Sunday, December 31, 2017

Happy New Year: Centerpiece Idea

I can hardly believe were are
at he close of the year...

I knew it was coming... 

How did it get here so fast??

And...
speaking of going so fast...

I do owe you four days
 of Christmas too!
... and it's been on my mind...
I have them all for you just below.

I absolutely plan to deliver... all four days and
catch you up --in this 
one 500-ish word blog post.

I'm hoping you will enjoy 
these better-late-than-never days...
and hopefully you can
file them away for next season.

December, was overflowing with
good things.  So many wonderful
things to do... so many...
 holiday parties, school events...
the list is longer than Santa's.

December is always full...
but somehow this year felt like more...

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Day 7 and Day 8: Yule Log and Santa Chairs

Today is a two for one kind of day...
At the pace that
 these days are flying by...
A two for
one deal works for me...

If someone has some time-saving
tips and tricks...
I am always ready for those!!

Personally...I always want the kind of
 tips that come out looking
A-MAZING...
...department store window a-mazing...
or Pinterest-Success a-mazing...

 I need those tips to save time....
I needed those tips and tricks two days ago!!

Today you'll get a few
a-mainzg tips on how to make a 
show-stopping dessert in half the time.

For Day 7: A Christmas Yule Log...
or a Festive Stump...yes a stump!!
I couldn't think of a great way 
to fancy-up the stump dessert name...
If you have any suggestions...leave them in the comments... 
Seasonal Stump... Holiday Stump.... hmmm.

For Day 8: Santa Hat Chair Covers... 

Get all the glorious details ahead...
including a bit of good news for 2018!!

Monday, December 18, 2017

Day 6: Cheers!! Holiday Drinks

At this point in the holiday season...
you might be hosting a party...
Christmas Eve or even Christmas Day...

Anything I can do to lighten
 my hostessing duties...

I'm all for it!!

One great way to lighten the
 load... is making a signature drink!

Making a big batch of a 
really great drink,
it's the perfect time-saver for you,
 the hostess with the most~ess,
or the host with the most...whichever the case may be.


Anything that can be made-ahead and
 can be prepped in advance of the doorbell ringing...
Well, those tricks gets 4 gold stars in my book.

I have the perfect holiday drink for a crowd... 
I think you'll be so excited to raise
your glass and toast this fun Santa inspired sip!!

Featured on Fox19, Woman's Day, UK's Heat Magazine...

please enjoy this charming drink:

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Day 5: Gifts From the Kitchen

Do you have all your
shopping done??

I wish I did...

I still have a few odds 
and ends to "wrap up"...
(see what I did there?)

If you still need a gift... 
or maybe a little something 
 for a
 neighbor or a teacher... 
a hostess gift...
Have I got a solution for you!

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Day 4: Homemade Ornaments...My Favorite.

I LOVE a beautifully made homemade gift...
I especially love the sweet homemade ornaments
my kiddos have brought home over the years.


Today...on this, the 4th day of our
 12 Days of Blue Ribbon Kitchen
I am sharing with you some of my very favorites...

Friday, December 15, 2017

Day 3: 12 Days of Christmas: Ribbon!!

Ribbon can be the answer to creating beautiful and stunning décor.
Many times the answer to getting a polished look to 
your holiday decorating has a lot to do with layering of complimentary
ornaments, ribbon, textures and plenty of lights...
as someone who decorates Christmas trees for a living, I can tell you:
more lights = holiday magic.


If you want to learn some of the secrets about how
 to transform your holiday spaces into a winter wonderland... keep reading.

Here is a gorgeous example of using the
 layering technique on an
artificial tree.
Additional snowy branches are added, 
complimentary stems of cream hydrangea,
 frosted pine cones and lots of ornaments... 
some wooden, dome glittery --all complimentary to the overall look

The ribbon creates movement.  Different widths, and patterns
can help create a design that keeps the eye moving and finding new 
holiday surprises from every angle.

Often times, we cut the ribbon into sections, this helps to make the ribbon go
further, and keeps things budget-friendly.
Simply nestle the ends of the cut ribbon into tree branches where the
cut ends are not visible.

Here is a great example of ribbon used on the ends of each bough.
Complimentary gold edged ribbon is woven throughout.
Remember-- it's not one continuous piece-we trim it down.

Mixing those ribbons--but here on our front door wreath.
A mixing of patterns and textures can create an tailored style, and it adds interest.



The good news about holiday decorating...
it doesn't have to be expensive to look beautiful...

homemade-is wonderful.
inexpensive-is smart.
Many times you may chooses a theme
or a "look" for only one season... 
So save money where you can.
This pretty paid tree uses dollar-store pre-made
 bows on each bough 
for a very traditional and thrifty look.

So, that's the good news.

Even better news??  
Yes, there is even better news.

Ribbon is the answer, and it is accessible and affordable.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

12 Days of Christmas with Blue Ribbon Kitchen: Cranberry Decor

Is it really only 12 
days until Christmas??

It is...

No worries, friends.

I plan to give you a helping
 hand over the next twelve days...
I could not be more excited!!!


Are you ready??

I have rounded up my very favorite tips, tricks and 
recipes for making spirits bright through 
he entire month of December.

Toady... is Day 1.

On the first day of Christmas, Karri Perry is sharing with you:

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Kitchen Christmas Tree


I usually don't really panic until
 we hit double digits...
You know... 
December 9th feels OK...
not alarming in the least...
 --then WHAM!
December 10th feels really serious...
as if, I somehow have more
very pressing to-do's
on my ever-growing to-do list.

In fairness... I play that silly game
with the calendar
every December...
But this year...THIS year I had extra
 obligations written on every date.

I was extra busy this fall...
It wasn't really a secret what I was doing...
But I was trying out something new...