Gifts Galore Part 3: Homemade with Love

Considering it's mid-January, I think it's time we wrap up this holiday gift series, don't you?  I thought about leaving this post out all together but the gifts are so unique and heartfelt I just had to share them, even if it's just a record for years to come so I can look back and remember what I got for Christmas in 2010.

First, I received some very special homemade gifts from my Grandma D (whose famous Christmas cookies I shared with you here).  She knitted J and me beautiful scarves to keep us warm this winter along with some house goods that will add a great deal of cheer to our kitchen.  She cross-stitched pictures and the names of fruit on large white kitchen towels, perfect for decorating our oven door or using to help get fresh bread dough to rise.   Here is a little collection of the towels--aren't they bright, fun and just a little bit retro.  I love them and love them even more because I know my grandma made them especially for me!

She also sent us several crocheted wash clothes which we have been using almost daily.  These are great because the holes from crocheting allow the cloths to dry quickly which avoids any mold or musty smells from taking hold.  My favorite is the bright yellow one!

Next, J and I received a very unique and special gift that we will definitely use come football season next year!  It is no secret that J and I root for different football teams: he, being a good Nebraska boy, the Huskers and I, Notre Dame's Fighting Irish.  Therefore, his mom had a bowling ball made for display in our home to let everyone know where our loyalties lie.  

I envision us switching which side faces the front next year based on which game we are watching.  

With Nebraska joining the Big Ten, it might not be that many years before Notre Dame and the Huskers have a rematch game!  That will be a challenging day for our marriage.

The final homemade gift we received was from my brother Dan and was also football related.  This requires a bit of back story however.  My grandparents (the ones who sent us the homemade gifts featured above) are very avid Minnesota Vikings fans and have some of the best tailgate parties during the games.  A vital part of the games, however, was the foam brick, painted in its purple and gold, which was always perched on a TV tray, ready for action.  This was used during games to throw at the TV when the referee or coach made a bad call.  It was and is a great way to get out frustration during the game without doing actual harm to yourself, the TV or those around you!  Dan made a brick for each of us, again with our team colors on them.  I am hoping I won't have to use my brick too much during next year's season, but I will be ready just in case!

So there you have it, part three of our holiday gift series.  Did you get or give anything handmade for Christmas this year?  I'm always looking for homemade gifts (in fact giving all homemade gifts for Christmas one year is number 74 on my 130 list) so let's hear it!

Gifts Galore, Part One: Technology

J and I received an embarrassment of riches from our families for Christmas this year.  I thought I would recap some of the things we can't wait to get our hands on through a series of blog posts, grouped by theme.  As you can see from the blog post title, he first of these is technology.

J's mom Brenda was very generous and got me something I had wanted for a while.  In fact, I added it to this wish list.

What was it, you ask?  Adobe Photoshop Elements 9!

When not spending time with family and friends during this busy season, I have been playing with the software and love it!  

Want to know the best part?  I can cross off number 54 off of my 130 Before I'm Thirty list!  So be sure to stay tuned as there will be fun pictures and graphics heading your way once I figure out the software (also known as crossing off number 53 on my list).

Did anyone else get something they really wanted for Christmas, technology themed or otherwise?  What about tips for using Photoshop?  I'm all ears!

A Christmas Tradition

Last week J and I received a wonderful present just in time for Christmas.  I was so excited that I opened it and got it all set up even though we were leaving later that day for Omaha to spend Christmas with J's family.  Here it is:

A Fontanini Nativity scene!  

I almost started crying when I opened the box because growing up my parents had a Fontanini Nativity scene and now J and I have one of our own!  Growing up, my mom would hide the baby Jesus until Christmas day, when he would appear in the manger.  Meanwhile, Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, sheep and angels would wait patiently all of Advent for that little baby Jesus to appear that morning.  

I can't wait to start this tradition with our children some day with our very own set!

Woods of course had to interrupt my photo shoot.  This picture tells you one of two things:

• Woods is a giant cat
• The size of Fontanini nativity scenes.

Thanks so much Maureen and Joe!

His and Hers Christmas Gifts

I hope everyone had a peaceful and lovely Christmas.  On this Monday after Christmas, I thought I would share with you what J and I got for each other this Christmas.  Let's just say personalized gifts was the name of the game this year.

