Name: White Texas Sheet Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 24 people
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup water; 2 eggs; 2/3 cup sour cream; 1 teaspoon almond extract; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1/2 cup whole milk; 5 cups confectioners' sugar; 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; Chopped walnuts or sprinkles to garnish

My New Living Room Sofa

Interiors

Tuesday
Feb / 12 / 2019
Comments 10

My New Living Room Sofa - Carlisle Upholstered Sofa #livingroom #sofa

Yesterday I intended to tell you all about my new living room sofa, but instead, I got caught up chatting about the recent photo shoot and my life as of late. No worries, however. I’m back today to share the sofa details.

As you might know, decorating for Christmas is one of my favorite things. In my mind, you also need a cozy place where you can sit and gaze at your beautifully decorated Christmas tree. So back in October, as I was planning my holiday decor, I realized I needed a couple of pieces of furniture to fill out the living spaces in my new home.

Choosing a Living Room Sofa:

I had a plan for the furniture in my family room (You can see the details here.) but had yet to figure out what to do in my living room. After looking through photos online, I was inspired to try something new and was drawn to an English roll arm sofa. I especially love the arms and legs of this style of sofa and thought it would work well with my overall design aesthetic for Bayberry House.

I began searching for options. I found sofas I liked at Restoration Hardware, Interior Define, Basset Furniture, and Pottery Barn. After considering material, timing, size, and price, I ultimately decided on the Carlisle Upholstered Grand Sofa from Pottery Barn. It checked off all the boxes for me. Plus, I happen to live near a Pottery Barn store so I could view fabric samples in person to ensure I was getting the right color.

Carlisle Upholstered Sofa:

After looking at the fabric samples, I chose the Basketweave Slub Ash. I had had a gray color in mind, and this seemed to best suit my space. Based on where I wanted to place the sofa, I went with the Grand Sofa 91″. I also upgraded to the down blend wrapped cushions, but I was able to buy the sofa for 20% off during a Friends and Family Event.

With my selections made, I placed the order and waited for delivery. About 6 weeks later, my new living room sofa arrived!

Overall, I’m extremely pleased with my selection. The sofa is incredibly comfortable. The color works well with my freshly painted walls, and the fabric helps to disguise cat hair, which is always a plus. I haven’t had any spills yet, but the material feels durable, and I was told it’s easy to spot clean.

The only thing I’d change about the sofa is the height of the back. It seems a tad high to my eye. This could be because I don’t have incredibly high ceilings, or maybe I’m accustomed to the horizontal lines of a lot of contemporary furniture.

My perception of the sofa height might also be due to the location. When you enter the house and look into the living room, you’re greeted by the back of a sofa. However, I’m hoping to improve this view in the near future by adding a narrow table to the back of the sofa. I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect sofa table!

And there you have it, my dear friends – my new living room sofa in all its glory! I know some of you have been wanting the details, so I’m glad to finally be able to share them with you.

Just in case you’re curious about my green velvet chairs: those came from Anthropologie. You can find them here. They are currently around 40% off.

If you have any other questions, please leave them below in the comments.

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What’s the Tea: Back in Business

Life

Monday
Feb / 11 / 2019
Comments 9

My friends, I feel like a new man today, and it’s wonderful!

In case you missed the news, last week I had a magazine shoot at Bayberry House. This was super exciting and super humbling at the same time given that I’ve only been in my house for 7 months. Though it’s completely worth it, a photo shoot at your home is a bit nerve-racking and can be a lot of work. However, the kicker for me was that I had to leave up all of my Christmas decorations for a couple months.

Yes, on February 8, my house was still fully decorated for Christmas. Two Christmas trees and all. When the shoot wrapped up on Friday around 5 p.m., I immediately started taking down the decorations, packing things away, dusting, cleaning, etc.

Two days later, around 3 p.m. on Sunday, I was finally finished. It felt (and still feels) incredible. As much as I love decorating for Christmas, I equally enjoy putting everything away and starting afresh. In fact, it kind of feels like 2019 just began today (even though we are already a month and a half into the year.)

Right now I’m feeling incredibly grateful for the photo shoot, excited to have my home clean and cleared, and ready to hit the ground running. In fact, I sat down to write a post about my new living room sofa. After I started typing, I realized I should probably catch you up on life and a few other things first.

As usual, January was a slow month here on IBC. Thanks for sticking with me. I had the best of intentions to continue trucking along with as much gusto as I had in December, but ultimately, I decided that a slow month was needed. Having a couple sick kitties, a touch of the flu, and this big photo shoot, a little more down time seemed to make sense.

I think that the rest of this year is going to be quite eventful, so maybe a slow start was in the cards all along. As I shared a few weeks ago, I have big plans for changes and updates here at Bayberry House. In fact, I have a meeting with my contractor today to finalize a few details of the kitchen remodel. Fingers crossed, the demo will begin soon. In between now and then, however, I’ll be sharing some before photos of the kitchen and my plans for the space. Stay tuned for that.

In other news: I’m currently on the hunt for spring and everyday decor. After taking down my Christmas decorations, things are looking a bit blah around on my first floor. I have yet to really decide how I want to decorate any of these spaces for everyday. I’m looking forward to infusing a little style and personality. (You may remember that I sold my last house complete with the furnishings, so I need to rebuild my collection of decor goodies.)

Even though I’m late in starting, I’m so excited about this new year and continuing to share my adventures with you. (Oh, and that post about my new sofa will be on the blog tomorrow. I’ll meet you back here then.)

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Meet Frankie

Life

Saturday
Feb / 9 / 2019
Comments 54

Meet Frankie! Inspired by Charm's New Cat

Say hello to Frankie!

Yes, my friends, I’ve welcomed a new kitty into my life and home. This news won’t come as a surprise to those of you who follow me on Instagram (I’ve already shared a few pictures of him there.), but I thought Frankie also deserved a post on IBC.

As you may know, I already had two cats: Sebastian and Jax. I adopted Sebastian as a kitten when I moved into my first apartment after college. Jax joined us about a year later. This year, Sebastian will turn 14, and Jax will be 13. It’s hard to believe they are that old and have lived in six different apartments/houses with me.

Having cats in my home is such a joy for me. As a single person, I like their companionship, and I’ve always been perfectly content with just two cats. To me, that’s the ideal number. I’ve also been blessed with two really great cats. I especially love that Sebastian and Jax are very close and can often be found snuggled together or cleaning each other’s heads.

However, since Sebastian and Jax are older, and I’m now settled in my current home, I recently decided to open myself to the idea of another cat. I wouldn’t actively seek another cat, but if one should find me, I’d be open to providing it a home. That way, in case something happened to Sebastian or Jax, the surviving cat would still have a companion, and so would I.

Rewind to a couple weeks before Christmas: My blogger friend Julia of Cuckoo 4 Design tagged me on an Instagram post. A cute little cat named Frankie was found living under the porch of a house here in Pittsburgh. He was being cared for by a kind couple who unfortunately couldn’t keep him. They were looking to find him a home for Christmas.

I wrote them an email expressing my interest in adopting Frankie, and from all the emails they received, they picked me to take Frankie. Fun fact: the husband has been following me on Pinterest for years!

It seemed like Frankie was destined to be in my life, so here he is!

Because I wanted to make sure that all the cats got along, there needed to be a trial period. If for some reason, things didn’t work out, the couple told me they would be willing to find Frankie another home.

Naturally, when any new cat joins a family, there is a bit of caution and adjustment on everyone’s part. However, in just a few days, all the cats seemed to be getting along.

I hope this doesn’t border on too much information, but in his early days at Bayberry House, Frankie had urinary issues (frequent trips to the litter box) that necessitated several visits to the vet. The vet couldn’t find anything wrong with Frankie. I later realized Frankie’s frequent urination was caused by the wet food I was giving him. Once I changed his diet, all the urinary issues disappeared.

Frankie’s been with me a little over a month now, and it feels as if he’s always been a member of our family. The other day I caught him snuggled up with Jax, which put a big smile on my face. He is a bit of trouble maker and has climbed up my fully decorated Christmas tree twice. He’s also ventured into the fireplace. I know this because I found big black streaks on his fur.

Oh, you might be wondering about his name. I believe the lovely folks that found him gave it to him. My guess is that it was inspired by Frank “Ol Blue Eyes” Sinatra. As you can see, my Frankie has striking blue eyes, too. I liked the name so much, that I didn’t feel any need to change it. Though, like any beloved pet, Frankie has garnered a few nicknames: Frankiestein, Frankie Doodle Doo, and Franklin.

Thank you for allowing me to officially introduce Frankie to you. I am so happy to welcome him into my home, and I suspect he’ll be making more appearances on IBC in the years ahead.

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Really Good Blueberry Muffins

Recipes

Saturday
Feb / 9 / 2019
Comments 11

Really Good Blueberry Muffins recipe for breakfast, brunch, or anything in-between!

These Really Good Blueberry Muffins will quickly become your favorite and new go-to blueberry muffin recipe!

Last week my brother was in town for a concert so he spent the night at my new place. (He’s my first official guest!) Before the show, I drove him around to a few of the microbreweries in my neighborhood. We grabbed some dinner, and then I dropped him off at the concert venue.

Really Good Blueberry Muffins:

That’s when I scooted back to my apartment to whip up these Really Good Blueberry Muffins. I decided to make muffins because I thought that with a cup of coffee, they’d be the perfect way to start the next day.

Blueberry muffins will forever be one of my favorite sweet breakfast foods. Donuts and cupcakes are at the head of the line (obviously), but I’ll never turn down a homemade blueberry muffin.

This is the time of year when my mom always made them. Just a quarter mile down the road from where she lives (and where I grew up), there was a large blueberry patch so fresh blueberries were plentiful every summer.

How to Make Blueberry Muffins:

If I remember correctly, blueberry muffins were also one of the treats (along with sour cream bread) that Mom would make for me to take back to college.

I love that food can hold such fond memories and allow us to time travel to different points in our lives through familiar and meaningful flavors.

I didn’t use my mom’s recipe for these muffins because 1) I don’t have it (We’ll save it for another time.), and 2) I wanted something with a crumb topping. This recipe is a combination of a few I found online. The result was some really good blueberry muffins (hence, the name).

What’s especially great about this recipe is that the prep is minimal, and you don’t need a mixer. Just grab a couple bowls and you’re good to go.

