Friday, December 31, 2010

Better late than never....


So, I know I am a little late getting a pic of our tree on here, but the holidays were just so hectic! We enjoyed lots of time with family and I am a little sad to take this beautiful tree down tomorrow! This was by far the biggest tree we have ever had, thanks to our 10 ft ceilings. We were looking for an 8-8 1/2 footer, but ended up with a 9 1/2 one. Oh well, I love every inch of it. We used 1100 lights and lots and lots of ornaments. We collect ornaments from our travels and are getting quite a collection now. I added the snowflakes ($1 for 12 from Dollar Tree) and the gold shimmery bow on top. I like that both the snowflakes and ribbon allow the lights to shine through. It made our entire living room glow all season long!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Balloon Ornaments


I was just catching up on some DVR'd HGTV and saw this creative idea on Celebrity Holiday Homes. It is a simple balloon, spray painted gold with a ribbon tied around it. They used a magnet to attach it to a can light. Even though Christmas is over, I think these would look divine spray painted silver with black bows tied around them for New Year's Eve. Can you imagine walking into a party and seeing a ton of these hanging from the ceiling?!? I love that it is so budget friendly too.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Holiday Kitchen Gifts

Nothing shows how much you care like giving a gift you made yourself. Check out these beautiful kitchen gifts from Whole Foods! You can probably wrap up your holiday shopping without leaving the house. Now to decide what to make for everyone....



maybe Citrus Salts...


or Marinated Olives....



or Spicy Wine Mustard, that would be delish on left over ham sandwiches....


or Dried Fruit and Herb Tea....


oh, definitely Mulling Spice Satchets! Have fun in the kitchen!







Saturday, December 4, 2010

101 Party Do's and Don'ts


This time of year is all about the parties. Whether you are throwing one or attending four, here are some great tips from House Beautiful to help you along the way. (Warning: It is a loooong slide show. Use it as a nice break from Holiday madness, while enjoying a cocktail.)


**Above image: Hubs and I on our way to his work Holiday party.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Christmas in the Southwest


Let me start by saying this is the first Holiday season I have prepared for outside of my home state of Missouri. With that said, I wanted to share a few images of Christmas in the Southwest.

The first is this funny guy above. I mean, only in New Mexico would they create a snowman out of giant tumbleweeds. Yes, folks, they do grow that big around here. Not that I have seen them personally, but I have heard the tales. Tumblin' along with the tumblin' tumbleweeds......



The second is this gorgeous blue poinsettia. Isn't it divine? Now, I am sure that blue poinsettias are not only available in the Southwest, but I have never seen them before, so I just had to have one! I think it is so perfect it looks artificial and the hubs said it looks more New Year's Eveish than Christmasy, so let's hope I can keep it alive until then.

The purple leaves are my favorite part. :) They look like velvet.


This last image is sorta corny, but I thought we should have some chile pepper lights for our first Christmas here. They really brightened up a corner of our dining room.

Happy Holiday preparations to all!!







Friday, November 26, 2010

Fruit of the Earth


WAIT!!! Don't throw out your pumpkins now that the Christmas season is officially upon us. Instead cut those babies open, scoop out the seeds and roast 'em up with these great recipes. We did and they made a great Turkey Day app. I am thinking about dumping the leftovers into ziplok baggies and stashing them in my purse for emergency Christmas shopping snacks. Shopping always makes me hungry.





Going along with our "fruit of the earth" Turkey Day apps, we also whipped up this delicious spread using porcini mushroom we foraged for earlier this year in the NM mountains. Can I just say, it will definitely be made again.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Everything's bigger in Texas

I was in Dallas last week for work. It was my first time visiting The Lone Star state, and I must say it was pretty nice! My hubs has been telling me for years what a bad place TX is (it is a NM thing) so I was slightly brainwashed and not expecting much. Boy, was I wrong! The food alone was worth the trip! Everytime I turned around the hotel was bringing out another snack of some sort. I mean, who really needs Bread Pudding at 2 pm, after you just consumed a HUGE buffet lunch and have been doing nothing but sitting around all day listening to conference speakers anyway. As if the food wasn't enough to talk about, this ginormous centerpiece greeted me when I arrived in the lobby of the hotel. How can I get a job just going around to different hotels and designing their seasonal centerpieces??? I need to figure that out, fast.

