faces using a small artist's brush and melted chocolate coating.

Look at Frosty Go

A glass of milk takes on new deliciousness with doughnut-hole snowman heads. Outfit powdered doughnut holes with eyes and a nose made of edible food clay. Pierce a hole through the center of the doughnut using a skewer and fit in a straw. Make a miniature scarf for the glass from orange yarn.Here are some other great snowman inspired treats!

I love the Krispy Kreme Holiday Doughnut set – which includes an adorable snowman doughnut!!!

I think I see these in my near future!

All in the family

A little something for everyone in the family.


Little Girls Christmas by Maevelicious


Little Boy Christmas by Maevelicious


Big Girl Christmas by Maevelicious


Big Boy Christmas by Maevelicious

Coloring my Christmas

Here are some of my Christmas Polyvore favs.


Purple Christmas by Maevelicious


Gold Christmas by Maevelicious



Silver christmas by Maevelicious


Turquoise Christmas by Maevelicious


Pink Christmas by Maevelicious

Designer dinnerware

Rosanna Bowles is a tableware designer I have shown you before in a previous post, and have now fallen in love with even more collections from this designer.

A little about Rosanna, In 1982, Rosanna scraped together the seed money, took out a loan and created Rosanna, Inc., purveyor of fabulous fashion-forward plates. Her goal: to create high-quality, functional dishware, both richly handcrafted and affordable. From that very first set of dishes, Rosanna's unique creations caught the eye of the press. Her initial collection was featured in Metropolitan Home magazine; since then, her story and tableware have appeared in numerous publications, including Lucky, Bon Appetit, Elle, Instyle, and O at Home. In 2006, Seattle Homes & Lifestyles magazine named Rosanna one of 100 top companies that defined design in the Northwest. Drawing international acclaim in the same year, Rosanna was awarded the prestigious honor of Gift of the Year by the Giftware Association in the United Kingdom.

Today, Rosanna's international business is run out of a teeming warehouse in Seattle, Washington. More than 22 years and millions and millions of dishes beyond her first container, she now sends truckloads of tableware to destinations across the states and around the globe. Rosanna's tableware crosses cultural boundaries, delighting people worldwide and encouraging the art and soul of entertainment-connecting with others and sharing memories along with food and drink. To make this holiday season the brightest yet, has created 2 main collections. The designs of Boho Holiday and A Groovy Kind of Christmas were inspired by some of the happiest moments in her own life. The collection of dishes is meant to remind people of happy times. Another important part of the holiday season is giving back. In doing so she has made new additions to our popular Mexican glassware line. Illuminare, the newest lighting collection, includes a variety of jewel-tone votives that evoke beautiful moods and create soothing environments throughout the holiday season.

Oh and one more note worthy dinnerware collection - the guru of manners (no not Martha) Kate Spade has a cute collection this holiday season that could last on table tops all winter long!

I think I am becoming a fan!

Creating a warm glow for the holidays

There is nothing more impressive then the warm glow of the holidays along with the fresh scent of gingerbread or pine. I have found some beautiful items for the holiday season that are sure to add to the Christmas spirit.
Pottery Barn’s metallic bark candles pair natural materials with a glitter finish. Each is wrapped with real bark that was gathered from trees legally harvested for furniture making, then trimmed with a layer of holiday shine. All are unscented wax, and the largest size has three wicks.
PB’s mercury glass votives provide all the sparkle and shine you need for the holidays. Mercury glass was first produced in the 19th century. These double-walled mercury glass accessories are hand blown and silvered between the sealed layers, using an antiquing process that mimics the look of the originals. PB offers them in a set of 4, one of each color.

While traveling this year I came across some other beautiful mercury glass votive holders with matching tray and pretty tea light holders. Also, while traveling I came across these great silver candles holders with bright bold and colorful holiday images.
I love the dome shaped ones here – you place the tea light inside and it can sit tabletop of hang…the candles’ glow is outstanding when wrapped in the bold colorful red interior.

For something really different check out the Lumen Candles at red envelope.com. Illuminated by flickering flames, this oil lamp casts lively, festive shadows through its delicate cutouts. The shadows change with the lamp’s position—the closer to the wall, the more detail; the farther away, the more intriguingly abstract.

Evelyn and Crabtree always have wonderful holiday home fragrance sets…here are a few.

Noel Fragrance Keepsake Candle is a gift within a gift; this exclusive compact-style ceramic carrier holds a fragrant (spicy evergreen fragrance) NOEL candle. Couple this with their beautiful room diffuser (last year’s design shown here – I think its nicer then this year) or poured candle – and your space is guaranteed to be filled with soft candlelight and festive fragrance.Or how about these diffusers from Pier I. The green one has loose jingles bells within the bottle and the mosaic glass one is exceptional too! The large glass block with potpourri and craft snow is also a lovely addition to your home.

