Food and Drink

Happy birthday happy birthday – cha cha cha (as Sugarwings sings it)

celebrations, flowers, Food and Drink, Sugarwings

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What a great birthday I had yesterday!  Carol and Debbie treated me to lunch at Julian's in Brookside, owned and operated by one of the cheftestants on Top Chef Masters.  And I am such a TV junkie, that I'll eat up anything served by someone on one of my "stories".

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  Luckily, this place was cute as a button and over the top delicious.

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Friendly, casual, and affordable too. Celina Tio, from the show (and formerly on Iron Chef) greets everyone at the door and is nice as can be.  Pretty too. The TV show doesn't do her justice, she's much cuter in person.

I had some things to deliver to Carol and Debbie and we decided to meet for lunch.  I said, why not Thursday, since it was my birthday, so the poor girls might have got a party ambush.  But I love birthdays and am upfront about telling everyone its my day.

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Thanks for all the happy birthday wishes! I had some prime baby holding time too, so it was a good day.

 
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I'll leave you with some photos of what's new in Boutique.  I've added a few millinery blooms,  and have photos taken of more to add.

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For the whole  month of May, I'm giving you free shipping (United States) for all millinery.  Pay as normal, and when I pack up and ship the item, I'll refund your shipping fees.

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There will be more blooms added next week too.

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I'm just out of time today, we get Sugarwings tonight.  So, no more working, time to play!

 

Flocks of fun

bird song art event, Food and Drink

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Have you ever made cake pops?  They are way too much fun.  I saw them in a book my hairdresser showed to me, and was instantly intrigued.  I looked over the details, and it seemed pretty simple, so I tried them immediately when I got home.

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I made mine slightly different from the cookbook (by Bakerella). 

Here is what I did:

  • First, bake a white cake, let it cool, then crumble it in a large bowl.
  • mix in a half a can of white icing (the cookbook called for a whole can) with a beater
  • Form small balls, I got 36 from one cake, warning- these are calorie dense!
  • Keep in fridge till needed, then pop a few in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before dipping.
  • Melt almond bark in a deep, narrow dish. I used a measuring cup.
  • Dip one end of lollipop stick into melted bark, then freeze them.
  • Have something set up for the balls to drip and dry on before you start dipping them in the almond bark. I used an upside down egg carton, with holes punched in each egg shape.
  • Don't leave the balls in the freezer too long. That is why I stuck them in there in shifts. If they get too cold, they fall off the stick.  I worked in groups of 8 or so at a time.
  • I formed the balls into bird shapes right before sliding them on the stick and dipping them. The stuff is like play-dough, so you can form simple shapes very easily.
  • Let dry, then decorate. Sugarwings and I have a vast sprinkle collection, so I had lots to chose from.  Bakerella has lots of ideas, and themes. I kind of made up my own. She also has lots of recipes and flavors to try. I stuck with white.

After the topping set up, I wrapped all of my baby birds up gently and stored them in an air tight bowl, then froze them till my guests arrive for Birdsong.

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My home is beginning to look like an Alfred Hitchcock movie, birds everywhere!  Here are the name tags I made for the event, all ready to go.  I hope our antendees like them.

Sorry I won't be answering emails or comments, but I will be taking breaks to read them.  And I will have a gift for you from the event, I'll draw a name from all the comments this week and next.

 

Happy birthday Dorkie babies! (and Diane too!)

celebrations, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Food and Drink, holiday decor, how to's, parties

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Today is Agnes Rosebud and Button's first birthday, so I invited Beth and some friends over for a craft day and birthday cake.

The four legged guests had a very special treat- left over grilled trout covered in homemade organic yogurt. I made up "cupcakes" of fish in festive papers, then iced them in the yogurt and added a colorful pick.

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(I wish I could remember who gave me the cute vintage puppy image to use- its on the hats and the cupcake picks)

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Spring is finally here!  I spent a giant, achy chunk of the weekend working in the yard, doing clean up and planting flowers.  So, since the patio was looking spiffy, all of us sat outside on the porch to have our pitch in lunch between craft projects. (and between working on taxes- its great to have two accountant friends come by and help out when tax time rolls around!)

While it looks like I might have had a totally frivolous day, making party hats and fish cakes for dogs, we got a lot accomplished too.  Taxes got filed for my son, Ryan, The Other Karla learned how to knit, Beth made book covers, Connie and Diane made cards, Shanna made an Easter Basket, and I finished a swap for Birdsong. 

