A Bright and Prosperous New Year

The New Year is here, and I am about as excited as the children are at Christmas! There is no such thing in life as a reset button, although there have been many times when I have very fervently wished that there was, but to me, the start of a new year is one of the closest things to it. I heard someone say once, in regard to the focus of effort, that it's easier to give birth than to resurrect the dead. That being the case, I am turning my back on any disappointment I have felt during the past year and walking forward to meet the new one with a wide smile on my face, happily anticipating all the wonder that the birth of the new year will bring and, even more, all that I will create in it. God willing, there is an entire year stretching out as far as the eye can see, as grand as the imagination can render, as beautiful, happy and filled with laughter and contentment as the heart can dream.

2012 is the year! I hope it is the one in which your life is filled with the most success and happiness yet!

Warmest Wishes for a Bright and Prosperous New Year,

Keri

image: Matchbox Sparklers - The White Company

Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire...

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Happy Christmas Eve!! I hope your holiday is going splendidly. 

Here's a little snippet of mine. My dad calls the grocery store to ask if they have chestnuts; it went something like this. Dad to Clerk: "Hi! Do you have chestnuts, as in (breaking into bellowing song) ♫♪ CHESTNUTS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE♫♪?" Clerk: "Excuse me, sir. I think there's something wrong with your phone." Dad: "No, no. That was me singing. I want to know if you have (again, singing) ♫♪CHESTNUTS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE♫♪." Clerk: "No sir; we don't. And so it went with the next grocery store that he called, singing his request in cheery, bellowing tones. And no, he hadn't been drinking!

In the end, he did find the chestnuts, and we are all now waiting for them to be finished roasting over the open flame on the barbecue just outside. 

Have you ever had chestnuts? They have a sweet taste for a nut. It reminds me a little of a macadamia nut crossed with a potato. If you want to make them inside, here's a quick and easy recipe:

OVEN ROASTED CHESTNUTS 
Preheat the oven to 325-350 degrees. Use a serrated knife to score the outside of the chestnuts making a large X. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Roast in the oven for 15-20 min. Remove the nut & top with a topping of your choice, if you like. Powdered sugar, salt, garlic butter, or cinnamon and sugar are a few ideas.

My brother says chestnuts roasted over an open fire are overrated, and my dad says they taste like giant corn nuts, so I guess appreciation for their taste is highly subjective.

NOW FOR THE WINNER OF THE STARBUCKS DRAWING!

The Winner is Jeanne of I DREAM OF! Congratulations! Please email your mailing information to me, and I will get it sent out to you right away. Thank you, everyone, for participating!!

Now I have to run; I still have presents to wrap! But next year, just you watch, I'll have them all wrapped weeks ahead of Christmas!

The Happiest of Christmases to You!!

xo Keri

Christmas Magic

Trees, Ornaments & Instructions via Trendy Tree

Watching the magic of Christmas unfold is no more real than in the sparkling eyes of a child who steadfastly believes. I'm making a Christmas resolution this year, in advance of the New Year, to have child-like faith, beginning now.  

GIVEAWAY: A FEW WARM CUPS OF CHEER

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Blogging these last few months has been such a joy to me. Meeting and making friends with so many of you has made my life richer. As a small token of my appreciation, coffee is on me! I am giving away a Starbucks gift card to someone who will be randomly selected on Christmas Eve. Just leave a comment below to be entered. (Be sure that I can contact you if you are selected.) 

From my home to yours, I hope you each have a magical and Merry Christmas!

xo Keri

Eclectic Art Collecting

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When the weather is nice my favorite place to be is outside, usually digging in the dirt, fantasizing that I'm a world-renowned gardener. But in the winter when the freezing temperatures demand otherwise, I like to use part of my time spent inside imagining that I'm an art collector, that my collection is vast, and that works of art that I picked up years ago from little-known artists have gained tremendous value, and that when I die, my children will refuse to sell them for sentiment. (Go ahead; join me in a chuckle.) Seriously though, art is one thing that draws me in & makes me want to look around the corner to see what's next in a house. Especially if the art collection is eclectic, it gives me the feeling that the people who live there are curious, broadminded and don't take themselves too seriously. It instantly makes the place feel warm and inviting. And an art collection that combines trendy pieces with traditional furniture, includes photographs, and even priceless artwork from the youngest family members, always keeps things interesting. The home of Kate and Andy Spade is such a place. In the photo above, a large modern painting hangs above a table loaded with photos set next to a beautiful Aubusson rug and a classic slipcovered chair. 

I love the way an otherwise sedate, traditional piece of furniture gains pizazz from loads of books and prized drawings and paintings, including two of the Spades' daughter, Bea.

Paintings, drawings, photos and sculptures mix for a beautiful display.

The hallways are lined with interesting art of all kinds: framed documents, fashion sketches, paintings and more.

Botanicals share wall space with silhouettes. The thing that keeps them on common ground: white backgrounds, black foregrounds and gold frames.

Even a child's bedroom can benefit from a wall filled with art. Children love to paint and draw, & I can still remember that as a child, having my masterpieces displayed at home & shown off to guests were moments of bursting pride.

So how exactly do you go about starting an art collection, and what about getting that eclectic, collected-over-time-and-from-a-wide-variety-of-places look? First, start with what you love. I'm constantly on the lookout for art that catches my eye and makes me stop my busy day just to stare at it for a minute. Second, browse the internet and look for recommendations from blogs and online magazines for unique sources. Speaking of blogs and art sources, here are a few places that make me pause from my speed-surfing on the web to take a second glance.

