DIY Gold Dipped Votives

I almost feel guilty posting this as DIY...This was literally the cheapest and easiest project I've ever attempted. No lie. It cost me under $5 and took less than 3 minutes. After loving metallics in my holiday decor so much, I began thinking of how I could incorporate gold into my formal living room along with several silver pieces I already had. I've seen some of the "gold dipped" projects on Pinterest lately and figured it couldn't hurt to try it out. Had I known it would be this easy, I would've made them as gifts! Oh well, next Christmas.

Here's what I used:

Here's what I did:

Yep...That's it! Roll in a circular motion until the rim is covered.

 

 The silver and gold trays were purchased before Christmas. They cost me a whopping $4 at Michael's.  As of now, the candles have landed on the mantle. ("Busty Lady" found a new home.) My mantle changes every month it seems...I just can't get a good fix on it.  Come February, I'm sure something will have shifted again. Does anyone else have a space like this that you just can't seem to get right?!

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Crostini Served Three Ways

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday to the fullest. I'm over at Made By Girl today where I've posted three ways to serve crostini. They would be great if you need easy appetizers for a New Year's Party. Click HERE to check it out!

Going shopping for an outfit to wear New Year's Eve. Wish me luck (and clothes that fit).

Glimpses of Our Christmas Party

 

  

 

Wishing you each a very Happy Christmas

filled with all the "lovelies" life brings this time of year.

 

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Asian Pulled Pork Sliders

This is the second Christmas gathering I've hosted in the last 48 hours. This may sound stressful, but the Martha in me has a love/hate relationship with party prepping stress. I do it to myself most times, but I am addicted to the thrill. Crazy? Most likely. Neurotic? Oh, absolutely. At least I am self aware... 

Usually, I spend all day cooking (AKA: stressing, sending my husband back to the store multiple times, and barely slapping on some makeup before guests arrive.) This year we provided all of the beverages and asked guests to bring sweet treats or savory apps. Since I was only making one dish and I knew I'd be sharing it with party guests and blog friends, I decided to try something new. I will definitely be making it again. 

Asian inspired pulled pork sliders with Sriracha mayo turned out to be the perfect recipe if you're hosting. I threw ingredients in the crock pot early in the morning and let them cook all day while we cleaned and decorated. The sandwiches were assembled and plated about 20 minutes before guests arrived. (Post hair and makeup. Perfect, right?? I did have the help of sweet friends who arrived early knowing how stressed out I usually get pre-party.) Here's what you'll need to pick up at the store...

 

Directions:
In slow cooker, combine the following and cook on low for 8-10 hours depending on the size of the meat:
   -Pork butt (I used bone in, but bone out would be easier.)
   -1 red onion, diced
   -4 cloves of garlic, minced
   -1 bottle of brown ale
   -4 tablespoons of red chili paste (found in the Asian section of my market)
   -3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
Meat should be very tender and falling apart. Remove from the crock pot discard and fat and bones. Shred using forks.  *Optional* Add the juice of one lime to the the meat. Assemble as follows:

 

...And I still had time to apply mascara before the doorbell rang. Do you have any favorite low-stress party dishes?

"Green" Holiday Decor

December can be a tough month financially with holiday expenses piling up. My husband and I decided to do minimal spending this year, but I still needed something to decorate my buffet in the formal dining room. I scrambled around the house trying to rack my brain for something inexpensive I could throw together for a party we're hosting this weekend. I pulled some old fabric & candle holders and fit them in around Mountain Valley Water bottles. I've been collecting the cute green bottles for about a year, displaying them on top of my kitchen cabinets. I decided they were festive enough to become seasonal decor and come down to earth for a little bit. Not to mention, reusing things instead of buying new is something I need to do more of. The only things I ended up buying for this set up...

• Twigs $7.99 (50% off at Hobby Lobby)
• Tapers $6
• Felt poinsettia (Wal Mart after Thanksgiving. Maybe $3?)
• TOTAL= Less than $20

 

This was made with cardstock, remnant fabric, a paint pen and the trusty hot glue gun.

I've seen split peas used in glass hurricanes on several blogs. Believe it or not, these had been in my "pantry" for about 3 months...They were spared from being turned into soup. I put some left over sugar sprinkles in the bottom of my small glass candle holders and hot glued a couple snowflake ornaments to two of the bottles. It came together in an evening, thankfully. This will probably be a one year appearance, but it was a fit for the budget this year.

***LINK PARTY***

Tomorrow (12/16) you can link up your TREE at Five Days...5 Ways! Head over and show Abbie some love. Click HERE to head over.

 

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