Christmas Mantel

I'm changing things up this year for my Christmas decor. The past few years I have featured a lot of mesh and bling. This year I'm drawn to something a little more rustic mixed with the bling. My mantel is a good jumping off point to blend these two highly contrasting styles together.

I filled my large Galveston Hurricane with a few glittery ornaments I purchased at Hobby Lobby last year.

Then I stuck in a few faux pine branches and two green glittery berry branches that I picked up at A to Z for just $5 and $2 a piece respectively - what a bargain!

This pairing of rustic pine branches and glittery berries spoke to me in the shopping cart and served as a big dose of inspiration for my Christmas decor this year.

To balance out the other end of the mantel I left the two candlesticks up from the fall mantel, switched out the books and added tall, bright-green tapers. Something was still missing , but nothing a little red ribbon couldn't remedy.

I hung our Pottery Barn stockings with care and there you have it. My simply rustic and blingy Christmas 2010 mantel. I am super excited about my inspiration this year. I'm off to decorate.

I'm joining the first of four linky parties. Layla over at the Lettered Cottage is hosting a Christmas Mantel party today starting at noon central. I can't wait to be nosy and see what everyone else is up to this year!

What is your inspiration for your Christmas decor this year?

~Southern Fried Gal

Recycle Pumpkins for Christmas Decor

Don't toss out those pumpkins just yet! Instead recycle them into your Christmas decor. I love this idea from Southern Living. I'm contemplating this for my front door but haven't decided quite yet.

My friend, Mandy, ran with this idea last Christmas. Super cute!

You might also consider painting smaller pumpkins gold or silver and adding them into your holiday decor inside. This is another way to stretch your decorating dollars this time of year!

What other non-traditional items do you use in your Christmas decor?

~Southern Fried Gal

Thanksgiving 2010 Hodge Podge

We had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday at the Southern Fried abode this year. My brother and his family came down from Oklahoma on Wednesday evening. My mom, step-dad, and granny joined us on Thursday morning.

This year I decided not to be a Thanksgiving control freak. I bought a deep-fried Cajun turkey instead of getting up at 4 am to worry about cooking my own. Everyone brought a little something. Because I have stolen all of my mom's best Thanksgiving recipes, she came bearing a beautiful pecan pie. It was even more tasty than it was beautiful. Watch your back, Mom!

I have hosted Thanksgiving in my home several years and I never feel confident about the dressing. This year I decided to try a new recipe I saw on Martha earlier this week for Cherry-Pecan Cornbread Dressing muffins. They had a great flavor and were pretty but a tad on the dry side. Maybe I will try them again and add a little more stock. Do you have a dressing recipe that always turns out perfectly? Please share!

My sister-in-love brought the rolls. YUM! I know her secret but I cannot reveal. I am most sad that these were all gone shortly into the meal.

You know my BBC is quite a character. Add four other characters into the mix and you have a recipe for a fun (and LOUD) holiday get-together. There were lots of shenanigans and I wish I could share them all. This little clip is an attempt to get a picture of them to capture the moment. This about sums it up (although BBC looks like he's ready for bed).

I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderfully blessed as ours Now on to the Christmas decorations!!! Woo Hoo!

~Southern Fried Gal

WHW: Very Merry Markdown

Are you gearing up for Black Friday sales? I saw an add where a store is opening up at 3 AM - that is CRAZY!!! I've got a better solution for you. Grab your favorite drink and cozy up to my Willow House ONLINE STORE! We just announced our Very Merry Markdown Sale good now through December 15 while supplies last!

My favorite merry markdown has to be our Framework Urn (41284) at just $41.96. This piece provides height and structural interest all on its own or change out the contents with each season for a festive look! The best thing about this purchase is it qualifies you for our pick-your-own customer special! With $39.96 in retail sales, pick a product under $40 for half off!!!

Do you have a friend or family member who collects bird houses? Our Avery Decorative Birdhouse (41368) makes a lovely addition to any collection. This piece is substantial - almost 2 feet tall!

You know I am a big fan of buying products with multiples to split into fun and inexpensive gifts. Our cute-as-a-button stylist, Melanie Grant, shares a few adorable ideas in this short video. You can also check out the Willow House Facebook Page for more ideas and close-up shots. While you are there go ahead and LIKE my Facebook Page, too!

