My flat New Years Celebration!

Although my back was feeling better by the time I left my chiropractor's office today, my spirit was deflated.  As I was leaving she told me that heels would be strictly forbidden for a little while...even on New Years!  Fighting back tears, I went straight to my closet to re-examine the outfit that I was so excited about wearing!    I decided that pairing my Tory Burch dress with lady-like sequin ballet flats would not be enough to keep the fun spirit of the evening.  I am going to pull out my Kimberly McDonald earrings and don a smokey silvery eye which will hopefully detract from the inches I will be loosing!

My flat New Years! by schlegelwhitman@aim.com featuring black necklaces

Holiday Gift Giving Etiquette

Nothing makes me happier than finding an email with a challenging question! I love love love when you send me question's about your situations and dilemas.  Here are some of the questions that I got last week.  I hope they help!

Sarah from Dallas wrote:  I am already finished with my gift shopping. When can I start giving out my holiday gifts?

Any day after the first of December you can go ahead and give out your gifts.  Take advantage of opportunities to give the gift to your friend in person!  That makes it even more special.  If you are shipping or delivering a gift, send it early!

Jessie wrote:  What are some common gift giving mistakes that I should avoid?

Always give from the heart.  I think that giving from the heart instead of trying to show off with a gift that is expensive will help you avoid any mistake.  Show thoughtfulness and give a gift that is appropriate.

Lots of people have asked me if it is OK to give a gift card?

Yes!  I love giving gift cards to the people on my list that I struggle with finding the perfect thing for.  Just be sure to wrap it in a nice package and present it as you would any special gift.  Presentation is everything with a gift card.

Holiday Tipping Guidelines

I get so seriously stressed out around the holidays about whether or not I am giving out an appropriate tip.  I don't want to be a scrooge but I don't want to go embarrassingly overboard either! Here are a few of the guidelines that I have found to be quite standard.  Knowing that this is what other's often do helps put me at ease!

Babysitter: One night's pay or two nights if she is really awesome and you want to keep her around and a small gift from your child.

Nanny:  One week to one month's pay depending on how long they have been caring for your child and how many children you have and a personal gift from the kids.

Day Care Staff:  If there is one staff member that clearly takes care of your child more than the others you might consider a tip of $25 to $75 or a gift card.  If there is a large team of caretakers, consider spreading that out among them and taking in a tin of baked goods that they can snack on in their break room.

Coach or weekly instructor:  Don't give a tip but present a small personal gift from the child valued under $25.

Teacher: Don't give cash to a teacher but instead write him or her a note of appreciation and present them with a gift card.  In my son's classroom, all of the parents pooled together a little fund and the room mom purchased a gift card to a book store for the teacher.  A small personal gift from the child is a nice touch too but don't let it take the place of a gift card.  Teacher's get so many little nick-naks!

Mail Carrier:  Civil employees are not allowed to accept gifts with a value over $20 but consider a small gift card to a local coffee shop or book store.  If you really want to do something special for them, write a note of praise to their supervisor!

Hairstylist:  If you go to the same hairstylist often or if you hairstylist also plays the role of therapist in your life then consider generously tipping the cost of a haircut.  If you haven't been going long, doubling your typical tip is a nice gesture.  Salon owners are not meant to accept tips so if your stylist owns the salon you frequent, take a nice gift instead that is the value of one haircut.   Don't forget to double the tips of the assistants and helpers in the salon too!

Housekeeper: One weeks pay is a nice tip for a housekeeper.  Write a note of appreciation and include the cash tip inside.

Newspaper Delivery:  My newspaper delivery service provides an envelope with the name of my delivery guy.  Anything from $10 to $30 is appropriate.

Here are a few more tipping rules:


-Always put it in an envelope with a note. Even if the note is a really short "With thanks from the Whitmans" it is better than just handing over cash.

-Don't give as much to someone who is new to your life because you haven't developed a relationship with them yet.

-Whenever you feel inclined, a nice bag of hot chocolate or baked goods to go along with your tip as always appreciated.

Holiday Entertaining-Fine Living

Candy Cane Topiary by Pizzazerie

I love stumbling upon crafts that can be fun for the entire family and, once again, Courtney Dial and her entertaining blog, Pizzazzerie, have brought us a fantastic project!  Check out her blog for detailed instructions and photographs of every step.  Send me photos of your favorite holiday crafts and I might be able to feature them here!

