Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen

WHAT COMES WITH THE HOLIDAYS

             With all good intentions, everyone on vacation, and looking forward to spending some fun together.....we have sinus infections and bronchitis and all of those other wonderful germs to "enjoy" this time of year. If nothing else, it certainly does bring a family together.
             We started the week with our last night of Chanukah celebration. There was the lighting of the menorah, and the latkes with applesauce and sour cream, and the spinning of the dradles and then of course the guessing as to which candle will burn out first (it was the blue one on the fourth day...no one guessed correctly).
          Today, between our coughing and sniffles, we are cleaning up and putting away. With all good intentions to be very organized and neat this year, so I don't spend two days looking for a specific box of ornaments....again. Hope your holidays were cheerful, fun and full of family togetherness. Looking forward to a happy and healthy new year.
♥, Susan     

WE'RE MAKING IT FESTIVE

         In our house, we say Merry Christmas. We also say Happy Chanukah. We celebrate both holidays, happily melding our family and extended families and friends. This year, we have been looking toward other venues to make things festive as money is tight (I know...we all have that in common). This past Sunday evening, we hosted a dessert party for our neighbors. We put luminaries along the walkway to the house, and, made sure that all of the decorations were up. We live on a long cul de sac with about 16 houses. We sent invitations to all of the people on the block, and all but 3 families responded with happy wishes to attend. They brought cakes and cookies and wine. It was a great way to start the holiday, and no pressure at all. Daughter in the middle and I made linzer hearts and other cookies. I made a tiramisu and fresh whipped cream. Everyone had a wonderful time.(Christmas Cookie Cafe sign by Carolee Clark of King of Mice Studios)
              Yesterday, I received an email from my husband proclaiming a date night. Odd for a Monday, but, who wouldn't want to go out on a date. I dressed warm, thinking I should be prepared for something outdoors. As it turned out, he took me out for a great dinner, and then walked me over to the Count Basie Theatre. He bought tickets to the Hope Concert. I couldn't believe it...I was thrilled. I got to rock the night away with Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi (and yes he is even cuter in person), Southside Johnny, Tim McCloone and the Shirleys and Bobby Bandiera. The Shirleys are a local group who sing with Holiday Express every year. Last night, Lily Holmes rocked the house.  It was the best. They raised a quarter million dollars for the Parker Clinic in Red Bank and the Food Pantry of Monmouth County, and I got to see some of my favorite performers up very close. Sooooo Coool!
             Here is a little tour of our house, decorated for more festivities. From the entrance of the house, you see the stairwell, and the mirror, now covered in cards. When you turn right, you see the mantle in the living room and to the right of the fireplace is the real tree (fresh cut from outside and smelling very piney). Here is a closeup of the Oz ornaments. Panning around the room, we have the tree with the Margaret Furlong seashell ornaments, fairies galore, and other slightly precious things that require a tree set on a tabletop in a corner, away from teenagers and cats.This is the Angel treetopper that I found at target 2 years ago at the end of the season sale...love her! As we move toward the dining room,we pass by this humorous pillow. Next, your eye catches the treetopper display and the  oversized stockings found at the dollar store several years ago. Since we host Thanksgiving every year, I used these as placecards, hanging one on the back of everyones chair with their names on them. They were sent home with the guests. They were a big hit, and we have taken ours out every year since, hoping that Santa will fill them up (hehe). The wreath hanging on the window in the dining room is a favorite, which comes as no surprise since it is shiny, vintage and pink. The tree in the dining room is a whimsical vision of gumdrops, gnomes and fairies. The hutch is decorated with Spode Christmas tree dinnerware which started as a teapot gifted by my generous husband. A few years later there were matching dishes, and then other people started gifting me items for the set. Over the summer months, I have picked up several pieces at yard sales (the candleholders on the top shelf, the tray in the middle, the vase, etc.)and so we now have a huge set. Even the chandelier got some sprucing up this year, with Radko ornaments. This is the house tour, so far..there is one more tree and of course the Chanukah menorahs, which I hope to have pictures of for you tomorrow. 
 My most favorite Santa (made by my mother in law and father in law..he cuts the wood, she paints it...they are so talented) and I bid you adieu, and hope to be back tomorrow with one last holiday post.
♥, Susan                    
         

HOLIDAY HOUSE AND STUDIO TOUR...MY FRIEND MARY

       Things have been crazy...busy around here! Kids returning from college, decorations making the season bright and shiny, parties in the neighborhood, but I will get to all of that in the next few days. Today, I wanted to bring you a very special treat. I am lucky enough to have a friend in town who happens to be a wonderful artist. She once sold her work at a store called Evolve, which had the coolest, edgiest things. The store has been closed for a while now, but Mary Cooper, is still working. First, I will show you the doors to her studio which is in the front of her house. This is what you see above those doors and this is the first place that my eyes landed. You must click on this picture to see the ballerinas. It is my most favorite piece, but there are so many others that I love too. All over the studio, there are stacks of vintage and antique papers and books and little bits and pieces that will become works of art. The walls are covered in artwork  some bright and cheerful and some deep and edgy.  My eyes could continue around this room for hours and I would not be able to take everything in. Mary has decorated her house for Christmas, and I feel like I am in toyland! She has an aluminum tree up and the vintage ornaments were fabulous. Her vintage collections are amazing, and really made me drool. She has such an eye for color and beauty and the best aesthetic. Every little nook and cranny in her living room and kitchen had something to look at.This alter was fascinating, but not as much as this one, and the paintings were something to be seen as well. There is so much more. I took picture after picture, because I knew that you would love to see this. Just a few more collections to show you today that Mary has put together. She has many other collections in the house...vintage pottery, Halloween, turtles, painted furniture, textiles, and the list will go on and on. I hope that you enjoyed this little tour of Mary Cooper's house and studio. I will revisit on another day with more pictures. Her pastel pottery is to die for!
♥, Susan       
        

THERE'S SNOW DOUBT ABOUT IT!

