My Simplified Holiday UPDATE!

 

Ok, I wanted to give you a quick update on how my simplified holiday is working out.  The photo above is in my kitchen of my mountain home.  Shawn and I bought this sign probably ten years ago, I thought it was sold with our first mountain cabin, somehow I just came across it last week in one of my storage buildings how serendipitous?!  So glad I found it I love it!

Saturday afternoon I left the store early and went to a wonderful holiday open house.  I have to tell you it was so nice, these are new friends who recently purchased a second home here in the mountains and they have done an amazing job on their new north Georgia getaway...So many clever things!  One of them is quite the cook and the food was outstanding.  Imagine this thick homemade sugar type cookie with sea salt, sprinkled on top...this cookie literally melted in your mouth!!! Or a chocolate chip whoopie pie!! I've been trying to be good but I could have gone crazy!...Sorry…I digress.  Just look at the next three photos!! 
 

Sugar Cookies (left) Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies! 

Red Velvet Peppermint Brownies & Coconut Cupcakes Love The Display!

Fun Way To Present Crudite

While at the open house I was visiting with some other friends and decided since I was "so prepared" I'd invite some of them over for a drink that evening.  I then realized it would be close to dinner time and they'd need more than a cocktail and some little nibbley things. 

Now you have to understand I am fortunately blessed with some of the most amazingly, smart and talented friends.  They can cook, decorate and more so, the pressure could be there.  But in staying with my whole "keeping it simple" mantra I decided to do just that…I now needed dinner for at least six and had about an hour to do it.

So I called a local restaurant and ordered two large pizzas, some pasta, salad and buttery, garlic rolls.  I came home transferred it into my own casserole dishes popped it into a warm oven.  I lit my candles, turned on the holiday music, set up a buffet style line, opened the bar, (poured myself a nice glass of red wine) and made a quick platter of olives, cheese, crackers, salami, and almonds.  Just in time for their arrival. 

It was so easy and my very gracious guests seemed to have a nice time. (None of them made fun of my "take out" food.  At least not to my face anyway!)

For dessert I served a platter of "bakery bought" cookies and egg nog (it was store bought but we "kicked it up" a bit) and then added nutmeg and cinnamon.  We sat in front of the fire, visited and relaxed.

 

Serve Egg Nog in a Martini Glass!

I believe that my friends and I realized that the food was not the primary component of our evening but it was the wonderful fellowship instead and that is what we enjoyed the most!  I'm loving my simplified holidays!  Hope you are making the most of yours! 

My Simplified Holiday Season

I am determined to enjoy the holidays without all of the typical stress.  Last year I was still recovering from my first Achilles repair and I just wanted to get through the holidays.  This year has been full of interesting change and I'm so excited about the holidays and the new year...I feel it is important to celebrate.  So I am trying something different, as I was discussing my thoughts with a customer she suggested that I post it and then let everyone know how it goes!

Instead of trying to have a big holiday party I'm opting to have more casual impromptu gatherings with just a few folks at a time.  I think this will be better because I'll really get to visit with and enjoy my friends. 

Here's my plan and how I'm going to do it: 

This past week I finished my holiday decorating (definitely scaled back from previous years!) But I felt this was as important for me as it is for guests.  I did a very small vintage looking, gold tinsel tree in my in my bedroom.  It’s all new and a little over the top but I’m enjoying it.  In my living room I put up a small pencil tree, I wasn’t going to do it but I have some very special “Chloe” ornaments that I really wanted to display. Outside I went all natural, I used live garland and wreaths, and stuffed the window boxes with various evergreens from my property.



My Bedroom Tinsel Tree



Pencil Tree and Mantle

I ran errands one night after work so that I could stock my bar and wine cooler including a couple bottles of Champagne.   I also purchased some other treats including great cheeses, cured meats, Marcona almonds, delicious olives, a few kinds of crackers, as well as some sweets like a new favorite Panettone raisin cake, French truffles, peppermint bark, and some of my special “Holiday Snack Mix” (my recipe is below). I feel like these items along with some great Gatewood Hall provisions (Yes, this a shameless plug) like our Sansaba Peach Pecan Amaretto preserves to pour over cream cheese or pound cake, blood orange curd by Bella Cucina to put in their tiny butter crusts or even some GH black bean salsa will give me plenty of options for some quick and tasty snacks or appetizers.  These items have a long shelf life and besides, who wouldn't love a nice Chartecurie board and a glass of wine?

