Inspiration Monday!

from Pam's other blog: Design Spark!

Monday is a great day to get inspired. I think that reading a great quote from someone is the perfect way to get inspired. 

For today, I have chosen two quotes from Oprah Winfrey.  Her life is truly inspirational, when you know her back story. I love the fact that she tries to help so many others. I know my goal for this week is to help someone not expecting it, but needing it to help make the world a gentler place this week. 

“What God intended for you goes far beyond anything you can imagine.”

"I believe that everyone is the keeper of a dream - and by tuning into one another's secret hopes, we can become better friends..."

Oprah Winfrey

I am dedicating this weeks post to Paul Bieszczad. 

This week is going to be a little tough- but I know I can do it- my family needs me to be strong for them. It is hard when someone leaves this world unexpectedly. God Bless Uncle Paul, you've got your Angel WIngs. Bless you for your passion & feistiness! He was one of the first people in my life that I observed as a child who showed me how amazing your life could be when you love someone and live your life with passion. I was a personal witness to his and my Aunt Kathy's love story.Thank you for becoming a part of my family. I'll even say "Go Bucks!" in his honor (which is hard for a MSU Sparty fan to do), Uncle Paul was one of the biggest Ohio State Buckeye fans I know. He was not afraid to show it.  We will miss you so. xoxo

Game Day Appetizers Score Extra Points! Crab is KING!

It seems that it's time again to post some appetizer recipes. Thursday is the day I've scheduled to pass along some great recipes.This week is Yummy! (Good thing we don't have a calorie count! Whipping cream & half & half are delicious!)This is a re-write of a post from my original blog, but definitely worth taking a look at again in honor of Super Bowl Weekend.
I have to say that I LOVE appetizers. In fact sometimes, I would rather eat appetizers than a real meal. I have come to the realization that it is because you can just get so creative with them. Several types are usually required when entertaining. The ingredients are never boring, and spices are fun and well,"Sparky" and SPICY!!! It can be inspiring to create and design an appetizer platter. Food can be a fabulous part of the edible and memorable "decorations" for a party as well.
In honor of Super Bowl Sunday- I thought I would share a couple of Appetizer recipes that I have collected over the years. My Mom Sharon called me over the holidays and asked me to give her that Yummy Hot crab appetizer recipe that I made last year for them. I had to pause for a moment because I actually could not remember which one that she was talking about. But this gave me the chance to go through some of the great recipes and so when I made a copy of them for her, I thought that I would share them with you too. If you can't make them all for the game, then try to make at least one over the weekend. ENJOY!
NEW!
Instead of a Chili Recipe, I am posting my friend Claudia's Cream of Crab Bisque-Recipe. Now, if you decide to make this recipe for this weekend, make sure that you do not waste this golden "melt in your mouth" gourmet recipe serving this soup to those who do not appreciate seafood delicacies. It's way better than Campbell's but it's a bit pricey- just make sure to enjoy every drop!

Claudia's Cream of Crab Soup

2 Lbs Jumbo Lump Crabmeat (only break apart some of the meat)
1 Sweet Onion (chopped finely)
1 stick butter (butter only)
1 bottle Clam Juice
1 can (15oz) Chicken Stock
2 qts Half and Half
1 1/2 quart Heavy whipping cream
4 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 Tablespoons Cooking Sherry
1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley
Flour
Milk

In a large pot melt 1/2 of stick of butter, add chopped onion, saute until translucent, salt and pepper to taste. Add clam juice and chicken stock to sauted onion, stir to get all of the browned butter mixed in with the clam juice and chicken stock. Turn heat to medium, add Half and Half, Heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil, make sure to cook this slow and stir constantly. While waiting for mixture to boil, make a thickening paste with flour and milk, "you are going to have to judge this according to how thick you want your soup to be" the thicker the better. Once at a boil, add Crabmeat, 1/2 stick butter, Old Bay seasoning, Sherry and Fresh Parsley. Stir in Flour and Milk mixture to thicken, make sure to stir constantly. This soup is best to make ahead of time so the Old Bay can work it's magic and it will thicken as it cools. You can add more or less Old Bay or Sherry, it's up to your taste buds!

Serve with crackers!
PS -Claudia's Tip: Your have to go to Costc to purchase Phillips Jumbo Lump, it has the best flavor and makes the best soup, it's worth every penny and makes a big pot of soup that will go fast! Great for a party esp. Super Bowl!!

The next two recipes below are from one of my favorite little mini books printed by Oxmoor House for Southern Living called "Ultimate Book of Appetizers" The last one is a crab dip that you serve cold that was published first in Southern Living Magazine in April of 2004.
Crab Dip Recipes1-11


Crab Cakes & Lime Garlic Shrimp & Mango Salsa Recipe1-11


P.S. Our Willow House Food Mixes are perfect to keep handy for last minute guests!

We carry 3 different kinds of Specialty Dip Mixes:
Tuscan Roasted Garlic Dip Mix
Santa Fe Dip Mix
Parmesan Peppercorn Herb Dip Mixes.

Plus we offer these specialty drink mixes:
White Sangria Mix
Sangria Mix
Margarita Mixes

We also offer these Bread Mixes:
Lemon Blueberry Bread Mix and Rosemary Olive Bread Mix.

