Coming Soon: Tips, Tricks, & Recipes for the holiday entertaining season.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Hello, Gorgeous… Let’s Have a Glamorous Monday!
It was on this day in 1929 that our very own American princess was born! I couldn’t resist a little bit of a celebration. So in lieu of random links today, how about a little advice from Princess Grace to get our week off on the right foot?
Read…
The Paper! You never know when you may fall in love with a prince and be whisked off to a foreign land.
Drink…
Tea with your closest friends this week!
Wear…
Gold! I will never stop swooning over Frances Stevens’ gilded ensemble from To Catch a Thief.
Watch…
High Society! It’s my very favorite Grace film, and later today I’ll post a Style File from the 1956 musical.
It’s Officially Cranberry Season
This week the time change hit the Slaughter house like a cannonball. With the days getting shorter it seems all we want to do is cook, sleep, put on Netflix, and make pretty things. So as promised, I’ll be sharing some recipes that will help us all hunker down for winter, starting with the Cranberry Orange Relish that I mentioned earlier in the week. It’s perfect for all those turkey sandwiches I’m sure we’ll all be eating during the holidays. It’s even pretty tasty to have on the side of your Thanksgiving plate as a tart little something between savory bites. Enjoy!
Cranberry Orange Relish
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh cranberries
rind of 1 clementine
fruit of 2 clementines
1/4 cup golden raisins
2T Patron Citronge (or other orange liqueur)
a little bit of sugar
– – – – – – – – – –
1.) Add fruit to a food processor/blender and chop fine. You can serve it on your table like this or…
2.) For more of a condiment, for sandwiches and stuff, add the mixture to a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the liqueur and cook until it turns bright red. Add sugar if it needs a little sweetening up.
Store in a jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Dress the Part: Sandy the Girl Scout
Confession: I was a Brownie for only one year in elementary school. ‘Why did she quit?’ you may be asking yourself. Because the crafts just weren’t up to par. I know you’re shocked. Even then, I had a Martha-complex. Any fool can tie-dye a t-shirt, I wanted to learn to sew the dress.
However, upon reflection, there are many things I admire about the Girl Scouts. They teach girls to be confident women. They instill entrepreneurial skills. (Who doesn’t crumble each time they’re harassed by those sweet little pigtails & uniforms selling Thin Mints?) And I’d like to believe they give girls a taste for exploration–something seriously lacking in a world of hand sanitizer and helicopter parents. So today’s little ‘Dress the Part’ is dedicated to the girl I never was: Sandy the Girl Scout. Go on an adventure. Bring a little outdoors in. Buy your own badges off Etsy.
DIY’s Great Wreath Rivalry
Alright readers, it’s competition time! Recently, I had the unique opportunity of doing a couple How-To’s for DIYNetwork.com’s Great Wreath Rivalry. Now, by simply *pinning* one of the 12 How-To’s on the site, you can be entered to win COLD HARD CASH.
Click Here to Start Pinning Wreaths.
If you just want to see my How-To’s:
(This one is not part of the comp but still super cute.)
Click here to see how to make my wreath with vintage children’s book illustrations.
and then…
(This one you should pin… lots.)
Click here to get the super simple instructions for this card display wreath.
Hello, Gorgeous! : Random Links to Start Your Week
Read:
When I first started reading blogs several years ago, Alicia Paulson’s “Posie Gets Cozy” was one of the first ones I read. Not only does she make incredibly beautiful things, she is a beautifully poetic writer. She’s also the type of writer that makes you feel like an old friend after reading just a couple of posts. Needless to say, when she announced that she and her husband recently had the privilege of adopting a precious baby girl, I couldn’t help but cheer.
In case you are unaware, November is National Adoption month, and this is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart. There are so many children out there who need a family or, more accurately, a safe place to be loved. So go read Alicia (and Amelia)’s story and then pray about maybe donating time or funds to those kids who haven’t been lucky enough to find their place yet.
Eat:
Last week I posted this photo on Instagram. (How did we eat lunch before camera phones?) I couldn’t resist. This is my favorite time of year to grocery shop! Fresh cranberries and cider are on display in every bodega while baking powder and Swanson broth are sold in bulk at the market. I am a firm believer that making your own food leads to a more beautiful life so if you’ve never been much of a cook, this is definitely the time to start! I’m going to be posting lots of basic recipes over the next few months to help us all learn some skills while we hunker down for winter starting later this week with this basic cranberry relish. It’s the perfect condiment for turkey sandwiches or tart taste to have on the side of your Thanksgiving plate.
J Crew | Portland Jumper | ASOS | Madewell
Wear:
This week, I couldn’t help but laugh when I came across these LIFE magazine images from 1945. Animal sweater are *everywhere* these days, and I must admit that seeing how adorable these girls look in them, I may actually have to give in to the trend. Although, I think this saxophone sweater may be a bit more my style.
