sweet & simple

quick update:

tried out the previously mentioned gingerbread house today. i'm still working on it. it's proving to be quite a task. i started it at 3:30 and it's almost cool enough to ice. homemade gingerbread is hard work!
on the plus side of the last couple days, we are 85% done with our christmas shopping. we did it all in like one day.
also, mr. phipps and i bought our first antique chair. i'll try to get a picture up soon. it's absolutely perfect. i love it oh so much and cannot wait to pick it up.

hope the holiday has begun to treat you nicely!

so close & so far away

i can't believe that there are only 5 or 6 weeks until our lease is up, and that means moving time! even though there is so much to be done in that amount of time and the holidays make it seem like a lifetime away, i know it's approaching quickly. i'm getting excited to organize and decorate a whole new space; i've been trying to draw inspiration from everywhere! as much as i hate moving i absolutely love putting it all together once everything is in the new spot. hopefully we will get into our dream house. if we do i already have a vision for most of the house!

[2008 winner luxist.com, click image to visit site]

speaking of houses, i'm going to make my very first gingerbread house from scratch this week. i love the one above. it's reminds me of "Home Alone" for some reason. stay tuned for pictures and a review of the recipe. baking time has finally arrived this year. 

peppermint bark

mr phipps loves, with a capital L, peppermint bark. he mentioned it a few days ago when we were browsing william-sonoma. i decided to try it from scratch as a surprise for him. it passed his taste test & even got a "perfect, better than william-sonoma"
i figured i'd share in case anyone out there is curious since christmas is obviously the perfect time for said treat. the original recipe can be found here
i altered it a bit at home because melting chocolate via stovetop has never been my specialty & quite frankly white chocolate can be quite testy over the stove anyway. however, if you are a purist & want to use the stove i salute you. if you are going to microwave it, don't use the oil. you'll need a glass bowl heating at medium power in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. slower is always better when melting chocolate & you'll get yummy, perfectly melted every time. i also used a dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet because i feel it compliments the white chocolate & peppermint better, but that's a personal opinion.

note: the recipe calls for high-quality chocolate. honestly it really is better because lower quality chocolate can cause the layers to separate while you are breaking/cutting it to serve.

ingredients:
8oz high-quality [dark, semi-sweet, or milk] chocolate, broken into pieces
8oz high-quality white chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
8 candy canes, crushed
wax paper
9x9" pan

instructions:
1. lightly grease 9x9" pan & line with wax paper, smooth out wrinkles; set aside
2. place [dark, semi-sweet, or milk] chocolate in glass bowl & microwave at medium power for intervals of 30 seconds, stirring in between, until melted. when melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. pour chocolate into the prepared pan, & spread evenly over bottom of the pan. sprinkle half of the crushed candy canes over the chocolate layer. refrigerate until completely hardened, roughly 1 hour.
3. place white chocolate in glass bowl & microwave at medium power for intervals of 30 seconds, stirring in between, until melted. when melted, stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. pour the white chocolate directly over the chocolate later; spread evenly. sprinkle the remaining crushed candy over the top and gently press in. refrigerate until completely hardened. removed from pan; break [or cut] into small pieces.

here are a few pictures from the process:



enjoy all the treats this holiday brings!

and beyond

so obviously i have some updating to do. it's been a crazy week with lots going on & i've been feeling a bit under the weather, as are so many. that being said today i will share the week through pictures. wednesday, i made mr phipps breakfast in bed [i got to use my new spode christmas tree dip bowls] & we had a date day. it was much needed & really enjoyable. the sky has been quite overcast in our lovely city lately. mr phipps band also played this week at a local bar.



oh! and i found a gingerbread/royal icing recipe. it looks pretty promising. i found it in a cookbook i totally forgot i had [Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Levy Beranbaum] it was perfect timing because i was unable to find one & was getting pretty discouraged. i'm really excited to try it out. it will be my goal to get that done next week. once i try it all be sure to share, maybe even with a review of the recipe.



side note from the week: we went to see Disney's Tangled. it was so adorable, and i loved every minute of it. if you are a Disney fan please do yourself a favor & see it.

it's beginning to look a lot...

well, christmas has officially booked a spot in our home.
we had a great time decorating our first tree together & look forward to a time when we can have a giant tree [we had to get a baby 3.5ft tree so our sweet little monsters don't eat it!]
but i think it looks amazing for the tiny little thing it is.
i can safely say our color scheme is red & gold this year. and plaid. i have this thing for plaid. and yes, i would say it is wildly connected to my absolute love for the look of the lumberjack. silly? probably. manly? completely!

anyway, as the holiday gets closer, less than 3 weeks now, i've been wanting to get a few projects done, hopefully i'll get around to them. and, of course, when i do i'll be sure to share. i'm so excited for the ideas mulling around up in this brain.
one, is to make a gingerbread house from scratch. i've done the kits before, however, i've always thought it would be neat & challenging to make one entirely on my own! i'll be looking for a good recipe today. if i find a good one i'll share. wish me luck!

centered

while looking for table inspiration, i came across somewhat of a trend in centerpieces that i absolutely love! stacked cake tiers & trays. not only does it look extra classy, but it also ads some depth to the table. i love having an interesting focal point, and this look definitely allows for that. seeing as i was so excited i had to share. whether it be for buffet or table, i hope this brings out some ideas and gets the holiday on for ya.

[click on photo for links to original posting & great ideas from their hosts!]

okay... so this last one isn't really tiered like the rest, but it was too precious not to include. i'm thinking christmas tea party?

graduation & scones

happy graduation to my best friend! she is finally on her big girl path of being a nurse.  i couldn't be happier or more proud. that being said... i have her party to attend soon!

scones have been the object of my thinking desire as of late. i will be making scones in the near future. i haven't ever made them before, but now seems like a fantastic time to become acquainted with them. i think  i like the mini version best, but i guess that cannot really be said until they are made.