12 Things of Christmas

1 BRAG-WORTHY OHIO PRODUCT

Tavern Vinegar

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2 SPLURGE-WORTHY FINDS

Gold-rimmed Agate Coasters

Wool Water Bottle Cover

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3 READ-WORTHY BLOGS

The Homesteady

Art of Doing Stuff

Be Up and Doing

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4 CHEERS-WORTHY COCKTAILS

French 75

White Sangria

Champagne Punch

Grapefruit Sage Mimosa

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5 SHOP-WORTHY SMALL BUSINESSES

Brim Papery

Carver Junk Company

Crave Studio

Knack

Poppy Soap Co.

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6 YUM-WORTHY CBUS EATS + DRINKS

Bakersfield

Curio

Dirty Franks

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

Kittie's Cakes

Pasquales

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7 USE-WORTHY FREE FONTS

Get them here

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8 GIFT-WORTHY DIYS

Board Butter

DIY Lip Balm

Peppermint Foot Scrub

Tiny Pots

Lemon Sugar Scrub

Christmas Potpourri

DIY Bitters

Tea Towel Heating Pads

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9 SWOON-WORTHY WRAP JOBS

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 10 PONDER-WORTHY TIDBITS

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11 VISIT-WORTHY DESTINATIONS

Perini's Ranch | Buffalo Gap, TX

Midnight Cowboy | Austin, TX

Nestled amongst the curiosities and crazy of 6th Street in downtown ATX, you'll find this unsuspecting door. Don't be fooled by the shady exterior. Behind that door you'll discover an oasis in the chaos, and what I would consider one of the best speakeasy bars in the country. Be forewarned, house rules are strictly enforced and reservations are a must. There is a two drink per person minimum and a two-hour maximum. All of which, combined with the building's seedy past and stellar cocktails, makes The Midnight Cowboy an absolute must-visit.

Broken Spoke | Austin, TX

If you're looking for live honkey tonk, real Texas musicians and a more local crowd than you'll find on 6th Street, head over The Broken Spoke on Lamar The drinks are cheap, the enchiladas are amazing and the people are fun, friendly and anything but shy. Come prepared to practice your two-step. This place can make a country music lover out of just about anyone.

Shirley's Tippy Canoe | Troutdale, OR

Once in awhile you stumble across a place that feels so perfectly perfect you'd swear you stepped into a movie set. Shirley's Tippy Canoe is one of those places. We stumbled across this gem along the Columbia River Gorge scenic route, and I couldn't have dreamed up a more picturesque mountain town roadside stop. If quaint charm isn't your thing, then let's talk about the food. Because...this club sandwich. Ask for a seat on the patio (it's amazing!) and enjoy.

Indian Beach | Ecola State Park, OR

Robledo Family Winery | Sonoma, CA

A few years ago, we took a trip to northern California. By chance, we stumbled across the Robledo Winery -- and decided to check out their October harvest festival. I could write for pages about what a rare and wonderfully special experience it was, but instead I will simply say this: go there. Eat, drink and be merry in the company of people you love. Raise a glass with people you are meeting for the first time. Let the wine and the moment reconnect you to history and the land and the story of all of us. Skip the big name wineries. Head down the rural road to Robledo. You'll be glad you did.

Timberline Lodge | Mt. Hood, OR

Main Street | Greenville, SC

Chicago Fine Arts Building

Louisiana Bayou

Piazza del Campo | Siena, Italy

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12  STOCKING-WORTHY STUFFERS  (under $20)

Lily Oval Skinny Bangle ($12)

Poe-ka Dot Pouch ($12)

Forged Iron Sheers (Small $10, Large $14)

Screenprinted Tea Towel

14k Gold Hex Studs 

Custom state stamp 

Hammered Copper Earrings

Books Print

Pine Root Hair Stick

Fireside Candle (This closely replicates the scent of my much more expensive Henri Bendel Firewood candle)

Little Women

Safari Ring Dish

Halloween 2014 | Nevermore Party

Halloween has come and gone, but the photos and memories live on. This year I hosted a small gathering of friends.

The Handelier was created using $1 plastic hands found at the Dollar Tree. I gently screwed an eye bolt into each "wrist," then strung to an existing light fixture using craft wire (varying lengths) to create the illusion of a chandelier made of floating hands.

$5 worth of muslin from the fabric store + a couple $1 packs of assorted-size styrofoam balls + twigs from the backyard = spooky centerpiece. (Or corner piece, rather...)

Layers of dry white and black beans + $5 bunches of red roses and white African roses + an assortment of skulls, crows and white candles from the Dollar Tree + free twigs from the backyard. The wooden half-crate was a $7 score from Michaels, and gets used for various table displays throughout the year.

These cardboard witch hats were discounted to under $1 each the week before Halloween. Using a seam ripper, I was able to poke holes through the tips of the hat and string them up from the existing light fixture using craft wire. The red bulb was a $6 score from Home Depot.

No Halloween party would be complete with a subtle nod to the magic of Hogwarts. Bottles were all purchased at Michaels on sale for under $1 each. I will have a future post coming soon in which I plan to share my Harry-inspired imagination station. (So check back!)

Halloween Party Menu

Fun Fact: Halloween is the second "spendiest" holiday of the year. (Christmas scores the #1 spot.) This year, it is projected Americans will spend $7.4 billion on Halloween. That's billion-with-a-b. (That's also a lot of Elsa costumes.) While I tend to be the token hostess of Christmas, this year Halloween is happening at my house. I set a personal challenge to see how far I could make my demon decorating dollar stretch. Later this week, I will share some favorite finds from various Halloweek shopping adventures. (Dollar Tree, Michaels and the local thrift have become my new BFFs.)

In the meantime, here's a sneak peek guests received last night in the form of a party menu teaser. (My inner ghouly ghoul + inner copywriter had loads of fun with this.) Keep an eye on the #BYOBoos hashtag on Instagram and Twitter for additional party frights and delights over the next few days.