Saturday, December 28, 2013

Pops Homemade Tomato soup

My Pops has been coming up and cooking some super awesome homemade recipes!
Let me tell you he is a great chef!
YUMMY!
This is a huge blessing to me as I would rather be painting and decorating over cooking.
This weekend he taught me how to make home made tomato soup!


Pops Homemade tomato soup 
(Large recipe makes a giant pan as pictured above)

1/4 c diced onion 
3-4 cloves garlic
3 Tb flour dissolved in 1 cup of milk 
1/2 stick butter
1 lb can crushed tomatoes
1lb can diced tomatoes
1lb can tomato sauce
1 quart whole milk
1-2  tbl fresh chopped basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1Tb Lousiana sauce


Directions:
 Saute onions and garlic in butter. Dissolve flour in 1 cup half & half, making sure to eliminate lumps.  Stir milk and flour in to butter and onions and make a rue. Add remaining ingredients and stir to a simmer. Cook on a low simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. 
Enjoy on a chilly day.

 Pop ist Single und auf der Suche, um ein interessantes und würzig Deutsch Dame zu treffen.
So deelish with a gourmet grill cheese!
Thank you for stopping by and enjoying a tasty treat with my Pop in the kitchen!

This week I am partying with 
My Romantic Home 
and 
How Sweet the Sound Pink Saturday!
xoxo
Olivia



Saturday, December 21, 2013

My Shabby Chic Pink Christmas Home Tour

 Hello Lovelies!
This week I am sharing my Shabby Chic Christmas Home!
This is actually a repost from last year as this year I have not had time to take new perfect pictures!
As you all know, I just adore Christmas!
This is my living room tree where I put up a vintage style white Christmas tree with pretty gold, pink and white ornaments!

 I love how this years tree turned out! 
I added a pink and white flocked poinsettia topper with the prettiest bridal lace and soft pink tails coming down the fronts and sides! 
In the center I gathered the tails and added more bows to give it that extra razzle dazzle!
I am also in heaven over the moon for my darling ruffled tree skirt, made by Rhoada's Ruffles on Etsy.
Click here for the link to her Etsy store, Rhoadasruffles!
Here is the closeup of my tree topper!!!
Lots of fluff, flowers and my sweet sparkling bird in her perch!
 I also Shabbydazzled up my mantle this year....
...and then hung the stockings by the chimney with care!
Of course I had to add some gorgeous trims and bows to my stockings!
For my dining room I used a pretty pink tree trimmed in the tulle from my bridal petticoat!
Ooohhh la la!
This is my Thanksgiving day table! I will have new pictures for Christmas dinner!
I host both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, so during the Holidays I have a house full!
~~giggles~~
In my cottage kitchen I used some Sugarplum colors!
This is a smaller Princess angel tree in my living room!
I am in love with cherubs this year!!!
A pretty vignette in my living room!
 ~~~Angel Kisses~~~

 Tussie Mussies and Lollipops!
 Wishing you a very Merry Pink Christmas!
I cannot tell you how blessed I am to be able to decorate and create beauty in my home!
My cup runs over with blessings!
Thank you for stopping by my Holiday Home Tour!
I will be posting more gorgeous Holiday Homes soon!
Stay tuned!
This week I am partying with 

and 

Big squishy Hugs,
xoxo
Olivia

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Sweet Melanie's Christmas Home Tour

  Hello lovelies!
This week I am featuring Sweet Melanie's gorgeous Christmas home! Sweet Melanie is an absolute doll and over the top talented with all of her darling make over projects!
 
Let's let Melanie show us around....
This year is a little bit different....the tree is in the same spot, but there are touches of blue everywhere.
I used tulle to wrap the tree.  I've been doing this for a long time and each year it looks prettier.   Sometimes I use white, this year I used a pale pink with tiny sparkles.   The huge snowflakes from Dollar Tree add some extra sparkle.


I love having the tree in this spot because you can see it from all angles.  I hung a wreath I made a few years back on my window.  I just love this little window and decorating it!


The tree adds a nice glow to both rooms.

We bought a new tree a few years back because our old one was HUGE!  This one is more slim and definitely took some getting used to at first...but now I am in love with it!  It's so easy to put together and now we have so much more space!


This beast is another love of mine.  I love the wreaths on the doors with the white bows.  So simple and cheap!

I hung them with fishing line from the inside so no holes would be made and wouldn't be seen.

 I love this mirror and thought of adding the snowflakes one night when I was sleep deprived.  They came from Dollar Tree.  A little bit of tape and there ya go!  I'm tellin' ya...I get my best ideas when I am sleepy!  Go figure...


This arrangement means so much to me because it represents my last days with Mammaw before she passed.  That's why I like to have it paired with this angel....I really do miss her.

I love all of the sparkles!

I added the snowflakes to the window seals to give a more frosty, wintry feel.  I think it does the trick.


I added some pink ornaments to this swag above the mirror....


Now isn't that better?


Pine, white lights, crystals, snowflakes, tulle and my angel grouped with my little houses and tree give the perfect Christmasy feel.

The tulle makes the lights nice and with a soft glow.


 I love how it looks icy when the lights are on.


Here's my angel...I changed her up a bit.


I like it better this way.

I love how the little cross on the birdhouse church lights up behind the angel.


Mom had this little angel that I painted and added to my battery operated candelabra along with the pine centerpiece.  Then I added the pink, white and blue ornaments .  


Then I found a tray that I had been saving to paint roses or birds on and thought it would look great painted white and under this.  I think it makes it look so much better.


This grouping has basically stayed the same from last year...a few things are different though. 

I bought this little fake violin at a church sale.   It was red and black...but I knew it had potential.


The red bled through a wee bit, but that is ok because it looks PINK.  I've only bought one box of lights and these snowflakes this year.  I am hoping once I start with my outside decorations  that I do not have to buy anymore.

I am so happy you all waited so patiently to see my tree.  I've gotten so many messages from people wanting to see it.  It has been really hard because I am no good at waiting!

Make sure you come back for another visit soon...I'll be showing more of our home for Christmas.

Thanks again, I hope you all enjoy!
 
A big hug and thank you to Sweet Melanie for sharing her heart and home with us!
Joining 
and 
Hugs and sparkles,
xoxo
Olivia

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Annamarie's Pink Christmas Home Tour

Hello my sweet and beautiful friends!
This week I am sharing with you my darling friend Annamarie's pink Christmas home.
These photos actually were Annamarie's home a couple of years ago, but I could not resist posting them for my Pink Christmas Holiday home tour!
Annamarie is a super talented Shabby Chic lady with an eye for decorating.
Her romantic style is over the top gorgeous!
I am such a fan of hers.
Let's take a peek at her lovely home....






















This week I am partying with 
and
 My sweet friend Annamarie and her handsome husband! Such a gorgeous couple!
A huge thank you to Annamarie for allowing me to share these gorgeous holiday photos!
xoxo
Olivia