My daughter turns 11 today! December birthday’s can be tough, especially now that she’s a tween (or is that pre-teen?). It’s a challenge to separate birthday from Christmas, as documented a couple years ago in the “How to make a December Birthday Special” post. But she’s older now, and I really need to step up my mom-game.

I wanted to surprise her, so I’m tweaking her room while she’s at school. Yes, we recently designed her room when we moved earlier this year, as document in the “A Blue Tween Room for Girls.” Remember this room? –>

Because she loves art and has a passion (understatement) for horses, we found her a lovely horse painting from HomeGoods as inspiration.

Slight problem, however. Her room has red accents, and there is no red in this painting. Since she’s been asking for some green in her room, we went for a quick accessory fix.

By simply replacing the lamp shades, and swapping out the throw and a pillow for green (also from HomeGoods) we changed the vibe of the room, and for only $39 {happy dance}.

And of course, since December birthday’s are awkward, we lit up her room with a birthday tree, and her favorite Breyer horses.

Happy Birthday Amelia. I love you, and hope you enjoy your new room (and keep it picked up).

Giddy up!

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If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you probably know that I subscribe to a “less is more” approach to decorating – both in terms of dollars spent and clutter avoided. This year we have a new home to decorate, but I purposely kept the holiday decor simple yet again. And you may recognize a few elements from my Christmas Decor post from two years ago – I didn’t spend a penny on anything new this year (except for $12.50 to dress up the lion statues out front)!

Let’s start in the family room. In keeping with the birch tree color palate for this room, we traded out the earthy orange accents for festive red! By having such a neutral base, the accent color can change seasonally, just like leaves on a birch tree!

The lighted wreath on the mantel takes center stage, and although I’m not typically a symmetrical gal, I like the simplicity of this arrangement. Recognize those red lanterns? Yup – they came from my side porch.

We hung a few colorful bulbs on the faux ficus in the corner, which look great during the day, and reflect nicely off the lights in the tree at night.

We hung a couple wreaths over the windows.

Now follow me to the dining room. My initial idea was to display three oversized holiday bulbs on a cake plate.

But I ended up favoring a flameless candle with silver and gold pine cone ornaments.

Bonus – I had enough ornaments to hang on the chandelier as well!

Now on to the living room! A simple vignette on an end table was all we needed in here since the Christmas tree is in this room.

I’m hoping this is the last year for our old artificial tree. It has served us well, but I’m hoping to go back to real next year.

My daughters did a thoughtful job decorating the tree this year. We used ribbons of gold, copper, purple and pink and handmade jeweled garland. And what the ornaments are lacking in theme is made up for in personal relevance. Each ornament holds family memories.

So we didn’t go overboard, but the house feels like a home, and we’ll be able to take everything down in about 45 minutes come January. {Woot woot!}

What is your favorite holiday display in your home?

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I wonder what my neighbors really think!

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It’s Thanksgiving Eve, and as I think back over the past year, I am blown away at how much I have to be thankful for. While I’m thankful for family, friends (both new and old), and the kindness shown to us as we made a move from Connecticut to the infamous “Lion House of New Jersey” – I am also sincerely thankful to all the smart, amazing and fun readers of this blog.

I write from a place of passion, and am deeply touched that it has resonated with so many wonderful readers. As you head out (or invite in) for this year’s Thanksgiving celebration, please know that I am honored that you take the time to join me in this blog.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

ps – as you may know, I’ve been decorating the lions with the seasons – any suggestions for Christmas? Here they are in Halloween garb.

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 Enjoy this inspirational guest post from Jessica, a fabulous designer from the Balsam Hill Tree company. I love a great “do’s and don’ts” post – especially about seasonal decor! ~Susan

The rich colors of fall inspire even novice home decorators to take on a new project, and we at Balsam Hill Tree Company really get into the feel of the season, because it transitions into our favorite holiday, Christmas!

To us, the falling leaves means preparing for renewal, from hardship to ethereal beauty. For those who want to show off the beauty of autumn, we have these Do and Don’t tips to help you create an easy, beautiful front porch that greets visitors from last falling leaves until December rolls in.

Do: Use the rich, earthy colors of the season in your decorations.

Stunning oranges and reds (the colors of pumpkins and falling leaves!) and earthy brown resonate with the season. Think of your favorite autumn scene and use those colors as your palette, and let their warmth envelop you and all who approach your front porch.

Don’t: Go overboard.  

Too much of these colors can be overwhelming. Tone down bright oranges with soft beige, or add in a few green or yellow hues to your decor items. If it feels like you’re standing inside of a pumpkin or if your eyes hurt, you’ve probably gone too far.

Neutralize with shades of brown, and incorporating an item with texture and color, such as cornstalks or jute rugs. Those of you lucky enough to have a wrap-around porch, colorful pillows and blankets go a long way.

Do: Use natural elements and play around it.

Use pumpkins and other gourds as decorative items around the porch. There are dozens of species of squash and gourds that can last through the whole season if you don’t carve them. Just check with your grocer or the farmer selling them in the local market for an estimate of how long they last. Show off smaller gourds in baskets or bushels; larger ones can stand alone next to pots of mums. Beautiful leaves and twigs from your yard are a natural complement, and can be changed as often as you want.

