- See more at: http://blogtimenow.com/blogging/automatically-redirect-blogger-blog-another-blog-website/#sthash.p5VL3RkF.dpuf The Old Lucketts Store Blog: November 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

A Deconstructed Christmas Tree { the peacock tree }

Decorated Christmas trees are like people - no two are alike.  There are so many styles and looks, it really is all about what appeals to you.
 
While there's really no exact formula for decorating a tree, there are some general categories of elements / ornaments we use.  We thought it might be helpful to deconstruct an inspiration tree for you so you can see just how designer trees come together.
 

Here is a sample inspiration tree up close.  If you study the picture, you'll start to see layer upon layer of decorations that vary in size, color, and texture. 



Now let's deconstruct the tree into six major elements.  Remember, this isn't an exact science or formula; you can always add or subtract to get the look you prefer.  The intent is to give you an idea of categories of decorations to help you recreate a look that speaks to you.




***************REMINDERS***************

Lots of great events coming up in a few short days!!! { click hyperlinks below for more details }

Meet Mary Lou on Saturday

Meet Mary Lou, our resident expert in "garden style", all day Saturday, December 3rd outside in her pavilion at The Old Lucketts Store.

Mary Lou designs and makes wreaths for her space year round.  Her wreaths and garlands are simply magical at Christmastime.

Ever wonder...
...how a wreath is constructed?
...what's the best way to hang a wreath or garland?
...how to get your fresh wreath to last inside for the holidays?
...what's an easy formula for decorating a mantle?
...what greenery and wreath styles are popular this season?

Just ask Mary Lou!

She'll be braving the cold and sharing the love all day long.  Enter Mary Lou's hourly giveaways outside and you may just win one of her fabulous wreaths!!! 

You can view more pictures of Mary Lou's style in this blog post from earlier this year.



************JOIN US FOR FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS ON DECEMBER 2ND************

Don't forget that Friday, December 2nd, we're hosting Friday Night Lights.  We'll have a campfire starting at 5pm and both The Old Lucketts Store and The Design House will be lit up for the holidays and open late until 8pm. Come join us for great design, yummy s'mores, a toasty campfire, and great company.


Monday, November 28, 2011

Using this year's color trends in holiday decorating

Aside from traditional red, white, and green, there are so many other colorful options for holiday decorating.  In the December Design House, Suzanne & Amy took some cues from this year's home design and fashion trends to give you a few other ideas for using color at home this holiday season.

Here is a sneak peek of three of them.  You can enjoy the real deal starting Friday, December 2nd through Sunday December 4th at The Design House.  Enjoy!


The peacock was important this fall.  Instead of traditional holiday colors, think about mixing blues with chartreuse greens and adding in a dash of deep purple. Here is an inspiration piece...
{ Peacock Chair:  MADE }


...and here is how Suzanne & Amy interpreted the peacock color combo for the holidays!

  


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Silver accessories are expected to be a popular fashion trend this fall...

{ Feather Clutch: Franchi }



...and here is the perfect chair dipped in silver on The Design House front porch.




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Teal was hot on the runways at the Fall 2011 and Winter 2012 fashion shows... 


Teal Bibi Pump:  Christian Louboutin


...and here is that same color dressed up for the holidays at the December Design House!




So the moral of the story is, have fun with color for the holidays!
 You can easily incorporate current color trends in your holiday decorating, just like you would your wardrobe or home decor.


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If you missed Monday's post about "Friday Night Lights", please be sure to take a minute to read it.

This is a rare holiday event for us; The Design House and The Old Lucketts Store will be open late until 8pm this Friday, December 2nd.  We'll be showing off our holiday decorations and lighting.

The fire pit starts at 5pm.  Stop by and enjoy some marshmallows & s'mores with some great design and great company!



Join us for Friday Night Lights Dec. 2nd

No we're not talking football.  We're talking holiday lights, fabulous decor, a toasty fire pit, great food, and great company.

If you think The Old Lucketts Store and The Design House have an aura about them in daytime, you should see them at night!


