Happy New Year..2013!

Another year is coming to an end and it’s time to welcome in 2013! It went so fast, didn’t it? Once again, it is Miss Kitty who plays hostess for us, good-naturedly sporting the traditional New Years tiara. It has been a fun and eventful year for us here at Plate Addict. My third grandson…aka the Tornado…is now a toddler, getting into everything. My oldest grandson has started middle school. Yikes! Where has the time gone? And my middle grandson, at almost three years old, has blossomed into a little fellow with a kind heart, offering toys to the staff when he visits. Indeed for me it was a year filled with wonderful blessings! And as I sit at the table on New Years Day with family and friends counting those blessings, you, my blogging friends, will be among them. With you, I have a circle of wonderful friends, most of whom I have never even met, but feel closer to and know more about than some of my neighbors! I have found friends whom I will cherish all of my life.  So I would like to wish a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year to each of you, my dear friends, and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for 2013! 

My Personal Favorites...Projects I Loved the Most in 2012

I hope you don’t mind if I do a little something different this year. In addition to my previous post on my top ten projects for 2012, I am going to show you the ones that I loved the best. Some of them were just more fun or rewarding to create. Some of them were projects that just kept cooking in my brain and wouldn’t leave me alone until I figured out how to make them. And several of them were made with someone special in mind. In any case, here they are. I hope you enjoy them!

I really loved making this Pottery Barn copy cat monogrammed serving board. It was one of those that just wouldn't leave me alone until I found the just-right time-worn cutting board while thrifting. It was really easy and I think it looks like I spent waaay more than $5.00! And...I can use it all year long!


I was smiling the whole time I was making my Jack-o-Lantern pillow with interchangeable faces because I had my little grandsons in mind! They can create their own pumpkin faces and even store the extra pieces in a pocket on the back. It will be enjoyed for many Halloweens to come!

This Country Living inspired ruler table runner was made for a sweet friend so that made it extra fun to create!

I had been eyeing a similar wreath on Pinterest and finally had to make my own flower pot wreath. It was a really easy project that hung on my front door all summer. I know that when warm weather returns, it will make its way back there!

This one was another one that kept bugging me until I finished it…my vintage French tea towels made from…you’ll never believe it…inexpensive IKEA dish towels! One day I will own the real thing, but for now this will do. And...you don't have to be able to embroider to create them!

And finally, I love these vintage French silverware sleeves…another one that haunted me until I made it. It has a spot for all of the flatware neatly labeled in French and even has a pocket for the napkin.

I love its rustic simplicity! It just looks like it came from an old French farmhouse, doesn’t it?

And there they are…my favorites from this year! I hope that you don’t mind that I shared them again. They really had a spot in my heart and just had to be created! And already a project or two is starting to nag at me for 2013!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my favorite projects for 2012! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up! on Tuesdays
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
DIY by Design for Winter Blues Wednesday
Southern Hospitality for the Top Projects of 2012 Party
The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Stone Gable for Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits on Thursdays
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Craftberry Bush for Happy Hour on Friday
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Confessions of a Plate Addict Blog

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Reader Favorites...My Top Ten Projects of 2012

It’s that time again…time to look back at the year and see what we have accomplished! And I also love to see what you, my readers, loved the most! Sooo…I have gone back through last year’s posts and pulled out the ten most popular projects for the year! And here they are in order of popularity…

…beginning with my most popular project… my linen and burlap vintage French typewriter pillow! I love this one, too! It is based on a graphic that I found on an online French magazine. It was even featured in Stylelist Home as their Craft of the Day! As in all of my projects, the free downloadable graphic is included in the post.

Coming in at number two were my sweater pillows with a burlap rose tutorial. These easy-to-make pillows are a cozy addition to your home for the fall and winter months and the burlap rose adds a little bit of fun texture!

My  easy sweater pumpkins were number three! They were not only easy but also fun and inexpensive to make! As always, there is a detailed tutorial on the link.

I was excited to see this year’s burlap and plaid Christmas wreath with pinecone roses come in at number four! If I had known how easy those pinecone roses are to make, I would have been adding them to everything a long time ago!

