#GINGERBREAD HOUSES, PART 2

Yesterday I featured my two favorite gingerbread creations from a local competition. Here are some more. After the bruising election season, I loved the sentiment of this gingerbread White House. Note the sign on the right: "Santa for President."

 This was a family entry of a Candyland board made out of gingerbread.

 A girl scout troop created with gingerbread globe with a plea to save the earth.

 This was one of the individual entries. I have a feeling it was created by someone who does a lot of cake decorating.

 Another individual entry went with a pet theme. The dogs and cats are all sculpted out of fondant. If you've ever worked with fondant, you can appreciate the skill of the person who created this entry. The wishing well is all gingerbread.

Finally, we have a farm scene, complete with bales of hay, chicks, and a vegetable garden.

#GINGERBREAD HOUSES, PART 1

One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to attend gingerbread house displays. Down the road from the headquarters of the magazine where I work is an arboretum. Each year they host a gingerbread competition. Entries are divided up into different categories: family, scout and school, and individuals. Attendees are asked to vote on their favorite. Today and tomorrow I’ll share with you some of the fabulous creations from this year’s competition.

My hands-down favorite was a family entry, "The Ugly Christmas Co." It features a display of ugly Christmas sweaters with gingerbread men salespeople. Have you ever seen anything so creative?

My second favorite display, also created by a family, was the rendition of Finding Nemo.

Check back tomorrow for more wonderful gingerbread creations.

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--PINECONE TABLETOP TREE

We’re featuring another quick Christmas craft today—a tabletop pinecone tree. Consider making several in varying heights to display on a mantle or as a centerpiece for a festive holiday dinner.

If you collect your own pinecones, you’ll want to let them dry out for several days first. You can also buy bags of pinecones at craft stores. Make sure you collect or buy male pinecones. These are the pinecones that have the scales spread apart, rather than the female cones, which have the scales closed up tightly. Female pinecones won’t work for this craft project.

Directions are provided for one 8” pinecone tree. Adjust your materials accordingly if you want to make a larger one or several.

Materials

Two or three male pinecones, depending on size

8” Styrofoam cone

low-temp glue gun

white spray paint

crystal and gold glitter paints

1. Remove the scales from the pinecones.

2. Using the glue gun and beginning at the bottom of the cone, glue a row of scales around the cone. The point of the scales should be even with the bottom of the cone. Working your way up, glue additional rows of scales, overlapping the previous row slightly. Glue scales to a point at the top of the cone.

3. Spray a light coat of white paint over the pinecones, allowing some of the natural brown of the pinecones to show through.

4. Brush pinecones with crystal glitter paint. Allow to dry.

5. Dry brush gold glitter paint over scales, concentrating the paint at the ends of the scales.

Tip: Let your pinecone trees do double-duty. Leave them unpainted for Thanksgiving, then paint them afterwards for Christmas.

#DECORATING WITH JEANIE--GUEST JANE BLANCHARD

5 Ideas for Holiday Tablescapes

by Jane Blanchard

This year, don’t stick with the same old holiday tablescape that you’ve been using for, like, ever. It is time to mix things up and let your table tell the story. There are so many innovative and simple ideas that you can use to liven up your table. We’ve compiled a list of five ideas that you’ve just got to try.

1. Elegant and luxurious is always a safe and lovely option for a holiday tablescape. You can stick with popular holiday color palettes like the one shown in the picture. Other popular colors that are used around the holiday are silver and blue. You can change the colors out based on the holiday. Be sure to place a candle in the middle to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

 

Photo Credit: hgtv.com

2. Instead of having a large centerpiece, you can create smaller pieces and line them in the center of the table. This idea also creates more space for people who would normally be eating close to the large centerpiece. You can create pieces that look the same, like in the picture, or you can create pieces with small variations. As long as all of the pieces tie together in some way, there’s nothing wrong with changing them up.

Photo Credit: findinghomeonline.com

3. Using lanterns on a table as the tablescape is an innovative idea that most people have not seen. It is different than your typically table pieces and this set-up will have all of your guests in awe. People will wonder where you got the beautiful and different idea. This is the tablescape that you should choose if you like to be innovative and try things first. It creates a warm and inviting environment and makes the entire table seem a little bit cozier. If you use real candles, you can eat by the candlelight and light from the Christmas tree.

 

Photo Credit: sharpsfarm.blogspot.com

4. If you are looking to create a more natural tablescape, bring in items from your yard and use them as decoration. The idea may seem a little out of the box, but it’s an inexpensive way to decorate a table.

Photo Credit: thewhitebuffalostylingco.com

5. A simple thing you can do to dress up a table without going all out is by folding napkins in a decorative way. There are easy tutorials online and almost anyone can do it. It just takes a little bit of patience and time.

