Every December, my twin sister, mom and I gather around the kitchen counter to create delicious edible Christmas crafts, most notably, Apple Santas, lovingly featured on The Estate of Things last December. Now in my own home, I do what I can to revisit these traditions with more modern materials and new ideas in order [...]
This past year, my sister was married and I found myself happily at her side creating original decorations for every nuptial event. Remembering a simple grade school project, where a dot of ink grew into wonderful, delicate twisting branches, I developed the custom photo tree. This unique gift was the perfect way to capture my [...]
This year, I hosted my very first Thanksgiving! Great company and recipes from friends and family new and old. I thrive on hectic – so this is my kind of holiday.
Now, with the big day gone and a refrigerator full of leftovers, comes creativity. For me, this means Leftovers Empanadas. The idea struck me [...]
In response to, LA Foodie, Drew’s dilemma, “how does a city-dweller forage?,” TLC got together to come up with some city wreaths. When nature is not at your door, there’s always food. Here are three ideas to help you stay festive in Tinsel Town.
Forage your kitchen cupboards for coffee beans, pepper corns, star anise, cinnamon [...]
Here’s an email I received from my good friend, Nails. Not only is she beautiful, she also delivers one gem of an imagination booster – sidewalk chalk wonderlands. She connects with her daughter using this skill and they’ve come up with some fantastic worlds of imagination.
Reading her note, I can’t help but be reminded of [...]
My creative ambition is from both my parents. But, my unparalleled love for the holidays is from my mother, specifically. For her, the holiday season started with the first fall breeze and continued well into the new year.
Please welcome TLC’s newest contributer and my ridiculously well-spoken mommy, Cindy Hubbard. If this doesn’t get you [...]
When I was little, I absolutely detested family photos. And, whenever I sensed the corralling of family members for a portrait, I’d take off. At my grandma’s house, this meant hiding in the depths of the dress up closet. Nestled between party dresses and satin heels, I’d sit quietly until the photo was over. And [...]
A friend of The Lead Chandelier, The Estate of Things, is planning a trip to New York. (In her honor, I’m writing this post with one of The Good Knight’s “Bronx” cocktails in hand – fantastic.)
New York is amazing in the Fall and her post has me revisiting one particular experience. Aside from an atmosphere [...]
During one very important Kindergarten art class, my teacher placed three items in front of me – a piece of paper, a tub of ink and a drinking straw. What grew from these seemingly insignificant objects was amazing. With no more than a dime-sized dab of ink near the bottom of the page and a [...]
If you grew up in the 80s, you’ve sat, poised in front of your oven, witnessing in amazement, the mystery of ShrinkyDinks. I did. I still do. Though I’ve graduated from coloring in pre-printed Shrinky Dink paper emblazoned with Disney characters, I’m still completely hooked. In fact, I spent an entire semester of college studying [...]
