Aged and Gilded (Palazzo-Interiors & Gardens)

Merry Weekend

Hope your weekend has all the trimmings.

 

Ribbons/Mary Norden

An Unconventional Christmas

One of the best parts of Christmas is the decorating. A lot of people purchase their tree the day after Thanksgiving. I generally wait a little bit longer--I like the excitement to build. Last year, we chose silver as our theme color and I loved it so much I think we'll do it again. While silver is not really out of the box, I do like when people choose colors that you wouldn't normally associate with Christmas.

This Scandinavian take with acqua and silver if right up my alley.

 

Who would have thought that blue and butterflies could be so pretty?

I love the simplicity of this tree.

4 images/British Country Homes & Interiors

Simply magical!

Aren't we all dreaming of a white Christmas?

 

2 images/Campagne Decoration

A Taste of Brown Sugar...Shortbread

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was perfectly lovely and I enjoyed every minute of it. But now my favorite holiday is approaching--Christmas!! Every season, I bake shortbread. I love the smell of baked goods wafting through the kitchen and filling the house (among other things--but we won't talk about that) with good cheer! My children love shortbread and it makes a really great gift. Bake a few on the weekend and package in cellophane bags with tartan ribbon. Here is my easy recipe and you probably have the short list of ingredients already:

Brown Sugar Shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour

In a bowl, beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour in 4 batches and combine well after each addition. Scrape dough into a buttered 9 inch round cake pan and spread into an even layer. Prick the surface with the tines of a fork to make the traditional shortbread pattern. With a knife, score the top into 8 wedges (do not cut all the way through the dough). Bake in the upper third of preheated 325 degree (F) oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is puffy and lightly browned. Cool slightly. Cut through the scored lines while still warm.

Enjoy!!

Mosaic Monday: Make Magic

1. a i r, 2. Untitled, 3. * Paper Rose *, 4. glitter water, 5. Glitter, 6. world's best glitter!, 7. "Dream a little dream with me!", 8. Antique Lace & Jewels, 9. Hearty wishes for a Healthy Heart, 10. WISH, 11. Untitled, 12. Twins

Frenzied Friday

Despite the rush of maddening crowds, I hope you find this weekend to be a gift.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We live in the land of plenty and perhaps one day there will be plenty for everyone. This is not that day... yet. Let us be thankful and remember what we have and those who have not. Happy, happy thanksgiving to you all!!

"Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all." William Faulkner

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." John F. Kennedy

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." Thornton Wilder

 

British Country Living

Worn Out

I woke this morning with a heavy heart and I don't know why. Despite the crisp, beautiful morning, if I'd had my druthers I would have pulled the covers over my head. Do you ever feel as if a breakdown is the luxury you would most like to indulge in? Except...you can't. You are the captain; the leader in command and failure is not an option. Maybe it's the holidays. I keep professing to love Christmas but I increasingly feel the pressure of the holiday season. I feel it's my responsibility to make magic for my children. But sometimes I wonder if there is any sparkle dust left. I feel a little worn, a little bit tattered around the edges. Have I mentioned I need a vacation?

 

 

 

A Passion for Lingerie/Jo Glanville Blackburn

 

Style de Provence/Angelika Taschen

 

In the Romantic Style/Linda Chase and Laura Cerwinske

Mosaic Monday: Beautiful Bounty

1. Smile a while..., 2. Acorn, 3. pumpkin pie pumpkins, 4. Tempting Pumpkin Pie Recipe, 5. Glazed Roast Turkey with Cranberry Stuffing Recipe, 6. A basket full of fall, 7. Cornucopia, 8. Celebrate the intangible as well as the tangible, 9. Fall Leaves at Peak Color, 10. Early Autumn Harvest, 11. enigmes del mar en una fulla ( la teoria dels sistemes ), 12. Autumn Leaves, Fontaine de Vaucluse

Happy Weekend

Hope you'll enjoy the calm before the storm this weekend.

 

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Or Not)

I can't believe it's holiday time again! Tomorrow is Black Friday and the throngs of crowds will descend upon the malls. As much as I love Christmas, I don't at all relish that aspect. But next week is Thanksgiving and I'm sure many of you are planning your menus and guest lists. I have a confession. I'm skipping Thanksgiving this year. I do intend to give thanks for this wonderful yet sometimes intense year that is in the midst of passing. So many things have happened for me and I have much to be grateful for. However, the idea of cooking a huge meal and then doing it all over again a month later for Christmas is something I can't stomach (no pun intended). No, I will be keeping it simple. A nice low-key dinner with my children and we'll each voice what we are thankful for in our lives. But what traditions will you follow? What are you thankful for? And who will be at your table?