Category Archives: create

a few (of Oprah’s) favorite things

Favor…?  I need to “talk shop” here for the next couple of blogs….  I am part of a huge holiday show (Holiday Boutique) that starts tomorrow and runs through Sunday – so I am eating and breathing retail right now!  Hard to believe that it’s November already… but like it, or not, the retail holiday season is well under way!!  So today I invited a special guest, Oprah, to share a couple of her favorite things with all of you.  Well – OK; not really. But if I did ask, I’m sure that these are all things that she would choose to share with you!!
First of all, I have a new line at Trendz Boutique called Lollia.  Perfume, hand creme, bath salts and gels, candles… an absolutely fantastic fragrance line!!  I have four different fragrances – Breathe, Wish, Relax and In Love… and everyone seems to have a favorite!
Not only did these little indulgences make it on a “Favorite’s” show, they made it on her last  “Favorites of her favorites” show!!
And how about a little muchie…?  CANYON RANCH’S PUMPKIN CRUNCH, perhaps?  Gayle King (you know, Oprah’s BFF) was hooked on this sweet and salty trail mix alternative after trying it on a  hike along the Appalachian Trail.
Makes  10 (¼-cup) servings (hmmm… really?  I beg to differ.  Once you try it, you will know that 1/4 cup just isn’t gonna cut it – Ha!)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw, hulled pumpkin seeds
  • 1½ tsp. canola oil
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. allspice
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1¼ cups dried cranberries

Directions

Active time: 10  minutes Total time: 1½ hours
Preheat oven to 300°. In a small  bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with oil. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking  sheet. Roast until almost dry, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix cinnamon,  nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle maple syrup over pumpkin  seeds and stir with a wooden spoon. Transfer to spice mixture bowl and toss to  coat. Return pumpkin seeds to baking sheet and roast until dry, about 15  minutes, making sure not to let them burn. Set aside to let cool completely,  about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with dried  cranberries. Store in an airtight container in a dry, cool place.

For the full link to Oprah.com, click here

So let me just say that I kinda, sorta made this… and it is delish!  I didn’t actually have pumpkin seeds or dried cranberries.  I did, however, have plenty of pecans and some dried pomegranates… just not enough.  No problem.  Threw in some dark chocolate chips  to make up for it (teehee!  good excuse, huh??)

To close this post, I include one of Oprah’s favorite quotes, as well as a video clip from one of her Top 25 moments on the show.  Do you have a “Top 5” list of people that you would love to meet??  Well, this particular guest was definitely one of mine. Enough said.  Thanks for visiting with us today, Oprah!

fall =apples

Oh my goodness … over a week since you heard from me.  Shame, shame.  Please.  Let me explain.  Here are my excuses (in no particular order)…

Have a big holiday show coming up in less than two weeks (yikes!) AND my (naughty) computer has been giving me SO MUCH grief!!!  Frustration at a new level.  And just when I need it to be my friend.  Murphy’s Law… right??  We’ve all been there.   And then there’s that “P” word… If you are “in the club“, you know what I’m talking about.  My mom knows.  My daughter knows.  They are in the club.  The word, my friends, is P-R-O-C-R-A-S-T-I-N-A-T-I-O-N.  Yep.  See – I even procrastinated by typing it out that way; therefore taking longer.  I have a (bad?) habit of getting sidetracked.  Really sidetracked.  I think creative people are just born that way.  Yep.  That’s it.  Anyway – those are my excuses, and I’m stickin’ with ’em..

Anyway – it’s fall – but it has been cold the last couple days like WINTER!  Ugh!  Not ready for that.  OK – NEVER (ever) ready for that.  But it IS still fall, and I think that apples = fall.  Don’t you agree?  Well, our friend, Martha (Stewart) sure does.  She hs over 50 recipes to share with you that all revolve around the beloved apple.  OK – confession (yes… another one…!)  I realize this is very un-American… but I (gulp!) don’t like apple pie…..  I know, I KNOW!!!  What the heck is wrong with me??  But for those of you who do, there are a ton of variations of the “all-American apple pie” in this link.  Along with some super yummy treats for those of us who prefer the “other” goodies.  Like BBQ Pork & Apple Kebobs, Apple Cheddar Frittata and Quinoa & Apple Salad with Curry Dressing…!  Hungry now?  Ya – me too!  But no time for eating now, my friends.  I have got a “things to do” list for my show and I need to FOCUS!!  And I will.  Right after I make some apple muffins…

ginger candy apple tini friday

Some days were just meant to be Fridays… Happy Weekend, friends!

