Christmas Traditions + Home Tour

When I first saw this topic, I was convinced my family didn't really have any solid traditions since we're a small bunch. But the more I got to thinking, we really have quite a few unique holiday traditions! Not to sound anxious, but I cannot wait until I have a family and children of my own to share my family's traditions and to start our very own with :)

1. Secret Santa: My family really didn't have much growing up and around middle school my parents were really struggling financially for Christmas. That year we decided instead of buying expensive gifts for everyone, we would pick names secret Santa style and give just one nice gift each(there's usually a spending limit like $50-$75). Every Christmas since then, we've given gifts that way even though money isn't as tight anymore. I'm so thankful for the way we do gifting because it really helps you to truly think about what giving really means and the gifts always turn out much more personalized.

2. Jingle Bell Run: My hometown hosts a 2 mile run/jog/walk the weekend before Christmas every year and we always love attending! Pretty much the whole town comes out for it and it runs right in front of our house as well as down "Christmas Street" in our neighborhood, a special little cul-de-sac where all the houses go the extra mile with Christmas lights. 

3. Surfing Santas in Cocoa Beach: I realize this is such a Florida thing and it probably sounds silly, but the morning of Christmas Eve hundreds of surfers dress up as Santa and surf a beach in Cocoa Beach. Kids, adults, and even surfers parachuting out of airplanes! It's quite the sight haha! Last year was our first year going but we'll definitely be back this year and many more to come.

4. Noche Buena: My father's side of the family is Cuban and my mother grew up in South Florida. In Cuban culture, Christmas is really celebrated on Christmas Eve so we usually cook a HUGE traditional Cuban meal that night including roast pork, tostones and platanos, rice and beans, yucca, croquetas, and flan. So yummy!

5. Christmas cookie baking with Grandma: We don't do this every year anymore since my siblings and I are all either in college or living on our own, but growing up we always went to Grandma's house one day leading up to Christmas and baked batch after batch of sugar cookies and orange and white chocolate macadamia cookies (which reminds me, I need to get that recipe from her)!

6. Vlogmas: Okay, so this is really just a personal Christmas tradition but I love youtube and there is no better time than December because vloggers post everyday for "Vlogmas." My mom literally thinks I'm crazy because I watch videos of other people's lives online, but I honestly get so much joy and inspiration from it. I also love seeing how other people celebrate Christmas and what traditions they have. My favorite vloggers to watch this time of year are Alex + Michael, Mallory Ervin, Danielle Carolan, Aspyn + Parker, and Remi Cruz!

I'm combining yesterday and today's topics since I'm already behind (oops) but day 3 of the link up is a Christmas home tour. I live with my parents currently but I'm pretty much responsible for all the holiday decorating since I'm deemed "the crafty one!" No complaints here :)
Our Christmas decorations are far from traditional, we love a beachy Christmas... you've been warned!

My favorite DIY little beach trees I made a few years back from floral cones, sand, shells and starfish.

I know I said I was the crafty one but look at this beautiful wreath my mother made for our front door!

The tiniest of holiday home tours but I hope you still enjoyed! What's your favorite Christmas tradition or decoration?

Victoria's posts day 2 and day 3

Sarah's posts day 2 and day 3

Christmas Wishlist 2016

Let's be honest, I don't need a single thing for Christmas! But, I'm happy to use Victoria and Sarah's Christmas link up as an excuse to share my little list with y'all :)

{Polaroid Camera} Ok, ok you're sick of me talking about Nashville on here but Chels has a polaroid camera and we used it SO much over the trip! I love the thought of having sweet memories to look back on not taken with an iPhone and to be honest, it is almost impossible to look bad in a polaroid. Instant face blurring haha!

{Southern Fried Cotton Sea Turtle Tee}

{Olukai Hi'Ona Flip Flops} My mother already bought me a pair of these on small business Saturday as an early Christmas gift but I wanted to share them because they are amazing flip flops! Great warranty and good arch support.

{Bumble Bee Alex and Ani Bracelet}

{Sea Turtle Monogram Decal} I would love one of these decals for the back windshield of my car!

{Gold Scales Starbucks Cold Cup Tumbler} A family friend gave me one of these Starbucks cups a couple years ago for Christmas and I loved it to death... literally. I dropped it a couple months back and have missed it since, this design is too cute to pass up!

This is my first link up y'all and I hope to participate in as many posts as possible! I've loved Victoria's blog for a few years now and started reading Sarah's a little bit ago. Their post ideas are super cute and I'm excited to get into the Christmas spirit with them!

