Beauty-fuls: We heart holiday makeup looks!

With the Holiday Season in full effect it's time for our fav things.......PARTIES!!! We luuurve any great excuse to dress up and not look like tomboys for a second.

And what's better than a party?...A holiday party. And what makes a Holiday party even better? Fun makeup! Well fun makeup and champagne that is.

Finally festive makeup gets its due attention. Who doesn't love a good red lip or sparkly glittery eye?

No really? Who? Just tell us...seriously tell us? Hee hee.

OK, you don't have to say a word but trust us ladies of Things We Heart...they will after this post. And if they don't...um...well...nothing...

So let's jump on our sleigh of sparkle...our wagon of wonder...our hybrid of holiday makeup...our car of crismon...our...OK OK... we will stop.

Here we go..all aboard our boat of beauty...Sorry hee heeee.

The number 1 go to holiday makeup item are red lips.

Luscious deep, red lips. You could literally keep your whole face clean (well a bit o' blush and concealer can't hurt) and pop on some red and look done.

MACs Viva Glam is a universally flattering deep red color. It will truly look amazing on everyone!

And the best part? They donate 100% of the proceeds of each sale to the fight against HIV/AIDS. That's worth it right there.

But if you are looking for a brighter more true red that lasts thru your 4th glass of champers then look no further than Loreal's Endless Lipstick in Crimson Joy.

I think I shall pick up a tube of this ASAP considering my hankering for a champagne proof lip color.

Another amazing way to look full o' cheer? Sparkly eye makeup....yup liner and shadow.

Well, maybe not together but both are suuper sexy and crazy alluring.

One swipe of Nars' Silent Night gold glam shadow and you are good to go!

The gold flecks of glittering gold are g-g-gorgeous!

Our newest crush in shadows are the ones that are practically luminescent (or chrome-like if you apply with a slightly heavier hand)...not glittery or shimmery but glowy.

We suuuper heart these 3 colors from Bobby Brown.

Ppsst...try the pewter for a lightly smoldering eye...hotness!

PS Both these shadows are begging for red lips! Just use a light hand when applying.

We have been OBSESSED with glittery eyeliner since my bout with turquoise glitter incident at Miss Me's wedding.

We were made fun of but looking back it was sooo pretty! We now have about 10 different colors and as we went thru them for this post we found the 2 perfect ones for the holidays. You're welcome!

Sephora makes a great black and silver specked pencil liner that is super easy to use.

And now they created an entire kit for the perf glittering eye look!

Easy breezy beautiful...we love the silver liquid one that you can put on the tip of your lashes for a come hither look.

Last week at our bi-weekly jaunt into XXI, we came across a super great sparkling liquid liner in gold and silver.

It would look amazing lining a small part of your top OR bottom lid.

For a tutorial of how to get the most glam glitter eye go here...it's easy and fast and worth it.

Another tip for the perfect eye....don't forget the lashes! They will work wonders...we promise!

These amazing ones from Sonia K at Tar-Jay only look whorish...but once you put them on you won't believe your eyes...literally...you won't believe your EYES!

They will make your bfs and gfs swoon with lust and jealousy...Done and Devilishly Done!

Now, for an over all "glow" that looks more like your skin is made of pearl rather than shimmer, we are crazy in heartville with Too Faced Candlelight glowing powder.

It makes you look lit within and ethereal...we'll take it!

Why should your face have all of the fun glowy fun...Make your gorge bod glow glam style with this ridiculously cute and yummy smelling shimmer powder from Benefit.
Just put a little of the lilac silvery shimmer on with the pouf and poof! Sex-y to the 3rd power. Watch out Sasha Fierce!

And for the finishing touches that will leave you soooo sparkly...soooo glittery...sooo perfectly festive you will wish it was the Holidays all year round!

Oooh la la...we heart a good glitter polish...

Deborah Lippmann gives it to us good with her holiday vampy polish set. Soooo chic!
Loving that Ruby Red Slippers...sooo vampire chic! (Edward we miss you!!!!)

That black is pretty f'n fantasmic as well!

Nail salons love them a good China Glaze color...last week we did the silver sparkle (3 coats) and it's soooo cute!

I can't stop staring at my nails...but too bad for my BF...now they are too cute to do the dishes ;)

Thank God for dishwashers!

Why should your face, body and nails have all of the fun???

