happy new year

last post of the year, throwing confetti in the air as we speak!

for auld lang syne...

{via entre nous}

dear guys and dolls in the blogosphere,

let's cheers to a happy shiny new year! i can't wait to see what's in store for everyone in 2011, and i wish we could all raise a glass with something bubbly and bright. thanks for stopping by, and i hope to see you in the new year!

love always,

ginny branch stelling

snowy day...

images via haw-lin, and NYPL

christmas 2010 was pretty terrific! we spent a cozy and warm christmas eve and morning with the stellings and finished the evening with a yummy dinner with my branch family. i roasted chestnuts; drank my first batch of smoky eggnog; ate homemade bread; wrapped many brown paper packages with string; lived in a union suit and a santa hat for two days; and finally had the white christmas i have been waiting for since 1993. there are so many peoples, puppy dogs, presents, and things i am grateful for this christmas, there aren't enough fingers and toes to count them on!

tomorrow i am looking forward to snowy things before it melts. i might build a snowman, make a snow angel, throw a snowball or slurp down some snow ice cream. i'm definitely going to dust off my neglected camera and record some memories! i'm eyeing my bean boots as we speak...

merry christmas y'all

{from swaptorium's christmas flickr}

merry christmas folks! i'm buzzed on some very fine espresso(thanks to my nifty new espresso maker{thank you secret santa}) and i'm off to wrap up a storm! i LOVE giving people gifts so much and had the best time shopping for my family this season. later today i hope to be ingesting copious amounts of either chocolate chess or pecan pie, watching christmas claymation, and reading a good book. what do y'all have planned?

happy holidays and cross your fingers for snow, i hear we might have a white christmas this year!

why don't you...

1. ditch the tree skirt, or the whole notion of one giant tree? cluster a few small varieties and wrap the stands in burlap.
2. hang sleighbells from different doors in your home? think a good thought every time one of the bells tinkles.
3. build a mini village of glittery putz houses on your mantle?
4. roast chestnuts on an open fire, or in your oven? chelsea cook posted a simple-how to...
5. burn cedar incense if you don't have your own working fireplace. it's a pretty fantastic solution, and brook farm general store has plenty!
6. forage your own backyard for a wreath-making party with loved ones? amy merrick has some very helpful hints for modernizing this overlooked holiday craft.
7. watch a home alone marathon with your family? home alone 2 is my personal favorite!
8. stage a massive camp out in the basement, sleeping bags and all?
9. stock up on the holiday stamps this year? the design is so classic and will be a forever crowd-pleaser.

personal wish list...

{coffeemaker carafe, travel to new york & morocco(ha-now i'm truly delusional), coty powder, bakelite toys, 1920s dress, schwinn bicycle, tom binns necklace, kiss kiss, hand soap)

phew. with christmas only 3 days away, i am actually giddy that the holiday shopping is all but taken care of. this season has been a series of unfortunate technical difficulty... flat tires, broken phones, ailing computers, and deceased coffee pots. therefore, a "christmas list" is somewhat unrealistic based on all the necessary household repairs and replacements. anyway, a gal can dream, right? that might be one of my favorite things about gift guides, a little make-believe goes a long way!

bookworm gift guide

i have been treating myself to lots of books this holiday season. i can't get enough of 'em, and here are some that are on my list to give others.

1. encyclopedia of the exquisite
2. a perfectly kept house is the sign of a misspent life
3. the principles of uncertainty
4. let's bring back
5. jack spade bookmarks(everyone needs a good bookmark)
6. the book of secrets
7. jane austen the complete novels
8. how to keep him on a short leash
9. life is meals*

* i am currently reading life is meals and am head-over-heels for this foodie memoir. the book is chock full of fun facts about all sorts of food and mealtime rituals, punctuated by endearing anecdotes.

also, check out katie's list which has some great suggestions too!

shiny gift guide, design*sponge style...

here is my latest gift guide that is up on design*sponge right now! grace asked all of her contributers to chime in with their holiday gift picks. of course i had to do a shiny one... go on over to design*sponge for the full details and for more awesome gift guides! come on, who doesn't want something sparkly waiting for them under the tree?

for the studly man in your life...

1. j.d salinger box set
2. leather flask
3. bourbon sampler
4. leather handmade football
5. all weather hunting journals
6. j.crew socks
7. portable turntable
8. leather match box

so i was all pleased with my gift guide when my husband peeked over my shoulder and stated, "umm, i wouldn't want any of that for christmas... well, maybe the bourbon sampler". ha! well, i had all these bookmarked as things i would have bought ed. he suggested the "30 for 30" box set for any guy who likes sports. i took a gander at it, but it didn't look pretty in my roundup :)

*check out grace's husband's suggestions for the real male perspective!

new york new york!

{photos via habitually chic}

in t minus 3 days, i will be back in the big apple and i couldn't be more excited!!! it's been six months since i moved away, and i am so ready to see all of my friends. i'm coming to the big apple on a very fun work trip with boss lady, annette joseph for her today show segment.

while i'm there, do y'all have any new york suggestions for us? new restaurants to try? favorite shops or sights to see? i'm worried once i'm there it might be hard to get me back on that ole return flight ;)

guess who's coming to dinner...

oh my goodness. i am so excited, there is no way i'm getting a decent night's sleep. the lovely ladies of rue are coming to dinner at my boss lady's apartment. my head might combust with all the darling peeps attending tomorrow... miss crystal g, anne sage, bri emery, the adorable southern flourish gal pal lesley graham, milk and honey julie holloway and annette's dream team (brent gipson and natalie kriss{this cutie pie hasn't gotten on the blog train...yet}). guaranteed i will be super blush-y and really overwhelmed with so many creative peeps in one room!

also, i can't wait to meet new faces and hug familiar ones at lavish this weekend. i'm speaking at a couple sessions, one with my design*sponge peeps, so if you're attending please please please come up and introduce yourself. it would honestly make me so stinkin' happy!

making spirits bright...