Ginger Candy Apple Tini

3.5 oz Absoult Brooklyn Vodka( ginger apple flavor) brand new to the market?

1.5 oz Dekuyper apple

.5 oz Dekuyper butterscotch schnapps

Line the inside of the martini glass with caramel syrup. Garnish with a caramel apple slice.  So pretty!

www.mixxrestaurant.com

yummy pumpkin muffins

Woke up with a mid-week craving for pumpkin muffins.  Guess it’s an “October thing”. I dunno.  Remembered that a friend had shared this recipe with me ~ so I’m passing it along.  Really does look yummy (hence the name, I presume!)  I have also had requests to share snipets of my home life, as thrilling as that is, so I have included a few pics from my life. Today. “In the life of…”  Aprons, herbs in milk jugs and gourds.  Yep.  This is the stuff that just screams “cutting edge drama series/reality show”.  Once this leaks out, goes viral, my life will be changed forever.  Better go brush my hair…

Yummy Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking sodapinch of salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 can 100% pure pumpkin
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
1/3 cup lowfat Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Mix flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together pumpkin, eggs, oil, and yogurt. Combine wet and dry ingredients until just blended. Spoon batter into muffin tins. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Transfer muffins to rack to cool. Makes 30 to 35 mini muffins.

the kansas city plaza art fair

Take one breathtakingly gorgeous day; add in a crowd of eclectic people, live music, delicious food & libations and booth after booth after booth of artwork… So what do you get?  Why the Kansas City Plaza Art Fair, of course!  And yes, that is where the hubbie and I spent a blissful Sunday afternoon last weekend… just wandering and munching and people watching and chatting and, of course, admiring artwork.

I love looking at art and chit chatting with the artists. I love to hear their thoughts, their inspiration, their passion…  Most of the art is nothing that I would, personally , hang in my home, per say – I have a very white/cream/pastel “shabby chic” style of decorating – but I adore all of the bright colors and appreciate the different mediums and techniques that make each artist unique.

My hubbie, more of a “numbers” kinda guy, mentioned that there seemed to a lot of artwork with “heads”.  At that point I suggested that we stop and get him some munchies at “M&S Grill”.  And a beer at “Houstons”.  See how happy he looks drinking that beer…?  Worked like a charm.

Just admiring the work of these talented artists gets my creative juices flowing; I feel completely energized and inspired!!  Since my chosen business name is “Creations”, this is definitely a good thing!!  And speaking of, the hubbie got a kick out of a piece of art that highlighted my (creative) demise… as you will see in the following pic.  Hmmm… Note to self: Think very carefully about what you choose to create..

And so a happy day it was.  The music, the food, the weather, the art, the inspiration and, of course, the company of my sweet hubbie – all to myself after a very busy weekend.  Ahhh… Life is, indeed, very good.

the mismatched dinner

So we had a little dinner party last week.  Simple.  Fun.  Note to self; “You’re a detail freak.”  Oh… really?  Yes, I might look past the dust on the shelves. I only dust for my height.  If you are taller than 5’5″… Well – Sorry!  Honestly,  who really cares anyway; Right?  It’s not that I don’t care about my guests; I do.  It’s just that I would rather be tying fresh rosemary on the napkins.  Confession: I’m not a “matchy-matchy” person either.  It was intentional that none of the placemats matched. I also mixed up the plates.  And the glasses.  I want to re-do my “formal dining room” and make it my “informal dining room”.  And then USE it!  A lot.  I want to (gasp!) paint my dark mahogany furniture “shabby chic” distressed white.  I would even love to throw in a few mismatched chairs.  I know.  Weird, huh?  My daughter thinks I’m nuts.  I don’t think it took her 22 years to figure that out, however.  So I will keep you updated once I actually put my plan into action.  You know – “before” and “after” pics.  All that stuff.  In the meantime, I have my eyes open for unique vintage mismatched plates.  Or glasses. Or chairs…

cinderella soup

Some days are just “dress up days“.  The entire process of getting ready is well thought out and deliberate.  You select just the right outfit days (weeks?) in advance.  Your clothes are clean, pressed and hanging in delightful anticipation.  You light a scented candle.  There is soothing music and a long hot shower or bath…  perhaps a little “spa-like sugar scrub” first to smooth out those rough elbows and heels?  There are shimmery lotions to indulge in; your hair and make-up… flawless.  You feel like Cinderella going to the ball…

And then there are the days like today.  You have a laundry list of things to do, including laundry, and there aren’t nearly the hours in a day to complete your task list.  You feel good about the fact that at least you brushed your teeth and showered.  The best that you can do are torn up jeans and a clean t-shirt.  You will be going nowhere today.  There will be no make-up… flawless, or otherwise.  (You are feeling a bit like the BEFORE version of Cinderella…) After some time and (hopefully) several “check marks” later, your thoughts turn to a rather challenging matter.  Dinner.

