Tis the Season of Giving

As you may have noticed by my multiple gift giving guides, I am a lover of giving gifts. The holiday season is the perfect excuse for me to do what I love - shop, and do so for the people I love. I get a rush from the excitement of finding the perfect gift that you just know the receiver will appreciate. Whether it is a wedding gift, birthday gift, anniversary gift, or Christmas gift, I enjoy shopping around and taking time to think of the most creative gift possible to give each recipient.  At the end of the day it is never about the price tag, but about the gift representing your appreciation of having the person in your life.

Because I pride myself on giving thoughtful gifts, I get super excited when I receive a gift and it is obvious the person saw the gift and immediately thought of me. It is unquestionably a rewarding feeling for both the giver and the receiver.

A few weeks ago my former employer, fellow interior designer, and good friend Elizabeth Bauer sent me a text out of the blue that she had bought me a gift. It was not my birthday, nor Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other gift giving holiday so I was even more surprised and excited....a gift for no reason, yipee!

While antique shopping, she came across an antique brass William and Mary trivet, and seeing as I have the same initials, she bought it for me. What an incredibly thoughtful act and gift!

I love it for many reasons....

1. The thoughtful gesture it represents
2. It is my initials, thus unique to me
3. It is antique
4. It is brass (which I am obsessed with these days)
5. It doubles as a decorative object on my counter top
6. When guests see it on my countertop, they will assume that (a.) I cook and (b.)I am probably a serious chef to own a monogramed trivet (*which I am not!)

Thank you again Liz for such a special gift. I will cherish it forever! ;)

All for home and home for all...A Shopping guide for the home

a.     Vintage Marble Games; vibranceandchaos@gmail.com; $30 each

b.     Marble Desk Accessories; vibranceandchaos@gmail.com; $30 each

c.      Brass abstract woman; vibranceandchaos@gmail.com; 24”h x 5”w x 5”d; $400

d.     Kitchen Diagrams; Etsy; girlscantell; $4-$14

e.     Geode Pulls; Marjorie Skouras;

f.       Brass Bookends; vibranceandchaos@gmail.com; $400 each

g.     Colored Pencil Holder; Elizabeth Bauer Design; (212) 255-8625; $62

h.     Ceramic Farmer’s Market Baskets; Jason Home and Garden; $20-$38 each

i.       Steam Mop/Vacuum; Kohl’s; Shark 2-in-1 Vac Then Steam; $189.99

j.       Umbrella, Jean Paul Gaultier; $160

k.     Lucite Desk Trays; vibranceandchaos@gmail.com ; $150/set of 3

l.       Step Ladder, All Modern Outlet; by Karl Marmvall; $295

m.  Mercury Glass Accessories & Pendant; West Elm; $9-$99

n.    Metal Floating Easel, West Elm $49-$69

o.     Fleece Flounce Throw; Anthropologie; $798

p.     Antique Zanzibari Etched Brass Tray; Serena & Lily; $350.00

q.     Resin Table Top Pieces; Dinosaur Designs; $90-$420

r.      Throw Pillows; Roberta Roller Rabbit; $40-$76

s.      Blender/Juicer; Sur La Table; Vitamix; $599.95

t.       Luggage Rack; vibranceandchaos@gmail.com; $300

u.     Rugs; Urban Outfitters; Chevron Rugs; $39-$74

v.     Luggage; Steam Line Luggage; $28-$496

w.   Vintage Vanity Trays & Boxes; vibranceandchaos@gmail.com; $50 each

Maggie Waltemath Vibrance and Chaos

A holiday shopping guide for the men in your life...

a. Socks, Boden ; $38

b. Shoelaces, Benjos ; $6

c. Nano, Apple, $129 + Watch, LunaTik, $139.95

d. Southwest gift card, Southwest Airlines,

e. Shirt, J.Crew; $59.50

f. To Do List, Where Is The Cool;

g. Boots, Bellstaff ;

h. iPad case, DODOcase for  J.Crew; $79.95

i. Sweater, Bonobos; $248

j. Tie Case, Pierrepont Hicks; $185

k. Backpack, inCase, $179.95

l. Coat, Billy Reid, Sunday Tweed Coat; $895

m. Sport Coat, Jack Spade, Murry Corduroy Sport Coat, $495

n. Waxed Jacket, Steven Alan ; Waxed Combat Jacket; $428

o. Chinos, Bonobos, Game Day Chinos; $88

A-Z Shopping Guide for Her...

a. Hat, Rag and Bone ; $150

b. Scarf, Burberry ; $450

c. Belt, Alkemie ; $265

d. Ring, Kate Spade, $78

e. Coat, Mackage, Morgan Wool coat; $590

f. Bracelet, Alexis Bittar; $195

g. Bracelet, Ross Simmons ; $138.75

h. Bracelet, Lulu Frost for  J.Crew; $58

i. Watch, Nixon, Net-a-Porter; $200

j. Bracelet, Alkemie, $209

k. iPad, Apple, 32GB, $729

l. iPad case,  Galart International , Brown Polished Shagreen; $175

m. Earrings, Urban Outfitters, Porcupine Spikes, $29

n. Waxed jeans, J.Brand; Waxed Twill in Brown; $251

o. Boots, Corso Como, Riding Boots; $199

p. Lipstick,  Revlon “Siren”; $6.99

q. Lipstick, MAC “Good to go”; $34

r. Blouse, Elizabeth and James ; $295

s. Book, Celerie Kemble’s Black and White(And A Bit In Between) ; $50

t. Panties, Cosabella, $28

u. Bra Set, Cosabella, $128/for 3

v. Nail Polish, Chanel, “Peridot”; $25

w. Tinted Moisturizer , Laura Mercier – Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer in Natural Radiance; $42

x. Moisturizer, Therapy Systems, 24 Hour Normalizer; $42

y. Stationary, Stripe & Field ;  $5 each

z. Embosser, Paper Source, $28.50

Obsession: Post-it Notes!

I love Post-It Notes. I go through a pack every two days. I use them to label things, to create binder tabs, To Do lists, to take down voice messages, write blog post ideas, etc. I even have 3 or 4 apps on my phone that are basically Post-It Note applications.

Anyways, my point is that I came across this fun organizing idea that revolves around the one thing that keeps me sane...my To Do List!

via Modern Parents Messy Kids

In need of a parachute

Our entire office is doing the popular Isogenix cleanse (no it's not Beyonce's cayenne pepper and lemon juice cleanse). The cleanse is all about eliminating sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and all vices that cause the body to go into sugar-burning mode instead of fat-burning mode....I won't bore you with the details, but I will tell you that this has been one of the hardest tests of self-restraint I have ever been up against.


Saying I have a sweet tooth is an understatement, I am a sugar addict. My dad may be a dentist, and I may have pearly white teeth, but let me tell you, I have had my fair share of cavities since I was a little girl. (gasp!)



I am on day four of the 11 day Isogenix cleanse and while the migraine headaches from sugar withdraw have subsided, I continue to crave, even lust for the smallest particle of refined sugar on the tip of my tongue.

As I try to stay focused and get work done, my mind wonders to the taste of chocolate chip cookies, Halloween candy, and the slice of wedding cake I resisted eating this weekend while home in Nashville at my friend Meredith's wedding.

Oh how I long for a parachute, to carry my tired, sugar-free, empty body far far away from my "cleanse world" that is filled with nutrient rich shakes, tablets, raw nuts, greens, and lean protein.....

If the powers at be can't send a parachute to take me away from sugar-free land, I would at least like to be wearing one of these gorgeous parachute inspired frocks as a reward for my self-control thus far...

images via Pinterest