These are our Specialty Desserts:
Tiramisu Mix
Pound Cake Mix and
Cappuccino Mousse Mix.

Check them out on my web site in the Shop/Order section: http://Pamlau1.willowhouse.com Everything ships within 48 hours of our order.
Enjoy!

It's Time to Dress Up... the Mantle

Part One: Nothing is better than sitting by the fire keeping warm and toasty to kill of the wicked winter chill that seeps into your bones. With that statement, I guess it's no secret that I live in the North! While you are sitting by the cosy fire, it is even better if you can have a lovely looking mantle to make everything look so picturesque.
There are a couple of things that you need to consider when deciding what you want to put up there:
What is your Theme.
Have a Color Scheme.
Highlight some of your "Treasures".
Pick a Style.

Our Mantle at Christmas, complete with Stockings!
(Click on any of the pictures to view them larger)

THEME: A mantle is the perfect gathering place for setting up a theme. For instance, I bet you all had your mantles decorated to the max for Christmas. I know I do. Every year. Love it. Here's a Picture of it done up for the holidays.
But now, the holidays are over and hopefully you are now faced with a clean slate.
Using the holidays as your theme again, it's time to get ready for Valentines Day.
OR you can use the Seasons as your theme. Right now would be Winter. If you have a special collection, like my mom does of Milk glass, Fenton glass and Lenox Birds, she could use her collection as her theme. 
COLOR SCHEME: Once you've picked your theme, it is time to move on to color. YOu need to have a palette in mind. It can match what furniture you have in the room or coordinate. You definitely do not want to pick something that clashes- everything should compliment the other colors. The only time that that would not matter is if you are going with a color to match you theme. It's ok that you use orange and black when it's Halloween. Just make sure that you use enough of the color together, that it's obvious that it is meant to stand out from other parts of the room. 
This mantle design color theme is picking up on the red colors that took us through Christmas and now through Valentine's Day. I'll give you some close up pictures this weekend of the individual pieces that I'm using. Here are three different versions :

Version One Mantle: RED  color theme.

Version Two Mantle: Red with a Winter theme.

Version Three Mantle: Sea Blues and Butter Yellow Spring theme.

TREASURES: Treasures are things that you collect because they mean something special to you. Why not show them off on your Mantle? Enough said.

STYLE: Everyone is drawn to a specific type of design style. Whether you love Shabby Chic, French Country, Modern or Eclectic; (to just name a few) each of these different styles also looks better with the way you lay them out. Symmetrical or Asymmetrical. Minimal or Complicated Layers. 

Now there a couple of considerations that could pose a dilemma. One is how high off the ground your mantle sits and how much room you have above the Mantel until you hit the ceiling. Also how wide your mantle is from the wall? Both of these were two huge issues for me as the space between the shelf and the ceiling is not very wide. I chose a large narrow rectangular Watercolor painting to hang above it. Then, because my shelf area is not very wide, it limits how much layering I can do. It's not possible to put many of my lovely treasures up on the mantle as it won't hold them, it's too narrow.

Just make a choice and start to play around with different items that you want to use until you get it to look right. You'll know when you are done. It will just feel right to you.
My last piece of advice to you is that rules are nice, to help you to follow, but they are also made to be broken. Don't be afraid to try something totally different!


My next post will detail some of the different treasures I used in the pieces above.
Until next time- Blessings!

The New Year- Change it Up!

Cheers and Happy New Year! I love the Holidays, they are my favorite time of the year, but honestly I am glad when they are over. Hate packing all my Christmas treasures up until next year, but after it's done, I can take a good look around and figure out what it's time to change.You should do the same. Are you asking: I like what I have, why would I want to change it? Also, where is all this money going to come from to make these changes?

Let me tell you that, to answer the first question about what to change, it doesn't take much to make an impact on a room. You do NOT have to change every single thing in your room or spend a ton of money to make an impact on your home decor. It can be as simple as giving your room a new coat of paint or changing up a centerpiece on a coffee table or the kitchen table with a new item to give you an updated style. Maybe your mantle needs a new focus. So remember one nice new something for your home can make your room feel brand new and give you a much needed boost as well.

This is the Viridian Oval Container one of Willow House's brand new products.
imagine this as a centerpiece on your coffee table. To change it up, why put it in your kitchen
 filled with green apples adding a little bit of color to your winter while making a
nice healthy snack center for the family.

Why do you want to change it? Well, if you change everything all at once, it can be costly and who has the money to do that as well as the time and energy? Well if you find a new style that you like, make a list and prioritize what is most important. Then buy a little at a time as it makes it affordable to make changes. If you don't take an honest look at least once a year, then suddenly you may find your home a little faded and jaded.

Remember just because Aunt Milly gave you that vase, it doesn't mean you need to keep it for 20 years. If you feel guilty about getting rid of it, then give it away to someone that admires it. They will love it and so will you!

Now, I am going to tell you that before you get something new, make sure that you buy something that you can find more than one way of using. Don't spend the money on something that you will tuck away in your closet for 8 or 9 months out of the year.

I love products that are not only beautiful but useful. You also need to look at quality. If you do not by something that is well made, it will fall apart before you are ready to change it up and when that happens you will be sad. Believe me, I have learned this the hard way. So it is worth it, to spend a little more.

Blessings! Pam