Happy New Year’s Eve….hard to believe it will be 2018. I want to push a big brake pedal on life…it’s is going TOO fast!

We are having a nice dinner this evening with no plans for anything formal tomorrow. When I made my Thanksgiving centerpiece (to see the post, click here), my friend Tracy, wished I had provided more information on how I did it.  As a result, I created a similar one for our New Year’s Eve dinner table.

You can really use any tray or container that will hold plants and flowers and is somewhat waterproof.  For Thanksgiving, I used a wooden tray I lined with foil and plastic.  For this one, I went to the Garden Shop at Whitfill Nursery and purchased an oval, galvanized tin one with handles.  I had them fill it with water to make sure it didn’t leak.

It was nearly waterproof, but leaked slightly on the side edge. I can work with that. While I was there, I selected a variety of green plants with white flowers-geraniums, ornamental cabbages, variegated ivy, and dusty miller.

I lined the tray with a black plastic trash bag, covering the seam where there is a slight water leak.

I removed the plastic containers and arranged the plants in the tray.  I did not need to add additional soil, since I will be removing them and planting them in the garden next week. I really like the ability to re-purpose these plants after they have served their time as a centerpiece.

Next, I added some cut flowers for color and texture~~using 2 dozen white roses.

I inserted plastic cups in the bare spots, filled them with water and added the cut roses.

There were still some holes so I filled them with leftover fresh greens from the Christmas tree (that were sitting in a bucket of water for the last few weeks). Again, I can’t say enough about the quality of Christmas trees at Whitfill.  Our tree and these greens are still so firm and fragrant.

At this point I thought the centerpiece was completed.  I really like how it looks against the natural wood table.  However, when I placed it on the white linen tablecloth, I felt it still needed something.

Initially, I wanted my New Year’s table to be whites, greens and silver.  But at the last minute I changed my china to this for a burst of color.

By adding gold and green balls,  it help to spice it up a bit. I love the shape of this tray, however, I feel the galvanized tin is a bit rustic for the formal place settings.  I’m hoping with the candles lit, it won’t be as noticeable.  But again, it’s fun to mix and match!

Thank you for your inspiration, kind words and loyalty in 2017.  From everyone at Bella Terra, we wish you and your family a safe, healthy and prosperous 2018!

Resources:  Silverware: Wallace Napolean Bee purchased from Horchow; China:  Royal Worcester Greek Urn with Flowers; Roses purchased from Safeway

Every year we host our neighborhood board for a holiday celebration.  We have the most wonderful group of neighbors who spend countless volunteer hours maintaining the integrity and character of our North Central neighborhood.  I always feel so lucky to welcome them into our home to celebrate them and the holidays.

Typically, I would love to think I have the time and energy to make everything from scratch, but realistically that’s not always the case. What did we do before Costco or Sam’s Club? This year, I capitalized on all the wonderful things available at Costco for the hors d’oerves, flowers and desserts.  With a little imagination you can take ordinary items and turn them into something special with these entertaining shortcuts.

As you know, I think the carnation is the underdog of flower choices, but they are affordable, hold up well and provide a burst of color.

With some evergreens from our Christmas tree (or greens from your yard), you can make them look like this.

Costco has a gourmet food section with an extensive assortment of salami, proscuitto, and cheeses. The French brie, Isigny Ste. Mere is from Normandy and is so delicious.  The Cambozola blue cheese was only $8.00 for 2 wedges! Their Cranberry Cinnamon goat cheese is so festive.

With a very large tray and some effort (I had my son’s assistance), it can look like this! We added olives, nuts and fruit for a beautiful display.

Pre-packed vegetables trays are available in most grocery stores.

With a few added tomatoes and sprigs of herbs (I used thyme, but rosemary or parsley would also work), the vegetable tray can have a holiday theme.

I love making Christmas cookies, but I’ve had no time this year.  Costco has a very good selection and I especially like their Holiday Stollen Bites.

Though the picture isn’t great because I took it after our guests started arriving, you can see how I arranged the desserts.

In addition to beer and wine, my son made a Christmas sangria.  Our non-alc0holic options were water and hot mulled cider, which was a perfect choice on a chilly December night.

The cider is from Trader Joe’s.  Simmered with mulled spices, the presentation was made pretty by adding mini Rome apples and whole cloves.

By using a skewer to pre-poke the holes, the cloves are easier to insert.

