On the gift-giving spectrum of “easy-peasy” to “deep thinking”, my husband leans heavily to the “deep thinking” side of the scale. Basically, this means that walking into a retail store is virtually impossible (unless it’s Kiosk) when I need to get him a present.

This past Hanukkah, I had this amazing illustrated family portrait made by the uber-talented (old college friend of mine) Alessandra Olanow. I emailed her a bunch of photos of the four of us, and she interpreted them (with a few back and forth questions) into singular portraits. I absolutely love the way it came out!

(In case you are wondering, “watermelon” is something Michael and I used to say to each other in our early dating days. I wanted the drawing to feel like a gift from me to him, so I had Alessandra add the talk bubble.) Here is Alessandra’s portfolio site in case you want to see more of her work.

Stairs used to be just a means to an end. No longer. The staircase is a real blank slate for design-lovers to go wild. Here are a few of my faves…

For the true artist, this ombre technique is so gorgeous. I really don’t think I’d ever tire of living here. Via Martha Stewart.

I love this use of coordinating wallpapers. Via Serena & Lily.

I saw a ton of striped stairs in doing this search, but I love the simplicity of this image. It reminds me of the vintage grain sacks that make great pillows. Via Faded Plains.

I’m not the hugest fan of the word steps, but if you’re going to do it, write something in a foreign language. Oh, and do it as a mosaic while you’re at it. Via Blog Deco Maison.

Why do they have to be called Christmas lights? Tiny lights on a string are simply tiny lights on a string and can be used for countless projects, crafts, and decor ideas. Don’t pack up your lights this year. Instead, try one of these great ideas!

Ok, I know everyone has seen this photo from the now defunct Blueprint magazine, but this idea is still a genius one. Poke holes in a canvas and push the small lights through to make a lovely, glowing piece of art. Probably best resting on a sideboard because the cords would make it hard to hang. Via Apartment Therapy.

We don’t all have an abandonned boat sitting in our backyard, but if you do, this is an imaginiative way to give it a sail. Via Completely Coastal.

I love how the glow really illuminates the pattern on the origami paper. Thin paper is ideal for this so the light really shines through. Via Spoon & Tamago.

Extra boxes + twinkle lights = this amazing construction. The perfect post-holiday idea that uses two things that you have at your fingertips. Via Pinterest.

And there’s nothing wrong with dolling up a blank wall with a little twinkle. It’s warm and a lovely way to fill space inexpensively.

Brown paper packages tied up with string…you know the rest. I love ’em, and so do you apparently, because this is one of my most popular posts.

Here are a few more ideas all using dots as the design element. Perfectly timed for this holiday season.

Office dots. Pure and simple, and in florescent colors, so very au courant. By Chelsea Fuss at Frolic.

I love how they used the dots to form the tree and two triangles to make a star; using white makes it very cool and modern. Via Not on the High Street.

The mix of twine and big white dots is simple and lovely. Via Trendenser.

I love the idea of just wrapping a circle garland around a brown box. Take it off and hang it on the wall! Via Good Day Sunshine.

I know there are tons of recipes for homemade play-doh all over the Internet, but I feel I need to express how amazing it is. Ok, so maybe amazing is a little strong of a word, but it was super-fun to make with my son 2-year-old son Oliver. Plus, the immediacy of not having to go to the store was glorious on a Sunday morning. We used this very easy recipe from Modern Parents, Messy Kids.

• white flour – 1 cup
• warm water – 1 cup
• salt – 2 tbsp
• cream of tartar – 2 tbsp
• cooking oil – 2 tbsp
• Jello – 1 3oz pack

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Even though it makes for a longer process and a lot more clean up, let the little ones do the measuring and mixing. Keep mixing until most of the lumps are gone.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens into a ball of dough. This step does take a little while. Just keep stirring, you’ll know it’s ready when won’t be able to stir anymore.
3. Once it has finished cooking, place the dough onto a silpat mat or floured cutting board and wait for it to cool.
4. Once it is cool (at least 20-30 minutes) let the little ones knead it, adding in flour until it is no longer sticky (about 1/2 cup). At this point, you can add in extra food coloring to make the colors more vibrant, or even add glitter. 

This recipe makes a lot of play dough. You could easily half the recipe, and there would still be plenty to play with. When you are finished playing, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will keep for at least a few weeks in the refrigerator, with daily use. If at any time it starts to be a little sticky, just add more flour.

Here are photos of our fun morning in the kitchen!