Hi everyone,

The hubby and I are going to see a movie with another couple and afterward, we are heading back here for some coffee and treats. Here is the holiday table that I set for us...easy and simple...nothing too elaborate, yet festive and fun. 
I love these cute jingle bell napkin rings that I found. I layered a couple of plates to get the look I was going for. I love the pop of red from these glass plates.

These mugs are so cute!

This is my dining room centerpiece. My mom found this candle holder for me. It was originally black and I sprayed it with some silver metallic paint to keep with my silver and green theme. 

I love it because it has a round bowl-like shape that can be filled with things. There are however some gaps around it so I had to use large ornaments instead of small ones. I layered some greenery underneath it and added the same elements that I have around my house...pine cones and silver and green round ornaments.

The mugs have these words on the back of them..."merry", "cheer", and "jolly." There's also a "ho ho" one but it was in the dishwasher.

These are some of the treats for the table.

So that's my table all ready for coffee after the movie. 

Can't wait to dig in to those cookies!

Gina

Host/Hostess Gift Ideas

Tis' the season for holiday parties right? Well, since we're all in the gift giving time of year, you can't leave out the host! There are other things out there besides wine and chocolates.....seriously. I know, I know....a last minute bottle of bubbly or a quick trip to the local drug store is the fastest and easiest way some of us get away with getting our hostess gifts. I am definitely guilty of that myself. However, if you have a little more time than the 15 minutes before you are attending a party, I have some thoughtful gift ideas that will really show your party host or hostess that you appreciate the invite and all the hard work that goes into throwing a party....and can accompany that last minute bottle of wine and box of chocolates.

 I always like to accompany a nice bottle of wine with a monogrammed wine stopper. I am one of those people who likes to give gifts that go together. Wine stoppers with wine...wine charms with wine...a candy dish with some nice chocolates...you get the picture. These are some nice ones that come in a nice box. They have an etched capital letter on a square crystal topper.

Bed Bath and Beyond

 
I absolutely love Williams-Sonoma hand soaps and lotions! These seasonal ones are great...and for a holiday gathering, I like to stay within the theme and get a scent of the season rather than from the regular line of fragrances. It makes the gift a little more special I think. 

 This is an absolute FAVORITE of mine for the kids. Sometimes instead of giving a gift for the hosts, I like to bring something fun for their children. This is a gift that I bought several of this year for my friend's children. It's a snowman kit....minus the snow of course. It comes with a hat, scarf, eyes, a carrot nose, buttons...everything you need to accessorize a snowman! No need to scurry around and find odd accessories for Frosty...the kit has everything you need and it's all stored in the box for use year after year! I love this gift!

 Bronner's

These are the accessories

 Another cute idea is this kit of "The 12 Coffees of Christmas." An assortment of different flavors. Great for the coffee drinkers!

Bed Bath and Beyond

 Of course something special for the grill masters out there as well. A trio of grilling sauces to use with their favorite meats is always a winner with the men of the house.

Bed Bath and Beyond

These are some of my favorite gifts to give. Do you have anything special that you like to bring to a host or hostess?

Gina

Easy Entertaining for the Holidays

Hi everyone! Yesterday I promised some tips for entertaining for the holidays. My philosophy on entertaining is do it and do it often. Our homes are supposed to be shared with those around us. So if you're one of those people who loves to go to parties, but fears hosting them....fear no more. I have some tips that are sure to leave you stress free so that you can throw a great party AND actually enjoy your own party!

1. First of all, think about the overall party you'd like to have..and be realistic. If you're not used to entertaining, don't have a huge bash with 80 guests. Start off small and get your feet wet first. 
2. Decide on the type of party you'd like to have. For instance, an intimate gathering such as dinner for a few couples, a family brunch, an open house, an afternoon tea, or a cocktail party...just to name a few.
3. Next decide on the guest list and on the invitations. Make sure you give people plenty of notice. A month is more than enough time in advance for a typical gathering. These days, formal invites are still nice, but if you have email addresses for all your guests, an e-vite is definitely considered appropriate. Make sure to include an R.S.V.P. date and ask guests to let you know how many people will be attending so that you can plan your meal accordingly.
4. Plan your menu. You'll want to give yourself enough time to do this. Depending on the type of party you are having, your menu will be set according to that. Food and drinks are important so you should be careful when choosing what you'll serve. Offer a good balance and variety to please all palettes. You should think of seasonal flavors and festive cocktails. For example, a simple champagne punch is great for a cocktail party with a big crowd... flavored coffee is great for a brunch...you get the idea. This isn't the time though to make something you've never made before. You're guests shouldn't be your guinea pigs. This is the time to offer foods you're good at making or if you don't cook well get help from the grocery store by buying items that are pre-made or have the party catered.
5. The way you go about serving your food is important too. For a standing crowd, set up a buffet of food, a separate dessert table, and a separate cocktail table. This way guests will keep moving around and the flow will be smooth. If you're serving a sit down meal, use place cards so that guests know where to sit.
6. Stay organized. I can't stress this enough. This is really the key to entertaining. Keep a shopping list of all your menu items, what is needed for each item, and check off if you have it or need it. You don't want to run out at the last minute to pick something up. Time is valuable and you want to be able to enjoy the party too! Keeping things simple is also important. Don't try to serve items that all need to be reheated or cooked at the last minute. Make your life easy and serve some cold items, some room temperature items and some warm items. 
7. Stock up on bar items like cocktail napkins, ice, and plenty of glasses. Also, keep your pantry stocked with plenty of mixed nuts, crackers, and holiday chocolates or cookies. 
8. Decorating your home for the occasion or the type of party you are having is important. This tells guests that you took the time to think of the experience as a whole. Create mood with lighting. Dim lights, and use plenty of candles for a cozy feel. If you have a fireplace, use it. This is a great way to make guests fell comfortable...who doesn't like to sit by a cracking fire? Also, have some background music playing...not too loud though...you want guests to be able to hear each other talk.

