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This is one of my favorite things...an old bottle stamped with the letters New Canaan, Conn.  A dear friend gave it to us when we first moved to California.  I think Suzanne had one that she put lights in, but it wasn't until a couple of weeks before Christmas when I saw it on Jane's blog that I thought to do the same.  I'm going to enjoy this all through the winter in my kitchen.  There's just something about the glow of twinkle lights that make everything seem brighter...and 2012 is going to be great, right?

The temperatures in Southern California have been unseasonably warm.  We hardly needed a fire but we had one anyway just for atmosphere and for the kids to make s'mores.

Happy New Year from our home to yours and may 2012 be filled with many wonderful surprises.

Lunch on New Years Eve

This time of year there's a lot of discussion in our family about food.  What we'll eat, where we'll eat, where we'll shop for food.  I think it's because we have the time during the holidays and of course, our love for good food.  After a long walk on the beach we came home to a bowl of French Onion Soup.  The only way to make French Onion Soup is Julia Child's way.  Sure the recipe may include 26 steps, but it's worth every step...and #26 is simply...Bon Apetit!

French Onion Soup gives off the most amazing aroma in the kitchen...there's no need to shop at a special market (which I actually love doing), but not necessary for this recipe.  This soup will satisfy the taste buds and the soul...it's that good...and the ingredients probably cost less than $5.  How many amazing things can you make that you can say all this about?

                                                                         Happy New Year!  
                 Will you be cooking on this New Year's Eve or you going out someplace fun?

                                              Linking with:  http://thecorsoncottage.blogspot.com/

Soaking up the December Sun

Next year at this time we will be back on the east coast...so this year, we are soaking up every minute of the warm weather we have been having in Southern California.  Yesterday we met up with our East Coast friends for a little picnic lunch...California style.

Preparing for the picnic...we made Ina Garten's corn chowder and kept it warm by heating a pizza stone and a Le Creuset and then putting the soup cups in the heated pot until we got to the beach. This kept the cups of soup piping hot until we arrived at the beach.  Box lunches included sandwiches, chips and chocolate chip blondies with sea salt wrapped in parchment paper.  We loaded the car with beach chairs, table in a bag, cooler and footballs and had a wonderful afternoon enjoying 75º temperatures.

Warm wishes from Southern California. . .

Sunset at Montage Laguna Beach, California -  Christmas Day 2011.

setting the holiday table

Yesterday I stopped at Micheal's and purchased inexpensive Chargers (on sale for $1) and came home and painted them with chalk board paint.  Today I wrote our names and Merry Christmas in different languages on each.  I used a vintage bed spread to cover  the table, votives in jars wrapped with a little bakers twine, a crystal tree given to us by my mom and glassware purchased a long time ago at American Rag Cie in Los Angleles.

The Advent Calendar was looking a little empty...so as the cards began filling the mailbox, I started to hang them in the spaces that once held the bags filled with little gifts.  One more to go...

This arrived a few days ago...from Amber.  You may know her as The Girl is Craftee.  I have to tell you it made my day!  Thank you Amber and to everyone who leaves a comment or takes the time to send an email...it means the world to me.  Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

 

                                                                                     xo

                                                                                   annie

holiday baking on the 23rd of December

I don't bake a lot. . . even at the holidays, but as a young girl I always wanted to bake the most complicated cookies.  My mom always steered me to something a little more on the simple side and sometimes it's for good reason.  Chocolate Crinkles are as good right out of the oven today as they were back when I was a child.  This recipe is from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book.

all gone. . .

Holiday traditions

Holiday traditions...we all have them in some way.  For some it means getting up early and driving for hours to cut down their own tree.  For us, we were just happy hopping into the car and heading to Stew Leonard's to pick out the perfect tree.   This year it was a tree lot along Pacific Coast Highway just as the sun began to set.  Another family tradition was dinner at Union Square Cafe in NYC sometime during the holidays.  We were never organized enough to make reservations so that meant arriving at 5:30 just as they opened their doors and grabbing four seats at the bar.  We have so many fond memories of dinners in the city...just the four of us.  So this year I made Union Square Cafe's Bar nuts to reminisce about the past while we make a few new traditions to carry on in the years ahead.  

Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson/Food Network

• 2 1/4 cups assorted unsalted nuts, including cashews, walnuts, pecans and whole unpeeled almonds
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degree.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 8 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter.

Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm.  Yum!

To send to out of town friends, I put the dry ingredients into the small jars and nuts into bags.  All they have to do is pour the nuts onto a baking sheet and toast.  Add melted butter with the ingredients in the jar and mix all together, serve warm... and enjoy!  

Oh Joy. . . Christmas comes to Juxtaposition in Newport Beach, California

One of my favorite places to shop or just for a little inspiration is Juxtaposition.  It is located along the Pacific Coast Highway in the Crystal Cove Promenade in Newport Beach, CA. 

Even as often as I visit Juxtaposition, there's always something new.  I loved these wonderful candles made from old jar and bottle molds and the reclaimed apothecary bottles to hold matchsticks.  It's a great place to buy gifts, but I have a hard time parting with anything I buy at Juxtaposition.  They wrap everything beautifully and every ticket is hand written on a three-copy sales slip...just like it used to be done everywhere...I love that!

At 3,000 square feet there's plenty of space to move about and it usually takes me at least twice through to make sure I haven't missed something new.  The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful, but will let you look around at your own pace.

