Get Your Gift On | Milk and Cookies, Santa needs love too

 {The classic milk container in hand-blown glass can be found at Swirl by Daily Candy and "Thank You" gift box cookies are by Crystal Horton (She has her Masters in Fine Arts from Parsons!) of Tasty Morsels Bakery} 

When was the last time you set out a sweet treat for dear ol' Saint Nick?  Well if you've been naughty and not nice, I suggest you set out this clever pair of milk and cookies! Maybe he'll think twice about stuffing coal into your stocking while he chomps down on a big chunk of Merci and replace it with something shiny and bright!

Speaking of little stinkers...Zara Kids

Can we please talk about how adore these little people are? I'm beginning to feel exceedingly guilty about the sneakster move I pulled this morning ;), but while we all have kids on the brain I must say that I can only hope my future mini me's will be as stylish as the ones in Zara's September and Christmas lookbooks. Zara's incredibly on point lately with runway right looks (hmm, I wonder if I could pull these off?) and their latest evening collection here just in case you missed it!

Exciting News & a Baby Announcement!

Hello, darling readers!  I've barely been able to contain myself for the past few weeks, but as we're getting close to the big day, I have found it high time to let you in on all the fuss! 1. I'm not preggers. 2. The presh baby announcement above is the latest work in progress by sweet Sarah over at Truly Smitten who will be giving My Cup of Te a makeover!

After months of searching for the perfect fit, I was smitten by Truly Smitten! I've followed along with Sarah's blog for quite some time now and...

She's got impeccable taste, but doesn't take herself too seriously.
She loves animals and hand-written letters. 
She's got tricks up her sleeve and doesn't mind eating her hush puppies while people stare.
She appreciates the finer things in life-and by finer I mean good food and fun friends.
And just like me, she stuck it to the man and peaced out on corporate America to follow her heart!

On top of all that awesomeness, I absolutely love her sense of humor as well as her modern and clean, yet pretty designs- you really must check out her portfolio for yourself! For more on Sarah, you can find her work published in the Little Book of Letter Press and featured in Style Me Pretty, Daily Candy, and Design Sponge to name a few! 

I'll be closing shop for a day or two within the next week to let Sarah and her partner, HTML maven Lindsay Nicole, work their magic. Can't wait to bring y'all the new look!

p.s. Mom and Dad, sorry for the baby fake out! I got your attention didn't I? ;)

My Weekend Cup of Te!

Via Club Monaco's New Blog Culture Club!

My lovelies, I realize I have been quite delinquent in posting my linky link Friday Cups of Te, but you see between my most important birthday and certainly a fave holiday (Christmas without the distracting presents- just family and food!), I have dropped the ball and for that I have searched even higher and lower than usual to deliver a super fun Cup of Te full of the unique and unexpected- So enjoy and have a marvelous weekend! x's and o's, Roxy

pssst, just thought you'd like to know I collect these links from all around the web and from you my lovely readers!

I'm seeing spots, but I think that's Anna Wintour!

And I thought my Hello Kitty Band-aids were cool

Sit in your bookcase. No, really.

Leave your print

Festive Christmas cocktails just in case your house turns into a Griswold family christmas

I would get as much enjoyment out of this chair as a 5 yr old

Speaking of children...how adore is this baby seal?!

A wedding gown fit for a princess, err, maybe a disney princess

My new signature necklace and you might as well throw these in too!

Wouldn't you fancy a romantic rendezvous here?

A French classic with a twist

This little guy's Christmas present

Kumquat, Kum-what?

Nars Schiaparelli and Urban Decay Zero. Who are you?

Adore her crazy cool style

A photo diary after my own heart!

Would you pay the price to be city slicker cool?

Directions to develop star style blogger status

A darling gift guide!

The Seoul Style Files of an American Expat | Scarf Steeze for Men

{Mr. Seoul Style File waiting for the bus!}

Remember my brother who lives in Seoul? Well he's back with some cold weather steeze. Growing up in a mini, often backwards, southern town many a man who dared wrap a scarf around his neck (you would've though it was a noose, never mind we were the only "chinky"-eyed around) would be subject to ridicule and smart ass remarks- Well, show 'em how it's done little bro! They wouldn't last for a second in Seoul! Check out Esquire for four ways to wear a scarf and for more inspiration see here and here.

Party Pretty! | Zara's Evening Collection

Rendezvous under the mistletoe? Or lack thereof? Zara's drop dead evening collection will land you under a holly berry or three. You'll shine brighter than strands upon strands of twinkle lights and be hotter than hot toddy in hand! Cheers to the holiday season darlings!

Get Your Gift On | A Personal Portrait seriously worth 1,000 words

{Designer, fashion icon and stylist to the stars, Robert Verdi's Portrait. What would your "Ideal Bookshelf" say about you?}

"I paint people's ideal bookshelves: your favorite books, books that changed your life, books that made you who you are. Picking your ideal books is not an easy task (try it!), and the results are always enlightening. I think of this project as an intimate form of portraiture; a way to illustrate who the subject is on the inside instead of out." -Jane Mount, artist

This is my fave so far! Wouldn't this make for the most delightful surprise? Shame on those silly pre-packaged gift sets and electronic gizmos and gadgets! I say! Wouldn't you much rather find this under your tree than one of those silly whatchamacalit kindles?! Go on lovelies! Commission a bookish portrait of your most darling of darlings- they will shriek with excitement (or at least I would!) when they figure out why you pleaded and begged to play a game of what's your favorite!  I'm dying to know- what would your top three titles be?

p.s. "Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." Especially if it's going to be immortalized in a painting! ;)

{To learn more about Jane, click here}