Decorating for a New Year's Eve Party – Part Two

There are plenty of banners available at party stores that you could hang near the entry way of your home or even outside the front door. You can make a banner too, if you are the artistic type. A metallic banner can match a more sophisticated theme. If you are having a party where there will be lots of kids, consider having them make the banner as well as the noise makers. All they will need to make a fun banner is a large piece of construction paper, stencils, and markers.

Centerpieces on the tables are a nice touch that can really make your decorating stand out. There is no need to buy one already put together, because there are plenty of ways you can put together a cheap centerpiece yourself that will look great. Floating candles shaped like flower blossoms in glass bowls can look great, just add some glass rocks to the bottom of the bowl in a color that matches your theme. You could also just use a simple bouquet of flowers as a centerpiece in colors that match your theme. Or, place several pillar candles on a pretty plate and fill the gaps in the plate with small clear Christmas ornaments with the hooks removed. The idea is that the clear ornaments will look like bubbles. You can vary this idea by using champagne bottles in place of the candles, or you can mix the two up.

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Decorating for a New Year's Eve Party – Part One

Hosting a New Year's Eve party often includes decorating for the night. Decorating doesn't have to be a huge deal, there are several ways you can decorate easily and quickly without having to spend too much money.

First you should pick a theme to go with. Many New Year's Eve parties are adults only, in which case you may want to choose a different theme than if the party is going to be a neighborhood party including children. Fun hats and noisemakers are pretty much a must for either type of party, since kids and adults both get a kick out of these items.

However, especially if you are going to have a lot of kids at your party, you might not want to hand out the noise makers until a few minutes before midnight unless you don't mind all of the racket kids will make with them. Another option if there are going to be lots of children at your party is to recruit them to make the noisemakers as a craft. Have them fill coffee cans with uncooked rice or change. Then they can cover the coffee cans with construction paper with designs drawn on. Hats you should hand out right away. Masks can add a sophisticated air to your party.

Balloons are a cheap way to add some color to your decorating. You can always find balloons in colors that will match your theme. Silver balloons will look classier, colorful balloons will look good for a neighborhood party.

Check back tomorrow for part two of this blog.

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Last Minute Christmas Decorations – Part Two

Greeting cards are something that you already have on hand that can easily be used for decorating. You can even use cards from past holiday seasons if you don’t have enough for decorating from this season. Display them on your mantle among sprigs of greenery. Use a hole punch in the corner of each card and string them along a wall.

Gifts that are already wrapped make great decorations. Spend a little extra time wrapping your gifts nicely, and you can use them for decorating also. Make sure to use bows and ribbon if you want to go the extra mile. Place some gifts under the tree as usual, but display others around the house in different places too.


Stack a couple of gifts on an end table, or place a few along your mantle. Place a stack of gifts near your entry way or place a few above your kitchen cabinets.

If you like the idea of decorating with gifts, but don’t have enough around, you can always wrap a few empty boxes. If you want to diversify the theme a little more, you can wrap ribbon around your throw pillows and place a bow in the center to make your pillows look like gifts.

Place a few candy canes in a simple clear glass cup or a small vase. Tie small red ribbons around the necks of the candy canes and display them on your mantle or end table.

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And to all a good night...

(photo: Country Living.com)

After a day spent cooking (seafood chowder, mulligatawny soup, sweet and sour meatballs...sound familiar?) yesterday, and delivering a few cards and small gifts to friends, I am spent. I want to sleep in, wrap the four remaining gifts that I keep stubbing my toe on as I attempt to climb into bed, and tune out some of the noise coming from my children...at least long enough to drink my morning cup of tea. Instead, I will probably fret and rush around the house tidying in preparation for our Christmas Eve guests, and remind my children/the boys to spruce themselves up a bit and then try to make myself look presentable. I will then pour myself a glass of my wine and enjoy the hustle and bustle that is simultaneously going on in millions of homes everywhere. We will enjoy the day, the food, the company and later, I will fall into bed, overtired, like all mothers...and toss and turn all night in anticipation, as I have for as many years as I can remember.

