humble hostess: A Hostess Life

Showing posts with label A Hostess Life. Show all posts

Autumn Is My Spring

As soon as the weather forecast shows highs below 80 I become a giddy girl. Fall is my spring. It's my new year's. It's my...well, let's just say I was made for fall. I know many people say they like fall but I loooove this time of year unlike I love anything else.

On this glorious third straight day of mid-70s temps and sunny skies my little girl and I bounced out of bed and opened the windows. We baked Pumpkin Spiced Muffins, put on warm clothes and got busy planting our autumn window boxes (photos shown). Okay, birds weren't singing and there were a few tantrums along the way but for the most part it was a good celebratory morning of the season. If all goes well (and assuming before-mentioned toddler has a good long nap) we'll go to a local orchard to stock up on any Jonathan apples they've picked and make chili for dinner. Rugged husband and black dog will be bird hunting this weekend while I shop for fall decor -- win, win.

I'll be filing all my favorite new fall decor ideas, recipes, and entertaining tips on Pinterest so follow my fall boards there and let's get to celebrating this glorious time of year!

Every Day Gifting

Giving a little something to a friend or neighbor is something you can do regularly, with no planning or shopping. Yesterday was one of my neighbor's birthdays and I remembered she loves the salted caramels she had at my house recently, so I packaged a few up in a little box and took them to her house.

This morning I dropped a bag of fresh picked blueberries at another neighbor's house. Maggie and I picked more than we would ever need and I know my friend's kids like them.

I usually have some cookie dough frozen so when a friend is needing a little pick-me-up I can quickly bake a few and drop them off to her, or invite her over for a little snack and chat.

Small gestures go along way.

'Pick Your Own' Farms

There's just something great about going to an orchard or farm to pick your own produce. My husband is satisfied only if he can go into the woods and find the berries growing wild, but I love local quaint farms, like Sunshine Valley Farm in Rogersville, MO, that plant the trees and let patrons pick from them. This is a great activity when you need some peaceful time to yourself, or to do with a girlfriend, or to get the kids outside and involved in nature. It's darn near therapeutic.

My new backyard neighbor invited Maggie and I to go with her and her little boy this morning. We usually end up having our breakfasts together over our back fences since both our kids play in the yards in the morning, so we knew we'd be up for an early morning trip to the farm. We had a great time and I came away with seven pounds of blueberries for less than $20. Pies, pancakes, and muffins are in my families' future.

To find 'Pick Your Own' farms near you go to PickYourOwn.org.

For instructions on how to freeze berries go here. The key to freezing berries for use all year is to make sure you store them in freezer bags and all the air is removed from the bag.

Maggie Picking Her First Blueberries

You can eat them right off the vine and they are perfectly sweet.

Exploring the orchards

Taste Testing

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Break Time

The Two Little Pickers Learning to Share their Berries

We finished off the morning with a blueberry muffin...

...and a nap on the ride home.

Drop-Off Meals to New Parents

A girlfriend emailed me and asked advice on taking meals to friends that just had babies. I thought I'd share my reply with all of you as well.

"Hi Friend,

I don’t have any “go to” recipes for taking meals but I have a couple ideas for you. If it’s a friend that you know is receiving a lot of meals I like to take one of two things:

(a) a lot of times I’ll take breakfast items, usually the night before, because making breakfast and having a nutritious start is more difficult with a new baby than making dinner or (b) I’ll take a meal that’s prepared but not baked so they can choose to have it that night or if they have enough meals they can freeze it and eat it later.

Here’s a peak at a breakfast basket I’ll make a lot of times: http://www.humblehostess.com/2010/06/celebrate-good-neighbors.html (stick a cute little stuffed animal in it for the baby)

For dinners I put everything in a bag and on the outside I type a note that says “Dinner’s In The Bag” (hah!) and write down what’s in it and how to bake it.

If she’s breastfeeding and likes beer, I usually put two beers in with the dinner, one for hubby because he needs it and one for mommy because it brings in milk.

An egg casserole is PERFECT because they can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Zesty Enchiladas. http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/zesty-chicken-enchiladas-00000000012498/index.html. These are super good and you can make it all in advance, and then she just bakes it at 400 for 15 minutes. Take with chips and salsa."

Job Titles

Just a little thought...

Women wear many hats, sometimes one at a time and sometimes many at a time. There are moments where I feel like I could be sketched into an old cartoon, carefully balancing a tower of hats, caps, and bonnets topped off with a little bird tweeting "whistle while you work." I wouldn't give any of them up. Mommy, wife, sister, daughter, manager, mentor, landscaper, cook, housekeeper, wedding planner, blogger, entrepreneur, hostess (of course), decorator, accountant, mediator, secretary...but we all have times when those titles leave us wondering who we are.

I remember a quote I used to have posted in my office (when I wore the hat of Marketing Director): "Women can have it all, just not all on the same day." It was my reminder to love the days when I was driven career woman, and then love the days when I was homemaker, and to be okay that some days I can't be both.