I hope these inspire you to add a little holiday scent and glow to your home – or maybe even all winter long!

WOW is right!

It's always fun to see what people (with no budget) will buy for as Christmas presents. So I like to go to Nieman Marcus for a little glimpse of the "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous". Here are this year's line up:

Limited-Edition Fighter Motorcycle $110,000.00

It's the street-legal sci-fi dream come to life, in the form of the limited-edition Fighter Motorcycle courtesy of Confederate Motor Company®. The first ever Fighter packs 190 mph of performance into its cutting edge carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum chassis. There's the 64" wheelbase, 27"H seat, integrated braking system, lots of high-tech bells and whistles, and custom NM edition features. But, honestly, ride it once and you'll be too jacked up on adrenaline to remember all the details.

Dallas Cowboys® Texas Stadium® End Zone Package $500,000.00

The new digs will be state-of-the-art, of course, but Texas Stadium is where America's Team paid its dues ... and grew its heart. It's where a dynasty was built and where the Boys fought their way into seven NFL® Championships. To honor battles won and heroes lost over 38 glorious years, you can put 530 square yards of sporting history into your own backyard: An entire Cowboys Texas Stadium end zone. This exclusive package also includes the VIP treatment for the last regular season Cowboys game in Texas Stadium. Your crew gets pre-game photos in your zone with Jerry Jones, a luxury suite for the game, and a once-in-a-lifetime post-game tailgate party on your soon-to be new backyard (with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, no less). There's also autographed memorabilia from Cowboy legends, and a VIP package to attend the opening of the new stadium in 2009. Better yet, the Jerry Jones family and the Cowboys organization will generously donate the entire purchase price to The Salvation Army®. The perfect gift for envious buds?
Thirty-Five Year Collection of Top 100® 45 RPM Records $275,000.00

In this age of soulless digital downloads and MP3 mumbo-jumbo, turn to that treasured icon of pop culture childhood: the 45 RPM vinyl single. This gift contains each and every 45 RPM vinyl record that was listed on the Billboard Top 100® Rock and Pop charts from Jan. 1, 1955, through Dec. 31, 1990. Absolutely every disc for 35 years, every No. 100 up to every No. 1. There are some 18,400 records total. Some are even autographed. How about the Beatles' 1964 hit "Ain't She Sweet" with picture sleeve, worth a cool $500; or the Beach Boys' 1961 hit "Surfin' Luau" worth $200. There are literally hundreds of extremely collectible 45s — Elvis, Joplin, Hendrix, you name it — and the collection in its entirety is priceless.

Medieval and Renaissance Era Rings $25,000.00 - $45,000.00

So it's the holiday season and you're scouring the realm for the best way to pledge eternal fealty to your Lord or Lady. We've teamed up with Les Enluminures of Paris to put history in your hands, quite literally, with our exclusive collection of extremely rare original medieval and Renaissance rings. Back in the day, Viking chieftains gave braided rings to warriors heading off to battle (check out the Queen in Beowulf). Hand-braided 11 centuries ago, our gold ring is a museum-quality. The 15th century England signet ring bears an engraving of the faithful and vigilant pooch; the16th century Western European ring graced a maiden's hand with a sparkling, mysterious 13mm step-cut tourmaline. It is set in enameled gold. Each arrives with its pedigree spelled out in writing.
M-Velope® Transformable Structure $100,000.00

What if your workshop was a convertible? What if you could move your yoga studio walls as easily as you roll up your mat? What if you could rebuild, rearrange, and reassemble your garden retreat as quickly as you rearrange furniture? Step inside our M-Velope and you can! It's a massively cool 15-foot high by 14-foot wide by 17-foot deep creation of functional art built with a steel frame. All its hinged wood panel frames open, move, and close at your whim. Michael Jantzen, an internationally famous architectural pioneer/artist, thought it up and he is crafting just 10 structures for us exclusively. He's a leader in rethinking how we live, and he's been green since '71. He builds each M-Velope with new Accoya® wood products that are durable and completely sustainable.

HIS & HERS: Life-Size Replica in LEGO® Bricks $60,000.00 (this is the most outrageous thing I have ever seen!)
Acclaimed artist Nathan Sawaya is obsessed with LEGO® bricks. He fills his New York studio with more than 1.5 million of the interlocking toy building blocks, and he can sculpt anything out of them — a full-size Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton or a 7-foot-long scale replica of the Brooklyn Bridge, for example. Given the skill and depth of his devotion to his art, it makes perfect sense to immortalize your own magnificent self with our 2008 His & Hers gifts. Send in detailed photos and measurements, then Nathan gets to snapping and BOOM! One-of-a-kind, life-size sculptures of yourselves in LEGO bricks. Neiman Marcus priced this exclusive gift individually, so Nathan can "brickalize" you and the S.O., the kids, Granny and/or anyone else you obsess about.

