Festive Forest

I am thrilled to have my vintage christmas tree

and holiday decorations included

in the Rusty Hinge "Festive Forest" blog post.

image by me

Sunday Still Lifes - Holiday Decorations

We've had an amazing time up at The Farmhouse this past week

for a legitimate vacation...Long overdue!

This was our first Christmas spent here and I enjoyed

decorating with the random items that we had around the house.

Since we bought the house in December of last year we had already brought up our vintage green sparkly tabletop tree. At the last minute I grabbed two boxes of my vintage Brite Rite ornaments which made the space very festive. 

Here are a few highlights of our holidays...Enjoy!

Midweek Inspiration...White Christmas

Yes...

I am dreaming of a

white christmas

up at

The Farmhouse.

source

My Guest Blog Profile ~ VanessaLarson.com

My friend Vanessa recently asked to profile me

and my design style on her fabulous new blog, all about

food . fashion . design . paris

She is highlighting friends that inspire her every Sunday

and her focus was on me last Sunday. How very cool is that!

Check out the post.

Local, Artist & Eco Luxuries Gift Guide

It's getting down to the wire

with only 7 days left until Christmas.

I tend to procrastinate and leave my shopping

until the last minute. I also do my best to make my gifts

or be creative with my giving, but if time has run out for you like it has for me...I've compiled a couple feel good gifts

that might delight your friends and family:

Wool Striped Hat $40

100% Soy Candles $20

Organic Cotton Jacket $220

Bird Print Pillow $38

Wood Balance Bike $81

Enameled Cast Iron Skillet Set of 3 $60

WeWood Watch $115

Cast Iron Dutch Ovens $79-99

Recycled Wine Bottle Glasses Set of 4 $30

Recycled Bronze Cuff $345

Reclaimed Barn Wood Dog Dish $94

Dots Pillar Candle $20

100% virgin Wool Throws $160

Ceramic Cellars Set of 3 $45

Enjoy the essence of the season with friends and family!

Stay calm and remember what it is all about for you.

Happy Holidays!

Monday Mood Board #4 - Holiday Season

Midweek Inspiration...'tis the season!

I've been bitten by the holiday bug a bit earlier

than usual with the festivity of the season. I think it is all my time spent on Pinterest and all of the truly inspiring images.

Here are a few of my favorites...

Dreamy Whites

Welly Vintage Home

Dreamy Whites

Pinterest

Pinterest

Real Simple

Bloom

The Style Files

Better Homes & Gardens

Pinterest

Vintage Chic

Bellas Rose Cottage

Pinterest

Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season!

Watch out for some inspiring holiday projects next week...

Thanksgiving Blessing & Dressing

Thanksgiving is so rich in tradition; I love it! My husband and I have hiked "over the mountain and through the woods" from our house to my parents home at the beach (about four miles) for the last 10 years. It is such a refreshing way to arrive; a little tired, super hungry and ready to enjoy the company of family and friends. Giving thanks for the simple and complex things and moments present in our lives right now. We are blessed to have each other, our animals, our friends and families and our health.

By no means am I a food stylist (as will be apparent below) or a food blogger (also apparent below), but I do love great food! And every once in a while I make something that's pretty fantastic. I am lucky enough to have a husband that cooks 90% of our meals...Yes, I'm spoiled! I do however, have a few favorite recipes that I love to cook for special occasions, whether that's a casual Sunday dinner with my sweetie, a potluck dinner party with friends or Thanksgiving dinner with family. Here's one of my all time faves and a tradition for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2-1 yellow onion (This year I only used 1/2 an onion, because we had it in the fridge from the dinner the night before)
• 1 bin (about 8-12) mushrooms (I used small crimini mushrooms, but any would be fabulous!)
• 1 bunch of celery
• 1-2 apples ( I used one from the neighbors branch that reaches into our yard & a fuji apple)
• 1-4 Tbsp herbs (this year I used sage & oregano from the garden)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 box breadcrumbs (the past few years I've used the cornmeal version from TJ's, but any will do)
• 1 box (or 4 cups) Veggie Broth
• 1/2-1 stick salted butter
• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 (or more) glass(es) of Chardonnay (I'm usually a Sauvignon Blanc gal, but this calls for a little fuller wine) or a nice Pinot Noir

Directions:

