Winter Holiday Decor

It's been very warm in Maryland for this time of year.  I'm wishing for a little snow, especially after reading this poem...

Snow in the Suburbs

by Thomas Hardy

.....Every branch big with it,

....Bent every twig with it;

........Every fork like a white web-foot;

........Every street and pavement mute:

Some flakes have lost their way, and grope back upward, when

Meeting those meandering down they turn and descend again.

....The palings are glued together like a wall,

....And there is no waft of wind with the fleecy fall.

.....A sparrow enters the tree,

....Whereon immediately

........A snow-lump thrice his own slight size 

........Descends on him and showers his head and eyes 

And overturns him, 

.And near inurns him, 

........And lights on a nether twig, when its brush 

....Starts off a volley of other lodging lumps with a rush. 

....The steps are a blanched slope, 

.....Up which, with feeble hope, 

........A black cat comes, wide-eyed and thin; 

.And we take him in. 

Most of you have probably finished decorating but in case you want to add a few more touches, here's some inspiration...

BHG

Coastal Living

Coastal Living

Coastal Living

Coastal Living

Coastal Living

Coastal Living

Country Living

HGTV

Southern Living

Southern Living

Southern Living

Southern Living

Southern Living

Southern Living

Southern Living

I hope you are finding the time between shopping, decorating, entertaining, traveling, etc. to sit back, relax and enjoy this time of year!  I'm trying....

Chocolate Fish and Chocolate Bunnies

I'm writing my first post by iphone while driving to New York to visit my brother, Josh, and his family for the holiday. We're looking forward to a weekend of good food and lots of hang out time. I've promised Reid that I won't spend days helping Gwen, my sister-in-law, and Josh with decorating their house this year. Last year for the first time they asked for my help. I was so excited that we landed up spending several days rearranging, accessorizing and searching for furniture and rugs. We found two great quality couches for a steal on Craigs List being sold by a neighbor who was moving. On Easter Sunday we walked the two couches down their street to their house. We also found a beautiful oriental rug for their living room. For the past year, I've been helping them by email and can't wait to see the changes they've made.

Earlier this week I snapped a couple pictures of a client's recently renovated bathroom. The shower curtain was made with fabric designed by the talented Victoria Larson, who lives in Annapolis. Her designs are so fresh and organic. You can check out all her fantastic fabrics here.

Here's a close up...

Here are some fun chocolate bunny decorations by Martha Stewart.   Yum yum!!

Have a great weekend!

A Little Magic at the Holidays

About ten years ago I started collecting Department 56 buildings and figurines.  I found them magical to look at during the holidays.  After a few years and over ten buildings later, I stopped buying them but still enjoyed putting them out especially after seeing how much my children enjoyed them.   Admittedly, there have been some years that I don't feel like putting them out because of the time it takes.  This year was one of those years.   But my kids wanted them displayed so I did it.   Last weekend my Dad took some pictures during our annual gingerbread decorating party and he captured their "magic".  Thanks Dad for making me see the "magic" again!

I chose colored lights this year.  A welcome change after a few years of white lights!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!

Givaway Winner and Pretty Holiday Design

Congratulations to Sophie!  My daughter, Kylie, picked her name out of a hat to win the book of her choice...The Home Within Us.  An excellent choice...Bobby Alpine creates gorgeous homes that combine history with gracious modern living.  Enjoy the book Sophie!

I also want to share holiday pictures that have caught my eye over the last few weeks.  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Tables and a Favorite Recipe

I have twenty three coming for Thanksgiving next week!   Reid and I have been hosting Thanksgiving for many years now so we pretty much have our routine down.  Reid smokes a turkey, I roast a turkey (yes, it's a bit of a contest), we make stuffings, mashed potatoes, a veggie, homemade gravy, and thankfully the rest is brought by our family.  We try new recipes but for the most part we've settled on our favorites, one of which I'm sharing at the end of the post.

Each year I also enjoy setting the table for the big dinner.  I like keeping the decorations to a minimum because I think the food should be the main attraction.  Each year I enjoy looking at pictures for inspiration but always drawn to the simpler table settings.  Below are some images I came across that I thought you would enjoy...

Better Homes and Gardens

Elle Decor

Better Homes and Gardens

Southern Living

Martha Steward

A couple cute kid's table settings....

Better Homes and Gardens

Better Homes and Gardens

I've tried various vegetable recipes but I keep going back to this one.  I tore the recipe out of a Wine Spectator magazine, November 2001 issue.  I highly recommend you cook the vegetables the day before so all you have to do is heat them up in the butter and herbs right before you sit down.  It's a beautiful dish that is yummy too!

Mixed Baby Vegetables in Herb Butter

2 cups baby white and orange carrots,  peeled (I use orange only)
2 cups haricot vert, cut on the diagonal (worth it to get the smaller green beans)
2 cups small brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
2 cups baby beets, assorted colors, peeled
2 cups baby squash, quartered
1/2 to 1 stick butter
1/4 cup each of chopped parsley and chives
A few leaves of tarragon, chopped fine
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot of boiling salted water blanch each of the vegetables until just cooked through, then quickly shock in ice water, to stop the cooking and preserve the color (can do this the day before...highly recommended!).  Add melted butter, season to taste with chopped herbs and a little salt and pepper.  Toss and serve immediately.  Serves 12.  One big caution...if using red beets, add them at the very end or your whole dish will turn pink!

Have a good rest of the week!

Pretty Pumpkins

Here's inspiration for your holiday decorating.  You can also check out last year's Autumn Decor post for more great pictures.

Southern Living

Martha Stewart

Southern Living

Martha Stewart

Southern Living

Sunset

Martha Stewart

Better Homes and Gardens

Sunset

Martha Stewart