Plus, it was a beautiful Spring day to spend with friends, so the work didn't even feel like work, it was just plain fun.

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Plus, we had a second birthday to celebrate, it was Diane's special day too.  I whipped up a double duty gift for her, this tussie mussie is used as the wrap for the roses I gave to her and also works as a birthday hat.

To make it, I printed a pretty page of French text on card stock, curled it up into a cone, stapled it in place and trimmed the edges off straight.  Then, I inked the opening with black ink, and punched a hole in each side to pull a ribbon through to use as a chin strap or a hanger.

After that, I added rose that I cut out in a oval shape to the front center of the cone, and pulled some pretty lace through the cone, so that it dangled out the small hole at the point.  Then, I glued that into place, and wrapped the point in ribbons and lace.

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Before the party went to the dogs, we had ice cream cake for the two legged guests.   I experimented with making an ice cream cake, and boy, was it fast, easy and delicious! 

Here's how:

In a round casserole dish, I simply layered thin slices of strawberry pound cake with Breyer's Vanilla Bean ice cream and fresh pureed strawberries.

Then, I smooshed it down into the pan, covered it, and froze it over night.

To get it out of the pan today, I sat it in a shallow bowl of hot water, till it loosened from the casserole dish, then plopped it over upside down onto a cake stand and sprayed canned whipped cream all over it and added sprinkles.

I think I might make this in lots of different ways. Think of all the goodies you could layer in ice cream and freeze. This summer, I'll keep my eyes open at garage sales to find a nice shaped mold to make these in too.

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Aren't birthdays the best days? 

 

Treats and sweets

celebrations, Food and Drink

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Before everyone arrived last weekend, I stocked the Treat Cabinet up.  And then, Lori and Andrea both brought goodies, so we were set for sweets. Aren't these petite fours from Lori so pretty?  I saved one for Sugarwings and she was properly impressed.

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I love having the Treat Cabinet in my studio.  It makes everything look even tastier, plus its great storage.  Its just a big wardrobe that I put two small tables inside, and covered with table cloths. Under the tables, I can keep extra cups, plates, refills, etc.

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And above, I keep wallpaper. Delicious, delightful, wallpaper!

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I plan on decorating the cabinet in a birdie theme at the end of the month for Bird Song.  The room will be full to the brim, so I'm not doing centerpieces. I've got lots of birdie type things, tho, so they will go into the cabinet and on our buffet in the kitchen.

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The glittered fairies should probably come down, to be replaced with birds, but I sure like them hanging there, so I don't know.  My problem is always editing.  I tend to have everything out at once, and show no restraint.  And I know its cluttery and tacky and over the top, but man, it sure is ME. The tacky, cluttery, gaudy, glittery, fairy decorator. 

What a mess.

IMG_9852 After reading "Romantic Prairie Style" and also visiting Carol's serene home, I'm feeling even gaudier.  The book inspired me to redo my bathroom, and I started painting it last night. My goal was to go all white on white.

Well, it didn't happen.  I'll show you photos later this week.  The project kinda morphed into gaudiness.

  And I'll have project photos tomorrow.  

For now I need to announce the winner of my Moulin Rouge Souvenir from my trip to LA.  I forgot to tell you before, because I was having too much fun with my buddies visiting.

Ruth Flowers (what a pretty name!)

 

 today, I'm linking to Amy Carver's "Whatever Wednesday"

 

 

Friends from far away coming to stay

antiques/junking, celebrations, Food and Drink, We're having a party

A quick note- due to some shuffling, I have extra spaces available for Bird Song. If you'd like to sign up, please contact me.

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We had the best time over the weekend! What a great group of friends, I was honored that they would travel so far just to come and hang out in Kansas.

Pictured is:

 * Heather * Suzanne * Lori * me * Jenn * Andrea *

IMG_9837 On Thursday, we just hung out, chatted and got caught up on each others happenings. Then on Friday, we took off to KC to go to Bottom's Up and some other sales, then over to visit Carol.  I foofed up bags for each of us, and filled them with bottled water, treats, gum, and lip gloss so we'd be set for the day's adventures.

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We all piled in the borrowed van (from Sugarwing's Daddy) and then just sat there.  Apparently, the key comes out of the ignition when the car is still set on "auxiliary" and I left it on all night draining the battery.