Jack Nicklaus Custom Backyard Course Package Beginning at $1,000,000.00

Go ahead, re-read it. Yes, THE Jack Nicklaus, Golfer of the Century turned world-renowned course designer. Yep, your very own custom-designed three-hole course. Uh-huh, for your backyard. Jack will study topography, aerial photos, and landscape maps for the site, then send his team to survey the property. He'll create a formal design plan and color renderings for up to three holes and a practice area, depending on the size of your back forty. Your construction crew builds from it, with supervision from Jack's world-class design team (the same team pursued by premier club owners worldwide). Now to sink the winning putt; when your course is finished, the Golden Bear himself will stop by to play the first round with you, personally. More? He'll sign his club and ball for your collection and throw in a custom set of Nicklaus clubs, including a personalized bag.
Harlem Globetrotters® On-court Experience $110,000.00

Whistle a little "Sweet Georgia Brown" anywhere in the world, and you conjure up the infectious basketball magic that is the Harlem Globetrotters. Here's your once-in-a-lifetime chance to play on your dream team, joining stars like Scooter Christensen and Special K Daley on court. This gift package includes a personalized official uniform, guaranteed playing time in a U.S. 2008-09 season game, introduction as a special guest, and insider access to the team. Behind the amazing hoop wizardry is an 82-year heritage that includes Basketball Hall of Famers® Wilt Chamberlain and Meadowlark Lemon. Those precision routines aren't as easy as they look; back in the day the Globetrotters played the best pro teams and regularly took 'em down, baby.

Luxury Destination Wedding Package at The Resort at Pelican Hill® Beginning at $1,300,000.00

It seems like just yesterday she was staging a backyard wedding with her Teddy bear and favorite doll. There is a rare opportunity to make her grown-up nuptials the stuff of family legends, with our exclusive turnkey luxury wedding experience at The Resort at Pelican Hill. The ultimate resort setting on the breathtaking coast of Newport Beach, California. A personal event coach to take care of every detail. A couture wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses custom designed by Carolina Herrera. Up to 40 private ocean-view guest villas. Every detail exquisitely executed from the magical cake to the perfect flowers to the private celebrity entertainment at the reception. The experience also includes resort events for the bridal party, a rehearsal dinner event, an after-reception party, and gourmet breakfast the next day for family and guests. Naturally, a wedding this grand could never be one size fits all. This exclusive gift experience can easily be customized to fit their tastes, interests, and romantic quirks.
Authentic Guinness® Home Pub $250,000.00

There are plenty of reasons to raise a pint to the Irish. One of the greatest occurred in 1759 when young Arthur Guinness founded a brewery at St. James's Gate, crafted a hearty, distinctive stout, and won a place in our hearts forever. Celebrate the 250th anniversary of that first delicious keg with our exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime gift. The folks at RiRa Pubs will design a fully functional, traditional Irish pub and build it in your home in 2009. It will be crafted from historic Irish architectural elements and authentic Guinness artifacts. There's also a VIP trip for two to Dublin with first class airfare, luxury accommodations, and insider access to the magic still being made at the historic working St. James's Gate brewery. (All members of your party must be at least 21 years of age.) Plus fresh Guinness Stout for your pub-for an entire year!

NM Limited-Edition 2009 BMW® Individual 7 Series Sedan $160,000.00 Really what more is there to say – oh wait. The deal sealer (as if you needed one): A once-in-a-lifetime European adventure to meet your new BMW and the engineers and designers who helped create it. This exclusive trip includes two business-class tickets on Lufthansa® from New York, gourmet meals, luxury hotel for four nights including Munich and the French Riviera, and rare insider access to BMW. The adventure is scheduled for April 2009, so there's plenty of time to clear your calendar.

Three Chimneys Farm Thoroughbred Racing Stable Package $10,000,000.00
You want the best, you go to the best. You want a working, turnkey, in-the-running thoroughbred racing enterprise right out of the starting gate? You go to Three Chimneys Farm. The legendary Kentucky farm has managed some of racing's winningest thoroughbreds, including history's only undefeated triple crown winner (a little guy named Seattle Slew). For this exclusive package, you get the works because Three Chimneys means business. They will build you a stable of 12-15 thoroughbreds and with your input will train them, house them, select races, enter them in races, provide you a personal racing concierge, and manage the entire enterprise for the next four years. As the owner, you get to name your stable and any unnamed horses, design your own silks, attend races, pose for pictures, give quotes to the media ... and keep all the purses and trophies.

So leave me a comment and let me know which luxury gift you got this year? (hee...hee..hee)