Happy New Year!

Another year to blog with our plates and glasses! Well, let's just say that I am pumped this year for ideas!

I already have ideas for the upcoming Valentine's Day and today, I scored 60% off discount on uber cute Fall dishes that totally feels at home whether the table will be formal or casual enough at a buffet setting! So psyched about all that!

But I will be joining Marty, Susan, Michael Lee and Leigh this week with these awesome pics! I think they will speak for themselves: Most pieces have been acquired no less than 50% off and up to 90-95% off! Simplicity and ease is what I went for this year, so no muss, no fuss!

I will bundle these three holidays as:

THEME:

"CHRISTMAS, MERRY AND NEW"

INSPIRATION:

Last minute Brain suggestions and seasonal colors

Here's Christmas Eve Dinner,

Dinnerware: Food Network "Currant"- Kohl's 80% off, 2009
Flatware: Oneida - Sears 50% off, 2010

I made Pansit Sotanghon (mung bean noodle dish), Pochero (similar to beef stew only with cabbage and bananas), Bistek (beef simmered in citrus and soysauce with onions), and chicken Adobo and Pork Sinigang (tamarind broth based dish)

The juice is made of Calamansi or Filipino equivalent of orange, lemon and lime, only better... And of course there's the staple coconut juice. We also had Sarsi, our own version of rootbeer, but we forgot to put it on the table.

 I make exclusively Filipino dishes every Christmas Eve dinner since 2007... Every year, I add or take away a dish and this year, I learned a new Filipino dessert. We also make sure we have Filipino snacks on hand like Clover chips, Pulburon (powdered candy), Curly Tops chocolate and dried mangoes.

I focused the table on ambiance and conversation readiness. So I put chips on each end for ice breakers and instant appetizers.

Now, here's our Grazing Table for Christmas Day

 Every year, our Savior Jesus Christ gets his own birthday cake, always chocolate but different levels of decadence. This year, it is a flourless Semi-Sweet Chocolate Cake topped with powdered sugar and chocolate cookies.

 Lumpiang Shanghai or mini-eggrolls.

My two newest Nativities: both from my in-laws...

Every Christmas Day at my in-laws, they set up a table full of food gifts they received and they just "graze" all day! So we adapted it our family and now our children look forward to it every year!

 That is Tyler Florence's Ultimate Cheesecake and I just topped it with Blackberry Jam and Blackberries dusted with powdered sugar.

 Each year, the table is full of all the wonderful things our family loves to nibble on! Especially fruits and chocolate!

This is our newest Filipino dish, Biko, a traditional sticky rice cake cooked in coconut milk and brown sugar. It is yummy! We also make Puto, a steamed rice cake (right bottom corner of above picture)

And here's New Year's Eve!

Our New Year's Eve meal is very symbolic of my part Chinese heritage and my practice of Feng Shui. We celebrate with the typical loud noises, toasts and greetings and afterwards, by eating an orange for a prosperous year as its color and shape resemble gold, a cookie for a sweet life...

If you notice most of the foods are round for a balanced life as in Yin & Yang. Noodles in the soup for another year of good health, eggs and sweet potato fries and fruits for abundance.

We chose our drink carefully every year and since our goal for 2012, is better health, I put fresh squeezed juices of pineapple, oranges and mangoes. No sugar added.

Blue and green are also significant in Feng Shui as it represents Water and Earth. Our house is NW oriented so the two colors invite people of good influence and family harmony. The flames represent South and prosperity and the iron candle holders as well as the metal fruit/dish holders represent knowledge as well as wishes for a bright future in the coming year.

Hope you all had a great end to 2011 like we did and we wish you all the best of 2012!

Thanks for stopping by! If you don't see me, I'm probably at your blog. ;-)

TABLESCAPING IDEAS: (Brain was tuckered from her last minute ideas!) "Don't let the holiday seasons haunt your wallet each year. Do what I do: Let the colors of the previous holiday inspire the next one. For example, Fall's sage greens and burgundy reds can transition into a country themed Christmas and if you add silver, blue and crystal bling, you've got a fantastic entry into New Year's Eve!"

Au Naturale Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

September, October and even most of November rolled around and I was without any ideas nor time to prepare for Thanksgiving. It's been a roller coaster of repairs, sickness, lack of sleep, full schedules and that's just the kids!

But I knew that I wanted to do and make this Thanksgiving special just like the others as we truly have a multitude of reasons and things to be grateful for.

For starters, our loving family; without them, we would all be like chickens with no heads! lol (true, though)

For God and his Son who sacrificed much for us, and this year alone, our own family's blessings are innumerable!

For my children and husband-where would I be without the frustration and chaos? (at a beach sipping pineapple smoothie, maybe?)

For having a brain that works for me- it landed me a temp job that I LOVE!

For our home that kept us warm, cool and in between

For higher education- there's just nothing like knowing you have a degree to fall back on.

For music and books! My sanity saver, for sure!

And for friends and wonderful acquaintances-- rounds you out as a person (who wouldn't want that?)

Ok, ok... Here's what our dining room looked this year... Mind you, this idea came to me, 3 hours before the ham had to be in the oven. And it took me 45 minutes total to finish. All I had before that, were mums. Just mums. ("Brain" was also under the weather...)

THEME:

"Under the Canopy of Gratitude"

INSPIRATION:

"Our Crape Myrtle Trees"

I first would like to confess: With 15 CM trees around our house, appreciating them is not always easy for me. Add to the fact that our neighbor also have about 5 big ones that drape over our fence and it's like we are in a grove of CM trees! But this Fall, I am in total awe of each trees individuality: I had one tree full of vibrant red leaves, another yellows only, another, a wave of orange-red and another, a dull burgundy... In short, just a beautiful Autumn rainbow!

