Have A Merry Day!

Whether or not you are celebrating Christmas today... 

I wish you a peaceful, beautiful, wonderful day!

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I won't be blogging during the holidays; instead, I'll be enjoying some media-free time with my family.  

See you in 2013!

Sweet!

We'll be seeing the Nutcracker today, and I am very excited!  What little girl doesn't dream of sugar plum fairies?  

All of that sweetness has inspired today's post about sugared fruit. It makes such an elegant addition to a party and it's so, so, so easy to do!  I sugared pears and grapes as part of a buffet for a holiday party we had in Munich a few years ago and they were a big hit.  Enjoy these beautiful inspirations!

How gorgeous would that be for a winter wedding?

Sugared fruit is great for Christmas but would also be very elegant for a New Year's Eve Party or a dinner party in January. Have you tried this before?  If not, are you inspired?

Also, I'd like to thank my wonderful Pacific NW-based blogging friends for participating in the Pacific NW Holidays series.  I enjoyed it so much and my readers did too. Thank you ladies!!!

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Pacific NW Holidays: Marianne Simon Design

My last (but certainly not least!) post in the series on celebrating the Holidays in the Pacific NW is the lovely Marianne from Marianne Simon Design.  I have been so fortunate to have met her and call her a new, dear friend in Seattle!  Lucky me.  If you don't already know Marianne, you'll see why I am so glad I found her after you read her wonderful post!  I won't make you wait any longer...here you go!

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What an honor to be here today on Barbara's gorgeous blog.  I feel so lucky that we have become friends, not only in the blog world, but also in person.  I was thrilled when she asked me to do a post on what I love about celebrating the holidays in the Pacific Northwest.  So, without further ado, these are a few of my favorite things...

Pike Place Market
Always a fun place to visit any time of year, but the holidays seem to make the market a little more magical.

Bellevue Botanical Garden

This is a place you have to visit.  Not only do I go every year to see all of the beautiful creations, I actually took a class one day a few years ago at the garden and helped them make wisteria.  Every time I look at the display I'm reminded that I actually created some of the flowers there!

Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker

Always a festive way to kick off the holiday season!  Here's my favorite part...

Baking

Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without one of our longest family traditions dating back over 75 years.  When I say we do a lot of baking, I am not kidding.  We typically make between 30-50 or more varieties of cookies and candies over one long weekend.  I swear this is harder than my day job, but the joy it brings to family and friends faces when we pass out our box of goodness... priceless!  Heres' a look at a few of last years creations.

Decorating

In my own house, I use a lot of fresh greenery and keep everything pretty neutral so it doesn't compete with my decor. 

Paperwhites

I always start them right around Thanksgiving so they'll be in bloom for Christmas.  I place them all over my house and the smell is intoxicating.  These were in my office last year.

Published

Here's my shameless plug for the holidays...  This year I'm celebrating my home being published in the December issue of HGTV magazine.  Truly a dream come true!

Family

Of course, the best part of the holidays is spending time with my family and friends filled with lots of laughter and joy!

Thank you again Barbara for including me!  Happy Holidays!

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Isn't she great?  I see that we share a love of paperwhites, the Nutcracker and simple greens for the holidays, among many other things.  Thanks for the beautiful post Marianne.  :)
And, how amazing is that about her being published in HGTV magazine?  Congratulations Marianne!!  I am so happy for you!

Thanks so much for your beautiful post, showcasing your great style and zest for living.

Holiday Fun

Here are a few fun ways to brighten up the holiday season...

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Pacific NW Holidays: Splendid Willow

Today for the Pacific NW Holidays series, I bring you the lovely & stylish Monika from Splendid Willow!  I am so happy to report that Mon is a new friend since I have moved to Seattle and she couldn't have made me feel more welcome!  Without further delay, let's hear what she has to say about she brings her Swedish style to Seattle:

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Barbara, thank you for having me here today. I will happily share some of my Northwest-Swedish holiday traditions with you. (And you Ms. Barbara will be invited to one of them - guess which one?!!).

Coming December this household gets crazy busy as many others this season. Except for mandatory Holiday decorating, treat making and Nutcracker events, there are three special things that are part of our family traditions and that we always make time for:

  

Mid December we officially open the doors to our "Holiday Candy Store". The kids and I fill our old Swedish secretaire with lots of homemade treats and goodies. Friends and family members tend to gravitate more to that part of the house that many other! It is a fun tradition that I hope my children will continue.

Pssst... Brugge Chocolates makes the best chocolates in Seattle. Very high-end European style.

No. 2 - Gloegg Party(ies)!

Our gloegg party is growing every year and what a fun way to see friends and family, happy and relaxed during this busy season. Being from Sweden, "Gloegg" is a Swedish must have have during the winter season. Gloegg is basically hot, sweet, mulled wine with added spices, almonds and raisins. And of course we serve lots of good dishes and treats to go with this cheerful holiday drink.

No. 3 -- Bellevue Botanical Garden d'Lights Festival

We have been visiting for a few years and the kids love it! We tend to go late, after dinner, and together we walk the paths in the Bellevue Gardens and admire all the creative & colorful lighting displays on the trees and plants. It is really a wonderful & dazzling treat for the eye and it gets us all in the Holiday Spirit!

Extra Bonus (sans kids!)

When my husband and I need a little special time to ourselves, we enjoy visiting Cafe Juanita in Kirkland. The award winning chef & owner, Holly Smith, always gets rave reviews from magazines, critics and a loyal clientele. And rightfully so. Her food is top notch Northern Italian cuisine without the contrived factor. The restaurant is located in a retro styled converted home. I would describe it as understated elegant with a very good vibe. We always leave happy -- and full!