It’s a beautiful fall-like day.  Soup would be delish.  Let’s see… Where to start?  What’s in the fridge – Any leftovers?  Nope.  I find a bag of “soup mix” for a corn chowder in the cabinet.  It looks boring.  No worries – Let the challenge begin!  I oven roast some potatoes and veggies, defrost some frozen leftover chicken, add in some diced tomatoes, a few slices of crumbled smoky bacon and a jar of Trader Joes Spicy Corn Salsa.  A sprinkling of fresh ground pepper and chopped herbs from my herb garden and… VOILA!!  We have ourselves a little dinner well on the way without ever leaving the house…“cinderella soup”.

a sprinkle of lemon sunshine

(This is actually a re-post from my old blog.  Just decided to share it with you today…)

Yellow is “the color of happiness” – which really comes as no surprise to me.  No color in the world makes me happier than bright, warm, sunshine yellow.  It is also “the color of  forgiveness, peace and joy”.  I like that. Yellow is perky.   Today was a rainy, gloomy day – but these beautiful yellow mums were just smiling at me from my kitchen table, begging to have their picture taken.  Naturally, I obliged.

They say to use yellow to suggest freshness and citrus fruitiness.  Perhaps this explains, in part, my recent obsession with lemons.  If you have been following me on Facebook or Twitter, then you know that I have had a case of “Lemonade-itis” lately!  Two recent posts were recipes for Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes and Cherry Lemonade with vodka!!  OK – I’m sorry, but they just sound delish!  And guess what.  I found yet another recipe for Lemon Cupcakes (just wait until you see how cute they are)!!  Oh my – Someone please stop me!  Did I mention that yellow is also “the color of… insanity“?!  Seriously. ( Oh well.  Sanity is SO overrated!!)  OK – No more lemon “food”.    Let’s think “SPA”.  How about a wonderful lemon scrub to exfoliate and smooth away dead skin???  Ahhh…  There we go.  And since we’re at the spa now; how about some refreshing lemon water… Simply slice several lemons and add in your choice of other goodies.  Some of my favorites are lemon and fresh mint, lemon and cucumber or a combo of lemons, limes and oranges.  Fill your pitcher with fresh cold water and ice and you’re ready to be refreshed.  Calorie free!!!

Yellow, by any other name ( banana, cadmium yellow, chiffon, cream, golden, goldenrod, lemon, mellow yellow, saffron, chartreuse,  topaz, yellow ocher) is still yellow.  So maybe yellow isn’t your favorite color (Hmmm… trying to process) – but perhaps you are redecorating a room or planning a dinner party, and you would like a few tips when it comes to mixing yellow into your color palette…  Well look no further.  Here we go:

  • Use yellow to perk up a more subdued cool palette of blues and grays.  Perhaps an end of summer “pool party”?  No pool?  Me neither.  Just call it a “Beach Party”.  I live in Kansas.  Enough said.
  • Use lemon yellow with oranges to carry out a healthy, summery, citrus theme.  Nothing is simpler than a bowl of fresh lemons, limes and oranges!
  • Very pale yellows can work as neutrals alongside darker or richer colors.
  • Yellow and blue are a high contrast, eye-popping combination.  My choice of colors for our guest room.   A classic combo and “gender neutral”.  It just works.
  • Mix yellow with neutral gray and a dash of black for a high-tech look.  Suddenly I’m thinking about New Year’s Eve.  And champagne.
  • Try a hot, exciting mix of red and yellow.  Anyone for a Mexican Fiesta?? Ole’
  • For an earthy palette, especially for fall, mix yellow, olive green, and brown.  Thanksgiving at your house this year??
  • While yellows and bright or light greens can be part of a natural, fruity color palette, be careful not to use colors too close in value or they will appear washed out.
 Alrighty – Let’s check our “party prep” list.  We have a delicious Cherry Lemonade, with or without vodka, and two different kinds of lemon cupcakes.  Yum. We used our lemon scrub while we sipped on our lemon water – so we will be a bee-u-tee-ful hostess.   Our “color palette of choice” has been embellished with a little happy splash of yellow.  All that’s left is to leave that fresh scent of lemon behind as we spritz those kitchen counters down one more time.  This little recipe might help.

