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Tag: holiday


a life-size gingerbread house

14
December

life size gingerbread house naples

Yes, I am a Food Network junkie.  And, since I love to bake, I particularly enjoy any show that includes baking!  Currently, that show is The Holiday Baking Championship on Monday nights!

I was recently lucky enough to meet a current contestant, 35 year old Lerome Campbell, one of 3 bakers at the Ritz-Carlton beach resort in Naples, Florida.

at the ritz in naples florida

At this time of year, Lerome is something of a local celebrity because of his part in creating a gingerbread house in the lobby of the Ritz hotel.  Each year, pastry chefs at the Ritz-Carlton beach resort plan, bake and construct a life-sized gingerbread house.  This year’s creation used 60,000 pieces of candy, 1,200 gingerbread bricks, 464 eggs, and is held together with 400 lbs. of icing!  No small feat, the house required 1,000 hours to put together!

gingerbread house life size

The first challenge on last Monday’s episode of The Holiday Baking Championship was for contestants to prepare a classic chocolate holiday dessert with the addition of two common pantry items.  Lerome chose to create a chocolate trifle that incorporated potato chips and red wine…interesting combo!  Coating the potato chips in melted chocolate and then sprinkling them with peppermint insured a crunchy, flavorful chip.  He simmered the red wine into a thick reduction and layered it into the dessert.

letters to santa

Even with the twist of having to incorporate the secret ingredient of fruit cake into his second dessert creation of a pecan financier on the episode, Lerome was able to avoid elimination and is advancing to the finale.

naples ritz gingerbread house

me and leromeI’m rooting for my new friend Lerome next Monday (December 17th) when he competes on the finale episode!

I should mention, since the gingerbread house at the hotel is not available for tasting (it is lacquered after constructed – so it is totally inedible), I made sure to taste every one of Lerome’s creations while visiting his hotel!  I probably tasted at least a dozen desserts and they were all beautiful and delicious!  One of my favorites was the yuzu crème brulee.

side view of gingerbread house

Hope you enjoyed today’s Friday field trip and a glimpse of the 2018 gingerbread house created by Lerome Campbell and the bakers at the Ritz-Carlton beach resort in Naples, Florida.

the gingerbread house at the Ritz

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

Comments Off on a life-size gingerbread house | field trips, food & festivities, holiday, inspiration, travel

holiday 2018 at terrain

27
November

zinc village at terrain

This may be the first year since it opened that I did not attend the holiday open house at Terrain.  I know I usually share some photos from the day since the store is so inspiring!

lights for the holidays

holiday ferns

A few followers that live out of the area emailed and asked me about the open house – hoping to see some photos again this year.  Since I don’t want to disappoint…I made a trip over last Sunday morning so I could take a few photos and share them with you!  Walking around early on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee proved to be a peaceful and beautiful way to start the day!

dining at terrain westport

It is not exactly the same as the magnificent open house day, but for those of you who aren’t lucky enough to have a Terrain within visiting distance, the photos are fun to look at!

holiday tree at terrain

My favorite things are always the plants and I was not disappointed.  The terrariums and the way they incorporate holiday elements are fabulous!

christmas terrarium

holiday terrarium

The miniature zinc village is one of the stars of the show…as it was last year.  It looks like some new pieces were added this year.  I am still totally in love with the zinc advent calendar!

Terrain advent calendar

Santa forgot to bring it to me last year…maybe I will have better luck this year!

zinc trees at terrain

Sorry I didn’t get open house photos posted this year.  I hope you got a little bit of a Terrain holiday fix from these Sunday morning photos!

holiday lights

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a great start to this holiday season!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on holiday 2018 at terrain | holiday, inspiration

holiday at country living fair atlanta 2018

16
November

pine forests of stone mountain

Last week on Friday field trip, I shared some photos of my trip to Atlanta to the Country Living Magazine Fair.  As promised, I have a few more photos to share.  Last week I shared autumn themed photos.

holiday drawers

This week, just a few holiday themed photos from the fair, to give you a little seasonal inspiration!

holiday tablesetting

Many of the vendors did create holiday displays.  And, even in the rain, they were fun to enjoy!

christmas greens

Thanks so much for stopping by!

small elf

Have a really fabulous weekend!  Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

angel vine plants

xmas trees in white planters

Remember to take pleasure in simple things…especially during the holiday season, Jackie

Comments Off on holiday at country living fair atlanta 2018 | field trips, holiday, travel

diy tic-tac-toe

13
November

sand and sea diy

Now that we are well into November, are you starting to think of Christmas?  I have tried to cut back on my holiday shopping and this seems a common way of thinking among my friends as well.

I think it is far better to give experiences rather than material presents and I am trying really hard to keep that guideline in my mind as the holidays approach!

tic-tac-toe on the beach

That being said, there is nothing like a little homemade gift to surprise a little one come the holiday!  And, a homemade gift can definitely help create an experience as well!

