Christmas Home Tour with The Blended Blog!

Happy Monday!

How is it that we are less than two weeks away from Christmas!  That is just crazy!  My presence on the blog has been less and less as the year comes to a close but I am happy to be back today sharing a glimpse of my home at Christmas time with some of my favorite Blended Blog buddies! If you're stopping by from Sheila's blog and you've made it this far in the Hop, I thank you!  :)  I've really enjoyed getting to peek into everyone's homes today!

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you've seen my little home.  I love my home, but no more so than at Christmas!  I can't wait to show you the few new touches I put on this year!  Come on in....

My mom made this snowman last year at Christmas for each of my sister's and I!

This year I got a new tree and I'm so happy with it!  It's a foot and a half taller and really fits in the space well.  My tree is the first thing you see when you walk in the door.

I'm loving the new bow pillow I got at Pier 1, too...there are tons of cute ones!

My tree skirt and matching stocking were made by my mom.  She gave me the tree skirt the first year I had my own tree in my first apartment and then she gave me the matching stocking my first Christmas in my condo.  I know how much time they took her, but I love them and know I'll have them forever!  Just like my mom still has her handmade tree skirt form the year she was married in 1971.

Living in a condo, my place is basically one big great room!  This is the living area...

My mom made me my handmade stocking but this is my original stocking from my first Christmas in 1980.  This Christmas pillow I got on super sale last year from Primitives by Kathy.  Actually a number of my Christmas decorations are from her site, either given to me as gifts or bought on sale at the end of the season!

My nativity is really special to me, too.  It was passed down to me from my grandmother.  It is a Hummel nativity from the 1950's.  I know it might be a little unorthodox, but I believe it fits really well on my wine table!

Now that my TV is on the wall, I use my TV stand as a display place.  I switch this up a little bit every year!  This is this year's Christmas version!

The WANTED sign stays up there year round!  

Here's a close-up!

The kitchen is pretty Christmassy as well.

My corner nook!

My mom claims she worries about my wine consumption, but then she buys me awesome wine tags like that one!  HA!!  I also enjoy running my diffuser this time of year with Christmas Spirit! 

Last but not least is my Christmas card holder, which is just a ribbon hanging from my pantry!  I really like this simple, easy idea.  And it's really a great way to showcase the cards I receive.

I hope you've enjoyed my home at Christmas and loved seeing all of our TBB Homes!!  Wishing you the happiest of holidays...

  Thanks for stopping by today!

If you missed my previous years' tours, you can check out 2015{here} and 2014 {here}!

Dinner and....Drinks!

I'm so excited The Blended Blog has started Tasty Tuesdays and is doing a progressive dinner blog hop!  It's so fun and different! Thanks for stopping by today! How yummy did everyone's courses sound!?!?

Was there any doubt that I would be the one providing the drinks?!?  I'm getting a reputation here I think! HA!

If I'm being honest here, I am not one to mix drinks...and by mix I mean going from one to the next to the next, mixing alcohols. Like starting with a prosecco, switching to a red, and ending the night with a martini is no bueno for me.  If I have an after dinner drink with everyone, like a Bailey's on the rocks, that's about as much as I can mix.  I like to start with a drink and stick to it.  And if I was going to pick an drink that goes with Leslie's comfort food, I'd definitely go with wine.  A bottle of wine is so fun and easy to share with your special someone or a group of friends.


I thought I'd share wines today that pair well with chicken and would totally compliment Leslie's chicken pot pie.  Chardonnay is most often paired with chicken, but a white like pinot grigio, would totally work as well.  More often than not, I'm a red girl. So I'd pair a lighter pinot noir with the Pot Pie.   I'm not your typical, strict wine drinker...if I like it, I'll drink it!  But I would admit that a lighter wine is better with Pot Pie and will help offset the deliciousness of the flavors.

I am no wine expert.  I actually most often go on the recommendations of my "wine guy" aka my brother-in-law! I call him my wine guy because he picks up wine for me at this heaven on earth he lives by...a wine warehouse with THE BEST prices, call The Wine Guy. ( We might not be able to buy wine in the grocery store here yet, but we have a Wine Guy and right now that will suffice!)

And just because I wanted to include something fun, I thought I'd share this martini.  It's good, either before the meal or after...for a treat!  If you follow me on instagram, you may have noticed that my new fave is RumChata.  When I told a co-worker this fact, she told me about this drink!  It's definitely a treat...

one part rumchata
one part caramel vodka (I used salted caramel!)
a splash of cream/half and half
Shake vigorously over ice, strain into martini glass and enjoy!

CHEERS!

Christmas Wishlist: Ponchos + Link Up!

Happy to be back posting today for The Blended Blog's Wednesday Fashion Linkup!

I've been seeing ponchos all over the place lately.  And not those silly just "wear out in the rain ponchos", but rather the "totally in style, fabulous looking sweatery" ponchos! All my coworkers seem to have one, strangers I pass on the street, my sister, etc. ! It's got me thinking.... I need to get in on this!

I never thought I would try the trend for myself because I am short and didn't ever want it to overwhelm me.  But the more I see them, the more I feel like I need one!!  As I sit her typing this in my school's freezing cold library and hear the wind whipping outside, I really wish I was wrapped up in a cozy poncho!  *Any teacher friends, who might be reading this, please don't tell the principal I blogged at school!  HA!  But, it is my lunch half hour, so I can use it as I wish!*  A poncho is probably more acceptable than my blardigan at work.  So naturally, when I see something I may like, I begin scoping out a few online!  Here are a few of my faves!