I'm so glad I'm not a shopper, but rather, I'm a gatherer. A gatherer of ideas around me... Enjoy the view!

No fancy vases of plant holders, they are held together by the nandina and crape myrtle branches! Had the tealights forever (Ikea). I used the nandina berries, leaves and crape myrtle branches from 4 different trees we had around the house. Who knew the myrtle leaves can produce shades of yellow to burgundy? Just amazing during Fall!

I also found 2 great runners from JCP Outlet ($6), other than that, no direction, no ideas swam in my head. It was so frustrating! I even went and visited multiple blogs, but none gave me that "a-ha!" moment.

So it was back to just using what I already have, and I think it worked out better. I cut several branches of CM trees and placed them everywhere to give the illusion of being under the canopy of CM groves. It was very calming sitting in this room...

This beautiful chandelier, my sister gave it to me this past summer, it's called "Carolyn". (Costco)

Does anyone know what tree these beautiful leaves belong to? I see them everywhere around here, but I have no idea what they're called!

I used fallen leaves and branches with colorful leaves. I only had to purchase 2 bunches of burgundy & chartreuse mums ($8)

Dinnerware: "Tuscan Retreat" (BHG, Walmart)
Silverware: "Katrina" (Oneida, Sears)
Glassware: American Living (JCP-Discontinued, 80% off + extra $15 off $15 coupon)
Placemats: Woven Round, Kohl's (80% off)
Hurricanes: Michael's (75% off, 2005)

Even though it's just our family this year, my children were not going to let me get away with ordering any food, but since I've been under the weather, we opted for quick dishes:

Cliff House (Maine) Clam Chowder, Honey Butter French Bread (from scratch), Sauteed Asparagus, and the newest dish, Lobster Medallions & Chanterelle Mushrooms with Saffron Butter Sauce and of course, the Spiral Ham with Sugar & Spice Glaze

The dessert table always have to be just as exciting as the dinner menu: We always have fruits, cookies (gingerbread shaped cookies-maple leaf & acorn-21 cent clearance find at Kroger's)

You want to know which pies we chose this year?

Bittersweet Ganache Pie with Shortbread Cookie Crust

Key Lime Custard Pie

I'm linking up with Michael Lee at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday

I hope you enjoyed our Thanksgiving feast this year. Thanks for stopping by; hope it gave you ideas for yours next year!

TABLESCAPING IDEAS: ("Brain" is glad to pull through this year!) Just like I did this year, often ideas just don't come, but don't panic, instead look around! Take a walk around the neighborhood and observe the colors, textures and smells of Fall. Then imagine what you would love to bring into your own home.

"Orange" you glad I remembered?

I can't believe it! I'm posting! Something new! I get to join in on the fun! Woot! So linking up with Marty, Leigh and Susan's awesome memes! Such lovely ladies who indulge us in our blogging fun!

Tabletop Tuesday, Thrifty Thursday and Tablescape Thursday

Wow! I cannot believe I forgot to post this tablescape! What is wrong with me? (Ok, a lot, but you're not suppose to know that) Anyway, this is back from January 22, for Mr. Man's birthday! He turned 40 and I wanted an all-orange theme. Why? Because he loves, loves orange and I think I love him enough to do one. (Oh, you caught the "I think" part? Man, can't get away with anything in the blog world!)

THEME: "Orange I nice to do this?"
INSPIRATION:"Mr. Man"

First, let me tell you, finding orange in January is like asking for a root canal without anesthesia! If it wasn't cost prohibitive, the selection was not up to par. Especially when the birthday boy decided he doesn't want bright orange. It took all of December and most of January to figure out what orange direction I wanted to go. 

I wanted it to reflect him: gorgeous, warm, elegant, casual and family oriented.

So... using my creative juices to glue (ewww!) the theme swirling in my head, I decided not to look in stores and into my closet instead! Well, what do you know, "Brain" did it again!

Had the rust colored heavy fabric from 2009, found candles in Marshall's for less than $3 each, used my fall dessert plates and my off white Bianca set, my country plaid napkins I found at Kohl's, orange marbles and tealights and "voila!" a gorgeous, warm, orange tablescape for Mr. Man!

The paper chains and origami birds on top, a family project. I found the pitcher at Marshall's, too ($7.99)

We made sure he didn't forget how "young" he is so we got just the right candles to remind him! lol

I made the cake, chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting mixed with a lot of orange food coloring!

Isn't my son, I-Dude, only 9, so clever to make cranes and eagles origami?

He also made that orange star. Mr. Man asked for pasta with shrimp and creamed peas and potatoes.

Used Nandina leaves and berries. Last December, the berries were very red, but in January, they were orange! How cool is that?!

Aren't these candles just gorgeous? The scent is called "Orient Tangerine". I love it!

Heeeeeeeeere's Mr. Man! The birthday boy, the gorgeous love of my life and father of my children! 

Here's the two little ones, J-Pony, 12 and I-Dude, 9. L-Infinity is in Hawaii, attending Brigham Young University in Laie, Honolulu. She thought it was a great table, too!

So... I hope you forgive me for not posting this sooner. I was not thinking of you. I'm so sorry! But, will it help if I told you that Mr. Man was so pleased with the decor that he asked me if I was showing it to you? I was so pleased that look, I forgot! Heart you all for stopping by! See you soon!

TABLESCAPING IDEAS:("Brain" is sighing that we remembered) Now that the holidays are upon us, let's not worry about trends, traditions or aesthetics. Focus on what you know-what you have and the reasons why they stayed in the first place. Instead of one massive spread of flowers, trinkets and baubles on the buffet, why don't you scatter different picture frames of past Christmases? That way, when the guests arrive, you have an instant focal point and a conversation starter!