Simple New Year's Celebration

The New Year is quickly approaching 

and I don't even have the Christmas stuff put away yet!  

But I guess having to do a New Year's table is 

motivating me to get things organized and move forward.  

I wanted to do a simple table for a change 

and you know that's difficult for me.  

So instead of layering on the "things", 

I layered with "texture".

I kept the table bare with no table cloth or placemats.  Sometimes I like just seeing the pretty wood underneath.  These chargers are from Decor Steals.  

I ordered them quite awhile ago 

and have been waiting for the right time to use them.

Here is what they looked like when I got them.  

I thought that a little embellishment 

would really bring out the raised pattern so....

I just sponged on a little gold 

and taupe craft paint mixed together.  

Took me all of five minutes! 

Of course what would New Year's be without a toast?  

I spruced up these simple champagne flutes 

with a little gold craft paint also.

I have boxes of these inexpensive flutes in storage for all of the company parties that we have had in the past.  

I used the Martha Stewart Glitter paint for glass and an old makeup brush (because they are soft).

I just turned it over and globbed some of the paint on 

and brushed it in one direction 

until is was all feathered out.

Simple, but so pretty!  

I set the Champagne in silver crowns 

waiting for the stroke of midnight.  

I love the way the rustic handles contrast with the sleek, smooth table and the glittering gold and bronzes of the candles and glasses.

Inside the chargers I placed my Lenox pattern 

"Opal Innocence" .  

You can see the beautiful raised pattern 

and dots on the rim.  

And, they mix and match 

with so many other patterns.

Like these gold rimmed glass salad plates 

that were from an Estate Sale...

Since our theme was texture, 

I used my World Market flatware 

in a silvery taupe color.  

 I used soft gold napkins folded under the chargers.

I kept the buffet simple also, 

just placing some greens and pine cone ornaments 

in a silver champagne bucket.

Happy New Year!  

We will be popping our New Year's Crackers at dinner 

and making our resolutions!  

What plans do you have?  

Until Next Time,

Beaux R'eves,

XO Cindy

I am sharing at : Susan at Between Naps on the Porch
  Cuisine Kathleen's-Let's Dish   

Stone Gable  Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits 

 Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Jen at Tatertots and Jello for the Weekend Wrap-up Party

                                     Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special

Merry Christmas!

I wish you all a Wonderful and Merry Christmas 

with your family and friends!

Until Next Time,

Beaux R'eves

XO Cindy

Easy English Toffee~It's Addicting!

It's feeling a lot more like Christmas around here now that we have a little snow!  I've been busy shopping, wrapping and making homemade treats for friends and family 

(and some for us too!).

One of the things I made this year is my sister's wonderful English Toffee.  She keeps her secret recipe quite guarded but she allowed me to share it with all of you.  

I don't usually share recipes on my blog 

so bear with me and I hope I get all the information correct!  In my opinion the reason this English Toffee is soooooo delicious is the Dark Corn Syrup.  

I have tried other recipes and they don't even come close!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup butter
1 cup chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli for this recipe)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Line a cookie sheet with Parchment paper 
Melt butter in a 2qt. sauce pan and add sugar and corn syrup.  
Cook over a low heat stirring occasionally, but keep a close eye on it, stirring is very important.  
It will take about 25-30 minutes to cook.
Using a candy thermometer is key!  

It will look like this when it is almost ready.  
Keep stirring until it reaches a 300 degrees or a Hard Crack (we call it the crack cocaine stage because everyone is standing around waiting for it to get done like addicts)

Quickly pour it onto the parchment paper and spread with a wooden spoon.  
It will look blobby and uneven.  

Sprinkle the chocolate chips onto the toffee.  
Wait 4-5 minutes and spread it around with a rubber spatula.  Sprinkle the nuts onto the melted chocolate and I like to push them in a little to make sure they are set in there.