Photo Credit: designsstudioco.blogspot.com

This is the year to do something different. With each of these ideas, you can incorporate your own creative touches and holiday traditions. Make it your own and enjoy all of the compliments you receive this year.

Need some ideas for Thanksgiving tablescapes? Be sure to check out these awesome Thanksgiving tablescape ideas to enhance your feast!

#DECORATING WITH JEANIE--AUTUMN TABLE DECOR

Ever drool over designer decorated table settings in decorating magazines, thinking you’d love to have a dinner party where the table looked like that but wondered where you’d ever find the time to craft all those items? Really, who has time to make all that stuff for a once-a-year holiday dinner party? Probably only the stylists who work for the magazines. The rest of us are too busy cooking the turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce and all those pumpkin and apple pies our families have come to expect. Most people don’t have that kind of time, but they’d still like to have a festive table for dinner parties and holiday meals.

These clay pot napkin holders can be made in under five minutes, and it takes absolutely no skill—just a quick trip to the crafts store and a glue gun.

Don't want napkin holders? How about placing a pillar candle in each and lining them up down the middle of your table? For added safety, use battery-operated candles.

As an added bonus, send your guests home with the pots, adding a bag of candy corn or some packets of herb seeds to each.

Clay Pot Napkin or Candle Holder

Materials: 4” clay pot, 1/4” diameter jute cord, assorted silk leaves in autumn colors, plain napkin rings, glue gun

Glue jute around lip of pot.

Randomly glue silk leaves around pot but do so with small dabs of glue for a 3-dimensional effect rather than gluing each entire leaf flat onto the pot.

Glue a silk leaf to a napkin ring.

DECORATING WITH JEANIE--HALLOWEEN HOMES

Did you decorate your home for Halloween this year? Americans now spend more money on Halloween than any other holiday except Christmas. The National Retail Federation has estimated that Americans will spend $7.4 billion on Halloween this year. Yes, that's BILLION--with a B! And that includes $350 million on costumes for pets! This is a fairly recent phenomenon. Twenty or thirty years ago you’d rarely see the exterior of a home covered in orange cobwebs or giant glitter spiders, ghouls, and ghosts. Today they abound, along with witches, tombstones, orange lights, and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes.

The other day I took a walk through my neighborhood and was somewhat astonished by the minimalist bent this year’s Halloween decorating had taken. I’m used to my neighbors going all out, competing with one another for the most over-the-top extreme Halloween house on the block. Not this year.

During my one-hour walk I came across only one lawn cemetery. Understatement seems to be the theme this year with some homes only wrapping porch columns in cornstalks and others only tying a scarecrow to a light post. However, the most minimalist décor I came across was the house with two lone mini-pumpkins perched on the stair railing columns. You may have to squint to see them. I have to wonder why they even bothered.

What about you? Do you decorate for Halloween? Do you prefer to put up more generic autumn decorations such as wreaths made of red and gold leaves? Or do you just wait until after Thanksgiving and decorate for Christmas?

DECORATING WITH JEANIE--REGENCY CHRISTMAS DECORATING WITH GUEST AUTHOR SUSANA ELLIS

A former teacher, Susana Ellis is finally living her dream of being a full-time writer. She loves all genres of romance, but historical—Regency in particular—is her favorite. Today Susana joins us to talk about Christmas decorating traditions from the Regency period. Learn more about Susana and her books, at her Website and her Susana’s Parlour and Susana’s Morning Room blogs.

Regency Christmas Traditions: Decorating the Home

Christmas Trees

Although Queen Charlotte was the first to have a Christmas tree erected in 1800 (an idea imported from Germany,) it was for private viewing and was not an idea disseminated to the public. It wasn’t until 1841 that Victoria’s husband Albert introduced the Christmas tree tradition to the English public.

So…there were no Christmas trees during the Regency.

Regency Christmas Decorations

During the Regency, Christmas was a much more subdued holiday than it is today. The emphasis was, in fact, on the season more than the actual day, beginning with the first Sunday of Advent, when one would traditionally make the Christmas pudding, and ending with Epiphany on January 6^th, although the season of Christmastide didn’t begin until the day after Christmas. (Note: if you are interested in learning about other Regency Christmas traditions, check out the posts on the Holiday Tour for A Twelfth Night Tale.)

Regency homes were decorated tastefully with holly and mistletoe and evergreens—usually not until Christmas Eve—and promptly taken down on January 6^th, as keeping it up longer was bad luck. Bright ribbons and paper stars and crowns were intertwined with the branches and hung from ceilings, chandeliers, and doorways to add holiday cheer. Beneath the decked-out mantel would be a roaring fire with a pot of wassail for visiting guests, since one never knew when neighbors and friends would drop by for a holiday toast and a strain or two of a well-loved Christmas carol.

From Advent on, there were card parties, house parties (for overnight guests,) balls, skating parties (if the ice was solid,) dinners, and small gatherings.

For photos of Regency-era decorations: Jane Austen and Christmas

The Kissing Bough

In the Middle Ages in Europe, the kissing bough was the top of an evergreen tree hung upside-down (a symbol of the Holy Trinity) in the doorway of the home to represent heavenly blessings for the members of the household. In addition, visitors would exchange embraces with the master and mistress of the household upon arrival to demonstrate friendship and goodwill.

In Georgian times, the kissing bough is a round ball of mistletoe (wound around a circular wire), evergreens, apples, oranges, paper flowers, ribbons, colored paper and dolls representing the Mary, Joseph and the Christ child. In many places, households would vie with each to produce the most elaborate kissing bough.

The custom of stealing kisses beneath the kissing bough, or even a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling or doorway in a place where people were certain to walk beneath it, became popular in the late eighteenth century.

In A Twelfth Night Tale, the Barlows and their guests decorate neighboring Livingston House—which had been sadly neglected since Mrs. Livingston’s death several years ago—on Christmas Day, mostly because Mrs. Barlow is anxious to find a suitable way to divert the rambunctious children away from her home furnishings. While the children eagerly make paper flowers and chains at the neighbors’ home, Lucy and Andrew spend some quality time together as they set out in search of greenery for their part of the project.

Celebrate the Holidays With a Kissing Bough 

History becomes real to children when they become a part of it themselves, thus the reason for Thanksgiving and Christmas pageants and plays. Creating a kissing bough for your home is a Christmas tradition the entire family will enjoy. You can use wire or oasis balls and decorate with ribbons, paper flowers, mistletoe and greenery, holly berries, and whatever you choose.

Instructions For Making a Kissing Bough

Upper Canada

Derbyshire, England

The North Pole

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/dec/02/family.family (lots of family holiday projects here)

Susana is going all out to celebrate the release of A Twelfth Night Tale!

Besides the Grand Prize—a Giant Treasure Box—she is giving away a Twelfth Night Tale Christmas charm bracelet (silver-plated) for one random commenter on each of the twelve stops of the tour. Click here for the Rafflecopter for the Giant Treasure Box!

A Twelfth Night Tale Giant Treasure Box*

·       lovely gift box

·       A Twelfth Night Tale Christmas charm bracelet (silver-plated)

·       Father Christmas figurine

·       Three Wise Men figurine

·       Thomas Kinkade photo collage

·       Treasuring Theresa mug

·       Treasuring Theresa necklace

·       Treasuring Theresa keychain

·       two Christmas ornaments from Scotland (Mary Queen of Scots and fleur-de-lys)

·       two decks of Ellora's Cave playing cards

·       two perfumed soaps from Scotland

·       fizzing bath salts from Scotland

·       Celtic pen from Scotland

·       “jeweled” soap

·       nail clipper keychain from London

·       stuffed toy bear

*In lieu of the treasure box, a winner from outside the U.S. will receive a gift card from the book retailer of their choice.

A Twelfth Night Tale

A wounded soldier and the girl next door find peace and love amidst a backdrop of rural Christmas traditions.

Without dowries and the opportunity to meet eligible gentlemen, the five Barlow sisters stand little chance of making advantageous marriages. But when the eldest attracts the attention of a wealthy viscount, suddenly it seems as though Fate is smiling upon them.

Lucy knows that she owes it to her younger sisters to encourage Lord Bexley's attentions, since marriage to a peer will secure their futures as well as hers. The man of her dreams has always looked like Andrew Livingston, her best friend's brother. But he's always treated her like a child, and in any case, is betrothed to another. Perhaps the time has come to put away childhood dreams and accept reality…and Lord Bexley.

Andrew has returned from the Peninsula with more emotional scars to deal with than just the lame arm. Surprisingly, it's his sister's friend “Little Lucy” who shows him the way out of his melancholy. He can't help noticing that Lucy's grown up into a lovely young woman, but with an eligible viscount courting her, he'll need a little Christmas magic to win her for himself.

Buy Link

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA - CHRISTMAS RIBBON CANISTER

Bringing cookies or other treats as a hostess gift? Maybe those yummy cookies from last Tuesday's blog post? Why not leave the hostess with a little treat after the goodies are consumed? I’m sure she’ll find lots of uses for this lovely Christmas canister.

Christmas Ribbon Canister

Materials: empty coffee container; assorted ribbons in various widths, colors, and patterns; scrap of cardboard; scrap of batting; scrap of Christmas print fabric; length of rattail cording; tacky glue

1. Wash and dry container.

2. Cut lengths of ribbon 1/4” longer than circumference of container. Beginning at the bottom and working up, glue ribbons around container, varying colors, patterns, and widths. Overlap ends.

3. From the cardboard, cut a circle to fit inside plastic lid.

4. Glue batting to one side of cardboard. Trim.

5. From the print fabric, cut a circle 1” larger in diameter than the lid. Make 1/4” cuts around the perimeter of the circle every 1/2”.

6. Center fabric over batting and place face down on flat surface.  Run a line of glue around edge of cardboard. Glue fabric to back of cardboard.

7. Glue fabric covered circle to top of lid. Glue rattail cord around edge of fabric circle.

8. Fill container with cookies, candy, or popcorn.

DECORATING WITH JEANIE -- LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY PREP

The countdown is on. Christmas is three days away. Did you forget anything? Still have too much to do? Too stressed to enjoy the season? Decorating editor Jeanie Sims is here today with some last minute time savers and a huge dose of advice. -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia! There never seems to be enough hours in the day normally, but come the holidays, life gets even more stressed and complicated for working moms. So take a deep breath and see if any of these last minute time savers will help you out.

Still don’t have a centerpiece for your Christmas dinner? If you’re lucky, one of your guests will bring flowers. Meantime, grab a bowl, fill it with glass ornaments, and plop it in the center of your table.

Still need to finish decorating the house for those guests who will be arriving? As we say in New Jersey, fuhgeddaboudit! So you won’t win the Martha Stewart Award this Christmas. No one is going to care if you didn’t go whole hog in every room. Put out the Christmas hand towels in the powder room, hang a wreath on the door, and be done with it. You’ve got the tree up and gifts around it. People will understand if you didn’t have time to do more. And if your sister-in-law makes some snide remarks about the meager decorating? In your most Christmasy cheerful voice, tell her to…well, you get the idea. I don’t need to spell it out.

Same goes for cleaning. You don’t need to scrub your home from top to bottom. Swipe a dust cloth over the coffee and end tables, run the vacuum, scoop up the clutter, and throw some clean sheets on the guest beds if you’re having overnight guests. If you see your mother-in-law donning a pair of white gloves to score you on a Suzy Homemaker test, hand her a Swiffer sheet and tell her you’d love for her to finish cleaning while you finish preparing dinner.

When it comes to meals, don’t be guilted into making everything from scratch. Scratch takes hours. Go for heat-and-serve. Head to the bakery for cookies, pies, and other desserts. If anyone complains, ask them if they’re volunteering to do Christmas next year at their home.

Finally, pour yourself a glass of wine, put your feet up, and enjoy the holidays. You deserve it.


Great advice, Jeanie! And if I can add one more piece of advice to your list, delegate! You don’t have to do it all yourself. Post a comment to be entered in the drawing for something special from our Book Club Friday guest author this week. -- AP

DECORATING WITH JEANIE--NO HASSLE CHRISTMAS FLORALS

As I mentioned last week, Thursday is usually reserved for our fashion, beauty, and travel editors, but with Christmas fast approaching, they’ve stepped aside to let decorating editor Jeanie Sims offer up some quick and easy holiday decorating ideas. Today Jeanie discusses floral arrangements. -- AP

Thanks, Anastasia! Many people love to decorate their homes with poinsettias this time of year. But what if you have small children or pets? Poinsettias are poisonous. Even if you don’t have to worry about toddlers who put everything in their mouths or nibbling kitties and puppies, poinsettias can be very temperamental. To keep them alive and colorful for more than a few days often takes far more time than most busy women can afford.

Of course, you can always shell out for a realistic-looking silk arrangement, available at many craft centers and various shops this time of year. However, they’ll take a huge bite out of your budget, and even though you can use them year after year, they tend to fade and look weary after a couple of years.

One simple and inexpensive solution is to use a combination of evergreens and branches from your own yard, adding a few decorative stems from the craft store. Use the branches as is or spray paint them white, silver or gold. Try some Snow-in-a-Can on the evergreen needles. No evergreens in your yard? No problem. You can purchase artificial ones at the craft store. The evergreen and berry stems shown in the photo were purchased for 50 cents a piece.

Place the branches and stems in clear glass vases or jars such as Mason jars or empty pickle or mayonnaise jars. Fill the bottom of the jar with floral marbles or stones for arranging the branches and stems. For larger and wide-mouthed vases and jars you can even use small ornament balls. Or fill the vases and jars with colored excelsior or red and green satin ribbon. Use your imagination.

Scatter the vases and jars around your house solo or in groups of varying sizes and heights. No one will notice you don’t have any poinsettias.

Great idea, Jeanie, especially for those of us who can kill a poinsettia with a look! Readers, how do you decorate for the holidays? Let’s hear from you. Post a comment, and you’re entered in the drawing for a free book from our Book Club Friday guest author this week. -- AP