So, after unsuccessfully hunting in every nook and cranny for our jumper cables, my son, Ryan, volunteered to run to the store to pick up another set.  He soon had the van jumped and running so we could hit the road.

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Bottoms Up is once a month and located is the West Bottoms district in KC, MO. (someone walking by us said we looked glamorous!!  Now that is something I don't hear very often about myself.  And from my pigeon toed stance in this photo, I don't think I'll be hearing much in the future either)

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There are several shops with monthly sales in this old warehouse area, and its pretty cool to see.

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And to shop at!

 
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Gwen of French By Design has some very drool worthy goods.  The vendors range from ultra classy and elegant to fun junk.  So there is something for everyone.  I know we found plenty.

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Did you know that Victorian Trading Co. is based in KC?  After hitting Beth's booth at Mission Road Antique mall, we went next door to shop at the outlet store for this catalog shop. There are only two brick and mortar stores for this company and both are right here in Kansas City.

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The clothes there are so durn gorgeous.  The girls were buying some perfect outfits for Jenn's romantic event in NC this fall.  I tried on quite a few, then decided that I was 10 years and 10 lbs off to fit into the dresses right. Not to mention that I am too short.  But I loved looking at them and seeing what everyone else picked out.

Then, I bought a shower curtain.  (photos later, I'm dying it, and repainting my bathroom to match it)

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Carol had us over for dinner, and if you think her home looks like it was right out of a book, you are right.  She's in Romantic Prairie Style (and oooooooohhhhh, what a pretty book!)

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Carol is not only a talented photographer and decorator, she is a hostess with a huge heart.

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And a good cook!

IMG_1869 Every single detail, every where you looked, her house is perfect.  Just perfect.  I feel like I am in the pages of a decorating book when I am there.

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So, I was really touched to see something I made for her out on display. 

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She served some local made honey flavored wine over dinner, and it was a good thing I was driving, or I'd have drank way too much of it.   I could go  Winnie the Pooh all over this honey nectar!  Man, it was good.

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Carol just had this fire place built in her backyard. It was a lovely evening to curl up by the fire and tell ghost stories. Even though the others didn't like ghost stories much.  We quickly moved on to more fun stories and had a lot of laughs.  If you've ever spent an evening with Carol, you know there will be lots of laughter.

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Here is the back of her home, near the fireplace.

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This is the tree that Carol is teaching for Bird Song.  Pretty, huh? 

I'll have more photos later of our studio day.  After that day with all the creative types in my studio, I am even more pumped about Bird Song.  I can't wait to fill the room back up with arty friends and see them in action!

 

Sugarwing’s Low Sugar Freezer Jam, otherwise known as a strawberry spread type thing

family, Food and Drink, how to's, how-to projects, Sugarwings

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For not having a recipe and having never made jam before, we did okay last night when we gave it a try.  What we ended up with was a unique strawberry spread type thing, and we really like it. So, I guess that is what counts.  Whether anyone would ever call it "jam" when they ate it, doesn't really matter to us.

We were going rogue.

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While I've never made jam myself, I knew a bit about it. Like you need a LOT of sugar for it to set up. And if you aren't canning it, you need to make freezer jam instead. 

We used very little sugar, because I was making the jam myself so I could purposely cut back on it, since Sugarwings has a little bit of a jelly addiction. Well, with a name like Sugarwings, you might expect her to have a sweet tooth…

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Here's how we did it, if you want to make some strawberry spread type thing for yourself:

  • First you need a good berry scrubber with skills in pulling off the "green parts".
  • After the green parts are gone, cut off the top, and toss the fruit into a blender.  We used 2 quarts of organic berries.
  • We squeezed half of a lime over the berries in the blender and then purreed them.  To get the most juice out of the lime, we played with it a while, and got it good and smashy before I cut it in half.
  • To the berry/lime mix, we added a 3/4 cup of organic sugar and about three good sized squirts of agave nectar syrup, and blended them all together. Have the lid on the blender before your helper pushes any buttons, or else be ready to wipe berry globs off your forehead.
  • We opened a packet of pectin (found on the jello isle at the grocery store) and disolved it in a 1/4 cup of boiling water.  I have a feeling that the jam might have been thicker if my helper hadn't spilled quite a bit of the pectic powder when she poured it into the bowl.  If all your pectin makes it into the hot water, you might have a better end product than we did.
  • Mix the pectin/water with the berries and sugar, then pour into jars. Leave space at the top of the jar for the jam to expand when it freezes.
  • Let set at room temperature for a couple hours before cooling in the fridge (or freezer if you want to save it for later)
  • Make labels while the jars set up.  IMG_9310

The whole endeavor might have just been an excuse to make labels.  Our yeild was small, only three partial jars, so we decorated the lids, too. We had looked forward to making labels too  much to stop at three.

