Ideas for Next Christmas

Ready, Set, Craft had a BRILLIANT idea to post Christmas ideas that you'd like to try next year.  I have a few ideas tucked away that I'm afraid I'll forget, or didn't get a chance to try this year.  By posting them here, I can check back before the rush of the season next year and be reminded of the things I wanted to make/ buy/ try!

To Cook/Bake:

Centsational Girl's cookies-- Chocolate Wafers with Peppermint Buttercream filling

*  I'd also like to cook the main dish for Christmas Day in our slow cooker instead of the oven.  We had a major oven traffic jam this year, so the slow cooker would solve that!  Anyone have a great recipe for a slow-cooked roast to share?

I'd like to put this baby to work next Christmas:

To Make:

*  Bead covered pinecones, inspired by the ones for sale at Crate and Barrel.  I think they'd be easy enough to pull off, and cheaper to make than to buy!

*  I hang our Christmas cards from a ribbon across the mantle, and I used vintage pinecone candle clips to hang them.  I ran out of room, so I'd like to glue festive paper cut-outs to the front of mini-clothespins to supplement them next year!

these are the vintage candle clips... I love them, but only have 12!

*  I have silvery pink ornaments and gorgeous pink ribbon I bought but didn't use.  Next year, I'm making a blushing wreath or using them on Noodle's little tree (see "To Buy").

*  I wrote a whole tutorial on how to make a family banner but didn't get a chance to post it yet.  I 'd like to start this project sooner next year to have it ready to hang by Christmas!

*  We have 7 wreaths on the outside of the house if you count the front door and windows.  I have a plant basket hook next to the garage, and another wreath on it would be overkill.  I was thinking of making a kissing ball, like this one from Williams-Sonoma:

*  'Tis the year for new stockings.  And an advent calendar.  If I find ones I love, I'll buy them.  Otherwise, they're on my crafting to-do list!

To Decorate:

*  HGTV's special on 25 Great Holiday Ideas had a photo gifts wrapped in brown paper bags (but fancied up with bows and ribbon).  So simple and chic, plus the neutral background gives you a blank slate to decorate.  It's eco-friendly to boot!

*  A white and silver "themed" Christmas tree.  I already have the white Lenox ornaments.  Next year, I'd like to add bead covered pinecones, a wide white sheer ribbon as the garland, and perhaps a white feathered bird at the top to match my feather wreath (if I can find one that's not too tacky).

To Buy:

 I held out for the after Christmas sales but found things were cleared out.  Next year I'll buy things before the holidays during a pre-Christmas sale!

• another Christmas light storage set
• an upright wrapping storage bin (I only found broken ones at Target)
• a small tree for Noodle (my mom did this for us... it was great to have our "own" tree in our room to show off our personal ornaments or the extras from the big tree.  I have vivid memories of lying awake looking at the tree lights, filled with a feeling of happiness and love for this holiday.  And I was only 7!
• A taller Christmas tree (yes, honey, I said it!  But you'll only know it if you read the blog today...)
• candles in the window that are on a timer.  We tried battery powered this year... total FAIL.
  
• A 2010 frame to match our awesome 2009 one from Danielson Designs!
  

To Do: 

*  I missed getting a Santa photo this year.  I attempted one on Christmas Eve but the line would have easily taken us 3 hours to get through.  Next year?  We're going at 1:00 on a Tuesday, preferably in November.  ;-)

*  My husband took a day off for a festive day of fun.  Unfortunately, we didn't decide on what to do on that festive day of fun until about 3PM.  We had a great time at Longwood Gardens, but next year we're planning it a week in advance and leaving the house before noon!

*  A family photo.  Please, Santa, bring us a family photo.  I have one photo of the three of us, taken in early November as were were running out the door.  Prior to that, I think our last family photo was taken last February.  So sad!  We do spend time together, just apparently not near a camera.

This was our last "real" photo, taken almost a year ago.  Noodle has grown so much since then!

What's on your "Ideas for Next Christmas" list?  Any blog posts or bookmarks you'd like to share, so we can add them to our lists, too?

