january book giveaway!

December 30, 2016

My go-to eating strategy after the holidays is always to have a day or two of consuming strictly juices and/or smoothies. This strategy always works to get me right back on the healthy eating track!

With this in mind, I decided to feature The Blender Girl Smoothies by Tess Masters as the January giveaway book selection.

This book is a wonderful collection of 100 recipes for (vegan) smoothies designed to fit every need and taste! Each recipe features a beautiful photograph with suggestions for 3 optimal flavor boosters and nutritional add-ons.

The Blender Girl Smoothies is a fabulous resource whenever you need to try a new flavor or healthful ingredient combination smoothie!

Even if you don’t use my post-holiday eating strategy, a delicious and healthful smoothie is a go-to in any eating plan! Leave a comment on this post to be entered to win this great title! A winner will be chosen at random at the end of January.

Congratulations to Betsy, winner of last month’s giveaway – a 2017 calendar by Anna Rifle! I know you will enjoy this lovely calendar! (For more on the calendar, click here.)

Instagram users, please read on! In the spirit of this month’s giveaway, let’s share our smoothies! I would love to see your favorite flavor combinations! Use #pleasuregram to share photos of your creations!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a safe weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

2 comments

to all a good night

December 27, 2016

As this post goes up on the blog, I will be busy cleaning up from my Christmas celebration. My official Christmas was postponed a little bit this year since work commitments prevented the entire family from getting together on the 25th.

In fact, since my daughter worked both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, she requested a turkey dinner with cranberry sauce for our official family dinner last night…and, that fresh turkey cooked up perfectly!

I hope you are all enjoying your family as much as I am this holiday season.

I look forward to sharing more inspirations for a creative life as we begin a new year!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

a homage to christmas vacation

December 23, 2016

Fans of the movie Christmas Vacation are in for a treat today! I am taking you to a Connecticut Wally World – well, actually a ‘Wallingford World’ where the owner of a Wallingford, Connecticut farm has used his Christmas decorations to pay homage to the classic holiday movie starring Chevy Chase!

So, for something completely different, on today’s Friday field trip, I am sharing some of these elaborate Christmas Vacation decorations…definitely put together with a good sense of humor! Enjoy!

a crapper was full pleasure in simple things blog

This quote was revised after some neighborhood complaints!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a blessed holiday weekend and, especially during this holiday season, remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie xo

no comments

my favorite christmas gift

December 20, 2016

I have a pretty good memory. Some of my childhood friends can’t believe the details I can remember from ‘the good old days.’

Recently, I was talking to friends about what I remembered as the favorite Christmas gifts my children received from Santa. Later that day, I started wondering about which Christmas gifts I liked the best when I was young. I spent the good part of a day thinking about it. And, for the rest of that week, every time I had a few spare minutes, I went back to thinking about Christmases past.

There is a lot I could remember. I remember feeling the warmth from the fireplace at my grandparent’s house. And, I remember the lit up Santa that hung over their fireplace; the pine smell in that room. I remember watching the nutcracker on television. I remember my grandmother’s china pattern. I remember that one Mickey Mouse ornament that everyone wanted to hang on the tree. I remember the year our dog knocked over our tree when she jumped up to eat the foil wrapped chocolate ornaments and I remember one year leaving my dad a letter I wrote as Santa…I remember a lot of smiles…a lot of laughing and goofing around…I remember Christmas music.

But, you know what? I cannot, for the life of me, remember one single gift I received in all the years I lived in my parent’s house! Not one.

Enjoy the holiday spirit around you! :)

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

bird in a jar holiday decor

December 16, 2016

I have a fun and easy holiday décor DIY!

On today’s Friday field trip, I am demonstrating ‘a bird in a jar!’ Remember the year I put everything in jars for my holiday décor? Gingerbread cookies as well as holiday ornaments were on display in jars of snow a few years back. This is a little bit different from that display.

I have highlighted a single ornament in a pretty jar of snow. I happened to choose a bird ornament, but you can easily change it up to your own theme. I grouped three similar jars to create a display in my downstairs bathroom for the holidays.

Only one ornament is needed for each jar; so it is an economical display as well as a pretty one! The idea started from a beautiful little blue glass bird ornament I purchased new this year. I wanted to showcase this beauty! I looked through my ornaments and picked out two other bird ornaments – one was on a clip.

I used one bird per jar and grouped the three jars on a bathroom shelf. I am sorry the photos did not come out very well, but it is near impossible to get a good photo of a glass jar! And even harder to get a good photo of one in a bathroom with no windows! So I took the jars into another room to photograph. I hope you get the idea of how you can create a grouping in a similar way.

The pretty blue bird is suspended with a little piece of clear packing tape to the top of the jar. A second, sliver bird, sits in a pile of snow in another jar. I clipped the third bird onto a sparkly piece of a branch – cutting the branch to the exact width of the third jar so it would fit snugly inside! The three ‘bird in a jar’ creations make up an adorable holiday display!

I hope I have inspired you to create your own ornament display in jars!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

2 comments

neutral holiday table

December 13, 2016

On Thanksgiving weekend, I was inspired to do some holiday decorating and started on the dining room table. Since it is not really on theme, I may change it up before Christmas so I thought I would share my pre-holiday table today.

The best part about this table decor is that it cost so very little to put together! The pretty little trees and tiny poinsettias came from Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s is great for some affordable seasonal plants!

These cute artificial white berries – I love a white berry – were on a clearance rack for $1. a bunch at a very expensive home store.

I put the plants, berries, some natural materials (including some pine cones I had bleached), and some artificial snow together with some of my white containers. So pretty, don’t you think? The little white deer was a gift from a friend last Christmas. Oh, and I always have plenty of white candy canes on display during the holidays!

Have you started any of your holiday decor?

I hope I have inspired you to put some simple items together to create a festive holiday table!

Thank you for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

holiday shopping trip

December 9, 2016

Today for Friday field trip, a little shopping trip to one of my very favorite gift shops – Taken for Granite in Stony Creek. If you follow the blog, you know I especially love this shop at its holiday finest!

My schedule did not allow me to make it to the evening open house this year, but I found the daylight just as magical!

As always, the best in holiday styling! Enjoy!

I hope this awesome shop provided you with a little holiday inspiration! Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

target bargain bin diy

December 6, 2016

I love the section at Target with all the low-priced items! It is so much fun to find a great item for $1. or $3. in those magical bins at the front of the store! Sometimes, a little DIY is the perfect thing to make something from the bin simply fabulous!

Recently, I ‘felt’ that way about a marvelous felt clutch I found in the $3. bin! Though great on its own, a little enhancement would make it special!

I had a few ideas for a modification right from the start, but I knew I wanted to do an initial. I was thinking I would use a plaid fabric that would make a nice contrast against the gray and would scream holiday. To make it easy, I could use fabric bonding to adhere the initial. Then, if I had any embroidery thread in an appropriate color, I would use a blanket stitch on the edges to finish it off.

When I got home, I looked at the random buttons I had left in my button box and some of the button colors were perfect against the gray felt of the clutch. I changed my plaid idea to an initial formed from buttons! Based on the colors I was using, I would make a mustard colored tassel to add a finishing touch!

I used a small bead of glue from my glue gun on each button to hold it into place before I sewed each one onto the clutch.

When I went to the craft store to buy some yarn to make a tassel, I found a premade one in the color I wanted for less than the price of the material to make one! Perfect!

The pouch makes a great gift on its own or it can be used as a pretty item to tuck some presents into!

If you’d rather not use a needle and thread, another way to add an initial to the clutch could be to use a metallic iron-on initial from the fabric or craft store.