For our labels, we used some fruit rub ons and paint markers on water color paper shapes cut out with our punches. 

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My kitchen might still be a little sticky, but we sure had fun.  And our so called jam really is tasty. And good for you too! 

To me, it tastes a bit like a Margarita. Sugarwings thinks it tastes like jelly, but she's never had a margy.  This spread has more of a fresh berry flavor than a jelly flavor.  And I don't think it ended up costing any more than if I'd bought three jars of All Fruit spread.  Sometimes, kitchen experiments can go a bit crazy in the budget department, but this one did okay financially.

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Plus, its something we will really enjoy eating, and it wasn't hard to make.  We also whipped up some home made yogurt, and for breakfast today, we swirled some of our "jam" into the plain yogurt, and it was heavenly.

 

My funny Valentine

family, Food and Drink, holiday decor, Sugarwings

IMG_9041 Did you have a good Valentines Day?  We sure did, we had Sugarwings for the night and my husband whisked us away to see a romantic chick flick.  Gnomeo and Juliet. And it was really pretty cute. First of all, I have a thing for yard gnomes. No, not a romantic thing, I just like them.

And second, the music was all Elton John.  Can't beat that.

IMG_9033 On the way home we scooped up some to-go food and served it on the good dishes when we got back to the cottage. After, Sugarwings and I whipped up a quick, festive dessert.

We skewered mini marshmallows onto red toothpicks, melted a hand full of Belgian chocolate chips in the microwave for a minute, then dipped the marshmallows in and quickly rolled them in sprinkles.

IMG_9038 It took minutes to do, and she could do most of it all by herself. Plus they were tasty!  The trick is to use the good chips. What a difference it makes to upgrade from Toll House chips. 

In the last year, I switched over to the Belgian chips and they are make any thing I bake better.  They cost a bit more, but are such better quality.  If I am making cookies, I put the chips in a blender and chop them up, so they go further. I only use half as much that way.

I hope your Valentines Day was a sweet one too!

At the Gunkles/ 40% off in the Boutique/ and a May Day announcement

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, holiday decor, Sugarwings, Travel

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Any trip we make to Florida has to include a visit to the Gunkles.  (Gay Uncles)  They have a home filled with magical decor, vintage treasures, sweet puppies, and lots of love.

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The guys are such good cooks, we never take them out to dinner as a thanks for having us stay with them. Instead we get fresh seafood for them to fix for us.  This time lobster!  Last time we were there, we had lobster tail on the grill with some fish too.  When Sugarwings saw it cooking, she asked what the fish was and Gunkle Kevin told her it was flounder. So, she looked at the lobster tail and asked if that was Ariel. 

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Gunkle Randy sets up elegant dining in the back garden.  This year, they'd had a freeze and told us that it looked awful.  To me, they were wrong, any time there is something blooming and some green left in January, its quite beautiful to me! Plus the layout and design of the yard is so interesting and full of little surprises stashed amidst the plants.  Its always a treat to sit out in the gunkle's garden. 

Even better when there is a big plate of fresh seafood in front of me.

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He makes a mean mac and cheese too.  With chopped peppers, onions, white wine and dijon. 

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This little guy didn't care for Sugarwings, but the other dogs cuddled up to her.  Bella, the Bichon especially took a liking to her.

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So much so, that the two girls decided to draw with markers on each other's heads. Well, at least that was Sugarwing's story. That Bella drew on her head too. They both did it to each other.

We'd brought WASHABLE markers that were supposed to be invisible unless used on the special Color Wonder paper that came with them, but the Crayola company needs to change the label to say that the colors will show up on dog fur too. And that they don't wash out.  At least not all the way.

Just ask Yella Bella.

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Ollie managed to avoid any of the marker play.  He's not a puppy like Bella, he was interested but kept his distance while the two girls drew on each other.

IMG_8283 One of the best things about the garden was the fruit trees. 

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Nothing tastes better than fresh orange juice and lemon-aide that you get to make yourself.