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Ms. Modern Goes Vintage: My Christmas Tablescape

Are you tired of Christmas yet?  I figure I have until tonight to still post about it and revel in it's glow, and then everything starts fresh.   On that note, I thought I'd share my tablescape from Christmas Day so I could link it up to Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps on the Porch.  Especially since it was so fun and easy to put together!  It's a simple one with only four adults at the table, but festive nonetheless.  Especially once the table was brimming with food!

As you may know, I always yammer on about "modern this" and "modern that".  I looked everywhere for more modern Halloween and Thanksgiving decor.  This Christmas, I decided to go vintage because I think the vintage touches made the table extra-special since many of the pieces came from our grandparents. 

First, the big picture:

First up are the linens.  The tablecloth is a super simple ivory number, and the runner is a maroon dupioni silk.  As for the placemats, did you notice yet that they don't match???   I originally purchased them on clearance at Homegoods to make into Christmas throw pillows.  But when Christmas Day arrived I had no festive placemats, so I used these two mismatched sets.  I think it turned out okay... and hey, if I find another set I like I can still turn these into pillows!

At least all four placemats have red in them... they sort of match, right?

Next are the placesettings.  The china is my wedding china, Noritake "Manassa".  It's neutral so I can dress it up or down as needed.  The flatware is Lenox "Eternal Frosted".  And the wine glasses are from Crate and Barrel, and I LOVE them.  They discontinued the pattern, unfortunately!  I know, I need some real napkins.  Next year.  At least I have jingly napkin holders!

Noodle loved the jingle napkin holders most of all...

I have a set of vintage petalware sherbet cups, and filled them first with a frame placecard:

and then with fruit salad!

My mom has this Fenton set, and after I saw how cute it was I searched everywhere for one of my own.  The best thing is you can dress it up with greenery and winterberries and it rocks, or keep it simple like I did here.  Holidays, brunches, showers, birthdays... this set goes with everything!

Cake Stand

Candlesticks

close-up of details... so delicate!

Not pictured in detail are the large and tiny ruffle bowls.  They were a little camera shy, but can be seen here on either end of the runner:

The santa and salt and pepper shakers came from my husband's nana, and I put them on the cake stand.  I thought they were so cute, winking and waving at us!

The beautiful flowers were given to me by a friend, and some of the flowers faded after a week so I split them up into two vases.  I started with this:

 

The first was my Fenton vase, and I wanted a monocromatic look to pop against the white:

The second was my $4 depression glass cookie jar.  When I saw this lid-less wonder at a thrift shop this summer, I had a sudden vision of it holding flowers on Christmas.  With a lid it's worth about $50.  I spotted a few lidless ones on ebay for under $10 if you like this look!

 

Also on the table was a ruby glass bowl from my husband's grandmother, filled with peppermints.

I couldn't leave without showing you these little guys on the bookcase.  I purchased the two figurines to eventually add to my grandmother's village set that we used to set up each year.  The "auld lang syne" transferware is there to ring in the New Year!

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this long tour of such a simple table.  I'm too wordy, I know.  I set the table so rarely, that I had to show off this one!  Do you have photos of your Christmas table?  Please post a comment with a link if you do!

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25 Best Children's Books of 2009

Now here's a "best of" list that I can get behind-- the 25 Best Children's Books of 2009, as decided on by Grandparents.com.  One of the things I miss the most about being a school librarian is the exposure to new books, so it was great to have a list of recommended selections.  After reading the list, I now have quite a few requests pending at my local library!  The Caldecott/Newbury awards are announced in January, and who knows-- maybe one of these books will be the winner.

Winter is such a great time for "hibernating" with a book.  Hope you enjoy snuggling up to these titles!  {and of course let me know if you've read any... I'm curious to hear your opinions!}

Many thanks to my mom (a.k.a. YiaYia) for the link!
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Best Friends

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words." 

A best friend is someone who you can call at 6AM when your world falls apart and she won't be mad, or sleepy, or upset-- but rather offer to jump on the first plane to be by your side if you need her.

A best friend will pray every day for your daughter when she is sick until she gets better, even if it means taking her own children to church on a Tuesday for those special prayers.

A best friend is someone who you may not see in two years but when you get together it's as if time has never lapsed.

A best friend will let you crash her family vacation when you decide you want to visit Colorado too, at amazingly the exact same week as her family!  

A best friend also won't get mad if you post photos of her on your blog without asking first...  and she also won't hesitate to ask you to take them down if she doesn't want them posted (promise?) 

