Category: entertaining

A Most Fetching Friday: Grilled to Perfection Delicious Inspiration

Today’s Fetching Friday features grilled to perfection delicious inspiration for your outdoor living entertaining ideas pleasure.

fetch·ing

/ˈfeCHiNG/

adjective

adjective: fetching

attractive.

synonyms: attractive, appealing, sweet, pretty, good-looking, lovely, delightful, charming, prepossessing, captivating, enchanting, irresistible

salmon with creamed peas

Grilled Salmon with Dijon and Dill Creamed Pea Sauce

201208-HD-grilled-flatbreads-with-mushrooms-ricotta-and-herbs-201208-r-grilled-flatbreads-with-mushrooms-ricotta-and-herbs

Grilled Flatbreads with Mushrooms, Ricotta and Herbs

bfe84a51d3586fd0a5ed3a10ca805116

Grilled Portofino Vegetable Antipasto

grilled-tandoori-chicken

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

grilled-shrimp-with-cranberry-salsa

 Grilled Shrimp with Fresh Cranberry Salsa

grilled-stone-fruit-almond-mascarpone-dip Grilled Stone Fruit with Almond Mascarpone Dip

enjoy-hydrangea

A Delicious Mocktail For New Year’s Eve 2015

The Places In The Home New Year’s Eve celebration pales in comparison to the rowdy and lively parties in Times Square or on the Vegas Strip, and that’s just the way we like it.  Give me a few appetizers,

cheese-strawsEmeril’s Easy Cheese Straws

everything-twistsEverything Twists

creamed-spinach-dipCreamed Spinach Dip

Brown-Sugar-Poppyseed-Hot-Ham-Cheese-Party-Rolls-Buns-Roll-Ups-01Hot Ham & Cheese Party Rolls

chocolate-dipped-mandarinsSalted, Chocolate-Dipped Mandarin Slices

a fabulous New Year’s Eve celebration themed tunes playlist,

and a delicious mocktail such as the Peach Sunrise Fizz.  Throw in the bangs, pops and sparkles of the neighborhood fireworks show and I’m good.  Party animals we are not, but we do give New Year’s Eve a run for its money 50+ style.

mocktail

Jumex peach nectar is a staple in the Places In The Home pantry.  I use this stuff in everything from cakes to marinades to my New Year’s Eve 2015 mocktail.  A quick survey of ingredients on hand brings forth this delicious mocktail with a zippy zing for proper party measure.

sugar-in-the-raw

Sugar in the Raw is another must have on hand holiday helper.  Did you happen to see my Facebook post featuring my Christmas Fresh Apple Nut cake iced to perfection and topped with Louisiana pecans and a generous sprinkling of Sugar in the Raw?  Take a look here.  Open a couple of packets of these chunky brown sugar crystals and pour into a saucer.

sugar-rim-glass

To zing the taste and the pretty factor up a notch or two, add the zest of one lemon to the sugar.  Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a small bowl.

fresh-lemon-juice

Dip the rim of the glass into the lemon juice.

cocktail-glasses

Fill the glass with ice.  Pour the glass ¾ full with the peach nectar.  Add a generous splash of lemon-lime soda and a generous pour of grenadine (pomegranate juice, sugar and water) or cherry juice.

grenadine

Give the Peach Sunrise Fizz mocktail a quick stir and garnish with fresh lemon twist.

peach-sunrise-fizz

Dave the Builder and I will be raising a glass to you as we toast the arrival of 2016. Here’s to New Year 2016- a fabulous year for us all abounding with peace, joy, love, health and great style!  Thank you for your support and loyal readership. Cheers!

Love your style!

Halloween Happenings

October is an eventful month at the Places In The Home corral however, the corral is anything but ok these days when it comes to the business of all things house that make a home.  Let me ‘splain.  In the grand scheme of blogging things, one (me) simply can’t get the job done, posts written and images photoshopped unless the desktop computer and monitor work, and work they don’t.  This recent development is not my idea of frighteningly fun Halloween happenings, and trying to undo this sinister snafu without losing my mind and my religion is the trick.

monitor-brokenEvil!

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  Although working on the notebook computer is no treat, the trick is to drink apply the principle of adjustment. Adjusting is the theme of this week.  Our city government announced this morning that local trick-or-treating will now take place on Friday evening.  The forecast is shaping up to be an ugly event making Halloween trick-or-treating on Saturday a washout.  Our Halloween celebration is still on, but with an adjustment or two of its own.  Call it a trick-or tweaking.

