How to Be a Better Elf [Martha Stalwart]

Operation Santa Claus is something I’ve always wanted to participate in and I’m so excited to finally be helping this year. As an adult believer in Santa (yeah…REALLY), I think it’s important to help him with his work during the holidays so every child, regardless of wealth, can hold onto their faith in magic. I wanted to share our experience in detail with you so you can see how easy it is to personally help a child in need this season, especially after hurricane Sandy. With so many children homeless and in need, Santa can’t possibly fulfill everyone’s whole wish list this year. The post office receives thousands of letters to Santa each year and after they forward them onto him at the North Pole, he sends back some of the ones that he needs some extra help with. As an individual, you can go to the post office in your area designated for Operation Santa (find your branch here). When you sign in to get a letter or letters, you show your picture ID and sign a form assuring Santa that you will not send a child something inappropriate and then read through a batch of letters to choose from. They gave my husand Jeff ten different ones at the New York City branch and you can take as many as you can help with. After you get your 10 letters, you sit down in a reading area to pick which one or ones that you will help Santa with. Jeff suggests bringing a tissue or two with you too! These kids aren’t asking for a new Xbox or an iPad…their requests are quite humble and you can choose based on what you think you can afford. You then buy the gift or gifts,...

Delia Hauser Is On Santa’s Good Side [Fierce Anticipation]

Fiercely Anticipating: Santa I am 30 years old and I believe in Santa. If you are snickering right now because you think I’m probably kidding (or completely crazy), you are wrong. I come from a family of believers, including my mother who also believes in gnomes. Our motto is, “why wouldn’t you want to believe in something so wonderful?” So, if you don’t love the big man as much as I do, you may want to press play on this video, because this soundtrack will really get you in the mood. Which Leads Us To… Fiercely Anticipating: Santa Research Even though I dress up and really love candy, Halloween is just an obstacle between Labor Day and Christmas movies. I start watching them on November 1st and although I adore all of the classics, I prefer to stock my DVR with every movie that even hints of the holidays, no matter how horrible they may be. Luckily, there are three channels that never fail to air them the second our pumpkins are smashed and skeletons are packed away. There is the “Countdown to the 25 days of Christmas” on ABC Family which airs weeks before the ACTUAL Countdown to Christmas on December 1st, “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” that starts a little too late for my taste around Thanksgiving, and my favorite, Hallmark Channel, which airs a new holiday movie every Saturday and Sunday at 8pm. If you have ever wondered, “What ever happened to (insert 90’s star here)?” They are still working! These horrendous (but AWESOME) made-for-TV holiday movies starring Lauren Holly, the bully from the Breakfast Club, and James Van Der Beek, can be broken down into three categories; Romantic Comedies set at Christmastime, Fish-Out-Of-Water (i.e. big city lawyer ends up in a...

Hello Friday: Blame Delia Hauser for No Hello Friday

I ain’t going lie, ya’ll. We got to running our mouths in the Apartment Therapy-featured living room below. So now no time for Hello Friday, before I head off for my radio interview. But if you have any interest in what will probably be the coolest DIY wedding in the history of ever, do check out her awesome blog, MARTHA STALWART and click on the pic to see the rest of her apartment, which she designed from the ground up on a very tight...

One More Thing Before We Go: Delia’s Christmas Store

I have this funny story from last year. IRL friend and FaN blogger, Delia Hauser had these fabulous owl ornaments in her Christmas store, but when I went to buy them, they were sold out. “What happened to the owls?” I asked her. “Oh, Kalimba, bought them.” Kalimba is my favorite actress and also a great IRL friend, but man, was I bitter about her buying those owls up from under me. I complained to Delia about it oh-so-bitterly and also to our other friend, slpc. Then I got a Christmas present from Kalimba in the mail and when I opened it: It was the owl ornaments! I called her up and said obviously she had been told of my bitter complaints, and she answered, no, she saw them and she just thought that the owls were something I might like. Take THAT O’Henry! Yes, I too wonder how I still have IRL friends. But the point of this story is that Delia’s Christmas MarketStoreShoppe is up now. And it’s going away in just 7 days, so go get your ornament now, b/c there’s no guarantee that your awesome friend will send you the ornament in the mail after they’re all sold out. Click on the pic to go to the store. Oh, and click here to see Kalimba in “Everything But.” From what I’ve been told, she’s even more amazing than usual in...

Chic Geek: Throw a Party!

