ALL POSTS IN [Holidays]

Happy Hour Happens: Refreshing Memorial Day Cocktails

by Kayla Kitts May 17, 2013 1 Comment

Memorial Day’s late May date has marked the unofficial start of summer for years. Most schools unlock the doors and release students for the year that Friday before. [FREEDOM!] The weather is finally at a solid seasonal temperature. It’s also an unofficial rule that you must spend the day/weekend outdoors. Rain is not tolerated. No matter how you choose to spend your holiday weekend, unwind with these refreshing summer cocktails that will leave you ready for lazy pool days all season long.

Cantaloupe Tea Daiquiri

Memorial Day Cocktail Recipes at HGTV's Design Happens Blog

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces Numi Emperor’s Pu-erh Tea
1 1/2 ounces Van Gogh Blue Vodka
3 ounces frozen cantaloupe, cubed
1 ounce coconut milk
splash of lemon juice
lemon wedge, for garnish

Directions

Steep tea at four times the normal strength for two minutes, then remove tea bag and chill liquid for later use. Combine and blend ingredients in blender, adding a splash of lemon for each serving. Serve on the rocks and garnish with a lemon wedge.

More Warm-Weather Concoctions

Make an Easy-to-Craft Jewelry Box for Mother’s Day

by H. Camille Smith May 8, 2013 4 Comments

Mother’s Day is sneaking up fast (it’s this Sunday!) but you still have time to craft a handmade gift — especially one as simple as this sweet little jewelry box. Best of all, the materials for this project cost less than $20 and you’ll be ready to surprise her with your thoughtfulness in no time flat!

Get the step-by-step instructions>>

All you need is paint or stain, a decorative knob and a pair of fence post caps (1 flat and 1 raised). Yep, just plain old fence post caps. You can find them in the fencing department of your local hardware store and they look like this: Wooden Fence Post Caps

Thanks to the flat cap’s stepped design, it fits nicely inside the raised cap to create a lid – like so:
Easy Jewelry Box Made From a Pair of Wooden Fence Post Caps

Finish your jewelry box with the paint or stain color of your choice, add a knob and surprise Mom with a charming personalized box filled with a small trinket or sweet surprise. Stain Fence Post Caps and Add a Knob to Create a Wooden Gift Box

Ready to get crafting? Get the step-by-step instructions>>

MORE MOTHER’S DAY CRAFTS TO TRY:
Block-Print Napkins With Simple DIY Stamps
Make a Simple, Floral Mother’s Day Centerpiece
Hand-Painted Wooden Bracelets for Mother’s Day
Make a Fingerprint Table Runner for Mother’s Day
Make an Easy-to-Sew Lined Tote Bag

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Daily Delight: Strawberry-Almond Spinach Salad for Your Lunch With Mom

by Grant Dudley May 7, 2013 4 Comments

Spring-perfect strawberries are the star of this easy salad recipe. It’s the perfect starter for your Mother’s Day brunch, lunch or dinner.

Mother's Day Recipe

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas:
Block-Print Napkins With Simple DIY Stamps
Make a Simple, Floral Mother’s Day Centerpiece
Hand-Painted Wooden Bracelets for Mother’s Day
Make a Fingerprint Table Runner for Mother’s Day
Make an Easy-to-Sew Lined Tote Bag
Easy-to-Craft Handmade Jewelry Box

Pretty Painted Market Basket

by Kayla Kitts May 2, 2013 No Comments

The official countdown to Mother’s Day is here. Have you found the perfect gift that will bring a smile across Mom’s face? No? We can help. If your mom is less into cooking and more into shopping, then give her a tote with a handmade touch that she can fill up with all her favorite finds.

Paint a Seagrass Basket for Mother's Day

First, head over to your local craft store or home furnishings spot and pick up a large, natural seagrass basket. (I found this one on sale at a craft store for less than $15!) Then, pick out a water-based latex paint in her favorite color. (My mom loves yellow. Plus, it’s the perfect shade for summer.) You’ll use painter’s tape to form a design and pattern of your choosing and paint within the lines. Easy as pie!

Paint a Seagrass Basket for Mother's Day

Get the Full Step-by-Step Instructions >>

More DIY Mother’s Day Ideas:

Block-Print Napkins With Simple DIY Stamps
Make a Simple, Floral Mother’s Day Centerpiece
Hand-Painted Wooden Bracelets for Mother’s Day
Make a Fingerprint Table Runner for Mother’s Day
Make an Easy-to-Sew Lined Tote Bag
Easy-to-Craft Handmade Jewelry Box

Happy Hour Happens: Spicy Cinco de Mayo Cocktails

by Kayla Kitts April 26, 2013 3 Comments

Cinco de Mayo falls on a Sunday this year, but don’t let that deter you from concocting some serious cocktails to celebrate the occasion. I mean, you still have Friday and Saturday to raise a glass or three. So, break out the tequila, jalapeno peppers and Tabasco sauce for some spicy drinks that are perfect for those that love a little kick.

Skinny & Hot Margarita

Cinco de Mayo Cocktails at HGTV's Design Happens Blog

Ingredients

1 part quality anejo tequila (for smoother taste)
1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
1-3 slices jalapeno chile (depending on your taste)
splash of pineapple juice
Polar Ruby Red Grapefruit Seltzer

Directions

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients except the Polar Seltzer. Shake vigorously. Pour over crushed ice. Include all the jalapeno if you want extra heat. Top with Seltzer and gently stir.

Get More Cocktail Recipes

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Daily Delight: Happy Easter From Design Happens!

by Grant Dudley March 31, 2013 No Comments

We hope wherever you are today, that the weather is beautifully spring-like and that you’re able to enjoy a lovely time with friends and family.

Happy Easter!

Last-Minute Easter Ideas:
Dressed-Up Easter Eggs
Favorite Easter Recipes
Kids’ Easter Party
Fun Easter Decor
Easter Tablescapes

Featured

Daily Delight: Wandering Bunny Rabbit Truffles

by Grant Dudley March 29, 2013 1 Comment

The newest, most petite members of the Vosges Haut-Chocolat rabbit troupe are snuggled together inside a cozy, sky blue nest. Each bunny is filled with a rich, creamy chocolate ganache. They’re almost too adorable to eat…almost.

Wandering Rabbit Truffles

Kids’ Craft: Dye Marbleized Easter Eggs

by H. Camille Smith March 27, 2013 6 Comments

I first fell in love with marbleized paper on a college trip to Italy — the swirl of rainbow colors just seemed so magical. In Florence, a local artist showed us how it was done. It’s an amazingly simple process: You mix olive oil with watercolor or gouache paints then drop the mixture into a shallow pan filled with water, swirl the floating paint to create patterns then lay paper on the water’s surface. Because oil and water don’t mix, the paint isn’t diluted and floats on the surface, creating a swirling multicolored pattern on the paper. I loved the process for its ingenious simplicity and the fact that the results couldn’t be controlled.

With Easter on the horizon, I thought I’d try a twist on the Italian marbleizing technique when dyeing eggs by adding olive oil to the food coloring dye solutions. Here are my results: Try a new twist on dyeing Easter eggs this year -- add oil to the dye to give them a marbleized effect.

I have to admit the polka-dotted effect was unexpected but I really like it so I left several eggs as-is after a single dip in the dye bath. Others I dipped in a second color for a more traditional marbleized effect. Ready to get started? Here are the step-by-step instructions>> Rolling a dyed Easter egg in ollive oil before dyeing it a second color will create a marbleized effect.