Your hair would die to be shimmery and festive too!

Mr. Fekkai brings us yet another glitter flecked product for your hairs pleasure.
His Gelee mist in Golden Shimmer will turn your limp locks into luminous gorge locks in no time flat!

Go party! Get glittery and glowy!!!

P.S. Even after your partying and champers...don't forget to take off all your gorge makeup! I keep a package of makeup wipes by my bed for just those nights ;)

XOXO- Things-We-Heart

P.S- Do you heart Oprah? We do! And guess what? She hearts us too!

Check out our blog on The big "O's" Holiday gift guide extravaganza!

Oprah.com

Decor to DIE for: Haunt your house!

The word is out that we heart Halloween, and the truth is that we really do! 

Our favorite part of Halloween, aside from the candy, and the costumes, and the excitement in the air... Is decorating! 

We love to dress up our selves and our houses and celebrate All Hallow's Eve with our friends. 

Now quick... tell us what lady comes to your mind when we say, 

slightly frightening yet, undeniably intriguing sorceress of craft? 

That's right! The mistress of all things holiday, Martha Stewart! 

Needless to say about 99% of the beautiful haunted house ideas come from this women' s brain... Well, her and her power house staff of little Marthas. 

Really, where would we be without her? 

Because as much as we heart strobe lights and bowls of eye balls, 

(We knew it was grapes in jelly all along!) 

there comes a time in every host and hostesses life when we must put away childish things. 

But that doesn't mean we can't have fun! 

Welcome to lesson 101 in classy, elegant, and whimsical holiday decor! 

 

Gauze cobwebs and the black table cloth mixed with the wilted lilly's equal spooky old house! 

Wrap your mirrors in cheese cloth drape them in vines and add goblets and a smokey witches brew to your bar, to give it just the right flavor. 

Note the bowl of pomegranates on the side table? Perfect for Halloween since pomegranates are the fruit of the dead! 

We love the idea of draping your furniture with old white sheets to give the apperance of an abandoned house... This is really a useful trick if you are bringing in extra seating for your party that may not match you regular furniture. 

Voila, instant haunted house! 

And what better way to keep guests away from areas you want left alone? The candles and spiderwebs up the stairs make it look so spooky, no one will want to enter! 

As for food and treats, we love holiday buffets. And since fall is the perfect time for soup... You can get a real witches cauldron and set it out for your guests! 

Add in a desert table decorated with black candelabras and black glass cake stands loaded up with delicious treats! 

Oh and it is always a plus if you can have someone dress like the creepy butler! 

Didn't your husband need to find a place to wear his wedding tux again? 

Then you can get busy serving drinks to all your guests on a mummy head tray! 

Worried about your guests drinking too much and breaking your fine wine glasses?

Not to worry, we are big fans of the Target acrylic wine glasses! These ones are special for Halloween!  

What's that you say Martha? Acrylic glasses are not classy? Well neither is getting down on your hands and knees in your mini-skirt Little Red Riding-Hood costume to pick up glass shards off the floor! Trust us, we have been there. 

And for the beer drinking men in your life, poor that Harvest Moon pumpkin ale into these skull mugs! 

Lets say you have 7 or 8 extra hours free while getting the house ready for your haunted house-warming. 

Why no cut out a couple hundred different size tissue paper bats? 

Sounds fun! See this is when Martha's staff comes in handy. 

We have always loved black glass chandeliers... And holiday decorating seems like a really good reason to finally buy one! 
The easiest and prettiest decorations are always flowers. 

Did you know that you could make spooky flower arrangements? 

Oh, those spiky blood red dahlias! We die. 

We want those year round. 

And don't forget the pumpkins! Your decor would not be complete with out them! 

We really like how these guys are all piled up and all have either sad or spooky faces! 

Now, we admit, this idea didn't come from the mind of Martha... But we love it! How creepy would it be to walk into the bathroom at a party and see this? 

Ewww! 

Have fun decorating your home for the holidays! 

Keep it classy, Make it creepy! 

Happy Halloween! 

XOXO- Things-We-Heart

Decor to Die For: To Write or To Type...that should not be the question...

Just as I was about to begin brainstorming for yet another fantasitcal Thursday (decor) post..I decided to go to the mailbox to see if any invites for NYC fashion week came (ps...I never get any...I just tend to live in lala unicorn land)  (ooohhh and pps...that trip to the mailbox is called procrastination street).

