Christmas 2016 Decor ~It's beginning to look like Christmas~

~ Merry Christmas ~

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  Once the holiday decorating begins I enjoy adding touches of Christmas to different rooms in our home.  I say I'm only going to do a little holiday decorating and then my thought of that goes right out the window, and the holiday decor spreads all over the house!  I love all the sparkly pretty things and want to decorate everything and every room!

Christmas touches get added here, there, and just about everywhere!  I quickly realize that I have more Christmas decorations than I truly need.  But, I want them! ...All of them!  "Perhaps I should show some restraint," I think to myself?

Each year I try to convince myself not to look at or purchase any of the beautiful Christmas decor that's available around the holidays and long before even!...Yeah right!  And, cute little Christmas trees are something I can not resist, each year I add at least one new one to my ever growing collection.  

This is a view from the kitchen sink of the counter just above it, and beyond into the entry of our family room.  It's looking like Christmas over here,  Gold, green, shades of white and cream, and lots of sparkle!  

On the opposite side of the kitchen this fun tray's message reminds us to "EAT DRINK AND BE MERRY," and it will surely be followed to the letter!  Cheers to you and yours!

In the hall this console table greets you with more signs of Christmas.  One of my favorite little Christmas trees takes center stage on the lower shelf.  I knew that one was coming home with me the second I spotted it, I found it a couple years ago.

I have more to do yet and will share soon!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!...

My "Christmas" Shelf Decor

For me, decorating for the holidays is the most fun!  Once I get going on it and figure where the tree is going to go, and then it's full on "deck the halls!"  I try to change things up a bit each year, and I have to admit to having more than enough Christmas decorations.  And, I don't always use everything that I have.

I told myself this year to stay away from adding anymore holiday decorations.  It's so hard to do it though!  All the pretty holiday decor starts appearing earlier and earlier every year!  I can say I decorated my shelf with what I already had.  And that's all I'll say about the rest of my decorating. 

Christmas is wonderful!  It's full of sparkle, and brings us such "Joy!"  My display shelf is ready for Christmas, it gives me joy to redecorate it for the seasons and holidays.  The glittered 'JOY' ornament was a perfect find last year.  Some sparkly beads work well as a garland.  The lamp is a thrifted candlestick with an added lamp shade, the little bowl was thrifted too.  The sparkly tree was found last year, the glitter caught my eye and then, well, I just had to have it!  I've had the floral arrangement awhile now and like to change it occasionally with extra stems, floral picks, or flowers.

My shelf just may stay this way through Christmas!...Well, maybe?!

Happy Decorating!...

Happy Holidays

Hello December!  I've been putting away the pumpkins and all things Fall, time to plan for Christmas and deck the halls.  I am making a list and checking twice, for all things lovely and all things nice. 

A little something sweet for the holidays.  I love Christmas, and all the sweetness, magic and wonder of it all!  I love decorating for the holidays.  I'll be sharing our holiday home over the next few weeks as we plan for Christmas.

Happy Holidays

And, Happy Decorating!...

Fall Mantel - Final Fall Decor

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and long holiday weekend.  We enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday with our youngest daughter and her husband.  We enjoyed a lazy day the day after on Saturday having leftover goodies and movies all day!  Some R & R and turkey coma!

I'm sharing my Fall styled fireplace mantel, before it gets transformed for Christmas.  I usually wait until after Thanksgiving before bringing out my Christmas decorations.  

My pretty mirror was a thrifty treasure I found at an antique mall last year, as well as the sconces, and the matching urns.  I crafted the wreath (see link to the tutorial here), and the floral arrangements myself, and dressed up my LED faux candles with ribbon and mini pine cones.  I kept it simple and neutral this year and styled my mantel similar to last year's Fall mantel (see link here), with a few changes.

I've enjoyed Fall this year and the fall decorating.  Once I settle into Fall I want to linger a while there and slow down before the holidays begin.  The time flies by so quickly and then before I'm even ready for it, winter appears.  I'll adjust to that too, and I'll certainly be wanting to rush through that!

I do love Christmas time though and look forward to the holidays and all the magic, wonder, and spirit of it all!  And the decorating!  I'm sure many have already begun their holiday decorating, while others like me, are just beginning!

Happy decorating!...

Thoughts and Things this week - Giving Thanks & Thankfulness

Thanksgiving has come and gone and we now have memories and a few leftovers from the day.  We had all the usual favorites here for our Thanksgiving dinner, Turkey, Dressing, Sweet Potatoes, Macaroni and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Deviled Eggs, Cranberry Sauce, Fresh Baked French Loaf Bread, plus mini Chocolate Pies and Crème Brûlée for dessert.