Also, I’m guessing that you’ll have most of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge. (Not having to run to the store makes any recipe exponentially better!) Just remember to pick up some fresh blueberries when you’re at the farmers market or your favorite grocery.

Let’s bake!

Breakfast is served!

While these muffins are fabulous on their own, they would also make a great addition to a brunch or afternoon picnic.

Want more blueberry recipes? Try these:

Enjoy!

Really Good Blueberry Muffin Recipe:

Really Good Blueberry Muffins

Makes about 18 muffins

Here's what you will need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream (or yogurt)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups blueberries, divided
1 tablespoon flour

Streusel Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a couple muffin pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined. Then whisk in the sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until almost combined.

In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour and toss them until coated. (This will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.) Then, gently fold them into your batter.

To make the streusel topping, mix together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffins tins, filling them about 2/3 full. Divide the remaining 1 cup of blueberries onto the top of each muffin. Then sprinkle each with the prepared streusel.

Place the muffin pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool for 5-8 minutes in the pan. Then remove the muffins and allow them to finish cooling on a wire rack.

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My Favorite Peanut Butter Desserts

Recipes

Wednesday
Jan / 30 / 2019
Comments 4

You’re going to love this list! It’s a collection of my favorite peanut butter desserts!

I LOVE peanut butter, and over the past several years I’ve made many cookies, cakes, pies, and other sweet treats with peanut butter. (My heart aches for all the folks who are allergic to peanuts.)

In this post, I’ve pulled together My Favorite Peanut Butter Desserts. I hope this compilation is a handy reference that inspires you to create your own peanut butter desserts.

Peanut Butter Desserts: Cookies

Let’s start with cookies. I’ve baked quite a variety, and each of them tastes great dunked in a glass of cold milk. (In case you’re new to IBC and interested in more cookie recipes, check out my annual Fall Cookie Week posts.)

Peanut Butter Brownie Pillow Cookies
If you’re a fan of brownies AND peanut butter cookies, this peanut butter dessert is for you! It’s a brownie baked inside a peanut butter cookie. With every bite, you get both flavors. That’s what I call heaven in a cookie.

Peanut Butter Lover’s Peanut Butter Cookies

This might be my favorite peanut butter cookie. It’s everything you love about a peanut butter cookie with an gooey and creamy peanut butter center. That’s why I called this the Peanut Butter Lover’s Peanut Butter Cookie!

Stuffed Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

How about another fabulous stuffed cookie? This one has a peanut butter chocolate cup in the center. I recommend this cookie to anyone who can’t get enough peanut butter and chocolate.

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
This fancy cookie is perfect for your next party or cookie exchange. Half of the cookie is dipped in chocolate and then covered with either crushed peanuts or chocolate sprinkles. It’s a finishing touch that will please your eyes and your tummy.

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
This classic peanut butter cookie recipe features candy-coated chocolates. Made with pastel chocolates, these adorable cookies will dress up any spring celebration. Or bake them for other holidays and use chocolate candies in colors that fit the occasion.

Peanut Butter Desserts: Cakes

My out-of-this-world collection of peanut butter desserts continues with cakes. What special touches will you add to them to thrill the peanut butter lovers in your life?

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
Take a look at this classic Texas sheet cake with a twist. It’s peanut butter instead of the usual chocolate. But for people like me who “need” chocolate with our peanut butter, each piece is topped with a large chocolate-covered peanut butter egg.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Baked in a fluted cake pan and then drizzled with peanut butter icing, this cake will make your mouth water. It’s a dazzling dessert perched on a cake stand, and when sliced, the swirl design and fabulous flavor will continue to mesmerize.

Peanut Butter Desserts: Pie and More

The love I have for PB knows no bounds. I have also used it in pie and lots of other sweet treats. If you try any one of my peanut butter desserts, please let me know what you think.

Bite-Size Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust
I fell head over heels for these cute mini peanut butter pies. The crust is easy to make in a food processor and iced coffee is the secret flavor ingredient. After the dough is rolled out, you press out the individual crusts with a flower-shaped cookie cutter. (I made these during my Year of Pie on IBC. You can find more pie recipes here.)

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies Treats
A childhood staple gets a fun upgrade in this recipe. Chocolate peanut butter hearts are sandwiched between two layers of marshmallow treats, and then melted chocolate is spread on top. “Kids from one to ninety-two” will beg you for these.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake Bars
This peanut butter dessert brings together another classic flavor pairing: PB&J. Served cheesecake style, these bars are ideal for party buffets, afternoon teas, and family meals. You will be looking for any excuse to serve them.

Peanut Butter Waffle and Jelly Ice Cream Sandwiches
Do you waffle? I used a mini-waffle maker to create these scrumptious peanut butter waffles. Then I mixed strawberry jam in vanilla ice cream and layered that between two of the waffles. Once you make these waffle ice cream sandwiches, you’ll be dreaming up many more flavor combinations.

I hope you enjoyed this delicious collection of my favorite peanut butter dessert recipes. Do you have a favorite?

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White Texas Sheet Cake for Valentine’s Day

Recipes

Sunday
Jan / 27 / 2019
Comments 5

White Texas Sheet Cake for Valentine's Day #cake #texassheetcake #valentinesday #dessert #recipe

This White Texas Sheet Cake is a delightful way to serve a sweet treat to a crowd. And, dressed up with colorful sprinkles, it becomes a special dessert for Valentine’s Day!

Yes, my friends, today we’re whipping up a delicious White Texas Sheet Cake. I don’t know about you, but traditional Texas Sheet Cake (the chocolate variety) was a dessert staple in my family.

While I have yet to share that recipe (This post reminded me that I should.), I have shared my recipe for Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake, which is still one of my favorites!

I also decided to dress up this cake for Valentine’s Day with a variety of festive sprinkles. And speaking of Valentine’s Day, if you’re looking for more love-inspired treats, you can find a collection of my favorites here.

What is Texas Sheet Cake?

The day I was making this I was talking to a friend who told me he’d never heard of Texas Sheet Cake. I found that interesting so I did a little research, and it turns out that the origin of Texas Sheet Cake is a bit of a mystery. However, there is some connection to a similar dessert known as German Chocolate Cake. (Some day I also need to share a recipe for that. It’s yummy, too!)

People seem to like Texas Sheet Cake because it requires fewer steps and less time and clean-up. Plus, it’s a large cake. If desired, you could cut it into smaller pieces and serve even more than 24.

How do you make a White Texas Sheet Cake?

Well, it’s actually pretty easy. First, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and then turn to the stove top to prepare your wet ingredients.

In fact, I think cooking some of the ingredients for both the cake and frosting is what makes this recipe taste a bit different from a standard cake.

Water and butter are brought to a boil and then added to the dry ingredients along with sour cream, eggs, and almond extract.

All of that gets baked in a large sheet pan, and it’s ready in about 20 minutes. So simple!

Next, a frosting glaze is made from confectioners’ sugar, melted butter, and milk. That is spread on the warm cake along with a handful of colorful Valentine’s Day sprinkles for the perfect finishing touch.

And that’s it! Our White Texas Sheet Cake is complete and ready for Valentine’s Day snacking!

The cake is moist, sweet, and flavorful – ideal for sharing with the ones you love.

Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Do you like this recipe? You love these:

White Texas Sheet Cake

Servings: 24 people | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Total Time: 35 mins

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

This White Texas Sheet Cake is a delightful way to serve a sweet treat to a crowd. And, dressed up with colorful sprinkles, it becomes a special dessert for Valentine's Day!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup water
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Chopped walnuts or sprinkles to garnish

Instructions

Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 15x10x1-inch sheet pan with baking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Then in a small saucepan, add the butter and water. Bring to a boil and quickly remove from heat. Stir the hot liquid into the flour mixture.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and almond extract until smooth. Pour that into the flour mixture and stir until smooth.
Spread the batter in the prepared sheet pan. Baked 18-22 minutes until the cake is just golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
While the cake cools, prepare the frosting by combining the butter and milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar, almond extract, and salt. Spread the glaze over the warm cake and immediately top with sprinkles.

Recipe Notes

Note: Traditional Texas Sheet Cake is made with walnuts in the frosting. If you prefer, you can stir in 1 cup of chopped walnuts to the glaze before spreading it over the cake.

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Front Yard Landscaping: The After

Interiors

Saturday
Jan / 26 / 2019
Comments 24

Front Yard Landscaping: The After #landscaping #frontyard #yard #planting #exterior

Another big project at Bayberry House is complete.

As I mentioned last week, after having a grove of dead and ugly trees removed, my new front yard landscaping was installed and grass was planted. Let me walk you through the process and show you the results!

Before we do that, however, I must tell you how disappointed I was with the landscaper’s execution of the design. While the overall design and plant selection were great, the installation process and lack of attention to detail was a hot mess. I won’t go into more detail here, but I will be looking for a different landscaper in the future.

As I mentioned in my 2019 Bayberry House Project list, I want to tackle a landscaping project every year, so it’s important that I get a landscaper who does quality work. This might slow the progress in my yard a bit, but I’m pressing on.

With that out of the way, back to the progress!

Although different elevations aren’t always noticeable in photos, the planting bed where the trees had been had a fairly large hill on the front of it closest to the road. The landscaper’s first step was to knock out that hill and create a level surface for the new planting beds.

After that, the shape of the planting bed was laid out and topsoil was added. Then almost 150 shrubs and perennials were brought in. Yes, 150!

Here’s a look at the design plan and list of plants for those of you who are interested.

(There are two changes from this design plan. Both feature trees are different. The Cercis Canadensis Rising Run is now a Striped Maple and the Cornus Rutgan Steller Pink is now a Cornus Kousa Wolf Eyes.)

As I’ve mentioned, this area of Pittsburgh has a rather large deer population. It’s important to take that into account when selecting plantings.

Some of the new plants are attractive to deer, but they will get netting around them in the winter for protection.

Using the design plan as a guide, all of the shrubs, trees, and perennials were placed and then planted.

After being mulched and seeded with grass, this front yard landscaping project is complete!

As you might have surmised, all of this activity took place in the fall. Surprisingly, most of the plants hadn’t gone dormant yet, so there is still plenty of green in the photos. I plan to photograph this area again in the spring and summer so you can see how the garden and plantings look at different times of the year.

