Lolly Garland Tutorial over on A FABULOUS FETE

Hello all! I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday.  It's my favorite time of year...when it's officially time to celebrate Christmas, even though my tree has been up for possibly one or two weeks...ahem. Anyhoo, without further ado...Go get your craft on with a super simple and super cute garland/ornament/cupcake topper tutorial I did for Lauren over on a fabulous fete. Enjoy!

World's Easiest Eggnog Coffee Cake

You might have seen a tweet about a very complicated eggnog coffee cake recipe I was gonna post this morning.  I was kidding.  This is the EASIEST eggnog coffee cake...EVER.  You know I like easy.  This makes some delicious coffee cake with a hint of eggnog flavor.  Yum. 



We just made this again (second time this week) and it's almost gone already...

On your trip to the store today, don't forget to grab...
~one box of Krusteaz Crumb Cake Mix
~Eggnog
~one egg

My very easy directions... Follow the recipe on the back of the box.  Add 2/3 EGGNOG instead of the 2/3 cup water...add egg.  Mix. Pour into 8x8 greased pan. Sprinkle topping. Cook as directed.  Voila! Super yummy eggnog coffee cake that your guests will wonder why it's so decadently scrumptious...and its easy enough that you can whip some up to lure people into the kitchen to help tomorrow with the turkey...

Enjoy and  BEST WISHES for a Happy Thanksgiving for you and yours!

Canvas and Canopy DIY

The Canvas and Canopy blog is amazing. All the gorgeousness that once was ilovelolliblog has been loaded into Canvas and Canopy's archives.  I've been meaning to share this DIY with you!  I was looking over my posts and I saw this little lovely never posted.  About  a month late.  Naughty Jenny. I blame dialup, but you can blame me. Here you go, a little treat for the long weekend!

When Cortnie asked me to do a party goodie tutorial for all of her lovely readers... I shrieked with joy.  I just about fell out of my chair. So here it is! My little lovely cake banner tutorial. Go visit Canvas and Canopy and learn how to make one, too.  Thank you, Cortnie!

Tinsel Word DIY

Hello! So, while we were putting up Christmas decorations this weekend, I ended up with extra garland.  Me? no way... This mini tinsel garland was the perfect antiqued silver color and I had just purchased it at Target.  I was outnumbered by the boys and told there will be NO garland on the tree.  What??? Since this year is the first where the mini men have been big enough to really help decorate the tree, I gave in, after a lot of whining on my side.  So yep.  I'm obsessed with garland...and I have none on my tree.  I'll let it slide this year. But I just couldn't bear to put this cute little tinsel in the attic.  I don't have a mantel...or a staircase...hmmm...

I had just purchased wire for another holiday project and thought about those cheesy hanging decorations made of tinsel...perfect!  Mine is way more chic, no?

So, supply wise, a roll of picture hanging wire (from a hardware store) and about 16 ft of tinsel.  The mini tinsel works best with the thin wire. By all means use the big stuff if you want something huge, just remember to increase the gauge of the wire so it's stronger. 

Before you start, lay out your word/letter/design to check that you have enough tinsel, it would be terrible if you ran out and ended up with "ho"

Use the wire cutter attached to the roll packaging or a pair of wire cutters if you have them. Cut about two foot sections of wire to start.  It is easier to attach two pieces of wire together later.  Also, cut a bunch of little 2 inch pieces of wire.  You will use these to secure the tinsel to the wire.

Now it's time to start wrapping.  Twist the ends of the wire and tinsel to secure it together.  Add a 2 inch piece and twist like a twistie tie.  Wrap the garland around and around to cover the wire.  I did mine kind of loosely, it's certainly not dense, but I needed lots of little pieces twisted on to secure it. It is more a matter of personal preference.

Keep going until you get to the end of the piece of wire.  At the end, twist a new piece of wire to join the new section and continue down the line.  After you have a large length of tinsel covered wire, start forming your letters.  Use the smaller "twistie" pieces to secure the letter formations and any loosened tinsel.  Twist, bend, twist. 

The thin wire is easy to work with, and forms the letters nicely.  The word will still need some support when hanging.  I used about 6 push pins to attach it to my wall, placed in the cross of the h's,on e dead center and two on the ends. I did this quickly, in under an hour.  You could use a heavier gauge wire, but it might be more difficult to work with.

Wouldn't this be cute as initials for a holiday wedding or a baby shower? 

Enjoy and have a fabulous holiday week! Let me know if the pictures are too small to see, I have been having way too much fun with Picasa!

Happy Haul-idays with Chronicle Books

Hello Lovelies! I hope you are having a gorgeous weekend! 

