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Friday, November 28, 2014

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Hello, Friends!!  Thank you so very much for popping in to spend a few moments with me.  I hope everyone enjoyed the festivities yesterday. 

The ending of Thanksgiving for most signifies that it's time to begin the shopping season, and head out into the crowds for Black Friday.  Years ago in my youth, I worked in retail, and I can recollect too many stories of people frustrated with the long lines, arguing over items, and the general unrest.  No thank you, very much.  Lol.  Personally, I prefer a relaxing day at home and I use this time to begin my Christmas decorating. 

When I decorate for the seasons, more often than not, I begin by decorating the front door.  I love mixing elements to make something that is uniquely my own.  In today's post, I am making a door swag fit for the Christmas season.  I hope you enjoy.

I began with this beautiful door swag I found at Hobby Lobby.  I loved the combination of conifers, foliage, and cranberries, added with the charm of apples!  I get very excited to find items such as these, which were 50% off each!  If you've read my blog, you know I have double doors, so any time I feel I am getting two for the price of one, it makes me feel good.  :)


At the top of each swag is a very pliable and bendable hook.
 

A few months ago, I bought a couple sets of nesting bells.  These bells are really pretty, with lots of glitter.
 

Each bell includes a small ring on top for hanging.
 

I simply threaded the swag hanger through the ring.


Here is a shot of the swags on the doors.
 

To add a little more Christmas charm, I decided to add bows.  The swag reminded me of the mountains, so I chose to use Ettrick Tartan.  This pattern, which is not typically traditional for Christmas, reminds me of warm, cozy flannel shirts or jackets made of Buffalo Plaid you might wear while up in the mountains.
 

I wanted to make a bow that had no hanging ribbons, because I wanted the bells to be the focal point of each swag.  Here is my process.

Begin by laying your ribbon out and folding over to the right.  I made sure to use a wired ribbon, because they are easy to mold and very pliable.


  What is also fab about tartan is you can use the pattern as a guide as you fold.

 

Fold right and left, right and left.  Each fold should be smaller than the last, staggering the ribbon.  I chose to do four folds on each side, pressing each fold down.  Pressing the folds down will keep the ribbon in place as you work.


Flip over.
 

Where the loose end is at the ribbon's beginning, glue down with hot glue.
 

Press down.


Flip back over to the front of your bow.  Fold ribbon over at an angle,


and glue down.


Press and hold.


Loop the ribbon around and fold over onto itself, creating the bow's middle.
 

On the reverse side, pull tightly and glue down.


Trim.


Glue again until there are no loose frays.  Please excuse my glue gun....she works a lot. ;)


Your bow is complete!!


To add my bows to the swag, I simply threaded a bit of burlap thread through the bow's loop on the reverse side to create a hanger.
 

Almost ready to hang!


For the final step just before hanging, fluff out the folds of your bow.


Ready!!


Here are the completed swags on the doors.


Closeups of the Right


and Left.


A couple more shots.




Where to buy:

Swags, as mentioned, Hobby Lobby
Gold bells, Tai Pan Trading
Ribbon, HomeGoods



If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 
Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤




 



Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello!  Mealtime is over and things are calming down here at the Parsimonious House.  I have so many things to be thankful for; my family and friends (including lovely people I've "met" through blogging), a comfortable home, love, and laughter.  I want to say thank you for reading, thank you for your kind comments, and thank you for joining me in this little excursion I started with my first post back in March of 2013.  I also want to share a quick post of my goings on today.

What are your traditions on Thanksgiving?  Every Thanksgiving morning, I start off with homemade banana bread for breakfast.

 This year, I also made pumpkin.  The kiddos, hubby, and I devoured both!
View Post 

After a very long day of cooking, we were ready to enjoy....here's a peek.

On the menu:

Roast turkey
Orange-infused roast duck 
Garlic mashed potatoes 
Green bean casserole
Artichoke dip and french baguette
Double-baked macaroni and cheese
Candied yams
Asparagus with garlic butter
Pumpkin pie
Mini cheesecake tartlets
Cranberry dressing
Stuffing (in and out of fowl)
Hawaiian rolls
Turkey gravy
Apple turnover


Is there something you cook every year without fail?  Do you use a recipe book, your own recipes, or those that have been passed down to you from family and friends?  My menu is always a combination of all three.  Most of my cooking has been passed on to me from family, and I use books to bake; appetizers sometimes come from friends. 