A crockpot full of Trader Joe’s party size mini meatballs and their Bold & Smoky Kansas City Style BBQ sauce rounded out the appetizers.

The back porch is the perfect location for larger gatherings.  With the fireplace roaring and the ceiling heaters on, it was a lovely evening with neighbors.

What I didn’t know before writing this post, is that Costco delivers!  It appears they can do so in a few hours or a few days~~that opens up so many new possibilities!

Taking some entertaining shortcuts during this holiday season is a way to lower the stress and still provide a warm and welcoming environment for your guests.

Happy Entertaining!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  It was so nice having all the children home and the house filled with their friends.  Today, as I take all the Thanksgiving items and store them away until next year, here are some random musings about the holiday.

We had the biggest turkey ever~~a whopping 28 lbs, delivered by Jimmy from Personal Gourmet, a local company who specializes in restaurant grade meat and fish. Typically, we have done this to our turkey:

But this year, my foodie son suggested we dry brine the turkey for 24 hours.  Honestly, I have never heard of dry brining and was a bit skeptical but it was so easy.  After patting the turkey dry, we sprinkled the bird with a combination of salt and baking powder.  This apparently changes the pH of the skin. We refrigerated it uncovered for 15 hours (can do up to 3 days).

Instead of a roasting pan, we put the bird in a V-rack on a cookie sheet.  According to Serious Eats, this increases air flow for even cooking.  In order to have the dark meat cook at the same rate of the white breast meat, we placed the cookie sheet on a preheated pizza stone.  You can find all the details on how to do this by clicking here.

This was, hands down, the most delicious turkey we have ever had.  The dry brining was SO easy.  I did add some herb butter between the skin and the breast meat before roasting, but other than that, we hardly basted it (maybe once).  The skin was so crispy and it sealed in most of the juices. We declared this a winner and this will be the recipe of choice when we roast a turkey in the future.

Thanksgiving Day started with blood orange mimosas.  We found the oranges at Whole Foods and it was a nice alternative to regular orange juice mimosas.

Every year, my husband makes his famous pumpkin pies.

And my son, Benjamin and I make a cake from Tessa Huff‘s incredible cake book, Layered.

Presenting (drumroll)…..the Butterscotch Bourbon Cake.

With the table set and ready to go, we enjoyed a delicious meal with family and friends.

Friday was a relaxing day (thank goodness as I was pooped) and, as we do each year, watched the Wizard of Oz, which is my favorite movie.

And took our annual family photo~~it seems to be more difficult to get everyone looking somewhat normal at the same time.  Of course, the battery was low in the camera and hopefully with some editing, we will have a Christmas photo for our card.

Hope you had a relaxing Thanksgiving.  Today, all the autumn decorations come down and onto Christmas! I leave one Christmas related item out all year long and this sits on the mantle in the breakfast room.  I purchased this Christmas car waterless “snowglobe”from eBay.  Created by artist Alicia Reiner, each is hand signed and numbered.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Food seems to taste much better when served in a beautiful setting.  Even though I didn’t have an extravagant childhood, my mother always set a lovely table for the holidays, using her Franciscan Ware apple pattern.

This year, I took one of my English china plates, Windsor Ware by Johnson Bros. with me to select the plants from Whitfill Nursery and flowers from Safeway for the centerpiece.

I wanted to purchase items I could use again~~plants and herbs.  Of course, I needed a few flowers for additional color.

We are having 10 for Thanksgiving dinner so we extended the table.  I wonder why they are called leaves?

It was a worthwhile investment purchasing a table pad to protect the surface of the dining room table.  One side of the pad is felt and the other is a protective plastic.  This one was custom made by Guardian and it has 3 parts.

Next, I layered my table cloths, starting with a Battenburg lace one, and adding 3 smaller muslin sheets on top.  I purchased the vintage muslin sheets from one of my favorite bloggers, Miss Mustard Seed. The lighter ivory tone and texture of the muslin matches the background of the dinner plate.

For the centerpiece,  I lined a rectangular wooden tray with both plastic and foil, and then filled it with the plants, herbs, and pomegranates, pears and flowers.  The brass pumpkins were on sale at Safeway ~~and add a bit of sparkle.

Since, at the time of writing this post, I had not finalized my menu, I was experimenting with adding different plates/bowls in case we have a first course salad or soup. The wooden charger is from Pier 1 Imports, providing a great back drop for my china pattern.

