Another Lesson in the Importance of Details

As we have discussed previously, "it's all in the details."  Sometimes, indeed, most times how your projects turn out is based on how well you take care of the details.  We are going to talk today about just such a project I had over the Christmas season and I am going to share with you how I approached the issue and solved it with a minimum of time and money.

During my Christmas shopping this year, I found a gift for Bev in this Ellen Tracy Shimmering Eyes ensemble.  The package contained a melange of dusky eye shadows, eyeliners and I believe a lip gloss or lip liner.  I knew immediately I had to buy this as a Christmas gift for her.

The box was in perfect order, but as you can see above, the clear, round seal which held the box top in place was dirty and worn.  The gift itself was lovely.  But this unattractive clear seal just wouldn't do.  It detracted from the package.

After I got the box home, I set about removing the dirty and worn seal from the box top.  Some of these come off with great ease.  Some do not.  This seal was somewhere in the middle.  It took a little time and patience to remove it cleanly.  But in the end, I was the victor.

I keep in stock a sheet, or several sheets of gold and silver seals which are used on greeting card envelopes. Since the trim on this box was goldtone, I decided to use a gold seal for this project.

After the clear seal was removed, I simply replaced it with one of these gold seals.  Such an improvement.  This small upgrade gave the box a nice, clean, sophisticated look.

It matched the gold trim perfectly.  These gold and silver seals, at 1-1/4" in diameter, are larger than most of the clear seals which are used in packing these days.  You could probably get away with leaving the clear seal in place and placing one of these larger seals over top.  My suggestion - it is better to remove the clear seal if at all possible.  Take your time and try to remove it cleanly.  If it will not cooperate, then place your gold or silver seal over top.

Just remember - for the perfect presentation, ... it's all in the details!!!

And the Final Post on New Year's

As we continued to prepare for the evening, a few more dishes made their way to the serving counter. They are shared below.

In this crock was a delicious spinach and artichoke dip which was served warm.  Really magnificent. There was very little left over.  I enjoyed the left over heated, on crackers.  I need to get this recipe from Bev.

In this shot you see there is a glass pedestal of smoked turkey roll-ups with a dish of pico de gallo. Superb.  These were very good.  Again, I need to get this recipe.

Here, at the bottom, you see we added the crock of spinach and artichoke dip and sliced baguette which was brushed with olive oil and put under the broiler until just browned and then placed on a festive serving tray.

Finally, a boat of ham balls.  These were delicious too.  I could see these being served with a nice cucumber/dill sauce.  We served them plain and they were delicious like that.  I would make these again and serve them with the cucumber/dill sauce.

A festive and wonderful evening.  A great way to ring in the new year.

Some of the Dishes We Prepared for Our Celebration

Bev was instrumental in getting all the dishes prepared for New Year's.  Not only did she prepare them, but they were her recipes.  The only thing I provided was a pineapple cheese ball and a Winking Santa cake from Swiss Colony.  And the booze.  But more on that later.  Take a look at some of what she prepared.

This was the serving counter at first pass.  Starting center top, going clockwise, we have fried tortellini with hot mustard sauce, pineapple cheese ball with a cracker assortment, Alaskan steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce (from Bob and Bette), cheese straws with a pepper relish and Scoops chips.  That is someone's cocktail in the upper left corner.  Oh, wait.  That was mine!!!

This Winking Santa cake was ordered from Swiss Colony.  Their baked goods - in fact everything from them, is so delicious.  They have been around for a long time and I do not think you can ever go wrong by ordering any of their selections.  This was not only very cute, but incredibly delicious.

Another long shot of the serving counter.

And another.

This was a corn relish dip that was very tasty in the Scoops chips.  Or on anything.  And everything!

The fried tortellini was delicious also.  But they needed to be served with a condiment and the hot mustard fit that bill.

The pineapple cheese ball is always a hit and this one did not disappoint.  I think of all the cheese balls I make, this is my favorite.

And Finally, ...

One last post of New Year's Eve.  I thought these pictures were so beautiful and even more beautiful in black and white.  So I decided to go with black and white.

