NYC Day

every christmas, my family heads to nyc for a day.  we meander around the city and just enjoy spending time as a family.  for the most part, we don't have an agenda, and we go with no expectations.

this year was a little different, if only for the fact that my brother and natalie got engaged!  we took the staten island ferry into the city and then mark and natalie hopped on a train into brooklyn to grab coffee, saying that they'd meet up with us on the brooklyn bridge.  we all knew what was coming but she had no idea!  the rest of us headed up to the manhattan side of the bridge, grabbed some starbucks and a belgian liege wafle (if you haven't discovered the wafels and dinges food trucks in manhattan then you haven't lived) and started the walk across the bridge.

we met up with mark and natalie on the bridge, celebrated that she said yes, and then headed back into midtown to grab dinner and see the tree at rockefeller center.  natalie and i did a little shopping at anthropologie while everyone else walked up to the park and then we all headed home.  all in all, it was such a great day in the city!



do you have any holiday traditions?

Grateful Heart // New Years Edition

long time no see!  i hope you all had a fantastic holiday week.  i took a sort of unintentional blogging hiatus it seems.  i had every intention of blogging through the week, but time just got away from me with work and family stuff!  but to get back in the swing of things, i'm joining in on ember grey's grateful heart monday.

i have so so much to put on my list today!  i'll keep it brief for your sake, but let's just start off with the big one, shall we?

aj and i got engaged last week!  

(yes, i will definitely blog about the proposal, and probably throughout the wedding process!)

and a few other things i'm grateful for today:

a great breakfast with my best friend (and moh!) this morning
wonderful family and friends who have celebrated with us this past week
my brother also got engaged!
a great nyc trip with my family
fun new years plans for wednesday night
a pretty new shirt from anthropologie
another week off from work (sort of)
a really sparkly ring on my finger (that i can't stop looking at)
a cozy faux fur scarf
getting my first eagles shirt from aj's grandmother (though i'm saving it for next year because they are disappointing right now)
having all of my family home and in one place right now!

i hope you'll join in with us and tell us a little bit about what your heart is grateful for this week!  head on over to ember grey and link up with us!

what are you grateful for today?

Grateful Heart // Christmas Edition

i'm joining in on ember grey's grateful heart monday....well, this week it's grateful heart tuesday...but it works!

with a busy, busy few days (as always...i feel like a broken record for saying that!) my heart has so been needing this...a moment to focus on some of the little (and big) things that i'm grateful for!

getting started with christmas eve services at church tonight!
having aj home for even just a few days so far has been fantastic
christmas is just two days away!
hot cocoa (with marshmallow fluff on top)
pretty lights
having all of my presents purchased and wrapped
mocha punch (it's amazing)
yummy smelling candles
a pretty, decorated christmas tree

i hope you'll join in with us and tell us a little bit about what your heart is grateful for this week!  head on over to ember grey and link up with us!

and while we're at it...would you mind helping us pray the rain away?  it's supposed to be raining all night and all day tomorrow, and our christmas eve services include a number of outdoor elements.  we're praying that this storm takes a turn and is out of here before our services start at 3pm on christmas eve!

what are you grateful for today?

5 Tips to Have the Prettiest Presents Under the Tree

my friends courtney and britney are some of the most creative people i know.  they have a talent for creating lovely things, and i love everything they touch!  their mom, sherry, is also so incredibly talented and creative.  each year, these dear friends open their home and invite a group of women to come over and wrap all of their christmas gifts.  we call it the wrapping party and we all show up, bags full of unwrapped gifts, rolls of wrapping paper, scissors, and tape, and after a few hours, leave with tummies full of good food and beautifully wrapped packages.

because it's not just about wrapping your gifts in paper at the wrapping party, it's about adorning your packages.  sherry feels her kitchen table with ribbons and trims of all sorts, and after you wrap up a box, you head over to the table to pick out some unique toppings to take your packages to the next level!