. a blogumn by Delia Hauser It’s spring!  (But we don’t have the money to go out with our friends anymore…) So, invite people over!  Bring the party home.  EVERYONE should throw more parties; breakfast parties, dinner parties, slumber parties, make your own pizza parties, cocktail parties…you get the point. Entertaining at home doesn’t have to be expensive or even very formal.  I throw A LOT of parties, huge and small, so I’ve laid out the steps that I use to plan them all.  You can then invest in a few of my finds and start having friends over more often! 1.    Know your limits. What is your home’s maximum capacity and what can you afford? 2.    Send out invites by mail, email or evite about two weeks before. 3.    Figure out your party favors.  Yes, they may seem a little formal or cheesy, but I promise it is one the best feelings to get one. Give your guests a small bag of cookies, a cupcake, or old-fashioned candy and toys in vintage bags. 4.    Write your menu one or two weeks before. It can be as simple as store bought hors d’oeuvres or as complex as cherry cabernet venison; it really doesn’t matter as long as you present it well.  ALWAYS have water in one pitcher (with cucumber, lemon or mint) and one tea or punch in another and save TONS of money by asking your guests to bring the wine or beer. 5.    If you hate baking, simplify your dessert. Serve warm fruit with ice cream or buy cupcakes and add some adorable toppers.  My dad’s a pastry chef and he SWEARS by the Pillsbury pie crusts.  If you want to impress your guests with an amazing pie, just roll one out...

Chic Geek: The Beauty of Geekery

. a blogumn by Delia Hauser The other day, when I was researching my next article, I stumbled upon on a whole section of Etsy I stupidly haven’t even addressed yet.  How dare I leave out those sellers that proudly list their wares under the category “geekery”?!  Yes, that’s right; not JUST clothing, or jewelry, or gifts, or home décor, because it includes ALL of these things with a little nerdy spin.  I mean, isn’t that what this very site is all about? We geeks are different these days.  Having a scientific mind, playing Dungeons and Dragons, or using an inhaler no longer defines the modern nerd.  You can be a very stylish nerd, or an art nerd, or even a football watching WWE nerd.  I recently met a lovely female nerd that has every sci-fi book and movie known to mankind AND she wears Prada.  Her shoe collection was a sight for my sore eyes and her DVD collection for my boyfriend’s.  You just never know, you know? So, I explored this perfectly joyful section on Etsy for HOURS, and sifted through literally thousands of listings to find a little something for every kind of new millenium nerd.   Check them out or go to Etsy and peruse “geekery” a little while for yourself.  I’m sure that hundreds of wonderful things have been newly posted since I last looked.  Meanwhile, all sorts of Geek Bling and Nerdy Things after the jump. a.    Majesty Inc. keychain fob – $6 b.    Couch Objects necklace – $20 c.    Happy Family robot bib – $5 d.    Slevin 11 buttons – $2.50 e.    KnitKnit crocheted electric cord – $ f.    The Mymble’s Daughter necklace – $ g.   Amy Jo’s Handmade electronics case – $5 h.   Zaunick cufflinks (www.zaunick.com) –...

Chic Geek: For Those Little (And Big) Thank Yous

. a blogumn by Delia Hauser Finding just the right way to say “thank you” can be tough when the gesture or work requires more of a reward than a card or pat on the back.  These little gifts are especially hard to shop for when we barely know the people we want to thank and, well, what IS a really good token of appreciation? Well, darlings, here you go: 1.    Start with a card. Get a beautiful (and unisex) set of thank you cards and always have them on hand.  You never know when you’ll need one, and having them means you won’t have an excuse to not send one.  If standard Thank You cards feel too stiflingly specific for you to have around (its possible), buy some simple floral letterpress cards that will later double as birthday cards in a pinch. 2.    Next, buy some flowers, but not real ones.  Buy beaded or felted or paper bouquets that will last forever. Don’t get me wrong, flowers are lovely, but think out of the box for those special thank yous.  If you must send something alive (or you’re thanking a man), get them a potted plant that will keep on giving and a cute pot for it to go in. 3.    Now, you could stop here unless they’ve been really good to you and also deserve a small gift (or two or three).  There are the good old standbys; iTunes, spa, wine.com, or movie theater gift cards.  OR, you could go out on a limb and buy them a little piece of art, monogrammed stationery, a cute coffee mug (or coffee mug cozy), or something quirky to put on their desk. I mean, I LOVE an iTunes gift card just as much as...

