TRANSITIONAL HOLIDAY STAIRCASE DECORATION

Transitional Holiday Staircase Decor

Step It Up
Tie bundles of bare tree and winterberry branches to the spindles in your staircase for an autumnal look. After Thanksgiving, tie pine boughs to the branches with pretty velvet ribbon, and wire Christmas ornaments around the velvet ribbon for extra color.

TRANSITIONAL HOLIDAY TABLE NAPKINS

Transitional Holiday Table Napkin Decor

Buy Once, Use Twice

Stock up on linens with patterns in red or gold to use from Thanksgiving through Christmas. For this Christmas place setting, dark red-and-white toile napkins were wrapped with wide red satin ribbon and topped with winterberry sprigs. The same gold charger, white plate, and napkin take on a Thanksgiving air when raffia is substituted for the ribbon and pine cones for the berries.  I like this idea of using the same napkins and table ware throughout the holidays with seasonal twists.  This idea can be easily used with your own style of table ware and linens.

BELATED HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

I spent Thanksgiving week with my family in Missouri.  Since my parents are both gone, my family has made it a tradition to spend Thanksgiving together at our parent's home that now belongs to one of my brothers.  We had lots of fun and enjoyed the delicious food everyone contributed to the dinner.  

TRANSITIONAL HOLIDAY TABLE DECOR

Transitional Holiday Table Decor

Red and White

Count on classic white dishes and solid red linens to carry your table decor from holiday to holiday. With the basics in place, add seasonal elements to give your table flair. Red amaryllis and evergreen sprigs add touches of Christmas to this table.

SOUTHERN LIVING'S 60 SPECTACULAR THANKSGIVING SIDES

There's something for everyone in this special collection of Thanksgiving side dish recipes.  Find familiar favorites, along with tempting new creations to try on your Thanksgiving menu.

Creamy Fried Confetti Corn

Ingredients

• 8 bacon slices, chopped 
• 4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (about 8 ears)
• 1 medium-size white onion, chopped 
• 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper 
• 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper 
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed 
• 1/2 cup half-and-half 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon pepper 

Preparation

• Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Set bacon aside.
• Sauté corn, onion, and bell peppers in hot drippings in skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender. Add cream cheese and half-and-half, stirring until cream cheese melts. Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper. Top with bacon.

ACORN BASKET CENTERPIECE

FALL HOLIDAY CENTERPIECE

Acorn Basket

Put acorns to use with this nutty basket. Hot-glue acorns (with and without caps) to a woven basket. When dry, line the basket with plastic or foil, and place florist's foam inside. Add five or six not-too-ripe pears using shish kebab spears to keep them in place. (Unripened pears generally keep for a week or more.) Fill with bold dahlia blooms and sprigs of crabapple, bittersweet, mountain ash berries, or any other fall foliage.

CARAMEL - PECAN PIE

Caramel - Pecan Pie

Besides pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner, another favorite is pecan pie.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 28 caramels
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
• 
  Chocolate-Dipped Pecans (optional)

Preparation

• Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of piecrust with a fork.
• Bake piecrust at 400° for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on wire rack.
• Combine caramels, butter, and 1/4 cup water in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until caramels and butter are melted; remove from heat.
• Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients. Stir into caramel mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared crust.
• Bake pie at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°, and bake 20 more minutes, shielding edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove pie to a wire rack to cool. Top with Chocolate-Dipped Pecans, if desired.
• Lois Davis Webb, Morehead City, North Carolina, Southern Living 
  NOVEMBER 2005

PAULA DEEN'S 6 SUPER STUFFING RECIPES

Apple Cranberry Stuffing

If you want to try a new stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving, check out Paula Deen's 6 Super Stuffing recipes.

TURKEY VEGETABLE PLATTER

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

I found this on Pinterest and thought it was cute as well as nutritious.

MULCHING

Another beautiful day in Texas!  I spent the day "winterizing" my flowerbeds with mulch.  This photo isn't of my backyard, but it shows the benefits of mulching your plants.

ETSYKIDS TREASURY - FIT FOR A PRINCESS

Purple Flower Headband

by

J J & K's Girly Things

Black and White Pillowcase Dress

by

Ali Bean Baby

Baby Sandals with Flowers

by

Fiesta Kids Boutique

Pink Flowered Beanie

by

Perky Beanies

Ballerina Art Print

by

Baby Chick Designs

Check out other beautiful creations

by EtsyKids designers

in my 

Fit For A Princess Treasury.

VETERAN'S DAY

Thank you to all the veterans 

and their families 

for their sacrifices

to keep us safe.

TONSILLECTOMY

Youngest granddaughter had her tonsils and adenoids removed this morning.  It was a quick procedure and she's recuperating at home with her new Build-A-Bear "Fairy Princess" and lots of popsicles and ice cream.  

Medicine.Net has a lot of info regarding tonsils and adenoids.

2011 PERENNIALS

These brand-new varieties offer exciting colors, more flowers, and other features so you can enjoy your best perennial garden ever.

Arizona Apricot Blanketflower

Pomegranate Coneflower

Madly Magenta Rock Cress

AMERICAN CLASSICS: BISCUITS

Scott Peacock's Classic Biscuits

Perfect biscuits require a few basics: a hot oven, cold fat, and a gentle yet knowing hand. To get the details down pat, Better Homes and Gardens made a batch with American cooking guru Scott Peacock.  For the steps to biscuit bliss, follow his recipe.

BACON CHEDDAR PINWHEELS APPETIZER

Bacon-Cheddar Pinwheels

INGREDIENTS:

1

can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

2

tablespoons ranch dressing

1/4

cup cooked real bacon pieces or 4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

1/2

cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1/4

cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; press each into 12x8-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; press each into 12x8-inch rectangle.
• Spread dressing over each rectangle to edges. Sprinkle each with bacon, Cheddar cheese and onions.
• Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS TODAY

It's that time again.  

Set your clocks back 1 hour.

BUSY SATURDAY WITH THE GRANDKIDS

Last soccer game and trophy awards.

Today was a busy Saturday.  My daughter and her husband were out of town attending a funeral, so we took their place for early morning soccer game and trophy awards.  Then in the afternoon the two granddaughters had a recital.  My first time to do makeup and hair buns for the girls.  Shout out to all the mothers who know how to do the makeup and hair (buns) for dance recitals! 

CELEBRATING THE 50TH DAY OF SCHOOL

Sweet granddaughter

dressed in her

50's outfit

for school today.