Shadow Shot Sunday

We were out pruning things, cleaning up leaves before our first "real" snow comes tomorrow night.....that is where we found this shadow amidst the climbing roses.

Enjoy your Shadow Shot Sunday!

Don't forget to visit more shadows around the globe at Hey Harriet!

The 12 Decorating Tips of Christmas

Here it is....can you believe it? We've been putting together our top 12 decorating tips of the Christmas holiday and we will share four every Friday with you for the next couple of weeks......so, here we go....

#1 Twigs, Pinecones, Cranberries and Fake Snow

We love using twigs in our decorations. Whether we use them Au natural or if we paint them - twigs look great in vases, or off of your entertainment center - go ahead, hang some snowflakes and ornaments from them if you'd like - this is such a fun way to bring big decorating impact in your home on a small budget!

Filling containers with pinecones is a great way to bring a winter look to your home. It is simple idea, but so effective. Another favorite decorating tip is to fill the base of a clear vase with fake snow. Put a candle in the center, then pour cranberries around the candle. This is quite an elegant look that everyone loves. The cranberries last about 3 weeks like this.

#2 Add pillows, quilts, throws to chairs and sofas and tables.

These items warm up a room, making it look cozy. A fun decorative pillow like this "good cheer" pillow is a great accent to put on a chair, or on a sofa with some other holiday print pillows!

#3 Add Ribbon, Bows, or Ric Rac to pillows, chandeliers, candles, glass and napkins.

Christmas is such a great time to add ribbon for a fun and festive look to....well, anything! Tie a ribbon of your choice on your existing pillows for instant transformations into "holiday pillows." Tie beautiful bows onto your candles on your chandelier. Use wired ribbon for more control in keeping that bow looking great! Adding ribbon to your home, turns it into a Christmas delight!


#4 Bring out your glassware

Things that you don't use every day (or week....or month for that matter!!) have an excuse to come out during the holidays! Clean it up to make it sparkle and group in different areas of your home. Do you have wine glasses, or even sorbet dishes that you never use? Set them around in varying heights on tables or mantles with votives in them.


Here we show one of our cloches over some antique bowls with berries in them - cloches are great to highlight special pieces that you have around your house.

If you'd like to see more decorating fun today, hop on over onto Melissa's Inspired Room and check out all of the fun ideas everyone else has!! Until then....
See you next Friday for tips 5 -8!

Wednesday Words

"Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough."

- Garrison Keillor

Wednesday Words are brought to you by our Wall Enhancer line......have a favorite saying or quote? Put it on the wall!

Wishing you all a great Thanksgiving celebration with your family and friends!
Know that we feel blessed with your friendships!
Karla & Karrie

Is The Table Set Yet?

When setting your table for Thanksgiving this year - embellish your napkins for an elegant table!

Here are some of our favorite things to use:

1.Go out and gather some acorns - if it is missing the bottom, hot glue a pearl, or another "gem" in the top for some festive fun! Glue the acorns onto your ribbon, or a stick to tuck into the ribbon.

2.After tying the ribbon onto your napkin, tuck in a few leaves - either real or artificial

3. Tuck some wheat into the ribbon - if you want, spray paint the wheat to your liking - silver, gold or copper...the hot, hot colors to accessorize with this season!

4. Make a napkin ring out of grapevine and put some sprigs of bittersweet in with it - they could be parting favors for your guests.

Need to learn to fold your napkins to impress your guests this week? Check out this Napkin Folding Guide.

Oh Pumpkin!

Last Sunday we served this dessert to end both of our tea parties. Everyone wanted the recipe, so we thought you might want to try it.....

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

4 eggs, beaten
15-oz. can pumpkin
12-oz can evaporated milk
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
18 -1/2 oz. package yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, melted

Optional: whipped topping, chopped pecans and sprinkle with cinnamon

Combine eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, spice and salt. Mix well and pour into an ungreased 13 x 9 baking pan. Sprinkle cake mix and nuts over top. Drizzle with butter; do not stir.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, testing for doneness with a toothpick. Serve with whipped topping sprinkled with nuts and cinnamon, if desired.

Makes 8-10 servings

It's A Marshmallow World

During Shop Till You Drop we spied some shadows in one of our apothecary jars filled with marshmallows.......and since there is Christmas music playing "It's A Marshmallow World" came to mind! It has snowed all week and we thought this was an appropriate Shadow for Shadow Shot Sunday!!

Go see what other yummy shadows there are on Hey Harriet this week!!

It's A Marshmallow World

"Ahhhh, it's a marshmallow world in the winter,
When the snow comes to cover the ground.

It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day,

I wait for it the whole year round

Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly,

In the arms of the evergreen trees;

And the sun is red like a pumpkin head,

It's shining so your nose won't freeze!

The world is your snowball, see how it grows,

That's how it goes, whenever it snows.

The world is your snowball just for a song,

Get out and roll it along!"

Make Your Light Shine!

Time to clean the chandelier?

