Balcony Makeover - Holiday Edition

Hello Lovelies!

On Sunday I hosted a fabulous Advent party for my family, The Ladies, and their families.  If you are new here or haven't been paying much attention, my Oma and her two closest friends have known each other since 1959 and the three of them together have come to be known as The Ladies.

Through the sixties and into the seventies, the families would get together to celebrate the four Advent Sundays each year, but at a certain point that tradition, for a multitude of reasons I'm assuming, faded away.  Since I grew up hearing the stories of the Advent parties and all the other important and seemingly unimportant reasons that used to bring everyone together, I decided that I would start the tradition back up.

Traditions are fabulous...but there is A LOT of pressure when throwing a party that all three of The Ladies will be attending.  Or maybe it was just me that was putting a lot of pressure on myself since I saw the importance of the passing of this torch.  The Ladies threw Advent parties every year, but their children dropped the ball, so as the first grandchild to have any type of party with all The Ladies in attendance, I knew I had to do it right!

And that started with the terrible state that my herb garden had fallen into.  Shortly after I created my fabulous patio herb planters, I got some kind of virus and this:

 Deteriorated into this:

I am convinced that my new plants or even the soil had some plant disease of some kind as the jasmine that had been flourishing for two and a half years suddenly died as well.

There was no way that I could allow The Ladies to see my balcony in this state.

When I first purchased the planters, I was very unhappy with the teracotta color, but didn't really have the time to do much about it.  Since I had something of a second chance, I decided to deal with the planters themselves while I was dealing with the plants for the second balcony makeover.  So that's where I started, with the help of my fabulous neighbors.  Bridget's husband, Mike, got inventive and lined the planters with wrapping paper, taped them up, and we spray painted the outside and the inside of the lip.  This way, when I finally plant something else, it will look amazing without having the paint kill my new plants.

 Now that I had some fancy planters, I thought I would keep things simple and festive for the holidays.  So I went with poinsettias.  A bunch of them.

Not wanting a lot of fuss, I simply unwrapped them and dropped them, pots and all, into the new jazzed-up planters.  And the end result is something that I like to call Holiday Glam.

Three large plants in each turned out to be perfect!!

Unfortunately, the day I put the planters together was the first day of the cold snap here in Southern California and I was so afraid of something happening to my new friends that I have been tucking them in at night.  That's right, I build a little fort for them with my patio chairs and some old towels to keep them warm.  I don't think most people realize that poinsettias are actually tropical plants because we associate them with the holiday season.  Essentially they die if they are exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees and the second I brought them home, the nighttime lows dropped into the low forties.  FANTASTIC, but I tucked them in every night and they seem to be doing well.

Nite, nite little babies!

My little fort may not be very pretty, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!  Hopefully this will ensure things on my balcony stay holiday-tastic for the forseeable future.

Until our next balcony makeover!
XOXO!!

Advent, Advent, Ein Lichtlein Brennt

Guten Abend Kätzchen!

I hope everyone had a great weekend with family and friends.  Now that Thanksgiving is out of the way and we are officially in December, I once again find myself surrounded by some really fabulous traditions!  I am not remotely religious, but I absolutely LOVE the Christmas season and all the traditions that come along with this time of year.  These traditions may be rooted in religion, but to me, they represent the family, friends, and warmth that fill the season.

photo credit

As I was raised in a German Catholic immigrant household, we've always celebrated Advent.  While I personally am not sure about all the details of Advent, (here is a little light reading if you're interested) I've always loved sitting down on the four Sundays prior to Christmas with an Adventskranz (Advent wreath) and a festive drink (and, if I'm being honest, perhaps a Christmas cookie or two) to light one candle to mark each Advent Sunday.

About two years ago, I thought that I should start putting my own stamp onto the traditions I've always enjoyed.  While I'm not in anyway an arts and crafts, DIY kinda girl, I was determined to make my own Adventskranz or Advent wreath.  I have some pretty crafty friends and the four of us have had a few Crafty Bitch Parties (where I typically end up as someone's helper) and I thought that I would throw my own party, where instead of everyone bringing a craft as we'd done before, we all make our own Adventskranz.  Sounds super fun, right?  Right!

So, I had everyone over on the First Advent, which I turned into a Brunch (SHOCKING, I know!) and also brought in my mother and our resident Adventskranz expert, Oma to lend some authenticity and credibility to the event.

This photo may be a little blurry, but it's quite apparent that the spinach scramble and potatoes were a success.  And were quite necessary - it's a well known fact that you have to fuel the craftiness.

An equally well-known fact is the fact that mimosas are integral to the creativity process!

My lovely crafters - Britni (with her pine cones), Lisa, and Stephanie!

I stocked up on all the necessary items to build our wreaths.  

And then we got to it!

Britni and her fabulous bow!

 I must say, our Adventscranzes turned out so great!

And then we rewarded ourselves with coffee and the traditional German Christmas cookies that Oma and I made over Thanksgiving weekend!

 It's okay to be jealous, it was a fabulous day!

And now, I have my very own Adventskranz to enjoy every year!  Which made last night possible.  I made a cup of boozy tea in a Christmas mug and lit the first candle to mark the First Advent.  As I was lighting the candle, I couldn't help but think of the German poem about lighting the Advent candles.

"Advent, Advent, Ein Lichtlein brennt.
 Erst eins, dann zwei,
 Dann drei, dann vier,
 Dann steht das Christkind vor der Tür!"

Translation:
"Advent, Advent, a candle is burning.  First one, then two, then three, then four, and then the Christchild will be standing at your door."