Kate Lewis Art

How do I describe Kate's work beyond: I LOVE IT!? It has a wonderful combination of tradition (the French style chair frame, for example), fun, whimsy and charm (it's striped and floating). Visit her website HERE to view her online gallery and read her blog HERE where she chronicles work-in-progress.

Another great source is Daily Painters where original paintings from a large number of artists in a wide range of styles and subjects are showcased, most priced very reasonably.

This painting called Plimoth Watch is by artist Chris Greco and is for sale for $183. Details HERE.

 Figs by artist Jonathan Aller is another beautiful example of the kind of work available at Daily Painters. Details HERE and Jonathan's blog HERE.

 The pastels, above, Nantucket Red, Carolina Coast, Bird Nest are by Karen Margulis. Visit her gallery HERE.

Sometimes you have to "weed-through" what you find, dismissing plenty of work that you find unattractive, boring or even downright distasteful, but then you find something that makes your heart say, awww...

My Number One by Kim Roberti HERE.

Etsy is another place where you'll frequently find great deals on beautiful art. Right now, Art by Karena is hosting a giveaway of an antique print of decorative capitals from the Etsy shop Design du Monde.

Visit Karena's blog to enter and the Design Du Monde Etsy shop for more.

If you want to check out local artists, take a look at the walls of local eateries in your city. Some bistros and other restaurants will decorate the walls of their establishments with works from local artists that are for sale. When travelling, visit local art galleries and look up dates for local art festivals in the spring, summer & fall.

Of course, don't forget to check out the artistic talent right under your nose... or under your feet. Commission a painting from one of the children in your life. My mom had two paintings framed that I created at age 5 on a sunny kindergarten day armed with an easel, bright paints and a fat brush. If nothing else, they're still an amusing conversation piece. 

This is my daughter's 2nd grade rendition of George Rodrigue's Blue Dog. It always makes me smile. 

By the way, how is the shopping going? Art makes a great last-minute Christmas present!

xo Keri

Keeping it Simple

Kumquats in a footed vase make the perfect floral frog for camellia branches with more kumquats wired to them. A cake loaded with fruit carries on the yellow and orange color scheme. For a similar cake, try this orange yogurt one from Martha Stewart HERE. I've made it dozens of times. It's fast, easy and always gets me lots of compliments!

Christmastime is getting into full swing: family visits, sparkling decorations, twinkling lights, nativity scenes...  the shopping, long lines, traffic and headaches too. Amid all the ho, ho, ho sometimes its hard to find a little quietness to think about the sweet baby in the manger, the coziness of the season and adored friends and family without whom the holidays would simply not be the same. Don't mistake me: I love the enormous lights displays, glittering ornaments, lush mantels and over-sized nativity scenes. But there's also something about very simple seasonal appointments that appeal to me. They let my eyes and mind rest, and they make my heart smile because they offer lots of festive impact without a large investment of time or money. I don't think I have always agreed with that quote about simplicity carried to an extreme becoming elegance, but in the case of simple Christmas adornments, the beauty of natural elements available this time of year do really speak for themselves and require little embellishment.

A triangular container holds white tulips readily available at a great prices at warehouse stores like Costco & Sam's. Rectangular containers like this can easily be found at a hardware or craft store and covered with a pretty piece of fabric. Candles glow behind creamy white translucent glass holders. I have covered glass candle holders in translucent vellum purchased from a craft store & secured on the back with double-sided tape for the same effect. They look fantastic with the added benefit of being changeable when you're ready for a change of color. The evergreen branches are pretty and soft and add texture and color. If you don't have branches available, Christmas tree lots often have loose branches. This year when I bought my fresh Christmas tree, I was given as many loose branches as I would take, for free.

This arrangement of mini cedars are planted in moss in silver goblets with lady apples scattered around. This idea is beautiful and practical. The cedars can be planted outside later. This could be done with small boxwoods or any other type of evergreen.

This mantel garland is pretty and lush but fuss-free. Added to the garland are apples, pomegranates and pine cones.

A garland of bay leaves can be purchased pre-made or you can craft one yourself. HERE is a short instruction video for making a similar one out of seeded eucalyptus stems which are equally pretty.

Boxwood wreaths-- I can't get enough of  'em. So simple, so pretty and if you have boxwoods at your house, nearly free to make. All you need besides the boxwood stems are a wire wreath frame, floral wire and the fabulous instructions from the blog Cottage & Vine HERE.

At the blog The Dandelion Chronicles, there's a great post on rustic Christmas decor. Check it out HERE. Vintage iron rosettes hang with a simple stem of seeded eucalyptus. Now here's where I could agree with that quote, "Simplicity, carried to an extreme, becomes elegance."

How cute is this? A ribbon tied onto a plain pillow makes it present perfect. This would be super cute on a kid's bed too.

A tiny dwarf alberta spruce is secured to a taper candle holder.

Feathery greenery paired with a candle votive and sconce bring on the festive cheer.

For a natural and deceptively inexpensive display, a basket is filled moss, white stones, Granny Smith apples and pine cones. It would also look pretty to substitute the stones for pomegranates, oranges or other colorful fruit.

A bundle of twigs, a sprig of eucalyptus and a ribbon & voila-- instant decoration for a door or wall.

Dry twig-wreaths hung over the bed, above, and small boxwood wreaths accompanied by white roses and satin ribbon hung at the ends of beds, below, extend the holiday loveliness to the bedrooms.

Christmas decorating, large or small, grand or simple, keeps the Grinch away, I like to think.

Peace and cheer from my home to yours!

xo Keri

Photos: 1-4,6-7,15-16 Southern Accents, 5,9-10,12,13 Midwest Living, 11 Campagne Decoration, 14 Country Living.