christmas home Archives - Darling Darleen

Peanut Butter Fudge

Peanut Butter Fudge for Holiday Treat Gifts

Ever since I could remember, my mom would make peanut butter fudge around the holidays. My family loved it, and soon it become a tradition to make peanut butter fudge once a year and it could only be during Christmas time. I warn you–this fudge recipe is so good and addicting you might gain some weight consuming this fudgey-goodness that I can’t stop eating! So, now with my family, I like to make a big batch and include the peanut butter fudge on our neighbor holiday treat gift plates.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup milk

1/2 pint marshmallow creme

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Butter sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan
Combine sugar and milk in saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Cook to 234 degrees (just below soft ball stage).
Remove from heat; quickly add creme, peanut butter, chocolate and vanilla; blend quickly.
Pour into buttered 9x9x2 inch pan. Score; cut when firm.

A Pink Christmas

Adding Pink to our Traditionally White Christmas

I’m dreaming of a PINK Christmas…say what?! Okay, okay okay. White Christmas always, but a little pink won’t hurt. Right?! This year I had so much fun adding pink to our traditionally white Christmas. I used the same ornaments as last year and just added a few new pink elements to change up my traditionally white Christmas. I love our Pink Christmas, and the subtle accents of pink against the white and metallic golds and silvers.

The first thing we did before we brought in the tree into the house was flock the tree. I started flocking my tree last year when I couldn’t find a garden shop that would flock trees. We had a great garden shop in Atlanta who would flock freshly cut trees, so I’ve been surprised that I can’t find one here in the Northeast. But the flocking process is easy! I used this snow flock spray, and its just like spray painting your tree but with fake snow. There is a drying time period of about 24 hours so you do need to take that into account with your timing on decorating. I used about 3 cans on my 7 foot tree.

After adding the white lights and my original Christmas ornaments, I added artificial snow batting that is used for Christmas village scenes to get the wintery snow look. Easily rip off sections and bat it together to make snow clumps. Next I took dyed pink pampas grass and placed them on the branches for a drama look and to break up all the white. One of my favorite elements to the tree! I used this coloring dye to dye the pampas grass. (DIY coming soon!) Although I did add one box of new pink Christmas ornaments to my tree, just those few elements really changed the look of my original tree. And I love it!

For our mantel, I used the Fraser fir garland and added a little of the spray flocked snow so it would complement the white tree. Then sprigs of metallic faux berries. The pink velvet ribbon to hang the stockings adds that touch of pink to the mantle.

I love my Serena and Lily pillows so much that I added another blush pink pillow to the mix and it goes perfectly with our Pink Christmas.

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A New England Christmas

A New England Christmas with Simple DIY

Christmas this year almost didn’t come! Pulling out Christmas decorations among moving boxes (yes, we are still getting settled in to this new house) gave me a feeling of bah humbug. But the kids negotiated with me, and said Santa wouldn’t come to an undecorated house, so we came to an agreement. Keep. it. simple. So, I didn’t pull out all of my Christmas decorations and instead pulled out only a few this year. The ones that add the Christmas glitter and cheer! Our New England Christmas is accented with simple DIY projects that add the perfect detail.

For my New England Christmas, I wanted to have a white flock Christmas tree. Real flocked trees are easily found in Georgia, but you do have to pay a hefty price. We had flocked trees the last couple of Christmas’s, and they just add a level of elegance to your Christmas decorating.

Well we had a hard time trying to find real, flocked trees here in Connecticut. So, to save money and time I decided to buy two cans of white flock snow spray for just a few bucks and spray our real balsam fir Christmas tree. It was a great idea, and so easy to do! I actually sprayed it right in my living room. I did cover the floors with a disposable paint cover, and I did pull the tree away from the walls. But it was very easy to do and to clean up I just wiped it away. Also, you need to let your tree dry for about 12 hours before putting on ornaments. I wanted to keep the trees with a light dusting. I did have enough spray to add more fake snow but liked the look of it with just the dusting.

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Candles are such a great way to bring a the holiday ambiance to a room. Love Anecdote Candles. They are a favorite.

Another easy, simple DIY project to create a New England Christmas is buy a can of copper spray paint and white pine fir garland or green clippings and seeded eucalyptus and spray them copper! I saw this easy and budget friendly idea while shopping at Terrain, and loved it! They spray painted most of their real garland around the store. I love the results and add the metallic accent real greenery all around the house–in my wreath, garland, Christmas tree and vase arrangements.

I love my thick wool cream throw from Mutze hats. It is hand knitted and one of my favorite winter home decorations. I linked a similar version from Serena and Lily.

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Magnolias for Christmas

Magnolias for Christmas

The stockings were hung and the garland was hung by the chimney with care! Indeed it was after making this gorgeous magnolia garland. Bring me all the magnolias for Christmas, and I will make the most beautiful magnolia garland. I loved how my Southern Christmas came out last year that I wanted to incorporate magnolias again in this year’s decorations for the look of Magnolias for Christmas. This year I did a full magnolia garland, instead of scattered magnolias through out the garland. I love the look and how it came out! So elegant. I hung the stockings from the garland instead of the mantle so they can be seen and not hidden from the large magnolia leaves. To hang the garland with the swag located in the front of the mantle, I used the Command hanger strips. It was perfect and can handle the weight.

I decided to shake it up with this year’s color scheme. Last year I used a lot of teal ornaments and silver and golds with the white flock tree. But this year, I incorporated dark navy and emerald greens. The colors are beautiful against the cedar leaves. The style has more of a masculine, organic look but still so elegant and feminine when you add a little silver and gold.

Well, I hope you have had a wonderful Holiday! This month has been a month of the flu virus, so we’ve been hunkering down. Thank goodness for online shopping! It is saving me this year!