HAPPY HO HO HOLIDAYS

Every year Christmas seems to sneak up on us. Wasn't it just Halloween? Never fear - Flaunt is here with a bunch of Christmas tidbits that are sure to bring merriment to your festive month.

FUN: 

My days of threatening to call Santa are over! I got mysELF an ELF!

If you have wee spawn, and haven't brought the holiday tradition of the "Elf on The Shelf" into your home, I highly recommend it! The elf watches the kidlets throughout the day and reports back to Santa when they are abed each night. Being naughty just got more interesting in our house - poor Brianna! The only tough thing is remembering to hide the elf in a different spot each night so that the kids have to find it in the morning (part of the magic). There are entire sites dedicated to elf ideas. Here are a couple gooders:

In Canada, get yours at Chapters, in the US at 

Barnes and Noble (and no, I'm not a partial owner:)

DECOR: 

For a bunch of great DIY Christmas decor ideas that aren't super tacky like reindeer made out of candy canes and pipe cleaners, check out Babble.

Counting down to christmas was always a huge part of the holiday magic when I was growing up.  I just bought his advent calendar  off of Etsy. Absolutely darling. Round tin containers held to a pizza pan with magnets. Only downfall is that I have to find things that are small enough to fit in the tiny containers.

Even though this picture (below) has been flying around facebook and pinterest, I would be doing an injustice to my fellow parents to not showcase this insanely brilliant idea. Why oh why does everything have to be for the kids?

TREATS: 

Nothing says holidays like a tasty treat! Weather you're exchanging, or hosting a holiday party, cookies are a must. My personal favorite cookie of all time: Chocolate Sparkle Cookies, The creation of Vancouver chocolatier, Thomas Haas.  Click here for the recipe.  And Yes, I have made them a few times! AMAZING - well worth the time and $$$!

If you feel lazy you can zip down to Thomas Haas and buy some already made!

Jacqueline Long, mama-preneur makes gorgeous Christmas cookies!  She used to make cakes for my kids birthday parties when she lived in Vancouver.  Now Toronto-based, her beautiful and yummy cookies can be shipped!  I wonder if I can claim these as my own creations at family gatherings:)

Order up and check out Jackie's amazing, detail oriented designs at: www.ibakery.ca

Christmas candy makes a perfect homemade gift. These chocolate cherry cups look heavenly and seem to be fairly easy to make (famous last words).  The recipe is here at: Canadian Living.

In light of all this cookie chatter, here is an awesome book for your little ones. It is full of little life lessons that capture the spirit of the holiday season.  Available at Kidsbooks.

CARDS:  

The first Christmas cards were illustrated by John Callcott Horsley in London on the 1st of May 1843. His card (below) totally cracks me up - the entire family is drinking even the small children!  This must have ignited some controversy at the time.  Gotta love stationery that pushes the envelope... Hic-cup!

From: wikipedia

So, it is really needless to say, that an e-card or mass email at Christmas time just doesn't cut it.  Get off yer arse and hand write a wee note (especially to your Grandma) - it's what all the cool people are doing!  If you are stuck for a greeting, use one of these "professionally" selected ones:

• Peace, good will and happiness for you at Christmas and always.
• Joy to you and yours this holiday season.
• Card messages aren't my thing - Merry Christmas.
• The sweetest joys are those found at Christmas.
• Hugs and kisses & warm holiday wishes.
• Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and happy new year.
• May the sparkle of the stars and all the peace on earth be yours this Christmas.

www.flauntshop.com has lots of Christmas cards!  Here is a sampling:

I Hope yule each have a wonderful holiday!

Cheers to your health and happiness!

- Shannon

FLAUNT SHOUT OUT to my friend Judie who made these after reading my last blog. Well done - that's some serious dedication to cupcake making! You really are a SUPER-MOM.

HALLOWEENY TIMES

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

It's nearly here!  Time to get your ghoul on!  Halloween is definitely my favourite holiday.  It's the no stress, no gift pressure and no huge dinner to cook holiday. There are so many fun elements about Halloween - here are some of my picks.