I love the mossy-ness (must be a theme for me this fall) mixed in with all the gorgeous pumpkins. The colors are to die for! I hope you enjoy. I am just sad I don't get to make a trip back to see their big TX style Christmas decor.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Post-Halloween Centerpieces

For those of you not quite ready to drag out the Holiday decorations yet, check out these centerpiece ideas Eddie Ross came up with for Women's Day. The metallic touch in each one makes them feel modern, yet incredibly simple. What a pretty way to make the transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

A Little Nutty


We are entertaining lots of guests in our new home this Fall, and are loving these simple Happy Hour nuts. They keep well in plastic containers, so go ahead and make up the whole batch.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Pumpkins and Pinecones


Celebrations at Home posted an adorable party today. Love those pine cone/daisy chandeliers. Oh, and the pumpkin dessert looks delish, can't wait to break out the trifle bowl for that one. Don't ya just love Fall?!?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Autumn Salad



Man, have I been on a salad kick lately! I can't wait to make these two, so the "salad for dinner" trend is going to continue for a while in our household.


This first one comes from St. Louis Entertains. I love the look of an arranged salad, especially when it is bursting with fall colors.


The second one is from Ina Garten. Many of her fall recipes were featured in House Beautiful this month and many looked super delicious.

Ok, off to eat my greens now.


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Mossy Mantle


This is my 101st post! What a milestone.
I have never been very good at stretching those white cobweby thingys around Halloween. So, this year I dressed my new mantle in Spanish moss instead. I love how it turned out. Reminds me of Savannah, GA. The moss hangs so delicately on the trees there and gives the town a spooky feeling all year round.

Now this project was MESSY, so don't start it late at night like I did. The cleanup is not fun, but I think it was totally worth it.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Pretty Print

Just came across this lovely canvas print here yesterday and now I am sitting around my house looking for an open wall to hang it on. Decided I better find somewhere to put it before ordering. I love the contrast of the gold and blue, and am dying to re-do a room in these rich colors. It was taken just a little south of Albuquerque, on a wildlife refuge.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Chocolate Butter

As if pumpkin bread is not delicious enough on its own, Hy-Vee is suggesting we slather dark chocolate butter on top! I can't think of a better idea.

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa and the water until smooth. Add butter; cook and stir over med-low heat until bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 min. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour into a small bowl. Cool for 1 hr. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

I am going to make some of this up and keep it refrigerated all Fall to douse all kinds of yummies in.

Cute pumpkin pan is available from Nordic Ware for $19.99.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Welcoming Treat


I snapped this idea off a Woman's Day mag this weekend. I think it is simply a foam wreath covered in black fabric with candy corn hot glued on. How easy is that. I can't wait to decorate for fall and create one of these wreaths. It is rainy here tonight and is making me think of Halloween and trick-or-treaters. This will be a welcoming sight for them on our door! I hope the birds stay away!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

New Rug


Just wanted to share my new rug. Now don't worry, I am not going completely Southwestern on you. I just liked this one and it really brightened up our entryway. It is from Jackalope, a great shopping destination in NM and also CA. http://www.jackalope.com/ Come visit and we just might have to make a trip there.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Summer Spread


With home grown tomatoes and basil ripening everywhere right now, it seems like the perfect time to share this great recipe from Kraft. I took it as an app for a dinner party last week and it was a huge hit. It is quick to put together too!


Warm Italiano Spread


1 pkg cream cheese

1/4 cup pesto

1 tomato, chopped

1/4 cup shredded motz cheese

Triscuit Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil Crackers or sliced baguette


Heat grill to medium heat. Place cream cheese block on a square of foil. Top with pesto, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Fold up and seal sides of foil to form a little packet.

Place foil packet on grill for 8-10 min, or until cheese is melted.

(I have also heated this in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 min.)

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tasting Party


I am digging the new Tasting Party items from Pier 1! The have some tasty looking recipes here too.


Monday, August 9, 2010

The Perfect Pear

Seems in the summertime I become obsessed with certain fruits and veggies (remember the lemons and zucchinis from last summer ?) Anyway, this summer's flavor is pear. I recently made a yummy pear sangria when my folks were in town, so I thought I would share the recipe. It is easy and super refreshing on a warm evening. It comes from Beso Las Vegas (Eva Longoria Parker's restaurant.)


