Winter Design Trends

Is there a room in your house that’s screaming for a makeover? This winter, there are a few surprising colors that are trending – so perhaps consider trying one of these color schemes for your next redesign.

Tangerine. Yep – tangerine! Try starting with an accent wall if you’re afraid it’s a little too bold. The happy, rich shade will certainly brighten the room and pair well with dark hues like blue-greens or indigo. Toss some other orange accents around the room (vases, wall mounted frames, chairs, etc.) and you’ll find yourself gravitating to the room due to its cheerfulness! 

Photo Cred: housetohome.co.uk

Mustard Yellow. Known for its positive emotional and psychological responses, yellow is a perfect smile-inducing color to add to any room. Pair yellows with blacks, greys, and whites for a classic look, or with jewel tones like burgundy or teal for a more modern, fun look.

Burgundy. In sharp contrast to mustard yellow and tangerine, burgundy and cranberry are some of winter’s hottest colors. Mixing cranberry metallic gold and silver pairs shine with a deep, warm color, or you could pair it with mochas or golden browns for a more rustic look. Bust out the old burgundy leather chair and toss up a neutral wallpaper accent wall and you’ll be in business.

Gold. Gold isn’t just for accents anymore! Using gold as the base color for your next room, it will become your new neutral. It’s fun, classic, and pairs well with nearly any accent color scheme. Try grays and blues for a cleaner more masculine look, for opt for red and be a little more dramatic.

Grape. HGTV selected grape as December’s color of the month a few years back, and it’s making its rounds again this winter. Use it in smaller doses alongside various shades of gray, or pair it with light blues and metallic for a classic-chic winter look.

Which palette will you try in your next design?

Hosting the Holidays

The holidays are crazy, there’s no doubt. Especially if your house hosts the family for a big meal. There’s so much to prepare, from decorations to place settings to the meal itself, if we don’t lose our marbles at least once it’s not been a success.

To cut through the clutter this season, we’ve assembled our favorite list of ideas and festive recipes that will be sure to get your mind buzzing before the big day.

Photo Cred: flickr.com

Table Settings

1.     Dip (or spray) pinecones in silver or gold paint and tie a nametag to each. Fold a napkin and place the napkin on top of the plate and the pinecone will just rest on top! Easy and elegant.

2.     Grab some extra cinnamon sticks from the store, cut to a size you desire, and tie a festive ribbon around the sticks to harness a nametag. The cinnamon will add a festive fragrance to the dinner table, and your guest will leave with a small parting gift!

3.     Extra ornaments lying around after decorating the tree? Place a couple on each plate! Keep it monochromatic for a classic look, or spice things up with colorful bulbs.

Centerpieces

1.     If you cut your own tree this year, snag a few branches from the back of the tree and lay them down along the center of the table. Add some candles and ornaments for a little extra color. If you don’t have a real tree, a faux garland will do!

2.     Pick up a big silver or glass bowl from the Christmas Tree Store or dollar store and load it up with your favorite ornaments. Pile them high for drama, or mix in pinecones and tiny wrapped presents to keep it fun.

3.     Tall styrofoam cones can be painted any color, so pick your favorite and decorate them and place them along the table. Varying sizes will bring a different look to the table. Stick with silver, gold and white for a classic look, or opt for green, red, blue, or even purple for a warmer look.

Perfect Cocktails

1.     No table is complete without a delicious holiday drink to share. Prep pumpkin pie martinis for the adults and have them ready to toast for dinner. Mix pumpkin spice liqueur, butterscotch schnapps, Kahlua, and half-and-half. Crumble graham crackers and tip the rims before you fill!

2.     Mix up your normal glass of champagne by trying this yummy spiced pear sangria. You can make it the night before so it’s a quick pour and serve when dinner is ready.

3.     After dinner drinks are always appropriate. Make the kids some hot chocolate, and for the adults: add some raspberry liqueur and crème de cacao and top the glass with fresh whipped cream. Yum.

Easy Holiday Cookie Recipes

Do your cookies always seem to turn out burnt, lacking flavor, or just… blah? Perhaps you don’t even bother with holiday baking because you feel it’s too time consuming. Never fear. We’ve collected a couple easy recipes that will have your guests thinking you bought a platter at Wegmans this year.

Photo Cred: fanpop.com

Classic Sugar Cookies

With just six ingredients, we promise this one’s super easy.

·      3 cups all purpose flour

·      1 cup unsalted butter, softened

·      1 cup, plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar

·      1 egg

·      1 tsp vanilla extract

·      a pinch of salt

1.     mix butter and sugar together until just incorporated

2.     add egg and vanilla extract on low speed

3.     in a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt, then add butter and egg mixture on low speed

4.     as the dough clumps around the mixing paddle, remedy crumbles with ice cold water 1 tbsp at a time until all dough is combined

5.     line two baking sheets with parchment paper

6.     turn dough out on wax paper, place another sheet of wax paper on top of the dough ball and roll to a one quarter to half-inch thickness

7.     refrigerate rolled dough for one hour, then remove and cut out desired shapes

8.     refrigerate cut outs for 30 minutes to help cookies stay crisp while baking

9.     bake cookies at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes

10. cool after baking, and frost as desired!

Mexican Wedding Cookies

·      2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp

·      ½ cup powdered sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies

·      2 tsp vanilla extract

·      2 cups flour

·      1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

1.     preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.     beat butter until light and fluffy

3.     add ½ cup powdered sugar and vanilla, blend well

4.     turn mixer to a low setting, add flour

5.     fold in chopped pecans with spatula

6.     divide dough in half and wrap in plastic

7.     chill in refrigerator until cold

8.     working with one half at a time, use floured hands to roll a tbsp.-sized piece of dough into a ball

9.     arrange balls on parchment-lined backing sheet ½ inches apart from one another

10. bake until golden brown on bottom and pale golden on top (15-18 minutes)

11. cool on baking sheet and then roll in additional confectioners’ sugar to coat

Little Gift List

Your coworkers, boss, kid’s teachers, distant relatives. Not getting them something for the holidays is out of the question, but what do you get them? Never fear. We’ve compiled a list of some easy-to-make food gift recipes so you can jar up some holiday spirit and check off those little gift list members.

Brownies. Easy and delicious. Crumble up a few dozen candy canes and drizzle the pieces on top of the pan of brownies about 10 minutes before they’re done baking. It will infuse some of the peppermint flavor and look totally festive when they’re done. 

Photo Cred: firstlookthencook.com

Grab some cute little cardboard boxes, stuff the bottom with festive tissue paper or burlap, toss some cinnamon sticks in for scent, and bake some cinnamon biscuits. It’s an easy breakfast for an on-the-go mom or busy worker. Add a little jar of hot chocolate mix in there and they’ll be hugging you before 9:00 a.m.

Make your own hot cocoa this season and can up the mix in little mason jars. Use festive fabric and layer it over the seal before screwing the lid on and you have a cute little hot chocolate to-go gift that anyone can enjoy.

Speaking of canning things, marmalade is easy to make and lasts for many months, making it a great little gift idea. Here’s a recipe for a tangy citrus blend that is delicious on toast, croissants, and scones.

Fudge? How could we not add fudge to the list. This recipe uses only five ingredients and is very easy to make. Toss half a dozen bars in a holiday cellophane bag and we have no doubt friends and family will be asking for more next year.

Chocolate dipped anything. Pretzels, peanuts, popcorn. Grab a couple bags of melting chocolate and a few of your favorite snacks and go to town. Divvy up by type or mix it all together for a chocolaty trail mix perfect for snacking.

Did we miss one of your favorites? Comment your go-to food gift recipes here!