Sunday, January 20, 2013

Come and See my New Blog!

Hello All, I originally started the East Coast Life as a a school project and I really enjoyed blogging. I have finished grad school and I have decided to start a new blog in order to make a fresh start and begin a new chapter in my life. 

If you are interested, I would love you to check it out. My new blog is

Thank you so much for reading!

-Elizabeth

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Holiday Gift Wrap



I have recently started my Christmas shopping and it got me thinking about wrapping my gifts.

I love to see a beautifully wrapped gift, but sadly, I am an awful wrapper myself. None of my mother's crafty skills got passed down to me. Despite my lack of skills, I am determined to make a bigger effort with my gift wrapping technique.

Naturally, the first place I go to is Pinterest, the home of all things crafty.

I found some great inspiration including how to make the perfect bow and how to wrap a present. You have to love Pinterest! I feel like you could find out how to do almost anything on here. Great time saver because everything is in one place.


OK, now that I have the basics down, I am moving on to the fun stuff: the sparkly, pretty wrapping paper. I am such a sucker for pretty paper and I buy it without having any gifts to wrap. I usually find great wrapping for very little money after Christmas when the holiday items go on sale. I stash it in my closet and forget about it which is pretty bad because I am pretty sure I bought some last year but, OF COURSE, I can't find it!

I guess that means I will be hitting the shops this weekend to pick some up. I love to go to places like Home Goods because they usually have really high quality paper and gift bags for very reasonable prices. You can't wait till the last minute though or there won't be any left. 

If price is no object, then I highly recommend Papyrus. They have beautiful gift wrap, and they often feature very unique, handmade paper items that you don't find in many places. 

Since I am an inexperienced wrapper, I picked my Mom's brain for the essential wrapping items to stock up on before Christmas. Here is her list:

Double-sided clear tape
Sturdy craft scissors
At least three rolls of good quality paper (the cheap stuff tears)
Gift tags or stickers
Two packets of tissue paper
Two rolls of ribbon

The color and style of the wrapping paper, tissue and ribbon can be whatever you like. My mother prefers green and red, but I love jewel-toned paper, no matter the season. You also can't go wrong with silver or gold. Whatever you do, just keep it festive.

Here are some examples of pretty paper that I have found.





Remember, no matter how badly you wrap your gifts, it is the thought that counts. so just do the best you can. 



Monday, December 3, 2012

Christmas Party Planning: Style & Theme


If you haven't started already, it is time to start planning your holiday party. I love the holidays, because you have a great excuse to throw a party. The holidays can actually be a very stressful time, so it's nice to get every one together for a fun evening. 

 The Style

Before you do anything else, you need to decide the style if your party. You won't be able to plan your food, drinks, entertainment, or even invitations until you make this decision.

A holiday party doesn't necessarily have to be cocktails and canapes, here are some popular party styles to consider.

Sit-down Dinner
Holiday Brunch
Afternoon Party with Kids & Parents
Traditional Cocktail Party
Party with buffet or food stations

The Theme

Once you have picked the style of the party, it is time to consider the theme. Once a theme is chosen, you can move onto food, drinks, decor and invitations.

Now, when I say theme, I don't necessarily mean you need to have an exact theme, like Winter Wonderland (that is a good theme though!). Your theme could be as simple as Blue & White or Red & Green. Just make sure it's fun and festive.

Some theme ideas are:

Bavarian Alps
This is my best friend Jamie's theme this year, and she is going all out!

Red & Green
 Traditional, and you can easily reuse the decorations again.

Winter Wonderland or Snowflake
 Very simple and pretty, plus you can use the snowflake everywhere.

Blue & White
 Super fun and retro. Can border on tacky, but in a good way.

Ugly Sweater Party
I have a friend who organizes an ugly sweater pub crawl every year.

Ice Skating Party
Great idea for a families.

Gold
A personal favorite of mine. I am not sure if it's because if the pretty decor or the large supply of champagne. Probably a little bit of both.

If you are looking for more theme ideas, check out Pinterest where they have a whole section on the holidays.
Now that you have a theme picked out, you can move on to other aspects of the party. Check back on Tuesday for some great recipe ideas.

 
 

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Dining Room Chandelier's


I was over at my grandmother's house over the Thanksgiving holiday and I took note of her fabulous, old school crystal chandelier. She has had it for years. She has lived in three homes in Boston in the past 30 years, and the chandelier has been in all three dining rooms.

I love a great chandelier, but sometimes I feel like they don't always fit in the room.There are so many different styles to choose from, and sometimes, the gigantic crystal chandelier is not the way to go. Other styles include brass, glass, iron,  Tiffany style and beads.

When choosing a chandelier, be conscious of the style and size of the room. A large, formal dining room can handle a big, crystal chandelier, but in a smaller, casual dining room, a big crystal chandelier looks out of place.

Here are some various chandelier styles to consider:


I love the pineapples for some reason. I think this is better for a small/medium-sized dining room.


I love this for a more contemporary look. Perfect for someone who finds many crystal chandelier stuffy and old fashioned.


This makes an opulent statement. Make sure the rests of the room matches the style of the chandelier.

Modern look with Beads from Horchow

Casual, iron style 

Great for a more informal, rustic look.