friends, this party has totally taken my christmas gift game to the next level.  like, for real.  i'm ruined for all of wrapping ever to come.  and i bet it would do the same to you too.  but you don't need a wrapping party to put the prettiest packages under your tree this year!  here are my five tips for wrapping your prettiest gifts ever:

1.  keep your paper simple and streamlined // just like julie andrews, i'm a huge fan of brown paper packages tied up with string.  brown paper is plain and easy to adorn, but you don't have to go that route!  this year, i've incorporated some variations on the theme...all of my paper has a brown base, with different patterns (white chevrons, gold polka dots) and they go well together.  whatever papers you choose, keep a common theme...for example:  chalkboard, gold, metallic...as long as the papers work together, you're good!

2.  look around you // you don't have to spend a ton of money on trimmings at a craft store to have pretty packages.  look around you...do you have twigs, trimmings from your christmas tree, extra yarn or twine lying around?  things like pinecones, berries, bark, old sweaters or fabric all make great options!

3.  never underestimate the power of the glue gun // until three years ago, i had never even considered using a hot glue gun on my christmas gifts.  use tape to wrap your packages, but then break out the glue gun.  it is the best way to get your embellishments and ribbons to stick where you want them on your packages!  plus, it will make you look super dedicated to the cause when you're not just using tape anymore.

4.  wrap in unique ways // utilize things like mason jars, flower pots, and other interesting containers instead of just boxes...they will give your gifts interesting shapes and textures and will help them to stand out in the crowd.

5.  plan ahead // you can do this in a few different ways.  try to give yourself at least a week or two to wrap before christmas.  you want to be able to take your time with this and really get creative!  i love the wrapping party because it gives me a goal.  once it's on my calendar, i know i want to have most of my shopping done by that date!  after christmas this year, stop by your local craft store and stock up for next year.  things like ribbons and trims and embellishments will be dirt cheap and on sale in the days following christmas!



what about you?  do you get creative with your wrapping?  will you try your hand at it this year?

The Golden Vlog // December

i'm so excited to be joining in with faith over at life with mrs. g and the artist today for her monthly series, the golden vlog!   faith started this series a few months ago and i've been wanting to join in, but friends, making a vlog is work!  catching some time on a good hair day, in decent lighting, when my room isn't a total mess (i.e. christmas presents everywhere right now) and at a time where i can actually sit down and make a video seems practically impossible sometimes!  then when you add the fact that i have no idea what i'm doing when it comes to video stuff (like, i have zero clue how to edit at all...i can barely figure out how to make imovie export the file!), it's a miracle this is coming at you today.  but here we go...the december golden vlog!

despite the fact that it took a little bit of work....i had so much fun making this video for you!  faith dishes out some great questions, all about christmas (of course!) and it was so fun getting to share a little bit about what christmas in the gettis household looks like!  the link-up is open all week long, so if you find some time, join in with us!

the golden vlog // december from betsy gettis on vimeo.

tell me all about what christmas looks like for you!  what are some of your traditions??

DIY // Sweater-Covered Candles

i'm bringing you a super easy diy today that can bring some cozy decor to your house all winter long!  my job at gt involves a lot of stage design and decor of the church, and this year, our christmas decor is a lot of really gorgeous rustic repurposed barn wood and white cable knits.  we wrapped ornaments and packages in sweaters, and on sunday, i wrapped a ton of glassware in sweaters and placed candles inside of them to line the front of our stage.  it's going to be gorgeous, and i'm pretty excited about it!

wrapping candles in sweaters is so easy that i just had to share it with you.  grab a few sweaters (i love white and creams, but you could do any color!) from your local goodwill or thrift shop and pick up a few candles or find a few that you have around the house.  you'll also need a glue gun and a pair of scissors.