I hope you will take advantage of every chance you get to shop from your seat instead of your feet! You can order any of the items featured here and much more in my ONLINE STORE. Don't forget to check out our weekly deals in the OUTLET, too! There are several items on sale for over 70% each week. Pay securely online and items ship quickly and directly to your home!

Let the shopping begin!

~Southern Fried Gal
aka Carmella Fryar
Director, Willow House
Need extra holiday cash? Ask me about opening up your own online store!

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Fundraiser

A friend, Shannon Craig, is training to participate in the Disney 1/2 marathon as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. Each team is raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myloma from taking more lives. Shannon's team is Team FAITH. You can read about their inspiration on the team home page.

They have set a goal to raise $10,500 for this race and have already collected over $4,600 toward that goal! I am helping Shannon host a Willow House fundraiser this week. A minimum of 10% of all sales through this online party will be donated to the team (the more we sell, the higher the percentage).

If you want to help support this cause and Team FAITH, you can shop my ONLINE STORE and enter SHANNON CRAIG as your hostess at checkout. Knock out some Christmas shopping and feel good knowing your purchase is helping others!

You can also donate directly to this team through Shannon's page.

Thank you for helping us raise funds for research and patient support and to raise awareness.

~Southern Fried Gal

Southern Fried Sundays

As we celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S. this week I am going to make a conscience effort to maintain a thankful heart. If you are like me you may get caught up in trying to make everything perfect and lose the joy of the moment. Perfectionism is the enemy of hospitality. If you struggle in this area you may want to check out my post on hospitality and perfectionism earlier this year. The following passage of scripture also helps me keep myself in check:

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:8-10 NIV

Do you struggle with this, too? How do you keep yourself in check?

I wish many wonderful blessings upon you and your family this week!

~Southern Fried Gal

Deal of the Day: Holiday Centerpiece

A friend brought to my attention today that you can recreate a similar look to this holiday centerpiece (from a past catalog) quite inexpensively in my outlet! You will need two of the iron stands ($11.96 today only) and six of the platters (available in green or brown for $4.96 each OR in custard for $8.96 each today only). This is a look you can use for almost any gathering any time of year! AND it serves double duty as a centerpiece and serving piece!!!

Want to pick up these pieces at a heck of a deal today? Head on over to my online store, enter RETRO in the search field and scroll down to see these products. Like the candle stands, too? They are just $9.96 each. Search for product number 54055. Pay securely online. Everything ships directly to you!

Hurry - quantities are limited and prices will most likely change tomorrow.

~Southern Fried Gal

WHW: Help Roxy Fight Juvenile Diabetes!

Meet Roxy Reindeer. She's not only adorable, but she is working hard to fight Juvenile Diabetes! She may be small (3" wide x 5" tall) but she is mighty because for every Roxy Reindeer Ornament sold, Willow House donates $2 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation!

Give Roxy a new home this month and know your purchase made a real difference in the fight against a disease that affects so many families! Even better, share the fun when you give Roxy as a gift. She loves to be tied to your favorite bottle of wine or a beautiful gift. She makes a great (and conscientious) addition to your corporate gifts as well!

You can purchase this Roxy Reindeer Ornament (58100 - on sale this month for $10.96*) and other Roxy items in my Willow House Online Store! For the next 10 days (that takes us through Black Friday) I am running a Roxy Reindeer campaign. Here's how you can join the fun...

1. Purchase a Roxy Reindeer Ornament - your name will go into a drawing for a FREE magazine gift subscription (choose from many titles). $2 Donated!

2. Purchase 4 Roxy Reindeer Ornaments - Choose an item under $40 for half price PLUS your name will go into a drawing for a FREE magazine gift subscription (choose from many titles). $8 Donated!

3. Gather 12 Roxy Reindeer Ornament Orders from friends and family - Choose any item for half price PLUS your name will go into a drawing for a FREE magazine gift subscription (choose from many titles). $24 Donated!

4. Gather 24 Roxy Reindeer Ornament Orders from friends and family - Get a $25 Gift Certificate PLUS choose any item for half price PLUS your name will go into a drawing for a FREE magazine gift subscription (choose from many titles). $48 Donated!

5. Gather 70 Roxy Reindeer Ornament Orders from friends and family - Get a FREE Entertaining Bucket and Stand OR Graymont Party Bucket and stand PLUS get a $115 Gift Certificate PLUS choose any 3 items for half price PLUS your name will go into a drawing for a FREE magazine gift subscription (choose from many titles). $140 Donated!

