Hot Chocolate or Hot Cocoa?

Is there a difference?

Well, if you Google it, there is a difference and for chocolate connoisseurs it is a big deal (apparently!) I'm basically in it for warmth and whipped cream so what do I know?

If you want to know more about the differences (and similarities) then this article can clear things up for you!

Whichever you prefer, this warm chocolate-y drink is a holiday favorite.

And the part I'm up to speed on is all the "stuff" you can add to a big steamy mug!

I love to set up a Hot Chocolate Bar for Christmas parties at home and at church and we keep a small Hot Chocolate "corner" (it's not a full blown Hot Chocolate bar!) ready and waiting at home through the cold months!

There are a lot of delicious hot chocolate recipes all over Pinterest and recipe sites.

I have made hot chocolate from scratch but my "secret weapon" for large groups is this...

I buy already made chocolate milk in the gallon jug (cold) from the grocery store.

 It's yummy and creamy and for a big group of people it just works!

I put it in crock pots with plenty of time to warm up slowly and then when its warm I pour in a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk and mix it in well. It's outrageous!
For individual servings at home we use our Keurig and K-cups.

That's it. But the "extras" are where you can have fun
 and impress visitors to your Hot Chocolate Bar. 

Whipped Cream!! No. 1 item hands down. And in the cans with a nozzle, please! If you are having an event then fill a bowl or champagne bucket with ice and put the cans in it to stay cold. Easy.

Peppermint Syrup with a pump nozzle is a nice touch. 
If peppermint isn't your fave then there are a ton of flavored syrups available - salted caramel, vanilla, raspberry! You name it.

Then gather some small bowls or other cute serving containers and add chocolate chips.  marshmallows (which come in a zillion flavors and shapes!), sprinkles, crushed peppermints, candy canes, m and m's and even cinnamon sticks! Get creative. 

Add some spoons and cute napkins and it's a party!

Such a fun way to celebrate the season! 

You say Hot Cocoa, I say Hot Chocolate 
but as long as we all get a warm cup with whipped cream 
then everyone is right in my book!

We will keep this little corner stocked through January and February so stay tuned over on IG to see how I change it up once I put away the Christmas decor!

Blue and White Chinoiserie Christmas Preview

I did wait until after Halloween to post what I've been making lately.

(And I have been eating Halloween candy while doing it!!)

The biggest project has been this blue and white plate wreath that was inspired by @tortoiseandharevintage on IG. She installs a plate wall wreath in her shop! 

A lot of people have asked "how?" on my IG feed 

and on my @elizabethandpayne IG account.

It's pretty easy - just takes a little time.

That is a faux pine wreath. I bought it at a wholesale florist and it truly looks real but there are faux wreaths for sale everywhere right now.

I gathered an assortment of thrifted blue and white plates  

then laid them out on the wreath to get an idea of placement. 

Next I adhered these amazing plate hangers to the back of my plates.

They dry over night and then I added my plates to the wreath and tied a big plaid bow for the top center!

I did the same thing for this smaller wreath 

and just used a single plate to fill the center opening. 

I forgot to take a better picture :( and sorry about the price tag but I didn't have a spare moment to take a cute, styled blogger appropriate pic before it went to the booth.

And then I've created some little Winter Wonderlands 

in blue and white teacups and bowls. 

They will be great as hostess gifts and to just add a touch of Christmas to places like a powder room where there isn't a lot of room for more decorations.

This one is so small and cute. The tallest tree is only about 2 1/2 inches tall!

And lots of people are creating these Chinoiserie blue and white ornaments. 

Just hit up Pinterest if you need tips on how-to!

These are good sellers for us and I enjoy drawing them.

I made my first one a few years ago for this little tree and I haven't stopped yet!

There's definitely more Chinoiserie Christmas to come but that's a little sneak peak for now!

#throwback Christmas Projects for Children

I'm throwing it back to when I used to design craft projects for children- 

just in case you are looking for some meaningful projects for this season and a way to spend creative time with your children or grandchildren!

(Follow all of the links for early blog posts with details and/or instructions)

Oh, and these posts are very old - pardon the primitiveness of my blogging! 

First up, an inexpensive and easy Advent Wreath. It just takes a little bit of time because of drying times but it's not too late to get this going for this year and the whole family could make it together.

This Advent Calendar was a huge hit. It's reusable and cost about $2.00 to make. Seriously!

I still have parents tell me that it's the first thing they pull out when they decorate and I taught their children a decade ago! Some of them are in college! 

But Christmas traditions are strong!

I wish I had a better picture - it's so cute filled with all of the ornaments and #25 is the star!
It's so, so simple. It's made from a Dollar Store cookie sheet, some spray paint I had on hand, craft paint and some foam shapes. Most people have to buy magnet tape for this but if you have some of the free advertising refrigerator magnets people send in the mail then you might have everything you need on hand. 

And here is a tiny Nativity that anyone and everyone can make! 

I've taught 3 year olds all the way up to senior adults to create these.

I used Altoid tins for a while that I spray painted black. They were free but it became difficult to collect the hundreds I needed when my craft camps were full so I switched to the little paper mache boxes and I really liked the simplicity and texture they added to the project. They are less than a dollar so it's still economical. 

You can also put the verse sticker on the back of the box, use the lid for another tiny Nativity and add a hanger to the top and hang it on the Christmas tree.

So gather up some supplies and found items, dollar tree finds and things on hand and create some Christmas crafting memories.

Peachy Pink Poinsettia Preference

I love poinsettias in the house for the holidays. 

I like red ones just fine. 

Just not in my house. 

The peachy pinks, white or marbleized looking ones just work best for me. 