May you all have a very, merry Christmas, and enjoy it for all that it means to you. I wish everyone health and happiness, and for those struggling through difficult times, I wish you peace, strength, and comfort.

Happy Holidays!!

Last Minute Christmas Decorations – Part One

There isn’t very much time to finish decorating for Christmas. If you are hosting a Christmas get together at your house, you may want to do some speedy and cheap decorating. Never fear, there are several things you could do very quickly.

For Christmas dinner if you don’t have any Christmas plates or settings, you can use plain white plates. Use a red or white tablecloth, or use red or white place mats. Then, place one round glass ornament on each plate. This looks classier if you use just one color for all of the ornaments, and it looks more fun and happy if you use several colors. You can even use a variety of ornament types for a more sentimental look. If you want to get more elaborate, you can use small ornaments along with the large ornaments and even add seasonal greenery or colored tinsel.

Next, place a glass or silver pedestal cake stand in the center of the table and fill it with ornaments that match the ornaments you have on the plates.

If you want a more fancy centerpiece for your kitchen table, try placing cream or white colored pillar candles and tapered candles in a ceramic or metal bowl. Fill the spaces between them in the bottom half of the bowl with newspaper. On top of the newspaper place shiny ornaments in the bowl until it is overflowing with them. Silver ornaments and beads look really nice. Then, right when your guests sit down to dinner you can light the candles. Just make sure to blow them out when you’re done, since this display of candles might not be totally steady.
Check back soon for part two of this blog.

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For Real....

Taking a cue from Kimba and her take on showing what really goes on behind the scenes of carefully snapped photos, I thought I'd show you the photos of my perfect-Martha Stewart-inspired cookie-decorating moment. Remember I said I was going to try my hand at these?

You probably had your doubts, didn't you? Because, you know, I am not a baking/cooking blog am I? Sure, I throw out the odd recipe here and there. But known for my attention to culinary detail, I am not.

Who says I'm not?

After all, this is how mine turned out:

Can't tell the difference, can you?

I can explain:

Here are some behind the scenes photos of our cookie-decorating:

Baking them was the easy part...

Especially when your husband takes over once boredom (mine) sets in...

Sophie and a friend helped me decorate them. Of course, Royal icing and I are not friends, so it got too stiff too soon, and the complaints started...

Then I had the great idea of heating the bottles up for seven seconds to soften the icing. Sounds good in theory, except when you hit the three button along with the seven button...

That is what happens when the top of the bottle blows off and the icing starts spewing out of the bottle, decorating the inside of my micro-wave... (I promise I didn't swear, out loud, in front of the girls). Of course, the icing hardened immediately, and I had to chip it off the walls of the micro-wave. Charming...

Did I tell you how much I hate Royal icing? Now I know a few of you are clucking your tongues, thinking that hate is not a very nice word. No, it isn't, but surely it's okay to hate an inanimate object?

Anyway, I decorated six cookies in total. They looked like this:

If you squint, they look really nice!! Squint extra hard when looking at the angel!

**Someone needs to tell Martha Stewart that decorating four dozen cookies all fancy-like, is a really dumb idea. I should march right over to her blog and tell her myself. Only I won't, because it's Christmas after all...and I think leaving mean comments on people's blogs is really nasty!

So, for all of you with secrets to share, cough them up!!

Where am I??

I just got back from a visit to my husband's family home. One turkey dinner down, two more to go.

It's a tough job...

The talented and sweet Tanya of Sunday Baker invited me to be a guest blogger for her holiday series. Now you all know I didn't offer up any baking tips, but if you want to see what I did do with some candy, head on over!!

So sweet, my teeth ache!