if your candle is big enough or your sleeves tight enough, you can simply pull the sleeve right over the candle!  if it's tight enough that it won't slip down, you probably won't even need to glue the sweater onto the candle.  but if you can't just pull it over, or it does slide down, tack it on in a few spots with some hot glue.  you don't need a lot, and don't worry about ruining the glass...hot glue comes right off of glass.

if your sweater sleeve and the candle aren't a perfect fit, then cut the sweater up the seam.  wrap the sweater around the candle, tacking around the top and bottom with hot glue as you go.  try your best to keep the lines of the knit pattern vertical and not slanted.  then, trim off the bottom of the sweater, just a bit longer than the bottom edge of the candle.  (i'd also suggest leaving a little glass exposed at the top of the candle, but that's totally up to you!)



once you've trimmed, flip your candle upside down (pictured below).  simply tack the edge of the sweater around the bottom of the candle.  this will give your sweater candle a nice finish when it's sitting on it's base (rather than a messy cut seam), and it will also allow the candle to sit flat, rather than with a lot of extra sweater bunched up underneath it.



literally, that. is. it.  super simple...told ya!  you could also tie some twine or burlap ribbon around the candle and sweater to give a little bit of adornment, or maybe even glue some mini pine cones onto the sweater!  get creative!  these candles will last you far beyond the christmas season, and will add a cozy element to your home decor.  and if you have a few candles laying around that need some updating, then you can do the whole update for about $5!



if you like this diy, then i encourage you to check out how to make your own soy candles, and also this easy diy to make yarn-wrapped candles!

what are some of your favorite winter decor items?

2014 Holiday Gift Guide

as you may have heard (maybe a million times) by now, i recently opened my own etsy shop!  becoming a shop owner has made me value small businesses even more.  i love having an outlet to create and it is so exciting when someone purchases something from my shop.  it's incredibly humbling and awesome to think of someone hanging up one of my prints on their wall or wearing one of my scarves or bows out and about!

so i thought that it would be appropriate to highlight some great small businesses for this year's gift guide!  i've teamed up with a number of great shops to not only spread the word about what they have to offer, but also to give heavens to betsy readers some exclusive discounts as you all go about your holiday shopping!  so check out these shops and keep them in mind as you search for gifts for your family and friends (and maybe even yourself)!



1. the olive plum // get free shipping with code heavenstobetsy
hand painted art and prints // follow along on twitter | facebook | instagram

2. sew what scarves // take 20% off with code heavens2betsy20
sewn and crocheted scarves // melissa is always taking custom orders!  whether it's for a crocheted scarf in a specific color or if you're looking for a certain kind of print but just can't seem to find it anywhere, melissa's your girl!  email her at [email protected] // follow along on facebook 

3. december caravan // take 10% off with code heavenstobetsy
scrapbooks, cards, artwork, and memory pieces // december caravan gives a portion of all of its proceeds to charity, specifically a ministry called seen gathering, which cares for people with chronic illnesses.  in addition, another small portion of proceeds goes to the organization, adopt a platoon. // follow along on facebook | twitter | instagram

4. leelee and sumsum // take 15% off with code heavenstobetsy
printables for parties // follow along on facebook

5. hello felecia shop // take 15% off with code heavenstobetsy
handmade jewelry // everything is handmade and some things are one-of-a-kind!  proceeds from hello felecia will go to benefit various organizations that provide aid for children in need and orphans. // follow along on facebook | twitter 

6.  ash's party accents // take 15% off with code holiday15
festive handmade party supplies // follow along facebook | twitter | instagram

7.  a beautiful rawr // take 20% off with code gift20
inspirational apparel // rawr stands for "real amazing woman representing" and i create modest apparel to inspire, encourage, and remind women of this simple message: i can do all things through him who gives me strength (phil 4:13). // follow along on instagram

8. oneinspiredlifeshop // take 10% off with code heavenstobetsy
jewelry & art // a portion of all proceeds from one inspired life through the end of the year are going to benefit kristen's friend jamie aird. you can read her story here. // follow along on instagram



