Glitter and Hooks

It's that overwhelming yet highly enjoyable time of year again. The time of year when children and adults alike are extra good, and magic fills the air along with our favorite pine scented candles! Here are some of the festive ornaments placed on our (Houston) Christmas tree that caught the eyes of our guests at our annual Christmas bash! Enjoy.

Decorating Tip:

For strategic Christmas tree decorators... this is for you. 

One of our favorite methods for decorating the Christmas tree is called 

"THE GROUPING METHOD"

It's quite simple... but it can make all the difference in the world.

Step 1: Separate all of your ornaments by color. Lay them out so you can see them well. (this makes it easier in the long run.)

Step 2: Group your neutral balls together (silver... gold.. black... brown... copper. etc)

Step 3: Hang ornaments on the tree using different shades of the same color. (Is doesn't matter if it's the same ornament shape or size.) 

Use 4-5 of these placed fairly spaced out. 

Step 4: Add a neutral colored ornament done like the picture below. 

When done all over we promise your tree will look professionally done and we know you won't want to stop looking at it! 

{grouping method example. done with blues as main color, and gold as our neutral.}

We hope these tips help make your Christmas this year, next years, and the Christmas' to come even prettier. Gather around the tree with the ones you hold dear and have a very blessed holiday!

Stay Pretty,

Xo. H&M

French Fridays

We believe that the weekend is cause for celebration i.e "Déjeuner Avec des Amis" (lunch with friends)! Our love for French cuisine and culture called us to this adorable, little French cafe called La Madeleine. Between the French music playing in the background, the French brewed coffee, and hot made to order French specialties; there was no way you didn't feel like you were in France the moment you stepped foot into this cafe! There was even a French bakery to welcome you at the door, and a woman on cassette teaching you French words in the ladies room! All these components made it our new favorite spot to head out to with the girls. After we finished our delightful brunch date, we did some boutique shopping to complete the afternoon. It was a great way to jump start our weekend.

Make your weekend pretty. Check out their menu, find a location near you, and go. If there isn't one, then head to one of your favorite spots and catch up with a friend. Perhaps one that has been on your heart.

stay pretty,
Xo. H&M

Pretty... Thankful.

Every year for as long as we can remember, our family (like most others) goes around the table saying what we are most thankful for. The food was divine and the table setting/decor was flawless, but it wouldn't have meant a thing without the person sitting on either side of us. 
It was especially meaningful for us this year because our family was all together, and as we went around stating our thanks; the common theme was family. So last night became a literally tear-jerking experience that was more than we could ever imagine.
It's important that we don't take holidays and precious moments like these for granted, because when you don't; it is truly a Pretty Thing. We hope you had a great day with your family!

Let's remember to say what we're thankful for all the time... not just on Turkey Day! What are you grateful for? Comment below, tweet us, or email us! 

stay pretty, 

Xo. H&M

2010 Holiday Favorites and Gift Guide

 Whenever it comes to the holidays and giving gifts, it can either be very easy or extremely difficult... especially when you are shopping for girls. We hope to make things simpler for you and give you a jump start on your early holiday spending. Below, we'll list some of our favorite products and items of the season that will be perfect for giving or just for you! 

MAC LIPGLASS: Russian Red

{$14.50}

Perfect red for holiday parties and dinners.

 OPI: Bring On The Bling

{$8.00}

When worn on nails, this fabulous lacquer has specks of green and red glitter. It isn't over the top, but it's so festive for this time of year!

B&BB Candle

{$19.50}

One of our favorite candles for this season! It literally smells like Christmas, and minutes after you light it, your room will be filled with this remarkable (but not obnoxiously overwhelming) fragrance.

ORIGINS: Ginger Lotion

{$15.00}

The scent of the season. This fragrance and moister will soak deep into your skin; leaving you feeling refreshed, light, and happy!

JERGENS: Natural Glow 

{$8.50}

We LOVE this lotion so much, it's smells so clean, and after you put it on... it really does give your skin that perfect holiday glow and shimmer. (Who doesn't like to sparkle?)

LUSH: Ginger Bread House Bubble Bar

{$6.25}

This extremely fabulous handmade bubble bar is made with real crushed and dried ginger. After plopping this down into your filled bath tub, thousands of ginger bubbles will keep you company for as long as you like... leaving you with that warm and fuzzy holiday feeling. 

KATE SPADE: Peppermint Earmuffs

{$65.00}

Seriously. Could these GET any cuter? We absolutely adore these. Now that the colder months are approaching, these KS earmuffs are peeeerfect for keeping your ears warm; and still keep you looking adorable while wearing them.

TOPSHOP: Wire Pink & Gold Quartz Ring

{₤6.50}

Great, simple, yet eye-catching cocktail ring. 