So, there. Some of my personal traditions and must-visit-spots around beautiful Seattle.

Wishing all of your readers a beautiful Holiday season. And a warm holiday hug to you Ms. Barbara. You are a gem. Seattle is very fortunate to have you right here in in our lovely city.

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What a sweetie!  Isn't that candy store idea such a great one?

I haven't tried Brugge chocolatees (except in Brugge!) so that's a must for me sometime soon....

Mon, I can't wait to share some Gloegg with you!  Thank you so much for sharing your ideas with my readers.  :)

Unconventional Christmas Tables

I thought the following dining room table settings were refreshing, using unexpected colors and/or materials.  I hope you can find something you like!

Love these gold dipped glasses!

Any favorites?

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Holiday Open House Ideas

One of my favorite blogging buddies, Carolyn from The Buzz blog, asked me to participate in a series about my favorite tips to share for enjoying the upcoming holiday season.  What a treat!

I chose to talk about my ideas for a festive Holiday Open House.  Here are a few teasers of other fun holiday ideas, but head over there for the whole story!

This post may feel like deja veux to a few of you.  I posted this recently, but due to all of the chaos caused by Sandy and snow on the east coast, Carolyn and I had a little mix up on timing. So, please head over to her blog today for some fun holiday ideas from me!  :)

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Pacific NW Holidays: Simply Fresh Dinners

Today's post about Pacific NW Holidays goes a bit north of Seattle - to Vancouver Island.  Robyn from Simply Fresh Dinners joins us today with her take on a luxurious holiday tradition!  I think you're going to really enjoy this one, and may even find yourself planning your next vacation there before you're done.  I have to warn you though, you will leave this post hungry for a delicious, gourmet, locally grown Pacific NW meal for sure!  Read on...

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There is a mystical place on the west coast of Vancouver Island that embodies nature’s most spectacular landscapes and creatures, the unique artistry of local craftsmen, and the blissful pleasures of home grown organic food.  This place is Sooke Harbour House and every year during the Christmas holidays my friends and family visit their restaurant for a meal that can only be described as out of this world.

This romantic getaway has 28 oceanfront rooms and is nestled into the banks of the Pacific Ocean with beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains in Washington State.   I`ve stayed overnight a couple times even though my home is just 30 minutes away.  It`s just that irresistible!

The property is on two and a half acres and beautifully landscaped.  The rooms are true to west coast design and the furniture is made by local craftsman.  I`m particularly fond of the chairs in the restaurant and after my first visit here, I inquired about the designer and was told he lived just down the road.  His name is Rusty Sage and  I went to visit him and  was so impressed with his work that I commissioned him to do my kitchen table and chairs and staircases in my home that I was renovating at the time.  The ones in my kitchen are almost identical to the ones below.

 

Whether you`re curled up watching winter storms or hoping to catch a pod of killer whales swimming by, these rooms are so cozy and romantic.  I love the variety of woods they have used.  Everything is hand crafted.

The inn has a beautiful art gallery and they actively promote local artists from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.  There is a very large and diverse community of artists in the area from sculptors and painters to jewellers and wood craftsmen and stone masons.   You can also find the art throughout the inn, in the rooms, the restaurants and even in the gardens.

If you`re a foodie, this is the place to be.   Most of the produce is grown right on the property and their seafood is local and fresh.   If you live in the PNW, it is worth a visit just for the food alone.  

The owner, Sinclair Philip, is the Canadian representative to Slow Food in Italy and some years ago was a Slow Food Vancouver Island Convivum leader. His commitment to offering the best in freshness, flavour and creativity is evident in the pictures below.

Sooke Harbour House Salad - Wild & cultivated herbs, lettuces, flowers and blossoms from their certified organic garden.

Early Winter Salad
Robyn has been kind enough to post this recipe today!  Click here to find out more!

Crispy Sidney Lemon Sole, lemon thyme & stoneground mustard spaetzle, basil & argula pistou, savoy cabbage, grilled zucchini & baby turnips, spot prawn & roasted tomato cream, shrimp red pepper salsa

Roasted Berkshire Pork Tenderloin, phyllo wrapped potato & caramelized onion terrine, kale with pancetta, green beans & baby carrots, rhubarb & sundried apricot chutney, rosemary & red wine bordelaise sauce.

Parsnip, Turnip & Borage Soup with smoked Albacore Tuna loin & leek oil.

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Chocolate torte, rainier cherry compote, white chocolate basil ice cream.

The best way to walk off all that delicious food is to take a stroll along their beachfront.  There are also kayaks available and if you are staying overnight there are plenty of whale watching and fishing charters available.  I am passionate about the killer whale population around Vancouver Island and Puget Sound and there  plenty of opportunities to view them here.  There are also grey whales, humpback and a few years ago a rare blue whale was spotted along this coast.   If you are a bird watcher, there are plenty of bald eagles, golden eagles and blue heron.

Thank you, Barbara, for the opportunity to share one of my favourite places and Christmas traditions with you and your readers.   No matter where you are, the Pacific Northwest is always in your heart and it was a pleasure to revist such warm memories.

Photography

Pictures of the food are from  the beautiful blog  A legg up , http://www.aleggup.com/?m=0

All other pictures are the property of Sooke Harbour House

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I warned you this was going to be irresistable.  :)

I'm not sure what drew me in the most - the food, the inn or the whale sighting!  

Thank you Robyn for such an incredible tour of a place where anyone would be lucky to celebrate a holiday!