7 Quick Takes in Images

7 Quick Takes 

(Consider yourself spared my usual verbosity)

Have a great weekend!

Okay, one more thing (you know I can't resist), don't forget the Thrifting Challenge. Send me photos or link up if you are a blogger. Check out the awesome ladies who have already linked up. And don't forget to join me next week for the 

12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide for Him (Part II).

Now I'm done. Go in Peace.

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A Twelve Days of Christmas Gift Guide

I know, I know, we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet, but there is a reason I'm busting out the C word early. Now that I'm an adult, I realize that the "magic" of Christmas - the sights, the smells, the traditions - don't just happen. Behind the magic is planning, creativity and effort on the part of someone. Now, to avoid becoming crazy right around the day itself and distracting from its true meaning, it helps to think through some gift ideas a wee bit beforehand. Let's focus today on the most important man in your life and the twelve days of Christmas.

The twelve days of Christmas occur from December 25 to January 6, the feast of Epiphany (even if you think you know about Epiphany, check out this article - beautiful). The idea of giving a gift on each of the twelve days has always had me smitten. Beyond the fact that we all love thoughtful gifts, this approach to Christmas gift giving strikes a chord for another reason. By really living up December 25 and the days that follow, it allows Advent to remain a time of spiritual preparation. 

Hence the idea of this post: a 12 days of Christmas gift how-to for that man in your life (you can thank me later, gentlemen). This how-to will be two parts - Part one: ideas for  small gifts for each of the days and tips on how to do this on a tight budget, and Part two: chic wrapping and presentation for next to nothing.

THE GIFTS

A book

iTunes gift card

An alcoholic beverage

A homemade book of coupons

A framed pic for his workplace

A coupon for an activity together

A gift certificate to a restaurant for a future date

A "love list" (a list of the things you love about him)

A toiletry bag filled with minis of his favorite toiletries

A cup for his morning beverage, with a love note tucked inside

Beer or wine or rocks glasses (depending on your man's style)

Something for personal comfort - slippers, a throw (because I monopolize this!)

A homemade treat

A kind deed for someone in his family

So that is actually fourteen gift ideas, but everybody is different, so maybe some will be more feasible than others. It may seem like a lot of time and money, so let's break it down. 

A book - check the local used book store.
iTunes gift card -I actually cash in my change jar as part of my pre-Christmas cleaning. I discovered last year that Coinstar machines (usually at your grocery store) will convert change to gift cards for NO FEE! There are many options, including iTunes, Amazon, Gap, Old Navy, Starbucks, Lowe's, Regal Cinema, the list goes on and on...
An alcoholic beverage - this one is easy.
A homemade book of coupons - a little bit of labor, but free. Here is a free printable.
A framed pic - thrift a frame and print a pic at the drugstore, all for about $1.25.
A coupon for an activity - sign up to receive emails from Groupon, Living Social and other such sites (I recently paid $15 for a day of indoor climbing for two, including all gear). You also might get $5 off your first purchase.
A restaurant gift certificate - again, go with Groupon and such, but also check out Restaurant.com. This site has discounted certificates to local restaurants, and occasionally runs promos for even further discounts. So far this year I have purchased two $25 gift certificates, one for $4 and one for $1.60.
A "love list"- list what you love most about him, gloriously free.
Toiletry bag - make trips to the gym or out of town easier. Amazon has some leather options for under $20, and I actually love this canvas one (only $6.76 - who needs rounded numbers!). These bottles ($7.20) have a nice masculine look. Another option is to buy minis of the products he already uses.
A cup for his morning beverage - a to-go mug or a tumbler, with a love note tucked inside. Both of these items are ubiquitous and inexpensive. The love note, on the other hand, is priceless.
Glasses (the drinking kind) - surprisingly inexpensive. We just bought a 12 pack of pint glasses at Wal-Mart for $9.99. Four packs are $5. Or, if your man likes specialty beers such as barley wines, check the local thrift store for brandy snifters (these are fairly expensive new, yet I always see them in thrift stores). 
Something for personal comfort - use your imagination (and budget) here, think slippers, cozy throws, and the like.
A homemade treat - inexpensive and self-explanatory.
A kind deed for someone in his family  - either free, or the most expensive item on this list, you be the judge!

