The Art Of Cranberries

Cranberries are a simple way to add some festive flare to home decor and food!  Here is some ways you can incorporate cranberries into your holidays....

Cranberry garnished cupcakes

Cranberries & brie cheese



Cranberry garland for decor

Cranberry Wreath



Cranberry candle votives

Cranberry floral vase

Tis’ the season to be inspired

 Last Thursday I officially kicked off my Christmas spirit on December 1st. I took out all the decorations we had, listen to Christmas music, started shopping, had my first ginger bread latte {switched from my usual pumpkin spice} and got my daily inspiration from shopping and all the wonderful Christmas scents..


The decorations we had felt like they were lacking something. I had our little tree with lights + gold balls, the Christmas plate we got last year from crate &barrel on display, gold painted reindeer, little stockings hanging, gold+ silver balls in clear vases.. But I wanted something else to accent the room in a cute, simple and elegant manor. A trip to Michael's craft store was just what I needed.

Going into Michael's craft store I am always inspired but sometimes I can get a little overwhelmed. My basket was filled with ideas, crafts, glue, paint, glitter, candles, etc. But then I decided to put back half of it back and get what really stood out to me:

{ 1 Mason jar, 1 bundle of cinnamon sticks, 1 bag of scented pine cones +mini gold balls
 and for the rest of the theme 1 gold tea candle holder }

Once I got home I put all my little things together and came up with this: The Mason jar + scented pine cones together. Split the cinnamon sticks into two separate ones wrapped with white ribbon I had in the house. And placed the gold votive candle along the room. And voila! It was just the touch the apartment needed in all the right places! {for under 10$!}

· Mason jar: 1.99

· Pine cones: 2.49

· Cinnamon sticks: 2. 49

· Gold votive: 1.79

            tax: .53

            total  = 9. 29$ :)

Now the apartment is decorated nicely for Christmas with a nice little charm and has wonderful aromas of cinnamon and spice! So wonderful for this time of year! Keep calm + merry on :)

 

 

Amsale Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids dresses are selected ...and are stunning, elegant, and ethereal!  We are going with the brand Amsale in the long style and blush color.  All bridesmaids can chose from the many different style bodices {Amsale Dress Styles} ..Which one would you choose?

Will you be my Bridesmaid?

Over our little Thanksgiving break, our sister, Courtney, who is newly engaged, asked us to be her bridesmaids!  Well, to be more technical, asked both us to be her maids of honor :)  Below is a picture of the adorable card and MiniMergecny Kit for Bridesmaids from Mr. & Mrs.

You've got everything you need inside this little bugger! {20 essentails: hairspray, clear nail polish, nail polish remover, emery board, earring backs, clear elastics, sewing kit, double-sided tape, stain remover, deodorant towelette, pain reliever, tampon, breath freshener, dental floss, adhesive bandages, facial tissue, blotting tissues, bobby pins, antacid, and extra wedding bands}

Mr. & Mrs. also has multiple other emergency kits too - check them out! Mr. & Mrs. Kits

...& we are honored to be a part of our big sister's day and so excited!

Cheers!!

Thanksgiving: Non Traditional....

I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is one week away! When did this happen?! November sure is flying by!

The other night we went out to dinner for our mom’s birthday and started to discuss Thanksgiving plans to decide who would bring what, what side dishes we wanted and of course dessert! {We get our sweet tooth from our mother!} While we were rounding up the list we noticed that we have started to become very nontraditional on Thanksgiving.  Our family is growing year by year, and to make it easier we do a potluck Thanksgiving where everyone brings a few items rather than the host doing all of the work. Of course we have turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, but we seem to slowly be eliminating more and more traditional sides each year while swapping in new fresh ideas.

{Mini Pumpkin pies}

            For instance, last year we had turkey, lamb, a Greek salad, and couscous dishes. We wanted to have traditional Greek dishes on our menu since we introduced my husband into our first holiday together as a married couple. Everyone loved the idea of different sides instead of the usual green bean casserole. This year will be no different!  Excited to see what each of us will come up since we are all responsible for an appetizer, a side dish, and a dessert.


