Valentine Decorating Ideas

Some people have a way of making you feel welcome and happy to be at their house.  Decorating can help us do this too.  Here are some ideas to help you feel inspired to use this holiday of Valentines to welcome and inspire yourself and others who enter your home.  These are pictures of a friend's home where her little touches of red here and there and her wonderful personality made my heart happy as I walked through her door.  Come take a tour with me and get some decorating ideas.

 

If you have a place to display a collection of cute holiday pillows you could send a sweet feeling with their messages like these two pillows do here.

  

Little plaques with their sayings are a fun way to share your love.

 A nice mantel vignette with it's plaque and "loves me" vase gives a little bit of color there.

A mini bookshelf holds more red loveliness.

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An easy display is to wrap those red Christmas candles with heart-tied ribbons.

 

Another mantel idea.

 And below the mantel.

I loved how these silver pitchers were made into lovely display items.

  

And I loved how she turned her pot rack into a Heart rack!

 I hope you are inspired to share your love in your home this year through little touches of Red!

Falling Leaves Tablescape and Foodie Friday

Today I am linking up to Thursday Tablescapes and Foodie Friday and thank the hosts that sponsor these each week.  This week's tablescape is from a luncheon I attended yesterday.  The theme was Falling Leaves so there were beautiful colored leaves everywhere from the podium in the room

to the tables set for lunch.  These oversized leaves were purchased last year at Tai Pan Trading.  You can see that the leaves are each about 12-15" long.
The centerpieces on each table are large ceramic leaves from Wal Mart with large fat candles in shades of fall (also from Wal Mart).

Each candle was wrapped with wide ribbon embossed with leaves and tied with a gold metal leaf.  Each leaf plate with its candle and decorations was sitting on a large satin quilted leaf set in the center of each table.

 Most of the 10 decorations were extracted from a basket of fall leaves and things that was purchased at DI (this area's Goodwill equivalent) for $2.00! A great buy.

Here is what the table looked like before lunch was served.  At each place was a tan program with colored leaves on it too.  Also each place had a wonderful chocolate favor.

The mint chocolate truffle was hand made by a local woman chocolatier and was placed inside a filigreed chocolate basket which had a chocolate turkey emblem on the front of the basket. (Three wonderful chocolate delights in one)!  These were set on a real maple leaf that had been spray painted gold.

And if that was not enough, we were serenaded by professional violists from the Symphony!

 Now, to the food.  The salad was lovely mixed greens with blue cheese, raspberries and walnuts with Raspberry vinaigrette. (The walnuts were coated with something spicy.  They weren't sugared.)

 

The main course was the most delicious piece of broiled sesame salmon served with Miso, four beef tips on skewers, sticky rice with mushroom sauce, one baby carrot and two asparagus spears cooked to French perfection!  Dessert was every woman's dream:  Three petite portions of (1) chocolate cake with sauce, (2) creme brulee with raspberry sauce in the bottom of the ramekin, and (3) ginger tart filled with sour cream and blackberries!  I guess I was so excited about the dessert that I forgot to take any pictures of it.  I wish I had recipes to share but do not.  Sorry.

 Thanks for visiting me today.  Click here to see more tablescapes and here to see tempting food and recipes.

T'was the time before Christmas

I just love this time of year. I really like the time before Christmas maybe more than the actual day of Christmas. Here are 10 reasons why:

1. I love going to the elementary and middle school music concerts where the 4th graders all have on Santa hats and play their recorders as if they were in a famous Symphony (so cute), and the 7th graders play their flutes like they have really practiced.

2. I love to find at the store that my regular milk and yogurt have been replaced with seasonal ones like Pumpkin Spice and Egg Nog.

3. I love to see the children trying so hard to be on their best behavior leaving little notes saying "You are the best mother/grandmother in the world".

4. I have been listening to Christmas carols since October when I got a new CD for my birthday. Need I say I love them?

5. I love making just the right gift for someone and the anticipation of their response when they open it and see it for the first time. My sister always makes the neatest gifts for me so there is a lot of pressure on me with her gift.

6. I love a good party and it seems that everyone is having one at this time of year. Why not when your house is decorated with lots of twinkly lights on the mantle and candles everywhere?

7. Did I mention candles? I visited a friend's home today and had to see what candles she was burning-- Cranberry Wreath and Christmas Tree, it smelled so good!

8. There is nothing like seeing an envelope in the mail with familiar penmanship and you can't wait to read all about her year since she last wrote to you. You can reread it over and over again if you want.

9. When I make green Christmas tree Spritz cookies I have fond memories of my Aunt Ramona who always had them on her table for all the guests at Christmas time. Although none of my children like them, It wouldn't be Christmas for me without them. (I have not made them yet this year).

10. When I walk through my house at night with just the lights in the garlands glowing, the carols in the air and fireplace and candles burning, I just love it. I see my old stuffed dog from my childhood with a red bow around his neck, the ornaments we bought so many years ago along with crystals from a chandelier (we found in the attic of a previous home) on the tree and it makes me happy. I feel so cozy and content with everything the way it is right now. I will leave Christmas morning for the children, I don't need more than I have right now.