Since the original publication of this post, Hallie over at Moxie Wife created a link up so other bloggers could share their man gift ideas. Head on over and check it out! Or, looking for some other Christmas on a budget ideas? Check this link up.

Don't forget my Part II if you need some budget wrapping inspiration to complete this project!

Sweater to Snood DIY

After seeing the fur neck warmer in the Celine fall collection (pic below),  I mentioned via 7 Quick Takes that I was going to try this faux fur neck warmer DIY if I could find the time. 

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Well, I stopped by the fabric store and I wasn't super impressed with the faux fur options that I found, or with their prices. I didn't buy the fabric and I just put the idea aside. Last night I was struck with the notion that maybe I could use an old sweater. I raided my sweaters and found an angora and wool blend Express turtle neck sweater that I had thrifted about eight years ago. Sorry bunnies, this project did involve you after all... 

I cut off the neck and the sleeves. The result looked like this (I apologize for the poor tutorial pics; I did this on a whim at 9pm last night): 

I quickly stitched the neck hole and the bottom shut. I then folded it into thirds and stitched the layers together. It looked like this: 

And finally, I turned it so the folded over parts were on the outside, sewed the two ends together to create a ring, and flipped it right side out. The whole process took fifteen minutes. Please let me assure that I am not an experienced sewer or crafter, and it still only took 15 minutes! Here is the end result:

As I was sewing, I was also skyping with my sister Virginia, who suggested that I use the turtleneck portion as an ear warmer. Good call, Gin, good call. She also suggested that I save the sleeves for leg warmers. Nice.

So there you have it, old sweater to chic snood (sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it...) in fifteen minutes! What do you think? Would you try this?

UPDATE: Since living with this snood for a couple of months, I decided to make a change. It was just too warm, too substantial... So I pulled out all of my stitching, and cut the front and back apart along the existing side and shoulder seams. Doing this effectively gave me two pieces of fabric for two snoods. I then re-sewed the snood following the same steps as above. I really like the result; check it out HERE. Need some more crafts? Check out Ana's Link-Up!

7 Quick Takes: My Post Process

So I will be joining Jen again this week for 7 Quick Takes...

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I am constantly asking myself how other bloggers do it. How do they consistently create written content while managing homes and/or an outside job and children and husbands and all those other elements that life is made of?  In a word, what is their "process"? Then I thought maybe some of you out there are wondering what my process is. Well, folks, today is the day you find out.

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In the morning I put a notebook and pen out on the table. As I go about my business of tidying, feeding, diapering, you know, the whatnot of caring for my three children under four, I jot down ideas as they hit me.

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A back section of said notebook is random to-do lists and thoughts regarding the blog. The front of the notebook is where the magic happens. Every time I have a post idea I jot it down at the top of a fresh page. At any given time there are many such pages going.

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I use that "post page" to brainstorm, record research, and make a [sometimes very] rough outline.

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I use my phone to do online research piecemeal throughout the day when I have an odd moment here or there, and I glance through relevant books while the kids play.

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I set aside two hours one or two evenings each week, in addition to a naptime or two, to do the actual writing.

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Working off the post page and relevant webpages that I've bookmarked, I sit down and start writing. Whether or not I feel confident in the opening or the direction of the post, I force myself to write for 20-30 minutes. Usually by then the wheels are turning. I may need to tweak what I have, but having something is the key to confidently creating a great post. I use the rest of my writing time to finish the post and polish it.

If you are a writer and/or blogger I would love to hear about your process!

Have a great weekend all!

