The magic of Taffy lane

You may not know, but we, the literary ladies of WTD are all currently living in Ontario.  We started this blog to shed a little light on the literary side of Canada's most political province: living a novel life is possible, even in the frozen wasteland that "On-terrible" can sometimes be!
If you live in Ottawa and need something free/very cheap to do over the holidays, why not check out Taffy lane?  It's a small suburban street famous for its residents who bedeck their houses in seasonal wonder.
Tip: park the car and walk the street: you'll see so much more of the detail and effort put in, and you'll enjoy the winter wonderland first hand!  Plus, I have a sneaking suspicion the few grinches who don't participate are protesting against the large amounts of increased traffic Taffy lane's notoriety brings every year.

Adorable,and so easy to DIY!

Need to add these guys to Jem's reindeer roundup!

 It goes without saying that the whimsy and holiday spirit are uplifting and inspirational.  I love how this community pulls together to create some spectacular.  They are the true embodiment of the Christmas spirit: they give all of us a show and it doesn't cost (us) a nickel.

My absolute favourite!

On my visit I saw at least four families with toddlers, some riding in sleds, enjoying the bright lights.  It was snowing big, fluffy flakes and the effect was truly magical.  A wholesome winter activity for the entire family!

Classy all white lighting

The beauty of this "community art project" is that everyone can show off their unique style.  It doesn't have to be big, flashy and expensive.  Many people simply put up a few strings of lights and left it at that-- it is still heartwarming to see just how many houses participate.  one of my particular favourites (sadly I didn't get to photograph) displays a light-up sign that is clearly wishing everyone happy holidays in a language I don't recognize.  I think it's fantastic that whomever that family is, whatever their heritage, their religion, etc, they not only participate in this tradition, but they also proudly display their unique way of celebrating.

Getting creative with Nightmare Before Christmas

If you get a chance to see Taffy lane, I recommend parking the car and walking the street.  Bring a hot chocolate (in a re-usable mug of course) and if you see any of the residents, congratulate them on another successful year.  These are the people who make Ottawa less stuffy and more awesome!

Holiday Gift Giving: DIY, Eco-Friendly, Recycled Wrapping

I have a penchant for gift wrapping. Growing up with a staunch feminist for a mother, whom I love dearly, our Christmas gifts were always hastily wrapped in paper grabbed at the last minute, on Christmas Eve, with a bow and a gift tag plopped on top. It was always a hassle, a chore, and more than likely one that was passed on to me. Luckily for me (and for mom) I love wrapping. I also love other things that my mom detests like doing crafts, decorating and renovating. For my mom, these kinds of activities are associated with antiquated female roles like “the perfect hostess” or “homemaker”. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have a lovely family home, or that my mom doesn’t enjoying baking dozens of Christmas cookies and throwing holiday parties, it just means that she has never wanted to feel like she is “supposed” to do these things. And I get that. But I can’t help it, I enjoy them.

Souce: We Heart It

I’m getting sidetracked, the point is, the older I’ve grown the more I’ve appreciated and enjoyed gift giving and gift wrapping. There is something really special about choosing something for someone that you care about and wrapping it in an equally care-filled way. We have made it obvious with our posts here at WTD that we like to spoil our loved ones; whether it’s with a DIY shower scrub, a treasured book or simply a potluck dinner with old friends, Christmas is a time to show the people you love how much you love them. To me, wrapping just tops off those sentiments. Crafting a beautiful looking parcel shows the care and thought you put into purchasing the gift.

Source: We Heart It

There are legitimate downfalls to wrapping, though and I am going to address them. A lot of people can’t invest time or money into wrapping because presents, especially for kids, are unwrapped in a matter of minutes. Your hard work and determination is undone by your greedy seven year old nephew who takes one look at the toy and tosses it aside. I can see how that is frustrating. Generally, we like to be pretty eco-friendly here at WTD so the fact that gift wrap creates a lot of garbage is a major concern. Luckily, gift wrap is becoming more and more recyclable as the years pass. Look for gift wrap that has that magical little triangle on the tag and make sure to tell the receiver that it is  (most people assume it isn’t). Other great options include using kraft paper (the kind you wrap parcels in for mail) or even newspaper and dressing the otherwise plain packaging up with an extra beautiful ribbon or bow. The best thing you can do is re-use your gift wrap. Don’t crumple the bag or cut that ribbon! If take the time to unwrap carefully and you can re-use almost every aspect of the present in future gift giving.

