Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanksgiving Menu

I love few things more than sitting down to a good meal with wonderful friends, and this Thanksgiving I am thrilled to be sharing a feast with my friend Jenn B and her family.  Below is our menu for the day...

Appetizers:  Smoked Salmon Spread, Summer Sausage, Assorted Cheese & Crackers & Fruit

Dinner:  Brined Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Sausage Stuffing, Dill Carrots, Broccoli with Cheese Sauce, Cranberries

Dessert:  Jim's Apple Pie with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

It absolutely drives me crazy when people let the stress of a holiday ruin the FUN of a holiday.   This is where the "planner" in me comes out.  I  take a little bit of time to PLAN so I will be able to ENJOY my time and my guests (Thank you, Ina Garden for teaching me this!) ...and planning means lists - lots and lots of lists.  I have a cleaning list, a shopping list, a cooking list, a decorating list and an "everything else" list.  Wait, I'm not done.  I've broken down my lists into days - what tasks will be done on which days.  This might drive some people crazy - I simply cannot function without this kind of organization.  Once a task is completed I take great satisfaction in crossing it off my list and moving on to my next mission. 

You would think that this level of highly sophisticated organization would give my mind some type of rest, but sadly, no - I am awake this morning worrying about next month's activities (for which no list has been created).  It's a vicious circle, isn't it?

Sunday, November 14, 2010

New couches are on their way...

Yes, I'm this much of a geek!  I have taped off the area where the couches will go.  I'll make sure to post a picture once they arrive.  Super Excited!!!!

And here are the new couches...


Cookie Party Display - I WILL Win this Contest!

Rumor is out that I am "out for blood" in regards to winning the COOKIE DISPLAY category at my friend's cookie party, and they are right!  Almost a year ago I was told about this incredible cookie party thrown by my friend Jenn B.  Invitations to this party are a privilege (no kidding - she is VERY selective about who she allows into her home).  We had recently met at the gym and  found that we had many things in common - after our friendship developed I received word that I would be part of the elite group.  I've been plotting and planning my design ever since.

Since I am already on a "nature-inspired" kick for my home I decided to carry that theme over to my cookie display.  With a little help from a beautiful 4-tiered wrought iron display piece from Pottery Barn I was well on my way to creating my entry. 

Pictures?  Oh...I so want to show you, but you see there are spies everywhere - I can't risk one of them seeing my creation.  I promise to post pictures after the party - I'll even include the recipe for the bourbon balls I will be making.  Stay tuned! 

Friday, November 12, 2010

More Nature Inspired Ideas for Christmas

If you are anything like me you burn through your Pottery Barn catalog like it was a trashy novel.  I simple love their style,  and many of the items in my home were purchased there; however, there are some things I KNOW I can make much cheaper (and better) than what they sell.  The Bucket & Branch Advent Calendar is one of those items.  I have more branches than I know what to do with, the rope is already in my craft room - now if I can find some type of bucket (or other rustic inspired item) I'm in business!  I am skipping the gym today and heading out today to find some goodies...
So I was at the Dollar Store today, and I struck GOLD!!!  Check out these little buckets - 3 for $1!!!  I found them in the wedding section.  I was originally going to copy the Pottery Barn item, but now I'm thinking I may just put the numbers on the buckets and hang them on the Christmas tree.  As soon as we have a non-rainy day I'm going to start spray painting (a brushed bronze color will look rustic & will look beautiful on my tree this year)...or maybe I will just leave them white...this has to evolve in my mind.

UPDATE:  I am very limited on wall space, so I had to come up with a different way to display the Advent Buckets - on my tree!  I've filled the buckets with two pieces of candy (one for each of my children), and attached a number to each one.  I'm thrilled with the way it turned out!  The entire project cost my under $10.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Don't throw away those Starbuck Frappuccino glasses!

I am addicted to Starbuck's Frappuccinos!  There - I've said it - now I can start my five step recovery program.  But seriously, I love them for two reasons - First, they are oh so delicious; Second, they make great votive holders.  After I finish my drink I peel off the labels and place the glass in the dishwasher.  There is usually a little residual glue still on the bottle; GooGone takes care of that.  Then I fill the jar with some black beans to keep the candle stable and to add to the "look".  Finish off with a pretty ribbon.  You would not believe how many of these glasses I have now.  I usually use them to line my walkway leading to my home when we are having company - just a little touch to make the evening a little more special.
* I don't use real candles because they can be a fire hazard.  In this example I have a battery operated candle.

Think of all of the other things you can do with these glasses...