This one was fun and almost free! My burlap découpage deer was number five and I suspect it is because everyone has some of those gold foil deer that I used as a base stashed in their attic! The burlap gives them texture and an updated look!

I actually created my easy duct tape pumpkins for the grandchildren. They were super simple and are almost indestructible and very light weight for little hands!

At number seven were my vintage French script fruit…a free and fun way to update that plastic fruit that you have lying around! And if you know me, you know I love adding a frenchy touch whenever I can!

My vintage French no-sew tea towels also have a frenchy touch with a French phrase added to a fabulous graphic from the Graphics Fairy that I tweaked a bit. I just added it to inexpensive flour sack towels for a great vintage look!

I really loved this one…my linen and burlap vintage French pumpkin pillow…so I was happy to see it on the top ten at number eight. I love it because I can pull it out in early September and use it all the way to Thanksgiving!

Finally, my Ballard inspired French bunny pillow was another favorite, rounding out my top ten. As always the graphic is included as a free downloadable so that you can do the project, too! I  love this little guy since not only is he appropriate in the spring and summer, he really can fit into my decor all year long!

And there you have them…the projects that you liked the best in 2012! I had so much fun making them and I hope that you tried some of them, too! I try to make all of my projects fun, easy and inexpensive with the occasional frenchy touch that I love so much. And…I hope to be able to bring you more of the same in 2013…so keep coming back to see what I have planned for future projects!  And…thanks so much for following along with me in 2012!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my most popular projects for 2012! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up! on Tuesdays
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
DIY by Design for Winter Blues Wednesday
Southern Hospitality for the Top Projects of 2012 Party
The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Stone Gable for Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits on Thursdays
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Craftberry Bush for Happy Hour on Friday
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Confessions of a Plate Addict Blog

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Merry Christmas!

It’s finally here…Christmas eve at last! The stockings are hung and all is ready! The swirl of activities has slowed down for a moment and there is time for some peaceful reflection. So I want to thank each of you for your love and support and send my best wishes for a wonderful holiday full of peace, love and joy spent with your loved ones!
From our home to yours…wishing a very merry Christmas and the happiest of holiday seasons to you and your family!

Last Minute Christmas...Easy Family Recipes

I have shared these super easy Christmas recipes with you before, but since we are in a holiday time crunch and these are my favorites that have stood the test of time...50 years for one of them!...I thought I would share them again! Enjoy!

I was busy baking for my family Christmas celebration this past weekend and I realized that I have a few quick and easy recipes that I might share with you. I will be assisted by our guest co-hostess Vanna the Christmas Mouse since Baby Kitty is busy wrapping the Christmas gifts for the staff.
The first one is a simmering potpourri…not intended to drink, although it wouldn’t hurt you since it’s all natural, but intended to make your house smell wonderful and Christmasy! I don’t know about you, but the smell of oranges and cinnamon just says Christmas to me!

It’s so simple that you probably already have all of the ingredients!

• First bring a quart of water to a boil. 
• Next add half of an orange cut into smaller sections (I usually squeeze the juice into the water and then add the peel).
• Finally, add two cinnamon sticks, two bay leaves and 20-25 whole cloves.

Let it boil for a few minutes, then turn it down to a simmer and leave it on the stove. In about 30 minutes, your whole house will smell wonderful! You can put it in the fridge and reuse it for several days. I have even frozen it and pulled it back out on a really cold night to make the house feel cozy. Be sure to keep an eye on the water level when the potpourri is simmering. It is so easy and inexpensive compared to store bought potpourri!

The second is intended to drink…instant Russian tea! I keep it in my snowman jar. Here in the South, it wouldn’t be Christmas without Russian tea! My sister makes a big batch of it whenever we come over during the holidays. She makes the real thing (click here for that recipe), but I like the instant kind because I can make as much or as little as I want and I can make it as strong as I want. I will give you the recipe, but you have to promise not to laugh because you will know how old I am when you see the ingredients!