Large vases or pots of flowers are also a stunning pop of color for the porch. Keep them in their soil and have them for longer. Asters, Russian sage, chrysanthemums and Monkhood are our favorites. With their amazing colors and wide availability, these flowers are beautiful to keep all year ’round but look best on the porch during fall. Another plus, these flowers are hardy, so even the most novice gardener can keep them alive.

Don’t: Pepper your porch with decor.

You need room to move around on the porch, and too many decorative elements just looks messy. Pick a theme to work around, like gourds and flowers; smaller porches need just two or three small displays, while larger porches can easily support double that. This guideline leaves enough room for beauty and utility!

Do: Make it easy to transition into winter.

Choose items that look are good for fall and winter decor. For example, pinecone wreaths are beautiful for fall, and add berry sprigs to bring color to a dull wintry landscape. Painting artificial pumpkins and leaves gold will also add a rich, luxurious touch to formerly earth-tone decor, and create a magnificent holiday display. Artificial garlands can be brought out in late fall; dress them up with richly colored faux autumn leaves, purchased at any craft store. When winter comes, simply remove the leaves and Christmas lights! These transition your fall decor to the next season, which is much easier (and more resourceful) than scrapping everything and beginning from scratch.

Don’t: Bring them out all at once.

As well as being exhausting, it can get messy and confusing to attempt changing fall decor to winter decor at once. Little by little, with the previous Decorating Do, you will be able to transition to from fall to winter with ease.

All the options for beautiful, elegant fall decor make any decorator excited! With our tips, make your front porch as eye-catching and beautiful as any professionally designed home.

Jessica Phan is a designer for Balsamhill.com, a purveyor of high-end artificial Christmas Trees. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area is perfect for her because she has a wide range of interests, including Art & Design, Fashion, Photography, Painting and Thrift Store Shopping.

Great tips Jessica – thanks! (And check out their customer pics on their Facebook Page). So how are you dressing up your curb for the upcoming holidays? And…have you started yet?

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I love flowers. But sometimes, it’s fun to do something a bit different. With Thanksgiving and Christmas on the immediate horizon, I turned my tablescape thoughts to the produce section of my local grocer.

I found three creative ways to use veggies in décor: 1) with candles, 2) with flowers, and 3) simply on their own. Not only do these elements play well with each other, but there are so many creative ways to display them. Here are a few of my favorites!

1. Vegetables and Candles

I love the simplistic yet functional display of these candles and veggies. The ribbon gives it just the right splash of color.

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Aren’t those green beans adorable?

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2. Flowers and Veggies

This one includes some beautiful flowers, and I love how it is displayed on a simple cake stand.

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Or simply display veggies in a mix of vases.

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3. Simply Veggies

Even a simple collection of beautiful vegetables can stand on its own. With or without garnishment!

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And of course, I love Martha Stewart. She creates synergy by combining simple items together in unexpected ways.

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And I love her sense of humor as well!

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Another idea – set these darling cauliflower sheep loose on the table.

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 So this year, I’m going to forgo flowers and browse the produce section of my local grocery store. Anyone else want to give it a try? Which vegetables will you use, and how will you display them?

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Just when I think I’m done with my annual Halloween post, I find another idea to try!

But I seriously need help coming up with a good name for these – they remind me of traffic cones stuck in mud. They’re essentially a variation of “dots” – round pretzels with melted Hershey Kisses and M&Ms. Just for fun, I decided to make them with candy corn. And since I couldn’t find the round pretzels, I opted for the waffle/grid shaped ones.

Easy to make – just pick up some pretzels, Hershey Kisses and candy corn.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet and plop a  kiss on top.

Bake for 3-3.5 minutes til melted a bit. Top with candy corn, then let it cool in the fridge or a cool garage if short on space.

Seriously, the two hardest parts are:

1. Unwrapping the Hershey Kisses
2. Trying not to eat too many Kisses whilst baking.

But what to call them? Here are a few ideas I’m mulling about:

• Traffic Cone Candy
• Boo Bark
• Corny Kiss
• And one my husband mentioned that I cannot include here

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Tis the season for ghouls and goblins! So to get you in the “spirit” for Halloween tricks and treats, here is some frightful inspiration! Costumes, décor and pumpkins, oh my!

Costumes

First, for those of you going to an adult costume party and feeling the intimidation of having to express your creativity, here are a couple timeless ideas.

First up, is a firefly costume (modeled by yours truly). It is simply wings cut from black felt with red ribbon crudely sewn around the edges, bug antennas on a hair band, and (here’s the tricky part) a light for your tushy. Confession: my dad made the light for me (it was a great excuse for him to run to Home Depot).

Looking for a costume fit for a couple? Here’s an understated option for those whose humor leans towards the dry side:

His

Hers

Nuff said on that one.

Easy Halloween Decor

Ok, what about décor?  My advice – keep it simple, and avoid plastic things that make noise whenever possible. Here are three easy ideas to spookify your home:

Never underestimate the power of orange pumpkin pop! Just scatter a few little pumpkins around and you’ve got atmosphere.

