On the first day of Christmas PDR gave to me...

...some earrings?  some coasters? a print? a candle?  

You'll just have to wait and see!!

Paper Doll Romance is pleased to announce our very first gift give-away promotion, The 12 Days of Christmas. We have a handful of lovely items, donated to us from some local Philly/New York/New Jersey crafters and artisans, that we're very excited to give away this holiday season. We will randomly select one winner per day for 12 days and the lucky winners will receive prizes that could be anywhere from $5-$40 in value.

So, how can you get in on all this holiday fun?  It's easy!  Just comment on any of our December posts from 12/1/10 until Christmas Eve (December 24th, 2010).  In your comment, be sure to tell us what you like about that post, what you like about our blog in general, or what you'd like to see us write about in the future and you'll be automatically entered in a random drawing to win a prize. 

We will start drawing winners once a day starting on December 13th and finishing up on December 24th so be sure to leave your comments early for the best chance at winning some great prizes.  

RULES: Yea yea, we know, rules are not fun, but we have to have a few. Only comments on posts from 12/1-12/24 will be considered for prizes. Only one comment per person per day will be eligible but you can certainly comment once a day, every day, if you'd like (we love to hear from you!). Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you if you win!  Entries submitted by email will not be considered.

First chance to enter starts tomorrow, 12/1, so be sure to check back and get commenting!

Best of Luck and Happy Holidays!

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Holiday Greetings

Black Friday has come and gone and it's almost December, so let the Christmas countdown begin! In a week or so you'll start collecting holiday cards from friends, family, and the dentist's office, which means that you'll need to reciprocate with cards of your own. Now, we're not huge fans of the typical "matching sweaters in front of the tree" theme (or really any photo card unless it's an adorable child or pet dressed in people clothes), so we decided to pick out a few cards that are stylish, fun, cheerful, or otherwise solid choices that will save you from being mocked at the next holiday gathering.

Celebrate Christmas this year with this layered holiday card available at Target. It's sure to make your card stand out from the rows upon rows of greeting cards lining your friends and family's fireplace, and a little texture goes a long way.

For a traditional look featuring Santa and his reindeer, try this letterpress set by Kirtland House.  Maybe it's the vintage design or the ornate font, but something about these cards just remind us of "A Miracle on 34th Street" (the original one, not the one with the little girl from Mrs. Doubtfire). We can just picture writing out these cards in front of the fireplace with a mug of of hot cocoa... how wonderful!

Even though red and green are the traditional colors of the holiday season, we're partial to blue and silver. It tends to stand out a little more from all the other cards, and looks a bit more chic. Share visions of a winter wonderland with this set of cards from Papyrus. It's simple, pretty, and a little bit glitzy, which is just the way we like it.

A partridge in a pear tree in metallic gold? Yes, please!  We love these screen printed cards by treasurydesigns.  They are whimsical, fun, and sure to stand out with their beautiful metallic ink and simple white silouhettes. And they are printed on recycled paper, which is always a plus.

Too much tinsel can be a headache, so be low key this holiday season with these printed cards by Etsy seller thecraftpantry. We love the earthy feel to these cards, and think it's a lovely, understated way to say "Season's  Greetings."

Celebrating Hannukah?  We found the cutest card to wish your friends and family a Happy Hannukah this year.  We love this handmade card from cutiepiecompany for it's totally mod, bright, and fun menorah design.  Send your wishes with this card and you're sure to make their holiday cheerful.

Saira longs to be back in Brooklyn, so we had to share this Brooklyn Bridge holiday card by Moon Tree Press. Perfect for New Yorkers, this card adds a nice personal touch, especially if you have friends and family across the country.

These cards by desTroy are simply charming.  We love their simple design, bright colors, and the beautiful layered look that the screen printing creates.  This cards definitely make a statement and is sure to be a favorite this holiday season.

 While the holiday season is all about peace and love... it also makes spending hours at the mall a selfless act. We at PDR are all about peace, love, and shopping, which is why we love these sassy retro holiday cards by Anne Taintor. They are fun and fabulous, just like you!

Feel good this holiday season with this holiday card from UNICEF. Every year UNICEF produces a series of holiday cards representing all the children that UNICEF helps support.  This years design is just as sweet, and proceeds from the sale help children all around the world, so not only will you feel good, but you'll also do good this holiday season.

Seasons greetings, dolls!  

Be sure to check us out tomorrow for a special holiday announcement!

