christmas

Our Favorite Christmas Memories!

““Christmas is the day that holds all time together.””
— Alexander Smith

Christmas is a kind of magic that is almost impossible to replicate in any other way. You find yourself looking forward to the season of candy canes and carols way past childhood. In fact, sometimes the genuine appreciation of love means more as the years move forward.

This year we had local photography angel, Jana Musselwhite, over at the shop during our Christmas Sweater party! Our team had the best time fawning over each-other’s sweaters as we arrived. From 90’s kid snowmen to hand-beaded poinsettias, each sweater was absolute serotonin. What a fun surprise to watch your best girls walk through the door in their jolliest attire. 10/10 recommend!

In this blog, our team spent some time reflecting on our favorite Christmas traditions and memories. We hope you enjoy reading through each person’s holiday highlight reel. Maybe some of our traditions are your traditions too. However you are spending the Christmas season, we hope you find warmth through sincere love. Whatever that looks like. There is no wrong way to be with the people you love most. Merry Christmas and a very happy new year <3

Meredith - Shop Owner

The Bustle team shares their favorite christmas memories and traditions.

My favorite Christmas memories were waking up at my grandparents' house and walking with my grandmother to the living room where a fire would be roaring in the fireplace and stockings would be stuffed with goodies. We would spend the day with the whole family playing with new toys, talking and listening to Christmas music by the fire. My Christmas memories are probably my favorite memories of all.

Cherry - Bridal Consultant

The Bustle team shares their favorite christmas memories and traditions.

I’m so thankful the celebration of Christ is seen and heard everywhere this time of year. A tradition in our family is going to my brother’s hunting camp before Christmas. My brother loves to decorate for Christmas so the camp is very festive! We really enjoy the hay rides, skeet shooting, looking for arrow heads, and the Saturday night gingerbread house competition. 

On Christmas Day our family gets together for dinner and our kids and grandkids enjoy getting a stocking filled with goodies. We cherish our time together and for that I’m grateful!

Jessica - Bridal Consultant

The Bustle team shares their favorite christmas memories and traditions.

My family and I have a tradition of picking out a real Christmas tree the day after thanksgiving every year. The tradition began when I was a little girl. We went shopping for our tree together and my Dad would go to the front door with the tree and ring the doorbell as if he were delivering it to us. My husband and I have continued this tradition, and our boys love going and picking out our tree. They get so excited when Daddy rings the doorbell and asks, "Did someone order a Christmas tree?"

Laine - Creative Director

The Bustle team shares their favorite christmas memories and traditions.

Every year, my Grandmother makes a BIG production out of Christmas. There’s a theme, a story to tell, puppets for the little ones, and my favorite part: costumes! My eccentric Grama and my usually very serious grandfather (we call him Podges) don the most ridiculous costumes they can find that fits the theme of the year, and show up with a car full of presents to put on the Christmas show. She has dressed up as a giant Apple, The Eqyptian Queen Cleopatra, a Wild West Saloon Girl (yep, you heard me) and this year, a big brown bear. It’s always something, and we never leave Christmas without a few good belly laughs! 

Lily - Bridal Consultant

The Bustle team shares their favorite christmas memories and traditions.

One of my favorite Christmas memories was watching my mom make homemade Christmas wreaths. It was a small touch, but it elevated our home and looked better than anything you would find in the store! Although I didn’t always partake in putting together the wreaths growing up, it’s something I want to start incorporating into my own Christmas traditions.

Jillian - Blog Strategist

The Bustle team shares their favorite christmas memories and traditions.

What I love most about the holiday season is how traditions that mean so much as a child grow with you and become part of your life as an adult. Growing up, my grandmother always gave each grandchild a special ornament to open on Christmas Eve. I love remembering how excited me and my siblings would get over what our ornament would be. My grandmother always made sure the ornaments reflected our lives that year and represented things that were significant to us. I carried this tradition into my marriage. Now every year, my wife and I pick out an ornament that represents a memory of the year before and it makes decorating our tree each Christmas season sweet and a little teary.