Hubby cooked the Turkey out on the Big Green Egg while I prepared the other goodies to go with it.  Our daughter and her husband along with their fur-babies shared the day with us and our fur-baby.  Our other daughter and her family live in Greenville, SC and couldn't join us this year due to her work schedule.  I'm hopeful next year finds us all together in one place!

We enjoyed the warm and beautiful day and our dinner, with some game playing after dinner.  Then a bit of fun for each of us at dessert time by finishing the caramelizing of the sugar on our individual Crème Brûlée desserts, and we also had those mini Chocolate Pies too.  We were stuffed like a turkey by days end, and hubby and I were tired enough to claim it bedtime just after the others left to go home around nine-thirty.

We each took turns with browning and caramelizing our sugar topped dessert.  I have Emeril to thank for the Crème Brûlée recipe, I discovered his boxed-mix at the grocery recently and decided I'd let him provide the recipe for one of my desserts this year.  We altered the recipe at the end by adding white sugar and then browning it with our little butane burner.  (The mix came with caramelized sugar to sprinkle on top.)  It was so easy to make, and delicious! 

I have so much to be thankful for. I'm most thankful for my family, and their love. They're my everything!  They have my heart and my love.  I'm thankful for my extended family and I wish we could all be together more often and share more time together in one place, too!

I'm also thankful for my friends, many of which who have become like family.  It's said that "Friends are the family you choose."  

"Friends fill your Soul with Sunshine and your Heart with Love"

I mentioned being thankful for family, and I am especially thankful to be expecting a very special addition to our family in 2017.  Our sweet baby girl is having a "Sweet Baby Girl!" I can't wait to see "Little Miss Perfect" in that outfit!  This is her first child, and our third grandchild, third granddaughter actually and she is due in May.  My daughter and son-in-law are going to be terrific parents!  We are so happy, so excited, and so very thankful!

I took this photo of our handsome fur-baby boy Aeon, on Thanksgiving day.   I'm thankful that he shares lovingly in each day with us, brightens all of them, and is a special part of our life.  He brings joy and happiness to our everyday and I hope he feels the same about us!  He sure seems to smile a lot so I think he does!

My heart is full, and I'm very thankful!...

~Happy Thanksgiving~

I felt my pretty tiered tray was due a touch of restyling.  As I imagined the upcoming holidays I began thinking about Thanksgiving today, and all that we have to be thankful for! Most importantly our family, and friends, and the love we share with them.

Soon we will gather with them and create special memories to last through the years! It just doesn't get any better than that!  Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Thanksgiving Tablescape

It's down to the wire now.  Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I am ready!  I'm sharing my Thanksgiving tablescape.  I offered a sneak peek a couple days ago as I was working out a plan. 

My dining table is all set and ready!  And, tomorrow I'll be watching the parade, some football, and then later doing my dinner prep because we will be enjoying our family Thanksgiving dinner on Friday, so our kids can spend the time with their family-in-loves and not have to be in two places in one day.  I have an extra day to prep now!   The sun lit up my dining room at the right time for my photos today! 

I kept it pretty simple and added a few fresh creamy white pumpkins and two larger faux painted pumpkins, that I painted using chalk paint, placed in groups on both sides of my floral centerpiece.   I used my favorite cut-glass dishes.  I love the look of them, but I also love that they are easy to clean, and they can be placed in the dishwasher, unlike my gold rimmed dishes.  {Easy clean-up after dinner!}  Plus, they look right at home with my other cut-glass and crystal pieces, I like using a blend of both.  Everything sparkles!  I love that, too!

I have Home Goods to thank for the shimmery bronze placemats!  I knew they would look perfect in my dining room the second I saw them and just before they jumped into my cart!  That happens sometimes, ya know! *wink*  My gold flatware adds a bit of glam.  I really like to use bronze and gold together.  Creamy colored cloth napkins were fan-folded and slipped into my pretty acrylic napkin holders.  Glasses for water, and wine, complete each place setting.  

I'm enjoying a few more days of my fall decor and my creamy white pumpkins around here, before all of the Christmas decor starts taking over.  I'm going to miss those sweet pumpkins! 

I can't wait to sit around the table and enjoy the company of my family while eating some delicious food.  Making more memories together.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, one that fills your heart (and belly) with happiness!  

Warm hugs from our home to yours!...