The mantel beautifully lit by candlelight.

A hearty fire in the fireplace.

Mr. and Mrs. Frosty D. Snowman adding some whimsy to the mix.

And finally, the sparkle and bling that is the season.  The new mercury glass Christmas trees a present from Bev this year.  Along with the votive holders in the center.

You can set your home like this too.  Take the decorations you have and make groupings.  Small, large, whatever works in the space.  Put together an eclectic grouping of things.  Even if you think they may not work together.  Try it anyway.  Then add to and take away as you see fit.  Decorating doesn't have to be strict or stringent.  In fact, it should not be.  Let your creative mind take you where it will.

New Year's Even Celebration, Part II

Continuing with our evening of celebration, here are a few more shots taken throughout the house.

This beautiful shot of the fireplace mantel in the living room.  Proudly displayed is a new wooden nutcracker that Steven received as a gift from Bev.

It was so cold on New Year's Eve that we set bottles of champagne outside on the deck to keep them cool.  Just before midnight I went out and opened a bottle and poured the glasses.  I left them to sit on the deck railing for just a few minutes and then brought them inside and handed a champagne coup to everyone.  When midnight arrived and the ball fell, we all turned up our glasses and enjoyed some super-chilled bubbly.  It was delicious.  Champagne must be cold, cold, cold for my palate.  This was perfect.

A few more wide shots of the table.

I wanted the house aglow with candlelight.

And I think we were successful in achieving that goal.

Such a beautiful table and a happy event spent with people we love.  Thank you Bev, for all your help and your gifts.  Thank you Bob and Bette for the goodies and your company.

We have great expectations for 2015.  

Our New Year's Eve Celebration

We had a wonderful evening.  Bev arrived on Tuesday afternoon.  She and Steven went shopping to gather all the ingredients we needed to make our festive trays of delectables.  I had to work on Wednesday.  So they set about putting together the trays while I was working.  I arrived to a kitchen fully in command by Bev.  The table was set and the dishes mostly prepared.  At around 8:30, we walked down the street to visit our friend Mark.  We stayed for a drink and then returned home to set out everything.  Bob and Bette arrived a little while later and stayed to see the ball drop and for a short time after midnight.  It was a blast.  Some pictures for you to enjoy.

I picked up this "party in a box" that had hats and tiaras and leis and horns.  Bev put it all together in this wooden box and set it on the dining room table.  It looked wonderful when you first walked in the room.

Candlelight in the middle of the table and several silver and platinum tapers on the table and throughout the house.  The candles were Nicole Miller and just beautiful.

These two pillars are battery operated, so we were able to tuck them on top of this cabinet.  I still prefer real candles, but these battery powered ones are ok in certain situations.

Nut roll and a delicious egg nog flavored cake from Bob and Bette.  I liked both but the egg nog cake was to die for!

Steven picked up these plates in black and gold which matched the "party in a box" items.  I could see this all coming together nicely.

A better shot of the nut roll and egg nog cake.  YUM!!!

I found these white snow flakes in one of the boxes containing the Christmas decorations and I thought they would be perfect under the candle holders.  And they were.

I will have more pictures of the evening to share with you later in the week.

I Found Some Coal in the House

As we were told when we were children, if you are not good all year, Santa will leave a lump of coal in your stocking and nothing under the tree.  I don't think I ever really worried about receiving a lump of coal in my stocking.  I always felt that someone would have to be really, REALLY bad for such a thing to happen.  And I never felt that I was really THAT bad during the year.

It brought back fond memories of those times as a child when I found these candies this year while out shopping for Christmas.

These little lumps of coal are actually chocolate Krackel. 

How positively life-like are these little lumps of coal?  I had to buy several bags of them.  They have gotten laughs at the office.  And quite a few people have asked me what they are.  I was rather shocked at that.  I thought everyone knew the "coal in the stocking" story.  But I guess not.  Actually, many of the people who have asked me what they are and the meaning of them are a good bit younger than yours truly.  Obviously parents today are not telling their children they will get a lump of coal for Christmas if they are not good all year.  Pity.