When your best friend experiences a loss, you feel as if you've lost a part of yourself, too.

A best friend can make you smile in the worst of times, and in the best of times as well.

A best friend would never post an unflattering photo of you on Facebook.  And maybe she wouldn't even be on Facebook, no matter how hard I try to recruit her.

A best friend will know the exact necklace, bracelet, pair of socks that you would have picked out for yourself and will send it to you to cheer you up.

A best friend will fly up for your baby shower, and not even panic when you drive around Philly airport for an hour on fumes looking for a gas station.  Nor will she gloat about being so skinny when you are so pregnant.

A best friend will say she loves your popovers when really the weekend she visited we accidentally made popunders.

A best friend will also not bat an eye when she almost eats expired yogurt from your fridge during said visit.  And the organic milk was sour even though it technically hadn't expired yet (stupid milk).  She'll just laugh and help herself to something else.

A best friend will go shopping with you, and no matter if it's today or ten years ago you will both jump out of the dressing room to get the other's opinion and be in the exact same outfit.  But hers is two sizes smaller.

A best friend will always compliment your cute flip-flops at the same time that you are complimenting her trendy sunglasses. 

A best friend will skip out on professional development with you and go to Dean and Deluca instead just because it's a sunny day and PD was sooooooooooo boring.

When you move away from a best friend, it's like leaving a childhood home.  And when you go, your best friend will type up memories for you to pull out of a box every time you get homesick.  Seven years later, you'll still have that box full of memories!

A best friend knows about your blog, even when you've only told three other friends about it because you were embarrassed and didn't think anyone would want to read what you've written.  (Actually, I only told one other friend but two smarty-pants friends figured it out!  And I'm glad they did).

A best friend would never judge you when you've had a fewwwwwwww too many mojitos.  Or whatever the heck we were drinking.

When you write a blog post about your best friend, you can't help but get teary-eyed (okay, cry like a baby) because really there aren't enough ways to tell her thank you, or tell her how much your life is enriched because of her.

Most importantly, a best friend won't be mad if you forget to call her on her birthday... and even though you forgot to call and her card is still sitting on the kitchen table ready to be mailed she knows you love her.

Happy {very belated} birthday, Nicky.  Thank you for being the bestest friend in the world, and I hope your special day was a wonderful one.  Sending lots of birthday love your way!  I hope you'll forgive me that I forgot to call on your birthday... you are never far from my thoughts, even if I didn't pick up the phone to tell you that yet.

Edited to add: I've linked this to the BFF contest at Things I Can't Say (9/2/10).  Thanks, Shell, for hosting such a fun contest!

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Simply Organized: Christmas Storage

Last week's tip was a simple one, and this week's post is a little more in depth.  I wanted to share how I organize my holiday items to make for a smooth transition and easy decorating next year, with the hopes you'll share your ideas, too!  I've noticed the more time I invest organizing my supplies while putting things away (during the relaxing post-Christmas break), the less time I spend getting it all out next year (during that super-busy mad Christmas rush in December).  This system also allows me to take things out in "themes", so I don't feel pressure to decorate everything in one day but rather as time allows.

 1.  First things first: get the right tools for the job.  

 (note: The following images and links came from Amazon.  Unfortunately, most of the exact storage containers I have aren't around anymore so I found the closest approximations.)

Christmas Lights: I used to spend hours storing and untangling my strings of lights.  Then, duh, I got a light holder and how it takes just minutes to pack and unpack them!  They roll onto (and out of) wheels, which are then stacked for storage.  Genius.

Wreaths: This year I invested in a wreath holder (and by "invested", I mean I got it on sale at Target).  It's big enough to fit several wreaths (wrapped in white tissue paper) and now they don't get crushed or dusty.  Bonus: it hangs on the wall, freeing up floorspace.  {Smart alec comment from my hubby: "Wow, it hangs on the WALL!  Just like a WREATH!"  He agreed, after some convincing, that yes, the holder would keep them from getting dusty as opposed to just hanging the wreaths on the wall in the attic.  Men.}

Wrapping Paper:  I have an underbed wrapping paper keeper (the paper gets stored horizontally) but I keep it in my guest room closet and it gets buried under stuff.  This year, I'm on the lookout for an upright model  and I think that will make it easier to reach stuff year-round. 