Instant Russian Tea
1 one lb container of Tang (It’s actually 1.4…I just don’t use it all.)
1 pkg instant unsweetened lemonade
3/4 cup instant tea
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Mix all ingredients well. Place in a tightly covered jar. Place 2 teaspoons in a cup of boiling water. (I like to use 3 teaspoons.) Enjoy!
I love this stuff! It's the Tang that dates me! You may have to hunt it…maybe on the bottom shelf! It seems that the astronauts don’t drink it so much any more! lol  You ladies my age will remember that! 

My third recipe is a very easy candy recipe…chocolate butterscotch granola candy. Those are the ingredients, too! At my house we call it Uncle Larry's candy because it’s his favorite. I actually got this recipe from one of my students in the '70s…yikes! I’ve been using this one a long time! The butterscotch gives it an extra little yummy taste.
Chocolate Butterscotch Granola Candy
about 3/4 of a box (or about 21 ounces) of Quaker Natural Granola Oats, Honey and Raisins ( The box is bigger than it used to be.)
one 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
one 12 ounce bag of butterscotch chips
Melt the chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the cereal and stir until coated. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper and allow to cool. (I cool mine in the fridge.) Cover tightly to store. I keep it in the fridge and take it out shortly before serving, but you would not have to once it has cooled.

 One final quick and easy recipe is from my mom’s friend Bonnie who gave it to her about 50 years ago, so we call it Bonnie’s cheese ball. Hmmm…we seem to name all of our old family recipes after people. It has certainly stood the test of time! I posted this recipe last year, but it bears repeating.
Bonnie's Cheese Ball
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (4 ounce) package bleu cheese
6 ounces grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (I use Cracker Barrel)
1 tablespoon freeze dried chives
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic salt (to taste)
chopped pecans
paprika
1 olive
Let the cheeses soften at room temperature. Mix together adding the chives. Add the garlic salt to taste starting with about 1/2 teaspoon. Mine usually wind up with about a teaspoon. Even if you think you've added too much, you probably have not. Drop the mixture onto wax paper and refrigerate until it is easier to handle. I usually divide the recipe into 2 balls because one is usually enough and the other one freezes great! Take them out of the fridge and form them into nice round balls. Roll them on a plate where you have put the pecans and the paprika until they are covered. I usually have to shake on a little extra paprika to make them pretty. Top each with 1/2 olive to decorate. I always serve it with Nabisco Sociables crackers.

That’s it! Thanks so much for stopping by! And thanks also from the Plate Addict staff to Miss Vanna for taking time out of her busy schedule to give us a hand! I hope that at least one of these recipes will help to make your Christmas holidays a little easier! 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my Christmas recipes! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants! 
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up! on Tuesdays
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
DIY by Design for Fall into Fall
The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Stone Gable for Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits on Thursdays
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Craftberry Bush for Happy Hour on Friday
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Confessions of a Plate Addict Blog

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Last Minute Christmas...Easy Vintage Paper Trees

Need some last minute ideas for Christmas? I have been playing with these…tiny trees made from vintage-y scrapbooking paper! Imagine them as ornaments filling a tree, serving as table decorations or place card holders or even added to Christmas presents! Fun! Today I will show you how to create two different styles of tiny Christmas trees…

…in addition to the folded vintage paper trees that starred in my shabby Christmas centerpiece that I showed you earlier! If you would like to see a complete tutorial for making these, click here.

The first is a tree made of stacked layers of folded paper. I used a French script scrapbooking paper that I found at Archivers. Honestly, it was a little thick and difficult to work with for the smaller layers. I think next time I might use sheet music or print-outs of vintage script. I found a video for all of you visual learners like me that explains how to do it with almost no words! Click here to see it! I made one change…I used a bamboo skewer rather than a pencil to stack them, then cut it even with the bottom of the trees.

Here’s a third tiny vintage tree that is also super easy! For this one, I used some vintage-look sheet music scrapbooking paper also from Archivers. I especially like this paper since it has two sides! Or you could create your own by using rubber cement (it doesn't wrinkle) and gluing two pieces back to back.


They are super easy! Here’s what you do…

1. Cut three identical pieces using a tree pattern. I found mine here.
2. Using the side of the paper that will show, fold one of the pieces in half toward the front and one in half toward the back, leaving the last one flat.
3. Stack them up like this…the one folded back on the bottom, next the one that is flat and finally the one that is folded toward the front on top. Staple them in the middle several times along the fold. Adjust the folds and…
4. Taa daa! That’s it!