This weekend will find me busy visiting, eating, and strolling familiar streets with my favourite handyman. Peeking in shop windows, sipping coffee, opening a few gifts and having an early turkey dinner. No more school lunches, early wake-up calls...we are on vacation.

Christmas has begun.

Enjoy all the sweet things that have caught my eye lately.

I am so going to make these cookies..or at least try:

photo: Martha Stewart.com

While I already have my stash of Christmas crackers, these beauties from Cath Kidston are oh, so lovely!

Not to mention these doggy ornaments, too (and I don't even have a dog...):

Oh how I wish I had one of these trucks...at least for the holidays! Can you imagine bringing home your Christmas tree in that??!! It would be great for Christmas card shoots, too...

(above two photos: Sundance.com)

Hoping you all have a restful, enjoyable weekend. Stop buying and start wrapping...unless you're just starting, of course!!

Oh, and watch a holiday movie, won't you??

(watching Rudolph...for the millionth time!!)

Decorate for the Holidays Inexpensively - Part Two

Tea light candles are extremely cheap. You can find them at dollar stores easily most of the time. Use tea light candles in clean glass jars. The jars can even be recycled jars that your food items came in, such as applesauce jars or mayonnaise jars. Tie a red, silver, green, or sparkly ribbon around the neck of the jar. Group a few of these candles together on end tables or a mantle for an easy, pretty decoration.

Try looking at thrift stores or discount stores for teddy bears or other holiday animals. Put them through the wash, and most of them will look brand new. When they're dry, tie colorful ribbons around their necks. Next, collect various sizes of boxes from shoebox size down. Wrap them in colorful wrapping paper and tie pretty bows around them. Display these present boxes with the teddy bears for an adorable decorating scheme. Try gluing a box under a bear's arm, or have a bear sitting on a present.

Hang a few ornaments or a few strands of tinsel from a chandelier. You can add a few pieces of greenery too, tied on with ribbon.

Use acrylic paint and some seasonally shaped sponges that you can find in a craft store to decorate your windows. Colors like white, red, green, gold, or silver look very festive. This can be a fun project that kids might like to participate in too.

Christmas tree ornaments can be used in places other than just your tree. Try picking out several ornaments that are the same color and putting them in a small decorative bowl on your mantle or on an end table.

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Christmas Greetings...

Are you a Christmas card person or not?

Me? I definitely am. In fact, I think it is one of the traditions that I refuse to let go by the wayside in these modern times of e-greetings, Facebook, and general abandonment of mail that you actually post. I have noticed a serious decline in the number of actual cards I have gotten in the mail this year. Now, perhaps nobody likes me, but I think it speaks more to the fact that fewer folks are actually bothering to send any out.

So sad...

(the photo winner)

I do know that taking our annual holiday photo can be stressful, with the boys groaning and scowling at having to go outside/dress up/ smile upon cue. I have taken photos under the tree, by the fire, on our front stoop, but I do seem to be upping the ante and trying to out-do myself each year in getting the perfect pose. Obviously this adds to the boys' irritation, but do I care? In word, no.

You see, I consider these photos my gift to myself. I know my children will be grown and gone someday, and I will no longer spit-shine little (and not so little) faces and photograph them for our holiday cards. I will join the (dwindling) number of people who purchase a boxed set of cards and simply sign their name. This collection of Christmas cards is my photo montage of Christmases past. I can easily see how they have changed each year, and smile at how they cast aside their grumpiness at being photographed and delivered smiles that were worthy of being sent to friends and family. I can laugh at the memories of me yelling at them to stop goofing around, fidgeting, complaining. Because I am honest: I am a bossy photographer. And if you tell me that photographing your kids is all roses and sunshine I will not believe you...especially if two of them are basically teenagers.

After the dust has settled, and the kids have peeled off their holiday finery and have been placated with a few candy canes or two (yes, that still works...), I head off to develop my photos - hoping that they will reflect the fact that these are good children, who eventually come through with a genuine smile for their mother, and who know that cooperating is a gift they can give me that costs nothing.