My DIY Halloween Costumes + Brunch in the Gulch, Nashville

{bodysuit: forever21, bralette: free people, skirt: target, boots: Justin}

Pretty late to the party on this (sorry bout that) but I wanted to share with you all my diy Halloween costumes from this year and my last few pics from Nashville! I pretty much always like to make my own costumes for Halloween, store bought are over priced and everyone has them. I like to think I'm original when I craft up my own, even though I'm really not haha! The ideas that made the cut this year: the golden goddess butterfly snapchat filter and the house from Stranger Things.

Butterfly Filter Costume: Hello, favorite filter because it makes me a beautiful bronze goddess (so glad they brought this one back by the way), had to do it when I saw it on pinterest! I purchased a butterfly shaped die-cut punch and cut about 16-20 butterflies out of sparkly gold cardstock (both from the craft store). Then, I hot glued bobby pins sandwiched between two of the butterfly cut outs so that about 2/3 of the bobby pin was visible. I pinned about 4 butterflies to each side of my hair and did my makeup very gold/bronzey with LOTS of highlight. This costume was super simple because I was able to dress however I wanted. Is it weird that simple costumes make me feel so much more adult?

{Pinterest inspiration}

Stranger Things house: Costume numero dos was a major hit! I got compliments multiple times in just about every bar we went to that night and a couple people even stopped me for pictures haha. At the risk of being basic and having to fight through all the girls dressed up as Eleven, I decided to be inspired by the Netflix fad that was Stranger Things (side bar but this show was not nearly as amazing as everyone made it out to be... #teamBarb tho). After taking some hints from a youtube video, I purchased a light colored plaid shirt from goodwill with colors I thought went along with those of Will's wallpaper on the show and then painted the alphabet in black along the front. This costume was seriously fool proof because the lettering did not have to be perfect at all, just like in the show. I threw on some battery operated Christmas lights and nerdy glasses (ode to Barb) and voila! I'm a house, duh.

{YouTube inspiration}

And finally, a few pictures from Sunday brunch in the Gulch neighborhood of Nashville. Please try the omelet tres at Saint Anejo for me, you'll thank me later. Ladies, we're talking a chorizo omelet smothered in queso plus 2 for 1 (strong!!) blood orange mimosas. The best meal I had in Nashville for sure! 

And of course I had to get my picture with the wings!

P.S. peep my Team Riggins shirt I am absolutely in love with

{original and my cheaper alternative find}

And with that, Nashville forever man

12th South Nashville, TN

I'm skipping ahead of myself a little bit, but I can't wait to post these fun pictures a minute longer! My last full day in Nashville, Chealsey and I spent an afternoon exploring the ever so trendy 12th south neighborhood.

Our first stop: Savant vintage shop. This place was seriously so cool, everything is one of a kind. Imagine wall to wall vintage leather jackets and cowboy boots... swoon!

Along the way we bumped into the Instagram made famous Amelia's flower truck and a cute little pumpkin patch! Don't blame us for letting our inner basic come out as we put on a full on photo shoot on the front steps of this church decked out for fall haha.

 

And then... Draper James. This store y'all. Reese Witherspoon you are my idol. Also those interiors?? And whose buying me this outrageously priced $40 mug because I really need it???

If you didn't take a million pictures in front of the Draper James striped wall and 'I Believe' mural, did you even go to 12th South?

{Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters, Necklace: Fabrik, Top: FreePeople, Boots: Justin}

My first Bushwacker (apparently a Nashville famous alcoholic milkshake) at Edley's BBQ!

And finally, our last stop: Five Daughters Bakery! By this point in the day, we honestly weren't hungry at all but knowing I would have killed myself later for not trying one we picked up a sea salt chocolate 100 layer donut. Pretty good donut... even better décor!

All in all, I loved 12th south! Don't go to Nashville without visiting, if only for some good instas ;)

Fall at Belle Meade Plantation Nashville, TN

Happy Friday fam! This past weekend I visited one of my best friends Chealsey who just recently moved to Nashville, TN. I've always wanted to go to Nashville so I was super excited to get the chance to go and explore the city with a local!

Sunset on Broadway and downtown Nashville Friday night.

Saturday, Chealsey and I visited Belle Meade Plantation. We explored the mansion and grounds and both loved hearing about the property's rich history which in it's peak was home to America's best racing horses. Of course we took tons of pictures! I hope you enjoy the fall scenery as much as these Florida girls did!

{shirt + jeans: American Eagle, boots: Justin}

Probably the best part of Belle Meade are the free wine tastings from their winery! Our favorites were the Race Day White and the Blackberry, must tries!

More on my trip to Nashville coming soon! Until then, have an amazing weekend friends :)

PS: check out Chealsey's amazing Instagram blog for some cool Nashville pics @chealseyjbartow