Staging a little romance

Would Robert and Cora ever indulge in such a simple ritual as a cozy tea in front of the fireplace . . . ?  And if they did, would Mr. Carson insist on hovering in the background . . . ?  No, this is something more likely to be enjoyed by Mr. Bates and his Anna in the comfort of their new little cottage . . .  Although Matthew might go for it, but not Mary . . . never Mary . . .

I found the chocolate cups at World Market . . .

. . . filled them with my vanilla custard (click here for the recipe), whipped cream and, fresh raspberries, then sprinkled them with the chocolate curls that came in the box . . .

The stage is set . . .

. . . to cuddle up on the sofa with my love and watch the latest episode of Downton Abbey . . .

I'm joining Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen and Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for the weekly dish parties.  Please stop by!

Romancing the home

Little touches of romance can be found everywhere around the house . . .

Turtle dove soaps in the Powder Room . . .  I'll have to remove the pretend straw . . . I was hoping for an egg . . .  What do you think . . . ?

My husband was very happy that I didn't wait for Easter to bring home some jelly beans . . .

For my son and his college buddies, red velvet cupcakes in these darling liners that stay bright even after baking . . .

Mama love . . .

I'm trying out the new heart dishes that I won in Linda's (More Fun Less Laundry) giveaway . . .

The guy I married has an insatiable sweet tooth.  He ate the chocolates Linda sent before I got home!  So I just had to go out and buy some more chocolate . . . Doesn't this bit of cake look just perfect on the new dishes?  Should I share . . . ?

I am so in love with these dishes!  Aren't they fun?

They remind me of a Picasso drawing, except it's done in red, not black . . . and it's not done by Picasso . . . mere details . . .

Linda also included this lovely glass heart ornament.  I tied the yellow ribbon that came with the chocolates as a reminder to my honey that there was a box of chocolates with the package that I didn't even get to see . . .   I rather like the contrast of the orangey-yellow with the red . . . I think I'll keep it like just like this . . .

A glass of cherry juice in honor of George Washington, who has a birthday in February . . .

And there's Oprah all decked out in red for February . . . Is she trying to tell me something . . . ?

The Swarovski swans have come out to play just in time . . .



. . . to remind me that they mate for life and don't let a box of chocolates get in the way of true love . . .

Carrot Hearts

These carrot hearts are the result of too much time spent on Pinterest.  It took me three hours to shape four carrot stalks into little hearts for this chicken stew.  Click here to see them on Pinterest.

But don't they look adorable?  Perfect for February!  I love hearts!

Yellow Rose

My friend and co-worker, Tenley, presented me with this beautiful yellow rose on Friday at an awards event at work to thank me for my efforts on behalf of her team during the past year . . .

The rose actually has a lovely scent.  Sometimes, in the hybridization process, looks is given precedence over scent, but this one actually smelled wonderful!  In the language of flowers, the yellow rose signifies friendship and highest regard.  I'm not sure if my friend knew that when she picked it out, but it couldn't have been more perfect . . .

I played around with the background in Photoshop, and then created this collage in Picasa . . .



“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.”

—Pablo Picasso

Beautiful mess . . .

The Christmas tree was hastily taken down, to be put out on the curb for Garbage Pick Up Day . . .

The tree needles need to be swept up and the furniture moved back to its customary place . . .

Even this messy part of Christmas is enjoyable . . . I get to play with the ornaments one last time as I wrap them and put them away in their boxes . . . I'm not in a rush now . . . I take my time . . . and I smile . . .

Three Kings Day - A Special Day

I was four years old, I think, when this picture was taken on the morning of Three Kings Day . . . El día de los Reyes Magos . . . That's when children in Cuba, and most of Latin America, receive their presents . . .  What a magical day!

I have tried to keep the tradition alive for my own children here in the United States.  As children, Santa Claus delivered most of their gifts on Christmas morning . . . but somehow, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar managed to find their way to the American Midwest to deliver one or two small presents on the day of Epiphany . . .

This year, for our Three Kings Day Open House, I decided to place the Nativity Scene, right smack in the middle of the Dining Room table, with the savory treats placed in the perimeter . . . I used a length of burlap on top of the tablecloth, to highlight the humble surroundings at Jesus' birth . . .

