“May no gift be too small to give, nor too simple to receive, which is wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied with love.”     L.O. Baird

The best gifts for Valentine’s Day are the hand-made ones and those given from the heart.  Doesn’t matter if a small child scribbles an “I love you Mommy” in crayon or someone special cooks a week night dinner, you always remember and cherish the personal gifts.

This year I’m making felted wool hearts for the special people in my life.  The women will get one with an added touch of bling!

I look for 100% wool sweaters every time I stop at Goodwill.  At $3.99 each, I’ve collected piles of them in every color.

Wash them in the hottest water temperature setting on your washing machine.  They will shrink and felt in the dryer (also at the hottest setting).  Be sure to purchase  only 100% wool sweaters.  They will not felt the same if there is even a small percentage of a synthetic fiber.

I cut out the hearts free hand, but you can use a pattern pinned to the sweater if you want a perfect heart.  I prefer a more irregular shape.

Using embroidery thread and a blanket stitch, sew the two pieces together.  Add a bit of fiberfill to give the heart additional shape.  A running stitch works too.

I added some free form stars.  Sew on a ribbon at the top if you want them to hang.

Add some bling using old (or new) rhinestone pins and buttons.

I think I will use mine as party favors for a girl’s only Valentine’s Day lunch.

What are you making for your Valentine?

Whether you ring in the New Year with a big bash or dinner for two, be sure to set your table with flair.  1950’s and 60’s “vintage” style has been very popular in home decorating the past few years.  I predict it will continue to gain in popularity.

A great example is this set of gold star dinner and salad plates I found at Goodwill from the 60’s.  I couldn’t pass them up.  When paired with gold chargers, they look updated and very festive.

You cannot do a Mad Men theme party without the traditional champagne “coupe” glasses.  This set has a gold rim. Although you can’t put them in the dishwasher, they’re so elegant you won’t mind hand washing once in a while. Fill them with tiny ornament baubles and wrapped the stem with ribbon.

A monochromatic table (everything in one color) is really dramatic.  After a week of red and green, shades of gold can be a welcome relief.

To keep the theme going, I added shiny brass angel napkin rings paired with white napkins bordered with a pretty trim.  Casually pull the napkin through and set it on the side of the plate.

This New Year’s table needed something more than a centerpiece of candles.  When I shop Goodwill, I often find something that intrigues me, but not sure what I will do with it.  That’s what happened with this bird cage.  I spotted it months ago and it turned out to be perfect for New Year’s Eve.

I set a gold candle in the middle and tucked in assorted greens and sprays of glitter.

Coordinate the mantle with your table setting.  Add lots of gold ribbon and bows, more gold candles and scatter the same mini ornaments throughout.

I hope your Christmas is fabulous.  Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year!

Do you prefer yours shaken or stirred?  Cheers!

Sometimes you have to be creative when decorating your home for Christmas.  Hanging your stockings by the chimney isn’t always possible. If you don’t have a fireplace, treat another shelf the same way.  Display your Christmas collections and hang stockings on the 24th of December.

First I covered an old shelf with a snowflake patterned pillowcase.

Design Tip:  A secret to a creating beautiful display is: layering, variety of heights and textures.

Since this collection of snowman is basically the same size, it’s important to add height.  I found lots of silver candlesticks at Goodwill for very little money.  The silver patina has an ice-like quality.  Mix up different sizes and shapes,  push some back and place others forward.

Once you get an arrangement that looks good, add pieces of batting under each snowman and around the candlesticks.

Tuck in felt snowflakes to fill in the empty spaces. Build your collection every year with more snowmen and candlesticks. The best part of this display, you can keep it up all winter long!

I never make Christmas cookies.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat them; baking just isn’t my thing.  Instead, I make my own Christmas cards and wrapping paper every year.  Personalized wrapping paper is not only less expensive but each gift becomes a little work of art, an original design by you! You can even coordinate your gift wrap with the interior design of your living room.