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Fall Fashion: Leaf Jewelry

Autumn in NJ is known for brightly colored, falling leaves.  We love fall and we love accessories, so, why not combine the two? Leaf jewelry makes it easy to add some fall flair to your wardrobe and with the kick off of the holiday season we think some of these items would be great gifts!  Here are a few great styles we've come across:

Dainty and delicate, this leaf necklace by JewelryDeli is a great find for those elegant special occasions or for your classic, everyday, work attire.

This modern style leaf bracelet by Juliesadorabowls is certainly something to swoon over.  It's got just the right gold tone and it's clean lines and modern shapes make it easily wearable all year long.

For a slightly more statement like necklace you can choose this one by Mystic Moon Studio.  The bold leaves will certainly draw some attention and update your fall or winter wardrobe. 

You don't need to be a Greek goddess to rock a bracelet like this one, by BeadsbyEvelyn.  Show the world you're a winner in this bracelet that we think is reminiscent of Greek laurel wreaths, a symbol a victory.

Hello, modern!  This is not you typical fall inspired jewelry.  Paper Demon Jewelry's necklace is a crisp, modern, and romantic take on fall with an icy blue color that can seamlessly transition to winter.

How this is done we cannot comprehend, but lauralidesigns uses real leaves, hand painting and gold plating them, to create these lovely little works of art.  The detail is amazing and they are real leaves so each pair is slightly different from the next, making them as unique as you are!

This necklace by FreshyFig has a classic leaf  pattern with modern varying sizes, but the antique brass gives it overall vintage charm.  We think this would look stunning on some fall wedding bridesmaids in strapless navy gowns!

Sometimes simpler is better and, when it comes to jewelry, it's nice to have pieces that are versatile.  These earrings by roundabout are so simple that they can go with pretty much any outfit, for any season.  

Express your love for fall in this casual, understated bracelet by Silkstone Designs.  The thin suede wrap-around band and tiny leaf charm make this bracelet the perfect one to accompany your weekend jeans and t-shirt look.

An acquaintance of ours, a best friend of a friend, has recently started selling jewelry through her company, Gypsy Warrior!  We want to help her spread the word because not only is her stuff lovely, it's unique and therefor right up the PDR ally.  Check out these fun, dangly leaf earrings and other accessories on her etsy shop!

Hammered metal makes a statement and this handmade bracelet is no exception.  Be bold and show your your edgy side this Fall with a metal leaf shaped cuff like this one by birdforbread.


XOXO,
Jen & Saira

Food Coma

Hi, dolls! We hope you all had a great thanksgiving. We ate a little too much stuffing and, due to food induced comas and crazy black Friday madness, we were unable to post this morning! Keep an eye out for our post later today or tomorrow.

While you wait, be sure to check out some of the great deals today online or in the stores if you're brave enough to venture out.

Modcloth is offering 25% off some items and The Limited and Ann Taylor are having a "40% off you entire purchase" sale!


Today's the day for low prices and leftovers! Enjoy!

Xoxo,
Jen & Saira

Color Day Themes: Turkey Day Delight

Since 1863, Thanksgiving has been celebrated each year in the United States.  Often overshadowed by Christmas, Thanksgiving doesn't typically get enough credit and many might look at it as the day they can finally start playing their Mariah Carey X-mas CD.  While we do love Christmas, we think Thanksgiving is just wonderful and deserves equal celebration.  Tell the people in your life you're thankful for them and go ahead and gobble up some yummy food.  Traditional thanksgiving day foods like turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce that is shaped like the can, delicious pies -- these are things we look forward to all year!  Don't forget to wear your stretchy leggings so you have plenty of room for that extra helping of stuffing!

Thanksgiving Inspiration Board

Images from: The Sweet Occasion, Manolo Brides, Our Wedding Plus, Raina Dawn Events, The Allan House, The Budget Minded Bride, Inspiredbythis, RitzyBee, Le Bride, Weddingbee, Social Couture, West Elm, Sophie's Favors

Have a Happy Turkey Day!

XOXO,
Jen & Saira

Thanksgiving Tips and Style

This week we celebrate one of our favorite holidays, Thanksgiving!  The one time a year that we are allowed to stuff ourselves like a turkey and not feel too guilty about it in the end. For our Turkey Day post we're going to channel our inner Martha Stewart once again and share tips on how to make your Thanksgiving extra special. While all the focus is normally on the food (as it should be), we paper dolls certainly have a great number of things to be thankful for this year.  We are thankful for our wonderful families & friends, our health,  our loyal readers, and, of course, finding beauty in simple things like place settings, serving dishes, and decorations, among other things!  So, while you ponder over what you will be thankful for this year, take a look at some things we found that can help make your Thanksgiving even more enjoyable!

