O, Christmas Tree...

For as long as I can remember, my mother has had this small circa-1970's ceramic Christmas tree. It has colored bulbs that go into the holes in the branches and when it's plugged in, they light up.




When I was a little girl, I thought it was the most beautiful thing.

Frankly, I still do.




2012 goal- find a ceramic tree of my own...


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happy happy merry merry!

Hope your holidays have been merry and bright!






Happy happy merry merry from snowy NH!

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to longchamp or not to longchamp?

Is it just me, or are Longchamp bags just everywhere all of a sudden? I don't think they are terribly new, though I had never noticed them until somewhat recently. I wasn't sure I liked them all that much, to be honest, but then I saw this one, and it is growing on me...

Patch Toile!

Kind of pretty, eh?

I may need her. Is it too late to add her to my Christmas list?

Do you have a Longchamp bag? Which one?

clippie dippies!

I recently made some hair clips! I'm so loving these, I think they are so much fun!

I used a yo yo maker, which I had bought from Joann Fabrics for about $6, and then those hair clips. I made the yo yos, and then with a glue gun, attached the yo yo to the clip, and then added a button on top!

Cute, eh?

I plan to send them to Majlinda, my World Vision darling in Albania. She has long blonde hair, so I know that she will love these!

Once I get my etsy shop up and running, I plan to have these in there for sure!

Cute as a button, wouldn't you say? :)

cookie swap 2011!

Last Sunday I hosted my third annual holiday cookie swap! It was started a few years ago by my dear friend Christine and I. It was held for two years, and then last year, it was skipped for a variety of reasons, but I brought it back this year, and hope it will continue for many years to come! When I was a little girl, my mother always went to cookie swaps- she'd bake many dozen cookies, and then come home with the same amount in a variety of cookies, though I didn't think that any of us needed many dozen....so, just a few were swapped, and that was fine!

Before the party though, Steve and I had to get our tree up!

Our naked tree here, though now it is decorated! Note the lovely Scarlet Threads tree skirt, called the Noelle! Now out of stock, though there are a few Genevieve's left!

Steve sets up the water bowl for the tree....

See this little bear? She was given to me by my first grade teacher, Mrs. Sirna, many years ago, and she is hung on my tree each year still!

(I'll have to do another post later, about favorite ornaments!)

Now, it is nearly cookie time! I made a white chocolate cherry chip cookie...I saw the recipe on pinterest, and they were SO good! I am actually making them again tomorrow for a bake-off at work! Yikes, the competition will be fierce!

Here is the batter!

Here are the cookies, ready to be swapped!

Let the swapping begin!

Heidi has a plateful of deliciousness (and blogged about it last week!)

My finished cookies!

Steve and I. He wasn't really a guest, but since he lives here too, I suppose it was okay that he came downstairs for a snack ;)

Thanks to the ladies who were able to come, it was so much fun!

Do you have any holiday party traditions that you take part in?

Dear Santa, I've been a very good girl this year

Earlier this week, Rebecca asked me to do a guest post, which I did. In case you don't read her blog (why don't you?!), this is what I sent her--

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I was so excited when Rebecca asked me to do a guest post! Her blog is so much fun, and she's also a friend in real life! Lucky me!

Recently, my aunt asked for my Christmas list. I was a somewhat at a loss, because I never know what to ask for. I'm always seeing things that I want (ha!), but when the the time comes that someone needs to know, I feel the pressure and have no idea what to say! Does that sound totally bizarre and weird of me? Probably :)

Here are a few of the things I mentioned to them that I might not mind receiving this year-

I've been lusting over this cuff bracelet for months now. Found on etsy, it has a line from the Desiderata, a poem by Max Ehrmann. It is my favorite, I just love it. The poem is many decades old, but is so true and has so many good things to remember every day. I have a postcard at my desk at work with a few lines too, and would love to have this bracelet to remind me to keep priorities where they should be.

How gorgeous is this chair?! I just find it so bright and cheery, and would love to have it in my sewing room. It looks so cozy.

From Anthropologie, this is the Tea and Crumpets apron. I love to cook and bake, and my blog is called Tea and Crumpets. I need this, natch.