First up, my gift to J.  While watching an episode of Modern Family (one of our favorite new shows), J admired a decanter set Marshall drank from.  That got my wheels turning.  J is more of a gin drinker than a whiskey drinker, but I figured any type of alcohol would taste great when poured out of a personalized decanter.  I also picked up two glasses for him to sip from.  

I added a little message to the back of the decanter so that years from now we would remember when and where it came from.  It's a little hard to read in the photos since gin is clear but it says Eat, Drink and Merry Christmas!

J got me a beautiful jewelry box which he personalized with a message inside.  I promised him I wouldn't share the message but here are some pictures.  The top is an etched mirror with two little birdies sitting on a branch.  The mirrored surface made it hard to get a great photo of it but it is beautiful!

It has room for lots of rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets--just what I need because right now they are all in little boxes on a shelf in my bathroom!  This means I can never find what I'm looking for since I have to open multiple little boxes each time!

I love that it has a second drawer for bigger items too!

So those where our Christmas gifts to each other this year.  I think we did pretty well and it was definitely one to remember since it was our first as a married couple and the first we've spent together in the five (almost six) years of our relationship!

What did you get your honey for Christmas this year?

Merry Christmas

Image taken from here and here originally

J, Woods and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

We will be spending the holidays with family, friends and friends who are family and hope you are doing the same! 

A Christmas Table Setting

Back when I created this table setting, I knew I wanted to create a table setting for Christmas using many, if not all, of the same objects.   I saw this dinner with JY and Ashlee as a great opportunity to create something new!   Here's what I came up with.

First, I placed our white runner across the table.  I laid our silver chargers on top to keep the white table runner white throughout the meal.  For the other two place settings, I pull out our moss green place mats.  

Next I placed our silver and gold mercury votives and the larger candlesticks on each side of the runner.  

I finished the look by stacking gold and silver ornaments, leftover from these pillars, in this glassware.

The shine and sparkle of the ornaments and votives reminded me of hundreds of tiny lights, which gave me an idea.  I went into our living room and light all of the various candles we had on our bookshelves.  Now the theme of the dinner really was a night of many lights!

Alas, the table setting was short-lived as Woods decided the ornaments looked an awful like some of his toys and took to batting them around while we tried to sleep.  Oh well, it was beautiful while it lasted!

Have you done your table setting for Christmas?  Share stories or links below.  I'm always looking for new ideas!

Over the River and Through the Woods

To Grandmother's house we go!

I used to think that song was written about my grandparents' house.  When I was little and we still lived in St. Louis, we would literally drive over the river (a few, but especially the Illinois River as you come into Peoria) and through the woods (my grandparents live in a heavily wooded area, great for exploring!) to get there.

My grandma does Christmas and Christmas decorating better than anyone I know.  Her house just oozes with the holiday spirit!  When I was there two weekends ago, I asked if I could take some pictures and share with you all some of my favorite tableaux she creates and recreates every year and she said yes. I hope one day my home can look and feel like the holidays the way my grandparents' home does and more importantly, I hope you enjoy this Christmas-themed house tour!


First up, the family Christmas tree.  This thin profile tree is crammed full of ornaments collected over the years.  I helped trim it this year and learned that some of the ornaments date back to my great-grandma's tree (my grandpa's mother)!  This tree is in the family room off of the kitchen and is in view whether you are watching a movie (like Citizen Kane) or visiting with friends and family stop by.  Best of all, you can see it from the driveway as you pull in thanks to the large windows that can be seen behind the tree.

Next, the side table in the family room.  This has always been a place to display pictures of family and friends, but at Christmas time my grandma replaces some of the pictures with Christmas cards for that year or the previous year.  I think this is a great way to display photo Christmas cards and has the ability to make any corner, like this one, special and festive.  The photos are guarded with a trusty Nutcracker and flanked by some red and green candles brought out for the season.

Next up, the dining room.  This room is one of my favorites in the home, perhaps because of all the great food, conversation, friendship and love that has been shared there over the years.  The buffet table features a gold nativity scene, lamp shades she switches out just for the holidays, and gold and green accents everywhere.  I especially love the unique gold nativity scene and the star of Bethlehem behind it!  That stack of china plates in the corner was for the Oyster Stew that didn't happen due to snow, but they are Twelve Days of Christmas china, brought out especially for this time of year!

