Friday Feature - Christmas Decorating

There seems to be a ton of glitter in this year's Christmas decorations and I love it! Can you tell? This front hall display is done in cream and white, silver and gold. It's fun to create little vignettes in places like these.

If you have evergreens on your property, just cut some of the branches and place them around your home. This little garland of greenery looks pretty over a mirror. And if you spray your greens with a little glitter, even better! A few hanging ornaments look great too.

This Snowman looks at home among the sparkling white feather trees!

Inside this urn, I placed a bunch of sparkling sprays of beaded greens and added some glistening hydrangeas around the perimeter. These hydrangeas are a silvery blue. Goes beautifully with the silver and creams.

Birds are very popular for all seasons as well. This chippy cast iron cutie looks perfect!

I love to add tons of flowers to my Christmas trees. This tree was done very simply with white lights, burgandy and pink roses, green paper hydrangeas, and some green berries. I also had some greenery stems that I never liked. The color was too bright and they really "looked fake". So I just sprayed them lightly with white spray paint and they add the perfect contrast to the dark green tree. Just what it needed! They look like they have been touched by the snow! And of course they were also sprayed with a little opal glitter.

Now here is something new I have been working on. They are Embellishing kits for your Christmas wreath or garland. I am creating clip on sprays for you to attach to your own base. I thought it would be great to have that fresh greenery wreath, but to add some really pretty embellishments that you can take off at the end of the season and reuse next year! You start out with your own wreath as shown above. This one is a mixed green and came with some pinecones.

And here is the wreath with my Embellishments! This one has glittered cream hydrangeas, some sparkly gold branches and a beautiful wine and gold colored ribbon. I am trying to come up with some ways to make your holiday decorating easier!

You can also use them to dress up a plain garland.

It's so simple!

You can also add some extra flowers and these star ornaments look beautiful too!

This is another color combination. Hydrangea Gold.

This one comes with one large spray and three small ones. All have a clip on the back. These can also be used to dress up your gift wrap or how about attached to your curtain tiebacks?

Here is the hydrangea gold on a garland with some added pink roses, gold finial ornaments and hanging crystal ornaments too!

Tent Sale Tuesday!

The response to my new tent sale page has been great. Thank you for your purchases. It's helping me to clear out some inventory and make room for some new things I am working on! I've just added these two items to the Tent Sale. Come and see what else is under the Tent!

Friday Feature - Fall Tablescapes

Welcome to my first Friday Feature! I am so excited about this and hope you will enjoy them. If there is something you would like to see me talk about here, please let me know. I'm sure I will be looking for some new ideas. Besides cooking when entertaining, I think my favorite part about getting ready for company is setting up my tablescape. There is just something about putting food out on different levels that makes it all look so much better and more appetizing. Plus it's so much fun too! For this table, start off with one tablecloth over the table and then start adding the lifts. Now here I used hatboxes that are disguised under a second tablecloth and cake stands that are place on top of the second tablecloth. Then I place my platters and serving bowls out next.

This tray holds a centerpiece, mini pumpkins and candles. Think about using those electric candles they have in the stores now. They look like a flickering flame yet your guest won't burn their sleeve when reaching over the table. The candles come in tea lights and pillars.
It's important to "label" the dishes being served so your guests will know what they are about to eat. These buffet markers do the trick and are a great little accent too!Flowers are a must whether fresh or real they will beautify your tablescape.
These little urns make great utensil holders and try to use plates that will set the color scheme of your tablescape.

Berry rings can be used around candles and make great napkin rings too!

Why not put your wine out in a pretty holder like this one which also doubles as a candle holder.

Don't these mini pumpkins look cute on these candle pedestals?

Finally, fill in any bare spots in your tablescape with some fresh or realistic berries, branches or twigs.

I think your guests will really appreciate the effort you put into entertaining. If you haven't done one before, try a tablescape. I would love to hear all about your ideas too!Some of the products I have used can be found under my Tent Sale.

I am also having a sale on the following categories.