Friday for Fifteen

Before my husband and I were married, we really enjoyed dates at  Sharp Edge in Pittsburgh, which offers a wide variety of craft and import beers. We enjoyed trying new things and broadening our knowledge and palette (and that lovin' feelin') at the same time. This week's Friday for Fifteen is a sort of take home version of that date; if you don't have a date, do this with one or more friends. It's a lot of fun! 

us on one such date to Sharp Edge

The Drink: Sampler 6-Pack of Beer. I have several recommendations based on value to quality ratio, availability, and accessibility in the sense of taste (pun completely accidental). Try the Saranac Adirondack Trail Mix Variety Pack ($7.99/6, $13.99/12), The Dundee Craft Pack ($10.99/12), or the Great Lakes Sampler Pack (I'm having a hard time pinning down a price online, but its not an expensive brand). These beers are gateways out of the land of Bud Lite and into the land of the connoisseur. Another option is a "choose your own" six pack, which some grocery stores offer (usually around $9.99, depending on the brands). Whatever you go with, you want to make sure that you have at least four different styles (such as IPA, Porter, Stout, etc, you get my drift) represented in the mix. 

The How-To: Pour a bottle of each of the different beers in the pack. Put them on a tray, unlabeled, moving from least to most intense in terms of flavor (you might have to take a nip in the kitchen if you don't have enough experience to make an educated guess based on type - life is so hard sometimes...) Make sure to keep the bottles in the same order and out of sight.  Smell a beer, and then sample it, letting it swirl around the inside of the mouth and over the tongue. Sample the beers, seeing who can guess the style of the particular beer and pull out some of the key flavor components (e.g. citrus, chocolate, coffee, etc.). And finally, drink the beer!

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The Food: True beer experts like Michael Jackson (the other one), recommend just nibbling bland crackers between beers to avoid influencing how you experience the beer itself. If you plan on drinking the [at least] four beers that you just opened, you will definitely need something more substantial. Try this simple nacho recipe (under $7). 

Preheat the oven to 425*. 

Spread a layer of tortilla chips on a cookie sheet. 

Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle on some garlic salt. 

Add any extras you like, such as chopped (and drained) fresh tomatoes, olives, hot peppers, or whatever sounds good to you. 

Cover liberally with shredded cheese. 

Bake until cheese starts to melt and then switch to broil to brown the cheese. 

Remove from the oven and squeeze a lime over the nachos. 

Enjoy.

A Thrifting Challenge

This morning I had two realizations as I was rushing out the door to vote (if you haven't done so, git 'er done): One, I really like this outfit, and two, this outfit is head to toe thrifted (except for the watch). If you have read my Thrifter's Apologia, you already know how I feel about thrifting. Now, the lady in me doesn't like to talk numbers and brands, because it's my personal philosophy that the correlation between those things and style is not a direct one, and the images I post are meant to express my personal style and/or illustrate some fashion point I am making.  I will break my code though, this once, and give you the fiscal facts (still no brands, désolé), in hopes that it will impel you to give thrifting a go. 

THE BREAKDOWN

Black wool coat - $15

Electric blue button down - $1.50

Black skinnies - $4

Black leather belt - $1.50

Black leather shoes - $5

Total - $27

And now, I have a challenge for you, my friends. Here it is: 

Go thrifting. 

Make an outfit. 

Take pictures.  

Record the fiscal facts. 

Send them to me (marytboctor@gmail.com or to Mary Boctor on Facebook). 

And I will post them. 

OR 

If you are a blogger, you can participate link up style.

7 Quick Takes: Style Edition

Today I will be joining Jen for 7 Quick Takes. Let's just call this "Style Edition."

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If your coat has a collar, pop it. It almost always looks better and gives an air of old world mystery.

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Try wearing two scarves (so says Ines de la Fressange). When it comes to scarves, a thicker wrap feels more luxurious, so try combining two shorter/lighter complementary scarves (so says me).

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If your coat has a belt, don't worry about buttoning, just tie the belt.

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Layer pieces with pronounced necklines, such as a collared shirt under a cowl necked sweater, or a half zip pullover.

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If you try #4, wear an updo to keep the look sleek and clean.

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Borrow something from your husband, such as a scarf or a watch.

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Roll the sleeves of your blazer back just a bit to reveal the cuff of your shirt.

See some of these suggestions in action here.


Have a great weekend, and if you are in the mood for more style reads, click the button for a fun style link up!