And it is one that I know will bring tears to my eyes when they have moved on and formed their own families.

...And I dearly hope that they will follow in my footsteps and immortalize their own children's charm in a Christmas card...and send one to me!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

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**If you want to see more great Christmas card ideas, check out Tip Junkie and her holiday card contest finalists.

**To see some of my previous holiday cards go here, and here.

My Tribute to...A Christmas Story.

***For those that recognize it, this is indeed a repost. However, my love for this movie is going strong, so I thought I'd take you on a trip "back in time".

photo source: http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/

In my humble opinion, the very best Christmas movie ever made is "A Christmas Story", the story of little Ralphie who dreams of getting a Red Rider bb gun. I have watched it every year since it came out, and it is a definite family favourite. In fact, I hold special feelings for Ralphie and his younger brother, Randy...as they remind me of my two boys when they were a bit younger. I love their sweet, but spirited mother and their rough around the edges and cussin' father...who eventually softens and comes through in the end for Ralphie with the gift of his dreams. I love it all: little Randy being stuffed into his snowsuit, barely able to walk; the Life Buoy soap episode; the Ovaltine reference; the pink rabbit suit; the BB gun; the nasty bully, Scut Farkus, who eventually gets his due; and of course, my favourite scene of all...the Triple Dog Dare scene where poor Flik gets his tongue stuck to the flagpole in the school yard! I especially love all the kitschy vintage stuff: the overloaded tinsel on the family Christmas tree, the house itself, and the masterpiece of them all, the "Leg Lamp". I honestly can say I love each and every character, scene, and even the Bumpus' crazy dogs!!

So, like everything I set my mind on, I have searched out as much memorabilia for a Christmas tree decorated in homage to my favourite movie...I have bought and received all the tree ornaments I could track down locally, and even retooled some Christmas cards based on the movie into some great picture ornaments for my tree. My next goal is to pick up these figurines of all the characters (which I've seen online) and to get myself some reproduction lights for my little tree, in keeping with the theme. I draw the line at getting the actual leg lamp, as it is for sale at a store in Halifax for the "bargain price" of $299 ...!!! So for now, enjoy the tour of that which I do have and my tribute to the greatest Christmas movie ever made!!

Ralphie all geared up...

The dreaded pink bunny...

Triple Dog Dare...

As close to their vintage stove as I could get...and the leg lamp...

Poor Randy...can't move at all!

Fra-gi-le...and the snowball that started "the Fight"...

This fridge is from Hallmark...notice the holiday turkey...and the little snowman in the freezer...

Don't forget about Santa...

...and last, but not least, Ralphie!!

Well, that's all folks! So, HO...HO...HO... and "Deck the hars wit boughs of rory...fa ra ra ra ra...ra ra ra ra!!! If you have no idea what I'm talking about...watch the movie!!!!!!!

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Now, in the spirit of joining in, go and check out the rest of the Christmas posts over at Kimba's.

Decorate for the Holidays Inexpensively - Part One

Many people do not have a lot in their budget for holiday decorating this year. But, you would be surprised how many nice decorations you can create very inexpensively. You may not end up needing to buy any full priced decorations.

Before you buy any decorations or any materials for the following ideas, or spend any time making any of these decorations, take the time to plan out your decorating theme. This can save you time and money that you might spend experimenting, so it makes sense to plan. Some people like to decorate with a more classy looking theme, consisting of a lot of white, clear, silver and shimmery decorations. Some people may find this boring and opt to decorate using more vibrant colors in a toy land theme for example. Some people like to go with a more subtle cabin or ski lodge decoration scheme that will look warm and cozy.