I wish this were my closet...I love everything they have...from bags and shoes to boots and clothing pieces...a very well edited collection that fits my style perfectly.

I love this sign that sits out front.  There are several wonderful restaurants right in the same shopping center, like Pacific Whey  next door,  but for the best view...head across the street to the Shake Shack.

Just across PCH (north) is the Crystal Cove Shake Shack, now owned by Ruby's, but still one of the best views.  Right after leaving Juxtaposition I drove over to the Shake Shack and it was just after the rain had cleared. . . It's not everyday you get to see a school of dolphins swimming this close to shore. 

               Thank you Michele and Ellen at Juxtaposition for allowing me to photograph! 

Small But Charming . . . flower(s) in the holiday house

I never miss a party at Jane's ...but looking around my house I have plenty of fresh greens, but only this one rose...I mixed it with my new beads I purchased at The Groves Antique Market in Irvine, CA a few weeks ago.  I even added a string around my re-purposed fig jam jar. 

So Jane, I hope you don't mind that I came to your party almost empty handed...just the one rose, but we are not all professional like you.  Check out Jane's blog for a little holiday inspiration and join the party.

                                                       Linking with:  Small But Charming

pretty packages tied up with string

Since December 1st I've been thinking about how I will wrap my packages this year...staying on the same track as my holiday decorations, I used items I already have around the house and stayed with a very simple theme.  I spent about an hour looking in my pantry, desk for office supplies and even the garage for twine and string. 

For wrapping paper I used kraft wrap and a roll of white paper we've had around forever that my kids use for school projects.  The kraft wrap is sold in drug stores, but the best kind is sold at Olive Manna.  It's a little thinner and makes wrapping a dream. 

Spools of twine and an assortment of tags I've purchased over the years at old fashioned stationery stores, art supply stores and even Staples.  Most of my supplies are stored inside my desk/armoire in silver boxes purchased at Ikea.

Next year I would like to find a spot in our house to have all of this set up on an old table or desk...out of the way, but not too far.  Jars of buttons, tags, twine, mini clothes pins, markers and stamps.  It will look festive and be perfect to wrap a hostess gift at the last minute.

                                                           linking to:  From the Girl Creative

Advent Calendar + decorating with old familiar things

  Lovely Things has moved here, please come and check it out.  Thank you!

I started thinking about decorating for the holidays with planning this year's advent calendar.  I decided to stick with things I have around the house, my recent thrift and flea finds and my usual color palette of natural, black, white and silver with touches of green.  The first thing I did was paint a 4' x 4' piece of 1/4" plywood with chalkboard paint.  Then I emptied my candy jars, washed and filled them with holiday treats.  I used my black and white ticking stripe pillows from Juxtaposition to wrap around little trees I found at a local nursery for $5 each.  The entire project including the supplies for the chalkboard were less than $50 and it's a whole new look from last year. (You can see last year's advent calendar here).

I used lunch bags and twine and filled 24 bags with little presents for Madeline and Patrick...12 each.

I can never have too much candle light...especially when the days are shorter.  I found all my old jars that were large enough to hold a votive, wrapped twine around the top to give it a little something...my favorite jars are the ones that have writing in the glass like the Bonne Maman jam jar and the De Cecco one.  The candy jars are filled with things from Trader Joe's.  I wish I had not sampled the waffle cookies with chocolate and peppermint...I can't stop thinking about them.

I searched my cabinets for anything silver, gold, black and white and a little green.  The little match holder is also from Juxtaposition and it is a reclaimed apothecary bottle that has been scored on the bottom so that you can strike a match. 

I filled silver Revere bowls with pine cones and silver balls tied with black ribbons.  My favorite bowl is one that my husband won in a ski race.  I remember seeing it shortly after we met on a shelf in his book case...Salt Lake Area Corporate Ski Challenge Series, February 4, 1984, 3rd Place was engraved on the bowl.  I said, "You are such a good skier, I would think you would have come in first."  And yet he still married me...I know....

So are you decking the halls?  Are you using old or new or a combination of both?  Enjoy the season!
 
Linking with:  Mod Vintage Life

I just noticed that this post is featured here today: blog.holamama....Thank you! And at ABCDdesign today-- Thank you Amy!  and here:  Momjeanz.  and The Corson Cottage.
  Thank you Paula  at Two Ellie!

Thanksgving in Napa

Just an eight hour drive North of Dana Point and the most beautiful colors of autumn that you could ever hope for awaited us in Napa, California.  It rained through the night and there was fog in the hills, but the sun came out and it was the most beautiful Thanksgiving day.

The colors were amazing . . . everywhere you looked, something was blooming.

We've had some memorable Thanksgivings over the years...a lot of them spent with family and friends and cooking big feasts, but others just as memorable where we've traveled and made it seem like Thanksgiving...even on the train from London to Paris, or this one, where it wasn't until Thanksgiving morning when my husband had made several calls to make reservations for our Thanksgiving meal.  This time of year always reminds me of what I'm most thankful for. . . my family.  I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. . . wherever you are.

window shopping in NYC

 I promise this is my last NY post for a while, but it is one of the best places to window shop in the whole world...would you agree?

Links of London

1 and 3 -  a b c  carpet & home, 2.  Mulberry,  4.  Anthropologie

 I'm happy just walking the streets in New York...there's no city where I feel more at home.