(Pssst... This would look great with the OPI polish listed above! ☺)

KATE SPADE: Bow Clutch

{$125.00}

This "Candy Darling Rosalie Wristlet" (also in black) is a staple in any wardrobe especially when getting ready for those holiday parties. Whether you dress it down with jeans, or dress it up with a Little Black Dress, this clutch would look absolutely darling with anything. You could also put your phone and favorite lip gloss (for example MAC: Russian Red would go perfectly) in it and thrown it in your bag. This is an investment piece you won't regret buying!

BOOK: The Heroine's Bookshelf by Erin Blakemore

{$14.00}

Such an amazing, funny inspiring book by Blakemore. PERFECT for gifting, or your living room coffee table.

We hope this list of things gave you some ideas and showed you some new, fun and adorable products. We both would definitely suggest picking up some of these pieces; so you can relax and enjoy this holiday season. 

Have a glamourous turkey day everyone!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

stay thankful, 

Xo. H&M

PS: What are some of your favorite products this season? Comment below, tweet us, or email us and let us know! 

Living Inspiration: Lace

{Lace Canopy}

One of the best parts of decorating is the ability to alter the entire look of your space by adding simple touches. This fact totally takes affect when it comes to your bedroom because it is a space all your own and a reflection of yourself and personal style. Spending most of your time there; you practically "live" in your room and get bored staring at the same scenery. That's why we are constantly changing ours and thinking of new ways to be creative by adding effortless decor. Add some lace in your interior design for example. Lace is totally taking over the fashion world and overall style in designing. Lace has gone from drab to chic and classic not only in your wardrobe but when perfectly placed here and there throughout your room. It is a great way to revamp and polish your space with a vintage, elegant spin.

{Lace Curtains}

 

{Lace Lampshade}

{Vintage Lace Table Cloth}

 

{Thin Lace Throw}

Stay Pretty,

Xo. H&M

S'Mores Indoors

It's that time of year again, where there is that perfect chill in the air just begging you to, invite all of your friends over, go outside, gather around the bonfire and begin telling stories while roasting your marshmallows to create one of our favorite treats, the s'more! However for us, this was not the case. When an unfortunate area of poison ivy was found in the back yard, we had to skip our usual pleasure. This got us thinking, how could we turn this rugged outdoor party into an elegant indoor party? The whole event is basically centered around the s'more but what if someone doesn't even have a fire pit at all?  So we found this easy recipe to create a more sophisticated version of the campfire favorite, paired with a tall glass of milk that satisfied our seasonal craving and the less "outdoorsy" girl's heart.  

Stay Pretty,

Xo. H&M

Free Falling

As summer transitions into fall, it's easy to not know how to transition your wardrobe. Even though where you live it may be warmer in the fall, try changing your colors; using darker denim, olive, brown, cognac (which is a huge to have this season), and cranberry colors. 

Forever 21 Denim

 Katiek Blouse 

Urban Outfitters Shorts and Blouse

Forever 21 Rings.

Vintage watch and gold pinky ring.

One of our absolute favorite accessories is nail polish. A lot of the time certain pieces of jewelry can make or break an outfit, but nail polish can be that perfect finisher. Especially when wearing clothing that is neutral in color; any nail polish can add that certain element to your outfit. 

Hali: OPI "You Don't Know Jacques!"

Mariah: Essie's "Lapis of Luxury."

Silver Charming Charlie Gladiators 

Cognac Jessica Simpson Sandals 

Gifted Coach Bag 2010

Charming Charlie's Bow Clutch

Rings listed above.

Don't forget to be creative with your wardrobe when it comes to color and layering. Fall is a great season to change up your style because there is so much you can do. It's not freezing or particularly hot, so here's a helpful hint this autumn: don't be boring... and add that little pop of color with some of your desired nail polish, clutch or handbag; such as the eggplant color found in the Coach bag above. We suggest adding this color to your wardrobe because it's big this season and goes great with every neutral color of fall.

And here's a tip for you shoppers: Forever 21 is one of our favorite places ever to go inexpensive accessory shopping for any occasion. If you're into online shopping, Urban Outfitters has a $10 flat rate shipping charge for all of the trendiest pieces!

Check out some of our choice places to shop displayed in this post.

http://www.forever21.com

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com

http://www.charmingcharlies.com

   

stay pretty,

Xo. H&M

Introducing... Pretty Things.

Hey Everyone. Welcome to Pretty Things. We just wanted you to know that this blog is super important to us. We have been working on it since May. We are so happy that it's been released and finally up! Pretty Things isn't only a fashion blog; we will also illuminate style, trends, shopping, food, decor, photography, music, traveling, art, stories, bargains, projects, and hair & make-up tutorials. 

Our objective is not to help people to start thinking "outside the box", but to help them realize that there is no box!

Come back on Monday, November 1st for our first official post. 

Here is a sneak peak of what you have coming!

If you have any questions email us at officiallyprettythingsblog@gmail.com. We would love to hear from our readers!

Thank you so much for your support.

stay pretty,

Xo. H&M.