Also in the dining room is her chandelier, ready and trimmed for Christmas with garland, gold beads, and porcelain ornaments.  Also, notice the cheery wreath and snowy painting on the far right wall.  She even puts up holiday art for the season!  By the way, you can see a close-up shot of some of these ornaments in this post.

 

Here is another example of holiday art that comes out just for Christmas time.  Also, notice the stoic little Santa Claus hiding under the side table in the corner.  There are little touches and details everywhere!

In the front hall between the dining room and formal living room, my grandma has a basket of Christmas books she leaves out for guests and especially her grandchildren.  I recognize some of the titles as Christmas time favorites from when I was growing up and this basket is perfectly positioned for any reader, young or old, who wants to sit by the fire and read a Christmas story.

Speaking of fires, if the weather is cold enough, they almost always have a fire going in the fire place when family and friends come to visit.  My picture came out a bit blurry which makes it harder to see the details on the mantle place but it is trimmed with garland, green lights, gold beads, ornaments and red and green candles.  I love that instead of hanging stockings by the chimney with car, she has hung gold rimmed ornaments that feature Christmas scenes!

Finally, the pièce de résistance: the large Christmas tree.  This tree is trimmed more simply than the one in the family room.  It features gold and red ornaments, gold ribbon and white lights.  That's it.  But when you have a beautiful tree centered in a large bay window for all the neighbors to see, that is all you need!

So there you have it, my grandparents' home come Christmas time.  Thank you Grandma and Papa for sharing your home with me!  

Readers, what was your favorite part of their holiday decor?  Any themes or decor you would love to see in your own home?  Perhaps you too have a grandparent or parent who decorates to the nines for the holidays?  Let's hear it!

Weekend Wrap-up

This weekend was a busy but productive one.  As I outlined here, we had outings or activities every day this weekend.  I did manage to squeeze in a few extra things that didn't make my to-do list, some of which will make its appearance on the blog this week.  Let's just say I spent a lot of time in the kitchen and the mall this weekend.  I:

• Watched Braveheart, a new to me film that won best picture in 1995--my first of ten new to me Best Picture films I will be watching before I turn thirty.  See complete list here!
• Played Rock Band with J on Saturday night
• Made homemade chicken tenders and steak fries with J and washed them down with a cold brew
• Went to church on Sunday
• Baked two loafs of French bread for our dinner with JY and Ashlee--recipe to follow
• Baked Pumpkin Bars (my favorite dessert ever!) for aforementioned dinner--recipe to follow
• Shopped for and bought J's Christmas present
• Wrapped and gave J his Christmas present--pictures and details to follow
• Peeled and de-veined shrimp for our dinner with the Y's.  Every time I've cooked with already peeled frozen shrimp (and most shrimp you buy that is not frozen was frozen and then thawed at the market, unless you live on the Gulf coast!) the shrimp has come out rubbery and tough.  When I take the time to peel and de-vein them myself, they come out perfect every time.  More work, yes.  Worth the time and effort, absolutely!
• Made this delicious risotto--well actually J did that while I helped get everything else ready for the dinner.  This time, we added lemon zest this time instead of orange.  It was fantastic!
• Made these croutons with a simple olive oil and vinegar vinaigrette for our dinner
• Created our Christmas table setting for our dinner--pictures and details to follow

How was your weekend, friends?

Weekend of Freedom

J is finished with his second to last finals ever (woo!) and this weekend will definitely be a celebration of that new found freedom!  When we are not watching some new (to us) television series and movies on Netflix or shopping for the last of our Christmas presents for family and friends, we will be doing the following:

• Tonight: having dinner with Ashlee and her husband JY at Pi.  Pi specializes in cornmeal crust deep dish Chicago style pizza. It is so good President Obama had it made for him at the White House, causing quite a stir amongst Chicago pizzeria owners!
• Saturday: heading to an event at the Rams stadium for some holiday festivities with my little.
• Sunday:  Ashlee and JY are joining us again for dinner, this time at our house.  We will exchange presents and I am going to decorate our table for the occasion.  Stay tuned next week for details!

How will you be spending your last weekend before Christmas, friends?

Happy weekend!

Wish List: Food

After my technology and home decor wish lists, I realized I should probably do a kitchen/food related one too, especially considering all the cooking J and I do around here on a regular basis.  Here are a few kitchen gadgets and gizmos we would love to take for a spin!

