December 15, 2011: Natural Fragrance For Your Christmas Party

Every year I always want to entertain at Christmas but for some reason or the other, never actually plan a party. Not so this year! We are having a cocktails and hors d’oeuvres party Saturday night. Of course, I can’t just go buy premade food and beverages and put them on the table. I’ve got to plan and bake and plan and cook so that everything is just perfect for my guests.

One thing to keep in mind when planning a holiday party is that you should think about all five senses. Not only do you want your guests to taste delicious food and see spectacular decorating, you will want them to smell something yummy when they walk through the door. Here’s two easy ways to do this.

Clove-Studded Oranges

I’ve been making these at Christmas time for decades and I still enjoy the sight and smell of these easy decorations. Simply take several oranges and poke whole cloves through the skin. Feel free to get creative with designs. You don’t need to cover the entire skin of the orange with cloves, either, although the more you use, the more fragrant it will be.

The mini carnations in the vase? My husband got them for me for our anniversary - 3 WEEKS AGO!

In this picture, I’ve taken my oranges and put them into three wine glasses of varying heights. They also look good grouped together in a crystal bowl or vase or even placed in a row on a silver tray.

Simmering Spiced Apple Cider

A traditional Christmas drink, spiced apple cider not only tastes good, but it smells good as it simmers away. Either place all the ingredients in a kettle on the stove or use a crock pot to keep this drink warm until guests are ready to imbibe.

Spiced Apple Cider

1 gallon real apple cider (thick and murky, and definitely not the powdered packets)

1 medium-sized orange, thinly sliced

2 cinnamon sticks

½ t. ground cloves

½ t. ground nutmeg

2 cups dark rum (optional)

Place all ingredients in a kettle or crock pot. Simmer over very low heat for up to two hours.

November 24, 2011: Last Minute Decoration Ideas For Your Thanksgiving Dinner Table

Have you got your turkey in the oven? The stuffing made? Dessert ready for the table? What about a centerpiece and decorations for your Thanksgiving table?

If you’ve thought of everything but how your table is going to be decorated, don’t despair. Chances are you’ve got the perfect decorations to make a last minute centerpiece right in your own home or yard.

Take a look at these ideas to make your Thanksgiving table a bit more festive:

*Take a walk outside and gather up pinecones, cattails, wildflowers or leafy plants. Take a large glass vase and fill it with apples or oranges, then stick your outdoor plant items in between. This makes a lovely, natural centerpiece.

*Core several apples and brush insides with lemon juice to prevent browning. Place a votive candle inside the hollowed out opening. Line them up on a mirror or pretty platter and light just before eating.

*Don’t have enough napkin rings to go around? Use a pretty ribbon tied around each napkin to place on dinner plates. This makes even paper napkins look nice!

*Head to the pantry for centerpiece or décor inspiration. Use cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, herb sprigs and cinnamon candies to sprinkle on a platter with a candle or flower arrangement in the center. Or stud oranges with cloves. Not only do these look nice, they smell good, too!

*For an even more festive dining room, use your scrapbooking skills to make Thanksgiving pictures like this one.

And, as a special Thanksgiving bonus for my readers, I’ve included here a free Designer Pack courtesy of My Memories software. To download it, just click on the picture below; this designer pack is compatible with any type of scrapbooking software. If you want to order the My Memories Suite (the latest version just came out!) use code STMMMS98943 at checkout to receive a $10 discount, courtesy of me!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

November 9, 2011: Share the Memories Scrapbooking Software

I recently got some really cool new software, MyMemories, that makes it easy to create a digital scrapbook. If you’re not aware of how that works, you use your computer to create scrapbook pages. You can then share those pages electronically, or you can print them out and add them to an album – or have all your pages turned into an album through a printing service.

The beauty of digital scrapbooking is that it’s fool proof. If you make a mistake, you can just delete it! I used it to create the page above, which took me only a few minutes. It’s intuitive and easy to use – if you use Microsoft Word or Publisher, then you won’t have a problem using Share the Memories. The possibilities for customizing your pages are nearly endless and if you want more papers and embellishments than the basic software comes with, you can easily order additional Designer Packs.

I thought my readers who enjoyed my post on Tracy’s holiday scrapbook pictures would be interested in giving this MyMemories software a try. Go ahead and download the free Designer Pack shown below by clicking on the picture which you can use with any kind of software. And if you want to order the software (it makes a great gift!), just use code STMMMS98943 to receive a $10 discount, courtesy of me!

If you love scrapbooking at home, you're sure to love digital scrapbooking. Give it a try and tell me what you think.