While flipping through the bills, coupons, and multiple catalogs (why sooo many catalogs?)  I came across this delicate recycled paper envelope addressed to lil ol' me in the most beautiful fuschia pink calligraphy.

this is not the envelope...just love the writing!

As I slid my chipped polish finger under the flap, tiny singing bunnycats flittered around in my brain...
"What could this be?...How exciting!  A hand written note!"

And when I pulled out the card I was in shock (the super good kind) in the perfect envelope was a gorgeous note card and written in the card was an even more beautiful note.

bubblelettersnyc

I was brought to tears.
Who does that?  No one takes the time and more notably the effort to hand write letters and notes.  It made me feel so wonderful, so appreciated and loved.  I showed my bf and he was just as moved as I was.

So it came to me...last week I wrote about the wonderfulness of Dinner Parties and how cute it would be to invite your guest the shmancy way through handwritten invites, and now this amazing note...I need to do a post on the beauty of stationery and how everyone should own some in their abode...humble or not.

pink argyle

OK, so stationary may not be decor persay, but it for sure should be part of everyones home.
Here are a few selections from our most favorite stationers (word?) and letterpress companies.

*Side Note*
There are sooooo many different variations of stationery and letterpress...from note cards and folded notes to custom embossed and custom printed...do your own treasure hunt to find the kind you can not live with out ;)
*End Side Note*

The note that made this post possible, from the amazing Bubble Letters NYC,
is the cutest, most perfectly nuevo vintage note ever!!!!!  The note that says it all in the sweetest way...

Ugghhhhh it's soooooo good!

Here is another amazingly cute card from Bubble Letters NYC...

Gosh that art deco writing kills me!

Next up is one that you may have seen in the Dinner Party Post from Sugar Paper and every time I look at it I get super excited.

I love the shape, the font of "Dear"...I love the pale pink envelope against the white paper..

...it's sooo chic and unexpected these days.

OMFG!  How fantastic and chicly elegant is Sugar Paper's bright pink personalized notecard?!?!?!

WOW!  And the metallic striped envelope lining?!  Done and fantastically done!
I super heart how the silver pen looks on the pink paper.


This next one from Paperwink had me at vintage telegram!

Love the type set...the idea...the super uniqueness of this card....I heart it soo much I am just about to order a set!

They also make amazing vintage feel rubber stamps...so get a custom one and buy your own paper, stamp it and voila!

Your own custom stationery.

Like our BF Jonathan Adler, we are obsessed with all things Silhouette (yes we stood in line at a recent party 3 times to get our fill of a custom silhouette of me...hee hee...what it was for my real BF and he lurved it!)...
So imagine our fluttering hearts when we came across this vibrant and vintage-esque custom notecard from Tiny Prints.

Although I don't think the silhouette is custom, it's still amazing!

The stripes against the bold black bust with the bordered name...yes and please!  SOooo good!  And the price is super right.

Speaking of price is right...if you are not ready to take the plunge into custom and or sometimes pricey stationary or letterpress, Target has a few great picks.

I love this ivory and brown vintage feel note card!  Take a metallic turquoise blue pen to it, scribble down some much heart felt sentiments and you are GTG and uber fancy pants.

And of course hearting the bright pink thank you card with white typewriter typeset from Target.  Again, a silver pen on this pink would look super chic.

You're welcome our fellow recessionistas ;)...we got your back.

Want to be a super DIYer?

Pick up this custom embosser and label set, buy your own card stock and customize til your hearts content!  Wooo hoo!

Looking for great metallic pens to jot down your most loving thanks and words to the ones you love?

We found some really nice ones at a really nice price here.

Here are a few more of the shops we heart with beautiful products...

We love the products at Letterpressed!
Find reasonably priced custom stationery here at The Stationery Studio
Beautiful letterpress products at Elum.  This is real letterpress!
Grab some super cute note cards to start your new love of all that is handwritten notes at Soolip.


And of course...no post would be complete (especially a crafty style post) with out telling you to check out the amazing designs of the craftsmen (and women) at Etsy!  Searching is half the fun!

So whether its letterpress, custom or just fancy pants notecards, hand write one... and send it by snail mail.  You will be surprised how good it feels and how great the person on the other end feels when they open it.



xoxo t.w.h.