GOD BLESS AMERICA! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY!!

PHOTO CREDIT: MARTHA STEWART:   Pin wheels in a tureen with sand used as the anchor.  ADORABLE! 

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!  GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!  We are BLESSED beyond measure to be living in this GREAT nation.....with freedoms that MANY other countries do not permit.  Take some time this weekend to reflect on ALL of the wonderful joys we are allowed to experience in the USA!  Bow your head and, GIVE THANKS for our nation!  Continue to pray for our young men and women who are fighting for our country overseas.  Hang the American flag proudly on your house or your apartment.

Plan a get together with close friends or family and, use the recipes that I am going to share.  Kick up your heels and SOAK up this glorious and meaningful holiday!   Go ahead and get "crafty".....you can find ADORABLE red, white and blue decor at Michael's .   Display the amazing AMERICAN colors around your house and/or around your front door. 

Recipe Credit and Photo:  ALL RECIPES

OVERNIGHT BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST

*I have been making this AMAZING breakfast dish for years.....TO DIE FOR!

12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 12 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
•  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.  In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.  Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.  In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast

PHOTO CREDIT:  SKINNY TASTE

RED POTATO SALAD 

3 pounds unpeeled red potatoes
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup sliced celery
Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add red potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop into 1 inch cubes. Place in a medium bowl.  Place eggs in a medium saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and dice.  In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, distilled white vinegar, green onions, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the potatoes, and mix together with the eggs and celery. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours before serving.

PHOTO AND RECIPE CREDIT:  FOOD TV- INA GARTEN

FRIED CHICKEN

• 2 chickens (3 pounds each), cut in 8 serving pieces
• (You can also use boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken strips)
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil or vegetable shortening
• Directions
• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Take the chicken out of the buttermilk and coat each piece thoroughly with the flour mixture. Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed stockpot to a depth of 1-inch and heat to 360 degrees F on a thermometer.

Working in batches, carefully place several pieces of chicken in the oil and fry for about 3 minutes on each side until the coating is a light golden brown (it will continue to brown in the oven). Don't crowd the pieces. Remove the chicken from the oil and place each piece on a metal baking rack set on a sheet pan. Allow the oil to return to 360 degrees F before frying the next batch. When all the chicken is fried, bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Serve hot.
FLAIR TIP:  * Fry chicken 3-4 hours before serving and, 45 minutes before serving, place in a 200 degree oven in a pan covered with aluminum foil.  

PHOTO AND RECIPE CREDIT:  FOOD TV- PAULA DEEN 

PEACH COBBLER 

• 4 cups peeled, sliced peaches

• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Ground cinnamon, optional

• 
  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

BETH'S STRAWBERRY LEMONADE With MINT 

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 can Bacardi frozen strawberry Daiquiri concentrate 
1 2 liter bottle Ginger Ale, chilled 

1 carton fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

Fresh mint leaves

*In a large glass drink dispenser or punch bowl, prepare lemonade and daiquiri concentrate according to directions.  Add sugar and stir. Add 3/4 bottle of chilled ginger ale.  Add 3-4 fresh sliced strawberries to each glass.  Garnish with mint leaves.  Serve over ice. 

DECORATING FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY:

You do not need to spend much time adorning your home for this holiday....red, white and blue decorations may be found at your local grocery store or check at your local TARGET.  I promise, even, holiday napkins will brighten up your weekend!   F*U*N with FLAIR!!!

PHOTO CREDIT:  MARTHA STEWART

A wonderful shop online!!!  I  LOVE her paper party designs!  ETSY- GREEN APPLE PAPERIE

Designs from GREEN APPLE PAPERIE

Designs from GREEN APPLE PAPERIE

HAPPY HOLIDAY WEEKEND!  

DECORATIVE PILLOWS- ADD AN INSTANT 'POP' TO YOUR SPACE

Decorative pillows add a wonderful new 'POP' of color to a sofa or a chair in your family room.  A single pillow or, three of the same kind can TRANSFORM the master bed or, for that matter, ANY bed in your house!  PILLOWS!!!!  I cannot get enough of this wonderful decorative touch! 

You can buy pillows on ANY budget.  I am listing these in order from most expensive to least.  There are pillows available at every price! 

From The Southern Home.  These pillows are down filled, my ABSOLUTE favorite!  20 X 20 inches; $138 each. 

From  ETSY- ELEGANT TOUCH  these pillows are very CHIC with the geometric design, AWESOME!!  $55 each.


From PIER 1.  I have a pair of this GREAT pillow in my living room. This pillow has neat detail and texture.  Guests often comment on this pillow because it is quite interesting to look at.  You always want to add interest in a room, this can be accomplished by
adding unexpected accents, such as these pillows.

I hope you can add a set of pillows to a room in your house and, update it with a little bit of fun FLAIR!  Happy Spring you all!!!   Warmest Regards, ~ Beth  

DECORATING TIPS FOR A RENTED HOME

My friend, Beth Anderson, sent me a question the other day, regarding: ideas to decorate a new rental house.  She and her husband and sweet daughter recently moved to Cleveland, OHIO from Chicago.  Beth says that the walls in the rental house are off-white and, no painting is permitted.  No worries!  


