An Invitation to Join Us in the New Year

December 27, 2013

Merry Christmas dear friends! I can’t tell you how wonderful this time off has been, and after this post, I am going back to it till the New Year! You can see recaps of our Christmas over on instagram….its been a pretty spectacular one so far in all of the simple ways.

Today I am teaming up with a crew of ladies that I respect so much! I highly suggest you get to know them…..you won’t regret it. We thought it would be fun to get all of you involved on this. Hopefully this will create a space to build a strong foundation for the goals and aspirations of the New Year ahead. Sometimes all we need is to speak our hopes out loud and have our peers to support and encourage us. I have a feeling it will spark some great things in 2014~

Each of the hostesses will be sharing and we want you to play along!

THE HOSTESSES:
1. Small Fry Blog
2. Casey Wiegand
3. Kelli Murray
4. In Honor of Design
5. Little Baby Garvin
6. Summer Saldana
7. Oh Dear Drea

HOW IT WORKS:
First, if you want head to each of the hostess’ sites beginning Friday, January 3 check out their posts!
Then, share your own answers to one of the following prompts ( or all of them)!

1. What is something you want to change, or a goal you want to set for the New Year, and what is your plan for making it happen?
2. Many people choose a word to reflect on, live by, or aspire to for the New Year. Let us know your word, how you decided upon it, and how you hope to incorporate it into 2014.
3. I will make 2014 count by…

You will then link up on any ONE of the hostess’ sites. Our links will be interlinked which means that your post will be displayed on all of our sites!
Please share on instagram with the hashtag #making2014count so we can support each other! Can’t wait! See you on January 3rd!

*Photos by the talented Chelsey Heidorn // Skirt c/o Bel and Beau // Sweatshirt: Ily Couture // Shoes: Zara // Necklace: c/o Love Obsessed

Holiday Mulled Wine

December 19, 2013

I only recently came “home” – after 30 years of being abroad. One of the nicest things about my home in Germany is the tradition; especially toward Christmas time. There is probably nothing more enchanting and nostalgic than enjoying a mulled wine, or Glühwein, at a German Christmas market. I have created my own recipe so that you can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home, or near your own fireplace…

Add the following ingredients to a pot, and let it stand for a few hours, or overnight with the lid on, so all the spices can work their fantastic flavors into the juice:

200 ml of black current or concord grape juice (go for something organic, where no extra sugar has been added)
Zest of about a third of an Orange (to taste!) (go with organic, to ensure it has not been treated with chemicals)
4 Slices of Orange
10 whole Cloves
Teaspoon of ground cinnamon or two cinnamon sticks
Teaspoon of ground coriander
A small dash of nutmeg
(Bottle of fruity full bodied red wine) (to avoid the wine going sour, I do not add it to the mix above until I am ready to heat everything up!)

After the flavors have incorporated into the juice, strain out the cloves and orange slices and add the liquid to a pot. Add the wine, and simmer it over medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes. The longer you simmer, the more alcohol will evaporate, which may be the preferred option for some! Do not let the mixture boil, however!

I love to enjoy these with some Spekulatius cookies, which are traditional spiced Christmas-time cookie popular in the north of Germany and throughout parts of France (Spéculoos in French) & Belgium (Speculaas in Dutch).

*Enjoy*

Eva Gold is the curator behind Passports & Pamplemousse. Born in Germany, she was raised in 6 other countries, and has only recently returned, 30 years later to her “Heimat”. In between trying to re-adapt and open her own business, she blogs about Epicuriosity & Wanderlust – and all things in between.

Messy Twist Tutorial

December 18, 2013

I rarely attempt much of a hairstyle outside of my standard messy bun or lose waves. After trying this 5 step twist, I am thinking I should change things up more often. This is a good one to style for a night out!

VIEW FULL POST

Red Red Wine + La Mer Collections Giveaway

December 17, 2013

Sweater Cape: c/o Kiki LaRue // Denim: c/o Articles of Society // Boots: J. Crew (similar)

Okay a few things…

1) have had these red wine jeans on repeat because a deep red is actually a really versatile and fun color to work with – especially in November and December when you are feeling a little festive;) Articles of Society denim fits me so well, is comfortable, and affordable…all I need in a pair of jeans! You check out their full line here, #ShowYourAOS.

2) I am pressing pause on the blog at the end of the week for a much needed time to focus on this special time of year with my family. I will have a New Years Resolution post, but other than that, its a few weeks of quiet. I will of course be sharing peeks at our Christmas over on instagram if you want to keep in touch there! What is your favorite Christmas tradition you are looking forward to? I have so many it may require a separate post…

3) The super sweet peeps over at LaMer Collections sent this beautiful watch and let me tell you, its pretty fantastic. Its an all in one wrap watch that makes it look like you perfectly matched and stacked your bracelets;) They are making dreams come true and offering one to a reader as well! I already can’t wait to draw a winner. Good luck to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cold Hands Warm Hearts Hot Cocoa Party

December 16, 2013

December in Atlanta has been a rainy one, but the sun came out this week and we headed to Bottoms Christmas Tree Farm for a Hot Cocoa party. Mandy Kellogg Rye, styling extraordinaire and super fun friend, organized this shoot for Style Me Pretty Living (see the full gallery there). My children were in happy world land with animals around every turn, hot cocoa and popcorn, and new friends to play with:) Kristin of The Hunted Interior‘s daughter Chloe immediately tackled Veronica in a bear hug and they were friends just like that. Amanda of Wonderfully Lost has a little guy Gabriel’s age and they bonded over hauling Christmas trees:)
Felt very lucky to be a part of this with my little ones!

