Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts

2.08.2012

Heart Shaped Homemade Marshmallows

Chocolates and flowers are nice on Valentine's Day but I think heart-shaped homemade marshmallows are better!  Do you agree?


When planning my Snow in Love Engagement Party photo shoot, I was inspired by marshmallows and decided to take it two steps further by making them and cutting them into heart shapes (using cookie cutters).  The result was fabulous ... just ask my girls who helped me eat the whole batch!

I recommend this fluffy marshmallow recipe ... and if you still need a little chocolate on Valentine's Day, may I suggest a dark chocolate fondue!  Enjoy!

Did this post inspire you to make homemade marshmallows?  If so, please leave me a comment to let me know!

11.17.2011

Thanksgiving Treats that Kids will Gobble Up!

If you are hosting children for dinner this Thanksgiving, consider one of these super adorable - and easy to make - treats.  I guarantee that everyone, not just the kids, will gobble them up!

Rice Krispie Turkey Pops

Little Gobblers

Oreo Turkeys (with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!)

Do you have a favorite turkey treat?  If so, please leave a comment to share it with me!

5.25.2011

Crepe Paper Table Runner

Hooray! Two more days until our long holiday weekend begins! 

Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer and outdoor parties!  If you are hosting a BBQ or picnic this weekend, I have a clever decoration idea ... and chances are pretty good that you have the materials stored in a bottom kitchen drawer (just waiting for this moment!).

It's a crepe paper table runner!


Different theme or occasion? Just change the colors! Love that!


Do you know other crepe paper decoration ideas?  If so, please leave me a comment and let me know! 

5.18.2011

Stars and Stripes Decor


Memorial Day is quickly approaching; are you ready?  If not, I've got a simple yet eyecatching patriotic decoration that you can make moments before guests arrive for your BBQ or pool party! 

It's a hanging floral decoration (photo above) and in the words of my 4 year old daughter, "it's easy peasy" to make!  The instructions, as well as more project ideas, are outlined in this Good Housekeeping article but in a nutshell, its a dish towel folded in half and stapled around a gallon-size Ziploc bag.  Is that genius or what?!  I can't wait for my hydrangeas to bloom!

For more Memorial Day inspiration, please read my blog, A Slice of Summer Entertaining, on DC Ladies.  I share three watermelon recipes - a drink, a dessert and a super cool decoration!

So, what are your Memorial Day plans?  Are you beach bound, firing up the grill or tackling a never-ending list of home improvement projects? Can you guess my plans?!

4.20.2011

Heart Shaped Hard Boiled Easter Egg


Wouldn't these heart shaped hard boiled eggs look adorable on an Easter buffet?  I think so, too!  Link to easy how-to instructions available here via Love The Day. 

4.04.2010

Recipes for Leftover Easter Eggs


Happy Easter!  Happy Spring!  Above is a flower arrangement that I made for my mom!  She and I took my girls to the PEEPS store at the National Harbor last week so I thought she would get a kick out of this centerpiece!



This is the Easter Bunny Bread that I made for my friends' Potluck Egg Hunt yesterday.  Despite his crooked nose and cheeks (oops!), this recipe was so easy to make and everyone really enjoyed it!  Click here for the previous blog entry with recipe.


If your family is like mine, your children decorated a lot of eggs and now you're pondering what to do with them.  You can slice them for a sandwich, chop them over a spinach salad or try a variation on a classic deviled egg recipe.  Click here to read the Deviled Egg Recipe Collection by the Food Network including traditional deviled eggs (L), BLT Deviled Eggs (C) and Fried Deviled Egg (R) - sounds interesting.  Enjoy!

3.28.2010

Egg-cellent Easter Ideas


Easter is next Sunday, April 4.  My family will celebrate with an annual Egg Hunt at a friend's house on Saturday and then brunch with family on Sunday.  So, I've been doing a little research to see what I can make for these fun events.  I discovered three (3) easy ideas (photos above) that I'd like to share with you ... enjoy!

Easter Bunny Bread
This cute idea comes from Taste of Home via Maddycakes Muse.  I love it!

Chocolate Nest with Easter Eggs
Can you believe this edible nest is made from chow mein noodles coated with melted chocolated and marshmallows?  I can't remember which blog brought this clever recipe to my attention but I found a similar recipe in Womens Day.  My girls and I are going to have fun making these treats for friends!

New Leaf Napkin Fold
Give an old napkin a fresh look and your table with perk up, too.  Idea complements of BHG.com via Hostess with the Mostess.

What's your favorite Easter or spring decor idea or recipe?  Please leave a comment for everyone to enjoy.

12.24.2009

From my dinner table to yours, Merry Christmas!

This morning, I was playing around with table decor. My menu was in limbo and I still had groceries to buy but I was anxious to decorate the table, my favorite thing to do when hosting a party. Like many of you, I've come across so many great holiday ideas this year (what a creative world we live in!) and remembered two table decor ideas. One idea was a "mitten" place setting (via marthastewart.com), perfect for any winter holiday/Winter Wonderland theme. The other idea was a "bow" place setting, as if wrapping up your china like a Christmas gift (via Next Door with Katie Brown). So, in a pinch, I tried both ideas out this morning and I thought I would share them with you; see photos above.

Using my girls new snow accessories, I created a snow man place setting, which is quite adorable, as well as a colorful hat place setting with a "chair sash" made from a matching scarf, which is quite festive, too!

For the bow place setting, I had red wired ribbon on hand; it looks pretty though I'm positive other people (like my mother) can do a much better job at making a bow. To enhance the look, you could also use an ornament tied to the ribbon. To complete my 'posh in a pinch' Christmas tablescape, I clipped holly and pinetree branches from my yard and put them in a glass bowl with Christmas ornaments (red glass balls and a sparkly snowflake).
These place setting ideas can be used for other dinner parties, too. As I mentioned, the mitten concept would work for any winter party and the bow place setting would be ideal for any "gift" occasion like birthdays and anniversaries.
However, you dress your table, may it be 'posh' (preferably in a pinch) and above all, enjoy your meal in the company of family and friends! Merry Christmas to you.

12.11.2009

Happy Hanukkah ... DIY Menorahs




Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. It reminds me of the first night of Hanuakkah in 2002. My husband and I were still newly married and expecting our first baby (who just turned 7 this week!). We invited his parents over for dinner. I made a menorah using my favorite Crate & Barrel wine glasses (8 'white' plus 1 'red' for the shamash candle) and blue glass beads from Michaels (you can kind of see my menorah in the photo above). I'm not Jewish but I recall my mother-in-law being impressed by my creativity. I was inspired by a Martha Stewart article (photo above, click here to read). This year, I came across a similar article in Real Simple; it suggested unfinished candlestick holders (photo above, click here to read).
Regardless of your religious affiliation, if you're celebrating Hanukkah this year with someone special and need a quick menorah, I hope I've inspired you with these 'posh in a pinch' clever ideas. Happy, happy!

12.05.2009

Christmas Decorating Made Easier ...


I love everything about Christmas except decorating. The fuss of bringing boxes in from storage, sorting, untangling and sometimes, breaking can drive me crazy. I would really procrastinate except I have 3 little girls who swear Santa won't visit unless there's a tree. But in yesterday's mail, I came across a clever idea ... a Baroque Christmas Tree wall sticker. It looks lovely, and it's inexpensive and removable (without wall damage); perfect to use year-after-year. With this sticker, you now have time to celebrate!