Hang in There by Lady of the House

I'm a year-round chronic recycler/shredder/purger, but I've decided to let my routine take a backseat to the cheery Christmas cards sent my way this season. I'm going to hang on to these goodies for a bit longer than I normally do--let my peeps stay awhile, kick their feet up and relax.

Enter two staples I always keep in my arsenal: mini clothes pins and baker's twine. They kind of go hand-in-hand, if you ask me. And since you didn't, and you're now cocking your head to the side, squinting and wondering where the hell you'd ever find mini clothes pins, read on. Hey, you could use paper clips and that huge ball of cooking twine you bought to tie up the turkey legs. Yes, that very ball of twine that's now the expletive, I mean, thing stuck in the back of your utensil drawer, letting it out only far enough for you to peek at the corkscrew you desperately need.

This is basically free decorating, people. And the added tidbit of joy is that you get to literally hang out with the folks that took the time to send their love.

How do you guys display the deluge of Holiday cards that fill your mailbox each year? I'm curious.

xoxo

{ Lady of the House }

p.s. Wouldn't your card line-up look so much better if you were baking fresh bread? Win a bread maker!!

p.p.s. Anyone in need of a laugh? Look no further.

Pom Pom Tutorial

This past weekend I had the extreme pleasure of attending the wedding of dear friends in--of all places--Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I also had the extreme pleasure of responding to the bride's request for a "just married" sign for the back of their ridiculously beautiful '57 Porsche Speedster.

Beyond the sign's structure, I immediately thought of pom poms, and I thought it might be fun to share my method. It's quite simple, really.

Gather your materials. I chose four types of organza ribbon, while cream tulle served to provide the loft and bulk I needed. You'll likely need only scissors in addition to the ribbon and tulle. (I also bought three cowbells and a bunch of jingle bells to intersperse. The sound as they drove away was the epitome of celebration, but that's just my take!)

Begin by clutching the tulle in-hand, gathering from the center of the material. Be sure to pinch from the center as you go along, as this will give you the roundest and most symmetrical pom pom. Insert your ribbons at a ratio of four to five wrinkles of tulle per ribbon. There's no real formula--just what you think will look best.

Keep this up until your fist is full of ribbon and tulle. If you're about to drop it while you're trimming the tulle, your pom pom is well on its way to perfection.

Next grab a similarly colored pipe cleaner, and wrap it at the center of your folds. Quickly bind all your hard work with the pipe cleaner. Twist, twist.

Finally, fluff by pulling ONLY the tulle in opposite directions, taking care to work the circumference of the pom pom. Essentially, you're teasing the pom pom like you once did your bad, bad 80's bangs. (If you tug at the ribbons, they'll come loose. Leave them alone.)

If all goes well, things may look something like this... And as always, feel free to email with any questions. (hdhhlady@gmail.com)

xoxo,

{ Lady of the House }