15% OFF

Elegant Entertaining

Candlelight

Florals

Berry Rings

This offer is for regular priced merchandise only. The discount will be applied to merchandise total, not shipping charges. To use coupon, go through checkout process and enter code 15%11/9 in the notes. Please note, your discount will not be applied until I process your order. Thank you. This offer expires 11/15/07.

Don't forget to check back for next week's Friday Feature!

New Feature

Beginning tomorrow I will have a weekly Friday Feature. I will post about things like Tablescapes, Holiday decorating, How-to projects, and some gift suggestions too! And with that there will be weekly sales on products in those categories that I have used in my feature! Here is the schedule for November:

11/9 - Fall Tablescape - Great ideas for your Thanksgiving table!
11/16 - Christmas Decorating Ideas - Including new product introduction.
11/23 - Holiday Gift Ideas - Suggestions for every price range!
11/30 - Christmas Tablescape - Plus Centerpiece ideas for a sit down dinner.

Check back each friday for the Weekly Sale Announcement!

Tent Sale!

I have just added a new category to my website - Tent Sale - Here I will list new products at sale prices every Tuesday! Have fun shopping!

Holiday Sparkle!

Here is a sample of some new holiday decorations I just listed on my site. I can't wait to see these on my display tree!

Weekend Cooking

In case you didn't already know, ONE of my favorite hobbies is cooking. My favorite time for cooking is the fall and winter and I'm sure you know why. So this weekend I made some French Onion Soup with Gruyere Cheese Toasts and Acorn Squash halves stuffed with Brown Jasmine Rice with Raisins. I got both of these recipes out of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food cookbook.

I also made a delicious Apple Walnut Cake which I got from another one of those amazing cooking classes that I posted about here at the Farmhouse Kitchen in Southhold, NY. My family really enjoyed all of the food and the kids even helped out with some of the cooking, which we all enjoy! My idea of a perfect weekend! What do you like to cook? It's fun and interesting to see all of the different styles of cooking around the world!

Always Kiss Me Goodnight!

I just listed my finished painting. You can find it under Painted Pieces. Of course I only made one. I rarely make multiple items of the same design. I get bored of creating the same thing. So, I usually make one, then go on to the next thing and I might come back and make another of the same style. That's why I have so many unfinished products too. So many ideas, so little time!

Painting Roses

I am in such a good mood when I make time for painting. I don't know why I don't focus just on painting. I guess I have too many creative interests. Some days I arrange flowers, play with paper crafting or embellishing and some days I paint. But I do get the most satisfaction out of painting roses. I am always working on my roses to make them better and I am pretty happy with the way these turned out yesterday. It's a sign I am working on and will be listed in my shop as soon as I am finished. I had posted about this one I had made for my daughter a while back and have had some requests for more.

Displays Around the Shop

This past weekend was the start of my open houses, where my local customers come to my home to shop! I serve coffee and cookies and have pretty music playing while we talk about decorating! I have always wanted a real brick and mortar shop, but until then, this gives me the opportunity to "play store" and I love it! My kids enjoy it too, they get to play with any little ones that come along. Here of some pics of a few displays. Most of these things are listed on my website. If it's not then it will be soon!

These glittered hydrangeas would be so pretty for the holidays. I'm thinking tucked into the Christmas tree!

Pretty purple hydrangea plates, I have them listed for sale under elegant entertaining.

Beautiful basket of lilac hydrangeas and roses.

Some pretty romantic accessories!

And some more!

These new silver and gold berry rings look like sparkly jewelry!

I am loving the pink and red color combo with a little lime thrown in on these berry rings.

Fall Fever

I have it, do you?

Look for these fall decorating accents being added to my boutique this week!

Pink October

In honor of Pink October, I will donate a portion of all sales during the month of October to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I believe every bit will help breast cancer research!

Jolies Poches!

I have been busy working on a new product. I would love to know what you think! I am calling them Jolies Poches, that's french for "Pretty Pockets". I will be creating these in all different designs including Birthday greetings, holiday greetings and personalized too. They will be embellished with dupioni silk ribbons, crystals and paper blossoms. There will also be a line of Mini Jolies Poches. I love making these! They will be listed in my boutique under One of a Kind.