This first poncho is from one of my favorite online retailers, I've mentioned a few times here on the blog, Gray Monroe.  I like that it's plaid, and like half slit (different!) and looks somewhat fitted, as to not overwhelm me!

Check out the Issac Poncho here!

Fellow TBB buddy and blog friend, Lisa has posted numerous ponchos on her blog the past few weeks and that is one of the reasons, too, why I feel like I need one.  She posted this one here and I just loved it, but didn't pull the trigger on it.  I think I may need it though!!

Gap Cable Knit Poncho 

This one from Old Navy looks really fun as well!  And is super affordable.  Actually all these are ponchos that won't break the budget!  So for me that's great!

Old Navy

It's really hard to decide!  I'm hoping the black friday sales will help me decide.  And I may include one of these on my Secret Santa list.  In my family, we buy presents for the kids and do Secret Santa with just the adults!  A poncho just might make the perfect addition to my list!

Have you tried the poncho trend?  Do you own and poncho or have on you love?  Let me know about it in the comments below!

Wishing everyone a fabulous Thanksgiving!  Be comfortable!!  LOL


Now link up your favorite Fall Fashions with us!

An InLinkz Link-up

Favorite Kitchen Gadgets

Happy Tuesday, Ya'll! I know you can hardly believe that I am posting today about my favorite kitchen gadgets!  Ha!  But I am. I couldn't miss out on this blog hop with my TBB friends!!

 Now that I'm cooking more with Hello Fresh, I'm getting to know my way around the kitchen!  And I actually have a lot of kitchen faves!  I am excited to share some them with you today!  How fun were Sarah's? I have added a few of those to my list!  Thanks for stopping by from Sarah's blog!  I'm so happy to have you!

My Kitchen Aid mixer is my oldest Kitchen gadget!  Can I even call it that?  It's more like an appliance!!  And to be honest, I probably now only use it a half dozen times a year, but I got it more than 10 ago on super sale, so I absolutely could not pass it up!  And because I felt it was just something I should have! I know I'll have it for LIFE!

Apple slicer: This is definitely a fave!  Apples are a go to snack.  And since I always enjoy them with a scoop of peanut butter, I always slice them up.  This slicer is really inexpensive and easy to use, though with some apples I will say, you need to use your muscles!!  HA!

Mine has pink handles of course! :)

This Pampered Chef chopper is my most used kitchen gadget! it's quick, easy and a must have for slicing onions!  No more tears!!

My Quesadilla Maker gets a workout at least once a week!  Sometimes twice...sometimes five!  I received mine from my friend as a house warming gift when I moved into my first apartment four years ago and it's still going strong!!

Above when I mentioned that my slicer was my most used gadget, I totally lied!  How could I forget about the best gadget ever invented?!?!  MY ELECTRIC WINE OPENER!!!!!  It's my most favorite. And I know I get made fun of for having it a lot from my brother-in-law, who I consider to be a wine connoisseur, but I don't care!!!  I love it!!

What are some of your fave kitchen gadgets? Let me know in the comments below!  Now head on over to see what Lana's picked as her kitchen favorites!

5 Ways to be Better at Being Alone

I'm spending this Monday over at The Blended Blog with my post in  our Self Help series.  I figured since I spend so much time alone, I'd share how I got so good at it! LOL

Would love it if you hopped on over there today.  Thanks for the love and have a great Monday.  It's a short week...WE GOT THIS!!

I'm Guest Posting Today!

While my fellow The Blended Blog Contributor and blog friend Whitney is off in CHINA (!!!!)  she asked me to guest post on her blog today!!  I'd love it if you'd head on over and give it a read!!

The Mishaps and Mayhem of a Solitary Life at Whitney a la Mode!

A Low Key Friendsgiving!

I can't even believe I am writing this post!  So hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner!  Am I the only one asking myself, "Where has the year gone?"

For the past two years, my two best friends and I have been celebrating Friendsgiving.  It's always at my place and always a lot of fun.  Typically, Mel cooks the turkey and Kerri and I make the apps and desserts.

After two years of hard work turkey making, Mel asked if it'd be ok if we switched things up a bit, and made something simpler...like baked ziti!  Kerri and I were all for it.  Because really all that matters is that we're together. Kerri and Mel are Girl Scout leaders for Addison's troop and had a meeting on the same day, so Mel couldn't get here at her usual 11 a.m. to start cooking. And to be honest, every year we have so many leftovers! We were due for a change I suppose!!

Oh but the turkey wan't the only major change!  Chris, Kerri's husband didn't make it either!  He called to request off and was denied.  To say both he, and we were disappointed, is an understatement. So an All-Girls Friends giving it was!!

And we still had a great time!  We spent the day eating, talking laughing, dancing, hunting for turkeys, playing Turkey Trivia and making some fun crafts.  Addie and I baked cookies for dessert but I totally forgot to make the pumpkin dip and we forgot to eat Kerri's Pumpkin Bread...but we still had our fill of Pumpkin with all the beers we drank during the day!!  HA!! There were even a few super competitive rounds of Zingo to be had , too!  It was a fun day as always!  A bit different from our typical Friendsgiving, but more relaxed which was good.  After everyone left for the night. I took stock of things.  I looked around at all the food, games and things strewn about, poured myself a glass of wine and sat down to make my Grateful List, at the top of which are these girls!  And Chris, too of course!!

Some fun photos from our day!

 Turkey Trivia! 

Fun with Photo Booth Props

Turkey Hunting in full effect!  

 There's always time for a dance Party in Aunt Katie's Living Room...then we need to recharge with cookies!!!

Another memorable Friendsgiving in the books!  Until next year...

Read all about the fun we've had during Friendsgiving's past here:

2014

2015

Have a great week!!!