Wonderful Provisions

I have my iPod loaded with a special holiday mix.  I neatly put all of my holiday magazines, catalogs and Christmas cards in a nice basket complete with pens and stamps, I keep it beside my bed so if I want some holiday inspiration or feel like writing out a few cards I can do it easily.
 

My Magazine and Holiday Card Basket

I’m burning holiday candles (Available at GH J) and I am even listening to holiday music in my car. 

I’m having a few small, casual and intimate dinners, a few friends for a traditional afternoon high tea, and possibly a nice brunch.  I am also taking advantage of our great restaurants in Blue Ridge.  For our GH team celebration we are going to Cucina Rustica. Or what could be better than meeting a few friends for sliders, Pat’s great brews and some wonderful soup by Polina at Blue Ridge Brewery?  

So here’s how my plan is going so far…The other night I had friends over. We sat in front of the fire (I confess I had the AC on because Mother Nature didn’t cooperate and it was really too warm for a fire!) drank wine, ate Spanish cheese, olives, almonds, pate and French bread.  Then we had a very simple salad, along with a shrimp and pasta dish (more wine!) and then a sampling of fantastic cupcakes and truffles from my girls at the Sweet Shoppe of Blue Ridge.  I have to tell you it was a wonderful and stress-free evening with lots of conversation and laughs.  Exactly what I was hoping for that evening!
 

Tablescape for Small Dinner Party

I’ll keep you posted on how the rest of the season goes. Wish me luck and most importantly I hope you and your loved ones have a very special holiday season with many, many wonderful memories.

Corky's Holiday Snack Mix

1-  Can (1 LB 2.75 OZ)  Planters Winter Spiced Mixed Nuts
1-  Bag (12 OZ) White Chocolate Chips
2-  Bag (8 OZ or more if you like) Dried Cranberries
1-  Bag (5 OZ) Emerald Brand Glazed Pecan Pie Pecans (Optional but delicious!)

Mix together and store in an air-tight tin or jar!  Enjoy!!

Wonderful Easter Memories

Happy Easter Weekend! I woke up realizing that I am so very fortunate to have such wonderful Easter Memories. If you have read this blog before you have heard me talk about my mother many times and how she loves the holidays! Easter was sure one of them, and like I have said before to this day she decorates like crazy and creates special memories for all of us but, especially now her beloved grandchildren Hunter & Madison! Also to this day I still get some sort of Easter basket or goody from mom!

Growing up I remember going to church (Of course I always had a new outfit!), a very special Easter lunch, but my favorite was waking up to a fabulous basket the Easter Bunny had left! Please don't get me wrong I went to a religious private school so we never forgot the reason for this joyous day we gave up things for lent, we fasted, and ate no meat on Fridays, but on the day of His Resurrection we really celebrated it!

Easter Morning was almost as exciting as expecting Santa Claus! My Easter bunny left a basket filled with all kinds of neat goodies (it wasn't the pre-made kind wrapped in cello) it was very personalized. A couple of times it was hidden at the end of a path of jelly beans (**Note to Easter Bunny put the dog up or the jelly bean trail will be eaten and the overall idea doesn't work very well!) As I got older my basket had more and more practical items and less candy but it was always special for me!

I have to say one of the most special and best ever Easter Baskets was about fourteen years ago when Shawn and I were surprised by the Easter Bunny (aka: Corky this particular year) with our beloved and cherished Dachshund puppy Chloe! My good friend Scott and I drove to somewhere near Alabama on Good Friday and met Chloe and her mother and it was love at first sight! When Shawn come home I said "You just missed the Easter Bunny and look what he left", and there she was this tiny little baby nearly asleep in an Easter basket! Scott and I were kind of worried because she had slept the entire ride home, I even stopped at a vet on the way home and said is there anything wrong with this puppy? She is so sleepy, he laughed and said to just wait until she wakes up...and he was right. When she woke up she was WIDE OPEN! To this day that girl plays hard and sleeps hard (some of you have witnessed the sleep hard part behind the counter of the store!) I can't begin to tell you how much that little dog has meant to Shawn and I, we are those crazy dog people who love her more than you can imagine! Sorry I digress...!