On December 2nd, both buildings will be lit up at night with holiday lights.  This is an experience not to be missed.  We don't do this often!

The Design House and The Old Lucketts Store will be open late on Friday, December 2nd until 8pm.

We'll start the cozy fire pit at 5pm.  Come by and enjoy toasted marshmallows and s'mores with us.

Pizzeria MOTO and Carpe Donut will also be on the property serving their delicious food.


We hope to see you Friday, December 2nd, starting at 5pm for Friday Night Lights!


Friday, November 25, 2011

Shop Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26

Don't forget to shop small business Saturday at The Old Lucketts Store and The Design House this Saturday, November 26th.

Both shops will be open this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.





Who wants to deal with all this at the mall?

{ source }


When you can shop here...


...and look through all of this...


...and then go out with your girlfriends to a fabulous local restaurant like:

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We're social and we don't bite.  Find The Old Lucketts Store around the web here:

RSS Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Five ideas to add greenery to your holiday decor

We're loving Pinterest right now.   There is so much holiday inspiration out there, and we pinned a few of our favorites to our Christmas Love board.  Here are some ideas for adding greenery to your decor this holiday season, enjoy!


Check out the lovely hook used to hang this wreath on an old door.  What a great way to incorporate architectural salvage with live greenery for the holidays.

{ photo credit }

  Here is a lovely garland local interior designer Lauren Leiss of Pure Style Home  did for a feature last year in Better Homes and Gardens.
{ photo credit }

 We have these lovely preserved boxwood wreaths at the shop.   So elegant!
{ photo credit }

An idea for the ever-popular lighted branches.  Mix them with some real greenery for a touch of nature.
{ photo credit }

Here's a simple and elegant DIY from Martha Stewart for evergreen and boxwood bobeches.
{ photo credit }


Come join us on Pinterest if you haven't already.  Happy Pinning!



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There is a whole bunch planned for The Old Lucketts Store and The Design House over the next few weeks. 

In this post we give you our holiday hours, tell you about our "Lucketts at Night" event on December 2nd, and provide all the details for our next Design House event { including a book signing, two awesome food vendors, and wreath making event and giveaways at The Old Lucketts Store }.





Monday, November 21, 2011

This week's news and upcoming events

We expect lots of excitement around the shop over the next few weeks.  With so much going on, we wanted to give everyone a run down of what's been happening and what we have planned for the holidays.

Holiday hours for The Old Lucketts Store:
  • CLOSED Thanksgiving { to be with our families }
  • Friday, December 2nd, open 'til 8pm for "Friday Night Lights"
  • All other days are 10am to 5pm

Holiday hours for The Design House:
  • OPEN Thanksgiving weekend 10am to 5pm.  { we'll still be prepping the house for the December event, but wanted to give your out of town friends and family a chance to see the house too! }
  • OPEN Friday, December 2nd, 10am to 8pm
  • OPEN Saturday, December 3rd, 10am to 5pm
  • OPEN Sunday, December 4th, 10am to 5pm
  • The house is closed all other days

If you think the shop is beautiful during the day, you should see it at nighttime!  Join us for "Friday Night Lights" on Friday, December 2nd.  Both The Old Lucketts Store and The Design House will be open late until 8pm.  We'll enjoy the holiday lights with a warm campfire and some s'mores starting at 5pm.


Prep for the December Design House { 2nd, 3rd & 4th } has been well underway for months.  We'll be joined by two wonderful local businesses with the best food in town!



And we've planned a book signing at the event with the very talented Dinah Corley for her new book, Gourmet Gifts.  Stop by The Design House December 2nd, 3rd or 4th, and you just may well win a copy!  If you haven't read Dinah's guest post on our blog yet, pop over now and learn how to make her Pumpkin Chutney, perfect for the holidays. 

{ click here to get Dinah's Bacon and Cornmeal Spoonbread recipe }

On Saturday, December 3rd, our in house wreath expert, Mary Lou, will be out in her pavilion making wreaths, sharing decorating tips, and holding wreath giveaways for our customers.