1. Pour yourself a glass of wine.
2. Dice the onion & set aside.
3. Clean the mushrooms with a wet paper towel or cloth. Slice mushrooms & rough cut them into small chunks.  Set aside.
4. Dice the entire bunch of celery & apples into rough chunks. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Place veggie broth in a saucepan on medium to low to warm.
7. Place 1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) of butter in a large stock pot on medium to high heat. Add olive oil, so butter doesn't burn.
8. Add onions & stir until soft.
9. Chop herbs & set aside.
10. Add mushrooms to stockpot with onions & stir until gently sautéed.
11. Grease a baking dish on the bottom & sides. Set aside.
12. Next, stir in celery & apples & saute until slightly soft. Keep lid on so the moisture is retained. Crack pepper into mixture.
13. Turn heat off & add breadcrumbs. Add herbs & fold mixture into breadcrumbs so vegetables are evenly dispersed.
14. Slowly add the veggie broth into the mixture & again gently fold mixture until the breadcrumbs are saturated, but not smashed.
15. Add salt & pepper to taste.
16. Scoop the mixture into your greased baking dish & cover with foil.
17. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil & bake another 5 minutes to create a slightly crispy top layer.
18. Remove, serve & enjoy.

This recipe can be modified in so many ways:

• I've used pear in place of the apple before
• Some people might like cranberries
• You could definitely use stale bread instead of the lazy boxed version
• Homemade broth would definitely be a nice touch
• You could add garlic

Let me know your favorite dressing (or stuffing) recipes.

Midweek Inspiration...gratitude

This says it all...

This year I am grateful for:

my husband & best friend

my MBA in Sustainable Enterprise

being frugal

running a half marathon

my parents

my animals; Buckaroo, Sammy & Fritzie-girl

who came with the house we bought last year

the sunshine & the rain

my boss, mentor & friend

being able to create a home of our own

my health

What are you thankful for this year?

Monday Mood Board #3 - Industrial Farmhouse Chic: kitchen

A bit of our inspiration:

We are struggling with our small kitchen...
I've had dreams of a big open kitchen / dining room 
with an island & a huge farm table.
The perfect spot to gather
with friends & family to share a meal & laughter.

We just don't have the layout to create
the specific vision that's been living in my head for years,
but even with our limited floor plan
we look forward to creating our super welcoming
Industrial Farmhouse kitchen.

Here's our basic hit list to create this cool, but welcome space:

• professional-style appliances
• barn lighting
• metal accessories
• weathered wood
• open shelving
• white bead-board walls
• & a subtle pop of color.

Midweek Inspiration...to do's

There are the little to do's that we all put off ~

making a doctor's appointment

cleaning the fridge

updating your linked in page

balancing the check book

ironing that pile of clothes

talking to the tax guy

And then there's that other list...

traveling through Europe

going back to school

opening a home furnishing's & accessories shop

learning how to weld

starting a family in a new town

buying a house

I've ticked off 2 of the five on my list...What's on your list?

Midweek Inspiration...Perfect Moment

We must always reflect on what we have in front of us

and be grateful for the moment.  Beauty surrounds us in the most unexpected places.

It's time to take that next step...make it perfect!

Midweek Inspiration...without

We've been so busy the last few months

that I've been neglecting my blog,

but we all still need a little inspiration

to get through the week.

Keep it simple & pure...

Barn Light Electric Giveaway

Barn Light Electric is having an AMAZING giveaway! 

The Winner gets a $1000 Barn Light Electric gift certificate! 

Wow!!  The possibilities are almost endless...front porch light, kitchen pendant lights, bathroom sconces, and the list goes on...

And even if you don't snag first prize, second and third are pretty awesome, too!

2nd place - $500 gift certificate

3rd place - $250 gift certificate

Enter in three easy steps:

1. Take a look around Barn Light Electric's incredible website, and pick out a few of your favorite things that you would love to have adorning your own abode. (pretty easy, right?)
2. Then feature your choices on your personal blog.
3. At the bottom of the post, include directions for entering so your followers can enter, too.

(you can just copy and past the instructions below to make it easier!)

So here's my wish list:

These galvanized metal sconces would be perfect beside all of the exterior doors (front, mudroom, garage, dining room and for the cottage entrance.)

And in the kitchen, three of these would be perfect over the big farm table.

And then to finish the look, two of these sconces would be amazing in the bathroom above the pedestal sink.

Obviously I have a galvanized metal theme going on here at

The Farmhouse. I think these would all stand out perfectly against the white backdrop and would highlight all of

the rustic elements throughout.

Fingers crossed!

How to Enter:

1. Look around online at Barn Light Electric and pick lights you’d love to own
2. Feature your lighting picks on your personal blog, and link to the lights if you can!
3. Copy/Paste these rules at the bottom of your blog article so others can enter
4. Once your personal article is up, you must email your blog link to:marketing@barnlightelectric.com to be qualified to win. The contest ends Monday, July 2nd, 2012
5. Don’t have a blog? Find out how you can enter by reading the Official Rules