9. gold paper and lace // take 10% off with code heaventstobetsy
banners and other decorative items // follow along on facebook | instagram | blog

10.  arroway creative design // take 25% off with code giftguide
watercolor prints // follow along on facebook | instagram

11. lemon row // take 10% off with code heavenstobetsy
personalized clay pieces // follow along on instagram | facebook 

12. onethingalone
hand lettered inspirational prints

13. elementary music teacher // entire shop is 15% off 12/5-12/6, no code needed
teacher friends, this one's for you! the elementary music teacher shop has some great one-of-a-kind educational songs perfect for your elementary classroom!  // follow along on facebook

14. kendra castillo art // take 20% off with code heavenstobetsy
printables & custom artwork // kendra also does commissioned work for people!  // follow along facebook | twitter | bloglovin | pinterest
  15. ruffled paper // take 15% off with code lovely15
decorations, garlands, printables, art prints, etc. // follow along on facebook | twitter | instagram

16. oh simple joys // take 20% off with code ohsimplejoys20
inspirational items, prints, and handmade knit items // follow along on instagram | twitter | facebook




and finally, i would be a pretty terrible business woman if i didn't throw in a shameless plug for my own shop, heavens to betsy handmade!  it's filled with handmade knit items and hand lettered prints.  and from now until christmas, you can take 15% off of your order with the code giftguide14!

Surviving Holiday Shopping with Luna Bars

thanks so much to luna bar for sponsoring today's post!  check out luna's new and improved line of gluten-free bars today!

i don't know about you, but i love to shop!  for me, holiday shopping is especially fun.  i love shopping for other people and i'm totally frugal and rarely pay full price for anything, so i love how many deals you can find during the holidays!  i'm actually spending today at the king of prussia mall trying to knock out most of my shopping, and those long marathon shopping days require some serious pre-planning.

beyond just figuring out my shopping list, i've been thinking all week about what i'm going to wear...it needs to be comfortable and cool, because walking around a mall all day can get warm.  thinking through which shoes and what bag to take is important too!  (please tell me i'm not the only one who does this?)  and then, there's what i need in my purse for the day.  if you're new to a marathon shopping day, let me help you out...here is a list of some must-haves to keep you in your best shape for shopping!

a lightweight bag or cross body (it's going to be on your shoulder all day!)

a bottle of water...don't forget to stay hydrated

some snacks (so important...you don't want to spend a ton of money on mall food all day!)

a pack of tissues

lip balm (apparently i've been under a rock, but i just discovered the wonder of baby lips)

hand lotion

your wallet...hey, might seem obvious, but you never know!

one of my favorite snacks for throwing in my bag at any time, but especially for long days are luna bars!  luna got me through a trip to disney a few years ago, and ever since then, i've been hooked!  they're made with 70% organic ingredients, have no artificial preservatives or flavors, are filling, and are under 200 calories!  oh, and did i mention that they're delicious?  flavors like s'mores and the new chocolate cupcake are pretty much to die for.  and now, luna's regular line is totally gluten free!  the bar was already almost free of gluten, so luna went the extra step to remove all traces so that our gluten-free friends could enjoy these yummy bars!

luna bars are an ideal snack for someone who's on the go this holiday season.  easy to toss in your purse or glove compartment, don't forget to plan ahead and then reach for a luna bar when the mid-afternoon munchies kick in and you are in the middle of buying your aunt rita's christmas gift!  also, be sure to look for the pink emblem on the wrapper that denotes the new gluten-free recipe, and definitely try out the newest flavor, chocolate cupcake!  (for real, yum!)

and as a special offer for heavens to betsy readers, luna is giving away a sample pack of their gluten-free bars!  all you have to do to enter is head over to the luna bar site and then come back here and tell me what your favorite flavor is, or which flavor you're dying to try! we'll select one lucky winner to receive a sample of the new & improved luna bars! good luck!