This is my, and many of my friends, mantra, which is why we find that although we LOVE the holidays, the amount of spending can be a little scary. But we also live by another mantra:
I am in college, therefore, I LOVE to party!
So we had to get creative and to something fab on the cheap.
The evening started with an amazing thrifting experience with MB and AJ at Savers, which is like a Goodwill, but 100 times trendier and cheaper, with 100 times more stuff. We all had great successes and highly suggest it. My highlight pieces? An crazy printed electric blue blouse with gold buttons, a cream beaded, super soft granny sweater, a fab golden feathers pin and some
adorable vintage knick-nacks! Everything is SO affordable! Not a thing I bought was over $10!
MB and AJ bought blazers, and I was wearing one already (vintage JCrew, to be exact!) so we made it a blazer party! LOVE.
Next we went home to decorate the yule log AJ had prepared, recipie from The Joy of Cooking!
We used this DELISH cream cheese and coco frosting, cranberries and some pine tree clippings.
There are tons of traditions attached to the Yule log. My favorite is that the hosts of the holliday parties put together a bundle of sticks and twing bound with greens. They place it on the fire and when it burst, the unburnt twigs from the center are given to next year's hosts to put in their Yule log.
Instead of spending money on gifts for each other, we did a traditonal white elephant gift exchange, where we all found things around our houses to give. I scored a Disney Princess I Spy book. Be jealous!
We ended the evening ejoying the delicious Yule log with AJ's homemade Chex Mix and this amazing cranberry punch from the Junior League cookbook, Beyond Parsley.
Our friends had a fabulous time. Not only did we provide decadent holiday treats, but we also we were surrounded by our best friends, who we hadn't seen since Thanksgiving Break. What a night!
Enjoy the low quality IPhone pic of the hosts! (R to L: Me, AJ and MB)
Weather in Kansas is gray and rainy, but WORTH IT, because, we're supposed to have a white Christmas! Fingers crossed!
Love, AE
P.S. I PROMISE I will post the details, recipies and photos of Drew and I's gift making experience. Finals CONSUMED my life that week! I just need to get the pics from my roomie!