Also, when I took these photos, 3 or 4 plants were missing for one reason or another and the grass has not grown.. Once they were finally planted and the grass started to appear, everything else went dormant, so I didn’t bother to take more pictures.

As I said, I’ll circle back with more photos after winter, if you are interested.

I am so in love with all of the new plantings and how they make the landscape look much more intentional and cared for.

Speaking of plantings, here are a few of my favorites:

– Peonies (Paeonia): There are nine peony bushes in two different varieties. Of course, they aren’t blooming now, but I do hope to see a few flowers this summer.

– Hypericum Albury: You might recognize this bush since its branches are often used in floral arrangements. You can also buy hypericum in the grocery store with fresh flowers.

– Striped Maple Tree (Acer pennsylvanicum): This is the tree closest to the house. Its leaves and bark are so beautiful.

– Roses (Rosa Knockout): Adding roses is a bit of a test, as they are not deer resistant. However, I thought it was worth a shot. We’ll see how they do!

– Allium: In case you’re not familiar with them, these look like big purple lollipops. These were planted as bulbs, so I’m looking forward to seeing them bloom in the years to come.

– Bayberry (Myrica Pensylvanica): Yes, in a nod to the name of my home (“Bayberry House“), I added a few of these bushes. There are two varieties: one is standard and one is a dwarf variety. I love that their leaves are great for cutting. (If you’ll remember, I used some in my winter tablescape!)

I like all of the plants that were selected, but these were some I’m especially excited about!

As you can probably tell, this is just a small section of my yard. In time, I would like to extend this bed around the left side of the house and clean up the opposite side of the driveway to give the landscape a cohesive look. I also plan to eventually replace the shrubs in front of the house.

These outdoor landscaping projects are truly exciting for me! I’m looking forward to tackling a portion every year and seeing it all come back to life over time. Sometimes I think if I had it do it all over again, landscape architecture or working with plants would have been a good career path for me.

And before we wrap this all up, here’s a quick look at the before and after:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I’m loving it and SO excited to see it in the spring with that dirt patch as grass.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this project come together and picked up an idea or two for your own landscaping adventures.

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Blackberry Banana Muffins

Recipes

Tuesday
Jan / 22 / 2019
Comments 2

Topped with oats, these Blackberry Banana Muffins are a delicious start to your day or the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when paired with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Blackberry Banana Muffins:

I don’t know about you, but for me, nothing beats coffee and pastry first thing in the morning. If my waistline or metabolism allowed it, I’d eat that for breakfast every day. And you can bet these Blackberry Banana Muffins would be part of the pastry rotation.

How to Make Blackberry Banana Muffins:

Somehow, I ended up with a bunch of extra bananas that were a little too ripe for my liking. (Does anyone else prefer a slightly green banana?) And since I also had a large container of fresh blackberries from Trader Joe’s, I decided to whip up a batch of Blackberry Banana Muffins.

I topped the muffins with a sprinkling of old-fashioned rolled oats, and boy are they delicious!

I’m not going to claim they are “healthy,” but loaded with bananas, berries, oats, flaxseed, and honey, I don’t think they all that bad. If you wanted to up the health factor even more, you could cut out the 1/3 cup of sugar and use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.

No matter how you decide to make these Blackberry Banana Muffins up, you are sure to enjoy this recipe.

You may be wondering about serving them. They are fabulous plain. However, I enjoyed my muffins served warm with almond butter.

What a delightful combination of flavors! I’ve been especially enjoying this Almond Butter with Honey. Yummy!

And because I know someone will ask, I found the fancy bakery-style muffin liners here. They work well and make these muffins feel extra special.

If you like this muffin recipe, you’ll love these:

Enjoy the recipe and happy baking!

Blackberry Banana Muffins

Servings: 20 muffins | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Total Time: 45 mins

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

5 from 1 vote

Topped with oats, these Blackberry Banana Muffins are a delicious start to your day or the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when paired with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Ingredients

6 ripe medium-sized bananas
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (plus 1/4 cup for garnish)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups fresh blackberries

Instructions

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with baking cups and set aside.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or electric mixer. Add the honey, butter, flaxseed, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture of dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until almost incorporated. Then fold in the blackberries.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each with additional oats.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops start to brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes outs clean. When perfectly done, remove the muffins from the oven. Allow the muffins to rest in the pans for 5-8 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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2019 Bayberry House Projects

Interiors

Monday
Jan / 21 / 2019
Comments 9

Tour my new Modern Colonial Home in Pittsburgh, PA. Inspired by Charm's New Home. #moderncolonial #inspiredbycharm #hometour

Last week I posted a Q&A on my Instagram stories and received a lot of great ideas for blog post topics. One of the most requested was information on home projects I plan to complete this year.

I love this topic because I had not yet sat down and listed out projects I want to do in my home in 2019. While I have a mess of ideas in my head, I just hadn’t put pen to paper (or in this case, fingers to keyboard) until now.

As I compiled this list, I realized there’s so much I’d like to do. This list is a bit ambitious, and I realize that due to time and money, not all of these projects may come to fruition in 2019. Still, I figured it’s good to dream big.

I also included a few items at the end of this post that detail other things I’d like to tackle if funds and time permit. So, without further ado, these are my 2019 Bayberry House Projects!

KITCHEN RENOVATION:

Okay, this is the big one. And if I just complete this major project in 2019, I’ll be satisfied. In the next couple of weeks, I’d like to have a tentative timeline for this project. My hope is that work will begin by March.

Naturally, I will be sharing updates throughout the project. I intend to do a before post soon as well as a post that outlines my plans and shows the new layout. In a nutshell, the kitchen will be gutted. That means installing new flooring, cabinets, lighting, appliances, and windows, tearing out a portion of a wall, and making a lot of other changes. Yes, it’s a huge project.

As a result of the Kitchen Renovation …

Since the kitchen is connected to several other rooms on the first floor, I’ve decided to tackle a few more projects during the renovation. Some are necessary and some are just easier to do while things are already being disturbed. These projects include …

Powder Room Renovation

I currently have a full bathroom (with a shower) on the first floor. This will be converted into a smaller powder room and pantry.

Replace French Doors with Windows

I love my dining room, but it’s a dark space with only a set of French doors to the outside. The plan is to put in 2 or 3 new windows on one wall and replace the French doors. This will bring in a lot of light to the dining room and the adjacent kitchen.

Replace Entryway Floors and Refinish First Floor Hardwood Floors

I will be extending the wood floors from my living room, dining room, and family room into the entryway and kitchen. Currently, the entryway floor is slate, and although it doesn’t show in the photos, the slate is damaged, plus there is paint spatter and crumbling grout.

New hardwoods will be installed in the kitchen and entryway, and then all the hardwoods in the downstairs will be refinished to match.

This refinishing project will include the entryway stairs and banister leading to the second floor.

Replace Entryway Closet

During all of this, I also want to rip out the closet in the entryway to open up this area. I will still need storage space for coats, a vacuum cleaner, and a few small outdoor items, so I plan to install custom cabinetry down the road. It just makes sense to take the closet out now so new hardwood flooring can be installed there as well.

Well, that’s it for the kitchen remodel sub-projects. It wasn’t my intent to take on so much while redoing the kitchen, but given that the kitchen touches these areas, I don’t have much choice.

OTHER PROJECTS:

Create a Planting Garden

I had big plans last fall to put in a planting garden for vegetables. This sounds like a fairly simple project, but we have a sizable deer population in my neighborhood so creating a garden entails more than building a couple raised beds. Everything needs to be enclosed to protect the plants from being destroyed by the deer.

I was working with a landscape business that I had hoped could help bring my vision to life. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed with the work the company completed, so now I need to find another landscaper and start from the beginning.

Needless to say, I’m still trying to figure this one out. At the very least, I can create a small informal garden on my own and enclose it with nets, if needed. I would just love to be able to plant a few veggies!

Paint and Decorate Bedrooms and Office

In general, I’d like to get everything painted on my second floor and start decorating it. I haven’t done much in any of my bedrooms or my office, and it’s starting to drive me bananas. As may remember, I sold my last house complete with furnishings, so that means I don’t have beds, dressers, side tables, and the like. A blessing and a curse, I suppose.

What is holding me up is that I have bigger plans for these spaces: built-ins in the office and master bedroom, major bathroom remodels, and more. However, I don’t know when those things will happen. Therefore, I need to forge ahead in a smart way. At the very least, I want to get everything painted, pick out furnishings and curtains, and update light fixtures.

Fix Exterior Chimney

You may have noticed in some of the photos of my home’s exterior that there are problematic bricks. I’m not sure what’s going on, but a few bricks here and there (mostly on one of my chimneys) are crumbling away. I need to get this situation checked out and have the brickwork repaired and repainted.

Since new window openings are part of the kitchen remodel, I might need to repaint the brick portion of my house. However, I’m hoping a few touch ups will suffice for now until I’m ready to replace the siding.

Create a Molding Plan

Now I know this sounds totally strange, but I love interior moldings and want to figure out a plan for this house. I want everything to be consistent and coordinated, so I need to formulate a plan and select go-to moldings that I can use throughout the house.

My thoughts are that this will come together nicely when I do over the kitchen as a lot of molding decisions will need to be made there.

Landscape Project

As I mentioned in a post last week, I hope to tackle a small landscaping project every year. I haven’t decided which project I’m going to do this year, but first I need to find a new and fabulous landscaper so we can figure out something together.

I do know that a few more trees need to come down. This is usually expensive since the trees are quite tall, so I want to do a little every year to keep costs more manageable.

Other Possible Projects:
Replace Upstairs Windows
Upgrade Front Porch
Build Outdoor Storage Shed
Update Living Room Built-ins
Change Living Room Fireplace to Gas

And that’s it. Quite a list, right?

While I’m both excited and overwhelmed, I know many of these changes will help me feel more at home in Bayberry House. I’m also looking forward to sharing my adventure with all of you!

I hope you enjoyed this look at my plans for the new year, especially if you’re one of the folks who requested this information. If you have more questions, please let me know in the comments below.

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Traders Joe’s Pancake Bread Recipe (Copycat)

Recipes

Thursday
Jan / 17 / 2019
Comments 23

Trader Joe's Pancake Bread Recipe #pancake #bread #quickbread #cinnamon #maple #recipe #traderjoes

There’s a new bread in town: Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread. After sampling it, I’m sharing my version of Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread Recipe.