The glass, gold trim salad plate is from Lesley Roy. I like that the design in the center of the plate is visible.

I love these pumpkin soup tureens from Williams-Sonoma, but I rarely use them.

The napkins were a recent purchase (on sale!) from Ballard Designs.  They are the perfect creamy color and the plaid trim complements the brown tones.

A fresh sprig of rosemary from the garden is tucked in the napkin ring.

Looking forward to spending the next few days baking and cooking. Funny how Thanksgiving dinner takes hours to prepare and such a short time to eat!

I understand some of the country is having extremely cold weather.  But here in Phoenix, we are experiencing ideal fall temperatures.  The air conditioners are officially off and windows are open.  It’s time to remove the outdoor furniture covers and spend time outside for the next several months.

One of the entertaining spaces at Bella Terra is the back terrace. This was added during our extensive historical renovation, replacing a small landing and steps down to the pool.

Connected to the new kitchen addition, the back terrace can be accessed from the interior of the house through the kitchen, library and family room.  It’s the perfect place for entertaining under cover.

The area is split into two functions.  There is seating around the fireplace.  All upholstery is Sunbrella fabric. The furniture was purchased several years ago from Crate and Barrel.  We cover the furniture during the summer months and it has held up nicely over time.

The outdoor rugs are a relatively new purchase from the Rug Studio.  These indoor/outdoor rugs are so affordable and can be cleaned with a garden hose. I love the pop of color and whimsy they add to the space.

The other half of the terrace is home to a large table with 10 chairs.  The BBQ and sink is nearby.

The back terrace overlooks the pool.   Space heaters were added to the ceiling and are used frequently during the winter months.

The repeating arches is an abundant architectural feature of our 1910 historical home.

I gathered some flower clippings from the yard and used my favorite faux bois outdoor containers from the Painted Fox.

Of course, what is a photo shoot without my faithful companions.Sox is curled up on a chair below and Cooper, our Anatolian shepherd is in a few of the photos above.

I hope you are enjoying the cooler temperatures and I look forward to the start of our entertaining season!

Being on the receiving end of a visually gorgeous gift is exciting.  I have always appreciated someone taking the extra time to make the outside of the gift as thoughtful as the inside.

When we were restoring Bella Terra, I designed a gift wrapping space in our mud room ~~a place to hold all the paper, tissue, bags, and ribbons.

The deep drawer pulls out and there are wooden dowels for hanging the rolls.  There is also another pull out section that provides a flat work surface.

On either side, there are small individual drawers for tape, scissors, ribbons, glue gun, and miscellaneous items.

Unfortunately, I left the big drawer open recently and our rescue cat, Donovan, decided it was a fun place to hide and explore.  Here’s what he did to several rolls of wrapping paper. The good news is that it forced me to clean out the mess. In doing so, I happened to find a diamond earring in the bottom of the drawer that I had lost nearly 2 years ago!!

Timing is everything. It just so happened that one of my favorite bloggers, Tina from The Enchanted Home,  recently released her own line of wrapping paper.  Tina LOVES blue and white porcelain and I have previously blogged about the gorgeous artificial flowers I purchased from her online store.

What I love about this paper is that it is two-sided~~so with 4 rolls I actually have 8 different styles and colors. The perfect replacement for my many shredded rolls.

After selecting the paper, it’s important to choose the right ribbon.  If you have a Costco in your area, they have a wide selection, especially around the holidays~~large rolls for a reasonable price.

You can make a gift extra special by adding a trinket to the box.  Typically I search my stash of craft supplies, artificial or real flowers, old costume jewelry or buttons or even something from the yard.

By adding a small do-dad, you can make the gift more elegant, playful, casual or themed.

This clip-on artificial flower gives a big punch of color.

What I appreciate about Tina’s paper is that is a very good quality.  Some papers are so thin they tear when you fold the corners.  Here are examples using both sides of one roll of paper~~creating two totally different looks.

The simple blue grosgrain ribbon adds contrast to the green sheer one and the brooch bumps up the elegance. I chose the topiary garden charm from Pottery Barn since it matches the topiary theme on the paper.

The Enchanted Home has just released their holiday wrapping paper and you can see their selection here.

The holidays are coming…..will you do something extra special with your gift wrapping?