Stencil It So

Ah, the days of the stencil...and they're back again!

My earliest memories of stencil-made-decor go back to Mom, who was the eternal painter in our house. If it wasn't nailed to the floor, she'd paint it: baskets, chairs, wooden geese, anything. On that note: what was up with the geese in 1980's home decor? I remember my Mom, in her paint clothes, carefully balancing herself on a chair while stenciling geese - yep, more geese - onto the wall, a border of feathered friends all the way around the room. And you bet your bottoms those geese were in 'country blue.'

Honk if you heart geese!
*ring ring* Hello...1983 called, and they want their goose stencil back.

Today, when you search for "stencil" on Etsy, you get 19,297 results...and not a goose in sight. 

Today's stencil prints are Moroccan tiles, damask and paisley, while others are simply classic numbers and letters. And they're an extremely affordable, fun way to make a statement.

The next time you're having company, roll out the Scotch postal wrapping paper (the big brown roll, available at any department store or office supply store) and use stencils to add names, phrases or occasion wishes. Bam - instant table topper. (Happy Birthday, Krista!)

A simple, stylish way to customize any table top for any occasion.

Burlap banners are popping up on Etsy and Pinterest as well. Here's one Shelley made for my house during the holidays. Festive, no? 

You can DIY this banner with burlap, twine, stencils and paint.
Fold the burlap flags over the twine and seal with a glue gun.

Some of my favorite stencils are from Martha Stewart because they are clean and classic. They're available for purchase online at Kmart.com.

Got ideas for what else you'd like to see stenciled? Send 'em my way and I'll feature them.

Where's the Bloody Bar?

If you read the title of this one, you might think I've gone British. Everything sounds better in a British accent, right? "Where's the bloody bar?" could be interpreted as a plea to be directed to the nearest pub while in the UK.

On the contrary, I'm channeling you breakfast boozers to bring you the "how-to" on hosting a Bloody Mary Bar at your next brunch.

Bloody Mary's are popular with the Sunday brunch crowd, as many find the combination of vodka, spicy juice and pickled garnishes the "hair of the dog" needed to get through the morning. Others just think they're tasty. Regardless of your reason, it's easy to offer your guests a do-it-yourself Bloody Bar that allows everyone to have it as they please.

Setting up your Bloody Bar requires a few key ingredients.

A spicy Mary? Tasty. A salty Mary? Yum.
A virgin Mary? Nah. There's nothing virgin about me after a couple Bloody Mary's. 

THE SAUCE
Tomato juice is the base of a Bloody Mary, but standard tomato juice doesn't cut it. There are many varieties of pre-made Bloody Mary mixes to try, each with their own jazzed-up flavors & spices. Two of my favorites are Simply Stirrings (found in most liquor stores and grocery stores that sell liquor) and McClure's (found online and in high-end specialty grocers).

Regardless of what mix you use, you should also have some Tabasco sauce on hand for guests to adjust the Bloody to their desired spice level. Hey - some like it hot.

THE SPIRITS
Vodka, brand of your choice.

THE "SNACKS"
I consider "snacks" all of the fun garnishes you can add to a Bloody Mary. Celery stalks are a must. If your guests like it salty, serve up olives, gherkin pickles and pearl onions, all found in the same aisle of the grocery store. For a heartier cocktail, add pepperoni and cheese cubes. All of the aforementioned accoutrements should be stuck on toothpicks or threaded on small wooden skewers for a little extra panache. 

Put out plenty of lime wedges, glasses and ice, and let the brunch boozing begin.

You say tomato, I say to-mah-to...
eh, who cares? Let's get drunk on Bloody Mary's.

Cheers!

Save the Best for Last: Fast Forward to 12/31/13

A New Year...and with it, new ideas, new energy and a renewed sense of "This is the year I finally [fill in the blank with your resolution]!"

I'm not immune to that energy. In fact, I'm caught up in it, right there with you. As do many, I'm resolving to focus on my fitness - and, I've been to the gym every day since January 1st. (Pay no mind it's January 2nd.) But, as time ticks on, we become mired in the daily grind. Career, family and commitments cry for attention, and in the end, we put ourselves - and our resolutions - last. What started out as an annual challenge lasted for a mere few weeks.

Now, what if - what IF - there was a way to guarantee we celebrated the successes of our year? This might be the easiest resolution you make in the New Year, and it just might bring you the most happiness.

START THE JAR
This week, start the year with an empty jar. It can be a Mason jar, a fancy jar or any other type of jar you wish. Next, place a pen and Post-It notes or small pad of paper near the jar.

Now, fill it with good things that happen throughout the year. Celebrate successes, capture cherished moments - just be sure to jot them down. Nothing is too big or too small to celebrate.