{1. st germain elderflower liquor, 2. infinium, 3. bulleit bourbon, 4. & 5. swanson wines, 6. fee brothers bitters}


{7. silver drink platter, 8. white enamel ice bucket, 9. gin rummy glasses, 10. vintage ice cube tray, 11. silver spoon straws, 12. decanter labels, 13. gold martini shaker, 14. peppermint sticks, 15. cork screw}

my husband and i spent the weekend nursing our colds with hot toddies, a drink that normally repels me(not a whiskey gal) when i happen to stumble upon this recipe from the new york times for a smoky eggnog(again, not a cocktail that appeals to me), and i found myself feeling adventurous. after all, the holiday season is a perfect excuse to try new things and make spirits bright. here are some things i would happily stock our bar with.

*and, for some more spirited fun, pop on over to mystic domestica!

j.press schoolboy scarves...

these j.press scarves are just awesome. i would totally buy my husband one if they made a university of georgia one... or if he wore scarves. i could buy my francophile friends the frenchy one, right? cute holiday present?

clark griswold has met his match...

i wish it would snow this december in atlanta, but i won't get my hopes up too much. last year, ed and i hiked through a snowstorm to dyker heights in brooklyn... and it was one of the most magical things that ever happened to me in nyc. i felt like we were in some wonderful holiday movie. if you live in new york, please, please visit dyker heights to see their spectacularly, wildly over-the-top decorations. even if you are anti-holidays, this would make even the grinch's heart grow at least
two sizes.

southern flourish...

i am so pleased to reveal a sneak peek from the holiday issue of southern flourish magazine! annette joseph came up with the idea of upcycling old sweaters into simple, handmade felted gifts. she also has some fun ideas for incorporate needle felting and craft felt, as well! we had a blast working on our individual projects for the shoot. these are the bows and scarves i worked on- y'all know i love me a good bow ;)

it was such a treat working with such talented gals, and i'm so thankful annette has decided to add me to her pre-existing dream team. the southern flourish ladies, natalie and lesley, are incredibly kind and gracious editors who even sent handwritten notes afterward! did i mention they are also super generous? if you use the code GINNYHOLIDAY at checkout, you will receive all four 2011 issues, and the holiday issue, for only $8! ($10 is the regular subscription price)

*also, pop on over to annette's blog to see her felted soap DIY!

holiday catalogue stylin'

the wildly talented jeremy harwell just posted these pics on his site from our latest photo shoot for mucklows fine jewelry. we shot their holiday catalogue in senoia, ga with our favorite makeup artist, mara z. our shoot was in senoia, ga an oh-so charming town with a big fish kind of vibe. senoia feels like one of georgia's well-kept secrets.

also, i really love styling and i am beyond happy to have made the switch from visual merchandising. i still have tons and tons to learn, but i'm lucky i have a very good teacher who is showing me the ropes!

photography~ jeremy harwell

makeup~ MARAZ

jewelry~ mucklows fine jewelry

wardrobe and photo-styling~ me :)

vintage j.crew holiday...

{photos found via j.crewing}
ooh wee! i stumbled upon this little tumblr gem which has some excellent "vintage" j.crew catalogue goodness. enjoy...

gifts for the wanderluster...

{four years in paradise & i married adventure, women travelers}

{woerther 3m wooden pencil, warby parker monocle, pith helmet, compass, swissco tortoise toothbrushes, leather passport cover, zebra rug, j peterman carry-on bag, pentax k1000 camera}

man oh man, have y'all been reading miss amy merrick's travel diary on her blog? i have totally been bitten by the travel bug. i wanna make like penny lane and hightail it to morocco with my cute husband. or maybe just read osa johnson's books. or watch disney's UP. sigh. here are some treats for the explorers and adventurers in your life!

for your (not so) secret gardener...

top photos via belle fleur de lis blog
{a little piece of earth, denim apron, hunter wellies, paperwhite & amaryllis bulbs, galvanized watering can, gardener's hand cream, gardener's soap, nutscene twine, chinese scissors}

here's a little gift guide inspired by this secret garden blogstress. i'm stocking my home with houseplants to brighten up the place and i have already purchased some paperwhite bulbs and mason jars for some impromptu host/hostess gifts. this is my favorite roundup of garden gear for the green-thumbed enthusiast in your life!

fancy pants gift guide...

{mason pearson brush, bobbi brown gold eyeliner, hermes aline bag, hermes lock, fountain pen ink, caran d'ache ecridor fountain pen, iris hantverk nailbrush, trip to argentina, nespresso citiz espresso maker, claude morady brooch, daosto portico luggage}

allow me to indulge in some serious fantasy gift giving!! if you have any fancy pants friends or family with champagne tastes, these are some quirky and luxe suggestions. just a little guide for the folks who are recession proof(those lucky ducks)or for those who enjoy a healthy game of make-believe :)