Mckinley - Bridal Consultant

The Bustle team shares their favorite christmas memories and traditions.

Every Christmas my husband’s grandma makes homemade gingerbread houses from scratch. Every year during the Christmas season all the grandkids get-together to decorate and it’s so much fun! She makes all the gingerbread, icing, and extras all herself!

Elizabeth - Bridal Consultant

The Bustle team shares their favorite christmas memories and traditions.

My favorite Christmas tradition is making and decorating homemade sugar cookies with my two sisters and grandmother. I now have three nephews who are a part of the tradition and we look forward to it every Christmas Eve! 

Kathryn - Bridal Consultant

The Bustle team shares their favorite christmas memories and traditions.

My favorite holiday tradition has always been breakfast on Christmas morning. My family does a big get-together on Christmas Eve, so by Christmas morning after all the presents are unwrapped we are ready to settle in for some calm. My mom cooks a big breakfast and we sit around the table and take time to reflect on the past year and share stories from Christmas’ past. This time of reflection and being together has always been special to me. It’s a time I cherish each and every year 

Bustle's Christmas Gathering at Juniper Bham

“The joy of brightening other lives becomes for us the magic of the holidays.”
— W. C. Jones
The Bustle girls have a Christmas party at Juniper Birmingham.

After another year of swooning over our bride’s in their perfect dresses, we love getting together as a team to reflect on all the joy that the past year has brought us. This Christmas season, we decided to gather around Juniper’s glorious table. This eclectic wonderland is the kind of back drop that makes any party feel special. Between the flittering candles and lush botanicals, it’s easy to sink into this space and share a toast with loved ones.

We dawned the night by ordering several rounds of Duck Fat Fries and Edamame Hummus for the table. No evening at Juniper should ever be complete without trying their signature “Buzzword” cocktail. This infectious beverage was the talk of the table and for good reason. Earlier in the year, we spent Galentines Day at Juniper and wrote about the whole experience. You can get all the details on that cocktail from our previous blog post here.

The culinary highlights of the night were the crab cakes and mushroom sandwich. Truly not one small plate left us hoping for something more. Juniper has this way of surprising you in all the right ways. We ended our evening craving something sweet and we were not disappointed. The desserts were indulgent, mirroring the same comfort that can only be found in the holidays. We tried the Blueberry Creme Brulee and the Chocolate Bread Pudding - stunning!

Bustle celebrates christmas at Juniper Birmingham.

We found ourselves passing around the bread pudding and taking a moment to appreciate the past as we gushed about growing up in the early 2000s. Laughing over who had which flip phone and the perils that were AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Fast forward nearly 20 years and the same girls that shared bedazzled razor phones are now bonding over espresso martinis. Same laughter. Different moments. Time is wonderful thing. So simple in theory, yet beautiful.

The Bustle girls have a Christmas party at Juniper Birmingham.

It’s our hope that this season treats you well. We are sending you our love and best wishes. Take some time this holiday to reflect on good memories and also understand that memories are being made now. Sometimes the memories that didn’t seem momentous at the time, end up meaning the most. Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

,

BUSTLE IS DRESSED FOR CHRISTMAS

,

It’s no secret that we love the holidays. ESPECIALLY, decorating for the holidays. Let’s be real, some of the most fun we have over the Christmas season is scouring for the perfect scented pinecone. And while we’re busy trying to decide which poinsettia pillow best fits our aesthetic, we are finding simple joy. The feeling of accomplishment as each little corner comes together is a familiar form of serotonin. Decorating Bustle for Christmas was every bit of therapy that we needed it to be. While fun, we’d be lying if we said it didn’t come with a few…. hiccups. If you’d like to see our decorating feats AND blunders, you can watch our recent reel here <3

“Christmas is a season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.”
— Washington Irving

We hope you all have a beautifully decorated holiday season. Sending all our love!

