Tag Archives: decor

12 Days of Christmas Countdown

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christmas-door-004Welcome to Day No. 5 of Cathy’s 12 Days Before Christmas christmas-door-003Countdown. You know, decorating your front door is like tying a festive ribbon around a carefully wrapped Christmas gift — it sets the tone and makes a promise for good things inside. I love this door in my daughter and son-in-law’s apartment complex in Huntsville, Alabama. A young couple with babies just moved in here, and I imagine that both time and money are tight. So they wrapped cardboard pieces in holiday paper and jaunty bows to create a quick, simple, inexpensive and fun entry — especially easy and environmentallychristmas-and-new-years-2006-07-01816 friendly when using leftover scraps. I love this idea! It reminds me of one year when I was young and my mom wrapped our front door in thick red paper and a huge white bow — creating, I thought, the world’s largest Christmas present. Moms are good like that. Check back tomorrow for Day No. 4 in Cathy’s Christmas Countdown — the easiest food gift ever  perfect for co-workers, neighbors and everybody else.

12 Days of Christmas Countdown

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hobby-lobby-0011For the 10th Day of Cathy’s Countdown Before Christmas, here’s a way hobby-lobby-003to save money and time on your holiday decorations. Right now, right at this very minute, Hobby Lobby arts and crafts stores are selling a big chunk of their Christmas home decor at 50 percent off. That is a thing of joy, for sure. Ornaments, trees, table ware, linens, kitchen items, figurines, gift wrapping, hobby-lobby-004craft items,  lights — half price. Fifty percent off through Saturday, Dec. 20. I don’t know if this is standard hobby-lobby-0025practice or something different for this year, but I’m not questioning. Aren’t you glad you waited until the last minute to do your decorating and plan your party, no matter what your mother said? Our local store was packed this morning as word spread and shoppers couldn’t wait to scoop up the bargains.  Listen, with all due respect, this beats the 50-percent-off-all-old-and-wilted poinsettias-sale I’ve seen in other chain stores. The Web site http://www.hobbylobby.com says there are Hobby Lobby stores in 33 states — basically the middle of the nation. If you don’t know what to expect, Hobby Lobby is a sort of Pier One plus Michael’s christmas-and-new-years-2006-07-0183plus Hancock Fabrics with scrapbooking and art-supply stores mixed in. Plus, you will find your former co-worker you haven’t seen for three years searching the stationery aisle for invitations to her son’s birthday party and you didn’t even know she had kids. You’re welcome.

Check back for Day No. 11 in Cathy’s 12 Days of Christmas Countdown — an easy  recipe that’s perfect for gifts.

But while you're bargain-hunting, remember to obey the Hobby Lobby rules as you wander around other less-populated areas of the store.

But while you're bargain-hunting, remember to obey the Hobby Lobby rules as you wander around other less-populated areas of the store.

Anthropologie

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huntsville-102908-014My favorite shop in the whole world is Anthropologie. I love huntsville-102908-015this store and I’m not really sure why. I immediately go to my happy place as soon as I walk in the door — in fact, this is my happy place. I mean, the clothes are far too young and funky for my post-menopausal body and I know I look ridiculous in the Cream-of-the-Crop Top paired with the Can-Can Pencil Skirt and coordinated with the Sylvan Scene Cardigan, but shopping hope springs eternal. Somehow, Anthropologie makes you believe. And then there’s the other side of the store: A sort of huntsville-102908-016eclectic and hip yard-sale jumble of linens and glassware and kitchen goodies — all those things you never knew you huntsville-102908-0171needed until Anthropologie gently waves them under your nose and says, “Hey! You are just the right person to take home this Pitch Pine Sugar Bowl” and even though you do not even use sugar ever at all, before you know it you are at the cash register trying to remember if you’ve already signed up for an Anthropolgie card. This happens to me time after time. Is it something in the store’s oil-diffused air? Has Anthropologie perfected an undetectable form of consumer hypnotism? I don’t know. I think I need to go again to figure it out. And again. And again. And … Check out the Web site at http://www.anthropologie.com/

Tupelo Party

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tupelo-party-002When my husband and I went to a party some friends of his tupelo-party-0033hosted in Tupelo, Mississippi, this past weekend, I was blown away by this gorgeous space. It’s the Dance Studio in downtown Tupelo and it is really a dance studio as well as perfect party room. The gleaming wood floors and exposed brick walls were the background for soft fall colors of golds, browns and oranges. There was dancing, wine, good company and good food: Vegetable soup, fried chicken, a mashed potato tupelo-party-006bar — and cake. (Hmm … cake.) Every time we’re somewhere that has a mashed potato bar, my husband and I remember our wedding in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, four years ago. Our caterer recently had returned from a caterers’ gathering in California and was enthusiastic about the latest trend: Mashed potatoes in champagne glasses with a variety of toppings you add yourself. John and I looked at each other and agreed that while it sounded like a fun idea and we would certainly like to go to that party, the folks at our wedding might think it was a little weird. What did we know? Now a mashed-potato bar is everybody’s favorite party food. Check out The Dance Studio at http://www.thedancestudiotupelo.com/. And go vote today! You do not want to miss out.

Fall Parties

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I have a friend in Florence, Alabama, who is the most creative and stylish hostess ever. I don’t want to embarrass her here, so I’ll just call her … hmm, let’s see … for no reason whatsoever, I’ll call her Cheryl. Every time I go to a gathering at Cheryl’s house, I feel special because of her generous hospitality, beautifully set tables and scrumptious food. In fact, folks are still talking about a cheese party she gave a couple years ago — I only wish Gourmet magazine had been there. Recently she hosted our four-woman book club, and even though she had worked out of town all day, everything was perfect. Her house was glowing with autumn decoration in browns, golds and oranges; the table settings were so elegant; and you could smell the comforting scents of vegetable soup and pumpkin bread as soon as you walked in the door. Since the main decor at my house is cat hair, coffee cups and stacks of newspapers, I’m glad I have friends such as Cheryl to remind me how to live graciously.