Category: Holidays
Favorite Things, Holidays

Decking the Halls

November 9
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On what might have been the warmest day of the week, what was I doing?  Decorating for Christmas of course!  It was pretty funny that while we were working feverishly to decorate Alice-Louise Press with holiday festivity…we were actually feeling feverish due to the heat!  No complaints, however…I got to enjoy a beautiful day while decorating for the most festive season with my good friends AND with the shop windows wide open!  Not a bad Monday!  And by the end of the day the store was transformed into a holiday wonderland…filled with unique gifts, holiday cards and invites, and decorations to get your home ready for the season!  Take a peek at the magic…

Christmas has arrived…

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Create, Holidays

Christmas is coming…

November 7
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I know we’re barely into the second week of November but when you’re in retail it’s time to deck the halls!  Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love Christmas just as much as I love going to Alice-Louise Press to help update the displays…especially for the holidays!  By the time some of you are reading this I’ll be on my way to Perrysburg with my car loaded with Giggle goodies to add to all the wonderful things that have arrived in the shop just in time for the frenzy of holiday shopping!  Later this week I’ll share all the fun, the displays, AND some of my AL-P favorite picks, which might be hard to narrow down to just a few!  But today I’m revealing a peek at the Giggles I’ve been working on…and a glimpse of the holiday cheer that will be available today!  Check out the link above to my friend’s fabulous shop so you can get your holiday cards, invitations, party supplies, and unique gifts for everyone on your list!

Santa’s got some Giggles in his sleigh…

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Holidays

Visions of Jack-O-Lanterns…

October 31
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Happy Halloween everyone!  I hope everyone ends the day with some trick-or-treating fun with family and friends…handing out the candy OR collecting it!  I’ll share a look back at my holiday…with best wishes for a festive evening!  Tonight, let the visions of the season dance in your head!

make some Halloween memories!

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Holidays

Light Up the Night!

October 28
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Halloween will be here in just a couple days…and the weather (in my neck of the woods) looks to be promising this year!  If you’re hosting parties or handing out treats to all those visiting ghouls and goblins, you may want to light the pathway to your front door!  Luminaries always look lovely…brightening a path or just adding some sparkle to a celebration!  I love to use them whenever we have nighttime gatherings…any kind of candlelight is always an enchanting touch!  And flickering flames are especially fun at Halloween, casting shadows that can be spooky and mysterious….adding holiday charm!  Today I’d like to share some festive, easy, and inexpensive ways to light the All Hallows Eve night…making sure those trick-or-treat goers will find their way to candy!  From traditional to the unexpected, see how simple it is to lead the way to some Halloween fun!

light it up!

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Holidays, Savor

Sweet Jack-O-Lantern

October 26
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If you want to do something really fun and tasty for your family and friends, I’ve got a wonderful holiday treat that will bring out the kid in anyone!  This cake is so cute for Halloween…and can be made from scratch or with boxed mixes!  The best part of this sweet treat is that it looks like a fat, little pumpkin so you could even consider making it for Thanksgiving festivities, minus the jack-o-lantern face!  And all you need to make the form is two ovenproof bowls…and some goodies for decorating!  See how easy it is to make a specialty cake that will wow your guests…

so sweet…inside and out!

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Holidays

Halloween in Miniature

October 24
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I love miniature things…I always have!  When I was little I had quite a collection of miniature figurines and objects.  I also had a doll house and was the most enamored with the tiniest things within it.  One of my childhood fantasies was wishing to be one of The Borrowers! (remember that book?)  To me, there’s something sweet and endearing about miniature things…and I still love to incorporate them into my decorating or entertaining whenever I can!  Since Halloween is a holiday that’s particularly whimsical, it’s a great time to have a tiny bit of fun!

itty bitty Halloween touches…

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Holidays, Savor

Pumpkin Patch on a Plate!

October 21
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Happy Friday everyone!  Halloween keeps creeping closer and closer so I will end this week with one more really easy treat that the whole family will love to make…and eat!  I really enjoy being in the kitchen during the holidays and I love it even more when I can create some festive snacks quickly and inexpensively to serve up to my family or friends who stop by.  If you’re thinking of entertaining or just want to whip up a Halloween treat for your kids, this one is definitely a winner!  Rice Krispies cereal treats are so easy and delicious…and have always been a favorite in our house at ANY time of year!  So to celebrate fall and the arrival of Halloween, I decided to try a new version inspired by the season!  See how easy it is to create an edible pumpkin patch…

served on a platter!

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Create, Holidays, Savor

Monster Munch!

October 19
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All week I’m sharing some really fun and easy snacks to serve up this October!  I love being in the kitchen during the holidays, but Halloween is exceptionally whimsical and forgiving when it comes to the outcome of the sugary creations!  It flings the pressure of baking perfection right out the window and allows us to have unfettered fun…which is exactly what we did!  Even the boys got involved preparing some sweet and even goofy additions to a holiday snack mix I’ll be serving up soon!  Have a look at what was brewing…

a monster good time!

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Holidays

Spooky Snacking!

October 17
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I just love Halloween!  I have to control my urges to fill up my shopping cart with all the spooky goodies when I see them…and I HAVE controlled myself lately!  I found that I can get the same amount of enjoyment just browsing through those holiday isles…almost!  But the other day I found a treat that I really couldn’t pass up…something festive, perfect for the season, AND edible!  The only problem is they’re such a favorite that it might be hard to keep them on hand for very long!  I’ve had to replace mine several times and decided to hide all the extras so I have plenty for more Halloween entertaining!  What might this wonderful find be, you might ask?  Check it out and see for yourself…munchy, crunchy, cheesy

good old bags of bones!

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Holidays

Bar Cart Bunting

October 14
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I find myself in thrift and antiques stores on a regular basis.  Not just because of Giggle, though the hunt for vintage items to upcycle is one driving factor, but I also just love to hunt for those lost items that are screaming to be useful once again!  I often think I should consider opening a shop to sell all those vintage finds…I’m sure my husband would be happy to see some of my treasures go!  But I just can’t pass up the fact that antique stores and flea markets offer up one-of-a-kind treasures you truly can’t find anywhere else…and often times at bargain prices!  So with the holidays coming, I’ve taken plenty of quick trips to the antique mall to stock up on all the necessities for my Giggle creations…and along the way you can bet I’ve spied a personal favorite or two!  On my last trip I did find a sweet holiday treasure tucked away in one of my favorite booths…a Halloween bunting!  I’m not really sure how old it is but the price tag made it too hard to resist!  Unfortunately, since I’ve finished my decorating already I didn’t exactly have an idea of where I was going to use it!  But I loved it so much I was determined to find a place to display it…and I surely did–on my garage sale bar cart!  I do love to dress up my bargain cart for the seasons…it’s really easy to do without lots of effort!  I’m not an expert on cart styling…in fact, I don’t really know what exactly should even go on a bar cart!  But I rarely follow decorating rules anyway so I guess it doesn’t matter!  Any beverages or snacks can be served from a rolling cart…it can even be used to store serving pieces too pretty to be hidden behind cupboard doors!  So let me share how I styled mine for Halloween…with the help of my bar cart bunting!

haunting holiday cart…

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