Decorating the Bustle store for Christmas in Birmingham, Alabama.

A Few of Our Favorite Things: The Dreamiest Anthropologie Giveaway!

The holidays are the perfect time to find the beauty in the little things around us. Being properly cozy is a lifestyle that we believe everyone should take part in. Tis the season of “adding to your cart” - And in the spirit of that sentiment, here is what we’ve got on our Anthropologie Christmas list!

If you would like a little extra credit to spread the love this holiday season, check out our dreamy Anthropologie Giveaway over on our instagram. That’s what we call Merry and Bright!

First thing's first: ornaments. Wow, do I love Christmas ornaments and decor. I won't tag all my favorites because we'd be here all day, but here are some of the most irresistible: Traveling Bunny, Primrose Mirror, Grecian Bust, Just Married!, Glass Honeycomb.

These adorable animal print slippers are the perfect gift for so many gals on my list.

I adore this chic, black, bishop sleeve top for hosting or attending a holiday gathering!

Clue is such a fun and classic board game, perfect to bring out with post-dinner coffee; and this made-for-Anthro version is just so beautiful! Now, hear me out... how fun would it be to serve coffee in these monogram mugs that your guests could take home?!

I'd love to sit down to a holiday meal where my table was covered in a mix of these slender, brass candlesticks amid these more rustic, wooden ones.

I REALLY love a blazer, and this oversized, double breasted one is so versatile. Plus, it comes in loads of colors.

I love Anthropologie's creative collaborations with artists, and this Nutcracker meets Night Before Christmas puzzle is really special - a sweet Christmas Eve activity before bed.

I have absolutely no occasion for this right now, but I love this pink dress so much. It reminds me of a bridesmaid dress my mom once wore.

Splurge: I'd love to have this oversized chair in the corner of our bedroom to snuggle up in! I'd style it with some extra pillows and this little throw blanket for some texture (I like layering neutrals.) Next to this awesome rattan floor lamp, I'd have the coziest little nook!

Curateher Winter Box Launch

During the pandemic, over six million women lost their jobs and were left to navigate the world in a way that none of us had before.  Michelle Chandler, the founder of Curateher, saw that a vast number of women were honing in on their hobbies and taking this time to create, imagine, and play.  It is beautiful that in a time full of uncertainty and worry, women were able to come together and find an escape in the things they are most passionate about.  Michelle is an interior designer and the owner of Harper James Home.  She has two brilliant daughters, Phoebe (8) and Nia (5).  Michelle grew up in Northern California and went to college in SoCal, where she lived for twelve years before moving to Birmingham in 2015.

“ I finally found a way to combine my expertise in interiors with my passion and vision for helping women.”
— Michelle

Michelle couldn’t help but notice how the landscape of delivering products was changing and booming with direct-to-consumer subscription models.  She started to think about how the interior design industry had not evolved to meet the new way we all live, and then began to dive into how she could connect women makers with the massive market of buyers in the home decor industry.  Michelle had a growing desire to make design accessible without sacrificing quality.  She became determined to help female entrepreneurs grow their businesses and that is when Curateher was born. 

 Curateher is a home decor subscription box sourced exclusively from female makers, artists, and small business owners.  Michelle wants your home effortlessly styled in every season.  Each box comes with six products that have been thoughtfully selected to keep your home updated with the latest classic styles. These curated boxes are mailed out every three months and are crafted to work together interchangeably, giving you a designer level home collection to build on over time.  When you subscribe, you also gain access to her online member library, where Michelle will host empowering events and inspirational design workshops to provide a hands-on style experience.  Michelle believes the home of your dreams should be accessible to everyone.