A new shipment of ribbon arrived Thursday at the Design House.  These are the lovelies everyone was going gaga over at the Holiday Open House and they're perfect for decorating Christmas trees or for holiday decorating around the house.



A new load of furniture for the December Design House also arrived!  The pieces from the November event are moved out and we expect a multi-day push as Henry, Dillon, Eddie, and the rest of the crew work to move the new pieces into the Design House.



All this going on and Amy and Suzanne somehow found time to score some new great finds this past week on a buying trip!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Dinah's Sugar Pumpkin Chutney


Today we're very excited to be joined by Dinah of DinahsGourmetGifts.com. She is chef, blogger, and author who will be signing copies of her new book, Gourmet Gifts at our Design House event December 2nd, 3rd & 4th. 

We've had the pleasure of viewing her book, and let me tell you it's packed with great recipes and gift ideas.  The book also makes an excellent holiday gift, and yes the holidays are really just around the corner!

We asked Dinah to share a recipe we could make and take to our Thanksgiving dinner hostess.  Read on to find out how to make Dinah's Sugar Pumpkin Chutney!

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Thanks for the Invitation
A guest post by Dinah Corley, author of Gourmet Gifts

There are two distinct schools of hosting Thanksgiving dinners; highly orchestrated and totally improvisational.  Highly organized hosts oversee every detail, planning the menu, polishing the silver and arranging the place cards. Each course will strike a harmonious note. Between the bees’ wax candles, the carefully selected wines, and the dazzling conversation, you will feel as golden and pampered as the perfectly roasted bird.  These folks do not under any circumstances want you to show up with a gift intended for their menu or table setting.  Trust me.

On the other hand, totally improvisational gatherings give emphasis to family and friends, not the bill of fare.  The plate on your lap can have three different dressings and no sweet potatoes. You will be far too busy laughing, gossiping, watching football, or yelling at your kids to notice. Improvisational types do not under any circumstances want you to show up with a gift that requires a stove, refrigerator, or clean dish.  Trust me. 

The ideal gift in either case is a darling paper pumpkin surrounding a jar of exceptionally good chutney made from fresh sugar pumpkin.  The highly orchestrated can slather it on Friday’s turkey sandwiches as they put away their silver.  The improvisational will miraculously find a clean spoon before the turkey is carved and pass the jar around to garnish three different dressings.
Orchestrated or Improvisational, you are bound to have a great Thanksgiving, and your hosts are bound to be thankful for this lovely little gift.

Pumpkin Chutney
Overall prep time: 1½ hours
Active prep time: 35 minutes
-Easy-Inexpensive-Do not freeze-Ships well-Can be doubled or tripled
Shelf life: 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated
Makes: about 3 cups

Ingredients
-1 pound peeled and seeded sugar pumpkin, cut into 1-inch cubes
-1 cup granulated sugar
-⅔ cup light brown sugar
-1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
-1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
-⅓ cup golden raisins
-3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
-1 tablespoon grated orange zest
-1 piece (½ inch) peeled fresh ginger, cut into fine slivers

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large Dutch oven or a small stockpot and allow them to macerate for 30 minutes. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the chutney for 10 minutes.

2. Remove the cover and continue to cook the chutney for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin flesh is very soft and easily pierced with a fork and most of the liquid has cooked away. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Meanwhile, wash a glass jar or jars (this recipe makes enough to fill three 8-ounce jars) in hot soapy water and dry in a 190°F oven.

3. Spoon the warm chutney into the hot jar, let cool, and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble and deliver the gift.



Wrapping It Up

A pumpkin costume makes the chutney an entirely charming gift for any fall occasion. The supply list and directions that follow apply to an 8-ounce jar approximately 4 inches high and 3 inches wide. You can adjust the supplies and directions to accommodate just about any jar; simply make sure that the diameter of the orange paper circle is four times the height of the jar. For example, a jar that is 4 inches in height requires a circle of orange paper that is 16 inches in diameter.

