Seahawks Sunday!

What to do with the time between Christmas and  New years. Between tackling some Pinterest projects (hello new dark stained bathroom cabinets! ) and caulking the bathrooms, our to-do list has gotten shorter while still having time to relax with a great cup of coffee.

Today we are rewarded with a night get away in Seattle courtesy of the hubs workplace. This will be my first Seahawks and NFL game and I am so excited to finally be apart of the 12th man!  I am ready to make some noise!

Dinner will also be a highlight and I cannot wait to enjoy some oyster shooters and fresh seafood. This dessert rat is so ready for some Seattle seafood.  With a low chance of rain I am certain our trip will be a ball!

Follow me on Instagram @laceylybeck for shots from today! GO HAWKS!

Gift Idea: DIY Coasters

 No Christmas Craft night is complete without theses easy and fun D.I.Y. Coasters!  These are quick and easy, but a great gift for a friend or co-worker!

You will need:

Tile

Paper

Mod Podge

Paint brush 

Spray Clear Glaze

Cork Tack Sheet

These items can all be found at your local craft store and look for the tile and glaze at the hardware store.

This is a simple project.  It may take 30 minutes of your time.  Pour yourself a glass of wine and lets get to it.  Apply mod podge to the tile in a thin layer.  Cut the paper, I used scrapbook paper, and place it on the tile.  Now apply two thin layers of mod podge to the paper, allowing it to dry in between layers.  Next, spary with the clear glaze, cut and attach the cork and give away!

These will be going to a special someone this holiday season!

Gift Idea: DIY Candles

I am one of those people who finds gift giving to be a challenging endeavor.  I love to spend time to find that perfect gift that wont end up cluttering their home.  As I shopped this year, I felt the pull of black Friday and consumerism pulling me in like a moth to the flame.  So what do I do?  Decide to have a DIY

But what to make? My brainstorming went as such: 

I love candles. I know my mother and sister love candles, Pinterest makes candle making look easy. Lets make candles!

Candle Making is a simple process and you can find the ingredients easily online or at your local craft store.  Make sure to use those coupons, craft stores in my area had outrageous prices on soy wax and only sold in small quantities. Links to the Amazon products I used can be seen below.  You will also need wicks, containers and if you would like a scented candle, essential oils. 

I have Amazon Prime and had these on my doorstep two days after ordering! Booya!

I love pinching pennies and found some cute jars and cups at my local second hand store.  6 jars for less than 12 bucks? Awesome!

How To Make Candles

Step 1 Melt The Wax

 

There are many methods you can use he, I used the Plastic Baggie Method.  Put wax bits into a plastic sandwich baggie and sprinkle your essential oil of choice, or mix a few together, the strength of the fragrance is up to you!  

Meanwhile, have a pot of water heating on the stove.  The water should be hot, but not boiling.  The wax melts at 125 degrees so i simply filled a sandwich bag with the soy wax, held the baggie in the water until the wax became clear liquid then took it out of the water.  Do not leave unattended while heating wax.  It is key to watch the process to be sure the plastic bag doesn't melt.

Step 2 Fill Container & Set Wick

Pour hot wax into container, set wick and let cool!  If you have difficulty placing the wick, allow the candle to cool 3 minutes, the wax on the bottom of the container will be starting to cool and will become tacky and allow the wick to stand as it should.  After the candle is cool trim the wick, wrap with a bow and give!

As you change fragrances, you can simply use a new baggie.  When done, clean up is a breeze.  Dump water, throw away plastic baggie, light candle and open a bottle of wine, you are done and ready for gift giving!!!

What DIY Gifts will you be giving this year?

       

Amazon links-

Neighborhood Cheer!

Lights! Camera! Action!

December is here!  In my book, the first of December marks the beginning of the Christmas holiday season.  Time to breakout the Christmas decor and make a game plan for the lights.  I love a seasonally decorated home and nothing starts off the holidays like twinkling lights on the eves of our home.  (Shame on those of you who started early, November is for Turkeys and fall.  Leave the green and red to its rightful month, people!)