Feeling Thankful for Fall

 This is the  view out our foyer window over the weekend, full of beautiful fall colors.  

Though Fall isn't really over for another month, fall is sort of coming to an end.  We'll be celebrating Thanksgiving this week, and then soon after the Christmas planning will be in full swing. 

Only a couple more days and we will be having a delicious meal together, as we celebrate Thanksgiving and all that we have to be thankful for.  It will mark the end of the fall decor, and Christmas decor will begin.  I've enjoyed fall this year, and the fall touches around my home.  I'm really not ready to let go of my painted creamy white pumpkins just yet, but I do love Christmas, so it's a happy trade off transitioning to ...the most wonderful time of the year! 

I started working on our Thanksgiving table setting, I like to plan out what I am going to do and what I want it to look like, so I have plenty of time to make my decisions before the big day.  I have some of the basics sorted.  I found some pretty bronze place mats at Home Goods,  I think they are perfect for my dining room and look fabulous with my cut-glass dishes. 

Little scenes of Fall like this one will give way to a Christmas theme.  Pumpkins will be retired until next year as they are replaced with things that represent Christmas.  In no time I'll forget about those pumpkins as they will be only a memory.  But, for now I can still enjoy them for a little while longer.

I've enjoyed Fall!

    

Chicken Corn Chowder - Slow Cooker / Crock-pot - Easy!

I got my slow cooker/crock-pot out this week.  I can say it's officially fall to me now.  November is when I say "OK, it's fall."  The weather here in Georgia has been beautiful with warm days still lingering in the seventies, with cooler evenings.

Just cool enough for me to get my sweater or a light jacket on, but the Mister is thinking it's just perfect without the extra layer of clothing for him.  And, our pup, well, he seems to be loving it too, that and just lazying around of an evening out on the porch with us.  However, we did experience an even cooler dip in temperatures over the weekend.  I'm one who is never ready for cold!!!

Back to getting out the slow cooker.  Mine is actually never far away, I use it all year for cooking and I actually have two sizes, regular/large sized and a small one.  A couple days ago, in my larger slow cooker, I put together a hearty pot of Chicken Corn Chowder, and let me tell you the smell all the while it was cooking had my tummy growling all afternoon!

Also, let me tell you how simple this chowder was to make.  I put some ingredients in the slow cooker, then later gave it a little attention, added a few more ingredients and about a half hour more of cook time, then it was done.  Just that easy!  Dinner!!  I'll call this bowl of warmth, a hug in a bowl!

It was Delicious with a Capital D!  I had to up the corn in this dinner by making some cornbread ... uh, jalapeno cornbread that is.  I really like spicy stuff!  I could do another post on making my jalapeno cornbread, but my recipe is as simple as using Jiffy cornbread mix along with the ingredients called for on its package directions, and stirring in some diced jalapeno peppers and a bit of shredded cheese before baking.  Mmmm the sweetness of the Jiffy cornbread and the heat of the jalapenos is for me a perfect combination, and I love it!

The jalapeno cornbread was perfect with the chicken corn chowder, and with a bit of melted butter on top.  And I mean real butter too, not some fake posing like it's butter, butter, but it isn't!  Be good to your cornbread and give it real butter, and yourself too of course!  And, try this chowder, it did not disappoint.

Chunks of tender chicken and potatoes, bits of crumbled bacon, corn, onion, and green chilies, and loads of flavor in this creamy chowder.  Soups on!

  

Chicken Corn Chowder  

Ingredients:
2 large or 3 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 small red or gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (I prefer red potatoes, I didn't peel mine)
1 small or 1/2-medium white or yellow onion, diced
2 cans cream-style corn
1 -8 ounce can diced green chiles
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream or half & half for a lighter version
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon original Mrs Dash(optional- just a favorite flavor no-salt seasoning of mine!)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
4-6 strips bacon, diced and cooked til crispy
1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded for garnish(optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place chicken, potatoes, green chiles, onion, and corn in slow cooker. Pour chicken broth carefully over other ingredients.  Stir to combine, then cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Uncover slow cooker and carefully remove chicken breast to a cutting surface and use two forks to shred chicken or cut into bite sized chunks.  Carefully place chicken back into the slow cooker.
Stir in heavy cream, garlic powder, Mrs Dash, seasoned salt, cumin, 1/2 of the bacon-(I saved 1/2 for garnish), salt-if needed, and pepper to taste, then cook another 15-20 minutes.
Garnish with shredded cheese, bacon bits, and cracked black pepper, and serve hot.

Enjoy!...