While Thanksgiving isn't exactly a five-course meal (more like one neverending course) sometimes it helps to serve "appetizers" first in order to keep your guests satiated while carving that big turkey.  We love serving roasted butternut squash or pumpkin soup before the big meal, and a friend of ours suggested serving it in mini pumpkin bowls. Just scoop out the insides, add in soup, and you have a bowl that is both functional and lovely.

Sticking with the squash theme, be creative when making your table settings! We love this turkey squash, because it's easy to make and very cute.  Just find some well-shaped gourds, fold up a napkin, and voila! This is also a great way to keep the kids busy while you're busy prepping the meal, which is definitely a big help.

Centerpieces certainly help to beautify your dining area.  For Thanksgiving there are many options to choose from such as pumpkins, gourds, bunches of wheat, leaves, candles, a cornocopia, etc.  Any of these things would be perfect for your harvest celebration! We particularly like the charming look of the table above with the simple, colorful maize centerpiece and vintage tablecloth!

And, speaking of tablecloths, we had to steal at least one idea from our girl Martha.  Check out these lovely printed linens!  If you're feeling crafty, and want to really personalize your table, you can hand stamp your own linens for a look that is totally charming!

Pottery Barn always has the cutest plates for Thanksgiving. While these dishes are sold through PB Kids, we wouldn't mind serving all our guests on these colorful turkey plates. Unfortunately, they're all sold out online, so run down to the nearest PB and stock up!

Start your own Thanksgiving tradition  by having your family write down what they're thankful for this year. Have them sign it and mark the year, and slowly you'll get a wonderful collection of Thanksgiving memories. Save it in an album or make a tablecloth by stitching on a new leaf every year and share these memories with your loved ones each Thanksgiving.

Sitting at the kids table shouldn't be a punishment! Cover the kids table with brown paper, throw in some crayons, construction paper, and scissors and let the kids make their own decorations! They can color on the table for once in their life without getting into trouble, and you can give them Thanksgiving themed projects (turkey hands, pilgrim hats, etc.) It will save you a lot of time and energy, and it will keep the kids occupied while the turkey is cooking.

But, the grown ups table can be a little more sophisticated.  We think plates like these by would be lovely for serving your holiday dinner! Not only are they whimsical and charming, but they would also serve as a beautiful conversation starter for your guests to get them sharing what they're thankful for!

If you have a big Thanksgiving, you'll probably have a ton of leftovers.  Bloggers Rex and Regina inspired us with their post about sending leftovers home in style! Rather than fishing for unmatched tupperware, plan ahead with cute cardboard boxes, ribbons, and card tags to provide your guests with their very own Thanksgiving-to-go.

While we look forward to this Thanksgiving with our families, it's important to remember there are many people out there who may not have a Thanksgiving this year.  We may write about our preferences for linens and centerpieces but we are sensitive to the fact that there are plenty families all around us who worry about important things like where they will sleep or where their next meal will come from. We know times are tough, but we ask that you please consider donating some time, some food, or some money to your local food bank or soup kitchen and help makes someone else's holiday special too.  In the end, isn't that what the holidays are all about?

Gobble Gobble!

XOXO
Jen & Saira

Lovely in Lace

Lately we've been feeling a little dark and romantic, a common side effect of Edward Cullen overload, something that we are continuously suffering from.  If you want to look the part of the future Mrs. Cullen, then you have to don the fabric of his time... and it's not cotton.  Lace is elegant, mysterious, childish, sexy, and innocent all at the same time, it just depends on how you wear it.  Here are some ways that you can incorporate this glorious fabric into your wardrobe:

This is the dress that started it all. We both fell (separately) in love with the Lady Jane dress available at ModCloth.  It is sweet and understated, with a bit of a Gothic feel due to the lovely lace overlay.  So of course, Saira bought it, and we can confirm that it is just as beautiful in real life as on the website.  The lace is a bit on a rough side, but it helps keep the adorable bell shape of the skirt. Just don't all buy it at once, it'll be a little awkward to show up at the next wedding in the same dress -- unless you're a bridesmaid.

If you liked the Lady Jane dress, but black lace is a bit too much for you, then dry this lovely cream lace dress from Anthropologie. The textured fabric gives it a nice, rich look which is perfect for the cold weather. We can just picture you wearing your black tights, Mary Janes, and adorable winter coat on your way to Christmas caroling... or whatever.