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 I ate way too much good stuff while staying there.  After the holiday treats and the vacation food, I'm afraid to wash my jeans. You know, how you wear them a couple days and they stretch out to fit nice and comfy, but if you wash them, they shrink up and become way, way too tight?  It might be a while before I can wash mine again, if I want them to zip.

IMG_8381 Christmas goodies were everywhere we went on the trip.  And decorations were still up all over. I was so glad that Randy and Kevin still had theirs up, they have such a flair with decorating, and their house is so festive.

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Its extra special to get to be at a family member's home while it is all decked for the season.

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Although, I am sick of my own holiday foof and ready to see it go, I loved being at my bro's home and seeing his. 

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When I got home from the trip, I walked into a house still overflowing with not only my Christmas decor, but the holiday mess from opening gifts and having lots of company.  I didn't have a chance to clean before I left, and it was a shock to come home to such clutter after staying at Randy and Kevin's perfectly clean and decorated house.

(all of these photos are from their lovely home)

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Not only was my house messy, it was dusty and just felt deserted. I vowed to never go out of town and leave a dirty house behind again. Its worth the extra effort to pick up and spiff a bit before leaving. The end of a vacation is sad enough without being depressed about coming back to an unwelcoming house.

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And it hasn't helped that my furnace bit the dust while I was gone.  The house was freezing cold too.  There is a repairman here now, and I've got my fingers crossed that its a simple repair and that we'll have some heat soon.

Luckily, the studio has a separate furnace, so I'm staying out here till the main part of the house warms up. Its a good excuse to avoid cleaning it or taking down the Christmas decorations too.  I'm not ready to face all of that yet.

So,I'm hanign out in the warm and toasty studio and I'm slowly but surely packing up all the purchases made during my BIG clearance sale. Thanks so much for shopping with me!

I'm going to extend the sale  for a few more days. If you want anything for 40% off in the Boutique, please use this link to go there to shop.

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There are big plans for redoing my Boutique and the less I have in it, the easier it will be to redo. I'll be making new labels and categories, so will be starting from scratch.  

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I'm also working on setting up the sale site for my "Bird Song" art gathering on May Day weekend. I've had lots of inquiries and promise to have the sign ups ready soon.  Sadly, we've lost Dawn of the Feathered Nest, she had to drop out as a teacher.

But, the timing was good for asking my friend, Debbie Dusenberry to join in her place. Her fabulous store, Curious Sofa, is closing this weekend, and she will be branching out into different ventures (and you can still shop online with her).  I'm so thrilled that she agreed to do a class at my workshop!!!! 

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Things are really hectic for her at the moment, so I told her not to worry about photos of her project yet, just a YES was all I needed from her. I have a feeling that anyone who signs up for the classes will agree with me.  We'll all be happy to learn from her, no matter what she teaches!

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Thanks for all of your interest. Its going to be the BEST, with Lisa and Carol as teachers too, I'm feeling pumped about the weekend!! Plus, Beth and Mary Green will be setting up vintage goodies for sale.

As soon as I get project ideas settled and menus priced, I'll open it up for enrollment.

 

 

Frazzled, but happy

celebrations, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), family, Food and Drink, holiday decor, Sugarwings

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Agnes Rosebud and I are almost worn to a frazzle by Christmas. But not quite yet, two parties left to go!  We'll have to muster some cheer and hang on to that last frazzle of strength to get us through. 

Looking at Sugarwings' happy little face is usually all it takes for me.  Although a nap doesn't sound bad… I wouldn't mind curling up on the pillow with the pup.

Ever notice, that no matter how soft the surface is, whether it is a couch or a bed, or a chair- that a little dog will always climb up on a pillow or blanket that is lying there? Like the sofa itself isn't quite soft enough, they need a pillow too.

IMG_7869 Tonight is our dinner for 21, which is a pitch in meal, so should be easy to make. I'm keeping it simple so I can relax and enjoy the company. I'm still making a few gifts in the studio, then need to re-fluff the space into a dining room.  But I'll leave an area set aside for artwork, while dinner is cooking, we'll be making projects out there.

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So far, its been the loveliest weekend, ever. Even if I am worn out by all of Sugarwing's excitment and energy.  She has stayed all night with us a few nights this week, but tonight is the one when Santa is coming to our house.  Her mommy is having a sleepover here too. We are making pancakes again in the morning, along with a salmon quiche after we see what Santa has brought.