“I want every person to have the confidence to be their own interior designer.”
— Michelle

Michelle shares that her heart for Curateher is the ability to connect home with our wellbeing. Our homes should feel as good on the inside as they look on the outside and that is a daily practice.  One of our favorite aspects of this business is how intentionally the products are married together.   This has always been one of Michelle’s strongest skills as a designer: finding unique pieces that work together to make a statement.  Each box is seasonal, but that doesn’t mean it has to be literal. You will definitely get a feel of each season through texture, color, and the details of each piece.  The Winter Box is perfect for Christmas because the high quality, classic pieces will add the perfect touch to your holiday decor, but can absolutely be enjoyed well beyond the Christmas season.

“Our homes should bring us back to ourselves. Mindfulness is the key to not only a beautiful home, but a beautiful life as well.”
— Michelle
“We are so stimulated by the rush of everything this time of year, I want to make homes light, classic, and easy to be in.”
— Michelle

We are swooning over Michelle’s Winter Box!  The effortlessly neutral color palette will fit into any space while celebrating the classic Christmas nostalgia that we all love.  This box is “cozy” personified and we couldn’t ask for a better way to wrap up with the people we love most this season.  Each item in this box is selected with comfort and ease in mind.  Michelle wants every client to come home and feel relief.

Curateher is a yearly subscription, but Michelle has made it possible to exclusively purchase the Winter Box from now until Christmas by itself. YAY! The Winter Box would be a beautiful gift for a loved one or yourself.  If you want a little holiday magic for your interior decor this Christmas, visit www.curate-her.com to make your spirits (and home) very bright. 

 

Expert Tips from a Christmas Tree Stylist: How To Trim the Perfect Tree

“There’s no such thing as a bad tree. All it needs is a little love. ”
— A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

If there is anything that has become abundantly clear in adulthood, it is the fact that it is never too early to begin celebrating Christmas.  The pure serotonin that is felt when the storage containers labeled “CHRISTMAS” start coming out of the attic is unmatchable.  We can all relate to the nostalgia of unboxing our favorite ornament or playing the Michael Bublé Christmas album for the first time in a year.  We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the Holiday Queen herself and gleaning from all of her Christmas Tree decorating mastery.  If there is anyone who embodies the meaning of “Merry & Bright,” it’s Madison! 

Meet The Stylist: Madison Box Robinson

Madison began professionally decorating trees last year after coming to the aid of her best friend and co-worker, Leah.  What was originally intended as a routine girl’s day turned into Madison kindly asking her best friend, “what is going on with your tree?” After Leah told Madison that she needed to go out of town for her daughter’s gymnastics meet, Madison decided she would surprise her friend with a little Christmas magic.  Leah returned home to the gorgeously trimmed Christmas tree of her dreams and Madison discovered a new passion.  Now, with over 25 trees under her belt, she is quickly becoming the Belle of the Holiday Ball.  Madison has graciously shared with us her top seven Christmas Tree decorating tips, so that we can all twinkle a little brighter this season. 

“Growing up in Mobile, I remember watching my Mom and the women in my community decorate like this and it just feels like home.”
— Madison

The Stylist’s Top 7 Christmas Tree Decorating Tips

1. You don’t need a huge budget to decorate a stunning Christmas Tree. Cultivating an enchanting tree experience is all about taking your most valuable decor and marrying it with affordable options to craft the best look for your own personal style. Don’t be shy about buying ribbon from Amazon or some staple ornaments from Walmart. You can even utilize natural aspects like pinecones from your family home to adorn the perfect tree.  The sky is the limit. 

2. NEVER mummy wrap your tree. Ribbon is one of Madison’s favorite decor components for Christmas trees because it can really add so much texture and fullness to your tree’s overall aesthetic.  The term “mummy wrap” refers to the technique of wrapping ribbon around your tree horizontally which can take away from an elevated look.  Instead, Madison recommends her signature technique where the ribbon starts at the top of the tree and beautifully cascades down vertically.  This elongates your tree and feels incredibly special.

