IHWSH - Calendars

A new year means it's time for... a new calendar! Here are some calendars we adore, for this week's "I'll Have What She's Having":

Katie's Picks:
1. Happy New Year Tea Towel Calendar
2. Jack and Lulu Calendar
3. Kate Spade Wall Calendar
4. Paper Source Wall Art Calendar

Jayne's Picks:
5. Rifle Botanical Calendar
6. Lovely Peacock Print
7. Linda & Harriet Watercolor Calendar
8. Letterpress Calendar

NYE - Drinks and Desserts

First of all... happy, happy birthday to my sweet, fun, loving husband! Dac doesn't always like sharing his birthday with Christmas and New Year's, but this year we're with his family and he's getting spoiled rotten. :) We've eaten so many desserts already for the holidays that we may be skipping a cake... but I'm sure we'll be ready for sweets again by NYE.

Here is a little roundup of sparkling, festive "zerts" and drinks to ring in the new year:

Champagne sparkle jello shots via

Glittery doughnut holes via Martha Stewart

Star Glitter Cake Pops via Cupcakes and Cashmere

Sparkly pink punch via somewhere splendid

Sparkler cupcake via

Red currant champagne cocktail via Martha Stewart

Confetti Cake (LOVE this and wanted it as a wedding cake when we originally considered NYE. We did a version of it for Katie's 30th and it was the bomb.com!) via Martha Stewart

Any of these items would be a sure hit in my opinion. Ready to party? Happy New Year's prep!

via Pinterest

NYE - The Decor

There are endless ideas out there for cute, festive NYE decor, but I managed to narrow my favorites down into a couple different groupings that could be used together.

Party 1:

Confetti streamers / starry lights / countdown glasses / noisemakers / party hats / dot straws

Party 2:

sparkle sticks / pretty dresser top / giant balloons / sequins in water / sparkle cupcake / snowflake table / dot backdrop / oh joy

Gold is my favorite NYE accent. Here are some fun gold pieces that would add some shimmer and sparkle to any party:

scalloped glitter garland / gold accented glasses / champagne flutes / dot punch bowl / gold candlesticks / sparkle tray / gold playing cards

I also had to mention this easy little garland that Katie and I did last year. We found it on Martha Stewart's website, and there is a template you can print. It's a piece of cake! Here was the photo on Martha's site:

via Martha Stewart

And here was ours:

Happy confetti-ing!

via glitter guide

NYE - The Outfit

via ban.do

It's the best excuse of the year to buy a sparkly, sassy new dress... and that typically leads to some fancy new shoes, too. Here are a few combos I have had my eye on:

Rachel Gilbert beaded mini / Sofia Vergara for Kmart shoes / Modcloth bubbly dress / Enzo Angiolini slingback / Topshop sequin ballerina / Kate Spade slingback

Also LOVE this (but I don't know where to buy it, and it's probably a bajillion dollars anyway):

via Pinterest

And these (and every other pair of shoes from Kate Spade):

via Kate Spade

What fabulous outfit have you found to ring in 2012?

via design sponge

NYE - The Invite

If it were up to me, every party would be NYE themed. I love the festive decor - glitter, metallics, confetti... all of my favorite things. Katie and Henry are in Japan this week and next (I know, right?!) - so while I'm blogging solo, this week's posts will be dedicated to the NYE "countdown." Katie hearts NYE too (of course). We actually threw (an impromptu) little house party together at my place in Dallas last year:

Here are a handful of festive NYE invite ideas...

Pop Confetti:

Gold Fringe:

Bagged Confetti:

Color Splash:

Cheery:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Let the countdown begin!

IHWSH - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

We both find Christmas Eve to be one of our favorite nights of the year (or maybe our favorite). So this week's "I'll Have What She's Having" is in honor of the night before Christmas (tomorrow!)...

Katie's Picks:
1. Stocking from Etsy
2. Hot chocolate maker
3. Santa PJs

Jayne's Picks:
4. Cookies for Santa Plate
5. Classic PJs
6. A Christmas Story (a must for late night present wrapping)

Merry Christmas y'all!

Christmas Weekend Breakfast Idea

I came across this Blueberry French Toast "casserole" recipe on Pinterest, the source being this blog, and thought it would make a great Christmas morning treat! I tested it out this week - it was quick and easy, and you can make it the night before. It still requires an hour of baking time in the morning, but much better than having to deal with the prep AND the baking. I think I arranged my bread crumbs and layer of blueberries/cream cheese a little too neatly - because it didn't look as pretty as it did in the picture I found, which was this:

Mine ended up like this (Although I poured the blueberry syrup over the whole thing, so that's why mine is blueberry colored - the other blog's picture was pre-sauce. It may work better to pour the sauce over individual slices like they did. Once it cools the sauce does thicken though and becomes a sort of glaze.):

So like I said, not nearly as pretty... but still delicious. I would bake it longer next time. I ended up baking it 10 minutes more than it says, and it was still not quite golden brown like the recipe suggests.


OVERNIGHT BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST

French Toast:
12 slices bread, cut into cubes (French or Texas toast. I used Texas Toast.)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut in cubes
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
12 large eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk (I use 1 cup milk and 1 cup cream)
Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tablespoon butter


Steps:
1.  Arrange 1/2 of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13 pan.
2. Sprinkle cream cheese cubes and blueberries evenly over the bread cubes.
3. Top with remaining bread cubes.

4. Mix together eggs, milk, and syrup.
5. Pour over bread cubes and cover pan with foil. Let chill in refrigerator overnight.

6. Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until fluffy and golden. Top with sauce. Serves 8.
Sauce: Cook water, sugar, and cornstarch until thickened. Stir in blueberries and simmer for 10 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Serve over the french toast.

Enjoy it... and all of the other holiday treats you may be consuming!

via Pinterest

Oh, Christmas Trees

This year we celebrated Christmas a week early in Indiana.  Our holiday traditions are simple but special and it is easily our most favorite time of the year.  One of the things we all look forward to the most is seeing my parent's house transformed into a Christmas Wonderland.  It is impossible to describe how beautiful it is after my mom's many, many hours spent decorating.

Probably the most impressive feat she pulls off every year are the Christmas trees decorated to perfection throughout the house.  It is hard to really capture how amazing each one is, but here are photos of the trees:

#1: A small tree in the hall to our bedrooms

#2: On the back porch with a Santa statue

#3: The Dining Room - silver and purple tree

#4: The Living Room - I believe this tree is 15' tall!

#5: My parent's bedroom

#6: In the basement

Close-up of #6 - the tree is covered in airplane ornaments (our Dad is a private pilot)

#7: On the landing next to the kitchen - decorated in all Mary Engelbreit ornaments

#8: My personal favorite, the Family Room tree - it is covered in family memories!

My 1st Christmas ornament on tree #8

#9: Sam's room

Close-up of Sam's tree - in this photo you can see Thomas the Tank Engine, Woody, and the Cat in the Hat, some of Sam's favorites growing up

#10: In the computer room

#11: Jayne and Dac's room - she made ornaments out of their wedding favors for their tree!

#12: Henry and I's room - our tree includes Arkansas and Carolina ornaments

TWELVE TREES!  And every single one is beautiful - these pictures do not do them justice.  Mom, I know it takes so much time to put all of these up and decorate them, but the whole family looks forward to them all year!  They also remind us just how lucky we are.  Thank you.