2011 WITCHES NIGHT OUT

Thanks to everyone who came to our fun Witches Night Out last week. We loved all the unique witch's hats! We look forward to next years big event.

Fall Decorating

I recently spoke at a homemakers meeting about quick & easy ways to decorate your home for fall. Below are the before and after pictures. Enjoy!
Living Room Before:

Living Room After:




Foyer Before:

Foyer After:



Dining Room Mantle Before:

Dining Room Mantle After:



Dining Room Table Before:

Dining Room Table After:




I look forward to the next presentation.

FALL DECORATING

Fall is here! This is one of my favorite times of year. I love all the colors of fall & the cool weather is an added bonus. Now is the perfect time to start thinking of how you want to decorate your home for your holiday guests. Here are some of my favorite ideas.





Greet your guests with a beautiful display of pumpkins. I love the idea of writing messages on pumpkins. And I love filling large urns with fall leaves, indian corn and topping with a large pumpkin.








Add some more interest to your table by using pumpkins & gourds in creative ways. Add some mums to mini pumpkins and place at each place setting. And, pumpkins & gourds make great place card holders. I always love using fugi mums since they last a long time & come in many great colors.






Candles are always a great way to add a festive touch to your decor. Use your glass votives and add colorful ribbons, raffia, or twigs for a new look. Hollow out pumpkins in many sizes and add candles for a quick display. And add fall leaves to vases & add a battery operated candle for a warm glow.



A great way to end your evening of entertaining is with a delicious apple crostata. A fun way to serve is in mini individual cast iron frying pans. I hope you enjoy and come in the shop soon for more great ideas!

EVELYN'S HOLIDAY EVENING OF DESIGN 2011

Thanks to everyone who attended our Holiday Evening of Design. We had so much fun! This season's program showed wonderful ways to entertain this Fall & Christmas.



We showed how easy it is to take the china you already have & add an accent plate and festive linens to make a beautiful table setting. Add pumpkins, gourds, fall leaves, and rustic ceramics to complete your look.




We also show ways to turn a common Christmas pattern into a more current table setting. By simply adding linens in lime green & red, a holly pattern looks fresh & modern.

Our centerpieces were made of "gifts" of peppermint candies.

And "gifts" made of peppermint carnations.

The centerpieces were completed with a modern take on bottle brush trees.

The night was enjoyed by everyone.




The evening ended with a presentation of $800.00 to the Barnwell County Museum.

RECIPES FROM OUR HOLIDAY EVENING OF DESIGN

We had so much fun at our recent Holiday Evening of Design benefiting the Barnwell County Museum. Many people asked us to post some of the recipes they loved.

MARINATED SHRIMP 2lb. peeled, large raw shrimp 1 1/2 C white vinegar 1 C vegetable oil 1/2 C sugar 1/4 C capers, undrained 1 1/2 tsp celery salt 1/2 to 1 tsp salt 1 md.size red onion, sliced & separated into rings 1. Bring 6 cups slated water to a boil; add shrimp, & cook 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Drain & rinse with cold water. Peel shrimp, leaving tails on. Devein, if desired. 2. Combine vinegar & next 5 ingredients in a shallow dis; add shrimp alternately with onion. Cover & chill 6 to 24 hours, turning often. Drain shrimp mixture, discarding liquid, before serving.

APPLE & MAPLE TARTLETS 2- 8oz. Cream Cheese softened 1/2 bottle Rothschild Farms Harvest Apple & Maple Sauce 1/4 C. sugar 50 to 60 phyllo pastry shells 1 can Apple Pie Filling 1. Mix softened cream cheese & apple & maple sauce together. Add 1/4 cup sugar. 2. Fill pastry shell with cream cheese mixture. 3. Place apple pie filling in food processor & puree. 4. Top each pastry with pie filling.

Hope you enjoy! Check back soon for all our pictures from our wonderful Holiday Evening of Design.

IN STYLE?

I often hear many people ask if their current decor is in style. I had a wise designer tell me that if you like it & it feels comfortable to you, then it is in style. We too often decorate our homes to please or impress others. I love going into a home that is purely eclectic & a little disheveled. I can see a person's personality in their collections & objects they proudly display. We try to do that same thing in our shop displays. I know "themes" are the thing in most shops, but I like to show how you can add any beautiful object into your home with ease. Choosing a color in different mediums & textures is a great way to update an existing decor. I always like to soften a room with beautiful florals & vibrant pillows. Small, independent shops like Evelyn's are the perfect place to find the most unique objects for your home. We search out great items that cannot be found at the big box stores. These will make your home look unique & not like your neighbor's home. And small shops will give you the individual service that is so hard to find in mass merchant stores. I always tell people to buy the best they can afford. Simply buying a lot of cheap product to fill your home will only give it a cheap look. You will be proud to have those special objects that show craftsmanship & great style. As summer begins to fade away, we will begin to transition the shop for fall. Now is the perfect time to infuse some style into your your home. And, we will always be glad to help you express your style in your home.