Downton Abbey Silver Holiday Decorating Tabletop

Simple decorating ideas are my kind

of decorating. I have these silver plated cups

that I call my Downton Abbey Cups..

They are just vintage silver cups

but I am sure they have lots of stories to tell.

(They will look more like Downton Abbey

on white linen!)

Place each cup in a circle like a wreath

and fill each with boxwood cuttings.

If you are a gardener that is the same

as saying each are filled with cheer.

If only boxwood rooted quickly

like say, mint!  

Old silver has such character!

The combination of brown, silver and gray

with some shimmer and some dull areas

has such appeal to me.

These almost blend into the tabletop.

Beautifully burnished is the best description for the cups.

Happiness is a table full of family and friends

good food helps too,

so I guess I should be looking for new dishes to make

the usual dishes are comforting but it's always good to

have a few surprises each year.

I stumbled upon a cookbook by 
Sam Choy

at a Goodwill store and it was $1.30 

Now I have the recipe for Payapa Dressing!

The list of secret ingredients is in my kitchen.

All photographs are my own from Instagram.

Connecting up with:
   Between Naps on the Porch
Coastal Charm
Common Ground

Styling Collage Photography

It's not what you have

 it's how you arrange them.

It's not how expensive the items are

it's about texture and color.

That is pretty much the rules I use

when it comes to styling collage photography.

These are my two photographs from Instagram

I love how art is in everything around us.

Both of these photgraphs were taken with my iphone 4.

You have to love the iphone...easy to carry and usually

always with me wherever I'm at.

We were very, very fortunate that we didn't lose

our electricity during Hurricane Sandy.

There were a few flickers and I waited up a good

bit during the night waiting to light candles while

the wind roared outside.

I feel bad for all of the others who had extensive damage.

Schools were cancelled for two days and many

business offices were closed as well.

Connecting up with Common Ground Linky Party