Happy Valentines Day Everyone !! I really didn’t think I was going to be able to post anything today. I know it’s a lovely holiday, but tomorrow is our son’s 10th birthday ! Because it’s a “big” birthday for him, I am spending most of the day making little surprises for him, and planning his day. So, here is just a little bit of my dinner table “quickie” decorations for our dinner this evening. It’s simple, but I gotta go put another cake in the oven for my little guy!!

Last night, our older son came home with the Lavender Tulips and a Valentine Card for me. I still cry whenever I read cards from my children. I love those moments where they express their love !! So, today I pulled my dishes that compliment those Lavender Tulips, and as you can see below, there is a little touch of Lavender in these dishes.

Here I quickly put together the beginning of tonight’s place setting.

Okay, I gotta run now and concentrate on a Birthday Party. Sending out Love to Everyone!!

Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

xoxo,

Martha

Valentine’s Day is certainly in the air, and I always think it’s a nice time to just take in all of the pretty displays all over town. It seems like everyone gets in on the Valentine’s mood, in one way or another.

I decided to make up a Valentine’s Cookie Tray with Sparkling Pink Lemonade.  My daughter & I both decorated the cookies with icing & pearls. I found these heart-shaped marshmallows at the store yesterday.

I was also inspired to make a soft green cookies, just a bit out of the ordinary. I love my little Angel. He travels around my house alot!!

I’ve kind of been in a Pastel Green Mood lately…..you will understand once I show you my Laundry Room, that I’ve been working on, and POSTPONING all of my pictures.  But, that’s another story….. 

Do you have any Valentine Traditions in your home?Let me know in the comment link below.  We kind of play it by ear every year. But we always do a sit down dinner at home for our kids. I can’t remember ever going out to dinner on Valentine’s Day since we had kids, but I really love it that way!!

xoxo,

Martha

Yesterday, my daughter felt very creative, put on her apron, tied up her hair, and decided to bake some cupcakes. She made a homemade White Cake Recipe, that she had used to make my birthday cake, last year.

When it came time to decorate, she recruited our 9 year old son to  help as well. I absolutely love to see our kids working together, and really enjoying their time together. So, you can see their very artistic skills above. 

They were decorated with a homemade buttercream soft pink frosting, and then sprinkled with pearls and silvery sprinkles. We love the White Cake Recipe, that we found in Souther Living Dec 2012 magazine.  The Recipe is on page 133, entitled ” Mrs. Billett’s White Cake.”

Sometimes, a cake box mix if fine……BUT, other days, a Homemade White Cake Recipe, just can’t be beat !!  Delicious!  Thank you Taylor & Dylan-

The Cupcakes are sooooo perfect!! 

Martha

Today is just the perfect day for a warm cup of comfort.  It has been so gray, dreary, wet and cold here that  I made 2 soups.  One is a French Onion, and the other is a Tuscan White Bean Soup.

This soup makes everyone in my family very happy!!  Even our 9 year old just loves it.

The toasty home-made croutons and cheesy, string gooeyness is just wonderful!!  Here’s my Recipe:

French Onion Soup-Serves 6

8 thinly sliced onions

3 T Butter

3 T Olive Oil

8 cups of rich Beef Broth ( I make mine at home-it just seems richer)

1/2 Cup White Wine- I used Chardonnay

1/8 Cup Sherry or Cognac

Salt & Pepper

1 baguette sliced into rounds, and oven toasted (top with butter first)

gruyere cheese grated

Saute the onions in the Butter and Olive Oil for approximately 45 minutesover a low heat, stirring occasionally. They will begin to carmelize, and this is what will give a good rich flavor, so be patient!

Add the broth, white wine, and Sherry.  Add the Salt and Pepper to taste. And allow to cook over med-low heat for an hour.

Now it’s time to pour into individual ovenproof cups. I place the cups over a lipped cookie sheet, to catch any spills. Add the toasty piece of baguette slices, then top with grated cheese generously.  Turn on the broiler, and place soup cups into the oven.  This will take just a few minutes, so don’t walk away -once the cheese melts, and the bread gets crunchy, and brown, remove from oven and serve.

