Living for Pretty

Celebrating all things pretty, happy and inspiring. From renovation stories, to recipes, decorating, parties and little life lessons, you’ll find a little bit of everything here.

it’s that time of the year

With saw in hand and the scent of pine needles in our nose and lungss, we scoured the green acres for the perfect Christmas tree. The mantle is decorated, the advent calendar up and mistletoe hung. This weekend we started our first holiday tradition as we danced around the tree with eggnog in hand.

gift guide: coworker

Buying gifts for coworkers isn’t easy. For one, there’s a lot of them, so price points need to be reasonable, and gifts comparable, along with the problem that you may not know your coworkers tastes very well. Below find gift ideas that are sure to please those office buddies that make your 9 to 5 a little more enjoyable.  

1. Owl Pencil Holder 2. Kraft Paper To-Do List 3. Quirky Tumbler 4. “Let’s Do Lunch” business card holder 5. Trinket Dish 6. Inspirational Stamp 7. Andy Warhol Philosophy Pencils  8. Luggage Tag 9. Hand Cream Set 10. Adventure of the Month Calendar

gift guide for the guys

I have three brothers, a husband, two brother-in-laws and our dads. All to say, every year I end up shopping for a lot guys come Christmas time. While it’s still a struggle every year (you can’t get them something pretty, they like function), I think I’ve gotten it down. See below for 20 gift ideas for every guy on your list (at an array of price points too)!

1. Watch – classy and timless 2. All-Terrain USB Key this can withstand a semi truck 3. Sweater with elbow patches 4. Iphone Alarm Clock Wood + technology = no brainer 5. 36 hours For the guy who loves to travel but has limited time off  6. Mink Oil for polishing up his leather shoes 7. Harry Winston Shave Set A shave set that focuses on quality, not packaging (although the packaging is pretty nice too)  8. The Man Can Manly skin products in a manly paint can  9. Izola Flask Witty sayings will help ring in the New Year with style 10. Remote Control Helicopter A “toy” that is serious fun for adult men too.
The items above, plus a few more awesome guy gift ideas:

dreaming of a white (and gold) christmas

Our first Christmas together means we have a unique opportunity to buy some holiday staples, like stockings, tree skirts, ornaments, and tree toppers. While I’ve always been a “classic” Christmas girl (think green garlands, real mistletoe, topiaries and wreaths), I’ve been drawn to splashes of gold and white. (It also helps that some of our left over wedding supplies are of the gold and white variety). I love that metallics act as a neutral, so any entertaining pieces acquired can easily be transitioned into year-round party pieces. 


moist vegan pumpkin bread

Pumpkin Bread comes right after the PSL on the list of things I love about fall (it’s an extensive list). My mother has a wonderful pumpkin bread recipe that is moist, sweet and of course, pumpkiny that I loved growing up. But alas, not vegan. So with some research and improvisation I’ve found the secret to a moist vegan pumpkin bread is coconut milk. I sent my parents a few muffin-sized versions and my mom now wants the recipe. I think that makes this baking adventure a success. 

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup coconut milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8″ x 4″ loaf pans.
2. Combine flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add pumpkin puree, oil and coconut milk. Divide between (2) 8″ x 4″ loaf pans.
3. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If making muffins bake for approximately 35 minutes, check at 20 minutes.

kari herer gallery wall art: splurge or steal?

Our home lacks a gallery wall and creating one is getting higher on the priority list everyday. While browsing on Anthropologie, I spotted the Botanical horse print and knew it would be the perfect fit for our home. I loved the delicateness of the flowers and the airiness; $58 for a print that you love (and oh, I do) is not bad, and then while researching inexpensive frame options, I saw the similarly styled Botanical Rabbit print at Ikea for just $3. Both are done by artist Kari Herer. Half of me wanted to run to Ikea at that moment. I love the bright white of the horse, but the rabbit is just so cute I want to buy a dozen and call Christmas gifts done. One of these will be mine, maybe even both. 

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