DECOR:

Paper Source, one of my faves (if only we had it in Canada) has tons of great spooky ideas!  I bought this spider garland when I was in NYC, but you can order on-line.  Brianna (my 4 year old) and I put it together! So easy!

Pumpkin carving has come a long way from cutting out triangles! For some great tips check out this link.

www.today.msnbc.msn.com

TREATS  

I need to make some Halloween treats for both of my daughter's classes.  I dream of bringing in the treat that all mother's swoon over, envying my baking and creative prowess.  So I did a little Google search.

How cute are these witches?  I love them.  Could I make them?  No.  For these and a ton of other Halloween treats that less than 1% of the population can pull off, check out Parents. (How ironic is that?)

Now I can probably do these.  The owls maybe, but I could totally kick the fruit skewers and cheese & crackers out of the park.

One Charming Party

GREETINGS

Don't forget to send some spooky wishes to friends and family.  Here are some of our Halloween designs.  Available on www.flauntshop.com

So as it stands (this inevitably will change on the day of) we have a strawberry short cake and a tiger hitting the Halloween streets.  Dave and I will be gunslingers, though I am a tad worried that the costume I ordered is sluttier than anticipated.  Must find a way to tone that down for the kiddos:)

And alas, the best part of trick-or-treating is to have wine in hand - it's become our adult tradition.  See, red wine can look scary:)

Happy Halloween Everyone!

-Shannon

NYC STATIONERY SHOPS

NYC BABY! How do I love this city? Let me count the ways.... that would take forever!  This was my third visit to the Big Apple and being fresh off the plane, it leaves me wanting more.  Of course I checked out some of my favourite stationery haunts, which just so happen to carry Flaunt:)

CAT FISH GREETINGS - a lovely little shop in the heart of SoHo, Nolita. Location

With a highly coveted address, this store is the sweetest card store I have been too.  Perfectly organised shelves of greeting cards, including owner Loi Luc's designs with the store's namesake, Cat Fish - available in store and on-line at: www.catfishgreetings.com.  Also in shop are a variety of cards from many top independent greeting card illustrators, and fabulous baby/infant buys that are largely eco-friendly. Loi wasn't expecting my visit and I was delighted to meet her.  So friendly and kind - I just love the people in this industry!

A couple of Cat Fish Greeting cards that I bought - Designed by Loi

Flaunt cards gracing Catfish shelves:

Flaunt and a Cat Fish Greeting (far right)

Flaunt with Night Owl Paper Goods Cards (top)

PAPER SOURCE -  A premier paperie with over 70 retailers throughout the USA.  Location

Photo: www.papersource.com

The store in SoHo is amazing and I dropped a fair bit of $$ there (makes sense considering the CDN dollar was at a 15 year high... right?)  For the past 30 years, Paper Source Stores have been the "go to" retailers for greeting cards, stationery, stamping and crafting products.  These stores ooze with creativity and offer thousands of in house designed items.  Most importantly, Paper Source is my number one buyer and are incredibly supportive of independent greeting cards designers such as myself.   SMOOCH!

A couple of my purchases (I know, I have a serious OWL issue):

Poodle card: www.dudeandchick.com and boxed owl notes: Paper Source

Little ol' Vancouver based Flaunt amongst the best of the best:)

POSMAN BOOKS - a traditional independent bookstore that captures the heart of NYC  Location

With locations at Rockefeller Center, Chelsea Markets and Grand Central, Posman books maintains it's NYC traditional bookstore vibe.  I visited the Grand Central shop, which was quaint and chocked full of well selected titles and merchandise.  I couldn't help but be tempted to purchase some of their great stock.  Including these cards and some super cute books for my girls:

Dog in Time Square: www.marctetro.com and Hamster: www.selzergoods.com

And of course some Flaunt on a spinner:

'Til next time NYC! Thanks for loving Flaunt for the last ten years!

