The Snowy White Christmas Shelf

Do you have certain pieces in your home that you absolutely love?

Why am I asking this?  I know the answer already...of course you do!

A few years ago, on my way to my son's baseball banquet, I had to make a pit stop at TJ Maxx. In all honesty, I didn't really have to make that pit stop.  I just wanted to.

I spotted her from afar,
lying on her side,
and I swear there was a halo of light around her. 

C'mon now, you know what I'm talking about, don't you?  That halo of light shining down, calling your name, drawing you in? 

After an out and out run to her, and several exclamations of joy along the way, I seized her & held her bulkiness close to my chest, while I floated to the checkout.

Never mind that my husband would later meet us at the banquet and my kids would tell him of this uncalled for pit stop & how I behaved in the store.   Never you mind.  I had fallen in love with this white wire shelf from the moment I laid eyes upon her.   

I find that no matter what I put on her shelves, she handles with grace & dignity.      

I love to decorate her for Christmas!

With white & silver accents (just a touch of blue), a little sparkle & some precious white stockings made by Ann of Sutton Place Designs, she's all set for the holidays.

I love her cottage loveliness and I can still see that halo of light shining around her, the one that once called to me in a few years ago.

Linking to:  Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Fall into Fall at DIY by Design
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

If you haven't entered my Christmas tree giveaway yet,

please click here for details!

Spreading Christmas Cheer Giveaway

Yesterday, I was thinking....

2012 has been such a great year here in blogland.

I've met so many new friends and learned so much!

Why not have a little Holiday giveaway

to spread some Christmas cheer?

Would you like to win this cute

mercury glass looking Christmas tree?



 

Is that a "yes" that I hear?

 

Then let's make this easy.  

 

Just be a follower and leave me a comment

letting me know that you are.

 

I will draw a winner on Friday, December 9, 2012.

 

Sound good enough?

 

Limited to US & Canada entrants only.

 

Please, please,  please if you don't have a blog,

leave me an email address where I can reach you should

you be the winner.

 

Good luck!

 

Does anyone know why my signature suddenly

has a black border around it?

 

Snowy Chocolate Baby Cakes

I was wishing for a little something sweet this past weekend and decided to make some Christmas inspired Baby Cakes.

You wouldn't believe how simple they are to make. 

Recipe from Southern Living.

Snowy Chocolate Baby Cakes

1 (18.25 oz.) package devil's food cake mix
1 (16 oz.)  container sour cream
½ cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.  Beat first 6 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Increase speed to medium, and beat 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping to scrap bowl as needed.

Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured (12 cup) muffin pans.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Cool in pan 5 minutes.  Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (30 minutes.)

Arrange cakes upside down on a serving platter.  Spoon Winter White Glaze (recipe below) over cakes over (about 1 tablespoon per cake) spreading with a spatula to thoroughly cover cakes.  Garnish, if desired.

Winter White Glaze

4 cups powdered sugar (I used a little less)
1 tablespoon meringue powder
¼ cup hot water (I used a little more)

Beat together all ingredients with an electric mixer.  Use immediately.

 

Cute aren't they? 

 

Enjoy!

Got to go to watch the Christmas tree lighting in Rockefeller Center now.

Linking to:

Holiday Recipe Link Up Party at Thistlewood Farms

Joy to the World

And so the decorating has begun...

I have spent the entire weekend decorating for Christmas. I would say I'm about 90% done. I just need to add a few little touches here & there.

I wanted to share my dining room table vignette with you. 

Over the summer, I bought this amazing mercury glass pedestal at Williams Sonoma.  It's quite large & they tell me that they had just added it to the clearance table seconds before I walked in.  There was an additional 20% off all clearance that day.  It was meant to be I guess.  I stole it bought it for $12.00 & change.

I ended up changing the taper candles you see here.  I thought something taller & with a little sparkle would be better and sure enough, it was.

It's really a wonder I was able to get this angel.  I saw him at TJ Maxx last week.  I really loved him & carried him around the store for a bit, but managed to talk myself out of buying him. 

The second I took out the mercury glass pedestal, I also grabbed my white feather wreath & immediately a plan came together, if only I had bought that angel!  As luck would have it, I texted my sister to see if she was out shopping.  She was & was willing to go to TJ Maxx & see if the angel was still there.  Incredibly, he was. 

I don't know about your TJ Maxx, but with ours, if you don't buy something the minute you see it, it will most likely be gone should you go back for it the next day.  I was lucky this time!

I had to take the above photo so I could show you the snow in  the background.  We had our first snowfall! 

Here's a different view.  Notice my chalkboard all set for Christmas.  I thought Joy to the World seemed appropriate with my angel sitting nearby. 

So tell me, have you begun to decorate and if so, are you finished yet?

Linking to:

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Fall into Fall at DIY by Design
Share Your Cup Thursdays at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

 

Thanksgiving Blessings

Wishing all my sweet friends & their families,

a very Happy Thanksgiving!





Pilgrim Candy Bar Wrappers

I had to get a little crafting done in honor of Thanksgiving.

I thought I'd have some fun with it too.

I've had this link in my inspiration file for years now and decided it was time to use it.
(Oh yes, my inspiration file...you know, where I stored images I liked before Pinterest was even a twinkle in some genius' eye.)

Click here for the link to the pattern you see below (by Laurie Furnell):

But being me, and always having to make things difficult,  I couldn't just print this pattern, cut it out, and assemble.    Oh no, I had to cut the whole thing apart & make my own pieces! 

Once I made this pilgrim boy, I couldn't stand not having a pilgrim girl to go along with him.  

They now remind me of my daughter and son.  :)

I would have liked to make one of these for each place setting at Thanksgiving dinner, but that means I'd have to whip out 11 more by Thursday and I don't really see that happening.   Maybe next year...if I start earlier.

It's almost time for Turkey Day!!   Are you ready?

HGTV.com feature!

I am so excited!

I just have to share this with you!

(Please excuse my excessive use of exclamation points in the post.)

A month or so ago, I was contacted by HGTV.com! 

They asked if I would be interested in having my
winter mantel featured online
at HGTV.com.

Are you kidding me?

After I got over my initial shock,
 and
then the crazy thought that someone was punking me,
and
then after a few minutes hours of incessant giggling.....

Yes!  I would love to!
It would be an honor!

I got an email on Tuesday telling me the feature was up & running!

Here's the link:

My Winter Mantel at HGTV.com   

I am slide/photo #12. 

Someone better pinch me because
I still can't believe it!