On the twelth day of Christmas

The fabulous Cassandra from Coco + Kelley is joining us today for the final installment of this Christmas series. Welcome Cassandra, thanks for stopping by.

My typical Christmas morning My sister and I still stay the night at our parents house so we can wake up in the morning to open presents in our PJ's! There's always lots of phone calls from family and friends all over the country, and we always have tasty Italian Panettone for breakfast.

The best thing about Christmas There are so many little things about Christmas that I love, but I think the energy of the city during Christmas is my favorite - there's just a bit more excitement and holiday spirit in the air. I love the first weeks in December when the streets are lined in twinkling lights, everyone is out and about, bundled up for shopping, Christmas songs are playing, and the stores have their holiday windows all set up. I think especially this year there's a feeling of hope in the air that's lifting everyone's spirits a bit more.

Image via Flickr

The worst The last week of shopping, dashing between a million parties, and the pressure of finding perfect gifts.

Gift-giving philosophy Gifts should be unexpected, thoughtful, and meaningful. Even when I can't spend a lot of money on a gift, I try to put together some little things that tell a story or are part of a theme, like putting together a few kitchen accessories for someone who loves to cook, or bundling a candle with a nice matchbook and topped with a special ornament. When you add that little extra touch of effort and wrap it beautifully, you really can't go wrong. At the very least, people always appreciate a nice bottle of wine or champagne, or great little cozy pieces like a furry throw or soft scarf this time of year (especially in Seattle!).

Shopping destinations This year, I did a bit of shopping at Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, but as much as I love going downtown for the atmosphere, I really tried to spend my money at more independent small stores. I do a lot of shopping in smaller neighborhoods around town, like Fremont and Ballard. So many amazing shops have been closing this year - I think it's really important to support the ones I love the most! I've also been finding some great stuff online - which makes life so much easier! Thank you Etsy!

Budget I don't really believe in setting a budget for gifts - the value is really in the thought!

Receiving gifts I know I'm incredibly hard to shop for, but I'm truly thankful for getting gifts at all! If you know you're picky, it helps to make a wishlist though and send it out to family and friends. Give them a little help ;)

Wrapping tips I go overboard on wrapping. I love using doublefaced satin ribbon from Midori. Adding little embellishments like glittery tags, feathers, etc. And I usually have a theme for the year, which makes it easier. This year my paper is this green and white trellis pattern and I'm doing red ribbon. Very classic but fun.

Decorations & Theme I don't have many, so my decorations are fairly uncluttered and simple. I try to have somewhat of a theme, but honestly I think the value is in the importance of the pieces you've collected, not necessarily what they all look like together. I have some great vintage goodies that I've found on ebay combined with new glittery snowflakes and snowglobes. I don't usually do a lot of trimmings, but I do love a feather or boxwood wreath! Because my parents still host us at their home, I use their pieces for the Christmas dinner and we usually do a jeweled tone type of theme. It's actually really beautiful.

Image via Martha Stewart

The tree Since I've always had a small tree, I do switch out the look every year ... for now! This year I was inspired by a small collection of vintage keys that I have lying around. I decided to do a 'secret garden' type of theme - flowers, birds, and keys all strung up in the tree! It's very refreshing, actually!

My decorating wish A shopping spree at Vivre for tabletop decor! Or, the opportunity to do a store window or tree. I would LOVE to do that.

The menu Not my job! My dad is a chef and restaurant owner. I leave the cooking to him.

The vibe Cozy! After all the holiday parties and running around, Christmas at home should be about family and comfort. Lots of warm blankets, a fire in the fireplace, classic Christmas tunes, and hot cocoa! This year I'm going for an elegant country kind of vibe - with a dash of glitter.

Your best timesaver tips Start early ;)

The wow factor Candlelight does amazing things to a room and a table. Break out the good china and silver, if you have it. Coordinated gift wrapping looks awesome under a tree. If you can order up some snow, just for Christmas day, it's pretty much the prettiest thing you'll see!



Preparing for guests The holidays are crazy enough without out of town guests, but if you do have people staying with you, make them feel at home with a cozy welcome basket of goodies - a big blanket, maybe some slippers, and extra snacks (so they don't eat all of yours!). For dinner or party guests, the best tip is to always have more food and drink thank you think you'll need. The worst thing that can happen to a party is running out of something!

On boxing day I'll be... Purchasing Christmas cards for next year, which I forgot to do last year! Usually my mom, sister and I head to the stores to make our returns if we have any, but this year should be nice and mellow. Maybe I'll even sleep in!


Thankyou so much for sharing your Christmas with us Cassandra, it was lovely to hear about your traditions. I hope you have all had as much fun reading these interviews as I have. I'd like to extend a big thankyou to everyone for sharing their Christmas celebrations with us, and to my wonderful readers. Today will be my last blog entry until the New Year so may you all have a very Merry Christmas.

Amanda xx