6. Keep going to reap even more rewards and add to the donation.

7. Run your own online campaign and reap the rewards from Roxy Reindeer Ornaments sold through your blog/facebook/twitter/email PLUS your name will go into a drawing for a FREE magazine gift subscription (choose from many titles)!

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you want to participate in option 3-7 please contact me before you place your order or run your campaign so I can set you up in my system for all the rewards.

Will you join the fun and help Roxy fight Juvenile Diabetes?

~Southern Fried Gal

* Plus shipping and taxes. Buy more to save on shipping!

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Let's Party: Practice Hospitality

Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of the Let's Party: Practice Hospitality Series! To kick off the party I am going to share one of my favorite Paula Deen recipes. I saw Paula make this on her show a few years ago and I just had to give it a try for Thanksgiving that year. It was a huge hit and I have made it every year since (for Thanksgiving, potlucks, Christmas, etc.). I substitute pecans for walnuts when I make it. Enjoy!

Cranberry-Pineapple Gelatin

Ingredients
1 15-ounce can whole cranberry sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple packet in its own juice
2 3-ounce packages raspberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water

Topping
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of whipped cream (I use real whipping cream - Y-U-M)
1/4 cup of walnuts

Directions

Spray a 4 cup gelatin mold with vegetable oil cooking spray. In a medium glass mixing bowl, combine the raspberry gelatin and unflavored gelatin. Add 1 cup boiling water and stir with a metal spoon continuously for 2 minutes, until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Add the pineapple and juice, cranberry sauce, and walnuts. Stir with a metal spoon until all ingredients are completely incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.

About an hour before serving, invert the mold onto a serving platter and allow to sit at room temp. the salad will release itself and come clean from the mold.

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, whipped cream and walnuts in bowl, mix together. Add to center of mold. Servings: 16 servings

SFG NOTE: I don't use a mold - I just use a bowl, cut the center out and fill with the cream cheese mixture.

<a href=" http://southernfrieddreams.blogspot.com " target="_blank"><img alt=" Practice Hospitality 11-15-10" src=" http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h_qTAGxG8QE/TN10Wc6DZwI/AAAAAAAAEa4/AJtxwm_cJo0/s400/Let%2527sPartyThanksgivingButton.jpg" /></a>

Now it's your turn! Please share your best hospitality tips for Thanksgiving. It can be anything from your favorite recipe, to an organization tip, a tablescape, door decor, or anything you do to practice hospitality for Thanksgiving. You can even dust off an old post!





This linky party is open through Saturday, November 20th.

~Southern Fried Gal

Trip to the Warehouse

Last week I made a trek to a wholesale warehouse in the middle of nowhere in Arkansas. It was my first time to this particular place. My friend, Bridget, took me. We had wonderful girlfriend time there and back. Here's some of what I scored while there...

These are about the size of basketballs! I can't wait to decorate my friend, Sandy's, door with these lovelies. Her door is my first to have a budget to purchase products. I usually work with what the homeowner has already. I was like a kid in a candy store. She told me she wanted big and bold. I think these will fill that request!

I like to have a few different shapes and colors in the garland. These onion bulbs work well to mix it up. This is my favorite shape of ornaments.

I ended up with two baskets full of ornaments, floral picks, and mesh. Is it time to decorate for Christmas, yet? I can't wait to post pictures on this one. It's going to be gorgeous!

When do you start decorating for Christmas? I usually wait until the weekend after Thanksgiving but it gets harder and harder to do so each year.

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. Don't forget to come back tomorrow and join my Practice Hospitality party!!!

You are Invited: Let's Party on Tuesday!

Let's meet here next Tuesday, November 16 and share our best hospitality tips for Thanksgiving. It can be anything from your favorite recipe, to an organization tip, a tablescape, door decor, or anything you do to practice hospitality for Thanksgiving. You can even dust off an old post - just be sure to add my button to the post and you are all set. See you here on Tuesday!

<a href=" http://southernfrieddreams.blogspot.com " target="_blank"><img alt=" Practice Hospitality 11-15-10" src=" http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h_qTAGxG8QE/TN10Wc6DZwI/AAAAAAAAEa4/AJtxwm_cJo0/s400/Let%2527sPartyThanksgivingButton.jpg" /></a>

A Turkey and Pumpkin Post

BBC's teacher sent home a turkey project. We were instructed to complete it as a family and use any materials we wanted. In true Southern Fried fashion, we did our project the night before it was due. It was truly a collaboration of creativity and effort. I could not be more proud of our final result.