Our First Snow of 2015

We had our first snow of the season yesterday.  And, as is frequently the case, the forecast was not quite what we were expecting.  It was reported that we would receive a dusting to one inch of accumulation before the snow ended around noon on Tuesday.  We had already received two inches by the time we left the house at 8:00 AM.  So we knew then that this would turn into more than just a dusting to one inch of snow.  What we actually got was four to six inches of snow in the city and at least six inches points west of the city. Based on the forecast of a dusting to one inch, employers and school systems opened.  Some of the schools opened two hours late.  The roads were an absolute mess and this lead to all kinds of automobile accidents.  Some schools ended up closing for the day but others did not.  Pandemonium ensued.  The bottom line is, we do not do well in the snow here in the mid-Atlantic.  Other areas of the country have their weaknesses.  Ours is our inability to function on the roads or in any way during snow.  That's just the way it is.

Below are some pictures I took throughout the day.  I don't particularly like going out in the snow, but it is beautiful.

The new fallen snow on the greenery draped over the front entry railing.  Very Norman Rockwell.

Looking out to the street with the Commander in the driveway and Bug parked at the end of the sidewalk.

One of the little outdoor Christmas trees along the sidewalk at the front porch.

The stone Labrador all covered in snow.

The greenery on the mailbox post covered in snow.

The Commander or "Monster Truck" as I refer to it.  A cold wintry morn and nobody looks forward to cleaning off the car.

These red bells on the lamp post were a favorite of mine during our Christmas decorating.  I like them even more with the freshly fallen snow.  It would have been nice to have had this on Christmas day.

I really like this shot of the huge ornaments we hung in the tree in the front yard with a topping of snow.  Very festive.

Here, a shot of some of the accumulation of snow at the train station last night.  I don't think this is a true and accurate accounting.  This looks like about and inch of snow.  We got closer to four inches of snow in Cheverly and six inches in the city and points west.

The faux Christmas trees on either side of the front porch were magical last night.

I loved how the light shone through the snow.  The snow was beautiful but it caused headaches for those of us who were out in it.  I heard stories of it taking five hours to drive from downtown DC to Alexandria, VA.  For reference, that trip should take about twenty minutes without traffic and no longer than an hour in heavy rush hour traffic.

And that was our snowy Tuesday.

Our Bulbs Have Bloomed

The day after Thanksgiving, "Black Friday" as it is commonly known, I spent, among other things, planting bulbs.  In particular, Amaryllis and Paper Whites.  Not being able to putz in the gardens or with the pots on the deck during the winter months makes me a little crazy.  So planting some indoor bulbs helps to keep my hands in the dirt.  I placed the pots with the bulbs in the window box in the kitchen which faces east.  That gave them plenty of morning light.  I watered the Paper Whites frequently.  The Amaryllis required fewer waterings; just enough to keep the soil moist but not wet. Below is a pictorial of my indoor bulb garden.  I hope you enjoy.

This picture was taken a couple of weeks after planting.  You can see that this bulb was very healthy.

The same with the other Amaryllis.  This one sent up two separate flowers.  In the foreground you can see the bud of the Paper White just about to open.

In the midst of all this, there is this cute little cachepot with chicks and hens and some other little tropical looking plans which was presented to me by my dear friend Lea for my birthday in early November.  That is getting regular drinks of water along with the other plants in this area.  And looking very healthy.

In this picture, taken a few days later, you see the Paper Whites just starting to open.  Lots of buds ready to open.

And, some days later, a beautiful display.  These were so incredible.

Finally, today, this Amaryllis has unfurled.  And it is quite a looker.

Another shot looking into the center of one of the blooms.

And on the other side of the window shelf, we have these wonderful Amaryllis just starting to bloom. These are just beautiful.  We missed having them in bloom for Christmas by a week and a half. Lesson learned.  Next year we will plant just prior to Thanksgiving rather than the day after.  That will mean gorgeous blooms for Christmas day and even through the new year.  I think I'll put these bulbs in brown paper bags after they are done blooming and place them in a cold, dark place for use again next year.