I hope that some or all of these tips are useful to you. I stick to these and I always throw a great party..which I get to enjoy too because I don't kill myself preparing for it.

Since we are in the Christmas holiday season, and for the most part, people get together for cocktail gatherings, I'll give a sample of what I serve when I have this type crowd.

1. I always serve a classic fruit cheese and vegetable crudite with crackers. You CAN'T go wrong. Serve at least 3 or 4 types of cheeses to offer variety. Best part is that you just buy everything, and put it on a platter and voila! Done. Also it should be noted that cheeses are supposed to be served at room temperature, so that you can actually taste the flavors of the cheeses, and experience the texture. (Don't mind me...I'm a cheese fanatic) Anyways, this is great because you can plate it all up the day before and set it out on the table an hour before guests arrive.
2. I always do some kind of poultry, whether it's a turkey breast or some kind of skewered chicken with a dipping sauce.
3. Another favorite item is a spiral ham. Always a crowd pleaser. This is great because it's substantial enough to satisfy those a little hungrier than others. These are of course already cooked. All you do is heat it through for a couple of hours. And a bonus is that it can sit out at room temperature and last for the whole party because it doesn't need to be hot to be good. 
4. Meatballs are also a great item because they can be done a hundred ways and people love them.
5. Make ahead dips and spreads are also a staple for me because they are easy to make and can be done days in advance...left in the fridge and served last minute.
6. Shrimp cocktail is a definite for me (primarily because we LOVE it) because it's easy and I like to serve a variety, and this satisfies the seafood lovers!

So, these are some of my favorite cocktail party items. I hope that these tips have inspired you to entertain in your home. It's easy...just take a little time to do a little planning...and YOU CAN DO IT!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Gina

Holiday Home Tour

I would love to welcome you all to my home all decked out for the holidays! Let's start out with the front door and work our way in shall we? I hope you enjoy the tour!!!
The glare of the sun is making it a little difficult to see, but this is a large pot in front of my door that I've filled with holly, pine, and spruce clippings. I've added some broken birch branches that came from my back yard. 

My front door is decorated with a trio of wreaths that I created. I tied three small wreaths together with ribbon and added a large bow...some pine cones that I sprayed with a metallic silver, and some dollar store ornaments. These are all elements that carried out in the rest of the house. I like the front door to give a hint as to what is waiting for guests inside (and so that everything matches of course.)

I really love how this turned out. I wanted something a little different than what I normally do. I would've liked to use really wreaths however, my home faces the south and I have full sun all day long. Other years I have put a live wreath on my door and within a few days it is completely dried out! So, for the past few years I have used a faux wreath.

 As you enter into my home I have a small foyer. I have a tiny wall that I have a mirror on and a small half moon table. I love to use this area for fresh arrangements all year long as a nice welcoming for guests.  
                                          
 

I love this silver bowl. It was wedding gift. Other years used it for fresh greens simply by adding oasis soaked in water to keep the arrangement lasting long. This year I've just filled it with some dollar store ornaments.

                               My staircase doesn't really change a whole lot from year to year. I always do a green garland. Each year I change out the accessories. This year I've used some metallic pine cones and more dollar store ornaments. I think that there's a trend going on here??? As you can see I like to keep things cohesive. Other years I've had the kids stockings hanging from here. 

Entering into the kitchen, I've used this wreath. Looks familiar? This is the same wreath that I used for my fall decor. It started out as birch branches from my backyard that I manipulated into a circle and glued down onto a round flat form. To get this
Christmas look, I simply used a little white spray paint and then accessorized it with more ornaments, pine cones, some shiny crystals, and my ribbon. 

This is a fun arrangement on the kitchen island. I sprayed some birch branches white and added them to the glass hurricane that I filled with more dollar store ornaments. I hung some crystal (which are a little hard to see) and some ornaments from the branches. I like this idea because you can really do this so many different ways. Another idea could be to poke a hole in the Christmas cards you receive and tie a ribbon to them and hang them from a tree like this.

This is the centerpiece on my kitchen table.

 And.....the Christmas tree!
Oh how I love my tree every year. We have started a tradition of cutting down the tree each year and the kids really enjoy it. I have started with a base of white, gold, and silver. Each year I add a different color to the tree. This year I've added the chartreuse green. I really like how it turned out. Here are some close up shots.

 What do you think? I know that everyone has such different ways of decorating their tree, and that's what is so nice about going to different homes during the holidays. When you think about it, we all start out with the same thing and we all end up with something completely different. No two trees are every really identical. I love that.

The following photos are various areas throughout the home.

This is our elf "Jolly"..the kids love to run down each morning to try and find out where he is!

So that's most of the home tour! I have more to show you though so come on back and stop in for another visit! I am in the process of getting some great tablescapes together to show you. Looking forward to sharing them along with some stress free entertaining tips for the holidays! Have a great day!


Gina