Today’s DIY project is the perfect example!  It is super easy to make and it can be used to create a fun experience to give a child – how to play tic-tac-toe!

supplies for homemade game

The only supplies you will need are:  a small muslin bag (mine is being reused from a jewelry purchase), embroidery thread or baker’s twine, a sewing needle, and a handful of small items.  I used sea glass for my small items but you can use pebbles, shells, buttons, or small candies like m&ms…be creative and use what you have!  I made my DIY tic-tac-toe for no cost at all!

travel tic-tac-toe diy

I used brown and white baker’s twine to sew a tic-tac-toe board onto the muslin bag.  Then, I just collected a handful of sea glass in two different colors to use as the playing pieces.  The pieces are handily stored inside the bag when not in use.

collecting sea glass for diy

How easy is that!  I hope I inspired you to create a DIY tic-tac-toe game to gift to that perfect little someone this Christmas – personal instruction included!

diy tic tac toe on the beach

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

Comments Off on diy tic-tac-toe | diy, holiday, sand & sea

tis the season

26
December

xmas in a tub

If you are a follower, you know I post to this blog every Tuesday and Friday without fail.  Guess what?  Today, I did not prepare a post.  Of course I won’t miss a post lol, but I didn’t prepare anything.

Yesterday, I totally lived in the moment with my family.  What a fabulous day!

Today, I am off to work.  So, no post!

In keeping with the wonderful day I had yesterday, I want to thank you all for sharing pleasure in simple things with me.  It is truly a gift to connect with so many people through this blog.

xmas stockings at ohio country living

I will see you again on Friday!

Have a fabulous day enjoying the wonders of the season!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie xo

P.S.  These couple photos were taken at the Country Living Fair in Ohio. :)

Comments Off on tis the season | holiday

ice, ice baby

22
December

homemade Irish Cream with home made coffee ice

Making homemade Irish Cream for the holidays is a tradition in my family.  My mom and sister always put it in their Christmas morning coffee.  I prefer to drink it cold.  A great addition to the cold version is coffee ice!  Making ice cubes in advance from leftover coffee makes this special holiday beverage perfect!  But then, a hint of coffee flavor makes many things perfect…think chocolate!

Making special ice cubes is a festive way to enjoy your favorite beverage on Christmas.  Depending on your drink of choice, you can choose to add fruit or herbs to your ice as an alternative to making coffee ice.  For the children’s beverages, try adding mini gummy bears or crushed candy canes to the ice!  What child wouldn’t like to see some gummy bears…or worms!…floating in their juice!

making coffee ice cubes for Irish Cream

Adding extra fun little details at the holidays is a great way to make the day special!

Using decorative ice cube trays is another festive idea.  Ikea usually has some cute ones!  Make little ice cube trees, angels, or other unusual shapes.  There are also trays available that make ice shot glasses if shots are more your thing!

frozen coffee shot glass

If you want our family recipe for homemade Irish Cream, click here.

I hope I have inspired you to make some special ice cubes for the holiday…a cute and easy detail to add to your holiday!

Thanks for stopping by and remember to take pleasure in simple things!

Wishing you and your family much joy this holiday season, Jackie xo

Comments Off on ice, ice baby | diy, food & festivities, holiday, recipe

bottle brush tree salt shakers

12
December

pink bottle brush tree in salt shaker

Everyone loves a salt shaker with a bottle brush tree for the holidays!  How do I know?  One of the most pinned holiday item of mine is of the salt shaker snow globes I made some years back.

holiday salt shaker diy

Because of its popularity, I am sharing a few new ones I made this year. The last ones you saw were all done in neutrals. (Click here to see.)  Today, the shakers were created to complement a pink and gold theme.

This is such an easy DIY.  For my pink and gold theme, I started by first spraying the tops of all the shakers with a matte gold metallic spray paint.

pink and gold xmas

To create a shaker, put the bottle brush tree you have chosen into the shaker.  I use a glue gun to put a bead of glue on the base to hold the tree securely in place.  (Sometimes I find it easier to use tweezers to put the tree in place.)  Then added some sparkly ‘snow’ – some pretty glitter – inside the shaker.

pink bottle brush in a salt shaker

Decorating with ribbon, beads, jingle bells, etc. personalizes the shakers.  This is a great way to use those little scraps of ribbon you haven’t been able to throw out!