Need a great tote bag to carry around all your school supplies, work papers, or just general every day items?  We love this lace embellished tote because it's casual, but the diagonal lace dresses it up, adding an element of modern, romantic style.

Looking for a casual but stylish shirt? Try this cropped lace top from  Hot Topic. It's on sale for $5...  need we say more?

We love lace leggings to wear with pretty much anything... except an oversized top, as pictured above, because tights are not pants.  Nonetheless, these lace stirrups from American Apparel are solid quality and has just the right ratio of lace to nylon. But if stirrups aren't your thing, then just grab a pair of lace hose from Target and call it a very sexy night!

 Of course, all lace everywhere can be a little much, so how about a little lace embroidery on an otherwise muted cardigan? Dress like Emma from Glee, and pair this cardigan with a cute little pencil skirt and matching accessories.

We love this wine color for the fall, and think it looks fab in lace form as well.  This dress from  Free People is a bit Gothic coffeehouse meets 12-year old ice princess, but in a good way! It comes in a few different colors and the flared skirt makes it extra feminine.

When we saw this dress, of course we thought Serena van der Woodsen!  Very sexy and fitted, this black lace dress from Top Shopis definitely something our favorite Upper East Sider would wear, and we think it's perfect for cold weather occassions.  Just remember to lay off the black eyeliner, or you'll be more Little J than S.

Lace pumps are very in right now, and can be very pricey! These pumps by Steve Madden are the perfect fit for the frugal fashionista.

A real lady wouldn't be complete without a lovely little clutch for special occasions.  Here is a lace bag, by Natalie Gerber, that we think is so girlish and gorgeous.  Plus, the colors are neutral, perfect for the bride in need of a stylish bag for her big day!

And, of course, we can't leave out the most glamorous of all lace apparel, the lace wedding dress!  Show off your figure in this ultra feminine, super romantic gown.  The delicate pattern, intricate beading, and sexy shape are the epitome of modern elegance with vintage charm.

XOXO
Jen & Saira

Color Day: Shades of Autumn

Here is another great color combo for fall!  We know that incorporating a whole range of colors can be tempting, particularly for the fall season, and who are we to stop you?!  What we will do is show you how to combine multiple fall colors in a way that is tasteful and sophisticated and not reminiscent of a hand print turkey.  So, to pick a few colors we went with brown, green, orange and yellow.   You could easily add more splashes of burgundy to this palette, if you so choose, but we like to keep things a little simpler.  Plus, focusing on just these four lends to an almost vintage, 1970's feel that we are really digging.

Brown, Green, Orange, and Yellow Fall Wedding Color Inspiration Board

Images from: KottonKandy52, TheSlightlyObsessiveBride, ElizabethAnneDesigns, wedding-cupcakes, Zazzle, OnceWed, ModCloth, wishspecialevents, merrimentdesign, KellyOShiroEvents, David's Bridal, Urban Outfitters

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Perfectly Potter

At the risk of exposing ourselves as the total nerds that we are, we've decided to dedicate a post to the wonderful world of Harry Potter.  As people across the globe prepare for Part 1 of The Deathly Hallows movie (This FRIDAY!) we have decided to prepare in our own way and put together some Potter inspired things for your viewing pleasure. There are many ways to show your Harry Potter pride and we've found a few items that we think really embody the magical world that we are so very fond of.

We know it can get chilly at those Quidditch games, so don't leave home without your Rugby style scarf.  Of course this is not the official Harry Potter scarf, but this scarf makes it easy to add a little Hogwarts to your life.

Ready for a little light reading? Hermione would be pleased to wear a necklace full of her favorite things, books!

And, speaking of books, you half-blood princesses had better be ready to jot down those potions notes.  And,what better place to write them than in some lovely and durable notebooks.   Wouldn't want anything going wrong with your poly juice potion now would we!?

Did nargles eat away at your robe again? Stay warm, even in the face of a dementor, in a school spirited, Gryffindor colored, cardigan by BDG.

 Not everyone belongs in Gryffindor. If you're a Slytherin type of gal, wear your house pride with this brass snake bracelet. Who said being bad didn't mean looking good?

Messenger owls aren't so necessary when you have text messaging, but they're just so cute! Bundle up with your own little Hedwig in the cute owl beanie.

So you don't have a lightning bolt on your  forehead, big deal! Wear this sweet necklace from Gypsy Warrior, and you'll be known as The Girl Who Lived Stylishly.

Mischief Managed.

XOXO
Jen & Saira