Wait until it is firmly set, about two hours, and break apart into smallish chunks.  
This is far and away the best gift to give to friends, family and co-workers.  
I have already made at least 6 batches and given it away to people in Mr. Beaux's office and some friends. 

The reviews have been Stellar!  

Thank you Candi for letting me share this recipe!  
And Thank You Miss Beaux for being my loyal assistant and taking pictures! 

Until Next Time,

Beaux R'eves

XO Cindy

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the Night Before Christmas 

and I just got my Christmas Tablescape together!  

I have decorated every room in my house (almost) but for some reason I hadn't decided what to do in the dining room yet.  Boxes sat on top for about three weeks just waiting for me to get started.  Last year's table was soft and pretty with lots of aqua blue, silver and white but this year I wanted to stay more traditional.

I have had my eye on the plaid plates from Pottery Barn 

but I had checked three times at my local store and they didn't have them.  I really wanted to SEE them first before I bought them.  I guess I am a visual and tactile person!  Mr. Beaux saves all of his American Express points each year and we turn them in during the holidays for gift cards.  We give most of them away but I happened to score one for Pottery Barn!  We set off to the Plaza store to see if they had the dishes and I was disappointed when I went in and looked All over the store and came up empty.  Mr. Beaux had disappeared around a corner of the store and he emerged with a plaid plate asking if they were the ones I was searching for!  

My Hero!

I paired them with a gold charger and sweet little plates from Macy's that go with my Christmas Dishes that I have had forever.  Each salad plate has a saying from The Night Before Christmas.  I think I have had these dishes for at least 15 years and I have used them every year.  

 I never get tired of them!

My mom gifted me these adorable Limoges type boxes that are actually place card holders.  A special surprise can be tucked inside for your guests.  I printed the placecards from a cute blog called Tricia-Rennea.  We love popping Crackers at our Christmas Eve Dinner and these toile patterened were purchased at World Market.

 Glasses from the Dollar Store in a soft green pair well with the traditional colors of the table.  My red placemat is actually plaid on the flip side.

What's more traditional than a live Christmas Tree?  I bought this tree at Costco and embellished it with plaid fabric scraps, berries and roses.  I tied it up with the French Script ribbon that I used in the Kitchen to tie everything together.  

Vintage ornaments from Mr. Beaux's childhood are mixed with other vintage looking ornaments.  They are placed on greenery swags with berries and pinecones.  

The tree and the swags are set upon a toile tablecloth that I smushed up in the center of the table.  Glittery gold candles are placed on either side in clear glass candle holders.

The napkins are layered toile and plaid tied up with a jingle bell.  I love mixing the plaid and toile in the red and green Christmas colors.  It all looks so Christmasy!

Estate Sale finds sit on each side of the table.

I set the Buffet with Carolers that I have had for years.

 I wrapped the trees in toile napkins and tied them up with twine.  

Aren't they sweet?  

Music covered candles ad berries were added to the scene.

I stole the wreath from the front door for pictures.  Ooops, did I say that out loud?

It snowed a good three inches last night 

so it's beginning

to feel a LOT like Christmas! 

 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Until Next Time,

Beaux R'eves

XO Cindy

I am sharing at :
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch
  Cuisine Kathleen's-Let's Dish   

Stone Gable  Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits 

   No Minimalist Here Open House Party  Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Jen at Tatertots and Jello for the Weekend Wrap-up Party

                                     Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
 Roeshel  at DIY Showoff

 

Homemade Gifts~Dip it in Chocolate!

Miss Beaux has finals this week which means two things. 

One, she is slightly stressed and tired (and kind of grumpy.) 

And two, she is craving CHOCOLATE!!!  

She came home early yesterday from school 

so we made some chocolate goodies to give as gifts 

(and to snack on of course!)

What could be better than Chocolate Spoons?  

They are great for a hot cocoa station or to give as gifts.   

They are so easy to make.  

I melted a combination of Ghirardelli milk chocolate 

and semi sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler 

at a simmer and we dipped the spoons until they were coated. 

