Holiday Favorites 2017: Holiday Baubles

I am so excited to have several holiday gatherings coming up over the next few weeks. Whether I'm imbibing in a cocktail with friends or sipping champagne with my husband's coworkers, there are definitely some fun opportunities to get spruced-up. 

All of the major stores always have the most fun holiday baubles. I rarely allow myself to indulge in them, but I can't help but notice how cute they all are...and how affordable, too! Below I've rounded up a few of my favorite holiday jewels. The majority of these shops have sales going on now, so if you see something you like, scoot over to their site to see if there's a code to make them even cheaper! Sparkle and shine your way through the holiday season. 

Holiday Favorites 2017: Holiday Pajamas

Instead of presenting typical gift guides this year, I thought I'd bring a little something different for you guys: holiday favorites. I always have such a great time seeing all of the fun stuff that the different shops release especially for the holidays, but I rarely buy any of them! So this year, I thought it would be fun to showcase those items...and maybe it will inspire all of us to add one or two to our carts. 

Up first: holiday pajamas! I love that all of the shops bring out special holiday pajamas for this time of year. We do new pjs on Christmas Eve as our one early present, so here's a little inspo for anyone else who has that tradition (or is looking to start it!).

Modernizing the Monogram

Monograms have been a Southern fascination for years. There's just something about putting your initials on something that feels luxurious, beautiful, and safe. After all, if it's got your monogram on it, it's paws-off for everyone else. Recently, however, I've been toying with the idea of modernizing monogramming features. Instead of slapping my initials on everything that sits still, I've tried to think about creative ways to put that valuable embroidery real estate to good use. Tons of websites offer personalization (items seen here are from Mark & Graham), so the next time you opt-in, here are a few creative ways you can have fun with your selections. 

Shop the above personalized items here: 

Holiday Home Decor for Less

As you all know, we're in a temporary residence this year, and that has made getting in the holiday spirit a little challenging. We made the executive decision to leave 99% of our holiday decor in storage this year for ease of moving things back and forth. Admittedly, I've been a bit depressed without the usual days of decorating and coming home to a Christmasy space every evening. 

We brought one of our smaller, more slender, faux trees, but opted to leave all ornaments at home (for shame!!). I left all of my pretty table linens and mantle decorations, too. Last week, I finally decided I couldn't really take the lack of decor anymore, so I made a plan to beef up the cottage a little with the help of some of my favorite look-for-less shops. 

I've always loved the crewel pillows from Pottery Barn, but since I know this space is temporary, and I'm not quite sure what our living room will look like next year, I didn't want to splurge on them. World Market to the rescue! I nabbed this winter scene pillow (on sale) for $21 this weekend! I paired it with some green velvet pillows ($6 each!) for a cozy set-up. World Market has some fantastic holiday decor items this year, and I've rounded up my favorites below.

I also ventured OTP to find the perfect Christmas wreath. I love a gorgeous wreath, and I'm usually pretty good about jazzing one up myself, but with the hubs at the golf course and some time to kill, I headed to a local Christmas Tree farm to see what I could find, and I'm so glad I did. You'd be surprised with what $25 can get you! I was able to score a beautiful wreath filled with greenery of all sorts, red berries, and a cute bow. Done and done. 

When it comes to finding holiday home decor for less, look to your favorite mid-range retailers like Pottery Barn for inspiration, then head to places like Target and Home Goods to make the look happen. Splurge on items like greenery that serve the dual purpose of looking fabulous and bringing a little of the outside in. And it goes without saying that if you can wait a few weeks until after Christmas, you're bound to find some amazing deals! 

Shop Local ATL: Gifts under $100

I hope everyone had an absolutely fantastic Thanksgiving! We're spending today driving from one family to the other to enjoy round two (and probably three and four) of stuffing ourselves silly. Can't wait! 

Today I'm bringing you the final installment of my Shop Local ATL gift guides. These gifts are all under $100. While today's price point is a little higher than the other two guides, these are the gifts that are great for family members, significant others, and even close friends. Even better? A majority of these gifts don't ever meet the $100 threshold. See? I'm looking out for you this season. Enjoy today's guide, and don't forget to let me know if there are other ideas you'd like to see. Finding gifts is one of my favorite things to do. 

1. Apolis + Clare V. Market Bag ($68): Every farmer's market shopping girl could use a fabulous market bag to carry home her spoils. This fashionable one by Apolis in partnership with Clare V. has me saying "Mais, oui!" 

2. Flordeliza Passport Leather Holder ($100): I love the idea of gifting a passport holder to a future college freshman or college senior. It's a little twist on the whole "oh the places you will go" concept. Of course, this little luxury makes a great gift for just about anyone. Splurge the extra $15 for the monogram to make it even more special. 

3. Stewart Simmons Collegiate Holiday Box ($78): Speaking of college students (or college students at heart), how cute is this collegiate holiday box?! There's one for almost every Southern school you can think of. 

4. Karen Adams Designs 2017 Agenda ($54 - includes shipping): This is more of a regional gift, but I had to share it with you. As you know, I adore Karen Adams Designs, and this planner is absolutely stunning in person. And the packaging?! A total win. Stay tuned for more details next week! 

5. Trina Turk Pouch ($58): Alright, I'm stretching it a little here, too, but what southern gal doesn't love punchy Trina Turk? This cosmetics pouch is the perfect holiday home for all of your glittery eyeshadows and red lipsticks. 

Shop Local ATL: Gifts Under $50

The next installment of Shop Local ATL is here, and today, we're stepping it up and looking at gifts $50 and under. I'm confident that any of these items would bring huge smiles to the recipient's face. There are items here great for your mom, your child's favorite teacher, and even your boss. Don't forget to check out gifts under $25 for even more ideas! 