Port and I hope all of you were able to celebrate the start of the holiday season in an equally fabulous way!

Happy Advent, Kittens!
XOXO!!

What Am I Thankful For?

Happy Thanksgiving Lovelies!

photo credit

I know you are going to see lists of things that people are thankful for today, but I thought that I would compile my own as I've never actually put one onto paper before - not that this is 'on paper', but you get where I'm going with this.

I find myself taking a step back quite often to appreciate how lucky I am.  I may not be where I envisioned myself at this point in my life, and there are still plenty of things I want to do, see, and accomplish, but I acknowledge that I have a good life.  A very good life.

photo credit

What am I thankful for (aside from the fantastic vintage photos above), you may ask?  In no particular order, I am thankful for:

-The fact that I have my Oma in my life.  That she is happy, healthy, active, and self-sufficient and has more love to give (and gives it freely) than anyone I've ever known.
-My mother and my sister who I love unconditionally and who love me the same way in return.
-My warm, cuddly little Port.  While he can be incredibly needy and I have forgotten what it is like to own my own lap (the second I sit down, he makes it a point to commendeer it!), this little ball of fur is the most loyal, affectionate, trusting, smartest cookie I've ever come across.  He's also incredibly handsome.  No, I'm not biased.
-An incredible group of friends.  People who sometimes know me better than I know myself, who I know are there for me through anything, and people I love and support regardless of circumstance.
-The absolute best neighbors in the entire world.  Two people who will watch Port when I'm gone, who will spend an ENTIRE Sunday running to two Home Depots in an attempt to help me hang curtains, and who will bake cookies from scratch and pick up the absolute BEST macaroni and cheese when I am sick.

And a few other items.  Not as sentimental, but things that make life absolutely fantastic!
-The smell of freshly brewed coffee
-The smell of rain, the sound of a good downpour, and how deeply I sleep during a storm
-The smell of jasmine and gardenias on a warm summer evening
-The feel of fall in the air
-Being up to watch the sun rise (and then going to bed)
-Watching the sun set over the ocean
-The sound of popping the cork on a bottle of bubbly
-The first night of sleeping on clean sheets
-Warm towels on a cold winter morning
-Laughing so hard and so long that I am in physical pain
-People who say please and thank you
-People with elevator etiquette
-The open road on a solo road trip
-Sleeping in and spending an entire day in my pajamas
-Having a glass of wine and dancing around in my kitchen
-Finding a fabulous pair of heels
-Brunch

The first few are obvious and most people will list similar things in their top five, but what seemingly unimportant things are you thankful for?  Those are always the fun ones!  I've left many items off this list either because I didn't want a list 87 pages long, but also because I didn't give myself a lot of time to sit and really think about this list.  These were the items that first popped into my head.

Perhaps it's good that I know I've missed things since that means I have new material for the next list of things that I'm thankful for...

I hope you all take a few minutes to really think about the things you are thankful for today.  And that you do so more often than just one day a year.  As many things may not be going exactly as planned, there are far more things that we can all be thankful for than not.

Now to get back to making the dishes I'm bringing to my Mom's for Thanksgiving Dinner.  I wish you all a fantastic day with family, friends, good food, and good wine!!

XOXO!!

Vintage Bar Guides

Brought to you by Southern Comfort

Hello there Lovelies!

When I promised you that I was going to focus on the whole vintage project aspect of The Vintage Project last weekend, I did not think that I would have some truly fabulous material literally fall into my lap that very day.  

Quite serendipitous!

I visited the family after my morning of coffee and promises and Oma mentioned that she had gone through one of the drawers of her wet-bar and found some old bar guides.  Naturally, I was excited by this news, and while these guides are from the 70's and not the exact kind of vintage that I had in mind, they are still fantastic - mainly for the photos!  Few things are as entertaining as 70's fashion.  Or 70's hair.

I would assume that more companies put out these little pamphlets during this time, but it seems that Oma was a Southern Comfort fan in the 70's and has not been able to part with them.  So I helped her out and took them off her hands almost forty years later.  I'm just that selfless.

Oh, the magic!!

Evidently, these publications were not only to promote the alcoholic beverage du jour, but also to peddle their wares.  In this case, the coveted Happy Hour Party kit!!  Large flag to fly outside the house?!?!?  I will take two sets please!

 They were also chalked full of tips and tricks!

 But really, I think the photos are the star of this show!

 Themed happy hour??  I'm in!!

And 5 Mod Posters??  FOR $1.00?!?!?  I wonder what would happen if I sent my dollar to this P.O. Box...

More bargains on the back page!

While a much smaller pamphlet, the second one the Oma found (also Southern Comfort) is not to be discounted.  There is some stellar hair in this one as well!

I'd like you all to meet my boyfriend...doesn't that hair and the plaid sport coat just make you swoon??

It also showcases the Wallbanger made with Southern Comfort. Because really, who DOESN'T want to order a Wallbanger?

In case you were wondering what the newest hit drinks were, you've come to the right place!

While much more serious, we also learned how to make the most of our Electrolux.

And all about The Pleasure of Blending.

 Though, to be honest, I don't know how much pleasure I would get from some of these recipes...

Last, but certainly not least, there was the book of Knudsen recipes.  So fantastic!

Were you aware that you could pick these products up at your local Food Store??!?!  I know!  Amazing!

Ah, the treasures that are hidden at Oma's house....

If you're thinking of hosting a cocktail party over the long weekend, take a page from the 1976 Southern Comfort playbook and don a festive plaid outfit, coif your hair, and your guests will definitely thank you!

XOXO!