Suggested supplies for each 4-inch jar-1 circle (16 inches) orange construction paper or lightweight poster paper
-2 sheets dark-orange tissue paper
-Double-face tape
-2 circles (3 inches each) brown construction paper
-3 paper or fabric autumn leaves
-1 length (10 to 12 inches) curly paper or paper raffia ribbon in green or brown

How to turn a jar into a pumpkinIf you can envision folding circles of paper to make snowflakes, the construction of this pumpkin cage will be easy. Fold the orange paper circle in half, then in half again. Unfold the circle and smooth it out on a work surface. Using the two intersecting crease lines as your guide, center the chutney jar on the paper circle and trace around the bottom of the jar. Remove the jar and refold the circle into quarters. Fold the quarter circle in half, and then in half again, so that you have folded the circle into 16 parts. (Remember, this is just like folding a paper snowflake.) Use small pointed craft scissors to round off the sharp corners of the folded circle’s outer edge. Unfold the paper circle and smooth it out once again on the work surface, revealing a large circular shape with 16 scallops around the circumference. Starting at the outside of the circle, use the pointed craft scissors to cut along each of the 16 creased lines all the way to the outside of the traced center circle. The big orange circle should now resemble a floppy daisy with 16 petals.

Center the chutney jar on 2 sheets of slightly crumpled tissue paper and gather the tissue loosely over the jar, not only to cover the jar but to give it a rounder shape. Apply a large “X” of double-face tape to the jar lid and press the tissue into the tape to keep it place over the jar. Apply another large “X” of double-face tape to one of the brown paper circles and center it, tape side down, over the top of the jar to neatly cover the orange tissue on the jar lid. Now apply double-face tape all around the perimeter of this brown paper circle. Center the tissue-wrapped, brown-circle-topped jar of chutney on the orange “daisy.” Bring each “petal,” one after the other, just over the rim of the jar lid and press it into the double-face–tape perimeter of the brown circle. Each consecutive petal should overlap about one-third of the previous petal. Proceed all the way around the jar in this fashion. When you are finished, you will have a jar of chutney surrounded by a paper pumpkin “cage.” Apply a couple of large “X”s of double-face tape to the remaining circle of brown construction paper, and apply this circle, tape side down, to the top of the pumpkin cage to further secure the pumpkin “petals” and cover the construction of your wrap. Use double-face tape or super-tacky craft glue to apply the autumn leaves and some curly-paper or raffia “vine” to the pumpkin for a finishing touch.


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Mmmm....Donuts!


{ the Carpe Donut truck }
We're super excited to feature two food truck vendors at our December Design House weekend event { December 2nd, 3rd & 4th }, Carpe Donut and Pizzeria MOTO. To learn a little more about these local businesses, read their profiles below.

As we mentioned earlier this week, Dinah Corley will be on hand at The Design House to sign copies of her new book, Gourmet Gifts.  Dinah marries more than 30 years of professional cooking experience with her impeccable taste to offer new recipes and packaging suggestions for her favorite edible gifts. 

Not exactly sure what one of our Design House events is all about?  Well you're in luck.  We have another blog post dedicated to just that subject { click here to learn more about The Design House }.



  ************* { Carpe Donut } ************* 

The term “organic donuts” may sound oxymoronic, but Charlottesville’s Matt Rohdie and Jen Downey, husband-and-wife proprietors of Carpe Donut, have reinvigorated the homely holed hunk of fried dough. They’ve been selling their sweet morning treat out of a cherry-red cart, with its black highlights and hand-painted sign, for more than three years.

{ Carpe Donut's Matt Rohdie }

{ Ingredients to be proud of }


{ Carpe Donut "wedding cake" photo courtesy of Terra Dawn Photography }


  ************* { Pizzeria MOTO } *************

Owners Jay & Coleen Clement take inspiration from Naples & the pizzerias of New York City in the early 1900’s, and cook their pies in a high temperature wood fired oven. The culmination of all of this work brings forth, a “New American” style, Jay & Coleen are proud to bring us with Pizzeria MOTO.

{ owners Jay & Coleen }
{ mmmmm, pizza! }

{ Pizzeria MOTO's fresh ingredients }

Mmmm, hungry yet?  I see a little theme developing here for the December Design House...