Halloween-happenings

No rain event will poison the party atmosphere at our Halloween at Places In The Home party.

poison-apple-Halloween

The welcome mat is out, the pumpkin is marked for carving, and in the words of Tom Bodett we’ll leave the light on for the trick-or-treaters.

we're-all-mad-hereBlame the madness on the Great Halloween Computer Crash, Charlie Brown!

I’ll redefine the term steaks are on the grill via a cast iron skillet on the stove, a liberal pat of butter, haunted house seasoning and a low and slow approach.  The food and drink will flow, and the Let’s Halloween playlist will rock the castle.

keep_of_Portchester_Castle,_2008-1The Keep of Portchester Castle, Hampshire, United Kingdom

For those of you who Halloween, have a safe and wickedly wonderful time. For those of you who do not Halloween, have a safe and wonderful weekend.

Love your style!

Curling Up With Good Interior Decorating, Home Decor and Architecture Books

Curling up with good interior decorating, home decor or architecture book in the name of all things house that make a home is always in style.

An-eye-for-beauty

Beth Webb : An Eye for Beauty: Rooms That Speak to the Senses

Today I am sharing a short list of a few interior decorating, home decor and entertaining books I am looking forward to reading cover to cover.

a-place-to-call-homeA Place to Call Home: Timeless Southern Charm

I love a gorgeous read with an equally attractive jacket for bookshelf, coffee table and bedside table accessorizing.

I believe that’s what they call an interior decorating win-win.

Entertaining in the Country : Love Where You Eat: Festive Table Settings, Favorite Recipes, and Design

Entertaining in the Country : Love Where You Eat: Festive Table Settings, Favorite Recipes, and Design

City Farmhouse Style: Designs for a Modern Country Life

City Farmhouse Style: Designs for a Modern Country Life

An eclectic and dynamic fall reading list promises to deliver impressive interior decorating eye candy and inspire interior and exterior creativity.

House-Beautiful-style-secrets-what-every-room-needs

House Beautiful Style Secrets: What Every Room Needs

It’s never too early to think about the holidays!

Christmas with Southern LivingChristmas With Southern Living 2017 : Inspired Ideas for Holiday Cooking and Decorating

enjoy-hydrangea

New Year’s Eve Soiree Suggestions

These New Year’s Eve soiree suggestions center around hosting a great get together that is as simple in prep and serve as it is in style and taste.

I think host and hostesses shy from the concept of simple thinking simple translates to open bags of chips tossed about with a if you want it get up and get it yourself party vibe, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Simple entertaining is the first cousin to comfortable times spent at home with friends over good eats and drinks mixed with great conversation, music and merriment.  Simple takes the lead of the evening setting the tone, the feel and the mood.

It’s a perfected manner of entertaining that should appear to be exactly what it is intended to be- a casual and comfortable gathering of friends with the emphasis on let’s have fun.

PERFECT_CHEESE_BOARD_PIC_02How to build the Perfect Cheese Board

I love the casual glam look created by pairing a denim shirt with the sparkle, glitz and glamour of holiday appropriate jewelry and accessories.

Apply that same philosophy by pairing up otherwise ordinary goodies with serveware befitting an all that glitters New Year’s Eve celebration.

View More: http://kristaajones.pass.us/nyeThe Glitter Guide

For example, these porcelain dip bowls in gold and silver from Target retail for $2.99 each. I also noticed a Nate Berkus serving tray on clearance for under $10.

Make new and affordable entertaining friends while ringing out the old, a few in silver and a few in gold.

New Year's Eve Soiree Suggestions

Who doesn’t love to sip a cocktail or mocktail from a salt or sugar-rimmed glass?

Pop a good time for New Year’s Eve with casual fair and flair.

new-years-mocktails_shirley-temple

Cheers to my very favorite unleaded drink of choice, the Shirley Temple.

A good Shirley Temple takes me back to summers at the Broadwater Beach Hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Homemade-Fortune-Cookie-RecipeHomemade Fortune Cookies

Festive fortune cookie favors carry out the theme of good luck and fortune for the New Year and New Year’s Eve party goer.

Della Gossett, executive pastry chef at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago Beverly Hills, shares her recipe for homemade fortune cookies with the readers of POPSUGAR.

Talk about luck!

black-eyed-peas1New Orleans Style Blackeye Peas

A midnight black-eyed pea buffet is always a part of our New Year’s Eve party plans.

Starting the New Year off in a simple and casual setting with a bang of tradition, a dash of festive ritual and a dish of good luck is resolution number one.

Love your style!

Company’s Coming! This Year’s Thanksgiving Table

This years Thanksgiving table planning is in full swing.

Decorative accents and accessories are going into place and company’s coming.