In this time, when I am most busy with managing a new business and settling into a new town, I am taking deep breathes and reminding myself to take one thing at a time. And when I'm not sure which hat I'm wearing on a certain day I remember the title I love most is Mrs. Flinn, wife of Jared and mommy of Maggie, and in a deep breath I realize why I took that quote off my wall...because I do have it all, every day, with a loving family and endless opportunities. And when you have that, what more could you need?

In the stress of all you do, slow down and enjoy what you're doing right then. And when you're not sure who you are in that moment, then choose the title you love most and do that. The rest of the work can wait.

My Family: Easter 2011

Easter was great. It wasn't perfect, but it was great. We had rain. And I may have overdone it with the plastic eggs (is 400 too many for four kids?). And I left three of the main ingredients for my egg casserole at the grocery store. But it all turned out fine and we had a wonderful time.

That's the thing with learning to roll with it...I really enjoy hosting guests but some times things don't go according to plan and you have to adjust, not get frazzled, and keep a smile. So, we did the egg hunt early in the morning before the rain got heavy, which turned out great because we hunted in our PJs before getting dressed up for church. And I improvised a new egg casserole recipe that was at least satisfying, even if it wasn't my family's traditional dish.

By the end of the weekend we'd spent a couple days with my sister and brother-in-law and their kids from Texas, another sister who lives in Arkansas, and my mom (who thanks to our recent move lives 10 minutes away).

Maggie and Me at the Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt
Attending neighborhood events is a great way to build community.

Teaching Maggie How to Dye Easter Eggs...and trying not to get stained.

I love being sneaky and filling the baskets.
Remember that feeling as a kid waking up to find surprise presents waiting for you?

Once we decided to hunt first and eat our Easter meal after church, I had to come up with some breakfast for everyone.
Using stuff I already had in the house we had a great breakfast buffet of fruit, muffins, and the hard boiled eggs we dyed the night before.

So happy! This is priceless.

Hunting in the rain.

Playing with the colorful plastic eggs is just as fun as hunting them.

All dressed up for church. When did Easter bonnets go out of fashion?

My Family

My Little French Country

I'm drowning in brown and beige. The house is brown and the walls are beige (well, maybe taupe). It's beautiful but after staring at brown corrugated boxes for the past month I need some color! I see lots of paint and wallpaper in my near future. I digress...

So, this is our new house. It's a sweet little french country home in new-ish neighborhood filled with sweet little french country homes, every house having the same feel but very different looks. Our neighborhood is off a country road and has rolling hills. It's a little bit charming I think. Did I mention we purchased the house with out seeing it? Yep! Now if you know me this is probably quite shocking to you. After looking at dozens and dozens of houses I was about to give up when my mom called one day and said she was standing in the perfect house for me. "Buy it," I said and that was that.

I have a few...well, maybe more than a few, projects planned for our new pad but for now I'm just enjoying being unpacked.

The House

The Great Room

I really like how our little sitting area came together.

Formal Dining

I want to decorate in french COUNTRY in this new house,

emphasizing the country. So I used this antique pine wall piece for my china cabinet, instead of my more traditional dark wood buffet and hutch.

The Kitchen

and my new farm table! I'm a little bit obsessed with this table.

from Nell Hills (of course)

Master Bedroom

Our bedroom has five windows facing north and east.

The sunshine in the morning is incredible!

What makes a house a home for Jared and I is hosting people regularly. It's our passion to entertain friends, family and strangers but our house is no where near dressed to impress yet. Thinking about this, while planning dinner for our first guests, I was reminded of a passage from Romans 12:13.

"...And get in the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night."

Hospitality differs from social entertaining. To be hospitable the house doesn't need to be clean and the food doesn't need to be gourmet. Hospitality is not about the host, it's about the guests and focusing on the guests needs, and enjoying the fellowship of company.

So, I wasn't embarrassed when my dinner guests last night saw my basement looking like this. Honestly, keeping your drill and vacuum next to your bar can be really quite convenient.

Nici

New Adventures

Well friends, it's been a little while. In the spirit of spring and new blooms I felt I owed you a short message to say "hello" and offer an update on what's new in the life of this humble hostess. If you follow me on Facebook you've probably noticed I'm back in the groove of postings tips and antics from my daily life. There's been a lot going on and even taking the time to share it was not time I could find. I'm sorry for that.

My family and I have started a new adventure -- we've moved to the small town of Nixa situated in The Ozarks, in southwest Missouri. This unexpected adventure started awhile back when my husband suggested we put our house on Craigslist, mostly out of curiosity. Late one Sunday night I did just that and a few days later it was sold. Who'da thunk?! So, we packed it up and moved on down to this beautiful part of the country where we are closer to family. Life is never without it's challenges though and on the day we were moving out of our house we faced a big one.