3. Buy ornaments in various sizes! Don’t be afraid to play with different sizes and textures. Madison is adamant about never skipping out on the big ornaments. She usually adds a minimum of 3 very large ornaments to every tree because it immediately catches your eye & feels grand.

4. Let your family be part of the process. If your spouse doesn’t have an eye for decorating, but wants to be involved, let them help by putting ornament hooks on your ornaments. Kids love doing that too and it often helps create the sweetest memories together. One Christmas when Madison and her brother were children, their Mom let her younger brother help decorate the tree. He was just barely walking at the time and put Vanilla Wafers & Goldfish around the entire bottom of the tree. They always look back at those photos and get the best laugh!  We have to agree that edible decor is the best type of decor.

5. Always buy decor in odd numbers. Whether you are buying ornaments, sprigs, or ribbon, always buy in odd numbers. This helps to avoid anything looking too “perfect.” Incorporating this technique will ensure that your tree will always have an organic and effortless look.

6. Get creative with your tree skirt! If you have a hard time finding the tree skirt that lives rent free in your mind, don’t be afraid to get creative. Blankets and fabric from a local craft store can be transformed into the most beautiful tree skirt. If you come across the perfect fabric for your tree’s aesthetic, you can absolutely drape it around the base of your tree for a stunning image that is completely your own.  No sewing required!

7. Coordinate the gift wrap for your holiday gifts with your tree’s color scheme. If you want to elevate your decorating game to the next level, try coordinating your gift wrapping paper with your Christmas tree. The overall aesthetic will make you feel so put-together and allow you to give your tree it’s full moment!

“I always listen to my favorite Christmas playlist while decorating because it puts me in the best mood.”
— Madison
Susan Gordon Christmas Tree decorated by MBR trees.

If you would like to keep up with Madison and her Christmas masterpieces, you can find her on instagram (@MBRTrees).  While she is officially booked for this season, she will be taking new clients for Christmas 2022.  You can reach out to her via instagram to book your own holiday magic for next year!  Madison is eager to work with your budget as she brings the spirit of Christmas into your home.  When she isn’t spending her time creating a winter wonderland for clients, Madison teaches a precious second grade class in Homewood.  This year she decorated her classroom to the theme of Candyland, complete with the sugarplum-filled tree of her students’ dreams.  That is what we call a very Merry Christmas!

Birmingham Small Business Gift Guide

Shopping small is so important this time of year, especially in the midst of Covid-19. The Birmingham small business community is full of so many incredible makers and shop owners, and we are lucky to share our city with so many talented individuals! We wanted to make shopping small easy and convenient for you, so we’ve gathered together some of our favorite local artists and makers to shop from this holiday season!

P.S. We are partnering with many of the featured businesses below to bring you a HUGE giveaway, so be sure to visit our Instagram so you can win many of these gorgeous items for free!

Susan Gordon Pottery

IMG_9586_1000x.jpg

Susan’s incredible hand made pottery pieces and jewelry are timeless classics for any Birmingham household! Her hand painted ornaments would be the perfect gift for your loved ones or would be a great gift for yourself to snazz up your Christmas tree! Click here to visit the Susan Gordon website and start shopping!

Elam Estate Antiques

Antique shopping is a fun way to add unique details to your home and to make more sustainable purchases, but it can be hard work to find the hidden gems! Sarah from Elam Estate Antiques does all the hard work for you by curating the loveliest vintage and antique pieces in her Instagram shop. Instagram shopping is so fun and all you have to do is give her a follow and browse all the lovely pieces she has on hand. You can pick up from her locally or she can ship directly to you.

Sidewalk Film

Do you have a friend or family member who already seems to have it all? Experiences are the way to go for this challenging gift recipient! Sidewalk Film is Birmingham’s very own local theater and is so much fun to attend. Their concession stand is full of delicious and local snacks and drinks to add to the experience. They are being extremely diligent about Covid-19 safety, and are definitely much more safe than a big chain theater, so visit their website to purchase tickets or a gift card for your favorite film junkies!