The point of this post is that not only is spring such a celebration in itself, enjoy this special weekend of "Newness" whatever your faith or dogma is. Create a special memory for yourself or a special loved one or even a total stranger! Make someone a special personalized Easter basket or home made card, go outside and cut some budding branches (I love dogwoods or azaleas now!) and make a pretty arrangement, call a friend you haven't talked to in awhile just to catch up. Remind yourself...What is your favorite Easter memory?

Finally- of course if you need help creating a special Easter basket come down to one of our stores "Our Bunnies" can help! Heck just stop in have a few jelly beans and say hi!

Happy -Spring Happy Easter! I hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Tangerine Tango Named 2012 Color of the Year

You may remember back in September I did a post on the Pantone Institute, they are the originator of the Pantone Matching System (PMS) and I wrote about their Spring 2012 color predictions. Well every year in January they pick one color that they believe will be the color of the year! Kind of like waiting on the groundhog we always look forward to their big news because we are usually preparing for the January Atlanta Market so we want to be aware of any big new trends.
Drum roll please....

The Color of the year 2012 is... TANGO TANGERINE

According to the official announcement, the deep red-orange color is intended to give us all a big boost of energy; a recharge and a refresh. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Institute tells us more about the choice for 2012:

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it. Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

With the latest recognition, tangerine tango becomes a slightly more elite spoke in the world's color wheel, joining, in addition to 2011's honeysuckle, such hallowed hues as turquoise (2010), mimosa (2009), blue iris (2008), chili pepper (2007), sand dollar (2006), blue turquoise (2005), tigerlily (2004), aqua sky (2003), true red (2002) fuchsia rose (2001) and cerulean (2000).

Pantone states that, pop culture, fashion and finance all influenced the conclusion that Tangerine Tango represents tempered optimism and a move to better times ahead. Over the past several years, orange has grown in popularity and acceptance among designers and consumers alike.

But unlike in years past, Thursday's announcement of the radiant, reddish orange's rising-star status came with an unprecedented level of merchandising in place, including messenger bags, coffee mugs, journals, coffee mugs and even wedding attire, all imbued with the soon-to-be hot hue. Look for Tangerine Tango and similar shades of orange to appear on everything from bicycles to handbags, chairs to china. Cheerful yet sophisticated, it's a color that spells style. Think Hermes and you get the picture.

Perhaps most noteworthy was the announcement of Pantone's collaboration with Sephora on a first-ever, limited-edition Color of the Year beauty collection, which will include eye shadow, lipstick, lip gloss, nail polish and accessories. It is scheduled to hit Sephora stores in March.

Now honestly I find that people either love the orange color-way or hate it... there doesn't seem to be an in-between. I must say that I am finding that I like it much more than I used to. It really is "fresh" and I think cheerful for the spring and summer especially. It also coordinates with many more colors than one would imagine. I love it with white and dark army green for that "preppy" look.

While we don't suggest that you run out and paint your entire house a Tangerine Tango hue, we do think it is fun to watch and follow trends. Maybe you can infuse just a little into your home or wardrobe?

Come into our Blue Ridge location and check our our Inspiration Vignette, hopefully we can inspire you to open up to the possibilities!! Orange you glad we told you? (couldn't resist!)

Made in America with Gatewood Hall: Are You In?

Recently Shawn and I have been following a story on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer (http://abcnews.go.com/WN/mailform?id=14998335) that really struck a chord with us. The story is “Made in America Christmas”. According to this report the National Retail Federation estimates that the average American will spend a little over $700 on holiday gifts this year, totaling more than $465 billion. If that money was spent entirely on US Made products it would create 4.6 million jobs. But the story goes that it doesn’t have to even be that big…if each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during the holiday season, the result would be 200,000 new jobs. (That is AWESOME!!)

We would love it if all of our merchandise were made in the US…sadly it is nearly impossible to do that. We have always loved made in the US products and especially those with a Georgia connection. With this in mind Shawn and I are asking “Are you in?” and in order to help we are going through our product lines and marking them with signs and labels that show American products as well as those with the Georgia connection. So if you are in, you can easily spend your $64 on wonderful made in America products (and we have some good ones!!)

Look for the following signs throughout our stores! Feel free to ask us if you have any questions. Also we want to say thanks for shopping locally with us! We can’t begin to tell you how much we appreciate it!! Please forward this message to your family and friends so they can think about this no matter where they shop! Happy Holidays!

