Candy cane walls!

My dears, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and the happiest of holidays! While I hope that you are still enjoying some much deserved time off, I just wanted to pop in and share a few shots of my holiday decor with you (maybe it will inspire some New Year’s Eve decorating ideas?).

A week before Christmas, our white Christmas tree set against our white walls left me feeling a little blah. I wanted to add a graphic and playful pop to our living room…

A white Christmas.

Suddenly, visions of Rebecca Ward’s tape installations for Kate Spade popped into my head. Also floating around in the cocktail of my imagination were The Cambridge Satchel Company’s fluorescent bags.

Add to that the striped backs of our New Year’s cards and DIY candy cane walls were practically inevitable.

ISO: White with pops of bright.

I scooped up some neon-colored gaffer’s tape on Amazon and went to town.

Note: Gaffer’s tape, which fittingly was invented for the entertainment industry, is amazing because unlike duct tape it’s easy to work with and to reposition, plus it won’t peel the paint off of your walls or floors.

My favorite palette is white with pops of bright colors, so in addition to striping our white walls, I also wrapped our gifts in thick white drawing paper from our local art supply store (hoping to evoke the idea of a blanket of snow).

Paint chip samples make instant -- and free -- gift tags.

I also picked up a silver paint pen and then hit up Home Depot for paint chip samples, which I used as gift tags. (Gaffer’s tape made great gift tags as well!) I used the silver paint pen to address the tags and wrapped simple white ribbon around each gift.

A playful tree topper!

Finally, I topped off our white Christmas tree with my favorite Kate Spade hat. It seemed fitting for our first Christmas in LA!

What do you think? Would you stripe your walls? Do you have any Christmas or New Year’s Eve decorating ideas you’d like to share? I’d love to hear xx!

p.s. Polka dot walls!

p.p.s. Last year’s first post-Christmas in LA Christmas.

[Photos by BussBuss]

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, my loves! Before we go on an Internet break for the weekend (my husband is literally unplugging ours in T minus 30 minutes), I wanted to wish you a wonderful holiday with your loved ones…and also ask you a question: When do you open the presents?

In my family, it’s always on Christmas morning, in our pajamas with hot chocolate. In my husband’s (German) family, it’s always on Christmas Eve night, dressed to the nines with something bubbly in hand. I love both traditions, so since we are hosting Christmas for the first time ever, we’ll be doing both! Might as well spread out the festivities, right? But I’m curious: When do you open presents? What are your Christmas/holiday traditions?

I have some friends who are from Jewish/Christian families, which means eight days of presents AND Christmas day fun, too. Talk about hitting the jackpot! Wouldn’t that be the ultimate as a kid (um, or as an adult)?

Okay, I am off to enjoy some much needed time offline. Have a warm and fuzzy, hot-chocolate-fueled Christmas and holiday weekend and I look forward to catching up after the break xx!

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My darlings, did you know that you can send a call from Santa? I’ve been having lots of fun sending calls (for free) to my family.You can customize the fields, meaning you can get Santa to call your husband “Boo” and your Dad “a public nuisance.”  Santa will even request that the recipient leave him “a tray of chicken tikka masala.” And when he signs off, Santa can even say” I’m off to pack up the sleigh and polish my rims.” It’s ridiculously fun.

And while the same site does offer a video option, I prefer this video-from-Santa site. I (er, I mean Santa) just sent a message to my niece. I would have been so jazzed to get a call or video message from Santa when I was a kid (um, or even now!). You too?

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Holiday windows at Bergdorf Goodman.

Yesterday we talked Christmas in LA; today let’s talk Christmas in New York! The City really outdoes itself with elaborate window displays and spellbinding decorations. So I thought we’d go on a little tour around town…

Behold, Christmas in New York!

My favorite windows were at Bergdorf Goodman. The theme: Carnival of the Animals!

Fashion bloggers striking a pose at Bergdorf Goodman?

Dreamy and captivating windows at Bergdorf Goodman.

So elegant and magical…

Black and white and chic all over.

You know how I love my zebras!

Dripping in glamour.

Bergdorf’s windows were chic, chic, chic. p.s. Doesn’t this look like Bri?!

Bring on the gold!

All that glitters…

All I want for Christmas is my own giraffe!

Forget about a shiny new sports car; the way to show up to that New Year’s bash is on a giraffe.