Combine 2 bottles Sauvignon Blanc (I purchased $3 bottles at Walmart) and 3 cups white cranberry juice, along with 2 tbsp lime juice. Add 1 or 2 thinly sliced pears and 1/2 pint each of blackberries and raspberries. Let the mixture sit overnight before serving in pretty glasses. Garnish with a sprig of mint if you like.



I also scored a great pear shaped glass jar at Goodwill for $.99 a couple of weeks back. Perfect for storing wine corks in our new kitchen!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Greetings from the Southwest!

Inspired by our new surroundings in the Q and our fantastic patio, this week I gave a couple of pieces of our furniture new life by spraying them in a vibrant aqua color. Very Southwestern, huh? Turns out, $18 worth of spray paint can work wonders! I was a little too eager to get started, and forgot to take actual "before" pics. Oops. Oh well, hopefully you can get the effect from the one "before" I do have of the white bench. The wicker chair was white originally as well. Until next time....Adios, amigos!





Wednesday, June 16, 2010

I am inspired by this idea from Martha Stewart!
It only requires embroidery hoops in varying sizes, and fabric. You can use a monochromatic color palette, or a vibrant array of colors to customize a look to your event. Just fit the fabric inside the ring, and trim the excess. Hang by tying a ribbon or mono filament to the screw which holds the rings together. You can change it out for lots of celebrations! I am thinking about a trip to the fabric store to get some inspiration for my next party! This would even be cute outside over a patio table or as a quick and simple backdrop.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Makeup Mania


What a great weekend for makeup! I am embarrased to say this, but on Friday night I watched QVC for 3 full hours! It was their Beauty Newsmakers special and I was completely entranced. What a mindless way to unwind from a hectic week! I ended up purchasing some LORAC eye shadow. If you haven't tried LORAC shadows before, what are you waiting for? They are the best! Subtly shimmery and they last for hours. Here is the one I purchased http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx?view=2&app=detail&params=item^A201646,RecTypeInd^IOFFER,navlist^A201646*A193247*A170261*,cp^detail,tmp^related,cpprod^A200796,cm_scid^dtlr&walk=&cmtags==
In addition to my QVC marathon, I have a 15% off coupon to Sephora for Beauty Insiders that is good through tomorrow. I just think this lipgloss from Hourglass is genius. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P256901&categoryId=C17271 Perfectly shaped for your backpocket and great for summer when you don't want to leave the house with a bulky purse. Just slip this in your pocket and be on your way! Happy Sunday, Beauty Queens!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Spring Cleaning Tips

We are doing some Spring cleaning at our house this weekend! It is just amazing how stuff accumulates throughout the year.

Organization guru Julie Morgenstern shared these 8 tips for spring cleaning in the April issue of Redbook. I hope they are as inspiring to you as they have been to me!

8 things you can toss without guilt-right now!
1. Kitchen items you haven't used in a year or longer. If you've never used your breadmaker or panini press, the odds you'll used it in the near future are pretty slim. Donate the bulky appliances and enjoy the extra space.
2. The entire contents of your junk drawer. There's a reason you call it that! Think you might hae some useful items stored there? Empty the whole drawer into a box, and any time you use an item, place it back in the drawer. At the end of the month, toss whatever's left in the box and rename the newly functional drawer.
3. Clothes that no longer fit. They make it more difficult to search your closet to find the things you do wear. If you truly believe they'll fit at some point in the near future, then box and store them until then.
4. School work from high school or college. The material is most likely outdated, and the chances you'll refer to it again are slim. Save your favorite papers in an archival box, but toss the notebooks, texts, and handouts.
5. Baby gear. Safety standards change so quickly that car seats and cribs are generally outdated just a few years after they're manufactured. Plus, they take up a lot of room. Keep only if you're already working on baby number two.
6. Random receipts. If you don't know what they're for, or if they're for basic items (groceries, toiletries, lunch) that you don't need to record for taxes or expenses, get rid of them.
7. Half-used bottles of shampoo, conditioner or makeup you only tried once. If you don't like the product enough to use it everyday, you won't like it in a few months' time.
8. Books you've never read, or books that you'll never re-read. Donate them and save space on your shelves for the books that speak to your soul.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Spring Linens


I am loving these springy table linens from World Market. www.worldmarket.com What a way to brighten up your kitchen!