One jar + one pen + one pad of paper = countless memories.

Fast forward to New Year's Eve. With your significant other, family, friends, or in a quiet moment alone, picture yourself reaching into that jar and slip after slip, reading about all of the amazing happenings of the past year. Imagine being able to sit in a place of gratitude for the year and relive all of those memories.

That's it. Kind of like saving pennies for a rainy day, think of this as saving up for the best pay day of all at the end of the year.

SHARE THE JAR
If you're inspired, pick up a jar and pen and paper for your friends and family. Dress them up with a ribbon or sack them in a gift bag and share this idea with them. Who knows? Maybe you'll all share your jars, together, on New Year's Eve

Whatever memories you capture this year, I hope your jar is jammed full.

Let It (Sugar) Snow

With Christmas only a few days away, I bet you’ve already trimmed your tree. But, with a quick trip to the grocery or a sweep of your kitchen, you can gather the simple ingredients to quickly craft fantastic winter accents.

FROSTED ROSEMARY & CRANBERRIES

Green boughs and bright red berries covered in a light, fresh frost easily conjure holiday thoughts. You can create this look with 4 inexpensive ingredients:
 

1. Water
2. Sugar
3. Rosemary
4. Cranberries

Sugared rosemary and cranberries aside a Yule Log dessert.
Concept adapted from and photo courtesy of one of my
favorite magazines, The Local Palate.

• Make a simple syrup using 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil and set aside to cool.
• Cover a shallow dish with sugar. Next to the sugar dish, place a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
• Drop a fresh sprig of rosemary into the cooled syrup, turning to ensure it’s lightly coated. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into the sugar.
• Roll the rosemary sprig in the sugar to coat it evenly on all sides and place the sprig on the parchment paper to dry.
• Repeat with additional rosemary and cranberries.

 

I love this accent because the supplies are fresh and edible – meaning they make great garnishes for cakes, desserts and place settings.

SUGAR SNOW

This one is about as easy as it sounds. Sugar makes an excellent snow stand-in when creating a holiday centerpiece. Simply fill a glass bowl or vase of your choice with sugar and then dress it up with an endless assortment of items.

One of my recent creations. This inexpensive glass bowl becomes
elegant table decor whenyou add sugar and a miniature
tree from the local craft store.

 

• Fresh or fake greenery
• Candles (try anchoring a simple white taper in the sugar for an elegant look)
• Make a terrarium with small birds, trees, pinecones and other items from your local craft store

Here's a sparkly and minty winter terrarium, courtesy of Sew Can Do.

Wherever you live and wherever you roam this holiday season, if you want snow, now you can create your own winter wonderland inside.

Cheers!

A 'Woodsy Couture' Christmas

Each year, a dear group of friends head to Brantingham Lake in the Adirondacks to stay in a historic family cabin nestled in the woods. There, we share libations, delicious home-cooked meals and a stunning view of the mountains.

While our duffel bags are crammed with thermals, flannel and wool, we occasionally bust out what's affectionately known as woodsy couture - where wildnerness meets 'wow.' Picture fur-lined trapper hats partnered perfectly with tailored vests. It's like watching "Man vs. Wild" and "Project Runway" at the same time.

Our last trip to Brantingham inspired me to bring this same woodsy couture home for the holidays.


A homemade burlap runner, salvaged tree stump and an array of
oranges, clementines and kumquats set this rustic table. A few
deer antlers nestled in moss bring the great outdoors in.

Nature-inspired decor is hard to avoid. Whether Restoration Hardward is selling faux fur throws or Crate&Barrel is launching a new wicker woven basket line, out(doors) is in. I took some of these same basic principles and applied them to my Christmas decor.

My dearest friend Shelley took 'woodsy couture' to a whole
new level when she created this gift wrapping: durable brown
kraft paper, torn flannel (sourced from thrift store shirts) and
twine. A sprig of fresh greenery completes the natural look.

If you want to replicate this rustic look, start with the following tips.

Get outside. Whether you live downtown or in the suburbs, take yourself to the nearest nature spot. If you come to my house for dinner, you'll find something I brought in from the backyard - regardless of the season. Trees, plants and rocks abound; find interesting ways to use them, by displaying them in vases, in bowls or simply laid amongst the table setting.

Use fresh vs. faux. A bag of clementines costs $3.99 while apples are $.99 a pound (read: cheaper than that fancy hurricane from Pottery Barn). Arrange fresh fruits or vegetables in a bowl or place a piece at each placesetting. And, after they're displayed, you can eat them! Functional AND fabulous.

Tone it down. Mimic the tones you see in the current season. While summer bears bright yellow lemons and purple hydrangeas, winter brings darker, muted colors. An accent color - like red, orange or even white - plays better in the cooler months. (Example: my table above is nearly all neutral colors except for the orange fruit.)

