Pantone: Bold and Modern

Not sure who’s doing Pantone’s marketing lately, but they are killing it! I’m naturally drawn to all bright colors (hence my birthday cake from my friends), so trust me, this Pantone push is recent and I’m lovin’ it!

The design is sleek yet bold, modern yet retro, and of course, colorful!

What can’t you get in a Pantone design and color?

Super easy DIY that will make a bold statement, and add color to walls without painting so great for renters! Just pick up a bunch of blank canvases, and paint away! Check out the inspiration here from apartmenttherapy.com

Give baked goods or even Pantone Sugar Cookies in these Pantone tin boxes. Or fill and stack ‘em with household odds and ends… great for office use too.

Send adorable postcards on these Pantone Postcards… Box comes with 100 cards in an array of colors. Use them as thank you cards, birthday wishes, sorry I suck, etc…

I also found Pantone Notecards with Envelops as well!

Make sipping coffee at work exciting with a Pantone Mug… Or get the whole set to display and use at home. I of course I want the whole set and set them up for show.

House your iPhone in a fun, bright Pantone iPhone cover… Just ordered mine in Yellow C…

Brighten up your travel with Pantone Luggage tags… Super cute and will help spot your items.

Pantone Wallpapers for your computer, iPhone, iPad, etc. are free and delightful.

Keep your pearly whites bright with fun Pantone Toothbrushes. Also makes a great ‘lil gift for everyone and anyone.

For any kind of painting you’re doing, MyColor inspired by Pantone offers fantastic paint colors and you can find them at Lowes online, or at a store near you. These paint colors would come in handy for the DIY project I mentioned…

Pantone folding chairs are insane! Hang them on the wall to fill in with pops of color and you can use them all the time… I want them all! I think a super clever DIY’er could figure out how to make these from old metal folding chairs, but until then, I’m in love with these!

Scuff Off 2011

A great little gift to ring in the New Year would be this homemade lemon salt scrub. In the winter, our skin is so dry that it’s super important to exfoliate !!

What you will need:

5 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon

First mix the olive oil and sea salt together. Next cut the lemon in half and squeeze over the salt & oil mixture. Mash it all together and then scoop into cute little jars. Add a label to the side or top of the jar, or tie a ribbon with a gift tag.

Your friends & family will love this little after holiday treat !!

I will be making these little gifts for the ladies (and maybe gentlemen) at our New Year’s Eve little party !!

Adapted from The Beauty Department’s recipe from Spring 2011.

Keep the Peace... All Year 'Round

There's something nostalgic and endearing about a peace sign, and they can add a bit o' fun to any home decor... Around Christmas time, you see more use of peace signs for the home, but I think they work year round.

Here are some ways to incorporate the symbol, without creating a dorm room effect… 

Free People Vintage Handmade Metal Peace Sign $328 (I feel like someone handy could definitely make one super similar)

Fred Flare Peace of Cake Silicone Baking Pan $19

Room & Board Peace Charcol Pillow $49 (Mixed with mature taste, it doesn't look childish)

This is a DIY project from ilovetocreate.com (Personally, I'm in love with the shaving cream paint effect in general, but I would make the black lines white, and/or thinner)

Viva Terra Silver Peace Wreath $65 for small $129 for large (No, this is not Christmas decorations, it is just awesome and would look great anywhere, especially in a kitchen or bathroom)

Cast Iron Trivet from atwestend.com $16 (Everything on their site rocks)

16 inch Peace Sign Wreath Form $10 (Sky's the limit, wrap this baby in anything! Spray it white, wrap with white wire string lights like below) 

DIY project out of an IKEA light fixture (Or, combine this project with the wreath form from above)

Viva Terra Bay Laurel Peace Wreath $69 (Again, year round, pretty in the kitchen, or on a front door. Also makes a perfect gift)

Cameo Nouveau The Charger Large Peace Sign Plate $35 (These would be gorgeous as charger plates or dinner plates, but also just one in the middle of a coffee table, on the kitchen counter, etc.)

Cold Nights are Perfect Game Nights

It's starting to get colder out which means everyone has less energy to head out for a night on the town. This creates perfect opportunities to host game nights at home. Some might think this sounds lame, but these nights always turn into big laughs and even bigger cocktails. Plan accordingly for the group you are having, example, just girls means pretty cocktails and cutesy snacks. When the boys are involved, have lots of beer on hand with hearty dishes. Personally, I like to incorporate both ideas; the boys always end up loving our fun, colorful cocktails anyway.

Pick your favorite games that don't need much explanation. This is not the time to try and teach everyone new games and rules; classics are best. Scattergories, Scrabble, Monopoly, our my personal favorite Charades.

Drinks are easy: beer bottles always work. Get some whiskey for shots as a prize or a punishment. Sofia Coppola champagne cans are a delicious treat for the girls since they come in the cutest little pink cans with straws.

An awesome drink is Vootbeer from 303 Distillery in Boulder, CO.

Vootbeer

Ingredients:

2 oz. 303 Vodka (any Vodka works, I use Smirnoff)

5 oz. Root Beer

Whipping cream for garnish

Maraschino Cherry (optional)

Preparation:

Fill glass with ice

Pour vodka over ice and then fill with root beer

Garnish top with whipping cream and cherry if desired

Snacks are crucial: Make some fried pickles, chocolate dipped potato chips, chicken tortilla soup, tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons, or simply some favorite frozen food aisle appetizers.

What do you plan for your cold weather game nights?