Again from Anthropologie, I am in love with this perfume. I love the pin cushion topper and the scent is so lovely, roses and others.

These boots! The bows! The bows! How can you not love the bows!? So sweet and darling.

Then Rebecca wanted to know the shoe of my dreams.

I love red shoes and wear them as often as I can, and when I saw these, I knew that I needed them immediately. I love the grey lining with matching buttons, and I love the double strap and the shiny, patent leather toe. I just love them all around! I might dance around my kitchen in my Tea and Crumpets apron while wearing them.

Oh yes, I think I would.

What did you ask Santa for this year?

new apron at Scarlet Threads!

There are new aprons at Scarlet Threads, but they don't have names yet! Want to help? We are having a naming contest, and if your suggestion is chosen, you will receive 50% off your next purchase! Doesn't everyone on your Christmas list need a lovely new apron this year?

I'm loving this new beauty!

What would you call her?

Go HERE and leave us a suggestion!

the best boys

I was home this past weekend to meet my best friend's new baby, Owen, who just so happens to be the younger brother of my godson Jackson. Sunday was his baptism day!

I asked Jackson if I could take Owen back to DC with me, and he said that I couldn't, because "Owen is his favorite person in the world and he'd miss him too much if he was gone."

I melted.

Love those boys!

ornament swap?

Happy November!

I'm thinking of organizing a little Christmas ornament swap....would anyone be interested in playing? I'm not sure of all of the details yet, just debating....

Thoughts?

Also, does anyone know how to make those little swap boxes? You know, with the picture inside, and then a link back to the original post? What are they called?!

monogrammed cuff?!

I just came across this monogrammed cuff from Marley Lilly, and I am pretty sure that I need it! I rarely wear bracelets at all, though I have a few that I love. When I graduated from high school, my parents bought me a beautiful silver cuff with garnets (my birthstone).

I should wear it more often, eh?

Really though, isn't this lovely?

It's a steal at only $34.99, so I think that I might need to treat myself to it!

Have you ever bought anything from Marley Lilly? Are you into monograms?

suit up?

would you wear this dress, with a buttoned up thin black wool cardigan, black hose, and reddish heels, with pearls, to an interview? straight hair, not curly....

or do you always wear a suit?

another wreath!

So due to my new obsession with pinterest (I'm lexilooo there too, if you want to follow me!), I have developed a new love of wreaths. I saw a pin on there a few weeks ago, leading to a tutorial, and I knew that I wanted to make it!

This is it, a burlap wreath!

I made Steve stand with it, hehe, and as you can see, he's thrilled ;)

At least it looks cute on out front door, right?!

This is the tutorial that I used, again, linked from pinterest. My edit would be the amount of burlap to use. This person said to use 1 1/4-1 1/2 yards of burlap. I bought 1 1/2, to be safe, and ran out, and had to go back to Joann's for more, and bought another yard! At least burlap is cheap, just $3.99 a yard, and I had coupons! I also didn't fold the squares the same way she did...and I think that I folded them differently each time too! I learned that burlap is hard to cut, and it also sheds a lot too, while it's being cut! I worked on the wreath over the course of about two weeks I think, but if I added it up, it was really just a few hours. It could be done in one afternoon, I think, if you sat down to do it!

What about you? Anything crafty lately???

chain letters are back!

Did you ever receive chain letters in your younger years? I know I did, and I always passed them along, following whatever directions there were! As you know, I love getting mail, so any chance to increase my mail intake was good in my book ;)

It seems that chain letters are making a comeback, as I received one yesterday-

This one asks you to send a children's book to the first child on the list (just two names on the list), and then move the second name to the top, and put your child as the second name on the list, and send the letter to six friends...if it works, your child should get 36 books in a few weeks.

Fun, eh? Now, I know that I don't have any children of my own, but I do have an adorable four-year old godson who loves both books and mail (that's my boy!), so I asked his mother if I could do this for him, and she agreed, saying he'll love it. I just hope it works and he gets a few books back. I hate when people spoil it and don't play along!