1. Food mill:  I've seen these on Food Network before and they are great for making thicker purees, jellies, and my favorite, Spätzle, or Eastern European egg noodles.

2. Grill pan.  Until we have our dream kitchen with a built in indoor grill next to our gas range (a girl can dream, right?), a good grill pan like this would help us cook everything from steak to paninis with ease without having to venture outdoors which is much appreciated this time of year!

3. Immersion blender: This is a great tool for creating purees or creamy soups.  While a food processor and immersion blender can do a lot of the same things, there is less clean up and more control over consistency when blending soups with one of these hand held guys.

4. Electric wok:  J and I have really gotten into Asian cooking and an electric wok like this one would really help us to cook some of our new recipes with flair!

5. Pasta maker attachment for Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer: In college, my roommate had a pasta maker and it made the most unbelievably tasty pasta.  I would love a set like this so that J and I can make homemade pasta of all shapes and sizes.  Oh, and it would help me with goal number 17 on my 130 Before I'm Thirty list.

So there you have it, a little round-up of items I would love to play around with in our kitchen!  Are there any items on here that would make your wish list too?  Any I left off that you think I should have?  Let's talk!

Remember When Wednesday: White Christmas

The weather has been so cold the last few days and I've driven through more snow and ice than I care to, so I thought for this edition of Remember When Wednesday, I would take us somewhere warm.  Somewhere where white is just the color of the sand, not the color of snow on the ground.  I'm talking about sunny Southern California where I grew up and my parents still live.

This picture was taken the first year we lived in California (South Pasadena to be exact) when we decided to celebrate Christmas on the beach.  See the little tree in the right hand corner.  This photo was an outtake of our Christmas card photo that year.

Pictured is my sister Madi and my dad.  Now, don't let the ads fool you.  Beaches in December in California are chilly, hence the sweatsuit Madi is wearing (my mom made matching ones for all of us kids) and my dad's jacket.  Still, I'll take 55-60 degree weather any day over the 15 degree weather we've had here!

Anyone else had a white sandy Christmas either recently or when they were a child?  Weren't they the best?!  Here's to warm memories on a cold winter day!

Holiday Craft: Orange and Clove Ornaments

As I alluded to in this post, a friend and I made orange and clove ornaments last Saturday afternoon while listening to Christmas music and drinking hot chocolate (tea for me).  I know this idea is not new; in fact its roots can be traced back to medieval Europe when people bathed very infrequently if at all.  The smell of orange and clove helped to mask the stench.  It was also believed to ward of disease. 

However, I thought I would share how we decorated a few of our ornaments while posting the easy instructions along the way.

Supplies Needed:

• 4 oranges, 2 for you and 2 for your guest--you can obviously make more but we have a small tree this year and I didn't want to overwhelm the poor thing
• 1 jar of whole cloves--one of the small spice jars they sell at grocery stores will be plenty for four ornaments.  If you are decorating more than 4 oranges, you may want to consider buying a bigger jar, perhaps from Penzey's if you are lucky enough to have one in your area!
• Ribbon to tie off and hang your ornament from--I used scrap ribbon left over from our wedding
• Ballpoint pen for tracing and making holes--note: once you start using the pen to make the holes, it may stop working as a writing utensil.  Therefore, use a pen you don't mind parting with at the end of the project

Total Cost: under five dollars!

Tie ribbon around the middle of your orange.  You will need a partner to help you with this part, similar to when you are tying a bow on a present.   Create a lop at the top and then tie off.  This will be the string by which your ornament will hang.

Draw your design on the orange.  When I made these, I drew the design and inserted all of the cloves before tying the ribbon.  You can obviously create this in the same order as I did, but I found that some of the designs I created were interrupted by the ribbon.  Having the ribbon around the orange to begin with helps you visualize the space (canvas if you will) that you have to work with before you even get started.

Next, using the tip of your pen, poke a hole through the orange.  The hole needs to be fairly deep so that the whole clove can fit comfortably inside it without falling out but take care not to make it too deep or the clove will start to disappear inside the orange!  Insert a clove into the hole, then move on to the next part of your design, trying to keep the holes spaced evenly throughout.