On Tuesday I stopped by Trader Joe’s to get my weekly haul. Even though I’m trying to be more mindful of the sweets I eat, I couldn’t pass up their new “Pancake Bread.” – Who doesn’t love bread with a cinnamon and sugar top crust?

After dinner that evening, I decided to enjoy a piece, and it tasted oddly familiar in the most wonderful way! I was instantly reminded of my own Cinnamon Sour Cream Bread!

Traders Joe’s Pancake Bread:

So I did a quick google search to see if I could find a recipe. Nothing came up except lots of reviews and hype for this new sweet treat. Finding no recipe online but already having a recipe that’s pretty similar in taste, I thought I’d try my hand at copying the Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread.

Before I get to my recipe, I need to share a few notes. Although Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread is absolutely delicious (I could have eaten the entire loaf in one sitting.), I didn’t think it tasted much like pancakes. I did pick up notes of maple and buttermilk, but if I were blindfolded, I don’t think pancakes would come to mind. I think it’s mostly clever marketing, but it certainly worked on me.

Another note about Trader Joe’s version: I found it a bit challenging to get the bread out of the cardboard pan. That kind of baking pan always makes it a bit tricky to cut nice-looking slices.

A final note: Let me reiterate how tasty Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread is. Given how closely it matches the flavor of my ultimate quick bread, I heartily recommend it and am excited to share my copycat version of the recipe.

So, how do you make Traders Joe’s Pancake Bread?

Since this is a quick bread, it’s easy to prepare. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, and then combine them.

To give the bread a maple flavor that is quintessential of pancakes, I recommend using high-quality pure maple syrup. My favorite is from Finding Home Farms.

As I mentioned, the Trader Joe’s version contained buttermilk. I used sour cream instead because that’s what’s called for in my quick bread recipe. Since buttermilk is just sour milk and milk is cream, it works!

When everything is mixed together, spread it into a greased and floured loaf pan and then top it with a combination of sugar, flour, and cinnamon.

And that’s it! Pop it into the oven for about an hour and your delicious Trader Joe’s Pancake Bread Recipe (Copycat) is complete.

I prefer my bread, but the two versions taste quite similar. Again, buttermilk pancakes? Maybe. Delicious? Definitely.

I like to serve this bread with just a thin layer of butter. Perfection! However, I couldn’t resist styling a few slices drizzled with maple syrup. It’s not necessary, but you could certainly add a drizzle of maple syrup if you like.

If you liked this Pancake Bread, you’ll love these recipes too:

Have you had a chance to sample the new Traders Joe’s Pancake Bread? If so, give this recipe a try and let me know how I did. If you haven’t, save yourself a few bucks and make this version at home. Enjoy!

Traders Joe’s Pancake Bread Recipe (Copycat):

Traders Joe's Pancake Bread Recipe (Copycat)

| Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

5 from 5 votes

There's a new bread in town: Trader Joe's Pancake Bread. After sampling it, I'm sharing my version of Trader Joe's Pancake Bread Recipe.

Ingredients

Bread:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
In a small bowl, prepare the topping by whisking together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Then, for the bread, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a medium size bowl, with a handheld (or electric mixer) beat the softened butter about three minutes until it's light and airy. Add the sugar and beat about four minutes until it's well incorporated. Next, add the eggs one at a time, mixing in the first one before adding the second. Finally, beat in the pure maple syrup, sour cream, and the vanilla.
Now gently incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. The final mixture will be more the consistency of dough rather than runny like cake batter.
Spread the mixture into your prepared loaf pan.
Finally, sprinkle the flour, sugar, and cinnamon mixture evenly over the top of the loaf.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes. The loaf is done when a toothpick (or wood skewer) inserted near the center comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Gently run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the loaf. Remove the loaf from the pan to finish cooling.

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Sour Patch Kids Valentine’s Day Cookies

Recipes

Wednesday
Jan / 16 / 2019
Comments 6

Sour Patch Kids Valentine's Day Cookies #valentinesday #cookies #sourpatchkids #sugarcookie #recipe

These Sour Patch Kids Valentine’s Day Cookies are a fun, unique, and tasty treat to bake for Valentine’s Day.

Yes, my friends, ’tis the season for sweet treats, chocolates, and all things red and pink. I’m excited to kick off another holiday here on IBC with these Sour Patch Kids Valentine’s Day Cookies! (Oh, and be sure to check out more of my Valentine’s Day treats here.)

About now I’m guessing you might be thinking, “Wow, those sound interesting!” or “Michael, you’ve lost it. Gross!”

<h2>So how do you make these Sour Patch Kids Valentine’s Day Cookies?</h2>

Well, I’m here to tell you that these unique Valentine’s Day cookies are crazy delicious. I never would have thought to put sour gummy candies in sugar cookies, but the combination totally works.

I got this idea from my internet friend Kathy of Mama Kat’s Losin It. She has a YouTube channel that I thoroughly enjoy. (You can check it out and subscribe here.)

She’s started a weekly series in which she’s baking/cooking the recipes she finds on the back of products from the grocery store. Someone suggested that she try these Sour Patch Kids Sugar Cookies, and after watching her video, I was intrigued. She certainly lured me into making them, and I’m so glad she did!

(Also, speaking of Kathy, take a look at this video of her niece cracking eggs. It’s adorable!! She made it at my request, and I couldn’t be more grateful. It’s pure joy!)

Sour Patch Kids Valentine’s Day Cookies?

Well, they are pretty simple. All you need is sugar cookie dough and Sour Patch Kids candy. Since it’s almost Valentine’s Day, I opted to use the heart-shaped candies, but any shape or variety will do.

I also decided to make my own sugar cookie dough, which is below. You can use that recipe, get a bag mix like Kathy did, or mix up your family’s favorite sugar cookie recipe.

The sugar cookie dough I made is a tad different from my go-to sugar cookie recipe. It’s a softer and lighter, making it ideal for a drop sugar cookie.

Once your dough is ready, just mix in a few cups of the Sour Patch Kids candies.

I found that a 1 1/2-inch ball of dough flattened with my hand before baking makes a nice sized cookie.

I also saved a few of the gummy candies to place on top of each cookie before baking. They give a sneak peek as to what’s inside the cookies, but they’re optional.

What you get is a soft cookie packed with fruit-flavored gummy candy. As you mix in the candy, some of the sour sugar comes off into the batter making for a unique and tasty flavor.

Also, the candy does soften a bit the cookies bake, so you won’t be biting into a hard gummy candy. I especially love these cookies when they are still warm because the candy is extra soft. However, they are equally tasty when cool.

So what do you think? Will you give these cookies a try? If you do, let me know what you think!

Thanks again to Kathy for inspiring this recipe!

If you liked this Valentine’s Day treat, you’ll love these:

Sour Patch Kids Valentine’s Day Cookies Recipe:

Sour Patch Kids Valentine's Day Cookies

Servings: 4 dozen | Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins | Total Time: 30 mins

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

5 from 1 vote

These Sour Patch Kids Valentine's Day Cookies are a fun, unique, and tasty treat to bake for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups Sour Patch Kids* divided

Instructions

Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, sugar, and confectioners' sugar using a hand or stand mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth; then beat in the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and kosher salt. Add all of this to the creamed mixture and mix until almost combined. Then add 2 3/4 cups of the Sour Patch Kids and gently mix to evenly distribute them.
Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball by pressing it with your hand. If desired, add an extra Sour Patch Kid to the top of each cookie.
Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Place cookies on wire racks to cool. Pack and store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

*I used the heart-shaped candies for Valentine's Day, but any variety will work.

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Front Yard Landscaping: The Before

Interiors

Tuesday
Jan / 15 / 2019
Comments 9

Front Yard Landscaping: The Before #landscaping #frontyard #exterior

It seems appropriate to share progress on my front yard landscaping while it’s currently covered under a couple of inches of snow, right? Have no fear, though, I took pictures at the start and end of the project. It’s just taken me a bit longer than anticipated to share them here.

As many of you know, I purchased my current home last June. One of the projects on my list of home improvements was work on the yard. There are two acres of land, and it seems to have been neglected for several years, so I’m excited to give it some attention.

The first area I wanted to tackle was this grove of trees in front of my house.

While the grouping of trees provided privacy and shade, the planting bed was a bit out of control.

The trees that were planted there were not the prettiest, plus they were being taken over with vines. So much so that several of the trees were dead. I also use the term “planted” loosely. My guess is that these trees were volunteers, so the spacing of them was not ideal. In addition to all of that, there were lots of random trees, bushes, and weeds popping up in the ground cover below the trees. As you can imagine, everything needed to go for a fresh start.

I hired a local tree trimming service to cut down the trees and remove the stumps since this was work I wasn’t equipped to tackle.

In the span of an afternoon, everything was cleared. I even had them cut down a couple other dead and oddly placed trees on this end of the property.

I would have had a few more trees removed, but in my borough, there is a limit as to how many trees you can cut down at once. Also, removal of any tree with a diameter larger than 6 inches must have borough approval. It’s a bit annoying, but I appreciate that this is necessary to maintain the lush and forest-like feel of the area.

With tree removal complete, I worked with a local landscaper to develop a plan to take this empty and awkward planting bed from blah to beautiful.

And yes, I realize things don’t look that great now. I think this is one of those “It gets worse before it gets better” situations.

I did a bit of research and found a great company that I was excited about using to help me tackle the whole yard. I thought if I could have them do a portion each year along with a few projects on my own, Bayberry House would soon be looking more manicured and loved.

After talking about my goals for the property, picking plants, and deciding on a layout for the new bed, a date was set for installation.

And since this is just the “before” post, I think I’ll end it here.

I’ll pop back in and give you a look at the finished project in the coming days. Stay tuned! Until then, I hope you enjoyed this look at my front yard landscaping project in the middle of winter!

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Hello 2019!

Life

Monday
Jan / 7 / 2019
Comments 21

Happy 2019!!

It always amazes me how quickly the holidays go by. One minute I’m shopping, wrapping, baking, and wondering how I’ll get it all done, and the next minute it’s over, and life goes back to “normal.”

I usually need a little break after the holidays. As you know, it’s a busy season in general, but it’s an especially busy time for the blog. This year I had every intention of just chugging right along from Christmas into 2019, but that didn’t happen. Instead, I opted for some downtime and a computer/internet break, and it’s been great!