Clearance sales making room for Black Friday deals and steals makes anticipating the decorative needs of this year’s Thanksgiving table and hitting the place order button a gobble gobble gotta have it a no-brainer.

woodland-turkey

Traditional is the flavor of the Places In The Home Thanksgiving month, and the preparation begins at the first hint of the harvest moon.

dishes

Colors and natural decor that intermingle well with fall through to Christmas decorations and tablescapes keeps costs in check.

turkey-centerpiece1

Shades of blue, green, red and creamy white are as stunning on a harvest themed table as well as the Holiday table.

ironstone-plates-etsy Etsy

Dave the Builder worked on the dining room redo this past weekend with success in the major improvement department!

Lighter paint colors and natural light will open up a space, guaranteed.

We’re hoping to have it all pulled together by next week in order to get the Thanksgiving tablescape ball rolling.

Thanksgiving-corn-centerpieceNew England Home Magazine

thanksgiving-table

I’m depending on traditional simplicity to make an elegant statement for this year’s Thanksgiving table.

Love your style!

Halloween Decorating Ideas

Halloween decorating ideas tricked out in Halloween spooktacular fashion will illuminate the evening and catch the eye of the costumed faithful.

Halloween-decorating-suggestions

Halloween decorating has taken on a life all its own in recent years. Decoristas leave no moss covered stone unturned, no craft store unshopped, and no Halloween Pinterest board or Instagram account unseen in search and shop for the ultimate Halloween decor ideas.

flying-monkey“Fly, Fly, Fly.”  

We keep the scarefest very G-rated as not to spook the little ones. The most frightening thing at our house is the amount of calories in the bowls and bowls of candy.

skeleton-candy-bowl-1

In the vein of delight over freight, this Halloween decoration DIY is share worthy.

tissue paper bells ghoulsCountry Living

Construction-paper eyes and mouths glued onto white tissue-paper bells and then draped with cheesecloth brings forth a ghostly ghoul gang.

bridal-paper-bells

Black and orange rules the color palette, Monster Mash is the first tune on the Halloween playlist, and I’ve been known to break out an old pair of men’s cowboy boots, jeans, flannel shirt and stacks of yesterday’s news (0ld newspapers) creating a wicked good cowboy to help me pass out candy.

Vintage-Lady-with-Red-Veil

The Graphics Fairy

black-baroque-picture-frame

Old-Photo-Image-Unibrow-Man

The Graphics Fairy

Glitter stickers, acrylic paint and a decorative furniture or curtain finial lend a designer touch and signature style to a Halloween pumpkin.

curtain-finial

Stylish decorations don’t have to expensive to be impressive.

witches-hat-black-cat

Create fab-BOO-lous Halloween centerpiece magic with a couple of dollar store feather boas, a witches hat, and a rhinestone pin.

Cinderella-pumpkins-local (1)

Get more bang for your harvest and Thanksgiving decorating buck by not carving the pumpkin and simply surrounding it with wow factor embellishments.

options-graphic-1

Spray painted leaves, a free Halloween themed printable, and/or old photos make great options to decorate a no carve pumpkin with.

Stretch Panne Velvet Velour Red Fabric

Velvet and lace add an elegant, creepy edge to the festivities.

Telio Amelia Lace Black Fabric

Mix and mingle fairy lights in and around the feather boas for an inexpensive option to light the Halloween night.

feather-boas-fairy-lights

Stock up on pillar candles and dollar store glass containers and cylinder vases.

clear glass cylinder vase

Glitter, black beans, candy corn or water dyed with food coloring make great filler choices.

dry-black-beans

Fly on over to your local dollar store for Spanish moss, red apples and glow-in-the-dark insects, and you’re set.

Halloween-centerpiece-ideas

These are just a few Halloween decorating ideas I have in my trick-or-treat bag. I hope one or more offers inspiration for your Halloween haunted or not so haunted house soiree.

Darleen-signature-love

A Most Fetching Friday 9: October

This week’s Fetching Friday features impressions and inspirations associated with the star of the moment, October.

fetching-definiton

fetching Friday 9

Hello, October.

I’ve been anxiously waiting your arrival.

ff-tureen-and-apple

Berthe Morisot Tureen and Apple

Cucurbita_pepo_small_edible_White_Pumpkins_9.16via

ff-blanketsStyle Me Pretty – Photography by Judy Pak Photography

Seatings and settings.  

Crisp evenings set the tone and texture for seasonal tablescapes with attention to cozy details.

rolling-pinRustic Olive Wood Rolling Pin

Currently craving.

ff-apple-pancakeApple Pancake

I hope you have a most Fetching Friday.

Love your style!