EAB Designs

Halloween Greetings

 

 

A Pop of Color

I'm a neutral kind of girl, both in fashion and home decor, but I do love a pop of color here and there.  Here are a couple I added to my accessories this week.

 

I applied a hot pink monogram to my agenda.  Makes me smile.

 

 

I purchased this new watch with an embossed orange leather band.  I love BIG watches.

And, in need of a new handbag, I'm seriously considering this salmon colored satchel.  I always carry a black handbag and this would definitely add a pop of color to my otherwise neutral wardrobe. What are some of your favorite pops of color?

Halloween Treats

 

Here's a peek at our spider web cookies we baked this weekend.  The girls look forward to making these each Halloween. Royal icing was used to coat the cookie and for the web we used melted semi-sweet chocolate. For a video with instructions on how to create the web decoration, visit Martha Stewart's site.  It's incredibly easy to do and you'll feel like a professional cookie decorator.

French Bistro Style Table Runners

Brand new to the EAB Designs Collection are these French inspired red striped table runners. Made with 100% linen to resemble the vintage grain sacks we all adore.  Perfect for a rustic, yet elegant tablescape.

 

For details, visit the shop.

Felted Acorns & Flowers

When entertaining, I love to mix simple floral bouquets with seasonal decor for a warm and inviting tablescape.  For this weekend's dinner, I purchased a small bunch of chartreuse mums and white roses to make a few petite arrangements for the table.

 

The bouquets, placed in a vintage cream & sugar set, were mixed in amongst miniature white pumpkins I had on hand.  Candle light is always nice, so I never forget to add tea lights.

 

Inspired by the cream and chartreuse flowers, today I made felted acorns to add to our fall decor.  They are a quick and easy project and would make a wonderful gift for your guests to take home.

 

 

Sources:

Acorn Caps - Sticks and Things on Etsy (Ethan, an 8 year old collects and sorts the acorn caps to earn money.  My packing slip contained a little hand written thank you note from him - so adorable!)

Flowers - If you're looking to purchase roses, my go to source is always Trader Joe's or Fresh Market.  I can always find beautiful roses anywhere from $4 - $10 for a dozen.

Vintage Cream & Sugar Set -  purchased from Wayside Treasures on Etsy

A Fall Dessert

I usually make gingerbread at Christmas time, but decided to serve it for a recent dinner party. Individual servings were cut from the 9x13 cake with a round biscuit cutter.  For a seasonal presentation, I cut a leaf pattern from card stock and used it as a stencil when dusting on the powdered sugar. Growing up, my mom always served gingerbread with a lemon pudding which I loved.  For this version, I made a translucent lemon sauce which was spooned around the edges. Your guests will love every bite and the smell from the gingerbread baking will fill your house with the most wonderful aroma.

My favorite gingerbread recipe is Nigella Lawson's which can be found here.

The lemon sauce recipe is from Joy of Cooking.  To see how I decorate the gingerbread at Christmas time, visit my past blog post here.

Roasted Hazelnut and Raisin Flutes

 

We are frequent visitors to Le Pain Quotidien and my husband always purchases a roasted hazelnut and raisin flute before we leave. To surprise him, I decided to make some of my own. I was disappointed with the recipe from Le Pain Quotidien's cookbook, but found a version of his favorite treat at King Arthur Flour.  He enjoys snacking on them just as is, but I think they would be delicious with a bit of fig jam and some soft cheese.

Here are the shaped flutes, ready for their final rising.  The starter is made the evening before and they require a few hours for the total rising time, so plan ahead.  If you don't like hazelnuts, you can substitute your favorite nut. I can't wait to surprise Mr. E.

 

I also wanted to let you know our preserved boxwood wreaths are now back in stock. Thanks so much for all of your interest.  I've had many requests for a smaller 6"size, so I'm working on making some of those now.  I'll let you know as soon as they're available.  Have a lovely evening!

Choosing a New Calendar

As you know, I love shopping for a new calendar and filling it in for the coming year. My daughter recently purchased a Lilly Pulitzer 17-month agenda and I wanted something similar. I was thrilled this morning to discover the new Kate Spade agendas. At first I was torn between the gold polka dots and the black and cream stripe.

But then I saw the inside of the black and cream agenda - polka dots with blush ink on the pages and a blush closure.  Perfection!  Well, wouldn't you know it was sold out everywhere (the gold dots too).   By now,  I could picture it on my desk and me writing in it.  Refusing to give up, I spent a great deal of time continuing to search for it online. At last I found one in stock.  (Me jumping for joy!)  The shop was in Canada but this agenda has my favorite colors & polka dots, it was worth every penny of the shipping cost.  I think I might add a DIY monogram to the front after it arrives.

Calendar Bliss!

Hello October - It's Nice to See You Again