We're Celebrating Joy This Holiday Season At Gatewood Hall Gracious Home!

We are celebrating "Joy" this Holiday season at Gatewood Hall Gracious Home!

"When was the last time your heart was lifted by a wave of pure happiness? When you felt so delighted by an unexpected little miracle that you couldn't stop yourself from smiling? When you found time in a busy day to give joy to someone else? Joy must be the way we travel. Give yourself the gift of joy, and pass it on to others."

Our holiday theme was inspired by the wonderful new gift book that we will be selling by the same name"Joy"written and compiled by M.H. Clark.

We loved the concept from the book that said:"It's been said that days are long but the years are short. We fill our days with obligations and appointments, and reserve joy for special occasions, holidays, weekends and stolen moments. If we want joy to be the story of our years, joy must be the story of our days. Joy must be a daily choice, a habit, a promise we make to ourselves."

Isn't that food for thought? So as we all get busy with the "holiday duties" we are hoping that our theme will remind all of us to celebrate "Joy" in everything that we do throughout the year! We promise to do our best to help.

Come by our stores and see our new arrivals and our 2011 Holiday collection. (P.S. The book "Joy" makes a wonderful gift for only $12.95 check it out!)

Another Wonderful Blue Ridge Memory! Thanks Jamie & Nathan

Shawn and I have attended many weddings...several because of the event component of Gatewood Hall. I happen to love weddings, I'm sentimental and often get a little "teary eyed" even if I barely know the couple. I guess I just like the significance, the ceremony, and even the hope of two people who among their friends and loved ones share this special time of commitment to one another.

This past evening we were fortunate enough to be guests at the wedding of Jamie Abercrombie and Nathan Nicholson. (I don’t always post about other people’s personal events but, I was so touched by last night that I wanted to share this experience with you. I received approval of the bride prior to posting this on the blog). I have to tell you that this truly was another special Blue Ridge Memory! An absolutely perfect North Georgia autumn evening at Aska Farms, the mountain vistas were amazing. As the sun dropped into the horizon we sat on bales of hay in a picturesque field, there were beautiful, rustic floral arrangements in mason jars, (designed with love by those creative Dorn gals!) We listened to some wonderful acoustic songs of love well chosen by Jamie (I'd actually love to have a cd because it was such a great mix!) and anxiously waited for the ceremony to begin. And when it began...Wow! The neutral color pallet, selected by the bride let everyone shine, honestly this was one of the most handsome bridal parties I have ever seen! (It was a bit of a hike from the house to the alter in the field) These beautiful ladies walked like professional models in high heels into the mountain field. I thought to myself poor Jamie has to make that hike in her gown... Not to worry she had already figured that one out...she was delivered to her obviously proud father in a beautifully restored 1955 Chevy! (How's that for a grand entrance?)

Jamie is a gorgeous young woman but on this day she was even more stunning and radiant she chose the perfect simple yet elegant gown by Vera Wang adorned with a fabulous custom necklace by her friend Lynn Kemp (Owner/Designer of Gawdy Baubles & Made It! jewelry). During the ceremony set against the most beautiful mountain backdrop it is hard to describe the special mood, but there was this peaceful calm that just felt so wonderful and sublime! From the wedding party including the bride, groom and even the guests it was just relaxed, intimate and genuinely fun. Who could ever ask for more on their special day?

A fantastic reception followed with delicious food and drink, fun toasts and dancing. It was a true celebration of two hearts joined together supported by people who sincerely wanted to be there and be a part of this special moment in Jamie and Nathan’s life.

As Shawn and I left the party we both commented “Now, that is what a wedding should feel like! What a great time!” The real message of this posting it that as I reflect on last night and what made it such a special time is that the Bride and her Groom really set the tone. Jamie and Nathan have been together nine years already (Their anniversary of their first date was this past Tuesday!)…so maybe that honest, heartfelt love generated this peaceful and ever-so-relaxed calm that everyone got to experience. What I know for sure is this…I along with everyone that I spoke with thoroughly enjoyed this special evening and I am happy that I was lucky enough to be a part of it! Jamie and Nathan thank you for such a special Blue Ridge Memory, we wish you all of the best for a wonderful life together with lots more love, laughter and happiness that you both deserve.