The directions I read said only to use perfectly intact cloves for this project, but the whole cloves weren't exactly cheap so unless they were terribly broken, I still used them.  There are enough cloves on there that one or two broken (read missing their bulb) cloves won't be noticed.  Note: the broken cloves are a bit more noticeable in these photos because they are close-up shots and had been sitting on our tree for almost a week before I got around to taking pictures.   Don't worry, they still smell delicious!

Repeat until finished.  Hang on tree or anywhere you want a little fresh scent (like a closet or the kitchen). 

I also think a tree decorated completely with oranges and baby clementines would be darling!

Anyone else have easy yet festive crafts to share?  I am always looking for new projects!

Bandit

Last night I hurried home after a long day at work and to quickly wrap a present for J.  You see, I had bought him something earlier that day and wanted to be sure to have it wrapped and under our tree before he got home from school.  I finished wrapping it with literally seconds to spare as I heard the garage door open just as I finished wrapping.

While I had the wrapping paper out, I decided to wrap some of the other gifts we are giving our friends and families this Christmas.  Placing them under the tree, I was quite happy with the colors and designs of the wrapping paper and how the two patterns worked together to bring cheer and fun to our space.  

Until today.  When I came home from lunch today to this...

Photo slightly edited to keep its identity secret

Any guesses as to who opened one of our Christmas presents?

I'll give you a hint.

Stinker.

Weekend Update

This weekend was a good one.  Since we were in Peoria the weekend before, it was nice just to be at home and relax.  Here's how we spent our weekend:

• Made Turkey Pot Pies--okay this was on Thursday, but the recipe (which I will share) was so delicious it was as if the weekend started a day early!
• Ate some delicious Vietnamese food on Friday night with friends
• Slept in on Saturday and Sunday
• Made orange and clove ornaments with a friend on Saturday morning--details to follow
• Designed, ordered and picked up our Christmas cards
• Took a nap 
• Watched Crazy Heart
• Watched the Nebraska game with friends--sadly the Huskers lost
• Ordered and picked up some photos from our wedding
• Went to church
• Cleaned house
• Made Penne alla Carbonara
• Spent several hours reading and shopping for Christmas presents at Barnes and Noble
• Made Green-Onion risotto for Sunday night dinner--recipe to follow

 How was your weekend friends?

Christmas Decor

After helping my grandparents decorate their Christmas tree this past weekend, I was itching to decorate our own space.   I began by assessing what we had from last year and went from there.  Here's what we ended up with:

My grandma bought us a fresh pine garland when we visited The Fresh Market this weekend, so that was hung with the help of some Command hooks over the large opening between our living room and dining room.  The hooks themselves were a bit pricey (around five dollars each), but I bought the five pound ones since I wasn't sure how much the garland would weigh once we uncoiled it and I definitely didn't want the garland to come crashing down.  Once the holidays are over, I plan to use them to hang a curtain rod over the opening with some airy curtains pulled back to divide and define the spaces a bit more.

Growing up, we always had a fresh pine tree for Christmas.  This year, a big real tree just isn't in the cards for us, but I am happy to report that the garland (12.99 or so) leaves a similar piny scent throughout our living room without having to worry about watering the tree or Woods drinking the tree water.  For those of you out there who don't have a real tree and miss the smell, this is a great way to go!

Next, I moved a side table in from the office for our three foot tree.  After fluffing and placing some of our ornaments on the tree, I wrapped the base of it with a tree skirt I picked up at the dollar store last year.  Psst...see that yellow card there?  That is from J for my birthday in a few weeks.  Every time I walk by I have to resist opening it!

I placed our smaller tree on one of the shelves of our entertainment center, near an electrical outlet to light up the tree.  We may not have a tall tree, but we do have two smaller trees!

On the other shelf of our entertainment center, I filled three cylinder vases with silver and gold ornaments I picked up at Walmart for ten dollars.  I even had some left over which I will incorporate into our Holiday table setting in the dining room.

I hung our stockings by the chimney with care.

Then I got a crazy idea.  Our fireplace doesn't work and we have a strand of outdoor white lights that I bought last year before I learned there is no good way to put up lights out there.  I decided to wrap the fake logs in there for some color and light.  Eventually I'd like to remove the fake logs altogether and replace them with something like this or this.  Until then, I think our wrapped logs will work great for the holiday season!

I still have have the dining room to finish (which I will of course share when I'm done) but the living room is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.  In fact, it has become my favorite room in our apartment!

Have you decorated for Christmas yet?  What new items have worked their way in this year?