Holiday Festivities

~ my family celebrates Christmas on the 24th. i spend Christmas day normally with my best friend's family. we're Persian so Christmas to us is an adopted holiday. i grew up with my cousins whose mother is absolutely bananas {bananas is good} over Christmas so we became accustomed to celebrating every year. i love Christmas mostly for the presents. i'm kidding. its a great time to spend with family and friends and just settle down and enjoy some quality time, good food, drinks and just overall merriment. i bake A LOT over the holidays, gifting everyone i can think of with delicious goodness. i've gotten better over the years, practice making perfect and can now call myself an avid baker. i cook also but i've been cooking for a while, the baking is relatively new. there is something about feeding people that brings me joy. especially baked goods. i think their tummies feel the same. i thought i'd share a bit of my Christmas eve with you all. we had a bunch of family friends over and watched Home Alone 1 & 2. i hope you all had a wonderful day and Santa was good to you ~

~ started my morning with a delicious cup of creamy earl grey tea {i love the one from the secret garden tea house in kerrisdale} in my new monogrammed anthropologie mug. i was so sad i didn't get one last year because it is just the prettiest! i jumped this year when i found it and im glad i did!

~ this adorable entry way table is decorated with all dollar store finds! even the vases. i just spray painted them gold~

~ i love a good bar cart. styling a bar cart is loads of fun! this versatile bar cart was a gift to myself last year. i've used it for so many different things and its so perfect for any kind of event. i got some super pretty lights from martha stewart {thanks tarah} to give it a little glimmer. a mix of target and indigo accessories and bar ware were perfect compliments to the bit of decor on the bottom level. i like scouring home sense and michaels for good deals on decorative items. i thought it worked out in a really lovely, understated way~

~ a closer look. the lights are battery-operated so i had to find a creative way to hide it. a few gold napkins and a champagne glass filled with ferrero rocher chocolates et voila. i included a little DIY sparkly moose i made a few days ago ~

~ couldn't leave out my little fur monsters in their snappy bow ties ~

~ a super delicious appetizer: burrata {from trader joe's} with a tomato compote that Tarah makes from a Jamie Oliver recipe. it is SO good. we usually serve it with proscuitto and baguette. and of course i have a monogrammed cheese plate from indigo ~

~ some of the baked goods i made: raspberry thumprints and coconut thumprints topped with creamy caramel and fleur de sel ~

~ a very delicious lemon cream cheese tart topped with pomegranates and mint chiffonade. i adapted the recipe from joy of baking ~

~ of course no Christmas eve would be complete without leaving Santa come cookies ~

 xoxo Oz

Wish List

~ when target starts putting out their Christmas decoration, you know the holidays are nearing! i love the holidays. not only because of Christmas but mostly because collectively we take more time to spend with family and friends, sitting by toasty fires drinking apple cider and enjoying desserts a-plenty {guilt-free of course!}. my girlfriends and i, we don't really gift each other anymore and if we do, it is usually a DIY gift or something edible. however! that doesn't stop me from putting together a wish list of delights for whomever desires to buy me a gift to choose from. my wish lists...yes, plural, do tend to change as i get excited about something new however, i am attempting to not be such a pack-rat of prettiness so this is my attempt at keeping it controlled. attempt is the operative word, we'll see how that works out. check out below for links on where to buy {no, no, not for me-should you so be inclined though...i kid!-for you and your loved ones} 

1. Essie Jiggle Hi Jiggle Lo ~ a super fun molten gold because gold everything allthetime

2. Hourglass Mineral Veil ~ i've heard a lot about this makeup artist favorite. i don't use too many primers for myself but the buzz behind this has my interest peaked

3. Indigo Gold Cursive Monogram Mug ~ my mug-loving heart broke when Anthropologie sold out of their gold monogram mugs last year. and then i saw these! heart mended

4. Charlotte Olympia Kitty Velvet Flats ~ every cat lover and non-cat lover, loves these. i've dreamed about them since last year. will continue to dream until they're under the tree

 5. Anthropologie Champagne Bubble Highballs ~ they're golden bubbles that you drink golden bubbles out of. need i say more?

xoxo
Oz