I love using mason jars to hold seasonal bling. That said, good luck keeping enough candy corn in the house. It’s pretty much too inviting out in the open like that.

Here’s a favorite of mine (from my last home) – window sticky bats and glass cylinders with the letters B-O-O held up with flower frogs.  And who says a mantel has to be over a fireplace? Have fun with it!

Find more ideas from my HomeGoods post Warm up to Fall with Five Easy Tips.

Pumpkins

A classic American tradition! But think beyond the customary carved pumpkin. For instructions on how to make chalkboard pumpkins, see last year’s post!

So please do share – what are you (and/or your kids) going to be for Halloween this year, and how have you spookified your home?

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It all started with a fun gift idea for some diva friends… “everything but the booze” for some fun, peppermint holiday refreshments. I wanted to include some festive drink recipes along with the gift set so I did some intensive research and found these four pretty amazing recipes. Although I haven’t tried them all (yet), but these receipes look promising!

Now if you do try any of them, please report back (if you can still type and see your monitor clear enough) and let me know which one you tried. Or, if you have a winner you’ve enjoyed, please share with the rest of us!

(Note: to see the gift idea I put together for my diva friends, scroll to the bottom…but if you’re one of my diva friends expecting a gift…don’t peek!)

Without further adieu, here are my top four picks (it was supposed to be 3, but I couldn’t help myself):

Candy Cane Martini

With a domain like Candycanemartini.com, I expect this is a winner.  It looks pretty good and simple to make!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz Peppermint Schnapps
• 3/4 oz Creme de Cacao
• 1/4 oz Grenadine
• 1/4 oz Half & Half
• a splash of 7-Up

Directions:

• In a cocktail shaker half filled with ice, combine peppermint schnapps, white creme de cacao & grenadine.
• Add half and half and top with a splash of 7-up.
• Garnish with a small candycane and enjoy! Fa la la la la…

Winter Wonderland Peppermintini

I really like this holiday delight from Girly-drinks.com because she seems pretty relaxed about measuring which puts me at ease because I’m terrible at measuring. It’s also fun to say.

This one is a little more work, but if you’re not drinking while you tend the bar, you should be ok.

Ingredients

• ~3/4 oz Peppermint Schnapps
• ~3/4 oz Creme de Cacao
• ~1/4 oz Grenadine
• ~1/4 oz Half & Half
• ~a splash of 7-Up

• 1 1/2 oz. (3 tbsp.) 80-proof vodka
• 2 tsp. Coffee-mate Sugar Free French Vanilla powdered creamer
• 1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda)
• 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
• Optional Garnish: 1 small candy cane

Directions:

• Place powdered creamer and sweetener in a glass.
• Add 1/4 cup warm water and stir to dissolve.
• Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes.
• Add creamer mixture, vodka, and peppermint extract.
• Cover and shake well, until mixture is cold.
• Strain into a martini glass. If you like, garnish with a candy cane leaning jauntily on the rim.

Candy Cane Cooler

What cocktail isn’t pretty in pink! It’s a bit creamier (and not low calorie!), but sure looks good!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz. mint-infused vodka
• 1 TBSP crushed candy cane or peppermint candy
• ½ oz. Brandy
• ½ oz. Half and Half
• 1 whole peppermint stick or candy cane and mint sprig for garnish

Directions: Check out the video for the “how to” part

Peppermint Cosmo

For those mindful of stubborn holiday pounds, here’s one you can feel good about from the blog For the Love of Food (Eat, Drink and be Merry. Without the guilt).

This smart choice only contains only 7 grams of sugar—including the candy cane. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 ounces vodka
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 8 ice cubes
• 8 mini candy canes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Directions:

• Combine juices, vodka, peppermint and 1/2 cup water in a shaker with ice.
• Shake vigorously (which I think counts as exercise) and strain into 8 shot glasses.
• Garnish with candy canes and mint.

Gift Idea

Ok, here’s a little gift set I put together for my diva friends (you know who you are and you shouldn’t be peeking!)

The glass, peppermint rimming, peppermint stirrers and cocktail ornaments are from Crate & Barrel, and the amazing card is from Fifi Flowers.

Now it’s your turn…what is YOUR favorite holiday cocktail? Do share!!!!

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I’m not putting up a Christmas tree this year. There. I said it.

No, I’m not skipping Christmas. But we’re moving shortly afterwards and I’m simply out of holiday bandwith to make it happen. But with kids in the house, I have to make SOMETHING happen, so I’m letting our mantel display serve as our tree this year.

I hung little white lights on the decorative screen already over the mantel, and added in colorful ornaments for a little splash. Add two stockings, and voila…a tree (of sorts) that won’t even shed needles. The whole thing took 10 minutes.

So far the kids are OK with it. And I love the warm glow from the lights. In fact, I might just keep Christmas year round!

So if you have no time or space for a big tree, feel free to cut corners along with me!

Happy Holidays!

ps – want MORE holiday decorating ideas? Visit Hooked on Houses and The Lettered Cottage!

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