Happy Eating!!

Martha

I know it may sound a little crazy, but I’m quite obsessed with Laundry Rooms lately.  Is it because of the New Year? Or maybe because I just know that mine needs quite a bit of help to bring it to the place where I actually like doing laundry.  I really shouldnt complain too much, because my laundry room really is a very sunny spot in our home.  I just need to do something to it, to make it feel kind of cheery- do you know what I mean?

So, in an Ode to  ” I don’t mind washing, folding, ironing, and throwing in dirty socks while Im in here”  Laundry Room, -here are some of my favorite inspirations for the next few days, while I find the courage to change my own Laundry Room, into something I can spend more time in- and actually “Like” being in there!!

This laundry room is so cheery……..wouldn’t even mind having a cup a coffee in the morning here

You can even sew up some new curtains in this Laundry Room

And how’s this one, for organization AND Personality, all at the same time?

I’m not sure what happened to the Washer and Dryer, but you gotta love the Old Fashioned set up here with those galvanized sinks.

Okay, and now it’s time to reveal my Laundry Room………I see endless possibilities here. How about you?

This is what I have to work with.  A White/black floor, white cabinets, and a speckled granite top sink.

I actually went to Sherwin Williams today and I think I found the perfect combination.

Can’t wait to share with all of you in the upcoming days!!

Martha

One of the things I look forward to during the Holiday Season, is the combination of peppermint and chocolate. I know you can have it anytime of the year, but something about the cool days and that combination is just wonderful. So, I had to do a double take when I saw these at the grocery store.

They are a very large 3 layer cookie.

And this……is what I did to really make them” Peppermint-y”

They were dipped in melted chocolate chips- I use Ghirardelli- and topped with crushed peppermint candy. Easy Peasy!!

Have a wonderful Sunday.

This evening, we will be hosting our first annual Tamale Party in our new home. My husband and I have invited friends over for many, many years and have made a fun tradition out of it. This year we begin making memories with new friends in Tennessee.

When we were kids, we would often make this recipe but we called them “Sandies”. Im pretty sure My Aunt “Tia Graciela” gave us the original recipe. Today to keep with our Mexican Theme, we will call them “Mexican Wedding Cookies”.

They are a wondeful shortbread with nuts and powdered sugar. Always a hit and so simple to make!!

Recipe: Mexican Wedding Cookies/ Sandies

• 1 cupbutter
• 1/2 cupwhite sugar
• 2 teaspoonsvanilla extract
• 2 teaspoonswater

• 2 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 cupchopped almonds
• 1/2 cupconfectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add the flour and almonds, mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Shape dough into balls or crescents. Place on an unprepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from pan to cool on wire racks. When cookies are cool, roll in confectioners’ sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

 (Wrap dough in plastic ball for & place in Refer for 3 hours.

And then you have pure buttery Yumminess!!

Welcome to my Home Tour!  I am very, very new to blogging, and we have been in our new home for about 5  months now. I haven’t quite had the time to finish every room that is photographed here, but it is a start, and for that, Im very thankful. This is my very favorite time of the year to decorate our home.  I hope you enjoy!

We built a home that can be described as “seaside”, even though we live in Middle Tennessee.  I only wanted to compliment the home, without too much fussy-ness and just keep the colors on the neutral side. Ive been collecting many, many ornaments throughout the years, so some of my old friends just had to come out to make their apppearance, even though they may not have fit my so called requirements.

The white oraments above are from Martha Stewart 2008 collection of Springerle Ornaments

Can you tell I really love little trees?

Kitchen- Mostly burlap, creamy ribbons, & aqua

Staircase very simply done with pinecone garlands, and Burlap Bows

Staircase at Night

Formal Dining Room-a very subtle snowy scene

The Family Room

Office/Ladies Reading Room

Some cookie fun…..thanks to our little 9 year old

Our Master Bedroom, I know it’s very sparse, but did I mention we’ve only been in our home 5 months?  It’ll have to wait! 

The Foyer/Entrance

I hope you enjoyed my new home and come back next year when more rooms are done!!