National Poinsettia Day

December 12th is National Poinsettia Day.  Who knew?

Poinsettia Facts!

So pretty!

Milk Glass is not just for cottages and weddings!

An elegant way to display a collection of milk glass vases is to fill them with vibrant Christmas colored silk florals and they will look simply stunning.

These are actually the silks from my Christmas wedding, now recycled!
I am enjoying the display over my fireplace.

 

Where did that little guy come from?

Christmas Time

We decorated our Christmas tree weeks ago which was a bit early. I don't mind as my daughter is now 5 and she totally understands how important this wonderful holiday is.  It was recently "J" week at her preschool and we sang in the car on the way to school, "Joy to the World".
She melted my heart when she said, "Jesus is a wonderful 'J' word!"

I am really cherishing handmade ornaments more than ever.  When my baby was only two, she made this little tree ornament from popsicle sticks.  Why the "B"?   That was her favorite letter and she decided that she wanted one on her tree. 

Ever since I can remember, her favorite color was purple.  Right before she turned 5, she discovered the cartoon, "Olivia" who wears red.  Her new favorite color is red.  I think it is so awesome to love such a bright Christmas color!  I am really digging it too.  I ordered myself a few winter items from the bean that are red.  I really wish I could order these:

Due to allergies, we will have to wait.  Hopefully we won't have to wait too long.

HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

Oh my gosh!  I just had to share some of the pictures we took at a local Hot Air Balloon Festival.  Apparently, every year this race is held at the Statesville airport in North Carolina.  It is an entire weekend filled with fun activities.  We only went for one afternoon.  We really enjoyed watching all the different balloons fill up and float away.  When the first one lifted off, the entire crowd cheered!  It was so cool!

My mom said that they are simply the neatest things to see floating in the sky.

My daughter waved as they floated away and said, "Good-bye people!"

Jack-O-Lanterns

We used some vintage mason jars to make our own jack-o-lanterns by sticking painter's tape cut into triangles for the faces.

Paint one coat of orange acrylic craft paint.

Let the paint dry a little bit and then peel off the tape before it is completely dried.

I waited until it was completely dry and when I peeled the tape off, the paint peeled off a bit so I had to use an exacto knife to trace the shapes before completely removing them.  Let them dry several hours or overnight.

TA -DA!

Halloween Jarkins 

(That's what my daughter named them.)

We are going to use battery operated tea lights in ours for safety.

Happy Halloween!

Fall = Apples!

My very dear friend, Elizabeth, shared some apples that her son brought home from his recent trip to Virginia. (Thank you Randy!)

They were so pretty that I just had to take a picture. (I am thinking of a nice sketch.)  They were so delicious that they only lasted long enough for this photo shoot.  I created this display by using two separate pieces of milk glass that are for sale in my etsy shop.

Golden Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli

My mom always made the best mashed potatoes, and our entire family loves them.  We look forward to having them around the holidays.  The strangest thing is that she never likes to eat them.  Go figure.  Anyway, I found a sneaky and healthy way for her to try them this way:

About 10 small Yukon gold potatoes cut in 1 inch pieces (or any organic potatoes) peeled or leave the skins on if you prefer.
About 2-3 cups of fresh chopped broccoli, just rough chop, nothing too crazy

2-4 TBSP of sour cream

1-2 TBSP of Smart Balance (or butter if you prefer the extra calories)

About 1/3 cup to ½ cup organic milk (or whatever kind of milk you like)

First steam the potatoes with the broccoli (it looked like 1/2 potatoes and 1/2 broccoli after I put it in the pot) covered, for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  I love to use my cheap, stainless, little steamer basket that fits into just about any pan.

When they are done, drain or scoop potatoes and broccoli with a slotted spoon and put into a separate large bowl.  

Add sour cream and butter (I just eyeballed it, and used however much I felt like.)

Mash with a masher or a fork.  These are mashed potatoes people, not whipped!  If you want them whipped, they may turn out looking too green, like for St. Patrick's day.  Hmmm, not a bad idea.  Anyway, slowly add milk to the consistency of your liking.

Finish with a dash of salt and/or pepper, or whatever seasonings you like and enjoy!

I held my breath when my mom tried them.  She actually really liked these mashed potatoes.

I just wish I took a picture of her eating them so that I could prove to my family that she actually ate mashed potatoes.  It's okay.  She has already asked me to make them again.