So, any of you with children want to play? I'll send a copy of the letter your way, if you promise to send a book out to the first child, and then send the letter along its way!

charity quilting!

Remember this post, from several months ago, showing this (then) recently finished quilt? Well, this little birdie quilt is finally on its way to its new home!

The DC Modern Quilt Guild recently had a project called 100 Quilts for Kids, which was begun by Katie, who is a really wonderful quilter.

The idea was for us to have a quiltalong, and then the baby quilts would be donated to a local organization that was in need. Katie organized it so that quilters all over the country were participating, and then donating to local orgs in their area! Everyone benefits!

I started a few quilts, but had a few hiccups, and didn't finish them in time, so I decided to donate the birdie quilt. After all, it wasn't doing anyone any good by sitting in my sewing room! I do plan to finish what I've started and donate them too! Ours are going to a local org in DC that works with low-income mothers.

Meanwhile, a few of us met at the Lincoln Memorial recently for some hand sewing lessons, and to drop off the quilts we had ready. Being there was so fun- it was a gorgeous day and the monument was filled with tourists who stopped by to see what we were doing, taking photos with us and asking if what we were making was for sale!

Dana made a DC metromap quilt! How cool is that?

I was supposed to write about this and link up to Katie's posts about this earlier, but better late than never, right? :) I'm so glad that I was able to participate, and as I slowly gain more confidence with my quilting, I do want to do more charity quilting. I'm still not at the point where I feel I am ready to make a full-sized quilt, so baby quilts are good for me for now, and there is no shortage of places to donate to. I have a few places in mind already!

I do have a few other projects that I am working on now, so expect photos of those soon as well!

Have you been crafty at all lately?

Pampered Chef!

I hosted my first ever Pampered Chef party on Saturday! I've been a fan of PC products for a while now, as my mother has parties and sends me things as gifts, and I've had other friends have parties, but I had never actually attended one! Whenever I was invited to one, it was always in another city, so I'd order things online instead. I figured it was about time to host my own, so I found a local consultant.

I do have a few more pics of the party, which I will post later, but here is what I am totally obsessing over-

The stoneware fluted pan!

For some reason, I don't own a bundt pan and have been really wanting one lately, so this will be my number one purchase! The stoneware is all so wonderful too, such great quality.

There are a few other things I'd like, so we will see, but I know this will come live at my house soon! One of my friends booked a party from mine, so I will go to hers in a few weeks, and maybe buy a few more things ;)

Do you have any Pampered Chef products? What is your favorite?

Anything that I can't live without?

FYI- my PC party closes TOMORROW night, so if you are at all interested in making a purchase, let me know and I will send you the info! Right now, the unglazed stoneware is 20%, which is a great deal!

a fun twist on a wreath!

Is anyone else as obsessed with pinterest as I am??? I am in love with it, and have seen so many fun ideas on there, from crafts to recipes to outfits. I've tried some recipes already, but those are for another post, I think!

I saw this tonight, and think that it is just darling! I really want to try it, when the holidays get closer! Thinking though, if I do it, I may place it inside instead of on the door, because with the constant opening and closing of the door, I'd be afraid that the ornaments may fall or smash against the door!

Or, maybe I should do this on the wall of my sewing room, and keep it up all year round????

What do you think? Love or hate?

Are you on pinterest? I'm lexilooo on there, so follow me! If you aren't there, do you need an invite? I am happy to send you one!

take note!

My friend Rebecca has the most lovely blog, and each Tuesday, she has a weekly feature called Take Note Tuesday (linked to most recent post!). When I saw this darling agenda, the Always on Tea Time Planner, I immediately loved it and thought I'd take note from Rebecca and post it here, and then, hopefully remember to purchase it when the new year arrives!

I'm sure you're aware of my love of tea and afternoon tea, and crumpets with tea (hello, blog title!), I think this agenda was made for me personally!

Finished with a plastic cover to maintain its appearance over the full twelve months, this quaint companion also arrives with a set of stickers with adorable illustrations and miniature messages in English and Korean. It’s time to get a taste of the organized life!

Stickers! Korean messages! Tea pots! Love.

