Holiday Gifts

I'm on the hunt for holiday gifts. I think this year I may go gifts from the kitchen route. Here are a few ideas from Sunset. I LOVE the ribbons, tags, and labels on these jars. It's all in the packaging! Love! Love! Love! I can see a fun filled weekend of jarring!

It's Never Too Early To Shop...

for the Holidays! If you are in the 9th and 9th neighborhood stop by Hip and Humble this weekend. I'm sure there are lots and lots of fabulous gifts and decor to make your Holidays Merry and Bright! Enjoy!

Halloween - Part 1

Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday! I love everything about it: the candy, the weather, the fights, the ghouls, the stories, the scares. It's the kick-off holiday to the best season of the year and the best trio of holidays! It's a great time for the kiddos and for creating amazing memories with and for them. Oh, and of course I LOVE to dress up. This year, I'm making a costume called the Grey Lady, courtesy of Martha. Once I have it made I'll post a picture of it. I'm SO EXCITED for this costume. I hope it turns out.

In the meantime, I'm looking for some new decorations to add to my collection. Last year I changed out my Halloween decor to be all black and white. I loved the new look. I'm thinking about adding these to this year's collection.

This could hang right inside the front door.


Along with this...

Pioneer Day

Tomorrow is Utah's State holiday, Pioneer Day. Some call it the Days of '47, in reference to the arrival of the first pioneer settlers to the Salt Lake Valley. I will be off enjoying the day with family. It's kind of another 4th of July in our State and at our house. We will have friends and family over for dinner and fireworks afterward. Have a great holiday everyone! See you next week.

Fireworks Table Decor

You will be seeing a lot of red, white, and blue in the next few posts. Everything red, white, and blue just makes me smile. I think I will have to make these with W and J for the 4th of July.

Memorial Day

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend and here's to all our past and present heroes.
Happy Memorial Day!

NOTE: Image via flickr

Lucky Charms

St. Patrick's Day makes me happy. It's the holiday that reminds you that Spring is right around the corner. Here are few St. Patty's inspired items.


These will liven up your St. Patrick's Day get together.



I love corned beef and think it's great as a left-over, as in corned beef hash. Here is a recipe from one of my favorite sources. But if you won't want to make your own corned beef hash, visit our local Blue Plate (2041 South 2100 East). They make their own corned beef and was featured on the Food Network's, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.



I think I'll make this to bring to my in-laws St. Patrick's Day dinner. It's one of my favorite desserts to make and to eat. I know it's not green but yellow is close enough, right?
Note: The image above is not Ina's key lime pie. I couldn't find a picture of it : ( It's a picture of Martha's Lime-Pistachio Tart.



Did I mention that I love to wear dresses? Oh, I also love pokadots as well! I think this is on my list to purchase next.

Stubby Pencil Studio

I know it's a little too early for Easter (since we haven't even celebrated St. Patty's Day), but it's never too early to start looking. Visit Stubby Pencil Studios for Green Eco-Friendly Products for your kids Easter baskets. You can start with these great baskets.






Here are some great basket stuffers!
Crayon Rocks


Smencils - W and J love theirs!


How cute are these little critters for your little one's basket?!

Welcome to My Blog - Valentine's Day 2009

I confess, I'm a blogaholic and I finally decided to start a blog myself. I'm using this blog to share ideas, images, recipes, advice, new finds, anything that inspires me. It's also a scrapbook of sorts for myself. This will save the countless pieces of paper I tear out of magazines and ideas scribbled on multiple notepads and post-in notes that I have left around the house.

Bare with me (and I hope you stick it out) as I experiment with the layout of this blog. So here goes nothing. Welcome to Kate's Place!

Valentine's Day 2009
To start The Husband tore his ACL and MCL a couple of weeks ago. He had surgery on Monday, which left Valentine's dinner up in the air. I stumbled across a great idea when I went to Pinon Market and Cafe for lunch a few weeks back. They had a Valentine's Dinner for Two that you can pick-up and all you had to do was reheat. And it was packaged to perfection. What a fabulous idea! Well, the dinner didn't disappoint.

Here was the menu:
Tomato and Fennel Bisque
Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Roasted Beet Salad
Pan-Seared Salmon w/ White Bean Puree & Wilted Spinach
Buttered Vegetable Saute
Buttermilk Cloverleaf Rolls
Chocolate Whopper Cookies w/ Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

I enjoyed staying home and not fighting the crowds. I just might make this a traditional from now on.