How cute is this Fleur de Lys glassware? Adore the green tint.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

A Great Read



I recently devoured a great book in just a few days. It made me laugh and cry and was one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is atop the NY Times bestseller list right now (not that I really follow that list) but if you are looking for a good read, check it out!




Description: In Kathryn Stockett's stunning fiction debut, The Help, three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step . . .Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone. Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken. Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can look like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed. In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving book filled with poignancy, humour, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Celebrations at Home


I follow a blog, Celebrations at Home (see blog list below) that recently showcased a yellow and turquoise party. It just so happens I have been obsessed with this color combination lately and can't wait to find a way to use it, other than decorating myself in the 2 colors. I think the combo just looks so fresh and springy! Check out http://www.celebrationsathome.blogspot.com/ for lots of pretty party ideas and inspiration. I hope you enjoy Chris' attention to detail as much as I do!

Pretty Jewelry

Just came across this jewelry site, 2 sisters on separate coasts that create the simplest and most beautiful jewelry I have seen in a long time. Their pieces are so creative and yet affordable. Pick something out for your momma today so it arrives in time for Mother's Day next month. Happy browsing! www.whitleydesigns.com

Monday, March 8, 2010

Rosalie Cooks....

Check out a fellow STL area blogger...www.rosalieserving.com
I am loving her Italian and Country recipes!

Martha Stewart iPhone App


Let me explain the lack of postings lately....I finally got a iPhone. The tiny computer has been occupying all my "technology" time!! However, I found a fun Martha Stewart app to share. With the App, daily recipe ideas come straight to you, no more wondering "what's for dinner?" You can search for a dish among thousands of recipes, view photos, and choose "Quick Dinner Recipes" when you're looking for a meal that will be ready in no time. When you find a recipe you like, the App will create a grocery list for you, organized by aisle, which you can take straight to the store. This is perfect for me because I already organize my grocery list by the store layout, and now this does it for me. It is like Martha read my mind on this one!!

Dog Ball Launcher




While traveling recently in Colorado (where everyone has a dog!), I came across a really cool item. It is a dog ball launcher.

Throw farther, faster, and never bend down to pick up a slimy ball again with the Chuckit! Dog toy.
Durable plastic wand firmly grasps a tennis ball then releases it as you swing.
With a little practice, you can consistently throw the ball 100 to 140 feet.
What a perfect gift for a pet lover!

Find one here:

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Mexican Chocolate Pots de Creme



Recently, Food & Wine magazine started showing up at our house out of the blue. It is a very welcome addition to our weekly menus! We especially enjoyed this wonderful chocolate pudding on Valentine's Day. It is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!
Total Time: 20 min plus cooling
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole milk (I substituted skim milk instead)
1/2 cup heavy cream (I substituted half 'n half instead)
6 large egg yolks
6 ounces Mexican chocolate, preferably Ibarra, finely chopped
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, plus shavings for garnish
Whipped cream, for serving

Directions:
1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the milk with the cream and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat.
2. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until combined. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot milk, then transfer the mixture to the saucepan. (Get the eggs pretty warm first with a little of the hot milk or they will scramble when you pour them into the saucepan!)
3. Cook the custard over moderate heat, whisking constantly until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
4. Immediately add the finely chopped Mexican and bittersweet chocolate and remove saucepan from the heat.
5. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted, then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large measuring bowl or cup. It is important not to skip the straining step or your pudding will be grainy.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into 6 small bowls and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings when serving.

I also think this would be a really fun dessert to do in the small glass shot-glass-like containers. It is so rich, you really only need a small amount and you could totally wow your guests with presentation! Remember, we eat with our eyes first!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Twigs and Honey


I just had to share this new website I stumbled across this week.
I can't get enough feathers, flowers, headbands, basically all things girly and vintage, so of course I adore this site. I wore a flower and feathers clip similar to these on my wedding day and wore a sparkly flower headband just last weekend, seriously.



Isn't this flowered belt pretty? Looks so springy.

Ohhh, or how about this as a statement necklace!?! Completely over the top, yet pretty. Lovin' it, ladies.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Cozy Decor












Check out these creative ways to recycle old sweaters from Country Living. All you need is an old sweater and a hot glue gun! Find instructions at http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-home/seasonal-crafts/staticslideshowcl.aspx?cp-documentid=23361974&gt1=32001
I am going to dig through my closet right now for old sweaters. What a great project for inbetween the Super Bowl commercials!