** BTW, SUPER FUN ANNOUNCEMENT COMING
YOUR WAY AT NOON! **
An Easy Garland How-To
As I mentioned on Friday, every house should have a handmade garland this time of year when we are all forced to spend a bit more time indoors. It just makes walking in the door on those chilly, dreary days a bit more festive. So I thought I would share the one that I made for our home this week. It’s hanging in our living room and, I must admit, I want one there all the time now.
What You’ll Need…
– I am 100% obsessed with my Martha Stewart circle cutter and love finding any excuse to use it. (However, scissors with a traced, round object would also work but may take a little longer.)
– Scissors
– Bone Folder
– Decorative Paper or Wrapping Paper
– Glue Stick
– Yarn
1.) Measure the space where you’d like to hang the garland and cut a length of yarn accordingly.
2.) Cut out circles. I used 4 inch circles and cut out about 40. I ended up having some extra, but I’m the type that would always rather have too many rather than going back to cut out more.
3.) Fold your circles in half, and use a bone folder to make a smooth crease.
4.) Put glue on one half of the circle and lay your yarn right in the crease.
5.) Fold the circle over the yarn on to itself. Use a bone folder to smooth out any wrinkles.
6.) When the garland is done, you may want to make something that will cover the place where you attach the garland to the wall. In this case, I made a few flowers out of that craft paper with slits that many places use as a shipping material now.
Hang and voila!
Just a reminder…
Tonight we gain an extra hour! How will you use it?
Cozy Up Your Home with “The Holiday”
I will be the first to admit that there are some movies you watch solely for the eye candy… The Proposal, It’s Complicated, anything Diane Keaton has ever made (with the exception of The Godfather & Father of the Bride), and, of course, The Holiday. Admit it, while Jude Law is pretty darn adorable in that little sheet tent with twinkle lights, the movie itself really isn’t all that fantastic. But that house? To die for! So as the temperatures drop, I’ve been brainstorming ways to cozy up our own little home, and I thought it only appropriate to share my notes.
1. Every English cottage should have at least one velvet, over-stuffed ottoman. It’s a foot rest, it’s a place to set your tray of tea and crumpets, plus it is extra seating for guests.
2. Blankets, Blankets everywhere. Blankets here and blankets there. It’s a cottage, which means that, at a moment’s notice, you should be able to drop everything and curl up under a blanket with tea and a good book.
3. Scent is so very important in any home. I especially love this old trick of fruit pricked with cloves. It’s also something to do when you have busy hands and don’t want to do anything that requires too much thought.
1. I just adore this metal apron on a deep sink. Along with the big knobs and tall counters, cabinets and cart, this kitchen acts as a perfect study of contrasts in big and small. I think bringing large things into a small space like this makes for a fun, whimsical, comfortable style.
2. Every cottage should have a handmade garland. (Tutorial to follow this weekend.)
3. Every home (anywhere) should always have tea kettle on the stove. Not only does it humidify the air in the winter, but it also is great in case you have unexpected guests.
1. If you are lucky enough to have a home with good bones, show them off.
2. I love eclectic touches in a classic home. This drum topped with a mirror makes for the perfect, quirky little side table.
3. In a cold, English cottage there should be lots of rugs thrown about to add texture and warm things up. This striped stair runner is a perfect way to make sure that texture connects the 2 floors and that your toes stay warm as you walk up to bed!
1. A classic white iron bed will make any room seem cozier.
2. Blankets & Throws & Quilts, oh my!
3. To add to the coziness and that warm snuggly feeling, one must have a fireplace in the bedroom. And, of course…
Make Something Pretty with Empty Tea Tins
In my circle of friends, I have always been known as that girl that never throws anything away. Case in point, a good friend recently brought over these tea tins. “I hated for them to go to waste,” he said, “and I knew you’d make something out of them.” Well, they sat in my studio for a while, until one day when I just really had the itch to make something but didn’t have any particular thing in mind. Here’s what I came up with…
1.) First, I applied a layer of acrylic white paint to each tin as a primer. Then, I painted them whatever color I wanted.
2.) I gathered scraps… Right to left you’ll see: a photocopy of a black & white children’s book illustration that painted with watercolors, part of a map cut to fit the tin, and magazine clippings.
3.) Finally, I got out the matte Mod Podge. Apply this in a thin layer with a foam brush to the paper and place the paper on the tin. Allow this to dry completely before adding one more layer on top to seal it.
Display desk accessories.
Keep stationery and stamps beside the door for quick note writing.
This round lip was perfect to put a ball of yarn in for easier gift-wrapping.