Once you've collected a selection of pre-loved, recycled and used gift wrap do an inventory and decide what you need to buy. It may not be realistic to wrap each gift with the amount of care and love you want to. Decide who will appreciate your time and efforts the most and spoil them. If you can wait, try holding out until a week before the big day. In the beginning of December wrapping paper comes at a premium but wait, the sale stuff is best! I got a plethora of amazing wrapping goods at Chapters yesterday for $2-$5 a piece! I got bows, ribbon, pretty tissue and a couple gorgeous tags to compliment my used/recycled/eco-friendly supplies.

I've done some serious brainstorming so I'll start by giving you some of my ideas (with a little help from the Internet):

Wrapping

• an old map
• recycled brown (or other) bags 
• kraft paper/butcher paper/brown paper
• newspaper
• magazine ads (ie. a super classy Chanel ad)
• pretty patterned pre-loved tissue paper (ie. the kind you get at higher-end stores in the bag)
• fabric scraps
• jars/tins/boxes
• sheet music
• burlap
• scrap wallpaper
• vintage sewing patterns (also works for tissue)

Ribbon

• ribbon
• twine
• raffia
• baker's twine
• string
• lace
• yarn

 Accents Pieces

• snips of greenery
• sprigs of berries
• small Christmas ornaments you don't use anymore
• bells
• shells
• pine cones
• postcards
• doily
• twigs
• feathers
• aluminium foil for a silvery sparkle
• paint chips cut into the shape of Christmas trees ect.

Now, on to the fun. What I have collected and pinned from the wonderful world of the Internet:

Use Buttons

This is a particularly awesome idea for kids and who doesn’t have a box full of spare buttons?

Use Your Feet:

Those feet-reindeer with googly eyes are probably the cutest thing I have ever seen!

Use Tree Clippings

Source: MomSpark

You have to trim the bottom branches off your tree anyway so why not use them in you wrapping? 

Create a Chalkboard Look

Source: Nashville Wraps

Chalkboards are very on trend yet would be unique for Christmas, you can create a chalkboard look and tie it all together with red ribbon! I like creativity this option opens up! If you have kids let them draw some snowmen and mistletoe all over them.

Make them Girly with Doilies

Source: The Yellow Buttercup

I think the kraft paper and doily go together beautifully. Using brown string to tie it all together just completes that pretty, rustic look.

All Natural

Source: Design Sponge

I love this combo of natural accent pieces, a homemade typewriter tag, kraft paper and tied with raffia.

Splatter Paint

Source: Go for the Creative

Not only does it look like snow but you get to re-live your Kindergarten days making it!

Potato Stamp

Source: Lost and Fawned

While you're still in your splatter painting clothes continue down memory lane and potato stamp some butcher paper with Christmas trees!

Feathery Flair

Source: Maggie Pate's Flickr

Real or fake, feathers add flair! These packages also have beautiful tags.

Lady-Like Lace

Source: Living in Simplicity

 Adding a little lace is a pretty accent. Adding lace and ribbon? I'm in love! Simple elegance. I would use a Christmas-y coloured ribbon, though. 

Cookie Cutter Patterns

Source: Restless Oasis

If you have an excess of Christmas-y cookie cutters re-use a couple of them to make wintery designs on your parcels!

 Sheet Music

Source: Vintage with Laces

 I love the look of sheet music as wrapping paper especially for a music lover!

The last, and my favouirte!

Sadly Pinterest had no click-through for this one :(

Well, that's a wrap! Gotta book it!

xoxo JEM

P.S. post your eco-friendly, DIY, recycled and re-useable ideas in the comments! Tweet, Pin & Instragram us too!

The 10 Best Literary Christmas Quotations (According to Us)

There is nothing better than reading about Christmas in your favourite literature! A truly good book can get you in the mood for December even on a sunny August afternoon. So sit back, relax and take in my list of the ten best literary chrsitmas quotes. Don't agree? Repond with your favourite quotations in the comments!

Source: We Heart It

A special thank you to Goodreads and Google which made compiling this list of quotations ridiculously easy on this snowy December morning!

10.)

Source: School Library Journal

“Always winter but never Christmas.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

9.)

Source: byubookstore

 “I mean the baronet and the rector, not our brothers—but the former, who hate each other all the year round, become quite loving at Christmas.”
― William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair

8.)

