In November, my sister-in-law and I challenged each other to post an Instagram every day of the month...and we both did it! It was kind of tough some days when I totally forgot about it until late at night and had no idea what to post. But looking back, it's fun to see so many pictures from the month. I don't think I'll hold myself to one a day in December, but I do want to try to post more regularly than I used to. I have a tendency to think that I should only post on Instagram if I have something particularly special or noteworthy to share...but along the lines of the quote I posted on Thanksgiving, I want to try to think of every day as being special and noteworthy. I want to take time to appreciate what I have now in my normal, everyday life. I want to document the moments that are fun and memorable and real, even if they're not necessarily the prettiest.

I remember when I first got on Instagram, I thought it would be really great to see the casual, behind-the-scenes photos of some of my favorite bloggers--sort of like when you flip through a magazine to the "Celebrities--they're just like us!" page. But I feel like Instagram is now full of polished content--the same photos that people are posting on their blogs, taken on DSLRs, carefully edited and cropped into squares--instead of quick phone snaps. I totally understand why...I usually get a lot more "likes" when I post a photo that I took on my real camera rather than an iPhone one. And I think a lot of people use Instagram to keep up with blogs, instead of checking all the blogs they follow every day. But anyways, I've just been thinking about it a little. I know that social media is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things (like, at all), but I still think it's worth talking about. Because I'm guessing you've noticed some of the same things too, especially if you're also a blogger!

Sometimes I take a photo of something I want to remember, but then I decide not to post it because it's not pretty. So I guess that begs the question--what's Instagram for? Sharing the prettiest moments (even if they're a bit staged), or the memorable ones (even if they're a bit ugly)? Both are valid, and maybe the best answer is a healthy mix. I know that I, for one, love seeing the more imperfect and unstaged "real life" photos, because they're so relatable. But I definitely like the pretty stuff, too (who doesn't!?). Anyways, those are just a few of the things I've been thinking about around social media. I know, leave it to me to start try and turn Instagram into something deep, right? Ha! What this post was supposed to be was just a few of my Instagrams from November. So let's get on with that. If you want to see more, I'd love for you to follow me.

We went to a couple movies this month--Ben's pick was Interstellar and mine was St. Vincent. Both were good!

We found some fancy chocolates at a local store and had to give them a try. I mean, look at how pretty the packaging is--and the flavors?! So fun. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the bacon bits (too bad) but I did love the toffee brittle.

This month was really, reeeaaaallly cold so our evening activity of choice has been turning on the fire as soon as we get home and hanging out right by it for warmth. We've also been watching a lot of Gilmore Girls and drinking tons of hot apple cider.

This is my desk at work (see all the Julep polishes in the back?). The mug is from Ban.do and it's advice is very wise indeed--"but first, coffee."

These are a few of my other favorite desk accessories/essentials. I'm sure it's not obvious at all what my favorite color is.

I got many a red cup this month. There's just something about them that makes me want to order coffee more! Smart strategy, Starbucks...

This is a little corner of our living room. If you can read the spines of any of those design books, I recommend them all.

We hung up our new deer head from White Faux Taxidermy this month! The "Sweet Dreams" pillow cases are from Uncommon Goods.

The week of Thanksgiving, I got to play around with these adorable Trophy cupcakes at work. You can see the results here and here.

And this past weekend, we went shopping and I got inspired to decorate for winter! I still haven't done anything yet (whoops!) but hopefully this weekend I'll get a chance to.

How was your month? I'd love to hear. And if you have any thoughts on the whole balance of real life/pretty stuff on social media, I'd love to hear that too!

P.S. Check out today's 24 Merry Days giveaway over on In Honor of Design! It's a super cute bar cart + $100 to accessorize it with. I totally want that!

I was chatting on Friday about shopping and supporting small businesses. It’s something I really want to do more! Especially when it comes to gift-giving…half the fun of giving a gift is finding something unique and special, something fun that the recipient might not treat themselves to. And smaller boutiques are the perfect place to find those special items with a cool story behind them--including one-of-a-kind pieces that no one else will have. One of my favorite small boutiques is Baba Souk. They have such fun, colorful items that are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face! I put together this gift guide with suggestions for who you could give each item to…but let’s be honest, I want it all myself. Just email me if you need my address…you can totally send me a gift, you know! Just kidding, just kidding.

1. For your friend with a black thumb…a plant she can’t kill! / 2. For your sister…adorable baskets to store jewelry and trinkets (put some surprises inside). / 3. For the Seattleite…some cloud pot holders, because you might as well embrace it. / 4. For the hostess with the mostest…a graphic cheese plate. / 5. For your bff…a tassel necklace! You can totally get a matching one. / 6. For the new parents…baby dancing shoes. In gold. / 7. For your coworker…this awesome mug. It’s funny enough for a White Elephant exchange and cool without trying too hard. Fill it with a gift card to a nearby coffee shop, to make it even more thoughtful. 

What’s your favorite item and who would you get it for? I’m also curious, who is the hardest person to shop for on your list?

P.S. Check out Say Yes for today's 24 Merry Days giveaway! You can win TWO bikes from Public Bikes.

Thank you to Baba Souk for partnering with me on this post.

Can you believe it’s the first of December? This year is just flying by for me. But it definitely feels like winter in Seattle! We actually got a little bit of snow over the weekend and it was soooo very cold. I love snow on my days off, since it makes the world seem a little more magical and bright. I know it will get less fun as the season wears on, especially when the snow turns to rain, and then freezes into ice, etc. But for now, I’m enjoying it. It’s fun to run outside for a bit, then come back in and warm up by the fire with hot cocoa, games, and yummy desserts. Besides snow and cozy indoor activities, another thing I’m excited for this December is 24 Merry Days! I participated in this last year, and I’m really happy to be doing it again. In case you don't remember, here's the gist: 24 days, 24 bloggers, 24 AMAZING giveaways. Each blogger will be hosting a giveaway on their own blog, with one a day from December 1st to the 24th.

And the prizes are SO good. Here are just a few of the things you could win: a Loeffler Randall bag, a Smeg fridge, a Public bike, and gift cards to the likes of Lulu & Georgia, West Elm, Anthropologie, Artsy Modern, and Land of Nod. Oh, plus one of the prizes will be a Drop Scale AND an iPad mini.

Check out the 24 Merry Days website and the 24 Merry Days Facebook page for more info. And head over to The Sweetest Occasion today for the very first giveaway!!

I’ll try to remind you where to go every day so you don’t miss a single giveaway. Definitely make sure you don’t miss mine! It’s on December 7th--and it’s a good one.

P.S. Shoutout to Audrey from This Little Street for organizing the whole thing, and Gloria from Little White Whale for designing the website!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know I did. We're heading back to Seattle today, so I won't be participating in any in-store Black Friday madness, but I do have my eyes peeled for great deals online. I will say, as much as I love a good sale, I'm kind of over the whole frenzied Black Friday thing. I feel like it just leads to my problem of buying things because they're "such a deal!" and not because they're something I really want. You know what I mean? There's a new shopping holiday that started a few years ago, and I'm more excited about this one: Small Business Saturday. It's the day after Black Friday (aka tomorrow), and it's all about shopping and supporting small businesses. I always try to shop small when I can, because I like feeling like my purchase actually matters. Plus, I usually find better quality items and more unique stuff at small boutiques. I mean, I definitely like Target too (not gonna lie) but let's be honest, how many people have you already seen with those striped Oh Joy mugs? So it's nice sometimes to feel like I've "discovered" something new and fresh, that not everyone has. One of my favorite shops that I recently found is Sister Golden. They sell gorgeous, high quality pieces from amazing artists...and they're a mother-daughter team! How cute is that?

I started following them on Instagram a couple weeks ago, and as soon as I saw this photo, I knew I had to get my hands on some of those pillows. They're 100% linen and hand dip dyed. The colors are AMAZING. And they're actually made in-house at Sister Golden!

I'm so happy I was able to get a couple…they make our bedroom feel so much more cheery, colorful, and complete!

I also wanted to share a few other items that I love from Sister Golden. If you like these too, you're in luck! They’re offering 25% off this weekend on everything except original art. And tomorrow, they're also giving away a free 8x8 art print with all orders over $100, to celebrate Small Business Saturday!

1. Beach Glass Pillow / 2. Trifecta Necklace / 3. Speckled Vase Set / 4. Desert Purple Kilim Pillow / 5. Copper Foil Bowl Set / 6. Cherry Speckled Mug / 7. "What I See in the Clouds" Original Art / 8. Monterey Shibori Pouch

I'd love to know...are you doing any Black Friday shopping? Small Business Saturday shopping? Both?