Archive for the 'HOMEACCESSORIES' Category

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Holiday Decorating

Published on November 26, 2010 in FURNITURE, HAYNEEDLE and HOMEACCESSORIES. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Sometimes I like to get experimental with my holiday decorating.  For example, I have a really interesting piece of art that is basically a big piece of driftwood hanging on the wall of my dining room.  Last year I strung the art piece with holiday lights and everybody really seemed to like it.  One of the great things about holiday lights is that you can use it instead of your regular lighting to create an intimate vibe.

Lighting can make any room feel festive, but garland really ups the ante.  My mother loves to string garland through the handrails of the staircase at her house and she usually puts one on the mantle of the fireplace as well.  Garland adds an element that is festive and fancy at the same time.  With the large varieties available, I’m sure that you can find a few garlands that fit your style!

Christmas Wreaths and Garland

With the garland hung and the Christmas lights twinkling I suggest adding a few more decorative pieces that can warm our hearts. Nothing does this more during the holidays like a nutcracker!  Every time I see a nutcracker I think of the ballet.  Not that I get to see the ballet every year, but if I have an actual nutcracker, it’s kind of like the next best thing!

Now that you have your fireplace all decked out, you’ll probably want to get a fire roaring in the fireplace to finish setting the scene. While fireplaces are warm and inviting one item I highly suggest purchasing is a fireplace screen.  Not only are fireplace screens ornamental, but they also will help keep the little ones from getting too close to the fire.

Uttermost 3 Panel Egan Fireplace Screen

Well, it’s been quite a journey preparing our home this holiday season.  I hope that I was able to give you some tips you can use to not only make your home more beautiful for your guests, but for you as hosts as well!  So now go make your gift list so we can get the presents under the tree!  Happy Holidays!

Holiday Decorating Done Right

Published on November 23, 2010 in FURNITURE, HAYNEEDLE, HOMEACCESSORIES and SEASONAL & GIFTS. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Thanksgiving is days away and that means December holidays are coming right up!  So by now I’m sure your dining area is completely set up, your guestroom is all made up and ready for your guests to arrive.  Did you get something new for the entryway??

Well now it’s time to get into the spirit of the holidays and put up some lights, tinsel and garlands!  While some people really have a good time of decorating for the holidays, other people can tend to get a little stressed out.  A little advice that can really help you get the most out of the experience would be to consider making decorating an event.  Invite some family and friends over and make a day out of it.  That’s what we do in my family.  Also, you may want to choose a theme or color scheme. Too many different decorations can overwhelm a room. Select a few key items and tie them together by color or style for the greatest impact.

Pre-Lit Christmas Tree

For many years, I’ve been a fan of having a “real live” Christmas tree, but this year I’m all about “going green” in a different way.  Be environmentally friendly and buy a Christmas tree that you can use over and over again!  You can even get a tree that already has the lights on it!  Remember what a chore it used to be to string the lights??

I’m hoping most of you took my previous advice and bought a new welcome mat for the front door.  Now don’t forget to complete the welcome with a wreath!   Perhaps you might consider getting two wreaths; one for fall (Thanksgiving) and another one for Christmas!  No matter what your choice is, a wreath hanging on your front door will immediately inspire your guests with wonder and holiday cheer!

Time to Serve Your Guests

Published on November 18, 2010 in FURNITURE, HAYNEEDLE and HOMEACCESSORIES. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Serving your guests efficiently and smoothly and making sure they’re satisfied should be a host’s top priority.  It’s a lot easier to ensure your guests are happy if you’ve thought out the organization of your kitchen and dining spaces.

In my blog, “Holiday Spirit”, I went into depth about the best and most efficient way to think about setting up for a party that would be more casual.  So this time, let’s talk about the sit down dinners we’ll be having.  I know that I’ll likely have more sit down dinners than casual parties, but that’s my personal preference.   Each host should do what feels fun for them!

Dining Tables

The size of your dining table will surely be determined by the amount of people you are regularly planning on having over, but don’t forget also about placemats, table cloths, napkins and other decorative items to make your table look perfect.  While shopping around online, you may likely find a great selection of dining table accessories or you can always be creative and make some table settings that you can then personalize.

