new year.

december.

A few winter pretties to brighten your day. 

sweet love.

Two things that warm my heart...babies and older couples in love. Take a gander at photographer Lauren Fleishman's series of couples in love. Makes me smile....almost better than babies, almost. 

love ever after

an affair to remember.

Gah. I love this movie. Nothing like a little Tom and Meg to make you smile. 

Happy 2011.

Whats the best way to ring in the new year with friends? With sparkly cocktails of course!
Here are some yummy new drink recipes to help you finish up 2010 in style.


Sparkling Pear and Cranberry Cocktail
Serves 8
Ingredients. 
2 tablespoons dry cranberries
1/2 cup organic pear nectar
32 ounces Moscato d'Asti wine
8 small sprigs fresh rosemary


Directions.
1. Put cranberries in a small bowl; add two tablespoons warm water. Soak until cool, about 15 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and refrigerate until serving.
2. Divide pear nectar evenly among eight tall champagne glasses. Add cranberries, and then gently pour the Moscato d'Asti into the glasses. Garnish each with a rosemary sprig. 

Cognac Sparklers
Serves 2
Ingredients. 
1 ounce Cognac
1 cup chilled sparkling apple cider
A few dashes bitters


Directions. 
1. Pour 1/2 ounce Cognac into each of two champagne flutes. Top each with 1/2 cup chilled sparkling apple cider, and finish with a few dashes bitters.

See you in 2011!

happy christmas.

Wishing you all a lovely Christmas! Enjoy this time with family and friends!

source.

Signing off until the New Year, looking forward to sharing more goodies with you in 2011!

holiday cheer.

I don't know about you, but when I think holiday season I think Bing Crosby and black and white movies (add a blazing fire and some hot cocoa and we have perfection). 
Hope you enjoy this little gem!

Happy Holidays!

Bing Crosby - White Christmas

stocking renovation.

Even though I adore the stockings that my mother sewed for my sister and I when we were wee ones, these are kind of awesome. They also beautifully express my love of all things suzani. 

suzani stockings

delicious-ness.

This is not bragging, this is just the truth. I can bake like nobody's business. One of my all time baking favs for the holiday are my chewy molasses cookies. Here is my Christmas gift to you! Enjoy!

Molasses Cookies

Makes about 60 two-inch cookies (enough to share!)

Preheat oven to 375

- 3/4 cup butter, softened

- 3/4 cup lard or vegetable shortening

- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup unsulphured dark molasses

- 4 cups all-purpose flour

- 2 tsp baking soda

- 2 tsp ground cinnamon

- 2 tsp ground cloves

- 2 tsp ground ginger

- 3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar for topping

In a large bowl, beat butter and lard until soft. Slowly add and beat in two cups of granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs and molasses.

In a second large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Dough will be soft.

Refrigerate for about one hour or until dough is firm.

Roll dough into two-inch balls, and then roll each in the coarse sugar. Place balls about three inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake about 10-12 minutes, or until lightly cracked on top. Watch them carefully towards the end of they cooking tim so they don't get burnt on the bottom. Cool slightly and remove to a wire rack and cool completely. 

mini martha.

Wish I would have spotted these before I started stampin' away at my holiday gift tags. Found this little gem on Sweet Paul, how great would they look under the tree? 

You could give your family members a tag of themselves or find some unique old photos at an antique store. 

You will need:
Color copies of pictures
Tag puncher
Hole puncher
String

Use a tag puncher and punch out tags of your pictures.
If you don't have a tag puncher you can just cut the tags out by hand.
Punch out holes using a hole puncher and fasten a string to the photo.

merry melody.

When I think of Christmas, the first thing that comes to mind is Bing Crosby and the film White Christmas. I'm pretty sure I have seen that movie an unhealthy amount of times, and listened to the soundtrack even more. Every once in awhile a new Christmas song comes out and I'll enjoy it for a few listens and then be over it. Bing I can never get over. However I just fell in love with Coldplay's new song Christmas Lights, and the music video is gorgeous! Don't worry Bing, you are still my #1, Coldplay just has a special place in my heart now.

Christmas Lights by Coldplay.

all dressed up.

Tonight is the senior holiday/early graduates party at my college. Time to get girly. Probably the first time I've gotten dressed up in months. Recently I have been a fan of yoga pants and t-shirts, primarily due to the fact that I have no time to think about what to wear let alone write essays. Still can't believe that I only have a few days left as a college student! Went way too fast. 

I've got my black dress ready and my shoes (hypothetically) shined....can someone make my hair look like this tonight? Maybe a miracle will happen, and my hair will grow long enough...in just a few hours. 

(source)

wish list.

So I have always just walked by the West Elm in downtown Portland, it always seemed too modern for me...too many straight lines. I hate straight lines. But this summer I wandered in. Best decision ever. Not only did I purchase a duvet cover, but I also have started a habit of regularly perusing the website. 


So far these are some of the beautiful things that have made the cut to my Christmas list....

Two-Part Vase

Andalusia Rug

Recycled Spanish-Glass Votives

Hand Loomed Ikat Pillow

 and for my un-healthy/borderline love affair with cheese...

Bamboo Cheese Board + Dome

a little bit of cheer.

I am usually not one to be oogling over Christmas anything before turkey day. But I saw this stop motion video on Anthropologie's site and I couldn't help but share. Makes me want to Anthro-out my Christmas tree this year. Too bad I can't afford it.

Check it out...Anthropologie – Trim Video