Although painting a room a great new color can truly change a room, you can use art and accessories to shift the focal point.  Here are some items that can help to create a great effect and, the best part:  when you move from the rental house, you can pack them up and move along. *FLAIR TIP: A rented house or apartment can look like HOME as easily as a place that you own.  You may have to use a little more creativity, but, day-to-day, it is very worth your effort.

From HORCHOW.  You can never go wrong with silk panels on a window.  Hang them as high to the ceiling as possible.  Curtains hung higher to the ceiling make the room look bigger.  Do not worry if the curtains are too long, simply 'pool' the fabric, as shown in this photo.  You can easily hang these in a rented home and, feel great about your investment, because you can take them down when you move and hang in the next house. 

A GREAT lamp from PIER 1.   Great looking lamps instanty add a POP of color to a room.  Be sure and buy in sets of two, in order to give a more symmetrical and clean look.
I LOVE this color too! 

Nice book shelf from PIER 1.  A nice book shelf adds interest in a room and, this piece would look wonderful on a white wall.  I especially like the sides with the geometric design.  Place nice decorative vases and other decorative items
 on these shelves and, POOF.....you have a great look! 

One more item from PIER 1!  I LOVE this mirror!  Place it over a couch or over a great chair, an INSTANT focal point in a room.  The color is WONDERFUL!   I like the starburst design, very CHIC. 

A rug in front of a couch or under a coffee table looks AMAZING!  You can also place one of these great rugs from GARNET HILL under a dining table.
* Does the rental space have carpet?
No problem.  Place one of these accent rugs right
on top of the carpet for a neat look.
 *The geometric pattern adds interest. 

WEST ELM.    WEST ELM-  I cannot get enough of this HIP store!  From rugs, to furniture, to lamps.....a GREAT place to find items for your home.  I like the great texture of these pillows.  Buy them in pairs for a couch and, the gray is especially en vogue right now!  AWESOME! 

VERY cool colored bottles from WEST ELM .   Always think in terms of  a single item or in ODD numbers. These would look great on a coffee table.  Line up 3 or 5 bottles on a surface.  Getting prepared to have dinner guests?  Use 3 bottles down the center of the table with simple flowers in each one:  a single hydrangea in each or, a tulip, for example. 

 HAPPY DECORATING YOU ALL!   Kindest Regards,  Beth

Decorating With Mirrors

Adding a mirror to a room is one of my favorite decorating focal points.  A great mirror looks wonderful over a mantle, or, above a sofa.  A great mirror can also be the 'anchor' for a neat wall display.  For instance, hang the mirror and then a collection of plates on either side of it....an instant 'pop' and, a quick way to warm up your room.

Awesome look! From Ballard Designs. Notice the way the four mirrors are hung side-by-side...very CHIC!

Ballard Designs

From WISTERIA

ANTHROPOLOGIE

In our family room, from ANTIQUES WITHIN

Our entry hall: Mirror from WORLDS AWAY

Our Living Room: Mirror from ANTIQUES WITHIN

This mirror hangs in our dining room:  From STEINMART

Gorgeous mirror:  From WORLDS AWAY

*FLAIR TIP: A great looking mirror always adds a custom look to a bathroom.  Select a mirror with nice and clean lines to hang over a sink and vanity. The mirror will instantly update the room and add interest. Always avoid plain cut pieces of mirror in a bathroom.  A mirror that is hung over a bathroom sink looks MUCH more professional and adds character and flair to the space. 

ELEGANT LIVING ROOMS AND SPACES

I truly believe that paint colors are "Grown-Up" Crayons.  Paint and paint colors are a practical way to totally change a room or a piece of furniture.   Over the years, paint has been one of the most economical methods by which I have been able to add a pop of color to a room or, add a sense of calm. 


Currently, my favorite paint color obsession is Navajo White by Benjamin Moore.  www.benjaminmoore.com.

Navajo White by Benjamin Moore 

Two months ago, our living room and dining room was a warm apple green color.  We inherited this color when we moved in to our home 4 years ago.  I was ready for a change and, ready to make it more of my own space. 


I loved the new color on the walls so much that, I had 4 pieces of furniture painted as well.  Contrast in a room is very important, in order to add interest and the important 'WOW' effect.  I asked my painter to have the furniture paint mixed two shades darker than the Navajo White.  


I have added a few elegant rooms that are really AWESOME and, lighter and brighter.  These spaces are very chic and, calming. 

I would like to credit the following for the wonderful pictures:   www.coastalliving.com; www.elegantwoman.org;




www.elledecor.com.






Do you need a new look and design?  Paint your walls cream and INDULGE yourself and your guests.  






Take a look at the most current issue of ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST......it is YUMMY! 




www.architecturaldigest.com.