French Christmas Ideas for the Tree

I love looking up new ideas to make my tree look tres Francais!  This year I'm dreaming of some macaroon ornaments...

 

These super shiny ones in multiple colors and that oh so cute packaging...

 

Is sadly no longer available.  Found it here. 

But these are available:

 

Santa, please send me these!!  Found here.

 

 

 Sur La Table has some super cute ornaments this year! 

 

 

A perfect dainty pink macaron.  I can't get a bigger picture, but the website does.

 



Both found HERE. 

 

And while we are at Sur la Table...have you seen their Gingerbread House??

 

 

Now that's a Gingerbread House!!  I'd love one if someone would put it all together for me, too.  I can only imagine the disasters I'd have if I tried that ambitious of a project...

 

Fa la la la la....

 

 



Shabby Chic Holiday Decor and Etsy Updates

Even as I ready last minute Thanksgiving details, I can't help but turn to the next holiday.  I've been decorating already and, of course, added a few things to my shop.

My little French house...

I swore I'd keep this house for myself, but I can never help putting things up in my shop no matter how much I want it so it is for Sale.  Available in my shop.


I've made plenty of Silhouette ornaments in the past, but the little white tree I had was woefully inadequate to display them on.  I bought a much bigger one to better show them on.  I'm still fiddling with the tree, but here's a first look:

 

I've added a lot of new kinds of ornaments this year - some framed, some paper mache.  Different sizes and shapes, different backgrounds, etc.  It makes for an eclectic mix on one tree, yet rather interesting, too.  I'm selling them in pairs or alone for the most part. 

 

This is the first set of new ornaments I added a few weeks ago to my shop. 

 

They are available HERE.

 

They are Frames that are ornaments - beautiful to see in person. 

 

Check out the details:

 

 They look lovely together or apart.  Add a touch of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to your tree...

 

 

Or if your favorite Austen novel is Emma...here's the perfect ornament for you!

 

This ornament has Chapter 1 page on one side - you can read the beginning of the novel on it. 

 

Available in my shop.

SOLD OUT

 

 SOLD OUT

 

 

A Parisian Set of Silhouette Ornaments:

 

 

Fronts:

 

 

Available in my shop.

 

 Backs:

 

I put the Eiffel Tower and an Antique Typewriter on the backs.  So cute!!

 

 

I'm not done adding new ornaments to the shop - here's a quick photo of what I have ready to go up.

 

 

 

I'll post more when I can...Happy Holidays!!

Vietnamese Chicken Lettuce Wraps - Easy and Delicious!!

My family loves the Lettuce Wraps at our local Vietnamese restaurant and I've been searching for some time now for a recipe.  The first one I made wasn't anything near as good, but this recipe has been fantastic!

 

 

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps:

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
• 1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 head butter lettuce

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
• Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style.

Source: 

http://damndelicious.net/2014/05/30/pf-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps/

 

I've never been to PF Chang's, but they apparently have a similar style lettuce wrap.  I've made it a few times now and it's just delicious!  Here's a pic I managed to take last time before I devoured it...

 

 

Just thought I'd share the recipe since it is so darn good.  I'm experimenting with making it hotter or more sauce, but ultimately this recipe doesn't really need much alteration. 

Yum.

A Handsome Soldier

My Grandfather passed away last week - he was 91 years old. 

He was a Marine that served in WWII and as you can see he was a rather handsome fellow...

He was the kind of grandfather that always wanted to be useful and help out when he could.  He'd drop everything and rush to give you a ride if you needed it, carried extra pens in his pocket for grandkids to scribble on placemats at restaurants.  He was the kind of guy that if you mentioned you liked something he'd try and get it for you - just to make you smile. 

He always save me the Comics page in the newspaper - long after I'd stopped reading them and I remember as a kid he always wanted to buy the best present at Christmases and Birthdays so he could see how happy we were when we tore the wrapping off.  It's the little things I remember most, but they always showed me he cared.  He was kind and thoughtful in lots of different little ways and I'll miss him.   

Orion the Beautiful - Black and White Cat Love

*Blows dust off blog*  Whew!  *Cough cough*  Where HAVE I been?  I've nearly updated a hundred times and utterly failed.  I'm thinking of switching over to a Facebook page instead since they are so much easier to update and more connected. 

So, enough with lame excuses.  I'm going to post a few updates since I have a backlog of ideas, pictures and items to show off.  I just wanted to crack the ice and maybe show a few pictures of my cat.  I know, a terrible stereotype to show cat pictures, but I wanted to show just a few very pretty pictures of Orion to show how he's grown - he's a year and a half old now.

 

I named him Orion because he was such a good little hunter and played fetch with a sock as a little kitten and most of all as he had dark gray hair that made a little belt at his middle before turning to black.  Now it is all black and white fur - no belt at all.  And all that fuzzy kitten hair turned sleek and super soft fine fur.

 

 

Orion and the Giant Lobster:

 

 

 

I bought this big stuffed lobster from the Boston Aquarium ages ago and I put it on my bed in the summers sometimes - Orion took an instant liking to it - he cuddles with it all the time.  Guess it isn't going anywhere.

This is Orion's kitten - a little black and white stuffed animal my Aunt sent last Christmas - he luvs it.
  He kicks it and bites it and then licks it all over like a real kitten  It's hilarious and sweet to watch.  But sometimes he just cuddles with it.  Aww.



And because Halloween will be soon - apparently he's going as a Vampire this year...

 

I love this pic, just happened to catch him mid yawn and it's amazing.

 

Next post will be un-cat related.  Promise. 

 

 

French Cottage Style - Valentine's Day Decor

This may be a bit early, but in between Christmas and Valentine's Day the days can seem so gray and dreary.  So I'm skipping ahead to Valentine's Day and I've already done a bit of decorating and inspiration - cottage style - that I thought I might share with you...

First, you have to decorate your mantel - I love the touch of French chic and the red antique books. 

 

Cliched, but true - red roses are very romantic.  ;)

 

 

 

 

These are my lovely and amazingly delicious sugar cookies - nothing says Valentine's Day like a heart shaped cookie.  I love the red and white fabric underneath, don't you?  So sweet!!

 

Add some romance to your walls with pretty still life portraits - I love this little painting I got at a flea market.  All it needed was a painted and antiqued white coat of paint on the frame to turn it from '60's drab to Shabby Chic fantastic!

 

And no cottage is complete without a country kitty offering you a Valentine...

 

 

 

Hope this brightens your day!  ;)

 

Happy Monday!