We were looking forward to expanding our family with this move but on the day we left our home we miscarried. It's a very difficult thing to loose a baby; unfortunately many of you know this. And it's a very sad thing to leave a home. Doing both on the same day was overwhelmingly heartbreaking. The sincere affection and concern from friends and family has given me the ability to see love and grace and hope in an otherwise saddened time and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the kind people in our lives. God knew that with such a loss we would be best to have a fresh start and it's humbling to me to see now why he may have planned this move for us. He is truly amazing!

It's the smallest gestures that have had the biggest impact -- unexpected flowers from a group of friends, the new neighbors who dropped of the local kids magazine for my daughter, and the text from friends asking for photos of the new house. It's that little gesture that reminds you someone, some where thought about you that can make the dreariest day bright.

So, now it's on to making our new house our new home. For me, that starts with a little baking then some decorating and hosting new friends. Photos of the new digs coming soon...no, really, I promise. Coming real soon.

I Bought the Pies

Costco's Pumpkin Pie

(gasp!) I'm not making homemade pies this Thanksgiving. I'm buying them. I know this may seem appalling to you true bakers (I'm amateur at best) and I'm a little disappointed in myself but truthfully it's better for all if I buy, not bake, these pies. This is when the humble part of humble hostess comes in. I'm buying pies...I relinquish my efforts to be Betty Crocker and if you too are thinking, "my gosh I just. don't. have. time!" and are looking for someone to say "Go ahead. Buy that pie," I'm here to give you full permission.

I love to bake, but only when I can really enjoy it. If I'm rushed or it's going to stress me it's not going to be enjoyable. This is a good mantra/metaphor/motto for all things we can often feel pressured about. Do what you can, but when you can't don't stress. This is especially a good reminder during the holidays. If you forget to buy that special gift for your mom, it's okay...she won't notice when you give her a card with a raincheck. If your Christmas cookies fall flat, it's okay...take a bottle of Cupcake wine to that cookie exchange party instead.

My first priority is being a wife, a mother and a homemaker. My second is running a business. After those things are covered I try to find time to share my thoughts on those things with all of you. You won't hear much from me this week since the first priority will be taking up all my time, but next week I promise to have lots of ideas to get you going for Christmas, from great cocktail dresses to holiday hostess gifts.

Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours...store bought pie and all.

Make The Most of Your Days

My belief is to make the most of each day, since we don't get to redo it tomorrow. This weekend we were guests at a cocktail party, hosted a potluck dinner, and attended a Kansas City Chiefs game. We also enjoyed having out-of-town family stay with us. Sunday afternoon we took a walk to the neighborhood park where my daughter enjoyed stomping through the leaves and my husband and dog relaxed under a tree. It was a full weekend and we fully enjoyed it. I hope you also made the most out of your weekend. I hope you got to spend good times with family or friends. I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy living where you live. Most of all, I hope you find joy in the places and people that surround you.

Dressing Like a Lady

If you asked someone about my style they'd never say I was trendy or hip. I hope they'd say my style is feminine and classic. Truth is, when it comes to fashion the only thing I know for certain is I'm always comfortable in a nice pair of fitted jeans and a white v-neck cotton tee paired with leather riding boots. That may not seem feminine, but to me it is classic and confident with just a hint of sexiness -- all things I believe women should be. Of course, if I had the right occasions I'd wear a full a-line pocketed skirt with high pumps and tight cardigan every day. That is my idea of ladylike dressing at it's best. But playgroup and the grocery store with a toddler require more practical attire than heels! My daily routine may not match my desire for dress-up, but I can still add some femininity to my appearance each day.

Real Simple recently ran an article about the return of ladylike dressing with this fall's fashions. I certainly hope the "trend" lasts far past fall. While I don' expect, nor desire, the 1950s to return with petticoats and white gloves I would love to see the return to clothes that are sexy, but not racy, feminine, and overall make a gal feel girlish. A lady's clothes should be figure flattering, not revealing. She should look confident, not masculine. Sophisticated. And the clothes should be useful. After all, we're busy ladies. We don't have time for fuss and mess with our clothes -- we need our clothes to work for us. Oh I could write a book on the genius of dresses with pockets!

I could post pages and pages of ladylike attire I've fallen in love with but here are just a few examples...or a few more than a few. This lady likes clothes!

From one well-heeled hostess to another....

Having a couple versatile dresses that can be dressed up or down is better than having a whole walk-in closet full of dresses.

Anna Sui From the Archives Dress

A classic white button-up gives a slightly sexy look while having a confident strength.

Carolina Herrera Three-Quarter Sleeve Blouse

You can't get more classic than pearls. These stud earrings offer a hint of sophistication.

Pearl Stud Earrings by JCrew

The perfect little black dress is quite possibly the most important wardrobe staple.

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Dress

Dressed-up t-shirts offer the comfort of a cotton tee and while creating a "being cute is effortless" look.

Loosely Looped Tee for Anthropologie

Great rain and snow boots are essential for surviving bad weather. In fact, get a few pairs of good boots and wear them with skirts, dresses and pants on days where heels just won't do.