Chic Geek: Neat (But Cheap) New Year Nesting

. a blogumn by Delia Hauser At the beginning of every year, I look around my home and get this itchy feeling to change something.  ANYTHING.   It probably has something to do with not being able to keep ACTUAL resolutions or perhaps it is from poring over Southern Living magazine as a child (those ladies redecorate their home EVERY SEASON).  Either way, it feels good to reevaluate my surroundings.  It forces me to look at things in my environment that I take for granted or even hate but for some reason never throw away.  I clean up, make goodwill runs, find fun new clothes to wear, switch things up around the house, buy some new art, etc. But this year feels very different.  I mean, I have never completely redone my place, but I couldn’t afford it in 2009 even if I wanted to.  And this is killing me.  I hate being told (even by the silent “man”) that I can’t do something.   So, I challenged myself to find really great ways to spruce up a home with very little work and money. Most style gurus would tell you to paint…but I know you can’t be bothered.  Or they might suggest that you cover your couch or do your own pillow covers, but I’m starting to see that very few people actually do that, even after reading the latest Martha Stewart magazine and even buying the fabric.   It has to be easier and it can’t be expensive.  So here we go: 1.    Go through EVERYTHING one room at time.   It is time to get rid of decoration from high school or college unless you absolutely love it.  Be realistic.  When you look at something, from a pillow to a vase, ask yourself, “does it...

Chic Geek: CHRISTMAS!!!

. A blogumn by Delia Hauser I LOVE CHRISTMAS. I mean, EVERYTHING CHRISTMAS.  From Fa La La La Lifetime movies and abcFam’s 25 Days of Christmas to the garish decorations and crowded stores of unhappy shoppers.  ALL OF IT.  It’s just wonderful to me. Even though I’m obsessed with it, I’m always really smart about my Christmas shopping, baking and decorating. I start early, which isn’t great advice now since we are 3 weeks out, but maybe you can think about it next year when everyone else is carving pumpkins.  Here are some ways to make it easier: 1.    Buy your cards and fill them out early. Make a list of everyone you know well and put them in different categories; card, card+cookies, card+gift, card+gift+cookies, etc.  I swear these two things will help you out so much before everything gets crazy and suddenly you are 3 WEEKS OUT!!! 2.    If you love baking, choose four or five different things that look pretty together in a box because it’s a great last minute gift if you forgot to put someone on your list. Branch out this year; make truffles or homemade candy canes instead of cookies.  If you don’t feel like baking, buy your goods from your local baker or on Etsy.com and package them yourself.  Yes, they even have bakeries on Etsy! 3.    Speaking of which… I’ve only featured Etsy sellers this week because of the economic crisis. When times get tough, people flee to Wal-Mart and Target leaving craftspeople and moms-and-pops in the dust.  If we don’t buy from them, the economy just gets WORSE!  The handmade world is affordable, warm, lovely, eco-friendly and very personal — especially during the holidays.  Just look at all the wonderful stuff I found! 4.    Simplify your...

Chic Geek: Holiday Party Glam

. A blogumn by Delia Hauser I’m going to keep this short and sweet so you can get to the part where you click on all the fun stuff I found this week to buy.  We are quickly approaching holiday party season and it’s our chance to use these events as an excuse to dress up in lots of shiny things inappropriate any other time.  We get to wear silver with satin with rhinestones with beading.  The only rule is to add one more thing once you think you’re done! Unfortunately, every happy time has its dark cloud and this year it’s probably being poor.  So, I challenged myself to find affordable “glam” that feels lush but won’t empty your wallets.  Let me just tell you there is a lot out there but most of it looks cheap and crappy.  Since I don’t support buying tons of ugly things for $10 that will tear or break in a day, I set my goal at $100 or less for really great finds.  That way, you can afford to buy a few wonderful new pieces to add to the stuff you already have and they will last you until next year’s parties. I found some amazing retro pieces, so here’s a helpful hint when buying vintage clothing: unless you are a brilliant seamstress, you CAN’T easily just “bring it in” but if it fits you well, you CAN easily pay someone to hem a floor length Dynasty gown into a sexy mini dress.  Think LENGTH, not FIT when considering updating or altering something.  Check out my finds!  This season you get to feel chic, glamorous and sparkly through all your parties without breaking the bank. Go out and shine!!! a. Enid and Edgar Vintage dress –...