Friday morning, we took our fairy grand baby to the restaurant that her Daddy cooks at part time while he is trying to build up his massage/energy work business.  Since he had to work on Christmas Eve, we thought we'd come to see him and eat our breakfast there.

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Sugarwings ordered a strawberry pancake and her father surprised her with a Santa face on it.

Its the happy little fun details that have made this Christmas so wonderful.   Cuddling up to watch Rudolf, painting each other's noses red just like our favorite deer's nose, having a hot cocoa party every night before bed, drawing pictures with a pen shaped like Frosty.  Nothing that costs much, but lots of happy Holiday things to do together.

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The last few days, an elf has come in to our home and hidden her candy cane that she needs for stirring her hot chocolate.  So, she has had to follow clues around the house to lead her to the treasure. After jumping up and down  with glee a bit when finding the jackpot candy cane, we pull her table over in front of her pink lit Christmas tree, and have our party.

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I hope your Christmas has been one to cherish too.  Ours is full of good memories, and more to come. I'd better go color on my Rudolf nose and get busy before the guests arrive.

I've been reading my comments and emails on my magic phone, but haven't had a chance to answer any. Thanks for the Christmas wishes!  And that I am wishing the Merriest of Christmas seasons right back at you!

 

Fall into winter decor

celebrations, Food and Drink, hand painted signs, holiday decor, parties

  IMG_7691 The dinner party on Saturday night was such fun.  The trick was making all the food the day before, so I could just pop the pans in the oven and let them cook till it was time for the party. No fuss at all, I could relax and enjoy my friends.

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In the afternoon before they arrived, I had time to make up some little trees to set out on the table, then give away at the end of the night.
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This one has a B for Beth.

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If all of this set up looks familiar, its because I've been using the same tablescape all season.

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These are the same glittered pumpkins that I used for Halloween.  I just removed the most overtly Halloween themed stuff, then added some Fall/Thanksgiving things and then when that holiday was over, I added some Christmas flair to the setting.

Like this green glitter fairy from Walmart for $1.  They had them in all colors, but had sold out of everyone but green at my local store. But I think it kind of fits the look of my table and adds a punch of color.

IMG_7718 Plus, I'll be able to use them again for spring time decor. 

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Since the basis for the table scape was all neutral, and lots of nature inspired pieces, it seemed to flow from season to season with just a few changes here and there.

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Like tucking in some glittered stars-

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A few of my bottle brush trees-

 
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Some art work from Romantic White Christmas-

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3 French hens (there is another one somewhere)-

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Holiday messages of joy-

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And more stars, this one is backed with fringed sheet music.

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Way back before everything got cold and wintery, I picked these branches of lavender and hydrangea  and put them in water. The water evaporated and the plants dried.  I have a feeling that this will be on my table till Spring comes around and I can pick some replacements from the garden.

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The treat cabinet got a mini makeover for the party, a few vintage ornaments tucked and hung here and there-

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And some hand painted signs that I made a while back.

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The two signs don't really fit the style of the rest of the room, but they are so colorful, fun, and holiday-ish that I had to add them. With grandbabies around, Santas and Frosties are a must whether they match or not!

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This season, I've gotten a lot of use from my treat cart too.

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The glittered letters spelling JOY are still on the bottom shelf, but now I've added a strand of lights to them.

IMG_7737 The coffee service has been popular through all  my parties this month too.  For this one, I set out hot chocolate with candy canes, marshmallows, cinnamon sticks, shaved chocolate, whipped cream, and the bottle of 150 year old Grand Marnier as well as decaf coffee.

Its such a simple thing to do. No cooking, no work beyond shaving the chocolate. (I used a vegetable peeler and a big bar of  chocolate) but it packs a lot of style and gets a lot of attention from guests. With a store bought cheesecake and a some cookies that the kids decorated that night, it was a tasty dessert for very little effort on my part.

I like to do things the easy way, but make them look special.

I'm VERY lucky, of course, to have the studio dining tables that I can set up and leave as is for a whole season of entertaining and not have them be in the way. If I'd had to take all this down and set it up each time I had guests, I doubt if I'd have had so much company!

Two more parties to go…. Can't wait!  One is the day after Christmas so I get to extend my holiday cheer past the 25th, lucky, lucky me!!

 

 I'm linking with Faded Charm and White Wednesdays for this post.

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