Use what you can for free from your back yard. Trim small branches from pine trees and gather pine cones and holly. These can all be used to make a centerpiece, or to decorate a mantle. Pine cones can be spray painted with gold, silver, or sparkley paint.
Pine tree branches can be used as an accent to almost any decoration, and they smell nice too, so be liberal when you are gathering them. If you have bird houses in your back yard that are going to waste during the cold months, bring them inside. Wash them off, and tie ribbons around them. Add a couple small pine branches, and you have a beautiful hanging decoration.

Check back soon for part two of this blog.

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A little look-see...

One of my favourite decorations...

Can't beat glitter and bottle brush trees...

Since I feel like I showed you more than enough photos of my holiday decor last year, I will only show a couple more. Last fall, after re-doing my master bedroom, I couldn't bring myself to do anything too festive to the space so soon. This year, however, all bets were off, and I brought out the quilt my mother gave to me a few years ago. It is toile on one side, and red ticking stripe on the other. I also hung red toile curtains I bought four years ago and only hang for the holidays.

Because we quite literally live in our living room, I focus most of my decorating efforts on that zone. My mantel, of course, is a focal point and I really enjoy taking care in "festooning" it.

I also am happy with the holiday view from my sofa. I lit my banister and the light flickers against the profiles I made earlier in the year.

I think these two (all gussied up for Sophie's Christmas concert) make the living room look even better. Now we are officially finished with all concerts and basketball games until after Christmas. Now is the time for wrapping, baking (?), getting together with friends, and waiting for Santa. It feels like Christmas...

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If you want to see more holiday tours, check out Julia's Hooked on Houses blog for some great decorating ideas. And if that's not enough for you, head on over to Boo Mama for more!!

Quickly Ready your Home for Guests

Getting your home ready for guests can turn into a big ordeal. Here are a few bare essentials you can take care of quickly that will make your home look plenty ready for guests during the holidays.

First, go outside and look at what your guests will see as they walk to your front door. If there are any ice patches to spread salt on or snow to be shoveled take care of that first. Maybe the front house light is burned out and in need of replacement. Set a couple of planters out front with Christmas plants in them such as poinsettias. Big red bows around your porch railing can look very festive and are quick and easy to tie.

Now, open the front door and check out the view. Often we have our favorite jackets, snow hats, and mittens hung over railings or on the counter tops. Gather these things up and put them away for now. You can easily get them all out again as soon as your company is gone.

Clear out a few coats from the coat closet so guests can hang their coats in it. Make room on the floor of your coat closet for guests to keep their shoes. This is especially handy if you have a dog who eats guests' shoes like I do.

Make sure there are plenty of chairs available for guests to sit in. Make sure your couches don't have excessive pillows decorating them that don't leave enough room for sitting.

Don't sweat the details on cleaning. Just wipe down visible surfaces and inside sinks. Make sure there is toilet paper, and clean the toilet if it looks dirty. Fluff the guest pillows and vacuum and sweep if you can see the floors are dirty.

Light candles and a fire if you have a fireplace as a final touch.

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Merry Matthew Mead!

Now that he has wrapped up his Entertaining Simple book tour, Matthew Mead is back home and fully immersed in all things merry and bright. His website has been refreshed for the holiday and winter season, and it delivers inspiration by the gift load! Free downloads, recipes, decorating and collecting tips, and Christmas magic that only the likes of Matthew (and perhaps Santa) can deliver. If you haven't checked it out, well...there's no time like the present!!
I cannot imagine how Matthew and his team does it, but he delivers unique ideas hand over fist... on demand...ideas I didn't even know I longed for. I guess that is what separates the pros from the dreamers...he just has it. His new website incorporates his love of gifts from nature, objets d'art; shiny, sparkly jewels; wintry white offerings like snowflakes, cool mints, frothy cakes; and belly-warming meals like meat pies to tuck into on a cold winter's day.


So head on over and send warm holiday wishes Matthew's way via his blog. Be sure to check out his holiday flip book...a glimpse into what a regular magazine bearing Matthew's name and distinct style would offer up.

Sigh...a girl can dream, can't she??