Chic Geek: Planning Your Winter “Looks”

. A blogumn by Delia Hauser There was a single winter chill in Los Angeles this past week.  One teeny tiny nippy breeze and I thought, “YES! I can write my chic geek holiday decoration article this week!”  But, after a sobering 80 degree afternoon I realized it just might be too soon after all.  For me, nothing is as exciting as the holiday season except maybe LAYERING.   Ah layering!  How I love you so!  But, like most things in this world, I have some beef with how people approach their winter look.  Mostly, they don’t approach it AT ALL; it is purely functional.  I say, why choose warmth over style when you can have both?! When most people buy their winter coats, they choose something neutral to go with more things in their closet.  Frankly, I think this is the where everything goes very wrong.  Once you’re all bundled up in a hat, scarf and gloves, your outfit is covered up, so why do you care if your coat matches it?  I think we should approach our bundled look as a separate outfit.  It is our protective shell, but it’s also what everyone sees when we are outside or coming into work or a restaurant, so why not make it really good?  Hell, it’s our chance to have a legitimate costume change during the day! I suggest having two or three winter looks to switch up depending on the day or occasion.  Buy coats you are happy to put on!  Bulkier doesn’t mean you’ll be warmer.  If you wear a hat with a tailored coat, you’ll be just as warm as your friend in the down puffer coat.  I promise.  If you’re strapped for cash right now, you can still have more than...

Chic Geek: Your Nerdy Guy — But Even Better

. A blogumn by Delia Hauser Let me begin by saying that I don’t support trying to change your loved ones…but gently nudging them can’t hurt.  Our nerdy men, whether they are husbands, nephews or anything in between often fumble when it comes to style.  On top of this, I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that menswear is just boring and hard to shop for, blah, blah, blah.  This just pisses me off!  As a professional shopper, I often wish I were I man right now because their clothing is WAY more interesting than women’s. We have entered an exciting time for chic geeky menswear.  Fancy sneakers with a suit are becoming JUST as acceptable as shiny Guccis.  And while we’re at it; Suits as daywear!  Ties with zip-up hoodies!  Nice jeans instead of slacks!  Pops of color that no longer scream ,“METRO!”  but simply ,“STYLISH!” Leaps and bounds, people!  Leaps and bounds!  WE no longer have to wear pantyhose; THEY get to wear logo t-shirts and chucks with suits.  DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN?! So get your butt out of Structure (does that store even still exist?), go online and buy this stuff I’ve laid out for you.  It’s a lot, but frankly, I had to prove that there IS A LOT to choose from.   Here are a few guidelines to ease the nerdy loved ones into dressing better and to help you help them: . [Editor’s Pre-Jump Note: If you haven’t been to Delia’s Christmas Store yet, you’re doing yourself a serious disservice. So many clever things at such reasonable prices that  the bad economy won’t get in the way of your Christmas Spirit this year. My favorite: the below mitten stocking, which is so cute I could DIE....

Chic Geek: Equal Opportunity Shopping

. A blogumn by Delia Hauser I have been accused of having unaffordable taste in clothing, and not just because of my last article, which featured a necklace the price of a small mortgage.  However, personal TASTE doesn’t always indicate what someone might BUY.  In fact, I consider myself to be the ultimate equal opportunity shopper. I never limit myself by only shopping at Barney’s or swearing off stores that are too “cheap.” But there is a way to buy inexpensively WELL. Having very little money doesn’t mean you have to shop at Old Navy all the time; it just means that you have to take your good taste out of YSL and put it to good use at Target.  Here are some rules to follow and places to shop to keep the thrifty side of your closet looking exactly like your splurge side. 1.    FABRIC.  Put down the acetate and pick up the cotton!  No, it DOESN’T look like silk.  Buy cheap things when they are made of real fabrics like cotton, silk, rayon, wool (although I admit the acrylic wools are pretty good these days). Polyester is fine if it’s supposed to look like the 70’s…not if it’s supposed to look like chiffon! 2.    LEATHER AND SUEDE.  Unless you are vegan or REALLY can’t tell, please don’t buy Polyurethane shoes.  Don’t fool yourself, they will hurt your feet and never, ever stretch out or “break in”.   A sometimes exception to this rule is fake patent leather, but it has to be great design! 3.    CAMBODIA.  If you can help it, buy clothes made in countries other than China.  Pretty much everything, from Dior purses to toothbrushes, is made in factories these days, but Cambodia has better labor laws than WE DO, so...