Henri Bendel brought the razzle dazzle.

Did you also wanna be a Rockette when you grew up?

Saks Fifth Avenue was wrapped in a shiny red bow.

Oh bow they didn’t.

Toy soldiers stand guard at the St. Regis New York.

Aw, the St. Regis will forever hold a place in my heart. We stayed here right after we got engaged and on our wedding night!

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

The gleaming Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Have you had a chance to see it in person?

Betsey Johnson -- surprise! -- is the mastermind behind this glowing hot pink Christmas tree at The Plaza Hotel.

That’s pink!

Like a giant tutu, Rebecca Taylor's Christmas tree is crafted out of ballet-slipper pink tulle.

Speaking of pink trees, let’s pop downtown to check out Rebecca Taylor’s pretty Christmas tree made from pink tulle.  This would make such a fun alternative to the traditional tree, don’t you think? Do I smell a DIY challenge?

C.Wonder reminds us of the best gift to give and to receive.

While we’re downtown, let’s swing by the new shop C.Wonder! We’ll talk interiors another time, but for now, let’s just enjoy these sweet fellas and their spot-on advice.

Hope you enjoyed our little filedtrip around New York! I know I did. Wishing you lots of wonder this holiday season xx!

[Photos by BussBuss]

The Blog Bergdorf Goodman, Betsey Johnson, Christmas, New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, St. Regis, Window Displays

Do you ever wonder how people in warm and sunshiney LA celebrate the holidays? With diamond snow and lots of sparkle, natch! At least that’s how Beverly Hills celebrates the holiday season. Swarovski recently invited a handful of bloggers to help kick off the holiday lighting festivities in Beverly Hills, so I thought I’d share a few photos with those of you who might be curious about how in the world it can feel Christmas-y when it’s 72 degrees outside — or for my fellow Angels who could use a little holiday inspiration…

First, surround yourself with people you love (I felt so lucky to have a glittering night out with some of my best girlfriends and blogger pals, Kelsi, Gina, Sydne and Kristen).

A good drink doesn’t hurt either! We gathered on the rooftop of the Luxe Hotel on Rodeo, where we toasted the season while taking in the gorgeous views. We were also treated to some delicious nibbles by the hotel’s head chef (did somebody say free crab cakes?).

Next, we were led on a tour of Rodeo Drive, which had been decked out in dazzling Swarovski crystals. Then, we watched Jessica Alba kick off the holiday lighting ceremony. (How cute is she in her Audrey-esque dress?)

You can tweet your holiday wishes to be displayed on the Swarovski-adorned double-helix sculpture that sits smack dab in the middle of Rodeo Drive! Just use hashtag #letitsparkle (would be fun to send a love note, wouldn’t it?)! More info here.

Then, we shimmied down the block to see the Rodeo Drive Christmas tree. It really is a beautiful sight to see. It was a surprisingly cool night, so I was glad I brought along my faux fur coat (c/o of Fabulous Furs) to keep me (and my scalloped shorts and tights) warm.

We had fun playing with Swarovski’s new (free) app, GoldRun, in which one addictive feature lets you take photos of yourself being showered with diamond snow (my fave kind).

Then we headed over to the party at the Beverly Wilshire, where there was — surprise! — a red carpet and a swarm of paparazzi. This is LA, after all.  As Jessica was being interviewed by reporters galore…

We took our turns on the red carpet! Silly blogger, red carpets are for famous people (or at least Real Housewives).

Once inside The BLVD, we enjoyed bedazzled cupcakes, tini martinis, and miniature ahi tuna tacos. Even though it was skipping distance from our old place, I had never been to the Beverly Wilshire and only knew it from Pretty Woman, yeah yeah yeah.

The lobby was dreamily decked out in pinks, reds and whites for the holidays. I’d highly recommend popping by to take it in!

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Santa and his reindeer soared over Beverly Hills! Would you expect anything less from the city with stars in its midst and in its eyes?

 If you’re in LA for Christmas and the holidays, and are in search of festive things to do, a day spent wandering the dazzling streets of Beverly Hills is hard to beat.

Now, I’d love to know: What are your favorite things to do in LA to celebrate the holiday season?

p.s. Happy Hanukkah!

 [Photos by BussBuss]

The Blog Beverly Hills, Fabulous Furs, Kelsi Smith, Kristen Turner, Swarovski, Sydney Summer