holidays — Read — Julianna Strickland

kitschy christmas

Somehow, as a millennial, the 1950’s are nostalgic for me. As a kid I loved to wander the aisles of dusty, sprawling antique malls with my mom, digging for treasure. We ferried home vintage Fiesta pitchers and mint green Jadeite bowls and any piece of Pyrex bakeware we could get our hands on. When considering how to celebrate the holiday this year, I kept returning to my fascination with retro holiday decor: shiny silver tinsel made of lead (oh god!), bottlebrush trees, and of course, the ubiquitous holiday spread.

dessert, holidaysJulianna StricklandDecember 17, 2018christmas, holiday, meal, feast, spread, julianna strickland, pink, jello, jello mold, bake, cook, entertain Comment

a very witchy cocktail hour

The fascinating thing about humans is how many layers we have. I am usually the bright, cheery one who likes to use lots of bright colors in her projects. But occasionally I like to embrace my darker, moodier side. Enter…HALLOWEEN. With my blogging partner in crime Ashley & my name doppleganger Juliana Rose (the talent behind the lens), we collaborated to create a eerie tablescape scene in the forest.

blackberry sage gin & tonic

HELLO HALLOWEEN. I am totally smitten with this cocktail. I am a hippie at heart and love burning palo santo, incense, and...you guessed it…dried sage. Burning sage, or smudging, is an ancient spiritual practice thought to get rid of negative energy. Regardless of your beliefs about this, burning sage smells awesome and adds a whimsical and grounding element to this gin & tonic. Fresh muddled blackberries give it a spooky red hue making it perfect for your next All Hallows Eve get-together.

surprise your mom with some fancy-looking balloons

This year for Mother's Day, I've teamed up with two of my talented friends who are new moms, Ashley Adams and Brandi Milloy, to share a few projects for a sweet Mother's Day party. These ideas could be for your mom, for your friends who are moms, or even just for yourself (shhh...if you're not a mom, I won't tell).

how to organize your gift wrapping supplies

Julianna Strickland’s Gift Wrapping Resume:

Wichita Kansas, 1998: Attended afternoon gift-wrapping class with mother. Learned various ways to enfold items in cellophane and tulle.

Wichita, Kansas 1998 – 2004: Worked as “Strickland Family Personal Gift Wrapper” (an esteemed but unpaid position). Wrapped everyone’s gifts except for own.

Los Angeles, CA 2010: Was short on cash and put listing on Craigslist as, “Freelance Professional Gift Wrapper.” Hired once, made approx. $75.

Los Angeles, CA 2010 – Present: Currently in possession of one extremely messy under-bed gift-wrap storage box (see below).