1. Home is Where the Heart is Print ($50): While Georgia is seen here, Idlewilde Co. has every state in their shop which makes this gift fantastic for even those out of state. I can even see it doubling as a housewarming or hostess gift. Have a college student out of state? Get one of these framed for their dorm room. The possibilities are endless! 

2. Tulip and Bear Candle ($28): Who doesn't need a luxury candle in their life? Candles are one of my favorite gifts to give and receive because I rarely, if ever, buy them for myself. Tulip and Bear is owned by Margaret Hunter, a lady boss who saw a hobby and raised it into a stellar business. 

3. Honeycomb Studio White Turtle Doves ($45): These handmade porcelain turtle doves come as a single, but the song goes "TWO turtle doves," guys. Honeycomb Studio's things are stunning, and I love the little touches of gold almost every piece has. Dig through the shop for even more gift ideas. 

4. Osmia Organics Body Duo Spa Series ($35): Everyone needs to treat themselves after the holidays, and what better way to do that than with an all-natural body spa set. A salt scrub and a moisturizing lotion? Heavenly. 

5. Dear Keaton Striped Hand Towel Set ($38): I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for beautiful hand towels. They are a classic gift, but if you want to spruce them up, add your favorite hand soap too for a fabulous collection. 

Shop Local ATL: Gifts Under $25

Attention! Gift guides are officially here, y'all! I wanted to get them out to you this week, so you could get in on all of the sale action this weekend. Keep your eyes peeled for deals happening all weekend long from Black Friday to Small Business Saturday to Cyber Monday. It really is a great time to save on some of your favorite items. 

This year's gift guides are focused on shopping local. While most of the products I'll feature are from the Atlanta area, you're able to shop online if you see something you love. Additionally, I've divided gifts into dollar amounts this year instead of categories. That way, if you know the dollar amount you want to spend, you'll find exactly what you need. 

While I only have three gift guides planned, let me know if you want to see gifts for a different dollar amount (dirty Santa, anyone?) or a specific category. I'm happy to either point you in the right direction, or create what you might need. If you're traveling this week, do so safely, and enjoy the official start to the holidays! 

1. ATL Enamel Pin ($8) - Help your recipient represent ATL everywhere she goes. 

2. Gold Arrow Cheese Markers ($25) - A gift for the cheese connoisseur if I ever saw one, these markers are reasonably priced and a great present for the cheese lovers or hostesses in your life. 

3. Saphir Cream Polish ($20) - As a premiere shoe polish brand, Saphir makes a fantastic stocking stuffer for the guy in your life. I can actually see this being a fun office present, too. Who doesn't need to shine their leather shoes?

4. The Dessert Place Cream Cheese Brownies ($24.99) - I love the idea of shipping these Cream Cheese Brownies from The Dessert Place to wherever you'll be spending the holidays. It can be a hostess present that arrives ahead of all of the company and gives the hosts something to place on a pretty platter. 

5. Lou Lou Silk Tassel Earrings ($18) - These delicate tassel earrings can be worn casually with stripes or elegantly with an LBD. Perfect for girlfriends. 

PPD Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for the Jet Setter

Oh jet-setters. Those friends of yours that live in their car or on a plane during the week as they bounce city to city getting their hustle on. This gift guide is for them; the ones that really need a great gift to make their life on the road as wonderful as their time at home. I've rounded up a few of my favorite jet-setting gifts (that make great stocking stuffers, too!) below. Take a look and find something perfect for your traveling friend.

Favorite Gifts for Jet-Setters

- YoSox c/o Intown Ace Hardware
- Savannah Bee Company Travel set c/o
- Travel-inspired wine tags c/o
- Scentsicles c/o
- Flywheel Gift Card c/o

Other great jet-setting gifts:

PPD Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for Your BFF

Gifting for your BFF can be one of the most fun...and one of the most daunting shopping experiences. There's so much pressure to find the perfect gift that she'll love and that you're proud of. When shopping for my BFFs, I try to think out of the box: things that they probably won't buy themselves; those luxury splurge items which is why this guide is full of those incredible, luxurious gifts!

This season, I stumbled upon Project Love, an Atlanta-based sleepwear line designed to bring beauty to life and connect women from communities around the world. Currently, 51% of all of Project Love's profits go to educate and train women in Haiti. When I spoke with co-founder, Amy, she gushed passionately about the brand and all that they're doing to help the women in Haiti. She said, "The best part of this journey so far has been meeting our girls in Haiti. They have changed our lives for sure. Just seeing where they started and where they've come in just over a year has given us so much hope. When we first met them not one of them could tell us what they wanted to do with their lives or what their hopes and dreams were. But after just a year of having two teachers and mentors spend time with them and invest with their lives, all of them can answer the question now. [co-founder] Liz was down there in August and one of them told her that she wants to be a seamstress, the other a photographer and another a writer. It was a beautiful reminder of how far a little love goes in someone's life." 

I love this brand's mission as well as their beautiful line of pajamas. There's a wide variety of styles, colors, and patterns, and I have it on good Instagram authority (aka my own assumptions) that there's about to be a great partnership between Project Love and my favorite Atlanta artist!

Plus I don't know about you, but I never buy pajamas for myself. What BFF wouldn't want to receive a gorgeous nightgown as a gift? Take a look at Project Love, along with a few of my other favorite luxury items for your BFF including a Roberta Roller Rabbit scarf and a Diptique candle. Great gifts for your BFF! 

Seamless tank c/o Rigby Peller // Hand-crafted earrings c/o // Hand-crafted necklace c/o // Tassel scarf c/o // Luxury candle c/o // Nail polish c/o // Project Love nightgown c/o

Other fabulous options for her: