Outdoor Wreaths Made With Backyard Goodies

Happy Friday! I wanted to share a few pictures of what I worked on this week! I got some of the plain $10 live wreaths from Home Depot, and went exploring in my back yard and found some fun stuff to "spruce" it up. I found some pine cones, greenery from our cypress trees, some holly and red berries. The moss was the only thing not growing in our backyard, but it is this neat looking reindeer type moss (but it's hard not soft), my mom and I found on the side of the road back in the summer in NC. I kept the bows that came with it since these will hang on each side of my mailbox stand and be exposed to the elements. I just hot glued and added the items! A quick and easy way to spruce up a simple wreath.

Live Like a Local

Did you buy your Powerball ticket? Well, I think London may be on my new bucket list for vacation houses.

I came across these amazing images, then realized these are actually like hotels on steroids, or as OneFineStay refers to them as "unhotels". I think I have spent countless hours going through these homes and haven't even seen 1/10th of them!

One Fine Stay gives you the chance to stay in an unhotel – someone’s place while they’re out of town. You get to live their life for a few days and nights. See what they’d see and, if you like, do what they’d do, in other words, Live Like a Local! Currently, they offer these in NYC and London!

You get all the advantages of a hotel, like the nice smelly stuff in small bottles. And with none of the downsides, like somebody bothering you at 8am to fold your toilet paper into a triangle.

They have sifted through some of the most decadent, elegant, quirky and surprising houses and apartments, and curated a collection of wonderful places to stay. Every single one is different. But they all offer the same delicious levels of comfort and character.

The Violin Factory in Waterloo

Princelet Street in Shoreditch

Sumner Place 2 in South Kensington

College Cross in Islington

Princelet Street in Shoreditch

Princelet Street in Shoreditch

Felden Street in Fulham

Strand on the Green in Chiswick

Doria Road in Fulham

Blenheim Crescent 4 in Notting Hill

Blenheim Crescent 4 in Notting Hill

Eaton Square 2 in Belgravia

Thurloe Square in South Kensington

Eaton Square 2 in Belgravia

Westbourne Park Road 3 in Notting Hill

Wardour Street in Soho

Sloane Court East in Chelsea

Elm Park Gardens 4 in Chelsea

Felden Street in Fulham

Eaton Square 2 in Belgravia

Chelsea Embankment in Chelsea

Ladbroke Road in Notting Hill

Rothwell Street in Primrose Hill

Barnes Riverside

Barnes Riverside

Strand on the Green in Chiswick

Homemade Kahlua & Fun Drink Recipes to try with it!

After posting those few fun Thanksgiving cocktails last week, my mind moved to Christmas type cocktails. While I was rearranging my fridge for all the Thanksgiving leftovers, I came across 2 bottles of my aunt's homemade Kahlua. She would make this every year to go along with our gift. I was thinking this is a great gift idea for co-workers, neighbors, friends, and you could include a little hanging recipe card of your favorite drink.

Homemade Kahlua

2 cups hot water

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups vodka

1/2 cup good brandy

In a pan on low to medium heat combine sugar, coffee, vanilla and water. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside until completely cool then add vodka and brandy. Be sure it is completely cool or some of the alcohol WILL evaporate. Funnel into bottles and let set for six weeks.

Now that you have made your Kahlua or have some at home, here are a few fun holiday themed martini recipes to use with your Kahlua. I was excited to try the Toblerone Martini, since I bought some Disarrono back in the summer and the only thing I knew with that one was to mix with cranberry.

Toblerone Martini

2 oz DiSarrono Amaretto liqueur

2 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur

2 oz Bailey’s (if you want a little “lighter” drink, substitute half and half for the Bailey’s

To make this more fun and decorative, you can rim the glass with chocolate sprinkles, or shavings, or pour chocolate syrup inside the glass before pouring (like I did), or just top with whipped cream and put a few Toblerone shavings on top from Unusual Cocktail and Drinks.

Gingerbread Cookie Martini

1oz Vodka ( i think my whipped cream vodka would be divine here)

1 oz Baileys Irish creme 

1/2 oz Monin gingerbread syrup 

1/2 oz Kahlua 

Rim glass with graham cracker crumbs. Shake with ice. Strain into glass. Top with whipped cream & gingerbread cookie.

Espresso Martini

1.5 parts Kahlua

1 part ABSOLUT VODKA

1 fresh brewed espresso

Fill a shaker with ice, add Kahlua, vodka, and a fresh brewed espresso. Shake vigorously, and strain into a chilled martini glass from Brides. If you want this to be more creamier, you could add some Bailey's or half and half.

S'moretini

1 1/2 oz marshmallow vodka (Try Pinnacle Marshmallow Vodka)

3/4 oz white creme de cacao

1/4 oz Kahlua

1 1/2 oz Irish cream

For decor: chocolate syrup (some for rimming the glass & some for the marshmallow), 1/2 sheet of a graham cracker (crushed into little crumbs), 1 big marshmallow from Cocktail 365.

For more fun drink recipes check out my Pinterest "Yummy Drink" page.

Hallmarks of a Preppy Home

I came across these beautiful images from illustrator, Nina Montenegro who showcases some essentials for a preppy home! How many of these items do you own?

From Houzz

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Are you entertaining or being entertained for Thanksgiving? Either way, here are some great ideas for Thanksgiving decor ideas which could couple as a lovely hostess gift for the aggressive chef who insists you "only bring yourself" on Thanksgiving. I love how many of these images use fruits, vegetables and nuts from around the house and some of these can be slightly altered to be continued through the Christmas season. If centerpieces aren't your thing, the next best thing to entertaining is an awesome cocktail, so check out the 3 fall recipe drinks below.

Beautiful way to display fall nuts from BHG

Candle centerpieces using green vegetables such as artichokes, green beans, asparagus from BHG

Glue acorns to a basket and fill with gourds or flowers from Centsational Style

Vase filled with kumquats and topped with pinecone and greenery are a great way to keep orange hues for Thanksgiving but tie in a little Christmas spirit from Babble.

Fall bountiful basket filled with oranges with clove sticks stuck as decor, kumquats, assorted pines, greenery and pinecones. This can be altered and carried through to Christmas too from BHG.

Fruit and veggie centerpiece that could be fun to make to keep the kids and adults busy while you are cooking and you can switch and use what you have in stock. And, you can use your leftover pumpkin from Hallowee from Martha Stewart

Gather some fall foilage branches from outside, assorted gourds and you can make a festive centerpiece. You could also have this in an entryhall to greet guests, or hang place seating cards, or have little cards with hang tags to allow people to write what they are thankful for, from  Martha Stewart

If a centerpiece is too much, a fun Fall themed drink will do! Have these or bring any of these to your Thanksgiving event and I am sure it will be a hit!

I just had to add this Spiced Apple Hot Toddy.  Recipe from Celebrations at Home.

Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktails. Recipe here from Martha.

Honeycrisp Apple Sangria. If you bring this, bring a little tin or baggie of the glass rim mix since I am sure that completes the drink. Recipe from Nutmeg Nanny.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Back from Germany!

I am still alive! I was in Germany for a little less than 2 weeks and just got back! I wanted to share with you a few quick photos from my trip, but more to follow on more posts. Germany was beautiful, the weather held up, and the Christmas decor was all starting to be put up.

Beautiful bronze fountain in the middle of my mom's hometown in Iserlohn.

Amazingly beautiful Christmas place setting from Villory & Boch. I had not seen this pattern before.

Every post got a live Christmas tree, the streets were named with greenery and lights!

As I said here were just a few, more fun German Christmas photos to bring in the Christmas season!