At these times, the holidays can be bittersweet.    As I basted my turkey, nostalgia stirs and I reminisced my grandmother's cooking; her wise words, her flair, her beauty, and her strength.  As I thumbed through the pages of The Joy of Cooking, which was passed down to me from my mother-in law, I thought of her.  I know they are blessed and cared for where they are, but they are still missed, so it can be tough.  I hope everyone out in bloggersphere had a beautiful day with those you love, and that those passed on are with you and I forever in our hearts. God Bless.  



If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 
Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

 




Friday, November 14, 2014

Set Your Table With Flair--Christmas Dessert and Tea

Hello, Friends!  Welcome, and thank you for visiting my blog.

Christmas is just around the corner, can you believe it!!?  In honor of Cuisine Kathleen's Bundt Cake Challenge, today I am sharing the first Christmas tablescape of the season.  I hope you enjoy the post!

My table began with a dark, dramatic red damask cloth.  The theme of my table is semi-formal, so each setting is very simple.  For the plate stack, I started with a silver charger, followed by red transfer ware.


Here is a peek of the pattern.  I love the horse-drawn carriages depicted on the plate.

Simple white whipstitched plates were topped with vibrant red napkins.



The centerpiece was created by using a tip from a pin I found on Pinterest.


I made a lattice pattern across the mouth of a large bowl,


and added flowers.


As luck would have it (or bad luck, depending on how I'm handling this age thing, lol), yesterday was my birthday.  My darling hubby sent me this adorable arrangement.  Isn't he sweet!!?  Woof!!


The red and white carnations from yesterday's gift were incorporated into today's arrangement, along with quite a bit of the green.


Red candles in clear candleholders were placed at either side of the arrangement.


Ombré silver glasses and crystal goblets were added to the setting along with a silver cup.  I wanted the desserts to be the main focal point, so I opted to only place settings on the front and two sides of the table.  My tea service and tray along with an extra teapot (just in case) was placed on the other side of the table along with the dessert displays.  Finally, silver flatware placed in a casual manner completed the setting.

Here are a few more shots. 










Now, onto the cake!!!


I must say, I don't bake bundt often, and I was intimidated....especially after seeing all the beauty linked up at Kathleen's.  Here is a look at the pan I purchased specifically for this challenge....sort of simple.


Being that the pan was very simple, I added some special elements to the cakes.  I used this mold (pan?) to make snowflake candy melts, and garnished the plated cakes with the snowflakes along with fresh cranberries, rosemary sprigs, and powdered sugar.


Here is a look after I added the sugar. Is it Christmas yet!!??  I can hardly wait!




The cakes were a simple chocolate cake recipe from Hershey that I use all the time.  If you want to read about the whole process, you may do so on my other blog Parsimonious Pabulum by clicking here.  I also used the remaining batter to make the walnut torte you see featured.  The recipe for the torte is also shown on the post.


From my collection:

Damask cloth, Martha Stewart Living
Silver chargers, generic
Red transfer ware, Staffordshire Engravings 17th Century, local antique
White whipstitch plates,  Ralph Lauren Whipstitch Collection, Horchow
Silver Platter and cups, Reed and Barton Silversmiths, local antique
Silver tea service, Godinger Hotel Collection, Horchow/Neiman Marcus
Extra teapot, Oneida Wm. Rogers & Son Collection
Silver Bowl used in arrangement, Ralph Lauren Wentworth Collection
Cake stand (for torte), Ralph Lauren Pavilion Footed Cake Stand
Crystal goblets, Godinger Dublin Collection, Horchow/Neiman Marcus
Ombré glasses, local antique
Flatware, Wallace Antique Baroque Collection, Horchow/Neiman Marcus
Bundt, HomeGoods
Antique Tea Napkins, Local Vintage. 


Be sure to use either of the links above to visit the National Bundt Cake Day Challenge!!  Thank you for visiting!



If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 
Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