Keep it simple, and you'll make Mother Nature proud while also impressing your guests.

I'm Back...& Bringing Some Simple Holiday Apps

Friends, it's been quite some time since we've connected here. So, hello. How are you? How are things?

The Fellow here, and I'm back from a self-imposed sabbatical. The reasons are numerous, but don't think it's because I've lost my desire to share all things fab. In fact, these last few weeks have re-energized me to keep the content coming for you: ways to host, decorate, dine and, in general, add delight to your life.

So, on with it. The holidays. When did THAT happen, right? I take a blogging break and the next thing you know, we've blown through Thanksgiving, and before the turkey was cold on the table, a flurry of holiday prep is happening as snow flurries are nearly upon us.

When the holidays draw near, so do we to our family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. No doubt you've already attended your fair share of open houses and cocktail parties, and you may even have a few more on your schedule before December 25th.

Whether you plan to host yourself or simply provide a snack at someone else's soiree, I'm collecting & sharing easy yet tasty appetizers that will make your holidays shine.

BAKED BRIE
This one has recently gotten lots of 'repinning' from my Pinterest board, so it seems you're interested!

1 small wheel of Brie cheese (8 oz)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of preserves

1 tube of crescent roll dough

Unroll crescent dough on an oven-safe pie pan or baking sheet. Place the brie wheel in the middle. Top with the preserves; recommendations include blackberry, mixed berry or fig. Wrap the crescent dough around the top of the cheese and bake according to dough directions, typically 8 - 10 minutes until dough is golden brown. Serve with crackers.

 

MOM'S CHEESEBALL

 

This is my mom's almost-famous cheeseball recipe - a real down-home version. I couldn't think of a snazzier name because...well, it's a cheeseball. Just let it suffice to say that I used to skip the actual meal just to have more of this.

 

2 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese

1 small onion, diced

2 - 6 oz packages of dried/chipped beef, diced (in the lunch meat section of the grocery)

2 tbsp of Miracle Whip

1 tsp of garlic salt or garlic powder

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (if desired)

 

Allow the cream cheese to sit at room temperature until soft. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 1 hour. Garnish the cheeseball with chopped parsley before serving if desired. Serve with crackers.



 

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These are 2 simple stand-bys to get you started. In the coming days, I'll continue sharing more appetizer ideas as well as tips for holiday decorating, festive drinks and more. No matter how hectic your holidays, my quick tips will help you celebrate big in simple ways.

 

Cheers, friends!

"Could You Please Pass the Jelly?"

Do you remember the Polaner All Fruit commercial? I'm dating myself here, as the YouTube video clip of this is from 1989...and yep, that still counts as the '80s.

In it, a sophisticated dinner party politely asks for and passes around the "all fruit" (referred to by name) until one seemingly Southern (read: redneck) gentleman exclaims "Would you please pass the jelly?" while the other guests bemoan his uncouthness.

Oh, here - just watch it.



Yep...he called it jelly.


In the words of our goofy commercial guest, "What in tarnation does this have to do with entertainin'?" Lots, if you're ready to see how jellies and preserves can step up your appetizer platters.

My favorite pairing for preserves is brie cheese. If you haven't yet experimented with brie, don't be afraid, and do it now. Brie is a soft cow's cheese named after the French region it is thought to be originated from. Because it's mild, it pairs exceptionally well with a sweet accompaniment like preserves.

Here, brie is paired with fig preserves. Cured meats, grilled pita bread,
grapes and fresh dates add to this perfect pre-brunch platter.

If you're in a hurry, the preserves can stand alone when paired with assorted cheeses, crackers and nibbles. But, if you have a little more time - say, 15 minutes - you can make a fabulous appetizer that comes off high-end without the fuss.

I made this baked brie app for an early Easter dinner and it quickly became the favorite. The recipe is so easy I can't even pretend to put it into recipe format, so here it goes.

Baked brie, pre-bake...

1. Take one roll of refrigerated crescent roll dough (I use Pilsbury).
2. Unroll half of the dough onto a baking sheet.
3. Place a small wheel of brie in the middle (Look for a small wheel of Brie President cheese in the specialty cheese section of your grocer).
4. Top with 1/4 - 1/3 cup of preserves (I like Smucker's Three Berry preserves from their Orchard's Finest line).
5. Lift the dough up and wrap it around the cheese, securing at the top with the extra remaining dough as needed.
6. Bake the crescent dough as directed (usually at 350 for 12 minutes).

...and out of the oven.

The dough browns, the cheese melts and the preserves go gooey to give this a sweet touch. Be sure to serve with crackers.

Now, who says jelly ain't sophisticated?