All natural “General Cleaner Upper Spray”

  • 1 tsp Liquid Dish Soap
  • 1 tsp Borax
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp Vinegar
  • 1 Spray Bottle
  • Essential oil; like lemon (optional)

Add dish soap, borax, lemon juice and vinegar to bottle.  Fill bottle with 1 quart hot water.  Place the spray nozzle on the bottle and shake until all ingredients are well mixed.   A few drops of your favorite essential oil will make it smell yummy.  You could  use lemon, lavender or tea tree oil (All three are antiseptic and antibacterial).  If you have a problem with hard water stains, use 2 tsp lemon juice and 2 tsp vinegar.

Well –  I think you’re pretty much ready for the party.   Just one more thing before I go.  Do you believe in serendipity?  I was in the middle of writing this blog when the phone rang.  It was my neighbor, Deb, and she needed a missing ingredient for her dinner.  Any guesses?  Yep.  A lemon.  Make that two lemons.  I quickly took a pic of the three lemons on the plate for this blog, so that I could share them with her.  When she walked down to get the lemons, she told me that she had a little gift for me.  Something she saw and thought of me.  It is the tea towel in the pic.   She had no idea that I was writing a blog about lemons or that I would post a recipe for Cherry Lemonade – with vodka on Facebook and Twitter.  That’s just how friends are sometimes.  True friends.  They just know.

Oh – and one last thing that I forgot to mention.

Yellow is also “the color of  friendship”…  but, then again,  I already knew that.

“girl’s night in”

So we watched “Bridesmaids” again this weekend when my daughter was home for the weekend… oh my!  Then I saw this blog post on my Pinterest page this morning from a fun site; “Pizzazzerie“.  That got my creative planning juices going.  “Girl’s Night In”.  OMGosh… what a fun idea!!  That is SO going on my bucket list (that I am currently “drafting”.  More on that later!!)

“If you laugh really loud, talk spontaneously and you don’t care what your face looks like… You’re probably with your real friends.”  – unknown

It’s time to invite the girlfriends over and host a girl’s night in! I’m sharing 10 ways to entertain the gals in style. From the perfect movies to the perfect food, you won’t ever regret “girl-time”. I love designing parties around colors so this one was naturally PINK!

1. THE INVITATION – I am head-over-heels in LOVE with Polka Dot Design’s new glitter line! Seriously it is so cute. I already ordered address labels. Customize this one for the perfect Girl’s Night in Party! This helped set my color scheme of pink + gold!

2. NAIL POLISH – Pick up some fun nail polish colors for manicures! I love Essie’s All Tied Up + Essie’s Golden Nuggets

3. CUPCAKE TIME – Making cupcakes or other sweet dessert is a total must for a successful girl’s night in! Add some pizzazz with gold disco dust or gold luster dust for some pretty shine!

4. TASSEL GARLAND – I have a turquoise version of this garland in my office. Pick it up in pink + gold for your Girl’s Night In! Hang it from the doorway, in the dining room, the mantle, or wherever else you’re celebrating with the gals! Find this one at The Flair Exchange!

5. SIGNATURE COCKTAIL – Weddings aren’t the only events that call for a signature cocktail! I love this Pink Lemonade Cocktail on Somewhere Splendid!

6. DECORATE – Add a framed print to your coffee table or dining room table! I love this one! Find the sign here!

7. MOVIE TIME – While the cupcakes are cooling and nails are drying, turn on some fave flicks like Bridesmaids or Sixteen Candles!

8. PHOTO STRIP FUN – I love this app – Pocketbooth – that lets you create photo strips and even has a print-and-mail function! Your girlfriends will love documenting the fun night!

9. TABLE DECOR – A pink tablecloth and striped runner will add lots of pretty flair for your dinner table! Or keep it casual and lounge on the couch for dinner but either way, add some pops of color! {Tablescape via 100 Layer Cake}

10. FAVORS – My favorite part of EVERY party! Girl’s Night In favors can be anything from a cute nail polish, a bag of sweet treats, or a grab bag of cute craft supplies (think gold glitter and pink ribbon!).

live happy… laugh, love, dream, create