Ornaments:  I've seen several models of ornament holders, and I think mine is pretty good but have seen other nice models as well.  The plastic ones are hard-sided, ensuring that ornaments don't get crushed.  I bought an additional one this year for the "overflow".  It's made from cardboard covered in fabric, so we'll see if it works!

Everything else:  I love Rubbermaid and Sterilite tubs.  I have tons of them.  They are cheap, store well, keep things dry and dust free, and work in both the attic and basement.  I sort things by "theme" before storing them in each bin (see step #3).

2.  Now that you have the right tools, gather your supplies.  I find the following things cover just about every need:

label maker
permanent marker
twist ties/ yarn/ twine/ wire
plastic baggies
scissors
tape
tissue paper
garbage bag

3.  Rally the troops.

This is the system that works best for me.  I prefer to take everything down at once, organize it into piles by "theme", and then store them in the proper bins.  Go around your home after you've taken everything down to scout for stragglers.  I always leave one free bin, because no matter how much I hunt around the house for leftover decorations there are always a few things I miss (or buy during the year).  This "miscellaneous" bin lives in our basement so I can reach it easily whereas all the others are stored in our attic.

Here are the "themes" into which I organize everything:

Tree (garlands, topper, ornament boxes, tree skirt, etc.)
Decorations (stockings, mantle pieces, family banners, window candles...)
Entertaining (cookie plates, Christmas serving pieces, etc.)
Antiques (all my vintage decorations, including figurines and bulbs)
Outdoors (outdoor wreaths and decorations)
Crafts (items that are solely Christmas themed for my many projects, including ribbon and fabric)

Once my items are sorted into piles, I then pack them into bins.  I always analyze every item to make sure it's not broken (if it is and can't be repaired, it gets tossed) or something that I don't want anymore (if so, I put it in the "donate" pile).  Your "toolbox" of supplies come in handy during this time: fragile pieces get wrapped and taped, some things get labeled, small things get put into baggies or bundled with twine, tags get snipped.

I label each bin on three sides-- on the top, a long side, and a short side-- so I can always see what's inside no matter how they are stacked (yes, I'm anal).  Most are already labeled, either with an index card taped on or with my handy label maker.

In the end, I have a parade of storage boxes ready for the attic.  Next December, I am able to take them out as needed.  We might decorate the tree before putting up our other decorations, or I might start my holiday crafts before Thanksgiving; with this system, it's a breeze to find and reach only what's needed!

Sorry I don't have personal photos of this process to share yet... I'm publishing it before I take my decorations down.  I'll snap some photos and add them soon!

Hope that helps with your storage this year.  Do you have any tips to share?  I'm always on the lookout for new organizational ideas!

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Popover Recipe

Just about every year before Noodle arrived, my family would spend a week or two in Bar Harbor, Maine.  A visit to the area wasn't complete without a trip to the Jordan Pond House.  The restaurant is located in Acadia National Park, and has been in operation since the late 1800s.  Popovers are their specialty, and I have many memories eating them on the lawn overlooking the beautiful Jordan Pond and Bubbles (mountains that rise behind it).

 (not my family, but I wanted you to get an idea of why this place is so special!)

 (source)

 (source)

I must have gotten my husband hooked because now we make them almost every weekend, and nothing beats their sheer magnificence and tastiness.  They are perfect for breakfast or brunch, and this month's Martha Stewart even featured them with soup.  A holiday wouldn't be complete without eating them several times, so I wanted to share how we make them happen!

Popovers have a reputation for being tricky, and they can be, but if you follow a few hints then they aren't hard at all.  In fact, dare I say they are easy???

Popover Hints

*  Never, ever, ever open the open while they are baking.  They aren't going anywhere.

*  Always let your ingredients come to room temperature before mixing.  If I want to speed things up, I warm the milk in the microwave to room temperature first.  If you make the batter the night before, let the temperature rise first before baking.  You can bake them right away, but this method gives you larger popovers.  And you want large popovers, TRUST ME.

*  A cooking spray with flour is the trick.  We used regular Pam for years, and always struggled in getting them out of the pan.  Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy works beautifully!  At one point, we were putting a little bit of real butter at the bottom of each cup.  This was AWESOME.  But I'm trying to cut calories so the extra butter went bye-bye.

