Gift Guide - The Hostess

We are officially in the holiday season and with so many parties happening I thought I would round up a collection of hostess gifts to give to those women and men out there cooking, decorating, and planning every little detail to make the most magical and memorable holiday party for us to enjoy.  The simplest gift will mean so much!

PS…Some of these gifts would also make awesome stocking stuffers!!

Shop the Hostess Collection

1. Tic Tac Toe $19.99 - I really hope Santa brings me a set (fingers crossed)

2. New Delhi Wine Toppers $34 

 3. Eyelash Travel Mug $20

4. Corinna Dessert Plates $11 each 

5. Wine O'Clock Tote $6.99

6. Mixology Mixer Set $31

7. Succulent Coaster Set $22

8. Voluspa Champagne Candle $27 - My all time fave candle

9. Monogram Mug $4.99

10. Salad Tongs $10.99

11. Felt Ornaments $2

12.  Cutting Board $163 For the hostess that you reallllllly love ;) 

What's Your Flavor? Plaid, Tartan, Buffalo Check...

I know so many of you are like me right now and just cannot get enough plaid, tartan, and buffalo check in your life.  Our kitchen Christmas decor is currently a mix of buffalo check and plaid and I LOVE IT!  If you follow @delightfullychic on IG I know you have seen my current obsession in several post!

BUT...Let's talk fashion.  Anyone else dying to get your hands on the perfect pair of buffalo check flats or plaid heels?  Here is a roundup that hopefully will help us all out! 

Ok- Spill it...what are your faves?!

I have to be honest I'm loving BOTH of the Brooks Brothers Flats, the Armani pump, and the darling Penny Loves Kenny buffalo check flats!!

Gifts For The Hostess

Our calendars tend to fill up fast over the holidays with casual family dinners, intimate parties with our closest friends, and large lavish soirees.  No matter the size of the gathering you will attend this holiday season, it is always a good idea to have a hostess gift on hand.

1. West Elm Diffuser

2. Animal Wine Stoppers

3. Monogram Wine Stopper

4. Mark and GrahamWine Tote

5. Coaster Set

6. Anthropologie Cheese Board

Remember, your hostess put a lot of time and energy into creating a memorable evening.  

Spoil her (or him) a little and you're sure to be the first wine glass topped off! ;) 

Cheers! 

An Ashley Family Tradition

In just a few short hours I will be unplugging and cherishing Christmas moments with my favorite loved ones.  But, before I go, I want to share one of our family traditions that I hope you can adopt for your family.

Every Christmas morning my brother and I would rush downstairs to see what Santa had brought us that year. We would rip through the wrapping paper, screaming with excitement, tossing one gift to hurry and discover the next gift and before you knew it the living room looked like a bomb went off and gifts were everywhere.  My Sweet Mama really felt like we weren't truly appreciating our gifts or taking time to really enjoy each gift.  So she and "Santa" decided it was time to come up with a new plan for the kiddos.  When I was about 5 years old and my brother 9 we came downstairs one Christmas morning to find a sign in front of all of gifts that said STOP! "First, put on your new pajamas and your mama will explain the rest." So we did just that.  Then mama began to read "the rules"...

Each of your gifts has been numbered.  Now the trick here if you have more than one kid, especially ones who LOVE gifts from Santa (like me), make sure both or all kids have the same number of gifts!  Then Mama would randomly pull a number from her bowl of numbers that she had made.  "Number 7" OK,  now Brent and I would shuffle through our pile of gifts to find the present marked #7!  We would both open ours then wait for the next number to be called.  There is ALWAYS a present in the stack (usually the biggest box) that we were dying to open!  BUT, you had to wait till that number was called.  It was so intense!!  This process of opening Santa's gifts fills more time and also makes you really take in each gift.  Another added bonus, your parents get to see the excitement on your face with each present!  Dad's, your main job is to film the kids opening the gifts!  Oh and try to keep the camera steady!  I swear you need a Dramamine pill before watching our old home videos.

Sharing this tradition with you all brings a bittersweet feeling to me.  Now most kids stop believing in Santa and for me...I am almost 34 and I STILL believe in the magic of Christmas.  For almost 30 years now I have opened my presents alongside my brother with Mama calling numbers. It's just a tradition you never seem to grow out of.  This year will be our last year that we open gifts this way.  As of next year, I will be "Mama" and I will take on the role of helping Santa by calling numbers to our sweet "Baby G" on Christmas morning. It's a moment I can hardly stand waiting for.  A moment I have dreamed of and a tradition I have longed to pass down to my very own family.
 

May you all have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!  May you also remember that Christmas is about something way more important that opening gifts.  

I wonder what God wants for Christmas…Maybe peace on Earth, no more empty seats in church
I wonder what God wants for Christmas…What might put a smile on HIS face, Every Bible with no dust, the devil giving up
I wonder what God wants for Christmas…More sister, more brother, more lovin' one another
What if we believe in HIM…Like HE believes in us...

Merry Christmas! 

(all images via pinterest)

 

From the Gaither Kitchen {Christmas Pinwheels}

Cranberry Pecan Christmas Pinwheels are one of my favorite appetizers to make over the holidays.  They are festive, bite size, and always a crowd pleaser.  

 

What You Will Need  

2- 8oz packages of cream cheese

1 Cup of coarsely chopped pecans

6 slices of bacon (cooked crisp so it will crumble)

1 Cup of dried cranberries (chopped coarsely)

½ Cup of green onions (thinly sliced)

4 large tortillas (2 sun dried tomato and 2 spinach if you want to “tis the season”)

 

Combine all ingredients (minus the tortillas) in a large bowl. Lay one tortilla on a flat surface and spread ¼ of the mixture evenly across the tortilla going all the way to the edge. Roll the tortilla up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. To serve, unwrap each roll and cut into slices about ¼ inch thick.  To shorten the amount of time on this recipe I suggest a KitchenAid Food Chopper (I live by mine when cooking) and you can also buy microwaveable bacon and cook crisp. 

 Plate, Garnish, Enjoy!

Last Minute Holiday Gifts

Still in search of a few last minute holiday gifts?  We have the most perfect round up for you!  Have a look at these great, easy to shop finds that are ALL at the perfect prices, because let's be real... we know we all are officially over budget at this point! 

 

Happy Shopping

1. Target Monopoly 80th Anniversary

2. Anthropologie Voluspa Candles

3. Anthropologie Lollia Hand Cream

4. Target Fur Throw + Knit Throw

5. Starbucks Gift Cards

6. Hobby Lobby Candle Sticks

7. Philosophy Snow Angel gift Collection

8. Urban Outfitters Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams on Vinyl

9. Pier 1 Ornaments

10. JCrew Harry's Winter Essentials Kit

 

Play Santa with Home Decor Gifts Under $100

Some of my favorite gifts are items for our home.  So today I think we should mix things up and do a round up specifically for the interior design lovers.

Home Decor Christmas Gifts that you are sure to love and all UNDER $100!

 

Twine + Twig Pillows

Copper Mugs

Accent Mirror

Petrified-Wood Bookends

Antica Farmacista Home Perfume Trio Set

 Teavana Cast Iron Teapot

{Black + Gold}

Pillar Holders