Chic Geek: Finding Your Inner Stylist Pt. 2 – Accessorizing

. A blogumn by Delia Hauser We’ve all done it.  We’ve all stood in front of a mirror examining a hat, scarf or new piece of jewelry and asked the BIG question.  “But…Is It Me?” This madness has to stop.  We ARE whomever we please and we should allow ourselves to change our look everyday if we so choose. I know, I know; this can be hard.  We get into style holes and we stay there.  We decide early on that we are “old navy” girl or “earthy” girl or “gothic chic” girl and that’s where we stay until we wake up one day questioning the things we really like.  So, I’m challenging you to shake it up tomorrow with your accessories.  Style yourself into a new person for a day. Every morning I go through the same routine.  My boyfriend calls it my “private time”.  Indeed it is; and should probably stay that way considering what strange things happen behind those closed doors.  After an outfit is formed and the shoes are chosen, it’s time to decide what character I am that day.  I try on jewelry, scarves, bags, I make faces and strike poses that I might make during the day in that particular outfit to see if the decoration matches the mood.  My simple dress or jeans and a t-shirt could become seriously chic, sexy, silly, quirky, bold, or whatever feels right in the moment. Next time you go shopping, try buying something different; gold instead of your silver (or vice versa), something a little chunkier, crazier, or even sleeker than usual. As you grow more accustomed to stepping out of your shell, you can mix things up a bit, but the beginner stylist should start with a clean palette (a...

Fierce Foodie: Half and Half

. A blogumn by Roya Hamadani One thing about being half of one thing and half of another is that I’ve quite never fit into either camp very nicely. I keep getting little things wrong, or I should say little things to me, but apparently huge clues to other people.  However there are culinary benefits to a dual heritage, especially one as varied as mine. While Philippine cuisine relies heavily on pork and garlic, Iranian food is pork-less and nearly garlic free.  And while Filipinos prize balut, the nearly fully developed embryo of a duck eaten whole, the Persians love a good grilled lamb testicle. The result of this gastronomical dichotomy was that we often had two dinners on the table.  My mother ate her pork dishes, while my father ate his Persian stews of meat and vegetables, known as khoresh.  Rice was the land bridge between them. Me, I ate it all. And what I discovered can only be described as divine. My gastronomic breakthrough, made purely by chance, combines all the goodness of adobo, whose fatty cubes of pork are caramelized by frying and then stewed until fork tender in a refreshingly acidic mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and bay leaf, with masta khiar, a Persian yogurt dish of shredded seedless cucumber, salt and pepper and pinch of dried mint. Put it all over rice, the great communicator, and just like that, you have reached heaven. The fresh crunch of cucumber and the tangy yogurt cut the richness of the pork to create a transcendental taste much bigger than the sum of its parts.  It is manna, baby. And it’s this kind of moment, more than anything else, that makes me not only happy to be half and half, but a...

File Under: Things That Make Us (Weirdly) Happy

.  A Facebook Forward from Fierce and Nerdy Contributor Delia Hauser...

Chic Geek: Finding Your Inner Stylist Pt 1: Shoes

. A blogumn by Delia Hauser (one of the fiercest nerds we know) I have always believed that shoes are the window to a person’s soul; or at the very least, the essence of their personality.  If this is even remotely true, why does it seem like so many people pick the most boring ones to go with their best outfits?  If you’re anything like me, and your book light is attached to a fashion magazine, you have probably observed that sometimes stylists are genius at pairing the perfect shoe with any look.  They rarely match the clothes, but they always look freaking amazing. It’s not that hard to do!  Here is a guide to mismatching your shoes to your outfit: 1. Crazy, bauble-covered, multicolored shoes are all the rage these days but can be difficult to wear for the faint of heart.   If you see some in a store and you just can’t seem to put your Visa away, try wearing them first with a solid colored dress (no, the color doesn’t have to be in the shoe or anywhere else on your body).   When all else fails, a simple dress can become something wonderful with a wacky, sassy pair of shoes. 2. You just got a new, boldly printed dress.  Stop yourself before you try to find a pair of shoes that “match”.  It doesn’t matter.  Its not 1950 anymore.  Instead, ask yourself what color stands out most in the dress.  Is it the background color?  Is it the largest part of the print?  Once you have your answer, go across the color wheel and look for your shoe color there.  If it’s red, look at a bright green or teal shoe.  Orange?  Try sky blue.  Start there, and you’ll see chic...