{ Caprese Kabobs: cherry tomato, mozzarella, basil leaf, balsamic drizzle}

{Mini Mac 'N Cheese Bites - we love cheese!!!}

            I already know so far we are having more creative mini bite size appetizers, and instead of the traditional apple or pumpkin pie we will be making mini caramel apples, pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes and of course there will be something with peanut butter involved.

            Thanksgiving is a day to remember what you are thankful for throughout the year, spend time with your loved ones, eat until you can’t move, and midday naps with the whole family on one couch. {or alt east this is what our family does! :) } What are your plans for thanksgiving? Does your family add different dishes? Or do you prefer the traditional way? Either way it’s all yummy!



{Carmel Apples with natural twig}

BON APPETIT!!

DIY Mini Floral Arrangements

I recently saw at a wedding this past weekend that the bride had centerpieces, but also had multiple smaller vases in different shapes and sizes filled with a variety of flowers.  It really created a beautiful contrast because each table had unique smaller arrangements, but still had the same centerpiece on each to tie the whole look together.  At the end of the reception, the bride prompted everyone to take a smaller vase or two.  It created a guest give away in addition to the favors, but I find that this could actually be an alternative to a favor as well.  Most likely all of the flower arrangements usually get tossed out at the end of the night with the exception of a few, so this allows the flowers to have a longer shelf life by being taken home with guests and also creates a gorgeous tablescape for the event.  Smaller vases can be purchased at a dollar store or IKEA ...now, go get inspired! ;-)
                                           

Instead of traditional centerpieces you could possibly just utilize a bunch of smaller vases clustered together to create one center arrangement

Assortment of different colored vases and flowers creates a rustic and vintage inspired look

A whole glorified assortment of floral in small vases

Friday I'm in Love

So I'm listening to The Cure's song "Friday I'm In Love" and it inspired me to share a few of the things I came across this week that I really adored!  It's always great to be inspired by a new recipe, craft, or beautiful photo that you can incorporate into an event/entertaining or wedding.  Be inSpiRed.  What are a few of your favorite things this week?

 

{ Beautiful lace back ...swooon!! }

 

{ Tuna Appetizer with creative setup via Style Me Pretty }

{A display of the couple's love story timeline MyWedding.com}

  

             { Rustic tablescape - great setting for a outdoor gathering via Emily Clark Blogspot }

                                                                     xo ...Happy Friday!!!

Golden Pumpkins

So being the in the fall spirit, I decided to give my mini pumpkins the Midas Touch. These little guys needed some jazzing up, so I sat and drank my morning coffee and painted them for some new table decor.  You could use spray paint as well, but I chose acrylic paint and just took my time.

{ gold acrylic paint from Michael's Craft Store }



{ One layer of paint - this first coat gives it a nice sheen look, but if you want a more golden opaque look then use two - three coats }

 

{Round one for pumpkins ..one more coat to go }

 

{Viola!  Golden pumpkin completed! }

 

{ Add some fall leaves ..faux to last longer :) }

 

{ Line them up however you'd like }

 {Add some gords... and there ya go!  A fall table scape }

Here are a few more ideas I fell upon....

{ Paint pumpkins & gords for fall table centerpiece via Better Homes & Gardens }

 { Use for place settings ..perhaps thanksgiving? via Martha Stewart }

 {Use a white pumpkin, paint golden leaves, and glue on via Ladies' Home Journal }

Favorite Fall Dishes

        
My mom always was in the kitchen baking, cleaning, whipping something up, but this was her territory and we all knew it. She knew how to create delicious meals from scratch, while we had home cooked meals on the dinner table every night. I am extremely fortunate and grateful for this, and it's probably a reason why I love to cook now while creating new dishes and re-creating my mothers. It was around this time of year especially that I remember the kitchen bursting with fumes of chili, soup, cornbread, and many other fall flavors. My sisters, dad, and I would always sneak by and take a sniff of what was in the crock pot or quickly steal a lick from what was left in a bowl. A few of my fall favorite dishes were Sheppard's pie, beef stew, chili, butternut squash soup and classic grilled cheese!

I also love how all of these dishes are classics in most people's kitchens and how each recipe from person to person differs slightly. One person may add jalapenos to their chili, while another uses turkey instead of beef in theirs. Each recipe is authentic, each infused with individual personality and flavor creating different dimensions of the same concept. All of these fall dishes can be easily incorporated into a social gathering or event whether its large portions or modifying them into bite size appetizers ...everyone enjoys a homespun inspired dish!