I think my favorite area is the head. DH wanted a googly eye. I thought the balloon would be cute for the red thingamajig. BBC wanted to use candy corn for the beak. Perfect!

DH found orange yarn for the feet. I did one foot and BBC did the other. I thought the acorns looked a little like turkey legs. BBC liked them. DH did not care for that particular decision (I think his mind was going to the gutter a bit). Anyway - it was fun and BBC was beaming to take it to school today.

I just have to share this Pumpkin Dessert I saw over at The Tidy Nest a week or so ago. Doesn't that look divine? I may have to try this for Thanksgiving this year so I can share the calories.

<a href=" http://southernfrieddreams.blogspot.com " target="_blank"><img alt=" Practice Hospitality 11-15-10" src=" http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h_qTAGxG8QE/TN10Wc6DZwI/AAAAAAAAEa4/AJtxwm_cJo0/s400/Let%2527sPartyThanksgivingButton.jpg" /></a>

With all this talk of turkey and pumpkins I decided to dust off the Let's Party: Practice Hospitality series. Let's meet here next Tuesday, November 16 and share our best hospitality tips for Thanksgiving. It can be anything from your favorite recipe, to an organization tip, a tablescape, door decor, or anything else you do to practice hospitality for Thanksgiving. You can even dust off an old post - just be sure to add my button and you are all set. Mark your calendars, now!

Speaking of partying, I am sharing this over at Amanda's Weekend Bloggy Reading party. Thank you, Amanda, for gathering us together each Friday!

Have a blessed weekend. {go hogs}

~Southern Fried Gal

My Etsy Store is Open!

After thirty-{mumble} years of crafting I am so excited to finally open the virtual doors to my Etsy store! I have the following four items listed so far just in time for the holidays.

I put a lot of love and care into each creation in hopes it will bring joy into its new home. Please help me spread the word. I am so stinking excited!!!

~Southern Fried Gal

WHW: Christmas Door Idea

This is a Christmas door I did for a friend (and fellow Willow House gal) last year. It was simple and beautiful. Her home sits away from the road and this was very eye-catching from the road as well. Here's how we got this look...

First of all we raided her Christmas decor from past projects and found a lighted greenery garland, a wreath (we took all the embellishments off), a few random shatter-proof balls, and a spool of ribbon.

I brought a little red art mesh to the party. You can usually find this in floral and Christmas decor shops for $8-$15. Here's a tutorial for working with polymesh.

She had two sets of the Holiday Hanging Trio (70083). These are on sale for just $11.96 this month!

And a Holiday Door Bucket (70073)

We hung the garland, poofed and cinched the mesh, layered on the ribbon, hung the metal ornaments, and added bunches of balls here and there.

Then we simply hung the wreath from the hanger and wired the door bucket to the center. Voila! She was tickled with the final look and it is one of my favorites, too. I love how simple and beautiful it is!

You can purchase any of the Willow House products directly from my Online Store. When you spend $39.96 or more you can pick almost any item under $40 for half off!


Want to be in the know on all the specials for Willow House? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter and follow me on facebook!

~Southern Fried Gal

Thanksgiving Mantel

We looked at Christmas mantels yesterday so why not take a look at my Thanksgiving mantel this year. I know I am biased, but I am totally digging my mantel this year! The painting of BBC won't stay here but I thought it added a nice touch for the few weeks this look will be up.

I really liked how the Halloween mantel turned out so I kept most of the pieces and just changed up a few things.

I have definitely gotten my money back and then some on my Galveston Hurricane. It is a staple piece for my home decor that moves from room to room and season to season. For Thanksgiving, I kept the coffee beans and replaced the ghost tree with a few long, wispy sticks (borrowed from an urn full of them in the living room) and a bunch of pheasant feathers.

Then I swapped a crow for a turkey (I got him on clearance at Hallmark a couple of years back).

Some people get overwhelmed when I tell them I switch out my decor on a monthly basis. As you can see with a few staple pieces and inexpensive fillers, it's easy and stress-free to pull off!

Do you do anything special for Thanksgiving decor in your home? ~Southern Fried Gal