 We used crushed candy canes, sprinkles, marshmallow and icing to spiff them up.

We made a ton with plastic spoons to give as gifts.  

Just put some cellophane on them 

and tie them up with pretty ribbon.  

Our theory was that if spoons could be dipped in chocolate then pretzels would be even better!  

We made these with a mold that I bought at the store.

We melted the candy in a plastic bag and cut a tiny hole 

to drizzle it out into the molds.

There is Miss Beaux putting one of the pretzels in the mold.  

 Of course, we had a lot more fun just dipping the pretzels 

into the chocolate and decorating them on our own.  

I would say that we are more of a free flow family!  

It's much more fun!  

You would think that she got her share of chocolate 

but I'm not sure that she EVER does!  

And there are a few more days of finals left...

Until Next Time,

Beaux R'eves

XO Cindy

Sharing at:

   Roeshel  at DIY Showoff

Stone Gable  Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
 From My Front Porch To Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday

   No Minimalist Here Open House Party   
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Jen at Tatertots and Jello for the Weekend Wrap-up Party

                                     Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special

Hostess Gifts~Ruffled Tea Towel

Do you need a fun Hostess gift for any of those Christmas 

and Holiday Parties you will be attending?

I just finished making these adorable Ruffled Tea Towels 

and have included a short Tutorial.

Earlier this summer, I found these Christmas tea towels 

at an Estate Sale.  

This lady was a hoarder of sorts.  

She had so much unused and brand new stuff 

still in the bags with the price tags.  

I bought a whole grocery bag full of these towels 

for less than $10.00.  

I think I paid less than 50 cents a piece.  

I had plans to ruffle up some towels for gifts 

and thought they would be perfect.

I picked out some fabric squares at JoAnn's 

and I had this ribbon on hand.  

The squares are about a 1/4 yard each.  

I cut them into strips about 2 1/2 - 3 inches wide 

and sewed them together to make a strip 

approximately 42" long.

 I ironed a small hem at the bottom 

and topstitched the hem with this decorative pattern.  

You don't have to do this, you can just sew a straight line but since my fabric was solid and I have these options on my machine I thought it would be fun to try.

Create a ruffle in the strips by sewing 

a long basting stitch and gathering it.  

Lay the ruffle on the towel and cut the ends 

leaving 1/2 inch on each side.  

Iron 1'4 inch and another 1/4 inch to create a hem on the sides and topstitch it down.  

Do this for all three ruffles.

Pin it carefully to your towel and sew the top of the ruffle.  

I like that my towel had a nice line on it for me, 

it made it much easier.

Pin the next ruffle 1 1/2 inches above and sew that ruffle too.

Repeat these steps for the last ruffle.

I pinned the ribbon onto the top of the last ruffle 

and topstitched it down.  

I left about a quarter inch on each side 

and tacked it onto the back to hold it.  

Isn't it cute and festive?  

Of course I would fold it nicely.

Like this!  

This project cost next to nothing.  

I even ended up using scraps that I had from other projects.  What Hostess wouldn't love to receive a gift like this?  

And hey, if you run out of time 

just take one of these cute Tea Towels sans ruffles 

and wrap up a bottle of wine!  

Still a great gift!

 Thanks for stopping in to see me.  I know in light of the terrible tragedy that a silly tea towel seems trite, but I guess my message is: Let's do things that make others happy, spread joy and happiness around and be with those you love and cherish most of all. I'm off now to spend time with precious Miss Beaux and some chocolate.

Until Next Time,

Beaux R'eves

XO Cindy
 linking up to these great parties: 

Kim at SavvySouthern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays  

 Judy at DIY by Design

   Roeshel  at DIY Showoff

Stone Gable  Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
 From My Front Porch To Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday

   No Minimalist Here Open House Party   
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Jen at Tatertots and Jello for the Weekend Wrap-up Party

                                     Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special