Source: Wikipedia

“Mistletoe," said Luna dreamily, pointing at a large clump of white berries placed almost over Harry's head. He jumped out from under it. "Good thinking," said Luna seriously. "It's often infested with nargles.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 

7.) 

“I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three of whom we shall deprive you.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

 

6.)

 “CALVIN: This whole Santa Claus thing just doesn't make sense. Why all the secrecy? Why all the mystery? If the guy exists why doesn't he ever show himself and prove it? And if he doesn't exist what's the meaning of all this? HOBBES: I dunno. Isn't this a religious holiday?
CALVIN: Yeah, but actually, I've got the same questions about God.”
― Bill Watterson

5.) 

Source: The Literary Snob

“But at Christmas he had returned to Minneapolis, tight-lipped and strangely jubilant.”

― F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

4.)

Source: Page Pulp

“He went to the church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and for, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of homes, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed of any walk, that anything, could give him so much happiness.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

 3.)

Source: MsJacoby

“At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.”
― Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express

2.)

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

1.)

Source: Wikipedia

“One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Because in our hearts, here at WTD, Dumbledore is always number one! Hope you all have a lovely day and get to play in the snow!

Snow Globe DIY

             

If you’re a twenty-something like me you probably don’t have many Christmas decorations of your own (yet!). If you read A New Christmas Tradition you’ll know that here at WTD we’re re-vamping the holidays and are trying to make our own traditions this year. As always, we try to do things in the thriftiest way possible but that never means skimping on style, class or quality! Today's holiday DIY is a festive Anthropologie inspired snow globe!

My snow globes are hanging out on my kitchen table this year!

I was inspired to do this DIY after I found some delightful snow globes on Pinterest. They are inspired by these Anthropologie originals which are no longer available on their website. I made my snow globes at the end of the season last year so this is the first Christmas I’m actually getting to enjoy them and I have to say I just love them. They’re cute, quirky, super easy and amazingly cheap to make! The image from the original blog is a pretty self-explanatory and I basically did my own thing when making them. The blog Make Life Lovely has another awesome DIY tutorial for the same snow globes. She compares the original price of $40 Anthropologie version to the $2 it cost her to make them herself! Don't forget they're also eco-friendly if you use recycled jars and ribbon. Plus, I think the homemade ones look better anyway!

I love the charming bows!

What you’ll need:

• 3 mason jars (I chose two smaller jars and one large one you can decide what works for you)
• 3 miniature Christmas trees (I found mine at Dollarama and they are there again this year!)
• Fake Snow (I also bought at Dollarama) 
• 1 glue gun
• Ribbon (I used two pieces of red and one red and white checkered print. Use whatever you have)
• Something to raise your tree up I think I put a piece of foam under mine

  

The Instagram I posted after making them in 2012!

I didn’t take pictures of step-by-step directions as I made mine last year but they are so easy you won’t need them. Luckily, this is a popular craft so I’m going to source some photos online to help you along.

 

Step One

Take the lid off the mason jar and pull the ring away from the round disc.

Step Two

Use your hot glue gun to glue your base to the middle of the disc. Giving your tree a little height allows you to add more snow. Otherwise the snow covers the tree. Let dry.

Step Three

Glue the tree to the base. Let dry.

Step Four

Put snow into the jar. The amount will vary depending on the size of your tree and what looks best to you.

Step Five

Put it all together! Try not to spill the snow :)

Step Six

Tie ribbon around the ring.

Voila! How easy was that? Now all you have to do is find a cute spot in your home to  showcase these awesome snow globes.

If you want to get even thriftier try some variations. I like the Anthropologie salt shakers and the antique blue mason jars I found on google images!

Variations:

Salt Shaker Globes

Antique Jars

A Simple Kind of Life

You can add water like A Simple Kind of Life did. Personally, I prefer how they look without water but I realize they're not true snow globes without. If you do use water make sure to use distilled water!

A Simple Kind of Life also tried one globe with gold glitter. I like it! You could also mix glitter in with your snow for a more glamourous look! The only warning she had was that a layer of glitter does float to the top.

Kayla Danielle

Blogger Kayla Danielle used a big jar she had sitting around at home to make a super sized snow globe! If you like this look Apothecary jars can be found at many home decor stores for a reasonable price. Try Winners or Homesense.

Gorgeous display of globes!

Display your globes with a few tree trimmings for extra visual appeal!