Gift Idea: Stocking Stuffers

Posted in Beauty & Fashion, Food, For the Home by Jennifer | Stick Girl JAM

For those who like to try new beauty products:

left to right:
The Lip Slip by Sara Happ — I first found out about this little treasure pot via Daily Candy (I think. They’ve got great gift roundups and product highlights so check ’em out when you can) and ordered through Bath & Body Works, however they no longer carry it. Not to worry, though, because many more have caught onto its wonderfulness — you can order via Nordstrom or Beauty Sage and other online beauty shops too. Plus, it comes in a super chic little box! Be sure to check out the convenient new tube which I’m dying to try! $18-24

Ambre Blends — a little sampler pack of all four essences is only $9. If you want something a bit more substantial, I love the Solace Essence as it has a vanilla note to it and Mumbles prefers the original Ambre (for himself). $44 for 10ml roll-on pure essence oil.

Makeup Remover Face Wipes — I came across these Preserve Skin Care Wipes and you can snag them online from Anthropologie ($38 for 45 pads), one of my favorite bloggers recommends these Say Yes to Cucumber Face Wipes ($5.99 for 30 wipes), and I recently picked these up from Whole Foods. A simple, thoughtful gift for a beauty product/makeup lover.

For the iphone user:

left to right:
iTunes gift card — this is the perfect, thoughtful gift to swoop in with if you know someone else is hefting a larger bill to gift another someone you love an Apple product. This way they can dive right into downloading music and apps on Christmas morning! Like when you were a kid and you got a new toy but no one thought to have batteries on hand? Yeah, go for it. Save the day! It’s also great for music lovers, movie lovers, and the all-around Apple dependent.

Earbud Headphones — Mumbles is always misplacing his headphones so he uses mine and I fret that he’ll lose mine too so the gift that ultimately benefits me (the best kind!) for Mumbles is a masculine wood pair like these. I picked some up whilst in the checkout line at Home Goods recently for like $12.

Tortoiseshell Case for iPhone — this one’s finally back in stock and had been on my wish list for months because it’s a pretty penny at $40 for a phone case. But since I’ve been coveting it for so long, I used a Cyber Monday code and shipped it to my mom so she could gift it to me. She’s super thoughtful like that. Here are some other ideas for iphone cases.

For the foodie:

clockwise:
Crack Caramels — the packaging and cheeky descriptions alone make me want to bite into these delicious-looking small-batch caramels. Order by noon Wednesday for overnight shipping by Friday. $12-55

Bacon Mayonnaise by Empire Mayonnaise is a great gift for a guy who likes to barbecue and anyone who likes Bacon. Which is a lot of people. $9 for a 4oz jar.

Hazelnut Whisky Cookies — I saw these on the Creature Comforts Holiday Gift Guide: Tasty roundup and seeing as these are the Editor’s Pick, I’m sure they’re just as delicious as they sound. $9.50 for six.

A can of Sofia Sparkling Wine – so pretty it doesnt need wrapping and even comes with a straw so if you put it on top the recipient can sip and savor while opening each gift!

Cookie Butter from Trader Joe’s might seem like a random (and heavy) gift…but it’s worth it. While you’re at it, throw in a spoon so the lucky recipient can dig right in! (not pictured)

For anyone:

clockwise:
I always have a little journal in my purse in case an idea for a blog post or craft pops into my head. This Lies I Told and Liked Journal by Archie Grand is the one I’d like next and I also wouldn’t mind one of the Spies I Met and Liked Journals to fulfil my dream of being a Bond girl. $11 each

K. Hall Designs Milk Hand & Body Cream — this soothing scent of vanilla, cream and coconut is soft and cozy. $20

Archipelago Fiji tin candle — smells like vacation! $7.50

SwissCard Pocket Knife — I have this handy, credit-card sized Swiss Army knife and it’s super convenient to keep in your wallet or purse so you always have little things you may need like scissors or a nail file without taking up lots of space or being so small you can never find it in your bag. (Just don’t forget these aren’t allowed as carry-ons on a plane…yeah…oops.) They come in red, pink, black or blue. $35

Do you have any great stocking stuffer gift ideas?

28Nov2012

DIY or Buy: Wood Tree

Posted in For the Home by Jennifer | Stick Girl JAM

Wooden Wall Tree from west elm

What do you do if you want to decorate a tree this holiday season but don’t have space for a tree? This chic, space-saving wooden wall tree from west elm is a great way to add a little Christmas spirit to your home or office without sacrificing floor space (or having to clean up pine needles…or water off your floor). There are tons of variations on the wall tree, but what drew me to this one is that it could quite easily be a fun little DIY project using craft sticks, popicle sticks…heck, you could probably even walk outside and gather some sticks off the ground and create a more rustic version! Make it easy on yourself and use hot glue if you’re going the DIY route, and be sure to add a few layers of “branches” so you can hang some lightweight ornaments. And don’t forget to stack your presents underneath!

(Update: the wooden wall tree from west elm is no longer available on their website so I did some searching and found some other inspiration — see here and here — plus a great DIY for a wooden wall tree from Swoon!)

27Nov2012

Chair Affair

Posted in For the Home by Jennifer | Stick Girl JAM

Following all the recent home furnishing store events lately (see here and here), I’ve become even more obsessed with accent chairs. Here are some of my favorites:

Sedwick Recliner from west elm: Mumbles often talks of wanting a recliner and my mind always conjures images of big, frumpy ones with boney wood construction, worn-down cushions and buttons popping off (not to mention the matching remote control holder slung over one arm…or an elastic magazine pocket on the side. Woof.). But, I think I’ve found the perfect compromise in this sophisticated recliner.

Sedgwick Recliner via west elm

Mrs. Mercado and I couldn’t take our eyes off of this beauty while waiting in line at the West Elm Grand Opening event. We both loved the clean lines and neutral colors but worry a bit about any furniture with a major amount of white. (I like red wine. A lot.)

Everett Striped Chair from west elm

Strandmon Chair from Ikea — I don’t necessarily have room for this in my living room and I don’t have a library room that I envision this in, but that doesn’t keep me from getting excited about the debut of this re-issue based on a classic Ikea Chair. Check out the video on the chair’s story:

These lively lemon yellow Tabouret Chairs from Overstock.com are a huge steal at $300 for a set of four. They have other colors, too, including the traditional industrial look of metal, vibrant red, and a clean, modern white. Plus, they stack to save space! I love the yellow ones as a pop of color in our patio area.

Tabouret Lemon Metal Stacking Chairs from Overstock.com

On the much less practical end, I think this chair from CB2 is so whimsical and I love it — perhaps because I can picture it in our spare bedroom (if there was room!).

Club Chair with Piping from CB2

Target makes the list with a lot of affordable varieties from upholstered chairs to club chairs. We have the Avington Armless Slipper Chair in this festive print, which works well because our living room is a mash up of a lot of these colors. Sometimes, though, I wish for something a little bit more refined like a leather club chair. This set of two bonded leather club chairs is more affordable than one chair at most retailers if you’re looking for a value option.

Avington Armless Slipper Chair – Whimsical from Target.com

Nolan Bonded Leather Club Chair from Target

For these and other seating pinspiration, check out my “You May Be Seated” board on Pinterest.

(images via the credited website retailers)

20Nov2012

Winter White & Gray

Posted in For the Home by Jennifer | Stick Girl JAM

Last night I added these four wool blankets to the Stick Girl JAM Etsy Shop. I absolutely love the neutral colors and the textures, and I hope you do too! Thanks for your support!

15Nov2012

Ladies of Leisure: West Elm Orange County Grand Opening Party

Posted in For the Home by Jennifer | Stick Girl JAM

The second event on our Ladies of Leisure calendar was the much-anticipated grand opening of West Elm in Orange County’s posh South Coast Plaza. In fact, it was adjacent to the first event. The West Elm store is absolutely amazing – check out this awesome living wall that greets you when you walk in…stunning!

Mrs. Mercado and I took a leisurely stroll around the store, stopping to gawk about every 3.5 seconds at something we’d tell a store attendant to add to our tab if we were true ladies of leisure (humor us, will ya?). I say, it’s quite a fun dialogue to hear us perusing the shelves, convincing each other that mauvish purple is a color all-too-often overlooked and such a color really makes a feminine statement when accenting a masculine brown leather couch, and don’t forget to gently lay a faux-fur throw on that couch while you’re at it – adds a bit of cozy but chic playfulness, don’t you think? Also, did you know that steel blue gray is the new neutral? You would if you would’ve been eavesdropping in our conversations throughout the night.

So take note: anything you want to buy in a steel blue or grey now has our stamp of approval for purchase including this rug (which actually is really nice and sort of muted so it would be easy to change up the furniture and throw pillows around it) or this grayish (though it looked like a steel blue in store) glider and ottoman (even if you don’t have a baby! because, you know, you might someday and then it would come in really handy to have this glider and ottoman in a fabric that’s posh but casual and it wouldn’t matter if this hypotethical someday baby was a boy or a girl because it’s such a neutral color it could go with anything.) See, it’s practically in your online shopping cart already, right?!

My favorite thing about the event was probably the super simple, chic libation served as a signature drink for the night: a Moscow Mule made with Bundaberg Ginger Beer, vodka and a lime. Uh-mazing! Bundaberg Ginger Beer is one of my favorite non-alcoholic drinks and I’d never thought to add some vodka to it (silly me!), although I do know our good friend Cappy loves his ginger ale with tequila (smart man). I’m definitely thinking I need to stock our bar area with a bottle of vodka for nights when the wine just won’t cut it. And speaking of bar shelves, have you seen my new bar cart/console table (former vanity) find from Goodwill?

A torturously long line at the end of the grand opening evening gave all of us partygoers a good 20-30 minutes of standing around contemplating how much lighter our bank accounts would be if we gobbled up everything we were eyeing in the store…I’m talking about furniture but I should also point out that as far as gobbling goes, the food at the event was superb. And served by extremely good looking men (and women) if we may say so ourselves. Seriously. It was starting to get embarrassing as we tried to catch the eyes of the cater staff to mosey on over with their trays (West Elm, of course). Luckily, jaw dropping at their good looks was a bit masked by stuffing our faces with food. Hey, we’re married anyway.

When Mrs. Mercado asked me at the end of the party what I’d like most having seen everything in the store, I responded: a bigger house! But, if there’s one item I keep dreaming of buying it would definitely be this.

Things I want from West Elm (edition 1 of 1,000):