An easy and fun DIY!  You may want to add names to each and use as place cards for a holiday meal.

white bottle brush in salt shakers

Look at this little one I made with a vintage snow baby in place of the tree!  I used some sea glass spray paint to frost the glass of the shaker.

salt shaker snow baby

I hope I have inspired you to make some bottle brush tree salt shakers!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on bottle brush tree salt shakers | diy, holiday

green tea holiday bark

8
December

close up candy bark

I mentioned in a previous post that I found a great recipe book for trying some new food gifts this year.  Today, on Friday field trip, I am taking you into my kitchen to check out the first one I chose to make.  The recipe I tried is candy bark from the new recipe book Holiday Cookies:  Showstopping Recipes to Sweeten the Season by Elisabet der Nederlanden.  (For more on this book, click here.)

I couldn’t wait to make this!  I have friends that love green tea and I was sure the bark would look festive with green from the tea and red from freeze dried berries.

piece of candy bark

As it turned out, the recipe did not disappoint!  It looks super festive and tastes great.  I do have a few tips if you decide to make this for giving.

First, green tea powder can be super expensive – shop wisely!  I found some at HomeGoods in the food section for a great price!  You can also probably find it as a teabag.  Just be sure to check the label on whatever you purchase and be sure green tea is the only ingredient.  I found the freeze dried berries at a great price at Target in the section where trail mix and nuts are sold.

collage making candy bark

As far as preparation – do not let the dark chocolate layer get too cold before layering the green tea mixture on top!  What I found out is that the green tea layer does not adhere to the chocolate if it is too cold – as soon as the chocolate is firm, spread the green tea layer on top.  Also, work quickly to add the ingredients to the green tea layer because it sets up quickly!

christmas candy bark

This candy was so easy to put together and so quick to make!  Now, it just needs a cute package for gifting!

gift package of candy bark

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you are inspired to make a food gift of your own.  I have a couple more new recipes I want to try before Christmas!

last of candy bark

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

Comments Off on green tea holiday bark | food & festivities, gift ideas, holiday, inspiration

advent calendar diy 2017

5
December

tablescape calendar diy for advent

For those of you that follow this blog regularly, you know I don’t create hanging Advent calendars.  I prefer a tablescape or mantlescape when coming up with my annual creation!

Advent Calendar diy tablescape

This year, I am using small pillow boxes to put together a very simple calendar.  If you want to make one, this is what you will need:

24, 3 1/2” brown paper pillow boxes; 26 feet of 3/4” ribbon of your choice, cut into 13” pieces; 1” adhesive numbers (be sure to have enough numbers for 1 through 24); small candies of your choice.

candies for Advent calendar

I often use champagne bubble candies when styling since I not only love the color white, but I love the way the candies look.  Champagne flavored candies also seem right for a special occasion like Christmas.  You may choose to substitute one of your favorite candies, something homemade, or a candy in a color that coordinates with your own holiday colors.

diy advent calendar supplies

The calendar is easy to assemble.  Fill each box with some of the candy you chose and close.  Tie a piece of ribbon, lengthwise, onto each box.  Use the adhesive letters to add the numbers 1 through 24 to the front of the boxes.

I found my adhesive numbers at a craft store– I thought the dot pattern played well with the candies I chose to use in the boxes.

Lastly, arrange the boxes in a grouping.

creating a diy Advent Calendar

For a mantel, an arrangement using some loose white birch logs would work nice.  For a tablescape, any favorite tray or bowl would work well.  For my Advent calendar tablescape, I am using plants, moss, and tiny lights in a long tray down the middle of my wooden dining room table.

Easy and fun!  I hope I have inspired you to create an Advent calendar for your home!

Advent calendar diy with lights

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on advent calendar diy 2017 | diy, holiday

rainbow turkeys at gozzi’s farm

28
November

pink turkey in Connecticut

You don’t need to purchase a turkey during the holidays to make a tradition of visiting Gozzi’s Turkey Farm in Guilford, Connecticut.  If not purchasing a turkey, why visit a turkey farm?  To get a glimpse of the rainbow colored turkeys, of course!

Orange turkey at Gozzis

Rumor has it that the 15 or so white turkeys housed in a turkey pen each year outside the store were first dyed with 100% natural vegetable based dyes back in the 1940’s and the practice has been maintained as a tradition ever since.

pastel turkeys in CT

To me, the turkeys give more of an Easter vibe than a Thanksgiving vibe, but they certainly are interesting to look at!

Gozzi’s Turkey Farm has been in business over 75 years, developing one of the first strains of white turkeys on the East Coast.

close up of green turkey

With the rise of large turkey producers, Gozzi’s does not sell the large quantities of fresh birds that it once did at its peak back in the 1970’s, but many families still make an annual tradition of purchasing a fresh Gozzi bird!  Many area families also make an annual tradition of viewing the colorful turkeys in the front pen!

ruffled feathers of colored turkeys

This small local turkey farm is located on Route 1 not far off I-95 and the turkeys are in the pen and free to view from Thanksgiving through Christmas during good weather.

gozzis turkey farm sign

Thanks for stopping by!

boots on the farm

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on rainbow turkeys at gozzi’s farm | holiday, travel

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