My 12 year old daughter Callie decided today at the last minute to be a 80's punk rocker for Halloween. No problem.....I said, I can totally help you with this! After all I was a punk rocker/new waver in the 80's. Bet you all didn't know that, huh?! Now you have a random fact about me. (I even had pink hair once...champagne pink to be exact) LOL
So here is Callie my 80's punk rocker chic..........
Today is Foodie Fridayhosted by Gollum over at her blog Designs by Gollum. Head on over there for tons of scrumptious recipes.
It is a rainy fall day here......which means a perfect day to make some yummy Old Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies! I make these every fall...they are so good! Oh and no calories LOL
OLD FASHIONED SOFT PUMPKIN COOKIES
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened 1 cup 100% Pure Pumpkin 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Glaze (recipe follows)
Directions: PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking power, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.
FOR GLAZE:COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.NOTES: For a variation add 1/2 cup chocolate chips or nuts to the recipe
Today is Outdoor Wednesday Mr Linky Party over at Susan's blog "A Southern Daydreamer", stop by to either participate or to just browse the other contributors.
Just wanted to let all you animal print lovers know that my very popular animal print glass christmas ornaments are back! You can get them in leopard or zebra print from my Etsy shop.
Last year I sold out early so order yours now if you would like to add some animal print to your Christmas tree!
We went to a beautiful fall wedding yesterday. The bride is a daughter of one of our friends. It was at a beautiful location so thought I would share a few photos just in case any of you are in Arkansas and looking for a pretty place to hold a wedding. It is called Anthony Chapel in Garvan Gardens in Hot Springs, AR.
Nature was the perfect decor!
The proud father of the bride walking his beautiful daughter down the aisle
The happy couple....Mr & Mrs. Essner
Centerpieces were vases with curly branches and hydrangeas on some tables & carved polka dot pumpkins on others lit with candles.
The groom's cake
Cake was stunning with hydrangeas and yummy!
May God Bless the Happy Couple All The Days of Their Lives!
We just made a custom rug for one of our retailers of our custom monogram rugs. It came out so cute with the bright pops of color on the black background that I just had to share with you.
This particular rug is a 4X4 ft, but we can do any size, any initial, with or without polka dots...just contact us at Creative Carpet Designif you would like a custom rug of your very own OR if you would like to retail our custom rugs in your store (we dropship!)
A couple weeks ago I posted that I went with hubby to a car show and took a bunch of photos of parts of the cars that looked like letters of the alphabet. Well I just had the photos printed and realized that my daughter's boyfriend Cody had a birthday coming up......so this is what I came up with for his birthday.
I haven't made one for hubby yet...but I will. He knows about it now, so it's no longer a surprise. By the way, he loves the idea! I'll be sure to show you when I get his made.
Now stop on over at Susan from Between Naps on The Porch Mr. Linky party "Metamorphasis Monday" to see more fabulous things!
My Surprise Guest Blogger is.................(insert drumroll)............................................................
~Jennifer Bertrand~
Winner of Design Star Season Three
I have my first ever guest blogger and it is none other than the bubbly, amazing, super-talented and super nice Jennifer Bertrand! Have you had a chance to see Jen's new show Paint-Over on HGTV? I hope so! It was fabulous!!
Have you wondered why you haven't seen much of Jennifer since she won Design Star season three? Well let me let her tell you what's been going on......
I won Season 3 of Design Star and I seemed to drop off the face of the planet. You could say that, but the reason is none other than parenthood and on top of that, our son Winston was born with a couple of rare lymphatic malformations. So I joined the club of being a Mom of a special needs child. Winston, like his Mom, doesn’t like to take the easy road----why have one rare malformation when you can have two!!! :) This will probably explain the waterworks you see me display when talking about medical issues on my new show “Paint Over”. It’s one of those things that if people only knew the half of it…………………………
1.) How old were you when you first started having an interest in interior design/decorating? I fell in love with design when I was young and we lived in Germany. We would travel to all of the castles and chateauxs and it really educated me on the concept of timeless design. Plus in Europe I learned to appreciate creating a solid design over time because you were pulling together things that were bought with love as you found them. Then throughout my life, being a military kid, we would move every two to four years. My Mom would always turn a hideous house into something fabulous and every single time it was different.
2.) Have you had any formal training? I wish I could say yes! If I were to do it all again, I would! But with a Bachelors of Art in Education with an emphasis in ceramics and a Masters in Education, I’m done with school for now! J But I would not be a great tv host were it not for my experience in education, so, it all worked out the way it was suppose to! But I grew up in a house with a mother who is a sculptor (she has a sculpture in the Reagan Presidential Library) and my father, who was a Colonel in the Air Force, is now Director of the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. So the love of art and design was always a part of my life. Over our four years in Germany we traveled Western Europe every weekend and I was exposed and educated to appreciate all styles and aesthetics of art and architecture. How many fifth graders went to Belgian antique markets every weekend to go shopping? I know---very, very cool. My absolute favorite part of childhood was living in Germany. And then we moved to Oklahoma………….. J
3.) Who is your favorite interior designer? That’s a tough one, b/c there are sooooooooo many brilliant designers out there!!! I adore Kelly Hoppen, David Rockwell, Thom Filicia, Kenneth Brown, and Kelly Wearstler to name a few. But I’m a huge Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs fan, too!! And to me, interior design, art, fashion, music……….it all flows together!
4.) Did anyone in particular help push you to try out for Design Star? Nope! I just remember watching season two and saying, “I can do that!” And I couldn’t decide if I should do it, so on the last day the applications could be postmarked, I sent mine off! J I remember telling my husband with the package in my hand, “Are you ready for this?” He just laughed not knowing at that time what all it would lead to!!