Once again, don’t forget that if you have space in a closet inside your house, purchase some folding chairs.  My parents just bought some really nice folding chairs that match perfectly with their traditional cherry dining room set allowing them to sit up to fourteen people.  Unless you look closely, you can’t even tell that they fold up!

A few years back, my bother cooked a Turduncken in a fryer.  It’s a small chicken stuffed into a medium sized duck that is then stuffed into a large turkey.  He then cooked it in a fryer!  Talk about comfort food!  It was a great way to bring that good country cooking into the holidays and we didn’t make a mess inside.  For those of you that are interested in cooking outside, consider making your holiday meal out on a grill or in a smoker!  I promise you that you’ll guest will be pleasantly surprised!

Comfort Food

Published on November 17, 2010 in FURNITURE, HAYNEEDLE, HOMEACCESSORIES and SEASONAL & GIFTS. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The holiday season is the one time of the year that I say should really be about comfort food!  Take a break from the diets and the worries of how many calories your taking in and allow yourself to indulge and enjoy!

Let’s first make sure that your kitchen is prepared for the basics.  Think about what you plan on cooking this holiday season and be sure that you are set up to throw your guests a fantastic feast!  Perhaps your kitchen is large enough to consider adding an island.  I personally love islands that are on wheels and mobile.  You can easily increase the options of your working space, or serving space for that matter because an island can be multifunctional!

Espresso Machine

I’ve mentioned espresso makers before, but perhaps a coffee maker is best four your lifestyle.  No doubt that in the months that follow, as it starts getting colder,  more people will be inclined to indulge in a hot cup of joe!  Purchase a coffee maker that expresses your personality so that when your guests go to serve themselves, they won’t just be pouring themselves coffee, they’ll be introduced to a new element of design.  Yes, even appliances should be looked upon as elements of design.

A great example of an appliance as a design element is a hand mixer or blender.  On my last episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, I used a bright green hand mixer reminiscent of a few decades ago.  Green was a color I had chosen for one of the accent walls and many of the accessories so the mixer fit into the design really well!

Another seldom thought of, but very practical appliance is a rice cooker.  Whether your cooking white rice, brown rice, basmati, or a multi grain, a rice cooker cooks your rice for you perfectly every time. With your meal’s starch taken care of, you will have time to focus on other dishes you would like to prepare for your guests!

Remember when entertaining guests this holiday season, you can create delicious meals, but do so in style.

Start the Holidays off in Good Spirits

Published on November 9, 2010 in FURNITURE, HAYNEEDLE, HOMEACCESSORIES and SEASONAL & GIFTS. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Although I love to entertain and sit down dinners, I also enjoy having a few informal or more casual parties.  For many of you, the thought of throwing a formal party may be cumbersome so perhaps a more casual party is your speed.  What kind of host/hostess are you?

One of the things that I highly recommend when throwing a more casual party is dividing your home into stations and using as many areas in your home as possible.  For example, since you won’t be using your dining room table for traditional seating, use it as the primary place to serve all of your savories, whether it is snacks, appetizers or main dishes.

Home Bar

If you already have a bar, turn it into a hangout spot and decorate it in the style you love. Use your bar as the primary place to serve all of your beverages and be sure that you provide everything your guests need to serve themselves.  Pull your bar stools away from your bar to allow for easy access, but don’t forget to use your barstools to create other conversation areas.  You may want to consider purchasing extra barstools if casual entertaining is more your style.

If you don’t have a built in bar, consider purchasing a home bar to establish your theme. Home bars range in style, from classic to ultra-modern. Use the home bar as a space to display your personal accessories or photos.  You can even add a simple vase with fresh flowers on the serving area to add fragrance and a pop of color. Also, don’t forget to buy matching bar stools to complete the look of your entertaining area.

If you don’t desire to have a bar in your home, a good alternative might be to buy a wine and beverage cooler that you can keep in the kitchen. You can place your new beverage cooler by the kitchen sink and make that space your beverage area.  Remember to keep plenty of towels handy.

Use a different part of your kitchen counters as a dessert station and have an espresso machine handy for your guests to make themselves various coffee drinks.  This is also a good place to have dessert liquors available for some after dinner cordials.

Having multiple stations around the house allows for you to space your spread out from food to beverages. It also gives your guest ample room to mill around and enjoy one another’s company.
-Cheers-