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that 2018 was another memorable year on the homefront. I’d call it a year of transition. So when I recently saw this on social media, it resonated with me:

2017 – Caterpillar
2018 – Crysalis
2019 – Butterfly

At the start of 2018, I was living in an apartment in Pittsburgh while still maintaining my home of 10 years in St Marys. During this time I was also house hunting in Pittsburgh. By June I had sold my previous home, moved out of it and my apartment, packed up what was in two storage units, and finally settled into my current home, Bayberry House.

I had hoped to make a lot more progress in my new place during the second half of 2018, but things are taking more time, energy, and money than I planned. My accomplishments to date: improved the landscaping near my house (details on that soon), got a new roof, furnished my first-floor living spaces, painted my living room and entryway, had my floors refinished, and completed lots of smaller projects. I’m hoping that 2019 brings more exciting improvements to Bayberry House.

Speaking of plans, I’m still formulating my goals for 2019. I do have a few ideas tumbling around in my head, but I just haven’t put pen to paper to sort them all out yet. Soon. Maybe this week will be the time to write them down. I’m giving myself grace about this.

What else is happening?

Christmas Continues:
My Christmas decor is staying up until mid-February. I received a last-minute call from a magazine that wants to shoot my holiday decor for an upcoming issue. Although I was looking forward to putting things away, I couldn’t be more excited and honored to be featured in the magazine. I’ll share more when I can, but be sure to follow along on Instagram in early February when I show a bit of the behind-the-scenes from the shoot.

Kitchen Remodel:
When I first moved into my home, I wanted to dive right into remodeling the kitchen. I figured the project would have started in the fall and be nearing completion right about now, but apparently, life had other plans. As much as I wanted to get the remodel done ASAP, the delay seems to be working out for the best. I will update you once things are closer to being finalized. My hope is that work will start in late February or early March.

Other House Projects:
There are lots. In addition to the kitchen and all the changes it will bring on the first floor, I’d like to make strides upstairs. This is likely to entail painting everything, creating a more useful office, making over the bathroom, organizing/decluttering, and much more!

Once spring hits, I’m hoping to get back outside and make more progress in the yard, I’ll be doing lots of general maintenance, and maybe I’ll put in a garden.

Inspired by Charm Happenings:
I don’t have any major changes planned for the blog. While I’m always looking to grow and better myself, I’m mostly content with what I’m able to offer and share as a one-man show. However, given that there are lots of home projects on the horizon and no kitchen for a few months, I expect there will be more decorating/renovating posts than in previous years.

I’m also trying to wrap my head around creating additional videos for you. Videos can be very time intensive to produce, so I want to make sure the content is valuable or entertaining. If there are specific things you’d like to see, please let me know.

Beyond videos, if you have other suggestions, ideas, or thoughts on what you’d like to see on IBC and how you’d like to see it, please let me know in the comments below. I’m all ears!

I intend to put together an official recap of 2018, so stay tuned for that soon. It will be a fun way to look back at some of your favorite posts from last year.

Here’s to a fabulous 2019! (My year to be a butterfly)

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New Furniture for My Family Room

Interiors

Friday
Dec / 28 / 2018
Comments 39

New Furniture for My Family Room #rustic #modern #furniture #lvingroom #familyroom #sofa #christmas

Happy Holidays, friends! It’s hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone and we’re just days away from 2019.

I usually take time off time of year, but I couldn’t resist popping in to share the new furniture in my family room. It arrived right before Christmas, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how it looks and functions.

Here’s what the room had looked like.

The furniture consisted of pieces from various rooms in my former apartment. And while I was comfortable with this interim setup, I wasn’t crazy about it.

The colors made the room feel dark. The leather couch was also a tad too large for the space, and since buying it, I’ve discovered I prefer upholstery for comfort and coziness. Finally, as much as I love my buffalo check chair, I realized I needed more seating.

Back in the fall, I shared my design plan for the room. (You can see it here in case you missed it.) It’s now come to life! Let me show you around…

Isn’t it gorgeous!? Needless to say, I’m IN LOVE.

I worked with my friends at Raymour & Flanigan Furniture to bring this space together. I love their selection and found everything I needed to make this space work better for me. I’m also a big Raymour & Flanigan fan as they have a style and budget for everyone.

As I shared in my design plan, I decided to get two sofas for this space. (I chose the Ravity Sofa in Hailey Linen.) Although two sofas might sound like a lot, it’s the best way to take advantage of the room shape and create as much seating as possible.

When I was selecting these couches, I paid close attention to their height, width, and length so they wouldn’t overwhelm the space. I also went with a light color. As you can see, even though two couches take up more space than a couch and a chair, the room feels lighter and brighter.

I also love that the cushions are reversible so I can flip them when the inevitable stain happens.

For the coffee table, I wanted something different so I chose this Darrow Ottoman. (Unfortunately, it is currently sold out on the Raymour & Flanigan site, but I will link to it should it again become available. You can see their complete selection of ottomans here.)

I like the masculine look of leather, so this ottoman kept that it in this room. Another plus: it can double as seating or function as a table.

In fact, the weekend before Christmas I was able to test out all of this new furniture when my family came to visit. All of us fit comfortably on the sofas, and the ottoman worked perfectly for laying out a spread of veggies and dip, Christmas cookies, cheese and crackers, and these tasty roll-ups.

It was kind of magical to see everything functioning just as I had hoped.

However, most of the time I simply use the ottoman as a handy place to put up my feet when I’m sitting on the sofa watching TV or flipping through my collection of magazines.

On the opposite side of the room, I replaced the TV stand with this beauty.

Previously, I was using a mid-century modern console table, but that style just didn’t fit in this house. This more rustic-looking cabinet is perfect. (Unfortunately, the piece is currently sold out on the Raymour & Flanigan site, but I will link to it should it again become available. You can see more of their buffets here.)

I opted to use a dining buffet instead of a traditional TV console because I love the look of this piece. I also needed a place to store my magazines, books, and electronics. This cabinet works well for hiding the mess.

My intention is to mount the TV on the wall, and I recently had an electrician rework the cables to allow me to do that. I’ll be hanging it up after the first of the year.

Speaking of my electrician, when he was here doing that, he put in two electric boxes so I could install a sconce on each side of the TV. The sconces add much-needed light, and their design makes this room feel more up-to-date.

With a nod to my beloved buffalo check chair, I added this new rug. Its size and design work perfectly. I’ll be sharing details on the rug, sconces, etc. in another post. Stay tuned!

Needless to say, I am greatly enjoying this space. I loved it before, and now I never want to leave it. With the fire going, it’s so cozy, and it feels so much more like me.

To find out more about Raymour & Flanigan Furniture and to check out all their furnishings, please visit their website. They offer free shipping, next-day mattress delivery, and delivery in 3 days or less, 7 days a week for in-stock items. Plus everything comes fully assembled. You have to love that!

A big shout-out to them for sponsoring this post and for helping me bring my vision for my family room to life.

Now that the holidays are almost over, I’m starting to plan how to style this space with new pillows, art, and accessories for the winter, and spring. I can hardly wait to show you how it comes together.

I hope you enjoyed a look at my new space. Are you loving it as much as I am?

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100+ Creative Christmas Ideas

Holidays

Saturday
Dec / 22 / 2018
Comments 10

DIY Wood Paint Christmas Trees #christmas #craft #holiday #decor

If you can believe it, this January will mark 10 years of blogging for me! I recently got a magazine in the mail, and a headline on it was “100+ ways to Holiday.” That made me think: With 10 years of blogging under my belt, I wonder if I could create a post of 100 Christmas Ideas based on things I’ve created and shared here on Inspired by Charm. So I sat down and started brainstorming and typing . . . and I came pretty close.

Below I’m sharing 100+ Christmas Ideas. For the most part, all of these ideas are inspired by things I’ve created here on IBC. When applicable, I shared a link (in the mint green font color) so you can click for more information. Because I didn’t have 100 things I could link, I did add a few other festive ideas to help put a little more jingle in your step this holiday season.

My goal with this post is to update it year after year so that it becomes one epic list of creative Christmas ideas you can use to help celebrate the holidays.

I hope you enjoy this list not only as a collection of Inspired by Charm’s content but more importantly as an inspiring source of ideas for a magical, memorable, and joy-filled Christmas!