            Its really coming down, here at the Jersey Shore... there is snow on the Rosemary plants, and snow on the lavender as well. You can see the snow still coming down in the pictures. I know what all the kids in school are thinking... will this keep up through tomorrow? Will there be a snow day in the near future? Sorry kids...it doesn't look that way, but if you put your pajama's on inside out and pray real hard, well, maybe.
            The holiday decor is finally coming together over here. I have changed out the turkey welcoming Thanksgiving sign for the Christmas one, and the angel is up on the front door, ready to meet and greet any visitors who come this way. The woodland trees are decorated with the fruit fairies and a few David Winter cottages. Here is a view of the trees from underneath, and remember that you can click on any of the pictures for a super sized view. The hallway is hosting a tomte Christmas today, with the little Scandinavian people and their Dala horses and Yul buchs. There is more, though. More trees and ornaments. More candles and dishware. More Christmas decor and holiday cheer to come.
♥, Susan     

SHOW AND TELL CORSAGE DAY

    My good friend Beth, over at Words and Whimsies, threw down a challenge about a week ago. She is one of the most whimsically creative women that I have ever known. So, Beth wanted us to create a corsage that beckoned to the days of old (when we were kids???), and of course I foolishly took her up on it. I went with a concept that comes from my childhood. When I was a little girl, my dad owned a bakery. The old fashioned kind where bread was baked every night so it would be ready in the morning and cookies, cakes and pies were prepared daily. It was in a German area of Queens in New York. In this neighborhood, there was a diner, a candy/chocolate/ soda shop, and there was a florist. In the window of the florist shop there was a lineup of corsages. Now, these corsages were encased in their very dusty see -thru boxes right there front and center in the big picture window. There was a corsage for every year of a girls life from maybe five years old through twenty one. I do not remember them all, but I do remember that they were ribbon and pipe cleaners and some sort of candy. Sweet sixteen was a combination of ribbon and sixteen lumps of sugar pulled together in a tacky, ribbony, eye catching way that only a little girl could be dazzled by. There was one that had hard candies and another I believe that had peanuts on it. You get the idea. When ever I was in the store with my dad (which was very often), I would wander outside and gaze at the corsages and wish that I would get one for my birthday. Well, that never happened, but Beth sure did stir up a memory for me. Here is my rendition of the Christmas corsage...lace, polka dot ribbon, tullle, a vintage Christmas pin, and the candy canes. Now you need to visit Beths blog and see her fabulous corsages. She has links to the other participants.
♥, Susan 

WHEN THE BUDGET IS TIGHT....

        If you look around the stores enough, eventually you find the best deals. Every holiday, I try to stop in at the "dollar store" first. You know which store I am talking about...everything costs a dollar, right. So this is what I found today. Now, who wouldn't want a present wrapped in pink paper with snowmen? I was pretty excited to find these glittery signs too. A few years ago, I found yards and yards of pale pink pearls to drape around the tree. When the budget is tight, and you're trying to stretch that buck, go see what the dollar store has first. You might just save enough to splurge on something else.
♥, Susan 

SWEAT, DUST, AND SPIDER WEBS...IT'S GONNA BE GORGEOUS!

            I know that it is necessary to put in the effort to reap the rewards, but there is nothing glamorous in the process. I am talking about holiday decorating here. I don't know where everyone keeps their decorations, but mine are neatly (hmmm, stretching the truth a little) stacked in the basement. Boxes and boxes of wreaths and linens, ornaments and the trees...oh my...there are so many. Oh, and I can't forget the changing of the dishes...Buckingham Palace would be proud of the pomp and circumstance going on around here.
            Today, I found the box of linens....I say found, as in, years past, I kept them in the linen closet. I completely forgot that I rearranged that closet last Spring and put away all of the Christmas linens in a container. Added to the group of other containers living amid the spiders, I not only forgot that it was there, but a momentary panic set in when I could not remember what I had done with them. Without further adieu, here are some of the missing linens. These are my favorite tablecloths. Vintage linen with roses and holly, the hip moderne 50's style with the ornaments, the fabulous Swedish number with the kid getting ready to swing the cats, and the other kid riding the pig and then there is, this newly aquired cloth depicting Santa lucia and the deer. This cloth with the candles and poinsettia is also a favorite, and the elves on this one are too cute. My all time favorite might be this tablecloth with the pastel shiny brites, but I am not sure because I also like this one with the pinecones so much. Fortunately, I can change tablecloths at whim and enjoy them all.Then of course there are the placemats, made 5000 years ago when we first got married. So you can see why I really needed to find that container of linens. If you enjoy vintage linens, you must stop by my friend Suzy's blog...Georgia Peachez. She has a collection of vintage holiday linens that is truely to die for. Next I will show and tell my pillows, or maybe the wreaths, or the trees? Yipes...so much to do...so many more trips to visit the spiders.
♥, Susan    

MORE READING, LESS WRITING

         Today, I am giving myself a short vacation, a time out if you will. I am treating myself to an hour of blog reading. There are so many wonderful blogs to read, and some that I read regularly, but there is one blog that I find myself lingering over. Pat, writes a blog called Mille Fiori Favoriti. I find myself magnetically pulled toward  this blog. Her posts are filled with the most interesting topics, many centering around Manhattan, and other happenings in the city. I tend to linger, because of the music though. Her play list fills my heart. If you have a moment, please stop by her blog. I promise, you will find this as much of a treat as I have.
♥, Susan