{no, I do not speak Korean, for the record!}

One minor detail, from the description- - Measures 4.75 inches in length, 3.5 inches in width. Hmmmm. Not sure about that, I like my agendas a bit bigger than that, I think. My handwriting is bigger and loopier than that.....

It is quaint and pocket-sized! Cute.

At least it's smaller than the giant Erin Condron agendas that everyone and their mother is raving about.

Maybe I will buy it. Maybe I will cave in and get an Erin C. agenda.

What about you? What sort of agenda do you use? More importantly, am I the only one who doesn't get the big deal that has become the E.C. agendas?

ultra what?

Something to ponder.

I have a friend who recently found out that she and her huband are expecting their first child next spring, and of course, they are beyond thrilled. Her mother is over the moon, as it is her first grandchild, and she's been wanting to be a grandmother since they were married three years ago. I've met her mother many times, and she's really terrific.

I noticed on her mother's facebook status last night that she booked a flight to come visit next month, so she can be here for their 3d ultrasound, when they find out the baby's gender, among other things. I was a bit confused by that, to be honest. I can imagine how excited she is, but I think that would be such an intimate moment for a husband and wife, and I can't imagine wanting to share that with anyone else but my spouse.

Am I alone here? If you found out your baby's gender before he/she was born, was anyone else in the room with you? If you don't have babies yet, would you want anyone else there?

Tasty Tuesday! Cheesey chicken lasagna roll-ups!

Hello friends, and a very happy Tuesday to you! There are some exciting things going on here at Scarlet Threads, and to start with, here's a great recipe for you to try! I don't know about you, but I am SO thrilled that the weather has finally cooled off. I am not a warm weather girl, and DC was just unbearable this summer. Today was about 50*! BLISS! I'm excited for cold weather recipes, like stews and roasts!

For now, try this! Cheesey chicken lasagna roll-ups!

Fun fact: when I was in elementary school, I had an imaginary friend that I called Cheesey. Yeah, I don't know either :)

I found the recipe on pinterest, my new favorite site ever. I sort-of followed the recipe, but mostly made it up as I went along, as usual for me!

Here's me and Lucy, preparing our chicken.

Side note: do you have a Lucy in your collection? She's an oldie, but isn't she cute? I've heard rumors that Delicate Fortress has just a very few left, so if you love the looks of this sunshiny girl, head over to Delicate Fortress and snap one up!

Cheesey chicken lasagna roll-ups

ingredients:

three large chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
one-two jars of spagetti sauce, depending on how much sauce you like
ten pieces of lasagna
one package feta cheese
one package parmesan cheese
one container ricotta cheese
whatever spices you like the best

directions:

1- boil water and cook lasagna

2- cook chicken, adding whatever spices you like (I used LOTS of basil, onion flavor (I hate the actual onions, but like the flavor!) salt, pepper and garlic)

3- once chicken is cooked through, put in bowl and add cheeses (I am very generous with the cheese!)

note- the original recipe called for 1/2 cup milk, but I forgot that I had run out that morning, so didn't add any, and it was okay

4- mix chicken and cheeses together, add more spices if you wish!

5- pour half a jar of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish

6- take a piece of cooked lasagna, and place a spoonful of chicken mix, and roll up. place seam-side down in baking dish full of sauce. repeat until you use each piece of lasagna (you could obviously use less than ten pieces!)

7- once all rolls are in dish, pour more sauce over it all, and add more sprinkled parmesan cheese (we like a lot of cheese!)

8- bake at 375* for about 30 minutes until bubbly and delicious smelling!

Then, enjoy

(it may not be super pretty, but it was super good!)

I totally love my babushka baking mitt :)
I have a matching tea towel and mug!

Another side note- see these placemats? They were my mother's, and she had them FOREVER. When I was a wee young thing, I thought they were the most beautiful placemats ever. There are matching napkins too! A few years ago, she wrapped them up for me one Christmas, and I was thrilled! Yes, I think they are nearly 30 years old :)

What are you cooking this week? Send us the recipe, we'd love to feature you and your favorite Scarlet Threads apron!

(this was cross-posted to Scarlet Threads blog, but I wanted to share it here too!)