We started collecting this Nativity set by Fontanini when my oldest son was born.  It has worked out splendidly.  I wanted a set that my children could touch and play with as they were growing up, so that the Nativity story would become familiar to them . . . My creative children would rearrange the figurines, and would even have Baby Jesus riding on the camels before putting him down for a nap . . .  Even after all these years, the pieces are in excellent shape.  The muted palette is lovely, I think, and each piece came with a charming little story describing its individual role . . .

 

And here are the three wise men, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar, who brought gold, myrrh and frankincense to the Baby Jesus . . .

 

The desserts were displayed in the kitchen table, with the Willow Tree by Demdaco figurines acting as a centerpiece.  I placed them on a cake stand and scattered some “snow” around their feet . .

 

A 2005 Swarovski snowflake dangled from the chandelier and made a credible “star” for the Magi . . .

 

There was lots of food . . . We had ham and cheese sandwiches and cucumber sandwiches with herbed cream cheese (I never pass up a chance to make cucumber sandwiches) . . . We had an exquisite cheese tray brought by my sister-in-law, Mary Ann . . . We had potato salad and egg salad . . . This chicken salad was my mother's specialty and is now my favorite  . . . Every bite is chock full of sweet fruit, including grapes, apples, cranberries and golden raisins . . . I love the sweet-tart combination of fruit and freshly-squeezed lemon juice . . .

A bowl of berries . . . a simple but delicious indulgence . . . Who doesn't like a bowl of berries . . . ?

We had mini-scones . . . 

 

My favorite date nut bread . . . Click here if you want the recipe . . . 

My son, John, made almond bark . . .

And he baked all these chocolate chip cookies . . .  Is it any wonder I miss this kid so much when he goes back to college . . . ?

 

Turrones are candied nougats made in Spain, and these were the traditional sweets we ate at Christmas.  They'd show up in the stores in mid-December and would disappear after New Year's.  In this platter I have Fruit Nougat, Marzipan and Egg Yolk Nougat . . .

Here's the King of the Turrones . . . Turrón Jijona, a sweet bar made with ground almonds and honey . . . It is sublime . . . It comes wrapped in several layers of plastic to hold in all the natural oils from the almonds . . .  All you need is a little morsel because it's very sweet, but, oh, so satisfying . . .

Here's our version of King Cake - a spice cake that turned out as delicious as it looked sad. 

NOTE TO SELF:  DO NOT cover spice cake with plastic wrap after glazing so the cake doesn't end up looking like this . . .

 

A little plastic baby was hidden inside the spice cake . . . as tiny as an almond . . . whoever ended up with the baby in their piece of cake is declared King (or Queen) of the Day and receives a special prize (this year, it was a bottle of champagne) . . .

Each guest went home with an Epiphany kit . . .

 

A lottery ticket . . . some candy . . . and a piece of white chalk rolled up in a little scroll . . .

The scroll contains a house blessing for the new year, a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages . . .

We lined up all the little bags on top of the bookcases . . .

 And here I am, with my sweet husband, as we got ready to open our home to friends and family . . .

 

May the love of the Wise Men guide our steps so that the light of Jesus is revealed to us . . .  May we always be inspired to follow the star that is the love of God . . .

Joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

Needing to, but not wanting to . . .

A new year has begun, full of possibilities, yet I am overcome with lassitude.  There are so many good lists out there, so many ways to make plans for the coming year . . . so many tools to assess where I've been . . . and where I'd like to go in the future . . .

Instead, I've spent the day listening to CNN drone on and on about the fiscal cliff . . . How can I deride our politicians for taking us to the edge, when I should be doing constructive things to improve my life, and yet I've chosen to blow the day doing nothing?  How am I any better than they?

I go back to work tomorrow, after being off since the 21st.  It's taken me this long to decompress, and now, I'm supposed to go back and pick up where I left off - the madness of deadlines and pressure, pressure, pressure . . .  In a week, I won't feel lethargic; I'll be too busy to think.  I'll be like one of those gerbils going round and round on a wheel, working so hard, but not really getting anywhere . . .

This bit of instrospection is going to have to be enough for now . . . The acknowledgment that there are things in my life that need to be reevaluated . . .  Hopefully, it won't take a metaphorical cliff to get me to act . . .