Hope you enjoy the photos! And be sure to check out the talented crew we worked with:

Styling and Art Direction – Mandy Kellogg Rye, Waiting on Martha
Photography – Rustic White Photography
Chalk Art – Jessica Garvin
Hair and Makeup – Dina Shelton for Stila Cosmetics
Location – Bottoms Christmas Tree Farm
Mugs, Marshmallows, and Hot Chocolate Sticks: Ticket Chocolate

Clothing: Old Navy and Gap
Anna: Coat // Sweater // Blouse // Cords // Shoes
Gabriel: Sweater // Jeans // Shoes // Hat
Veronica: Sweater // Vest // Jeans // Boots // Hat

20 Gifts Under $25

December 13, 2013

I couldn’t let the season go by without drumming up just one gift guide;)
I thought it would be most helpful to share gift ideas under $25 so you don’t have to look at another gift guide and be afraid to click on the link and find out the price tag. Hope you enjoy these finds, and hope it helps find jus the right thing for your friends and family!

x, Anna

Top to Bottom:
Faux Fur Throw // Denim Ball Cap // Bar Striped Tee (30% off with code GIFTNOW) // Monogram Mug // Triangle Necklace
Hair Ties // I AM Perfumes // Antler Bottle Opener // A Year of Pies // Living Well One Line a Day
Giraffe Trinket Dish // 2 Studded Pyramid Bracelets (on sale) // Oh My Deer Print // Matte Stylo Sticks //
Leather Clutch (40% off today) // Flash Bobbi Set // Minimergency Kit // Photo Stacks // Fair Isle Socks // Polka Dot Notepads

Packing for a Winter Week for a family of 5…

December 12, 2013

^^Max’s pants are from Les Petites Darlings! (Patch Sweater and Hat from Old Navy)^^

As you know, recently we headed up to the great mitten and spent a week in a white wintery city with family. It was quite wonderful, although packing and unpacking were quite the feat. Packing for a family of 5 for a week in cold weather is not for the faint of heart. I did however have some fantastic tips come through when I was trying to figure it all out. As we gear up for another road trip for Christmas, I thought I would pass some of these helpful tips along!

PACKING TIPS FOR A WINTER WEEK:

Bag your outfits. A few people recommended I pack outfits in separate gallon sized bags. I put Veronica’s and Max’s outfits down to the socks/tights in bags so that I could keep track of what went with what for which day. It also made it easier for Gabe when he was getting them dressed for me. I only packed 5-7 outfits for them (they wear their clothes hard and usually need changed in the middle of the day), with a few extra tops and pants. When clothes are dirty they go back in the plastic bag.

Do your laundry. Simple but so helpful. My sister in law graciously let us do laundry while we were there so we could have it all clean before we headed home and ready to unpack.

Wear the same travel outfit. I put my kids in a comfortable travel outfit that they wore the same day they traveled home. I also did the same and it just keeps it easy to remember and saves a little room.

Repeat. I used to be a girl who would pack a different pair of shoes for each day. Excessive I know. I packed a million just in case things and for this, I have had some interesting stories happen from getting my luggage onto planes (for another time perhaps;)). Since becoming a mother and working on simplifying my life, I now want to make things smooth and easy if possible. So, I only packed a few basic tops, sweaters, and pants, and mix matched throughout the week. I brought one pair of boots and one pair of wellies for the snow. I managed to fit into one suitcase and did perfectly fine!

Hat & Glove Tote – I kept all of our hats, gloves, and scarves in this tote that was waterproof with lots of pockets. It kept everyone’s sets separate (for a day at least:)) and the kids knew where to find them when they needed.

Ask ahead. – If you have to pack larger items (in my case a pack and play and stroller), It might be possible that the people you are staying with have the items or have a friend who does. Hotels often have pack and plays as well. Think through what you will need and ask in advance if its possible to borrow larger items so you don’t have to pack.

FOR THE CAR:

1) SNACK BAG. The snack bag is filled with items that are easy to hand out and are mess free. We stagger them throughout a long trip and it keeps all parties happy. Including the driver.

2) Activity backpacks – We got some backpacks just in time from Paul Frank and the kids chose their favorite books and activities to pack in their bags for the trip. It was what I directed them to when they got squirrely. Magnet boards, coloring books, etc.

3) Mini DVD player. Gabe sings the praises of the mini dvd player all the time to his friends. Its been our favorite way to solve near meltdowns when that 7th hour hits.

4) Music – It’s kind of a given. I don’t hear a peep out of my kids when Raffi is playing:)

As for Gabe, he does his own thing…..which usually involves a stuffed backpack with a pair of shoes that doesn’t fit inside and randomly sits somewhere in the car;)

What about you all? Favorite tricks and tips for travel?