An Exotic Christmas

My friends at Chateaux Mistletoe are at it again!  This year, they have four fun new tips for us to enjoy:

BRANCH OUT - Think beyond using the standard evergreen (pine, spruce, cypress) when decorating.  Magnolia, Boxwood, Bay and Eucalyptus leaves are all beautiful and lend a “southern warmth” to its typical counterparts.  Don’t be afraid to mix and match between all your favorite branches and leaves!

LITTLE COMFORTS - Charm your overnight guests with touches of holiday cheer!  Hang a lovely wreath above the bed or even on the headboard (be sure to avoid fresh greenery in the bedroom in case of allergies).   Leave a handwritten note on their pillow along with a freshly baked holiday treat and tie it off with a sprig of greenery.  I recently stocked my guest room with an electric tea kettle and assorted teas and hot cocoa neatly arranged on a drink tray.  These little touches will make your home feel warm and inviting and let your guests know you are happy to have them!

EXOTIC CHRISTMAS - Be globally minded and incorporate foreign customs when decorating... you can even make this a fun family project, by researching holiday customs of other cultures with your children.  If you’ve always dreamed of a family trip to Tokyo, then try baking a traditional japanese christmas cake, decorate a bonsai tree with origami ornaments or hang a starry sky of paper lanterns in lieu of traditional outdoor lights!

DRAMATIC REPETITION - Repetition creates instant drama!  Hang magnolia wreaths with bright red ribbon from every window on the front of your house.  Line the pathway to your door with glowing candlelit hurricanes.  Hang a cluster of bells from chocolate satin ribbon over the backs of your dining room chairs.  Create a dramatic gallery wall by topping each frame with identical sprays of greenery or ribbon.  The key here is simplicity, so find something you really love and then run with it!  


Thank you, Gretchen!  Your ideas are fantastic! 

Gifts that Give Back

To check out my sister, Krystal's, wonderful picks for gifts that give back click here.

Bookish Style

Big horn-rimmed glasses are back in style and it is making me feel very bookish!  I love giving books as gifts and I especially love giving autographed copies away.  This year, I will be taking advantage of some wonderful local design book signings and getting my shopping done early!

Here are the details:

Stop by Neiman Marcus Downtown to meet Carolyne Roehm, author of A Passion for Interiors today between one and three on the second floor.  Carolyne has written so many spectacular books and they all make wonderful gifts.  I have been following her wonderful career for many years and her books and articles just keep getting more and more beautiful.  This book is a show-stopper and will dazzle any lady or gent on your Christmas list.

Mary McDonald's first book, Interiors - The Allure of Style is sure to make any design aficionado on your list do cartwheels.  It is a beautiful book that has captured Mary's sense of fun and playfulness but is also full of great design tips and ideas.  She will be signing copies tonight at Ceylon et Cie (1319 Dragon Street 75207) from five to eight.

Tabletop Charm

There is really nothing more charming for a holiday tabletop than Bernardaud's Grenadiers Pattern.  It so so sweet and brings back childhood memories of a home filled with Nutcrackers and Christmas greens.  It is a great pattern to add to any bridal registry list.  It is versatile and can be used for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Cover your table with a kelly green tablecloth and fill the center with Christmas garland wound in and around a collection of Nutcrackers.  Add in these charming nutcracker place card holders from Lillian Vernon and, Voila!, you will have the most charming Christmas table top in a snap.

Last Year's Christmas Cards

I have a hard time getting rid of Christmas Cards. I absolutely love getting them in the mail and I really cherish them. I have boxes full of old cards and Justin started giving me a hard time for keeping them. They really are taking up quite a bit of space! I came up with a few things that I could do with them and I hope you will take a few of these ideas and apply them to your cards this year.