Breakout Birmingham

One of the most unusual activities in Birmingham, this live action escape room experience is fun for puzzle and adventure lovers of all ages! You and your team will have an hour to solve the puzzles, riddles, and clues to accomplish your mission and escape from one of 8 different story lines like the Submarine Survival, Mystery Mansion, or Runaway Train. Breakout is offering 20% off all gift cards right now, and with exclusively private rooms, this is a great and Covid safe experience for you to give to your loved ones. Checkout their website to book a game or purchase a gift card!

Trove Design Shop

IMG_4536_1024x1024.jpg

Trove is a Birmingham, Alabama-based gift and home goods store that offers so many beautiful treasures that would be perfect gifts for anyone on your Christmas list! They have beautiful Holiday cards and gift tags that would be a perfect touch to your gift wrapping. We are also enamored with their stunning ceramic pieces and wall art. You can visit the Trove shop in person or order on their website for curbside pickup or shipping.

Ashley’s Famous Cookies

Cookies warm the heart and the soul, and Ashley pours so much love into every crumb! You will be the hero of the holidays when you show up with a box of her scrumptious baked goods. You can even ship a variety box of cookies to your loved ones if you are having to avoid holiday travel, so don’t wait too long to order! Click here to check out her website and browse all the flavors Ashley hand makes!

VAE Creative

This new Birmingham business was born in the midst of a Covid summer and the owner, Virginia, has a passion for creativity, love, and systemic change. She hand makes stunning resin jewelry and art that is as gorgeous as it is unique. You can purchase already made pieces from her Etsy shop or order a custom piece through her Instagram! We are really loving her citrus slice coasters and think they would be such a wonderful gift for someone with great style.

P.S. We think it would be lovely to send wedding florals to Virginia for a custom piece of jewelry designed with bits and pieces of your wedding embedded in her work!

Chocolata

Chocolata has a variety of beautiful chocolates and sweet treats to choose from. Their cocoa confections are as beautiful as they are sweet! We are huge fans of their decadent sipping chocolate that is SO much more luxurious than any hot chocolate you’ve ever had. It’s rich, warm, and oh so creamy! This would be the perfect treat for Christmas morning by the fire or a delicious stocking stuffer. You can visit their shop or purchase from their website directly!

Noha Nadler

NohaNadler_Aug2018_GYC_185.jpg

Growing up, Noha learned how important it is to celebrate culture and heritage through exploring her Egyptian roots. Now she incorporates the rich textures and colors that she saw on trips to Egypt into her stunning bag designs. She has lots of different designs and styles to choose from, and each one is so unique and beautiful! She also has some adorable leather hand sanitizer cases that would be the perfect stocking stuffer. We can’t get enough of Noha’s designs and are sure that her bags are going to be top on your Christmas list! Visit her website to shop and be sure to send a link to your hubby for a Christmas hint!

Club Duquette

With trendy clothes and good vibes, this Birmingham based shop has something for everyone. The artist and musician team of owners are full of creativity, and that is reflected in the clothing, accessories, and home goods that are hand selected and created for Club Duquette. They even have a signature scent! To shop Club Duquette, visit their website where you can even book a private shopping appointment in store!

,

Wreath Workshop with Mandy Busby

,

We had the pleasure of hosting such a fun event with the lovely Mandy Busby. Earlier last month our guests were taught how to handcraft their very own wreaths using all fresh materials. Mandy provided a relaxing atmosphere for the ladies, and gave great one-on-one assistance while they created their masterpieces. We even rolled up our sleeves and assembled a wreath of our own to hang over the fireplace at Bustle!

Thank you to all of the fabulous ladies who attended. Your wreaths are AMAZING! We had such a blast getting to know you. Also, a huge thank you to Mandy Busby for sharing your creative talent with us!