The holidays are upon us - time to get things in order. Have a hard-to-clean chandelier? Use a rooster feather duster, or the brush attachment on your vacuum to remove dust.

To restore sparkle to chandelier crystals, wipe them gently with a solution of one part isopropyl alcohol diluted with four parts cool water.

Then.....sit back and enjoy the sparkle!

Wednesday Words

"I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist."
~Tammy Faye Bakker





Wednesday Words are brought to you by our Wall Enhancer line. Have a favorite saying or quote? Put it on the wall!







We are on the eve of Shop Till You Drop....Please visit our blog to see all of the stores that are involved!
Looking forward to seeing everyone - we have lots of surprises that we held back from Open House two weeks ago - we are so excited to introduce our new scone line....watch out - Pistachio Fig will be your favorite! They are all too wonderful - you'll have to try each one! We will have our teas to sample as well as the new scones.....and don't forget our new jams....the list goes on and on!
New Santas and Snowmen are gracing our displays, new glassware are more new things added to the store this week....

A Day with Gordon Design Center

What a time Sunday was! As Karla & Mom entertained our guests for our benefit Tea Party for the Fremont Food Pantry, I was up (with Pat, our tea lady, and Catherine with her scones) at the Gordon Design Center in Perrysburg. Oh what fun ladies had shopping for three solid hours! I had the camera and had just a little time to snap some pictures of some of the vendors and some of the showroom for you.....

Here we have the display from our friends over at Beekers General Store in Pemberville.....

Beside us was Vino 100


Here is Chef Marissa making all sorts of lovely things! I didn't have time to eat anything....but afterward I made sure to get four of the recipe sheets she was giving out!


I thought this was an interesting bathroom in the showroom.....a fireplace above the tub? What do you think?



The next vendor I visited was Purse Love......need I say more? She had some fabulous looking purses and accessories - and yes....I ended up shopping a bit!! Hey - a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!





The next vendor had sweaters, scarves and gloves all made from beautiful alpaca fur....if only I hadn't spent so much time shopping...I mean talking to the purse gal!




Well, that is as far as I got taking pictures, besides our own booth - so, here's our display.....




It was a great day - we met lots of new people and are thrilled to have met so many new vendors! Thanks Gordon Design Center!!

Strusesl Topped Gingerbread

You'll love our Gingerbread....for the holidays or anytime!!



Struesel Topped Gingerbread with Butter Sauce

Gingerbread
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened margarine
1 cup flour1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg, slightly beaten

Butter Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
Dash ginger
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup whipping cream

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottom only of 8-inch square pan. In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 margarine; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt; mix until crumbly. Reserve 1/3 cup of mixture for topping. To remaining mixture, add baking soda; mix well. Add buttermilk, molasses and egg; blend well. Pour batter into greased pan; sprinkle with reserved mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.In small saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm sauce over gingerbread. Refrigerate any remaining sauce.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Quiet time....kids are in bed, time to pick up from the busy day....the only thing to keep me company is the ticking of the clock and the shadows.
Oh such Peace!

Visit more shadows at Hey Harriet....better yet - go find a shadow and join us (we have so much fun!!)

A Colorful Idea

We've been doing a little delving into Color Therapy lately...and came across a great article in Domino magazine. We loved this green color in this bedroom....however we really loved this painted headboard on the wall. Something clever and inexpensive to do....until you find that perfect headboard (and this just might be it!!)

Check out the article on Color Therapy and find out all about your favorite, and not so favorite colors!

Treasured Memories

With two weeks until Thanksgiving, we thought we'd share a family tradition with you all.

Several years ago Mom purchased a queen sized quilt for her Thanksgiving tablecloth. As we all gather around the table, there are sharpie pens that we use to write on the tablecloth what we are thankful for that year.

Every Thanksgiving we enjoy reading what everyone wrote in the years past.

Make this a part of your family's tradition........memories that will be treasured for years to come.

Wednesday Words

Happiness is not a place to travel to. It’s a way of getting there.

Wednesday Words are brought to you by our Wall Enhancers.....have a favorite saying or quote? Put it on the wall!!

Shadow Shot Sunday

Today we were thinking about shadows, and wondering where we should find one, being that it had been overcast all day, and then, it happened! There we were, re-arranging after Christmas Open House and we were tickled to find a pretty shadow waiting for us as we moved things around. You never know where a shadow might hide!!
Visit Hey Harriet for other clever shadows that wanted to become famous and jumped out in front of the camera to get on blogs everywhere.....!

Christmas Open House Weekend

There is so much to see.....we thought we'd show you a bit of what is here this weekend....

Pretty things to write on

Seriously Cool Santas

Our new line of Reclaimed Furniture







Linens for your tables

Gorgeous Arrangements (but of course!)


Vintage Inspired boxes




Vintage ornaments
Christmas Arrows


Beautiful Bracelets


Warm and cozy quilts and runners


Shiny and Bright gifts













Signs to capture the attention of others