All That Glitters

Oh boy.  I like tequila.  There it is.  I'm waiting for my dear hubby to get back from a hunting trip and I'm drinking tequila while I'm finishing up my Dare-to-do-it-Yourself challenge for the week.  This week it's entertain.

And I'm watching Hitched for the Holidays on Hallmark.  Left on my own, I love Hallmark Christmas movies.  Especially when the tequila is out.  And really, I'm a girl of the 90s, if you put Joey Lawrence in a movie, I'm pretty happy.

Just for the record, I would usually schedule tonight's post to go up in the morning.  However, talk of tequila first thing in the morning implies that I might have a problem.  I don't.  In the morning I will be at work.  Working.

So, before we get to the challenge.  Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving was fantastic this year.  We went to my husband's family on Thursday and enjoyed tons of delicious food.  My pie and sweet potatoes were a total hit.  My husband headed off on his hunting trip Thursday night when we got back.  Friday morning I headed out to my parents house.  My sister and I made all the desserts -- pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and fresh apple cake.  The apple cake is my favorite.  Holy cow, it's so good.  I also processed my pumpkins that I had decorated with.  Well two of the big ones anyway.  I ended up with eight 24 ounce containers of pumpkin.  I can't wait to bake pumpkin stuff with fresh pumpkin.  It's so much better!

Okay, challenge time.  Remember to go check out the sweet party hostesses, Chelsea, Kim, Michelle, and Rachel.

This week is Entertain.  So, when we entertain we never have an actual sit down dinner party.  We usually do the meat (smoked or BBQ'd) and a couple of sides and desserts.  Then all our friends bring sides and drinks.  So, we usually end up with food and beverages covering every surface in the kitchen.  So, the table never really gets decorated.  I'm using my own little twist on the Entertain.  The girls usually end up congregating in the living room with our plates of food and drinks so I'm more likely to decorate the coffee table than our dining table.

What did I use?  I got three votive holders for $1 a piece at Walmart.  I used some painters tape, glue, and a mix of gold and silver glitter to add some fun sparkly accents..  I got a long picture frame for like $4, took the glass out and painted the back side with glue and coated it with glitter.  The glass went back in the frame and the candles sit on top creating a faux tray.  I couldn't find a tray that I liked and the frame was the perfect color and size so I went with it.

What's that drink setting on the table (the one you can't see, it's there, I promise)?  Oh, that's my tequila.  I realized I love mixing it with Cranberry Sierra Mist.  It's so delicious.  But, when I went to Walmart tonight on my way home, there was no Cranberry Sierra Mist so the drink du jour is cranberry juice, 7Up, and tequila.  It works.  Not quite as good.  For a real party, I would search down the Cranberry Sierra Mist.  It has such a nice festive look.  And I would probably put a slice of lime on the glass but since it's just me tonight I didn't go too fancy.

How do you entertain for the holidays?  Do you host a big sit down dinner for your friends or family?  Or are you more casual like we are and just rock the buffet?