This gal has her "do" for the season!

I found these huge coral ones in VA on the day after Thanksgiving. 

They rode home with us in a place of honor to keep them "safe" 

so I guess they are "imported!" :)

They look right at home in our Library (which used to be our dining room years ago!)

It's sort of our version of a British "snug" - a small cozy room filled with books and comfy chairs. 

This miniature white one was irresistible.
It's spending the holidays in the downstairs powder room. 

When it comes to poinsettias are you Team Red or Team Pink/Peach/White??

Easy Peasy Valentine's Day Treat for All Ages.

These are so cute and so quick. 

The picture got a lot of "play" on IG so I thought I'd share a few details.

Valentine's Day Candy Skewers!

These are quick and easy. Inexpensive even if you are making quite a few.

Easy to make ahead and transport.   

Cute, fun and pretty in pink!

I bought wooden skewers from Wal Mart. The dollar store often has them. 

One end is flat and the other is pointed. 

They were 97 cents for 50.

The cello bags are inexpensive and available at Wal Mart or Hobby Lobby. 

I had a stash from Nashville Wraps. 

They have every size and shape and I think everything looks better wrapped up in cello.

The prices are good if you need cello in bulk and they ship quickly.

The candy!!

You want any and all soft candy or candy with a hole in the center that you can find 

plus big pink and white marshmallows.

We bought ours at Wal Mart, Dollar General and Dollar Tree. 

There are tons of dollar bag choices. 

We bought fruit chew type candies in multiple shapes and flavors - anything pink, peachy pink or red. 

Gummie Lifesavers and a couple of other chewey candles are ring shaped 

so they just drop right on the skewer. 

The rest of the candy you simply slide down the skewer. 

This is why you want "soft" candy.

I also bought Little Debbie heart shaped cakes for the "topper." 

Spread out all the candy, slide it on the skewer in any order 

(I didn't even try to make them exactly the same but you could), 

pop them in the cello bag and tie them closed. 

We dropped a few Red Hots in each cello bag.

We used a twist tie to get them sealed tightly and then put pink and red grosgrain ribbon (any pink or red ribbon would be fine. I always pick up the cute rolls of "themed" ribbon at the Target Dollar Spot)

 and white curling ribbon over the twist tie to make them frilly and fun!

*Please note: One end of the skewer is pointed. You need the point in order to easily slide the candies on. If you are making these for children you can snip the pointed end of the skewer off with kitchen shears (very easy) and then add the Little Debbie Cake to the end.

Ladies Who Brunch

We had a party!
Mollie and I decided to host a Christmas Brunch for a few favorite ladies.

We wanted to let them know how special we think they are.

We made our list and sent out invitations the middle of November.

The holidays are busy and we wanted to get our date on their calendars.

We chose the first Saturday morning in December.

We hoped people would have fewer conflicts that early.

It motivated us to get started with our Christmas decorating!

A bit tricky since we were at the beach for Thanksgiving 
and we don't decorate before Thanksgiving.
We had 6 days to pull it off!

Come in!!
(and Go Braves!)

 Wal Mart had $4.00  Fraser Fir wreaths.
 I added the bow and some additional greenery 
including the obligatory Southern Christmas greenery - Magnolia.
 If you live in the South and don't have a Magnolia in your yard 
and your friends won't share their Magnolia with you then you need new friends.;)

Our Entry Way.

In August, my mom surprised me with two, yes two, amazing bamboo bar carts. 
They are in perfect condition. They belonged to a dear friend of hers who is clearing some things out. Her friends' mother bought them many years ago in the Philippines when they lived there. They are truly antiques and I feel so fortunate to have both of them. Mollie and I decided to decorate the carts, stock them with goodies and sprinkle them around the downstairs to help with the  flow.

This bar cart was to the right in front of our DIY mirrored French Doors

 

 Next to the front door, we placed the other bar cart. 
This beauty has a brass tray for the top!

(I still have more polishing to do but it already has a great, warm gleam!)

The bamboo basket holds a little "surcie"
  (Definition (n): word used in the South to mean a small, thoughtful gift, unexpected gift, just because.)

We made an ornament for each guest.
And gave it to them as they got ready to leave.

To the left is our Library from our Spring One Room Challenge
 all decked out for the holidays with plenty of seating for Ladies Who Brunch.

I've already talked about this little tree and it's DIY Chinoiserie ornaments.

To the right of the entry way is our Family Room.
Clean and without two big dog beds in the middle of it :)
Can we take a moment?
#raredoghairfreepicture

No ornaments on the big tree yet. We only had 6 days, remember??

And in the corner of the Family Room we placed a bar cart that we already owned. 
It's thrifted, but not as old or distinguished a the other two!

This cart was for those who weren't having Mimosas.
(We also set up a coffee and hot chocolate bar in the kitchen using Mollie's Keurig.)

And then in to the kitchen...
and this is where I fell down on my job as photographer!
We got to talking and I forgot to take many more pictures!!! Happens at every party!
But here are a few shots of the food and fun...

Chicken Salad in little jars with leaf lettuce.

I'm not sure Valerie was ready to have her picture taken!

We used the large blue and white flower pot to hold our champagne on ice. 

Worked perfectly!

I always use gift wrap as my table runners.
 I bought this bright green and white at Hobby Lobby back in October. 

The table at the other end of the kitchen matched the island set up!

But I didn't take any more pictures of all the goodies or cute touches!!

#bloggerfail

Mollie and her Sorority sisters at the brunch.

(They did not talk beforehand to coordinate their outfits for this photo op!!)

We had so much fun, everyone was so glad our get together was brunch

 and early in the month.

Mollie and I think this may the beginning of a tradition!