From Oak-y to "Okey-Dokey" - A Fresh Kitchen Update

My first impression of my client Emily's house was that, in it's day, it was really something special. It seems no expense was spared and  custom woodwork was everywhere. But alas - there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. And what might have been a splurge in the 70's, can look like overkill today. So my recommendation was to scale back some of the wood - eliminating the chair rail molding & painting some of the rest.  The kitchen was a perfect opportunity to update on a budget while breaking up some of the wood. 

A Delicious Salad Dressing Recipe

Meet the darling Elaine. She & her husband have their own catering business. {Sounds fun on paper, doesn't it?} Elaine is also related to one of my best friends, so it's been my treat to enjoy her delicious cooking at some family gatherings. Elaine describes her dressing this way, "Although it is a sweeter dressing it has some undertones of celery & paprika. And because of the honey it's creamy." When I tasted this salad dressing, I just had to have the recipe - AND I thought you might like it too. Thank you Elaine for sharing it with us!

Beardshall's Home-made Salad Dressing

• 2/3 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. red wine vinegar
• 1/3 c. honey
• 1 T. chopped onion
• 1 t. dry mustard
• 1 t. celery seed
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t paprika
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 c. oil 

Combine all ingredients except oil in a blender.  Slowly add oil while machine is running.  It stores refrigerated for several weeks.

Best of the Blog 2014

2014 was a good year here at Honey I'm Home. In case you missed them, here are a few of the most popular posts {just click on the title to go to the original post} . . .

1 - Thinking Outside the Box - Great Things to Do With Wrapping Paper

3 Neighbor Gifts I Love

I worked in a retail store this Christmas {merchandising/display at Pottery Barn} & as a result -  November & December are pretty much a blur! So if you've noticed fewer posts, please bear with me. I do have some good projects in store for you soon.

In the meantime, here are three neighbor gifts that I thought were awesome ideas. I'm sharing them in case you want to "Pin" them for inspiration next year.

My Favorite Birthday Gift This Year

I just love creative gift ideas - don't you? My friend really knocked my socks off this year when she gave me this beautiful gift . . . 

Sara Jane's Contemporary Christmas Style

I've blogged about my Christmas decor here & here before - no big changes this year! So I thought you might like to see {my contributor & BFF} Sara Jane's modern decorations. She's home, so come on in!

How to Make Your Own Photo Christmas Card

I do love a lot of the designs of the photo Christmas cards that you can buy from companies like Tiny Prints, but sometimes I can't find the perfect wording that I'm looking for. For a while now I've been creating our own cards. It's easy! I'll show you how. Here's this years card & how I made it.

A Christmas Table Tour {Our Church Christmas Party}

For our church Christmas dinner party this year, each table was assigned to a different "hostess". She brought her own dishes & centerpiece from home & each table was decorated in her unique style. It was lots of fun, plus the food was delicious! {More about that in a minute.}

Here's a "Tour of Tables" just for you. I'm starting with one of my favorites. It was the only table with blue & it kind of reminded me of Frozen. The battery lights in the tree were the icing on the cake.

Our Thanksgiving Table & a Yummy Apple Spice Cake Recipe

We are crazy about thanksgiving at the Lunt home. It's such a simple holiday all about gratitude, family, & good food. What's not to love?! Our table is set & ready to go. I like to do it a few days prior to save time on the day of.

photo by Christian Lunt

Book Club Fun - Elementary My Dear Readers

One of my favorites things in life is book club. We read some great books & we always have a wonderful time. This month's book was The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. If you're a Sherlock fan, you're going to like this book. {Plus the content is very clean - which I always appreciate.}