100+ Creative Christmas Ideas

1. Serve up a cocktail in a Christmas ornament.

2. Set up a hot cocoa bar for impromptu treats.

3. Make homemade hot cocoa mix to have and share.

4. Bake the best Christmas cookies.

5. Host a holiday cookie swap with friends and family.

6. Make a yule log for a legendary holiday dessert.

7. Make theses frosted and soft eggnog cookies.

8. Creatively wrap presents for friends and family.

9. Host a gift wrapping party.

10. Print festive gift tags for your holiday wrapping.

11. Decorate a rainbow inspired tree.

12. Make homemade hot cocoa mix to have and share.

13. Make an epic appetizer by crafting a Christmas tree out of cheese.

14. Make this pizza bread for an unforgettable holiday appetizer.

15. Print out adorable Christmas recipe cards to share with friends.

16. Decorate a Christmas tree (or two).

17. Make a three-ingredient holiday punch.

18. Listen to a Christmas music playlist.

19. Create lottery ticket Christmas ornaments as gifts.

20. Build and paint colorful wood Christmas trees.

21. DIY these wood stockings for your mantel.

22. Add a Christmas tree to your bedroom

23. Make a wreath out of cookie cutters.

24. String a wood bead garland.

25. Make a wreath from vintage ornaments.

26. Craft adorable and clever bags for Christmas cookies.

27. Style a festive bar cart… or two.

28. Put together a beautiful and creative holiday place setting.

29. Make the creamiest fudge with only three ingredients.

30. Learn how to add ribbon to your Christmas tree.

31. Make seasoned pretzels for snacking during Hallmark movies.

32. Shake up a White Chocolate Peppermint Martini.

33. Enjoy White Russians while watching a Christmas parade.

34. Bake classic cookies using clothespins.

35. Make homemade bath bombs to give as gifts.

36. Serve cranberry French toast for a holiday breakfast.

37. Bake a cake that looks like a gingerbread house.

38. Make a gingerbread cake in the shape of a tree.

39. Toss up some sugared cranberries for a festive garnish.

40. Make this Apple Pie Moonshine to serve or give as a gift.

41. Turn a chocolate chip cookie into an edible shot glass.

42. Create a beautiful holiday centerpiece for your table.

43. Add cranberries to pecan pie for a flavor upgrade.

44. Up your holiday entertaining with these festive touches.

45. Warm up with a Slow Cooker Sangria.

46. Craft festive ornaments out of concrete.

47. Roll out cute and tasty little cheeseballs.

48. Whip up some homemade eggnog.

49. Make the best candy using a slow cooker.

50. Spike some cherries, then dip them into chocolate.

51. Set up a Bloody Mary Bar.

52. Jazz up plain ornaments with a paint pen.

53. Print Christmas bottle tags to make gift wrapping fun and easy.

54. Enjoy the twinkle of Christmas lights at night.

55. Whip up an easy breakfast casserole for Christmas morning.

56. Add a holiday label to your serveware.

57. Make a garland or a wreath out of marshmallows.

58. Decorate your mantel with rustic charm.

59. Wow ‘em with Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake Bars.

60. Dazzle friends and family with Braided Nutella Bread.

61. Tickle taste buds with Cranberry Orange Walnut Tassies.

62. Bake these festive Christmas sprinkle cookie cups.

63. Make red pepper jelly to give as a gift or serve as an appetizer.

64. Make mini cheesecakes in mason jars.

65. Stir up a holiday sangria mocktail.

66. Bake mini skillet cookie cakes.

67. Make your own mulling spices.

68. Build a tortilla roll-up tree as a tasty holiday appetizer.

69. Assemble an array of the BEST Christmas appetizers.

70. Decorate a flocked Christmas tree.

71. Bake my favorite Christmas cookies: Cream wafers.

72. Serve a classic quiche to start the day.

73. Host a White Christmas Celebration.

74. Make Cinnamon Roll Skillet Bread.

75. Decorate a tree in green (or your favorite color).

76. Prepare overnight oats for guests.

77. String popcorn or cranberry garland for the tree.

78. Create a holiday dessert spread with a bar cart.

79. Create a delicious monkey bread in a slow cooker.

80. Add seasonal flavor to a classic old fashioned with cranberries.

81. Bake ugly sweater Christmas cookies.

82. Style a very merry entry table with chalkboard paint.

83. Create easy holiday artwork with washi tape.

84. Craft colorful coasters for a gift.

85. Decorate a tree entirely with vintage ornaments.

86. Or decorate a tree entirely inspired by memories of Christmases past.

87. Make a favorite holiday side dish: Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin.

88. Set up the ultimate holiday beverage cabinet.

89. Serve Berry Stuffed French Toast on Christmas morning.

90. Drive around the neighborhood to look at holiday lights as you enjoy hot cocoa and popcorn.

91. Heat up a batch of mulled wine to serve when company arrives.

92. Gift homemade herb butter and gourmet bread.

93. Shop the thrift stores and antique shops for unique and vintage holiday decorations.

94. Prepare a cheeseball or two in advance for unexpected holiday visitors.

95. Serve cranberry meatballs on Christmas Eve.

96. Attend a holiday concert or musical with a friend.

97. Make THE BEST veggie dip for your holiday crudite.

98. Add a little festive flare to your mantel for the holidays.

99. Add a gradient rainbow wreath to your front door to welcome guests.

100. Whip up this red and green jalapeño dip in minutes.

101. Wrap something in bacon like these water chestnuts or these stuffed jalapeños.

To be continued…

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Peppermint White Russian

Recipes

Friday
Dec / 21 / 2018
Comments 1

Peppermint White Russian Christmas cocktail recipe #christmas #holiday #cocktail #recipe #whiterussian #peppermint

This Peppermint White Russian is a delicious, seasonal take on the classic cocktail recipe. Garnished with a candy cane, it’s likely to become a holiday party staple.

Since it’s the weekend before Christmas, I thought I’d celebrate with another seasonal cocktail recipe. Today we’re making a Peppermint White Russian.

A couple of years ago, I created a Salted Caramel White Russian in the fall. It has been a popular recipe here on Inspired by Charm so I thought I’d experiment with another flavor variation.

You can grab all of my favorite Christmas Cocktail recipes HERE.

I must admit that up until recently I wasn’t a big fan of peppermint. As a kid, I didn’t care for it at all. Over the past couple of years, however, I’ve come to love the cool, minty, sweet flavor. It’s been fun adding it to things like cocktails, desserts, and even hot cocoa.

The recipe for a White Russian is straightforward. The classic version is made with 2 parts vodka, 1 part Kaluha (coffee liqueur), and 1 part half and half.

How to make a Peppermint White Russian:

To make my Peppermint White Russian, all I did was substitute Peppermint Twist Vodka for the vodka and Peppermint Kaluha for the regular Kaluha. Simple.

This was the perfect amount of peppermint, but you could use a vanilla vodka if you just wanted a hint of peppermint flavor from the Kaluha.

I also dressed up the glass with a crushed peppermint rim. Dip the rim in white chocolate syrup (This is the syrup I like.) and then into crushed peppermints. (You can use peppermint candies, peppermint sticks, or candy canes.)

For a holiday touch, I mixed a little white chocolate syrup with red food coloring and drizzled that into the glass before pouring in the cocktail. Although the red fades fairly quickly, I thought it looked festive and fun when the drink was served.

Once the glass is prepared, simply add ice and your cocktail. Finish it off with a candy cane.

Now it’s time to serve and sip this pretty and pepperminty cocktail. Cheers!!

Like this recipe? More Holiday Cocktail Recipes:

Peppermint White Russian Recipe:

Peppermint White Russian

Servings: 1 cocktail | Prep Time: 5 mins

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

This Peppermint White Russian is a delicious, seasonal take on the classic cocktail recipe. Garnished with a candy cane, it's likely to become a holiday party staple.

Ingredients

3 ounces Peppermint Vodka
1.5 ounces Peppermint Kaluha
1.5 ounces half and half

For Garnish:

Crushed peppermints
White chocolate syrup
Red food dye
Candy cane

Instructions

Begin by preparing your glass. Dip the rim into the white chocolate syrup and then into the crushed peppermints.
Optional: Mix a little red food dye with the white chocolate syrup. With a spoon, drizzle the mixture on the interior of the glass.
In a cocktail shaker, combine the Peppermint Vodka, Peppermint Kaluha, and half and half. Stir to combine.
Add ice to the glass; then pour in your cocktail.
Garnish with a candy cane.

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Evening at Bayberry House: Christmas 2018

Interiors

Thursday
Dec / 20 / 2018
Comments 36

Evening at Bayberry House: Christmas 2018 #christmas #holiday #decor #decorations #night #evening #hometour

In a few short days, it will be Christmas. As I get ready to put a big bow on all of my holiday preparations (Before I do, please know a few more seasonal posts will be coming your way.), I thought it’d be fun to do something different and show you around Bayberry House at night.

My Seasons of Home Blogger friends and I have gotten together for one final collaboration in 2018. All 20+ of us decided to snap photos of our homes at night to capture the magic and lights of the season. This tour is unlike any other, so I encourage you to check out each of the bloggers I’ve linked up at the end of this post.

Depending on your experience with photography, you might not know that lighting is everything, and sunlight is best. This is why most bloggers photograph their homes during the day. Not only is it much easier, but the photos look crisp, bright, and well-lit. However, with all the glowing lights of the holidays, there’s incredible beauty in the evenings as well, and we thought you’d like to see it.

Taking these pictures was certainly a challenge for me as I’m not accustomed to working without natural light. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the results. Practice makes perfect, right?

Amazing photos or not, it’s certainly magical.

Since I shared my Christmas Home Tour previously (You can see that here if you missed it.), I’m going to let the photos do most of the talking this time around.

Thanks to a fresh coat of paint, a new sofa, and lots of Christmas cheer, this room turned out just the way I wanted.

While not much has changed in this room since my most recent tour, I did bring in this little collection of vintage deer I found at a local shop. The deer I had came from my grandparents, and I couldn’t resist adding more.

All of my trees always have a touch of quirky. I love these gold sequined unicorns.

How great is it that you can see both Christmas trees from this angle? Do you think Santa will leave presents under both? More trees equal more presents, right?

I also hung my marshmallow wreath. I can’t believe this has lasted 4+ years!

You’ll also notice that the sofa is missing from this room. My new furniture is scheduled to FINALLY arrive today! I couldn’t be more pleased. My plan is to give you a look around the space next week. Stay tuned!

Also, you might be wondering where my DIY ornament wreath ended up. Here’s a sneak peek. You’ll see more of it next week.

I’ve been using this fireplace nonstop. It’s been one of my greatest pleasures at Bayberry House. In fact, I may need to get more wood to make it through the winter.

To complete this evening tour, let’s take a quick look outside!

And that’s a wrap. What did you think? It’s totally different at night, isn’t it?

Thank you so much for joining me and my fellow bloggers on this unique night-time tour of our homes. Be sure to check out everyone else below.

Wishing you the merriest of Christmases!

Christmas at Night Home Tour:

Ella Claire | French Country Cottage | Cherished Bliss | Julie Blanner | Happy Happy Nester

Kelly Elko | Rooms for Rent | Love Grows Wild | Boxwood Avenue | Decor Gold Designs

Maison de Cinq | Craftberry Bush | Zevy Joy | Making Home Base | Inspired by Charm

The Lilypad Cottage | Shabby Fufu | Finding Silver Pennies | Blesser House | Sunny Side Up

Summer Adams

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Printable Christmas Bottle Hang Tags

Entertaining

Wednesday
Dec / 19 / 2018
Comments 4

Printable Christmas Bottle Hang Tags #download #printable #christmas #holiday #tags #gifttags

These Printable Christmas Bottle Hang Tags are an easy way to wrap up a bottle of wine or liquor for a Christmas gift. With clever and festive sayings on each tag, the tags are as fun as the gifts.

I know time is fast running out, my friends. Christmas will be here in 6 days. If you’re like me, you may still have a few more gifts to buy and wrapping to do. That’s why I’m coming at you today with these Printable Christmas Bottle Hang Tags.

For me, the presentation is as important as the present, and these cute tags are guaranteed to dress up that gift of wine or liquor for someone on your list. To make matters even better, all you need is a printer and cardstock.

I decided to create these tags after seeing several of these sayings during my holiday shopping adventures. Instead of paying $5-10 for a single tag, I thought it’d be more economical and personal to create my own. Plus, I could share the printable with all of you!