{Beef Stew}

{Chili served in a crock}

{Bite sized chili bites}

 

{Gourmet grilled cheese  - add bacon or fresh tomatoes}

 

{Mini grilled cheese over tomatoe soup for dipping}

 

{Sheppard's Pie}

 

{Mini Sheppard pie bites}

 

{Butternut squash soup}

 

{Butternut squash served in mini pumpkins}

Hungry yet?  What are your favorite fall meals?

The Venue Search

 

Our sister got engaged about two weeks ago and she has wasted no time in the planning process! {Perhaps she had some ideas up her sleeve before it happened ;) } In any event, she is venue searching which is one of the most important elements of your wedding day because it’s going to be where the reception is held!  Unfortunately, she lives too far away for us to sit in on every meeting she has with a venue, so we decided to compile a list of things she needs to take into consideration while venue searching and interview questions she can ask to the site manager.

v  First things first, before you start scouting out possible sites, envision what your ultimate venue would encompass and look like. 

 *Is it a raw space or loft where you can manipulate almost anything in your favor?

 *Is it traditional and elegant - perhaps an old mansion or grand hotel ball room?

 *Is it outside under tents with a rustic feel or beautiful backyard soiree?

v  Once you have an idea of what you may looking for, next decide on an estimated guest count. This is very important.  You don’t want to have a reception site where it accommodates 400 guests when in turn you have 100 guests, then it will show all of the empty space.  Or on the other hand, have a small venue where you try and congest a large crowd – so keep this in mind.

              {Things to consider}

v  What’s the most important thing to you about a venue?  Beautiful interiors? Beautiful exteriors? Outdoors? Very close to the ceremony site?  A lot of natural light coming in?

v  How much space do you need for everything? Photo-taking locations needed both inside and outside? Dressing room/Bridal Suite? Ceremony space?  Cocktail hour space?

v  Want everything outdoors? If so, what’s your back up plan? Can you move everyone indoors?  Do you need a tent? If so, what size and shape? Type of flooring? Lighting? Do you need air conditioning or heat lamps?

{Venue Visit}

v  Space & Style:  Take it all in – and try to remember all of the initial feelings you have of the venue {journal your experience after each venue visit to keep track}

*Be sure to ask what you can and what you can’t do with the overall space.  There may be restrictions about entertainment, décor, and dress code.

 *Ask for floor plans and past photographs of weddings at the site.  Even ask if  you can visit the site when the room is set up for a wedding if you want to go that far.

    * How is the view of the surrounding areas?

v  Getting Down to Business 

*How does the place charge?

            Per head?  By the hour?  Flat fee?

*Type of food service - plated service, buffet, family style, culinary food stations, cocktail reception - are these the options you are looking for?  Are they customizable?  {More on menu selection in next blog entry}

*What are the cancellation policies?

*Is there a refund on deposit?

*Does the location provide: catering? Staff?  Alcohol?  Parking?

            *If not, do they have catering recommendations?

      *What is the capacity of people it fits? {Does this compliment your guest list!?}

*Availability:  Go in with at least three different dates in mind.  You may end up falling in love with the venue on the first visit and want to book right then, so make sure you and your fiancé have discussed these potential dates prior

**Note:  Cutting costs would be to opt for a Friday evening or Sunday reception due to Saturdays being the most popular day.   Also, peak  wedding season is May through October, so perhaps doing it in a non-peak time.   

v  Before you leave the venue, make sure to have

*Price List
*Menu (if applicable)
*Copy of floor plan (if possible)
*Photos of space
*Contact Information
*Possible list of references {past clients who had their reception here}

v  Last but not least

            Can you truly envision your wedding at this venue?

           

Pumpkin Bread

So I have a confession ...I'm simply obsessed with Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread and have been making it every week for the past 3 weeks!  It's such a simple recipe and tastes amazing!  You can eat it by itself, with butter or even cream cheese.  I think next time I will add some chocolate chips to add a little flare! But you MUST try this... I wouldn't rave unless it was THIS great! :)

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread

Only a few simply ingredients: 2 eggs, oil, and water!

Enjoy!