For this festive wreath, I started with big rolls of white kraft paper.  You get yards and yards for only a few dollars. Then select scrapbook papers in a variety of greens.  Some with sparkle, others with a matte finish.  Mix up the shades.  The turquoise next to olive green gives the wreath texture and a retro look.

Cut out leaves.  If you’re not ready for free-hand cutting, make a few leaf templates out of card stock and trace on the back of your green papers.  You don’t have to be perfect, this is art.

I always wrap all the presents first.  I re-use old Christmas cards as gift tags and tape them to the bottom of the box.

A couple of glue sticks and some Christmas music and you’re ready to go.  Make each wreath fit the size of the package, overlapping as you go around. Don’t glue down the whole leaf.  Leave some of the ends loose for depth. For small boxes, try a garland pattern.

A simple bow out of colorful ribbon (who doesn’t love polka dots?) and you’re finished.

Your wrapping session might take longer than usual, but the pile of presents under the tree sure looks festive and beautiful.

Ever since my kids were little, I spent an afternoon wrapping while they were still in school.  I had a roaring fire going and a favorite Christmas movie on DVD and wrapped all by myself. It was wonderful. Now that my kids are grown, maybe this year I’ll have a glass of wine while I wrap too.

I am a self-professed Christmas Queen.  I love everything about the holiday and seriously start planning for the season at the beginning of November.  I understand not everyone shares my enthusiasm.  Instead of getting excited, people tend to stress out over everything that needs to be done (shopping, baking, cards, wrapping, entertaining, cooking, decorating, etc, etc.) and end up not having any fun.

Follow my steps to a happier, less stressed holiday season.

1.    Set your priorities

• This is the most important step.  Early in November write down what you need or want to accomplish and (more importantly) the things you know you don’t have time or energy or even want to do.

2.    Decorating

• No one said you have to do it alone.  Enlist the  family to help or invite friends for a tree trimming party.  Even the littlest kids can help.  I loved the years when half of our ornaments were on the lowest branches.
  

• Answer this question:  If I don’t have time to do all my usual decorating, what can I forget about this year?  Maybe it’s the outside lights or the 50 piece village set.   Maybe this is the year to do a minimalist tree.  White lights and a single color ornament.  Less work and you will have a hip and trendy tree.

3.     Shopping

• Write out your list early.  (See the trend here?  Earlier = less stress!)  Plan your shopping so you make fewer trips and use your time wisely.  Make one trip to the mall, one trip to the electronic store, etc.

• Shop throughout the year for generic gifts.  When you get invited to a party, you’ll have a hostess gift on hand.

• Set up a wrapping station.  Gather paper, tape, ribbons, gift tags all in one place, closet or room. That way you can wrap as you bring presents home.

4.    Entertaining

• Take turns with family or friends hosting the annual party.
  

• If it is your turn:

a)    Set the date early.

b)    Make out your guest list.

c)    Plan the menu.   Have guests bring food or order ready-made appetizers from the deli.  I make the same hors d’oeuvres every year (no one remembers).  I just look at my list from last year and know what and how much to make and buy.

d)    Invitations should go out 3 weeks in advance, so guests can get the date on their calendars.

e)    Decorations for Christmas parties are easy.  You’ve already done the work!

5.    Cards and Baking

• Cookie exchanges are the way to go. You only have to make one kind and get a variety in return.

• Sending Christmas cards is a tradition that fewer and fewer people participate in.  It’s costly and time consuming.  This is a an easy thing to eliminate.

• I don’t bake cookies, but I do make my own  Christmas cards.  Because I have a big party, my card becomes my invitation.   I’m  finished by early November and can cross it off my list.

6.    Time for family and friends

• After an evening of power shopping, meet friends for a late supper or drink to catch up.
  

• Take the family to a holiday play or concert.

• Add a new tradition or bring back an old one.  Cut down your Christmas tree, go caroling, take a drive to see the neighbor’s light display (easier than doing your own), gather the family for Christmas movie night.

• Charity.  So many agencies are in need of money and time.  Volunteer or make donations to favorite organizations.  It’s amazing how stress melts away when you are helping someone else.

Enjoy Thanksgiving and remember to live in the moment.