Side Note: If you like these tags, check out my DIY Christmas Cookie Bags too!

There are four tags in total, and each features a different design and holiday phrase.

The printable has been designed to be double-sided. Print page one first; then print page two on the back of page one.

However, you are welcome to simply print the first page if you only want the front of the label. Or you might print just the back if you are in need of festive to-and-from gift tags. The choice is yours. (I love having lots of alternatives, don’t you?)

As always, I recommend printing them on cardstock so your tags are sturdy. You can use a paper cutter like this one to ensure straight, clean edges.

You can download these Christmas Bottle Hang Tags here:

You can also access the download in the IBC Printable Library, which can be found HERE.

If you’re new to Inspired by Charm, you can get instant access to this library by SUBSCRIBING HERE. Once you’ve subscribed, you will instantly receive an email that contains a link to this download.

Already on the IBC Mailing list? You can find the password to access the library at the bottom of the latest email from Inspired by Charm.

And if you use any of my free printables, of course, I would love to see what you do! Please share your photos on Instagram and tag @inspiredbycharm.

Want More Holiday Printables? Try these:

It was my pleasure to make these Printable Christmas Bottle Hang Tags, and I hope you enjoy using them for your holiday gifting.

Merry Christmas!

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Tortilla Roll-Ups with Salsa

Recipes

Tuesday
Dec / 18 / 2018
Comments 6

Christmas Tortilla Roll-ups Appetizer recipe #christmas #appetizer #pinwheel #rollup #recipe

These Tortilla Roll-Ups are the perfect Christmas appetizer recipe. Stacked into a tree shape and served with salsa, they are an easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing snack.

Whether I’m the host or guest, roll-ups are one of my favorite appetizers. They are so simple to put together, and they are always packed with flavor. These Tortilla Roll-ups with Salsa are no exception.

While this recipe can be made any time of the year, I decided to dress up my roll-ups for the holidays! With clever stacking and a few “ornaments,” I made a roll-up Christmas tree! It’s fun to do, and the festive presentation will make this appetizer even more appealing to your holiday guests. Let me show you how quickly the roll-ups come together, plus my ideas for serving them.

Want more Christmas appetizer ideas? I have a great list of all my favorites HERE.

How to Make Tortilla Roll-Ups with Salsa:

Start by preparing your filling. I shared my favorite combination in the recipe below, but you can get creative with the ingredients and use what you like or have on hand. For best results, make sure the cream cheese is nicely softened so it’s easy to mix things in.

Once your filling is ready, spread it out on four flour tortillas. I used green ones since I would be stacking my roll-ups to look like a Christmas tree. However, you can use the color and type of flour tortillas you prefer.

Then, roll up the tortillas and pop them into the refrigerator so the cream cheese will stiffen. This will make slicing them easier.

Once the tortillas are firm, use a serrated knife to slice the roll-ups.

To serve, I stacked mine in the shape of a tree. To do this, get a round plate and add a layer of the sliced roll-ups. Continue stacking the roll-ups, making each layer smaller and smaller.

To decorate the tree, tuck in a few cherry tomatoes and finish the top with a star cut out of yellow pepper. (Like I did for my Christmas Tree Cheeseball!)

While the roll-ups are delicious on their own, I recommend serving them with your favorite salsa. This will make the flavors pop.

And voila! The perfect Christmas appetizer is ready to serve your guests. I think everyone is going to love these Tortilla Roll-ups with Salsa.

Want more Christmas Appetizer Ideas? Try these:

Tortilla Roll-Ups with Salsa:

Tortilla Roll-ups with Salsa

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

These Tortilla Roll-Ups are the perfect Christmas appetizer recipe. Stacked into a tree shape and served with salsa, they are an easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing snack.

Ingredients

2 packages (16 ounces total) cream cheese, softened
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 jar (4 ounces) pimentos, drained and patted dry
1 jar (4 ounces) green chilis, drained and patted dry
1 can (2.25 ounces) sliced black olives, drained and roughly chopped
2 green onions chopped
1/4 cup chopped yellow pepper plus a piece cut into a star shape
3/4 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 12-inch green flour tortillas
10-12 cherry tomatoes
Salsa for serving

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese and the ranch dressing mix until evenly combined.
Then add the pimentos, green chilis, black olives, green onions, yellow pepper, and cheddar cheese. Stir gently until they evenly distributed in the cream cheese.
Divide the cream cheese mixture on the four tortillas. Then, using a spatula, spread the mixture on each tortilla in an even layer. Keep the mixture a 1/2 inch from the edge.
Roll up the tortillas. Set them on a plate and cover it with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or until firm. Then using a serrated knife, cut the tortillas into 1/2-inch slices.
Stack in layers to form a "tree." Garnish with cherry tomato "ornaments" and a yellow pepper "star." Serve with salsa.

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Creative Christmas Bar Cart Ideas

Entertaining

Monday
Dec / 17 / 2018
Comments 12

How to style a Bloody Mary Bar Cart #bloodymary #cocktail #barcart #holiday #christmas

Bar carts have become a trendy decor item in recent years. That’s why I’m excited to show you several creative Christmas bar cart ideas today. Let’s get to it!

I don’t know about you, but I love a gorgeous yet highly functional bar cart. As you may have seen in my Christmas Home Tour, I actually have two carts in my home this year. Overkill? Maybe! Tons of fun and an easy way to entertain? Yes and yes!

After styling a number of Christmas bar carts over the years, I thought I’d share several ideas on how to use your bar cart for holiday beverages and beyond. Yes, a bar cart can double as a dessert cart, hot cocoa bar, and so much more! Let me show you.

Christmas Cocktail Bar Cart

Storing drink ingredients and serving cocktails are two traditional uses of a bar cart. For the holidays, I like to include these go-to liqueurs: vodka, rum, tequila, and bourbon. A seasonal favorite like Kaluha and something peppermint are also nice to have on the cart.

Besides the basics, I like to have things ready for a specialty cocktail. (You can grab all of my favorite Christmas Cocktail recipes here.)

Of course, a bar cart is a perfect place to keep your bar accessories, such as a cocktail shaker, jigger, and bitters.

Since it’s the holidays, a few seasonal decorations complete the look. You can use decor items that match your style. I always go for things with a little bling or sparkle.

You can see a couple carts I’ve styled this year and in the past.

Holiday Bar Cabinet

Now, just because you don’t have a bar cart doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy one. You can create the functionality of a cart in a variety of ways. For example, if space is tight, install a few wall shelves. Or take an existing piece of furniture and use it in a new way.

Last year when I was living in an apartment, I used a cabinet instead of a traditional cart so I could store extra glassware, cake stands, and serveware.

When the “cart” is not in use, the top of the cabinet can provide space for decorations. However, when the cabinet is functioning as a cart, the top can give you extra serving space. Here I was serving wine, so that became the star of the show.

This is how the cabinet looked when I wasn’t entertaining:

I had so much fun using something unexpected for my bar cart.

Dessert Bar Cart

I also used this same cabinet to create a dessert bar last Christmas. This is another example of taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary.

I cleared out the alcohol and glassware and replaced it with a cake, caramel popcorn, candy, cookies, plates, and napkins.

The only challenge about this is that you will need a place to store your alcohol and glassware while the cart is functioning as a dessert cart. You might tuck everything in a closet or set up another bar cart somewhere else. Finding a spot for the regular bar cart items is worth the trouble because a dessert cart is a super fun and creative way to serve up your holiday sweets.

Even filling up a cart with all of your Christmas cookies and a small coffee/tea station would be festive.

Hot Coca Beverage Cart

Speaking of warm beverages, why not put together a hot cocoa bar?

I actually did this twice this year. A couple weeks ago I shared my recipe for Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix. I used the top of a cabinet to create a mini-hot coca bar complete with the Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix, marshmallows, mugs, and spoons. It was just enough to create a warm and special moment for me and my guests.

If you want to go all out, you can take over an entire bar cart and make a full station with snacks as I did here.

Again, I started with the essentials like hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, mugs, and spoons. Then I added lots of small snacks and treats.

I even included things you could add to your hot cocoa to jazz it up. For example, you might drop in a chocolate truffle or chocolate kiss to make your cocoa extra chocolatey. Or give your cocoa a peppermint twist by topping it with crumbled peppermint bark or a candy cane.

I made this cute video for a brand this year. If you’re interested in see how this bar cart came together in video form, you can watch that here:

VIDEO: How to Style a Hot Cocoa Bar Cart

If you want to make things more adult-friendly, you might offer bottles of complementary liquor, such as vanilla vodka, bourbon, or peppermint schnapps.

Bloody Mary Bar Cart

And finally, why not create a Bloody Mary Bar Cart? I set mine up for New Year’s Day, but as you can imagine, this kind of cart would be great beyond the holiday season.

Simply provide vodka, Bloody Mary mix, and a few accoutrements or get more elaborate, if you like.

Here, I went wild with lots of goodies that folks might add to their Bloody Mary: hot sauce, olives, pickles, onions, and so on. I also offered peanuts and pistachios to snack on, too. (I like to put everything in its own container to fill up the cart and make things look a bit more luxe.)

And there you have it, my friends. Five ways to take your Christmas Bar Cart to the next level. As you might guess, the possibilities are endless. You can create something special around any particular drink or celebration. Not hosting any parties? Set up your bar cart as a holiday wrapping station that you can wheel from room to room.

Whatever you do, get creative and have fun with it. Happy Hosting!

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Christmas Recipe Card Printable

Entertaining

Saturday
Dec / 15 / 2018
Comments 2

Download these Christmas Recipe Card Printable! #recipecard #prinable #download #christmas #holiday

I love making drinks, cooking meals, and baking treats for friends and family and then passing along the recipes to them and the wonderful readers of my blog. This time of year, one way I like to personally share my recipes is by writing them on IBC Christmas recipe cards.

In fact, I have offered an annual collection of free recipe card printables on Inspired by Charm for the past few years. A couple of the series include bonus Christmas recipe cards.

This is the Christmas recipe card I designed for last year’s series. I first showcased it with the recipe for my Great Aunt Maggie’s Cream Horn Cookies. You can find that recipe here. If you haven’t tasted Cream Horn Cookies (also called Lady Locks), I hope you’ll give them a try. They are yummy and enjoyable to make.