*  Serve and eat immediately.  NOTHING beats a fresh popover!  At the Jordan Pond House, they throw them away after 10 minutes because they are no longer "good".  {actually, they usually walk around the dining room to see in anyone wants these extras.  Yes, please!}

* A popover pan makes them really pop.  I've never made them in muffin cups, although I hear you can but they won't rise as well.  If popovers sound like your cup of tea, then spring for a pan.  It's SO worth it!

Have I scared you yet?  I hope not, because honestly they are so simple to make and the above hints become like second nature if you make them enough!

And now, for the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/6 tsp. baking soda

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray popover pan with a non-stick spray with flour (like Baker's Joy). 

2.  Break eggs into mixing bowl and whisk.  Add milk and blend.  Add remaining ingredients and mix together until nearly smooth.  Do not over beat.

3.  Fill popover pan, muffin tin, or custard cups 3/4 full.  Bake for 14 minutes.  WITHOUT OPENING OVEN DOOR, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.

4.  Popovers should be crispy brown on the outside and moist inside.  Remove from oven and pans.  Makes 8-12 popovers (depending on pan size).  Serve with butter and/or jam. 

5.  Melt with happiness.

Even Noodle wants in on the action...

Linked this to the baking challenge on the CSI project!  Visit for some yummy recipes... but I warn you, they all look so gooooooooood...

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Snapshots

This Christmas...

::: instead of being embarrassed while my daughter giggled like a demon at the top of her lungs during "Silent Night" at the Christmas Eve service, I counted my blessings that we were able to take her to church at all and that she {quite obviously} enjoyed it.  My husband did take her out during the last verse as the laughter reached epic proportions... hers, ours, and the guys behind us.  Probably not the pastors.

a photo of her demon laugh... the drool, thanks to teething, is icing on the cake

::: after standing in line for 45 minutes to see Santa on Christmas Eve day, I finally left the non-moving line.  This was as close as we ever got to him:

... which suited Noodle just fine, as she enjoyed just watching all the other kids run around.  Maybe next year we'll meet the old guy in red...

::: Santa was wayyyyyyyyyyyy too good to me.  Among the treats I got was this:

obviously, I have a lot to learn about using it. 

::: Noodle was so excited about her new toy she didn't wait until we could take it out of the box to hug and kiss her new pal.  Her genuine love for all things melts my heart every single day.  If you've been at the receiving end of one of her hugs or kisses, you understand.

::: even though I cooked a big Christmas dinner, I didn't stress out even once.  Making a gigantic to-do list and timetable helped:

but mostly remembering why we were all getting together was what truly kept me happy:

::: we enjoyed a taste of summer in the middle of winter with my mother-in-law's festive fruit salad.  I love this stuff!

:::  watching my daughter, who has feeding issues due to severe reflux, eating with us on Christmas filled us with joy.  I didn't even mind the berry stains on her Christmas dress.

::: I realized that thanks to Santa, I now have TWO kitchens to keep clean.

::: I didn't change out of my jammies until 1:00, when my relatives came for the big meal.  It was heavenly.  {Sorry, no photo of that one at 18 weeks pregnant.  Or anytime, for your sake.}

::: when I stepped outside to take a a few quick photos of the snow {and the red berries hidden on this bush}, nearby church bells starting ringing "Silent Night".  Magical.  

::: I got one photo of Noodle that wasn't a blur.  I'm thrilled I got one!

::: in lieu of a big gift for my husband, I sent him on a treasure hunt around the house in search of hand-picked craft beers.  Let's just say it's been the gift that's been most used thus far.  ;-)

:::  my husband did most of the dishes after the big meal.  It took an hour.  I love him.

:::  I finished a whole book in a day and a half.  And not a how-to-sleep book or a how-to-feed book or a children's book.  If you need a good read, pick up The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.  It was wonderful.  I didn't get a photo because I barely put it down.  Also, I now think I need to visit the English Channel Islands.  Maybe next year.

::: we had so, so much to celebrate this year.  We are still tube free, have a baby on the way, and in February I will be an aunt!  I have the very best friends and family I could ever hope for, and they are currently all healthy and happy.  I hope your Christmas was a wonderful one.  Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

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