 - Shannon (at Nobu in Tribeca)

FATHERLY LOVE

Hey Daddio, it's nearly your day!

I am certainly one of the lucky ones.  My Dad is the best.  Everyone loves him - he's easy to be around, funny, a bit of a MacGuyver (click here for a refresher), and always puts family first.  I am the only daughter to my parents and fell perfectly into the role as "daddy's little girl."  Now that I am (almost) grown-up with my own family, I am tickled to have Dave be the rockstar Dad that he is to our two little girls.  To them, I am the appliance and he's the toy - adventurous and fun-loving.  Father's day is a great day for me to celebrate the awesome dads in my life including an amazing father-in-law and grandfather... lucky me, lucky me.

I came across this awesome ad from canadian club released for father's day a few years ago with fabulous vintage pics:

What to do for dad on father's day?  How about starting the day off with some Beer and Bacon Mancakes! I found this on pinterest, and although it gave me the dry heaves, there are a few men in my life that would think this is the cat's ass! 

Get the recipe here!
INGREDIENTS:

What to buy for Dad? Please no ties... that's so 1950's!  How about upping his cool factor with a new pair of shades? These Carrera's are awesome:

Buy at Holt Renfrew

If he's the outdoorsy, sporty type and doesn't own a GoPro, I suggest you grab one.  They are everywhere and so very easy to get last minute. Perfect for biking, surfing, snowboarding, skiing etc. Check out www.gopro.com.

If he's into vino, the Marquis on Davie Street has a regular updated list of 12 great wines under $20.00. Decisions made easy! And cheap enough that you can buy a few and not worry if you don't like one:)

I just read about the ManCakes (not the pancake kind) Bakery in the Vancouver Sun this morning. Really? That's some serious out of the box thinking! They have 10 unique flavoured cupcakes including Buffalo Wing, Rum and Coke and of course Bacon Chili Chocolate.  Order the Dad's with evolved cupcake taste buds a day or night 6 pack online.

  Here are a few greeting card selections from www.flauntshop.com to finish your gift off:

Here is Dave with our little monsters:

Leanne Liakos Photography

Happy Father's Day to all you guys that make a difference in the lives of children.

Shannon

MAMMA MIA - IT'S ALMOST MOTHER'S DAY!

Mother’s day is nearing... get ready for brunch and flowers.  At least that's what mother's day has always been in my family.  As long as mimosas are on the menu, most mom's (including myself) will take this lacklustre celebratory meal in style:).  But when it comes to gift giving, I suggest you opt for something a little less traditional than flowers.  Like:

Some Sid Dickens wall art from GiGi B on Granville Island:

or

Some Ethical Shoes. My mommy friends and I have fully jumped onto this comfort bandwagon. These are the only shoes (other than runners)that I haven't had to break in! With every pair you purchase TOMS gives a pair of new shoes to a child in need.  Pretty Cool!  Check out TOMS for their latest!

TOMS Corbet Wedge Sandal

or

Some macarons. Ces't bon non? In Vancouver Thomas Haas has the best ones! They are a perfect little treat.

or

A fabulous book like The Paris Wife from Chapters. The Paris Wife is a sweet love story about the relationship between Earnest Hemingway and Hadley Richardson - the first of Hemingway's four wives.  This book made me want to go back in time and experience Paris in the 1920's.

or

If you are opting for the "homemade" presents and are over the acceptable "make-a-present" age of 10, here's an easy and kinda hilarious idea that I found on pinterest.  

To make: you can either, print your picture on to sticker paper: Avery, or you can have a picture copied onto a transparency at a store like Kinkos slide it in to the soap and use the tip of the pump to place it against the side.

And of course, please please please don't forget the card! Mother's love them, really they do! All available at www.flauntshop.com

Here is a picture of my Mamma (Nana Joy) with my two little girls, Sydney and Brianna:

"The future destiny of a child is always the work of the mother."
Napoleon Bonaparte

Lots of Love to all you mothers out there, enjoy!

Shannon