Now, just in case you need a place to write down that recipe (or any others you come across this holiday season on IBC or elsewhere), all you need to do is print out this Christmas recipe card.

I recommend using cardstock because it’s sturdier, but regular paper will also work.

I love this fun and festive design. Don’t you?

My favorite details are the adorable cat and dog on the front and the red car piled with packages on the back.

Want more Christmas printable? You got it!:

Christmas Recipe Card Download:

You can also access the download in the IBC Printable Library, which can be found HERE.

If you’re new to Inspired by Charm, you can get immediate access to this library by SUBSCRIBING HERE. Once you’ve subscribed, you will instantly receive an email that contains a link to this download.

Already on the IBC Mailing list? You can find the password to access the library at the bottom of the latest email from Inspired by Charm.

And if you use any of my printables, I would so enjoy seeing what you do! Be sure to share your photos on Instagram and tag @inspiredbycharm.

Holiday Gift Idea: A pack of seasonal recipe cards would be a perfect stocking stuffer for any cooks on your holiday gift list. Grab them all in the IBC Printable library!

‘Tis the season to be sharing!

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DIY Christmas Cookie Bags

DIY

Thursday
Dec / 13 / 2018
Comments 10

Learn how to make these DIY Christmas Cookies Bags! #Christmas #holiday #cookiebags #diy #craft

With two unique and festive designs, these DIY Christmas Cookies Bags are a great way to gift your holiday baking in style.

You’re in for a treat today, and it’s in the shape of these DIY Christmas Cookie Bags! And best of all, you can make the bags in just a few simple steps.

A couple of weeks ago when I was out shopping, I spotted some sweet cotton cookie bags. They were a bit pricey so I immediately thought about how I might DIY them.

Here’s what I came up with.

Aren’t they adorable? I’m kind of obsessed.

I took the hard work out of the process by having two fun graphics created. One is a bit more classic. It was inspired by the design I saw on the bags in the shop: “Homemade Cookies. Santa Approved.”

The second is something I dreamed up. It’s a line from my favorite Christmas movie, Elf: “I’m sorry I ruined your lives and crammed 11 cookies into the VCR.”

Whether you prefer classic or Buddy, either one of these would be a great design option.

How do you make these DIY Christmas Cookie Bags?

You need five things to put these DIY Christmas Cookie Bags together:
– 5 x 7 cotton fabric bags
– iron-on transfer sheets
– inkjet printer
– iron
– scissors

Yes, that’s all it takes!

I purchased these transfer sheets from Amazon. The instructions I’m going to provide are based on these particular sheets. (I assume the process is similar for other brands. To be on the safe side, be sure to read and follow the instructions that come with your sheets.)

I also located the cotton bags on Amazon. They are available elsewhere online and in craft stores in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and prices. I thought these were well suited to this project.

Once you have those two items, you’ll need the graphics files. You can download them here. (Please see the note at the end of this post to learn more about the IBC Printable Library*.)

The download is two pages. The first page has the red graphic I designed and the second page has the green one. You can print one of them or both.

The transfer paper I bought is compatible with inkjet printers. Before printing, adjust your settings to the highest quality. You’ll also want to select the option that allows you to print the “mirrored version” or to “flip horizontally.” Since you’ll be ironing these transfers with the printed side down, you want the image of the graphic mirrored so it will read correctly when the paper backing is removed.

Here’s what they should look like after printing.

Cut out each graphic as neatly as possible, leaving a narrow white border around the graphic.

Next, set your iron on medium-high heat (polyester setting). Make sure the steam setting is turned off and that the water reservoir has been completely emptied.

Quickly iron the bag to remove any wrinkles. Then place the graphic on the bag so that the printed side of the graphic faces down. I positioned the graphic a bit closer to the bottom of the bag rather than in the center of it.

Using the iron, apply heat to the transfer for about 45 seconds. Press down fairly hard and be sure to move the iron around to avoid scorching the bag.

Let each bag sit for about 2 minutes or until cool before peeling off the paper backing.

And with that, your DIY Christmas Cookie Bags are complete and ready to be filled with delicious treats!

This size bag will hold 4-6 cookies, depending on their size. Just the right amount for a sweet gift.

I recommend placing the cookies in a small plastic food storage bag before putting them in your fancy new custom bag. This will keep the cookies fresher longer and prevent any staining of the fabric bag.

These Christmas Cookie Bags could also serve as a cute and creative way to present a gift card. You might even fill bags with candies or mini bottles of liquor. How you use them is totally up to you.

Bonus Idea: If you don’t want to mess around with the iron-on transfer, just print the graphic on cardstock. Then, cut the graphic out, punch a hole in the top of it, and tie it to a bag for a quick and easy gift tag!

Looking for more festive DIY projects? Try these:

No matter how you make or gift them, I hope you enjoy these delightful little bags as much as I do.

Christmas Cookie Bags graphic Download.

You can also access the download in the IBC Printable Library, which can be found HERE.

Already on the IBC Mailing list? You can find the password to access the library at the bottom of the latest email from Inspired by Charm.

And if you use any of my printables, I would so enjoy seeing what you do! Be sure to share your photos on Instagram and tag @inspiredbycharm.

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Printable Recipe Cards for Christmas

Entertaining

Wednesday
Dec / 12 / 2018
Comments 1

Free Download: Printable Recipe Cards for Christmas #christmas #recipecards #recipe #card #printable #holiday

These printable recipe cards for Christmas are an easy way to jot down new holiday favorites or share classic recipes with friends and family.

Yes, my friends, I’m back with another set of free printable recipe cards. This time, they’re for Christmas!

As you may know, I’ve been creating printable recipe cards for a few years now. I think I might take a break after this year, but I’m super excited to share my latest creation with you. (I’ll also have one more card to wrap up this year’s collection so stay tuned for that.)

I’m crazy about the design on these printable recipe cards because they feature a couple of vintage cars complete with a tree tied to the roof. Such a timeless holiday motif that lots of us recognize and love.

There is likewise plenty of space on the card to jot down all of your ingredients with room on the back for those longer recipes.

As always, I recommend printing them on cardstock for a sturdy recipe card. You can use a paper cutter like this one to ensure straight, clean edges.

If for some reason you want a bunch of these cards, you could also get a local printer (or an office supply store like Staples) to print a bunch for you.

Details on how to download these cards can be found below.

Download my latest Printable Recipe Cards for Christmas here.

You can also access the download in the IBC Printable Library, which can be found HERE.

Already on the IBC Mailing list? You can find the password to access the library at the bottom of the latest email from Inspired by Charm.

And if you use any of my printables, I would so enjoy seeing what you do! Be sure to share your photos on Instagram and tag @inspiredbycharm.

Want More Holiday Printables? Try these:

I hope you love these printable recipe cards as much as I do and have a chance to use them throughout the holiday season.

Happy Sharing!

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Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast Recipe

Recipes

Tuesday
Dec / 11 / 2018
Comments 9

This Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast recipe makes the perfect holiday breakfast! #breakfast #recipe #frenchtoast #cranberry #mascarpone #holiday #christmas

With creamy mascarpone and fresh tart cranberries, this Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast recipe will quickly become your new favorite breakfast for the holiday and winter season.

Yes friends, we’re serving up some holiday inspired breakfast today on Inspired by Charm. I made this Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast recipe as part of a brand collaboration I shared on social media.

And while I created a video (below) detailing the recipe step-by-step, many of you were asking for it in blog form, so here it is!

I thought this would be a unique, seasonal, and somewhat fancy breakfast idea for the holidays. And not to pat myself on the back, but goodness this is a delicious recipe!

How to Make Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast:

This recipe is really simple to put together. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to put together. How perfect is that for assembling in the morning.

You’re going to start by whisking together a quick custard base in a bowl. You can use milk or half & half if you want something a bit more decadent.

For the bread, I used this French Brioche I found at Walmart. It comes pre-sliced and it works beautifully for this recipe. I mentioned needed a loaf below, but you could probably squeeze in a few extra slices from a second loaf if you’d like.

Dip the bread into the egg mixture and then lay it all out into a baking pan. The size of this particular bread fits perfectly into a 9×13 pan in two rows. Then pour the remaining egg mixture into the pan.

(If you wanted, you could stop at this point and leave this sit in the refrigerator overnight if you want even less work in the morning.)

With the bread in the pan, sprinkle the top with fresh cranberries and dollops of mascarpone. The mascarpone will melt so the placement of the dollops isn’t super important, just make sure it’s somewhat even.

Also, if for some reason you don’t like mascarpone, you could easily substitute cream cheese or even goat cheese.

To cut the tang of the cheese, drizzle everything with some honey.

With that, this Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast is ready to be baked. I baked it for a bit covered and then for a bit uncovered so the top can get a little golden brown.

When it comes out of the oven, add some orange zest to the top and it’s ready to be served!

I like mine with pure maple syrup, but you can use more honey or even just a dusting of powdered sugar would be delish.

Speaking of maple syrup, I always have to give a shout out to my friend Laura over at Finding Home Farms.

Her maple syrup is the bomb.com. In fact, it’s the only syrup I’ll buy. She’s built an incredible business over the past few years and I’m always thrilled to support a friend. You can check her (and her syrup) out here.

And that’s it, this Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast recipe is complete!

Looking for more delicious breakfast ideas? Try these:

This would be delicious for breakfast over the holidays and beyond. It’s the perfect way to entertain and warm up overnight guests (or your family) on a chilly morning.

Enjoy!

Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast Recipe Video:

Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast

Servings: 10 people | Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

5 from 4 votes

With creamy mascarpone and fresh tart cranberries, this Mascarpone Cranberry French Toast recipe will quickly become your new favorite breakfast for the holiday and winter season.

Ingredients

1 loaf French brioche sliced (I got mine at Walmart)
8 eggs
2 cups milk or half & half
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups cranberries
8 ounces mascarpone
1/4 cup honey
fresh orange zest and pure maple syrup for serving

Instructions

Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degree F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with baking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and kosher salt.
Dunk each piece of bread into the egg mixture for a few seconds and then set into the baking dish. Continue with all of the bread overlapping as needed in the pan. Pour the remaining egg mixture onto the bread.
Sprinkle the top with cranberries and dollops of mascarpone. Drizzle with honey.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes.
Serve warm with freshly grated orange zest and pure maple syrup and / or additional honey.

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