Simple, shaded chandelier

Metal and mica with an "oxidized silver" finish


Sunday, November 25, 2012

Cyber Monday Sales Worth Shopping

I love a sale as much as the next girl, but even I wasn't brave enough to face the crowds this weekend. Instead, I am getting up bright and early Monday morning and shopping from by bed in PJ's.

Did anyone find any deals worth mentioning on Black Friday?

Rumor has it that the deals on Cyber Monday are even better than those on Black Friday.

Here's Hoping!!

These are the best online sales and deals that I have found so far.

For every $200 spent, receive $25 off your order

Free shipping on all orders, no minimum

Up to 75% off handbags, clothing & accessories

30% off your entire purchase with the code cyber

20% off your entire purchase with the code cyber

30% off your entire purchase with the code cyber

40% off everything with the code MONDAY

25% almost everything with the code CYBER

Happy Shopping Peeps!
Cyber Monday Sales

Thanksgiving Decor at Nonnie Marion's

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is coming to an end and it is back to work and school. Before I move into Christmas decor mode, I wanted to share some pictures of the Thanksgiving decor at my grandmothers house. She is quite holiday obsessed and insists on decorating all of the rooms in her home that are visible to her many lunch and dinner guests.


This is the overall view of my grandmother's dining room table. The table seats 12, and sadly, that isn't enough room most of the time. She has a second, long table that she sets up on holidays that acts as the "kids" table. Yes, I am still at the kids table. My brother has been married for 10 years and he is still at the kids table. 


Instead of lighting a fire, my grandmother lit a variety of fall-colored candles and added in some large pine cones for a cozy, fall feeling without the smoke and soot.


Fresh flowers in pretty red, orange and yellow. 


Mixed in with the flowers were white pillar candles surrounded by cranberries. The bittersweet that surrounds the vase is a favorite of Nonnie's and she uses it throughout the fall season.


A wreath on the wall of the dining room. I think she has a wreath for each of the four seasons. I will take a picture of the winter one when it goes up in a few weeks.


My aunt is very crafty and has made place cards for my grandmother for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. You can barely see it, but my name is written out in gold ink. I'm jealous of my aunt's amazing penmanship. 


This is the Thanksgiving set-up that sits above my Grandmother's sink in her kitchen. This will soon be changing to her Christmas village scene. This is something she started doing because her grandchildren loved looked at the lights. I remember as a child, my she would pick me up and lean me over the sink so I could get a better look at the display. 


The view from the front door. One of these was hanging from each of the front doors. Very simple and classic, plus I think these can be kept and used again, which is always nice. 



My grandmother's holiday dinner's would not be able to happen if it weren't for her  extra freezer's and large pantry. Because these things are a rarity outside of large Italian families, I decided to share a short video of my grandmother's extensive food supply.

Crazy Right??

Tune in again in December where I will feature a post on Nonnie's Christmas decor. Wait till you see the tree! I don't know how my grandfather gets it into the house each year. 

If I am not at my grandmother's house, I am at Mom & Dad's. Where do you spend the Holidays? Did anyone travel long distances?

Thanksgiving 2012 Decorations

Friday, November 23, 2012

Thanksgiving Leftovers


Thanksgiving has come and gone, but there is still plenty of food to eat. If you're like me, and would rather be at home eating leftover pie and pilgrim sandwiches then shopping at the mall, then you are always looking for new ways to use up your leftover turkey and side dishes.

I got up early and did some research to find the best leftover recipes. 

Enjoy!

Turley BLT, always a classic!


Cranberry Tartlet, perfect with a cup of tea








P.S. Yes, it is totally acceptable to spend the day after Thanksgiving in sweat pants. Why bother putting on a tight pair of pants when you are going to spend the day eating anyway?


Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving



Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday with the people they love.

I wanted to take a moment and say what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for my family and friends, 
who make the good days even better and the bad days not so tough.


Thanksgiving 2012 Greeting

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Thanksgiving Sales


I have been getting emails all week about the Thanksgiving & Black Friday sales and I wanted to share some of the best ones. 

I prefer to shop online because I find the Black Friday crowds to be kind of scary. If you are brave enough to head to the mall, Good Luck and Happy Shopping!

Coach Factory

30% off your entire purchase in-store

J. Crew Factory

Up to 50% off in-store on Black Friday

Ann Taylor

40% off all full priced items in-store and online

Banana Republic

40% off select styles in-store and online, now through Thursday

Gap

60% off everything in-store and online through Saturday

Ralph Lauren

Through Monday, take an additional 25% off all sale prices online
Thanksgiving Sales

Monday, November 19, 2012

The Weekend Tote Bag


Whenever I go away for an overnight or weekend, I always struggle to decide what piece of luggage to take with me. My small roller suitcase is way too much, even for a chronic over packer like me.

I realized that I needed to invest in a large weekend tote bag, that isn't as large as a suitcase, but larger then my everyday work tote.

I've searched around and found many great options.

T. Anthony Boarding Tote

Love the pop of red


I love this one because it comes in several colors and can be monogrammed!



Great leather and made in Massachusetts

After narrowing it down to the four bags above, I have decided to get both the L.L. Bean tote and the Longchamp tote. I couldn't choose between the two, and I love the Bean tote for summer time. It's better to have two anyway. With my over packing, i'll likely end up taking both bags for a weekend trip.



Shopping for a Weekend Tote Bag