Aren’t they cute and fun? I printed the pattern in several sizes to create three different sized trees. Just add a little ribbon loop to make ornaments or add a little star to the top with names inscribed and voilà…instant place card holder!

Miss Kitty thinks they would make a fun addition to Christmas packages, too! Wow! She looks like a giant in a tiny vintage forest, doesn't she?

Here’s another look at them. Aren’t they cute and festive? And they were so inexpensive...just a few dollars for the scrapbooking paper! I’ll be looking for even more kinds of paper to use and more ways to use them! And…they are so super easy that the children can help make them, too! We are down the last few days and I am getting really exited! I can’t wait to see the grandchildren’s faces on Christmas morning…that’s my favorite part!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my Christmas trees! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up! on Tuesdays
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
DIY by Design for Fall into Fall
The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Stone Gable for Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits on Thursdays
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Craftberry Bush for Happy Hour on Friday
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Confessions of a Plate Addict Blog

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Shabby Christmas Centerpiece with Vintage Paper Tree Tutorial

Here’s a super easy project for you…one that I have had in the back of my mind for a while! It’s my Christmas centerpiece made from lots of fresh greenery from the yard with a few silvery berries for sparkle. It fills a fabulously frenchy galvanized container…a wonderful gift from a sweet friend…with a trio of shabby folded trees to finish it off!

Miss Isabella says that this is so simple that it’s not too late to give it a try!

Here’s all you need…some scrapbooking paper cut into an elongated triangle, a wooden skewer and, if you wish, a glittery star to top it off. Mine came from the Pottery Barn outlet…German glitter star vase filler…but you could just as easily make your own.

And here is how you do it:

1. Fold the triangle using an accordion pleat starting at the base.
2. Punch holes in the folds plus an extra hole near the top.
3. Thread the skewer through the triangle.
4. Add a bit of hot glue at the bottom to secure the last fold and then at the top to secure the star. This is how it looks from the back.

And taaa daaa…there it is! I used floral foam in the bottom of the container to hold the greenery and the trees in place. I found the scrapbooking paper at Archivers. This one has a French script motif. Yes…I looked…there really are French words in that scribble! lol

I love this one! This paper has a vintage sheet music motif…

…and even has a different pattern on the back! You will see more of it in my next project!

And there you have it! It doesn’t take long at all to assemble this one…just some cuttings of whatever you have in your yard and a few simple folded Christmas trees! I love this shabby look…fits right in with my rustic Christmas there this year! Now I have just a few more things to show you before Christmas gets here. It will be here before you know it! Are you ready?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my Christmas centerpiece! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up! on Tuesdays
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures and the Winter Party 
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
DIY by Design for Fall into Fall
The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Stone Gable for Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits on Thursdays
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Craftberry Bush for Happy Hour on Friday
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Confessions of a Plate Addict Blog

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One Random Act of Kindness...

I am heartbroken over the senseless deaths of the children and their teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. I know you all are, too. It is a helpless feeling that I cannot put into words. There is nothing I can do but pray and hold my grandchildren closer as I hold back the tears. This world can be a terrible and frightening place. I cannot make it better. I cannot change everything. There is nothing that I can do to make the pain more bearable for those families. But I can do this…make one little moment better for one person. And that is just what I intend to do for the next few days…with a few random acts of kindness. I have to admit that the idea is not my own. It came from one of my daughter’s friends…a young man I watched grow up in our old neighborhood. And when I read about what he plans to do, I knew he was right. We can conquer evil with good…bit by bit. If you like, you can join me. I know that somehow it will help me to feel that I am doing something to make things better…even if it is small.
 

“Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”   Scott Adams (1957)

 

To find some wonderful ideas for random acts of kindness, click here. 

Or...if you prefer, the United Way of Western Connecticut in partnership with the Newtown Savings Bank has created the "Sandy Hook School Support Fund" to provide services to the families and to the community that have been affected. You will find more information here. 

If you have children who would like to share their thoughts, letters or pictures with the Sandy Hook community, they can do so here.

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