The Husband and I have set our game plan.  We are opting for large white circular LED lights in soft white, keeping it classic.  I have never been an icicle lights fan or one for the flashing, bright colored lights some love.  I may go wild and turn the columns by the front door into red and white light striped candy canes, we will see.

How do you prefer your Christmas lights?


 

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Holiday Traditions

Each family has their own holiday traditions that make this time of year special.  As  newlyweds, the husband and I are blending our traditions while making new ones that we enjoy.

This holiday season, we will make cookies.  We will watch "Its a Beautiful Life" and every other Jimmy Stewart movie. Probably more than once.  We will load up into the car and drive around town looking at Christmas lights.  We will enjoy a mug or three of Milk Punch, a Hulbert Family tradition, even if we will be with the Lybeck side for the holidays this year.  Time always flies, how do you make sure to fit in all of your holiday traditions?

We are fortunate to have some neighbors who really take the outdoor lights Christmas Displays to a whole new level.  Each year we have to stop by the Senske lawn display, find the craziest display in our neighborhood and end the night by finding the above WSU house and singing along to the fight song as it play through the car radio. Go Cougs!  All while cozy in our car, seat warmers on high, PJs on with our very matchy matchy Ugg slippers.  Perfection.

There are also those family traditions that the hubs and I have decided to nix from the list.  Gone are the days of driving to see every family member in the area (my family tradition).  Gone are the matching jammies, sweaters, or socks for the whole family to wear on Christmas Eve (also my side... we will see if this one reappears when we expand our family).  Speaking of, those elf on the shelf ideas floating around pinterest sure have me looking forward the distant future when we add that to our tradition list.  I dont think the hubs would appriciate that crazy lil elf.

And on the topic of little elves, I think Louie our little pup would be pretty cute dressed like one =]

I'm off to go deck the halls!

After an Apple Cup loss...

Monday morning back at work after a nice little Thanksgiving break can be rough, but the Monday after an Apple Cup loss during Thanksgiving weekend takes the cake.

Every office has that one Huskie Fan.  You know the one.  Wears that ugly purple and yellow.  Usually very obnoxious and doesnt know anything about either university. Did they even go to U of W?  No, most likely not.  The Huskie I work with made cookies to rub in their win.

Victory would have been sweet but as both teams are bowl eligible it will be exciting to see how the PAC 12 teams do in the bowls.  I for one am hoping the Cougs and Heart of Dallas Bowl bound!  Nothing would be better than packing up those cowboy boots and visiting the great state of Texas for a little Post Season Cougar Football Action! #GOCOUGS

Wine to Pair with Turkey

What wines will you be serving this Turkey Day?  

Thanksgiving Day takes planning, preparation and perfect execution.  T-Minus 2 days.  Grocery lists are made, the bird is thawing and you have made your plan of attack.  But have you thought about the wine?!?!

With any other family dinner, my go to wine is usually a big red blend.  Turkey dinner, on the other hand, calls for something with a little more elegance.  Some fill the void with Pinot Noir.  In fact, we have been known to spend thanksgiving in Oregon wine country during their large thanksgiving event.  If your family pushes you over the edge this year, think of this event for 2014.  Pinot Noir goes great with turkey, there is no denying that.  But sometimes, one just needs to take a step outside the box.  Because Pinot Noir is the new Merlot, right?  And nobody wants to bring the ex-popular wine to a dinner party.

If this has you stressing out, it is ok, just open a bottle of Washington Wine and relax.  Or if you are lucky enough to live in wine country, go tasting.  Nothing is better than enjoying a glass of wine while putting together your turkey day wine plan of attack.

Thanksgiving in my household, begins with a cheese plate.  This calls for an Ancient Lakes White Riesling to pair.  I love the crisp mineral characteristics and it also pairs well with turkey if you have guests that prefer white wine.  As for reds, I will be bringing a Grenache from the Wahluke Slope AVA in Washington.  Grenache, pictured above, has nice light spice with subtle tannins.  Perfect with turkey.  

Good Luck!  and Cheers!

If all else fails- it is just wine- Drink It!