Chronicle Books is my all time favorite publisher.  They have consistanly created beautiful books and gifts.  Eveytime I find a new book I covet...it 99.9% of the time is Chronicle.  I love them dearly.  I wanted to share with you a wishlist I made over on Chronicle Books.  They are having the most amazing contest called Happy Haul-idays.  I post my $500 wishlist of all the books and goodies I love from Chronicle Books and you comment.  If we win this, not only to I get a box of goodies of the WHOLE list...so do ONE of you - just for commenting!! It's a win-win on the merriment scale.  So without further delay... My list of lovelies.

 gorgeous entertaining

By the creators of those gorgeous little cards.  This came out on Tuesday and I'm headed out the door to go get it today.  BTW...I think I am in love with Shauna...
HANDMADE WEDDINGS - SABRINA + EUNICE MOYLE (HELLO!LUCKY), SHAUNA FAUST
I have BABY SHOWERS and WEDDING SHOWERS by this duo of formerly Martha Stewart Staff.  I LOVED them then and still DO now, ten years later (yes, I was crazy for parties in college, too) If this book is anything like the others, I NEED it.
AT HOME WITH FRIENDS - MICHELE ADAMS + GIA RUSSO
I have sucuumbed to that little piece of me that wants to go back to France.  I've even tried to learn French.  Ok, still working on that.  This little lovely shows all the goodie basics that you need to make your own luxe french party.  Simple and pretty, I'm making these party pretties in the poor girl's linen...chunky muslin.
FRENCH GENERAL: HANDMADE SOIREES - KARRI MENG

pretty little crafts

I heart Yee-Haw industries (zombies ring a bell?) and letterpress.  I heart this...
LITTLE BOOK OF LETTERPRESS - CHARLOTTE RIVERS (YEE-HAW INDUSTRIES)
On my list to learn ASAP, what a pretty family portrait this would make. I just love how timeless and modern these look.
SILHOUETTE ART - VANA CHUPP
Everyone around the web has been crazy about this book.  Gotta have it.
PAPER + CRAFT - MINHEE + TRUMAN CHO
I must admit.  This woman can teach you to sew.  Her patterns are the EASIEST I have EVER made.  And to top it off they are cute and not your mama's sewing patterns.  I have made 3 of her purses and her's was the first quilt I ever made from a pattern. I own every other book she's made.  I love when I can get another!
AMY BUTLER'S STYLE STICHES - AMY BUTLER
I want to learn how to applique the right way.  I have tried to teach myself, but its gotta be easier than what I try. 
APPLIQUE YOUR WAY: 35 PRETTY PROJECTS AND PATTERNS - KAYTE TERRY
I've been dying to get my hands on this at my bookstore.  I wanna see I wanna see!
LOTTA JANSDOTTER'S HANDMADE LIVING - LOTTA JANSDOTTER
Love. the end.
FRENCH GENERAL: TREASURED NOTIONS - KAARI MENG
Aren't these just the prettiest little accoutrements ever? I want this so bad.  I would, however, have to force myself to use them on packages to giveaway.  I tend to hoard this stuff.  Oops, did I say that out loud?
CURIOSITIES - (DECORATIVE TOKENS AND EMBELISHMENTS KIT)

yummy deliciousness in directional form

Both Tartine's are so pretty.  If my creations taste as good as these look, I must have this.
TARTINE - ELIZABETH PRUEITT + CHAD ROBERTSON
TARTINE BREAD - CHAD ROBERTSON
My brother says cookies are the next cupcake. Does whoopie pie count?  It's like a cake and cookie had a baby.
WHOOPIE PIES - SARAH BILLINGSLY
I adore a bakery cookbook, this one is so lovely I'd a bought it on the spot if I was in a store.
FLOUR - JOANN CHANG
I have the kid version of this.  It's a diet breaker for sure, but for this much yummy, I don't care.
STICKY, CHEWY, MESSY, GOOEY - JILL O'CONNOR

perfect little goodies

Have you seen the pretty little chalkboard to-do lists?  Get the paper version...
MINI GOALS NOTEPAD - MARY KATE MCDEVITT
Too cool for school...
OLD SCHOOL LETTER SET - PAPER+CUP DESIGNS

these little lovelies I've wanted since last year...

Premade patterns, insert into all kinds of printable goodness? So, I can print my own loveliness? Yes, please.

REPRODEPOT PATTERN BOOK: FOLK - DERBA GOLDFINGER (REPRODEPOT)

REPRODEPOT PATTERN BOOK: FLORA - DERBA GOLDFINGER

DON'T FORGET BOOKS ARE GREAT GIFTS

ORDER EARLY  (NOV. 17 - DEC. 5)

WITH THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY SALE AT CHRONICLE

SAVE  35% AND GET FREE SHIPPING!!