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Transitioning Halloween decor into Thanksgiving

 
Couldn't resist sharing this.  For those of you who followed my Halloween decorating on facebook, you remember all of those trees I spray painted black.  Well, I wasn't quite ready to send them to the firepit, so I have found a way to transition them into my Thanksgiving decor.  Normally I skip right over Thanksgiving and go right into Christmas after Halloween, but my husband threatened divorce (and this year I think he means it ;-).   For Halloween I taped crow silhouettes onto the branches; for Thanksgiving I have hung amber jewels (purchased at Target).  They add a touch of bling without blocking the tv.

Nature Inspired Ornaments (Using Canning Lids) - The first of many early morning posts...

Like many of you - I don't sleep well.  The topics vary greatly yet I can always trace my slumber problems to my restless mind.  It just doesn't understand the concept of rest and relaxation.  I'm almost embarrassed to tell you what has me up so early today but since recording my thoughts is the reason I started this blog - here goes.  I am worried that we are using too much propane to heat the water in our home.  Yup!  There it is - in black and white.  I could be upstairs with my wonderful husband in our beautifully decorated bedroom - cuddled up under a warm down comforter, but here I am in our incredibly unorganzied and half-designed office typing away because we have no way to get out from under the propane company that has overcharged and underserviced us for the past two years.  Perhaps I should chronical the reasons why I loathe them so, but that would bore even me - and I don't want to lose your attention before I share some of the other great ideas I have swirling in my head.

CHRISTMAS DECORATING

Yes, Yes, Yes, I know we haven't celebrated Thanksgiving yet; however, if I am going to have a beautifully themed tree I have to start planning WAY in advance.  We are still new to our home, and my living room is still a work in progress (this is the room where our main tree will be placed).  I've decided to carry the beautiful scene outside all of our windows into our home.  We live on 3+ acres in a lush, wooded area with lots of wildlife visitors - so I am going with a nature-inspired decor and this theme will carry over to our tree.


Canning Lid Ornaments

While planning our Halloween party I came across a picture of a tree that used flat, round ornaments.  My incredibly talented friend, Jenn B, said they looked like canning jar lids.  We bounced around ideas and after many prototypes were designed I have finally created something that will look beautiful on our tree.  Here are the supplies and steps for you to create your own personalized ornaments:

Supplies:

Canning Lids -You can purchase new ones at Wal-Mart for about $2-$4 depending on size - they generally come 12 to a box.
Spray Paint - I used Rust-Oleum Hammered Spray Paint (Copper)- I like the "depth" the hammered spray gives - much better than a flat color.
Primer Spray Paint - Don't skip this step - your paint will fall right off if you do not properly prime your lids.
Decorative Paper - I selected paper that looks like tree bark.  Use this as an opportunity to further emphasize your theme.
Nature Stamps - I have a bird, a moose and some trees - this is where you can really customize your ornaments.  Think about the room where the tree will be placed - can you pull some ideas from your current decorating? If I were to place a small tree in my kitchen I might have stamps of utensils and roosters.  You don't want your tree to "clash" with your home.
Colored Stamp Pads - Again, make sure the colors you choose will "blend" or "compliment" with the colors you already have in the room where the tree will be placed.
Sheer Ribbon (no bigger than the outer rims of the canning lids) - Experiment here - I used black ribbon to tie in with the black stamp color of the nature elements I selected.
Glue Gun & Glue Sticks (or whatever type of glue you are comfortable using).

Step 1:  Prime your lids. (only the outer rim needs to be primed).  Save the flat round disc - you may be using this later.
Step 2:  Paint your lids.  I have a lot of "Fall" colors in my home & living room so the copper color will really help this ornament compliment my decor. 

Step 3:  Using the flat canning disc, trace and cut out circles with your decorative paper. 
Step 4:  Start Stamping!  Decide how you want to "layer" your stamps.  My initial design was simply a moose or a bird, but they looked so plain.  So, I added a layer with trees in the background.

Step 5:  Place the stamped circle paper into the painted canning lid, and lay the flat canning disc behind it.  You can vary this as well.  I decided to place the canning disc behind the paper so the lights from the tree would not distort the image on my ornament.  Test your image by holding it up to a light.  You may like the way it looks without having the disc behind it.
Step 6:  Glue around the perimeter of the lid.
Step 7:  Tie your ribbon around the outer edge of the lid - make sure to leave enough ribbon so that you will be able to attach your ornament to your tree.  I used hot glue to secure the ribbon to the lid - just a tiny bit though - any more would "ooze" out onto the ornament.  *  The picture below does not "show" the green trees in the background - darn you, flash photography!


Options:  Now that I have been successful with this type of ornament, I think I am going to continue playing with it.  My daughter, Kelly, will have a tree in her bedroom & playroom.  I'm already thinking of using the colors in her rooms - hot pink & orange - to be the palate for her canning ornaments.  I'll let her select the Christmas stamps she likes; this will be a great craft we can do together.