"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity"


~Plato

Friday, December 30, 2011

New Years Eve Cocktail Party

New Years Eve came early at this house...
November to be exact!

Okay...here's the story
My friend Ann is co-chair
of the magazine for
The Junior League of the Palm Beaches.
 For the holiday issue they wanted
to do a New Years Eve Cocktail Party
using the recipes from their two cookbooks,
Worth Tasting and Palm Beach Entertains.

And so she asked me to put together a cocktail party
and photograph it...right up my alley...I had
so much fun doing this.

Now that the issue has come out
I can share with you the pictures...
White Christmas decorations and clocks
were used as table decor



Asparagus Soup served in mini creamers



Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin Medallions
served on Creamy Corn Pudding Cakes



It's always time for dessert and champagne!


and don't forget the eggnog!






or the cherry topped brownies...




New Years Eve Menu

Texas Pepper Pecans
Palm Beach Pear Salad
Cucumber Cups with Cool Cucumber Dip
Creamed Asparagus Soup
Mushroom Puffs
Herbed Crusted Pork Tenderloin served on
Creamy Corn Pudding Cakes
Miniature Cream Cheese Delights
 with Melba Sauce
Chocolate Caramel Brownies
Cold Chocolate Cream
Eggnog
Champagne


I hope everyone has a wonderful
New Years Eve and New Years Day!

If you are interested in
The Junior League Cookbooks they can be found
HERE for the Worth Tasting Cookbook
and
HERE for the Palm Beach Entertains Cookbook



Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Holiday House Tour

You've all heard me talk about my
girlfriend Sondra.

Well I REALLY wanted you
to see her house decorated for Christmas...
so I begged and pleaded and she let
me take pictures to share with you...
(Just Kidding I really didn't have to beg...she is so sweet)

So here we go....

Here is the front entrance


Front Staircase..
make sure you notice the
ceiling...it's awesome.


The banister is done in garland with lights.
At every swag and the front post is a
small arrangement of poinsettias and gold sprays.
Just perfect...very classic!


Trees flank the mirror on the entry way table...


Burgundy and gold tree at the top of the stairs...
the ornaments on this tree are absolutely stunning!




I love this ornament...it's gorgeous


Now hold on to your socks...
This is the living room tree....

It's incredible!
Yes it's as big as it looks...
and if you can believe this, even more
beautiful in person



Mantle in the living room


Closer look of the garland


This is the mantle in the family room.....
I LLLLOOOOOVVVVEEEEE these guys.
They are HUGE!  And they really give
a presence to this mantle...
just what a mantle this size needs.
And I really love that her son named them...
their names are Silverado and Ford...
don't you just love little boys!


Waterford and Christopher Radko Tree


Beautiful Dragonfly..



This is the tree in the guest suite...
now no one say a word to her
but if this one ever goes missing
there will be no need to check my house
because I didn't do it...nope wasn't me!

If you can't tell this is my favorite tree in
the whole house...


Seriously though...it would be hard to
pick a favorite.  Everyone of the trees
is impeccable!  They are all well thought out
and the ornaments are placed just right.
The colors and themes flow seamlessly
with the style and decor of the home.
Just perfect!


At the very least this starfish is gonna go missing...
 ....just kidding!



Thanks Sondra for sharing all your
beautiful Christmas decorations with us! 

And most importantly thanks for letting me be a part
of Christmas decorating with you and your family!
XOXO
 

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Pinterest Obsessed

They say the first step to recovery is
admitting you have a problem...right?
Well....
I think I may need an intervention!
Pinterest is controlling my life....
it's all I do...well except for
cooking the recipes I find on Pinterest
or making the craft I saw on Pinterest..
or.....well you get the idea!

This week alone...my obsession has created


Salt Dough Gift Tags


1/2 cup of salt
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup warm water

Mix ingredients together
Roll out dough
cut into desired shape...make a hole for hanging
stamp with ink
Bake at 250 for 2 hours


While i'm satisfied with the way they turned out
I now want to buy white clay from the craft store
and give that a try also...

Onto the Food...