Happy Holiday Hints

Hello, we interrupt our regularly scheduled Wednesday Wonderfulness for an important holiday entertaining message. If you are one of those lovelies that can restrain themselves to decorate until after Thanksgiving, this is especially for you. If you have been decorated for a week or more (Thanksgiving, what Thanksgiving?) then this is still helpful, too. This is a public service announcement for all. There are some things that must be purchased for the holidays NOW. As in yesterday, literally.


Rule number one…anything you like in one of the gorgeous gift spreads in the pretty holiday magazines should be purchased right now. That is if there is still stock left…go check…

I’ll wait right here…

okay, good.

Next, entertaining goodies are a plethora right now. You will have more selection now,than at any other time of the year. If you like to host parties this season or next, you must take advantage of the increased supply of options. Do you have a wedding in spring or summer? In all honesty, this is the easiest time to find mercury glass. Period. I have my eye on this lovely at Ballard Designs. I guarantee you will not be able to find this baby in July, even though I would argue that its beautiful antiqued silver finish would look lovely with red and blue stripes and stars. But really, I have been looking for one of these for-like-ever. Well here it is.
Mercury Pedestal at Ballard Designs

This is also a perfect time to stock up on neutral serveware…aka cake stands and tiered servers. I am a yearlong shopper. I will buy any (and every) reasonably priced option I find in my shopping adventures. I always check sales and to be honest…these sales coming up next week are the best. Had your eye on an 8” cake stand by the lovely Martha at Macys? Well, I just got the square version this weekend for a grand total of $13. Can you say additional % off of the already awesome sale price? Always keep an eye out for great basics that you can get for cheap, like really cheap. You will always use them, and if you have an arsenal, how adorable will those biscuits look at brunch on a pretty little stand?

Why am I telling you this? Because it is a great tip if you are just starting to want to design pretty parties. Because you are at the mall or browsing online anyway. Because if you don’t get certain items now, when you go looking for them the weekend before your holiday fete…the good stuff will be gone and you will be stuck with an overpriced dessert tray with an ugly reindeer on it. Yes, I don’t care if you get servers with reindeer on them…but beware, after next weekend all the cute ones will be gone. Really.

I offer this advice from experience. That, in past years, I have browsed, gone home, debated and in some instances, when I returned the VERY NEXT DAY…my coveted lovelies were gone. Now what’s a girl to do. Shop smarter next year. So, finally today, I will share with you some of my goodies...get it while it’s hot and the shipping is free…

Isn’t this pretty. I found it in the candle section this weekend. How perfect would little macarons or mini meringues be on this? Remember to think outside the box. Pottery Barn Tiered Server

These guys are really hard to find and sell out quick. I can’t tell you how many times my chosen set of Williams Sonoma cookie cutters were gone upon the second trip. Really. And these have little messages you can write. Combine the holiday sayings with the original message cookies…especially the scalloped cutter…too darn cute. Williams Sonoma Cookie Cutters

Dear little tablecloth made of festive tartan, you have eluded me two years running. You can’t hide, I love you and you will be mine. Williams Sonoma Tartan Tablecloth (placemat shown)

This baby is under $15 bucks. I have it in white. This is a perfect neutral and you could even use it at Thanksgiving. Sur La Table Wire Dessert Stand

Cute gift tags are a PAIN to find. Don’t leave wrapping to the last minute. Well, leave the wrapping part. Get your supplies ASAP. I would use these around napkins as place settings. Zinc Tags at terrain.

Got a West Elm catalog in the mail yesterday afternoon. Fell in love with this. What to put on it. Don’t care, just know it would be perfect in the arsenal. This baby is made of porcelain and is NOT on the website. Call to order or visit the stores…West Elm Porcelain Petit Four Stand 16-3096443 (that’s the catalog item number, just in case you heed my warnings…)

Okay, at the very top is a cute basic ruffle edge cake stand I picked up at Pier One. It was $14.99. Nuff said. (Santa is from Target - isn't he cute?)

Finally, don’t walk by ornaments you love just because it’s early…er mid…November. (I might purchase an ornament or two in October, don’t judge me.) They will not be there. Or they will only be online, and who orders just one ornament online? Not me.

So there you have it. My little bit about entertaining goodies and how you can accumulate the good stuff for cheap so it’s there when you need it. Just think, if you follow my advice, you will be able to focus on decorating the cookies and not what you’re going to put them on. A plate with an ugly reindeer on it…for shame, unless you embrace Christmas sweaters, then carry on!

So my little hunters- good luck and best dishes.

xo,

Jenny

I'm over on Honeysuckle Lane!!

I am sure you remember the loveliness that is Simple Joys Paperie?  It was my first ever Wonderful Wednesday post.  Lana's pretty little blog Honeysuckle Lane is filled with gorgeousness, just like her shop.  So today, head on over there to see my little interview and learn a wee bit more about me...like what was the first thing I ever sewed...

A huge THANK YOU to Lana for making me feel so welcome and special on her blog.