Deck the halls with boughs of holly…

20 Monday Dec 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Party Planning, Traditions

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…fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la ♪

Each year for the past 10 years one of my friends, Joyce, in our Birthday Group (to read more about that visit HERE or HERE) hosts a caroling party for the 5 couples {Joyce & Russ, Carla & Tom, Linda & John, Wendy & Thomas and Hubby and me}.

Joyce makes her home a Christmas wonderland with no detail left untouched by the magic of elves, angels, reindeer and Santa. Her table settings are coffee table book worthy and along with all of her beautiful holiday decorations comes a warm welcome and a jolly time had by all!

Joyce used to teach elementary school and she is a wonderful pianist (as is my friend Carla, who is also in this group). We start the evening with wonderful appetizers, dinner and dessert and then the ladies do an ornament exchange.

Following this cavalcade of fun we drag the men in from the family room where they have been discussing everything from football to politics and truth be known, would probably rather just let the ladies sing, and make them participate. We are not about to let them miss the fun!

Our host, Russ, is our very own Santa for the evening!

...fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

I hope you are enjoying the activities of the season.

Outdoor holiday decorations

13 Monday Dec 2010

Posted by Karen B. in DIY (do it yourself), Gardening, Outdoor living, Traditions

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Christmas, holiday, home

When I think of decorating for Christmas, indoor decorations get more of my attention than outdoor…until this year. 5^th and State, a blog site I recently stumbled upon, featured a DIY on planting outdoor planters for Christmas. If you’d like to see more visit HERE.

I live in Southern California and let’s face it we’re simply NOT going to be celebrating the holidays with freshly fallen snow.

left & right images via 5th and State

image via Country Living

That said when we entertain friends and family they will pull up to the curb and the first thing they see is the entrance to our home.

image via 5th and State

I’ve always done wreaths, sometimes fresh sometimes fake faux. I don’t have a bias since I’ve seen beautiful versions of both.

This year I will attempt to go a little beyond the front door wreath. (By the way, we do hang a string of lights across the front of the house but due to the design of our roof line it would be suicide for anyone to get up on the peak of the roof to really do the Griswold Family Christmas version of Christmas lights).

I picked up some Ilex berries from a local floral supply store and added them to the cone shaped boxwood in the urn by the front door.

The berries are faux but festive!

I also planted some cardinal ivy geranium in the planter on the right side of the door but, sadly, they are not in full bloom right now.

There will be more red blossoms later in the year, probably after Christmas but maybe in time for St. Valentine’s Day.

image via Martha Stewart Living

I put a bow and some holy on the lantern that sits by the door, I guess that will be a good start to branching out beyond the front door wreath.

I used a wax battery-operated candle so that I can turn it on and not worry about it catching anything on fire.

Welcome to our home!

image via room service

Maybe next year I’ll put a pre-lit garland around the door!

With all of the options for incredible wreaths I will have to try a new one each year! {just kidding} What are you doing to welcome guests this year?

Christmas past, present, future…Ebenezer and me.

10 Friday Dec 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Uncategorized

≈ 10 Comments

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English gardens, holiday

image by tartanscot

Maybe its because I’m a first time grandma, or maybe it’s just that time of year when I reflect on events of the past…but I’ve been thinking about how time has flown by and before we knew it our children were adults and now we have children with children! What does this have to do with Christmas, you ask? I guess it’s the time of year we all start reflecting a bit on years that have passed…and for me, the eternal optimist, an eye on the upcoming year.

image above via tartanscot

I love the activities around our home this time of year and embrace how they (activities) change as a family changes. I still delight in baking, putting up the tree, dinners with friends and family and presents.

images via Southern Living

I enjoy reading Polar Express and believe with all my heart in the spirit of the story. (If you’ve only seen the movie but never read the book, you may be disappointed). Some years I join my dear friends with a ticket to Handel’s Messiah. The traditions can change and new traditions can become the standard, at least for now.

Christmas can be simple and wonderful; it’s what you make it, right?

I hope you enjoy a Happy Christmas with family and loved ones and the best the holidays can offer!

I’m off to Austin to meet my very first grand daughter, born November 28th! I’ve scheduled some holiday ideas and will return on December 17th to share more ramblings. Happy Friday

A few of my favorite things about the season

08 Wednesday Dec 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Entertaining, Traditions

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

details of a home, Entertaining, holiday, Table Settings

I love this time of year…everything about it makes me happy. I like cooler weather (I realize there are two distinct camps on this, I have friends that are warm-weather fans) I must have lived in Iceland in another life time! Anyway, here are a few of the things I like best about the season…

image via BHG

I guess it goes without saying, I like the decorating part of the season the best. I think it’s fun to create new ways to dress up the house. I’m a traditionalist at heart but its fun to try out new ideas for the home using greens and seasonal fruit, nuts and the like. I’ve not done this (above image) but once—hanging wreaths in windows side-by-side. I think it looks great indoors and/or out. The reason I haven’t hung live wreaths since the first time is that the hardwood floors were constantly filled with pine needles so maybe I need to find a different spot…but it does look festive and pretty, don’t you think?

image via Slim Paley (you will enjoy her site, visit HERE)

Right up there with decorating is entertaining. I’ve said it before, my house is definitely a winter house. It looks it’s best when I have a fire in the fireplace and candlelight is emanating throughout. (Maybe we all look better in candle light, I know I do). But having good friends over for dinner with Christmas music in the background—good conversation, decent wine and comfort food, what could be better? (Fans of summer need not respond :-))

image via Country Living

Along with entertaining comes using my Christmas Tree dishes by Spode. Many of you may know of my disease—I’m addicted to dishes, all patterns and makes, and I’ve read that there is NO cure. By the way, I don’t have the red transfer ware pattern above but believe me I’ve eyed it with more than faint enthusiasm!

image via Country Living

And at the end of a beautiful day of holiday traditions I like to climb into bed, between my flannel sheets and catch some zzzzz.

Don’t forget to get your rest during this busy month! Happy December.

Happy 4th of July!

02 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Entertaining, Food, Party Planning

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4th of July, Entertaining, holiday

Happy 4th of July (weekend). This holiday has always signaled the start of summer for me. I used to work at Disneyland and the 4th of July brought visitors from all over the world, the weather was almost always hot in Anaheim (where Disneyland is located) on this date, and it truly felt like the start of summer.

Edible 4th of July decorations, I love it!

According to Wikipedia: In the United States Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

She's a grand ol' flag, she's a high flying flag...

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. ~via Wikipedia