5.) How has your life changed since you won Design Star other than having your own show? It really made me happy to know that I had an audience out there who appreciated my voice in the design world! People have been so kind and supportive and it really is surreal to get to share my love of design and teaching. With that said, getting pregnant was not planned that’s for sure! We have a seven month old son named Winston who has a few medical issues that have kept us on our toes. But Winston is lovely and I know I still have a lot to offer so I just get excited to keep surprising people!! People are nice when they meet me out and about and you have to admit, the title is great on a resume!
6.) Who do you think will be the next Design Star? It took me way too long to answer these questions so obviously Antonio won!! Congratulations to him and I wish him lots of success!!! He is fun and different and I know will have a lot to offer!
7.) What is your favorite decorating style? I could simply say modern but a comfortable modern for my own personal taste. But my favorite way to decorate is with soul and intention. Everything should be so well thought out and everything should be a reflection of who it is intended for. My favorite style is one that combines everything really---no distinct style. You’ve just traveled the world, taken everything you love and made it flow with basic design principles.
8.) Have you decorated/designed your home in any particular style? (Would love if you could share pics of your home) Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, it’s the cobbler with no shoes!!! Nothing in our home is complete enough for me to show it off. It’s funny because I come home from filming and I always want to get stuff done for us! But in my head, our completed home is fabulous!!!!!! In person……..not so much!!!! J Give me another decade and I should be satisfied! But then again what designer isn’t always critiquing their work and redefining it just because of the pure love of the process!!!! It’s a sickness really!!! J But I do love Winston’s nursery (the second one we did that hasn’t been in the paper yet). We thought it all out, did it on a tight budget and made it look modern yet fun. And at the same time, it’s designed to fit all of his medical needs. Because what’s the point of great design if it doesn’t function!!!!
9.) What is your best decorating advice? 1- Make sure everyone in the home has a voice in the design. 2- Have a design that affects the soul. Great design can stir up emotions. 3- Don’t always play it safe. 4- Have fun!!!!
10) Is there any particular product/item in your home that you wouldn’t want to be without? (example: certain brand candle, special blanket, certain appliance, etc….) Besides my husband, Winston and our animals, that’s hard! I have a beautiful black and gold Greek key coffee set that I purchased in the UK or all of my artwork that I either painted or friends have created. But really, after facing a medical issue like we have with young Winston, I have come to realize that it is all replaceable.
Thanks Jen for taking the time out of your super busy day to be my guest blogger!!
Darlene, you are anEarthy Casual You're interested in creating a welcoming home where people feel comfortable and happiness flourishes. You appreciate the warmth and individuality of natural materials and handcrafted things and are inspired by colors and forms from nature. You love mixing up different textures and are sensitive to the tactile qualities of objects. Your style is grounded and solid, not flighty or frilly. And you are never taken in by the trend of the moment. You value order. You feel happiest if your home is well organized. You understand that when your house is in order, your mind feels clearer. Rather than a lot of meaningless objects or overly-designed items, you are happier with a few well-placed things. Your home is your respite from a busy life. Try to avoid letting things into your home that you don't really love
WOW, this is so TRUE about my style!!
Putting Your Style to Work! With your style and needs in mind, here are a few tips that will help you make your home a little happier.
1. Your Design Challenge: LIGHT Think about borrowing light and reflecting it. Placing mirrors across from windows multiplies whatever light you do have and can extend the view, or try two mirrors across from one another. If you find a big frame you like, you can have a mirror cut for it. Consider putting sconces near mirrors or candles or even lamps in front of them to enhance their light. Hanging chandeliers are nicer than recessed lights, and lots of small lamps work better than one big light source. Go for a few choice, sparkly accessories like candlesticks, boxes, frames and trays in silver or gold.
2. Your Happy Place The more serene your bedroom feels, the happier you will be. A pretty coverlet over a big duvet makes the bed look smooth—and not all duvet-lumpy! And, a blanket folded at the foot of the bed breaks up the big expanse of fabric. Euro shams—those big square pillows—are great for reading in bed, and a few decorative pillows can also be a nice touch. Consider adding a basket or a small occasional table near your bedside table for books, papers, lotions, linen spray or whatever you'd like.
3. Be Party-Ready All the Time! Scent: The first thing you notice about a home is how it smells. Use naturally fragrant cleaning products. If you find a scented candle or fresh potpourri you love, stock up on it. Any scent you like, whether perfume or linen spray, can be used on upholstery, bedding or just spritzed into the air.Mood: Nice, flattering light makes us feel good. So nix the harsh, direct light from overhead fixtures in favor of the softer glow from floor and table lamps. Also, stock up on some votive candles and a couple of hurricane lanterns for setting around the room.Food: Devote space in your pantry or on a shelf for go-to party essentials: crackers, dip, chips, nuts—whatever you like to serve. Keep on hand a collection of attractive bowls and cocktail napkins, and you'll be able to set a spread—instantly!Drink: The simplest and chicest thing is to have a drinks tray or table always set up. Include a mix of pretty glasses, an ice bucket, a lovely pitcher, and bottles of soda and water. When the bell rings, just add ice and limes.
Go take the Quiz and let me know what style you are.
I am happy to say that I have been married for 25 years to my hubby who is my best friend. We have 2 beautiful girls ages 16 and 24. We are a christian family and trying to use the talents that God gave us to make the world a better place....or at least visually more pleasing!
See our custom rugs at: www.creativecarpetdesign.com
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