christmas bells and wedding chimes

On the eve of Christmas Eve, my sister got engaged. She and her fiance, Cory, have been dating for quite a while and are ready to tie the knot. Here are a few pictures from the impromptu party we had following the proposal.

just add super glue

How we turned Wine Wednesday into Wine Involved Architecture Saturday. Before starting you must turn on the N'sync Christmas CD (released in 1998), which I still have. Put a Christmas movie in the DVD player. Have wine delivered and pour a couple of glasses. Make sure chili is simmering nicely. If all of this is in place you are ready to begin, well at least we were ready.

1. Unpack all pieces and super glue all the broken ones back together. Yes, we used super glue. Two tubes. We didn't want to use the icing, as it might have seeped out a made our fabulous gingerbread house look bad.
2. Knead the pack of icing for one minute, glance at directions on the box, and begin assembling.
3. Clearly Camille and I studied the wrong thing in college, we should have been engineering students.
4. Add pizzaz! Our tactic -- Camille did one side of the roof and I did the other. We added rhinestones to look like lights and snowflake confetti to interpret a white Christmas.
5. Derrick gets home and is just dying to join the fun. Being the architect/civil engineer he is, he gets marshmallows and scissors and makes icesicle lights, and a Christmas tree for the front yard.
6. Reveal my side of the roof.
7. Add a cork as the base of the Christmas tree, because what represents our weekly gatherings more than wine? A must to be included for our Gingerbread house!

Afterwards we enjoyed hot and spicy bowls of deer chili, with peanut butter sandwich (The chili with peanut butter sandwich is something Camille and Derrick grew up with. Whenever chili was served for lunch at school, a peanut butter sandwich accompanied it. I gave in and tried it. Not bad actually. I might try it again. Then we sat back and watched the Grinch. Happy holidays!

lonny holiday guide

It's here. Lonny's Holiday Mini Issue is online now.

Grab a cup of joe and relish over the beauty of Bergdorf Goodman's ornate Christmas windows, the inspired tablescapes, and the holiday gift guide that is sure to outfit everyone on your list. I think I'll take a little break from life and indulge for a while. Happy reading.

color of the year

Pantone has revealed the 2011 Color of the Year:

Honeysuckle {Pantone 18-2120}.

While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life. -- Pantone/ Fashion + Home

How will you use Honeysuckle in 2011?

busy bee

Buzzzzz, buzzzz, busy. Fundraisers, work outs, laundry, errands, babysitting, Christmas shopping, friends visiting, and work, oh my! I am a busy bee till I go home for the holiday. From babysitting Saturday night to starting production of Global Finance's January issue today, I have been swamped. While my trainer is working me to the bone at the gym and my fingers hardly leave the computer when I'm at home, it has been a week.

I am saying this as a preface to my apology for not blogging so much this week. I have so much to catch you up on, but I'm having trouble finding time. More to come soon, but for now, just know I'm a Busy Christmas Bee. Oh and we didn't even have time for Wine Wednesday this week.

tis the season

The difference between decorating for Christmas in the South (or really any other place besides a studio apartment in New York). While I was home for Thanksgiving I got to decorate my sister's Christmas tree. I tagged along with she and her boyfriend, Cory, to pick out the perfect fir. They popped it up on the roof of his car and we took it home. The same day my mom packed my "trees" in a UPS box and shipped them on their merry way to my abode.

Step 1: buy tree

Step 2: put it in the house and have Cory put the lights on

Step 3: decorate. A lot.

Step 4: bask in its beauty

Step 5: wait for UPS box

Step 6: unpack and put up

Step 7: bask in the ease of set up

Step 8: walk south 20 plus blocks and view a real Christmas tree

go hogs

I now come home every other Thanksgiving. How to decide which year to come home? Easy: every other year the Arkansas vs. LSU game is in Little Rock. It's a 2 for 1: turkey and college football. Would you choose any differently? Now for an overview of tailgating.

• The golf course
• Henry Johnson's first tailgate
• Kissin' cousins mini reunion
• Family photo op
• A lot of red
• HOGS BEAT LSU! We get the GOLDEN BOOT!

the spread

Only a week late but better late than never. Check out our Southern Thanksgiving spread.

Begin with the Bloodies. Solo cups a must.

The cooker/carver and the assistant.

The dessert table. Yes, they have their own table.

Just like the kids. This year we comfortably fit six around the holiday kids' table. This in my opinion is the best seat in the house.

And the formal adult table. Complete with candles and silver.

Uncle E, Caitlin, Wylie, Mickey Ann and Millie

The finale. My favorite... besides the dressing. And the cream corn.