• Cut up your cards and make gift tags. Select sections of the card that either have a charming image or a kind message. Cut that part out in to the shape of a gift tag or purchase an extra large "punch" from a scrap booking or craft store and punch out a shape. Add the To and From portion in your own handwriting. Punch a small circle in the tag and tie it on to your Christmas packages.
• Turn photo cards into gifts for friends. A dear friend of mine game me a Christmas ornament that was made from the photo card that I sent to her the Christmas before! I truly cherish this precious ornament and will keep doing it every year! To make a simple ornament, trim the card and photo to a shape that you like. Laminate it and punch a whole in it. Add beautiful ribbon or vintage metallic thread ( a hot trend this year!) to complete the ornament.
• Recycle your cards by sending them in St. Jude's Ranch for Children. The children participate in make new cards by removing the front and attaching a new back to the old cards you send in. The benefits are two fold! Customers buy the "new" handmade cards and able to make a "green" purchase and the children receive payment for their work and raise money for St. Jude's Ranch for Children! They will be accepting cards from now thru February 28th, 2010. You could also make a contribution by purchasing cards for almost any occasion from Birthday's and Thank You's to Easter and Christmas. Cards are sold in packets of 10 for $10.

To donate your cards simply send them to:

St. Jude's Ranch for Children

Recyclced Card Program

100 St. Jude's Street

Boulder City, NV 89005

To purchase cards you can visit the online store here or calling:

1.877.977.7572

A Vintage Christmas

What is your Holiday Decor Scheme?  Purples and golds are certainly on trend this year but I get excited about using blues and silvers to make my decor stand out.  Here are a few images of some of the decor around my own home.  I mixed vintage ornaments and mercury glass ornaments on and around a vintage metallic tree from the 50s.  I also have sweet glittered letters spelling out Joyeux Noel and an Eiffel tower to honor my husband's French family! 

I love vintage Christmas tress because the colors are so incredible.  My pale blue and silver one is fun but I also love the white, pink and green trees that I have seen.  Although these artificial trees don't give off the wonderful fragrance that a real tree would, they are stunning and stylish.  I love the small tabletop sized trees for an apartment that doesn't have room for a tree or an entrance hall.  

Vintage Ornaments can be displayed so many ways and they have become quite collectible.  I like to place mine stacked up in clear glass cylinder vases.  I always save the clear vases that florists use to send flowers and pull them out for seasonal decorating.  I also love the idea of hanging special ornaments from long strands of ribbon in the center or a wreath or tying one up in the center of a mantle garland. 

Vintage trees and ornaments have become quite collectible.  Check out eBay or your local flea markets for fantastic finds.  Please send me photos of the decor in your home!  I would love to post them here.

Hostess Gifts

It is so hard to find fantastic hostess gifts but my friend and etiquette expert, Colleen Rickenbacker, put a wonderful list of suggestions together after our last Feather Your Nest event.  She was our wonderful speaker but she kept the atmosphere inviting and encouraged people to ask questions.  One of the biggest questions was about Holiday Hostess Gifts.  Colleen said that she could have gone on and on about that one so she offered to put a list of hostess gift suggestions together and email it to our attendees.  She made good on her promise and here are a few of her suggestions:
-Picture Frames - Engrave the Date of the event on it
-Candles - I know this sounds cliche but who doesn't love a new candle?
-Delicacies - I once had a friend bring me a beautiful jar of olives with a lovely little olive pick tied to it with a ribbon.  It was such a fun treat!
-Tea Towels
-Linen hand towels or Cocktail napkins
-Books
-Small trays and serving dishes
-Specialty coffees and teas
-Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows
-Homemade items - Jellys and Jams, cookies, candies
-Cosmetic Bags
-Tote Bags
-Stationery Items
-A recipe card filled in with one of your favorite holiday recipes.
-A donation to a charity.
She also reminded everyone not to show up with flowers as the hostess would need to scramble to find a vase and might feel pressure to display them even if they do not co-ordinate with her existing party decor!

Personalized Presents

I just arrived home from our Thanksgiving trip to find something wonderful in my mailbox.  A friend had already delivered a Christmas gift to us!  I am so touched by their thoughtfulness and also the useful gift.  They left a package of precious personalized Holiday gift tags wrapped in cellophane and co-ordinating ribbon from 3 dot papers (j.donovan@sbcglobal.net).  What a great idea for so many reasons!  I love personalized gifts but I also love that this motivates me to get my wrapping done!!!

If you are looking for a personalized gift to give this season, order yours this week and get them delivered early.  Here are a few of my suggestions:

Personalized Tote Bags from LL Bean

Personalized Cups or Napkins - Call Carolyn to order 972-404-7146 c.a.angiolillo@gmail.com

Personalized Gift Tags or Labels from Iomoi