We made this for dinner....
White Chicken Enchiladas......
one of the best things i've ever made!
Even my picky eater had two plate fulls

And then yesterday I came across this
recipe while Pining



So good....my kids are loving me for this!
You have to try it...it's super easy!

And then thanks to Lisa at
I saw this today....
and now i'm obsessed with
recreating this someway somehow...


From the chalkboard...to the potted plants to the tablecloth
I want it all!!!!

How many coats of chalkboard paint
can I get on the wall before
sweet husband gets home today????

Are you guys as obsessed with pinterest as I am???

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Postcard Sheets...my big splurge

I am embarrassed to even admit
this...but I haven't bought new sheets
for my bed in about 13 years!
Now don't get all freaked out...
I have a very good mother-in-law
who buys us new sheets every Christmas...
beautiful white ones!

But ....
when I saw these sheets at Pottery Barn
I knew I just had to get them...
even though it was a big splurge
for me...I couldn't help it!

 I am totally in LOVE with them...

I was practically stalking the UPS
man waiting for him to get here
with them


I can't say sweet husband loves them as much as I do
...they are a bit girly for him...
but it's only for Christmas...and maybe
January and February...just don't tell him that


I changed out the black and white curtains
and lamps for white and neutral colors.


Now I can't wait to put up the bedroom Christmas tree..


However, I guess I really should iron the curtains...
I was just too impatient last night
to get the room put back together.



I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
And no matter what sheets you are sleeping under
you remember to count your blessings at night!

"Not what we say about our blessings,
but how we use them, is the true
measure of our Thanksgiving"
~W.T Purkiser

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Tea and Tastings

There has been lots of things
going on around here...
Today I finally have a
chance to take a break...
  So I thought it would
be a good time to blog!

My girlfriend Ann and I 
recently had the opportunity
to set a table for the
Junior League of the Palm Beaches
annual Tea and Tastings event.
This years theme was
Tea through the ages....

This was our table....we choose the theme
"Le Jardin de Josephine"
We wanted you to feel like you were
actually in her garden having tea.

This is the backside of our centerpiece.....
notice the red rose napkins.....they
were super easy to do.


Ann even ordered Harney and Son's
rose tea....it was what we drank for the tea....
and we gave tea bags as favors in pretty
little boxes with a sweet quote tied to it.


The table top was covered completely in moss.
A little hint if you ever decide to do this...
when numerous people comment about the
odor fragrance and you see someone with a
Lysol can spraying around your table...
make sure you proclaim very loudly for
all to hear...that you made sure to buy
the most fragrant moss you could find
because you really wanted everyone to not
only feel like they were in a garden...
but smell it as well!
Never Ever Admit The Smell Was A Bit Overwhelming...
NEVER!!!!


We even made little books with the history of the
house Josephine shared with Napoleon!
Did I mention this was also a contest?
There were three categories
1.  Best Interpretation of Theme
2.  Most Creative
3.  Best Centerpiece
And did I mention we didn't win any of them....
that's okay...i'm coming back next year to
swept all three...not that i'm competitive...
not at all...it's just for charity and it's fun....
ummmm yeah...that's it!


This table won best interpretation of theme...
"The Gilded Age"
Apparently the china they used was one of
the rarest patterns out there...it was gorgeous.
They even brought their own butler...i'm
guessing he was more like a bodyguard
for the super rare and expensive china!



This was the winner for best centerpiece...
and I guess when you have a full on tree
in the middle of your table...you're gonna win!
Their theme was Maria Antoinette.

I didn't take a picture of the most creative...
but it was cute...it was from the Mod Period
and was very colorful with a lamp in the middle
and vases everywhere....

Here are a few other tablescapes...

I liked this one because I loved the silver branches..
and the napkin rings were bracelets...so cute.
They did a Channel theme.


Very pretty with the mismatched china.


I wish I had taken more pictures...it was
just so crazy and overwhelming in there...
or maybe it was just the moss fumes!

Seriously though....Ann and I had
a lot of fun doing the table....and
I can't wait till next year!


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