see jane run, go jane go

Happy Christmas to All...

 
And to all a good night!

 

Christmas Party Time --- Recipe for Grape Salad

Today's post is submitted by Amy DeCesare of Pennsylvania...

It's the most wonderful time of the year...friends, coworkers, and family members are gathering to share food, fellowship and Christmas traditions.

 

Friends of ours...actually just like family members to us...host an annual Christmas party at their home.  Hmmmm...I wondered what special food I could bring this time.  I decided to make one of my favorite new recipes I found this summer on the internet.  It's perfect for wintertime, too, with colorful grapes in a delicious sweet dressing.

So here's my recipe for Best Ever Grape Salad:

3 lbs. or so seedless grapes, red and/or green

8 oz. sour cream - I use "light"

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup coarsely crushed pecans

First take all the grapes off of the stems, rinse well, and drain on a paper towel.

 
 

In a really large bowl, blend the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.  Stir in sugar and vanilla, mixing well.

 

Fold the grapes into the "dressing" until coated.

 

Transfer to a serving dish or bowl.

 

Top with brown sugar and pecans.  Cover and chill for several hours, or overnight.

 

Now, you know I couldn't just take this thing to a party without glamming it up a bit.  I have the world's cutest Casserole Cover, shown here.  First put the cover down, and insert the casserole dish under the handle strap.

 

Pull the strap up, and place one loop over it.

 

Do the same on the other side.  Now you can put your hand into the carrying strap. 

 

My aunt Ellie taught me to make these casserole covers.  I think I'll carry a few in my Etsy shop, eamylove, after Christmas, so check back with me later, or let me know if you're interested.  I've done a few more, too...

 

Hope you will all have fun at your own holiday gatherings.  Be safe, and enjoy one another's company!

Winners of Key Fobs!

This had to be the world's easiest Giveaway, don't you think???

 

I promised 2 winners, and we only had 3 comments, so....I declare ALL 3 of you girls WINNERS!!!

Congratulations to Mary, Michelle, and Wendy!  Please send your shipping addresses to me via email at your earliest convenience, and I'll send your prizes right out!  Michelle, I hope yours will be ready for giving to your MIL in time for Christmas 2010!  You can email me at [email protected].  Please include any requests, if you have them, for colors or theme.  I have many that are not shown in the post or my Etsy shop, both holiday and year-round styles. 

{Now aren't you girls glad you commented?}

 

Come back soon for more HOLIDAY IDEAS!

 

 

Christmas Gifts - Part 3

Today's post is submitted by Amy DeCesare of Delmont, PA

COMMENTS FOR THIS POST ARE NOW CLOSED.

Welcome back for another GIFT IDEA for Christmas! 

On my last post, I gave a PREVIEW of today's topic, and I asked readers to leave a comment if they knew what was being shown in the last photo.  You guys are good!!!

 

It is, in fact, a KEY FOB!  Once you've used one, you'll want one for every season... 

They are not only pretty, but also very practical...

    You can recognize your own set of keys easily and find them in your purse readily.  You can put it around your wrist, freeing up your hands to hold {small} children or {big} grocery bags and packages.  You can put one on your luggage to make it easy to identify.  You can use one for all those little loyalty tags, and another for your keys.  And as Lisa suggested in the last post's comments... you could attach your jump drive to it.  {I'm seriously doing that!!!}

 

I made it myself, and I must admit I'm proud of my effort.  The HARDWARE makes it look like you could never make these yourself, but of course you can.  Where can you buy this type of hardware, you ask?  I found mine at an Etsy shop called everything ribbons.  When I bought my goodies, they included a free tutorial on how to make key fobs with fabric and webbing.

My own source was this fabulous tutorial from the sew.simply.creative blog.  I don't use any webbing, rather 2 strips of contrasting fabric, as in this tutorial.

I love using small pieces of fabrics in different combinations to create FABULOUS results!

 

They are especially sweet when they coordinate with other accessories and purses.

 

One of my {many, many} favorite fabric designers is Jennifer Paganelli.  Wouldn't these 2 fabrics make a CUTE key fob?

 
 
Guess where you can buy them...

That's right:  at Lanie Jane!

I'll be posting some of these key fobs on my own Etsy shop, eamylove over the next few days, so if you need any in a hurry, you can shop there.  {Convo me if you have any requests or questions, please...I've got a bunch of extras handy.}

 

If you leave a COMMENT on this post, telling me how you'd like to use a key fob, I'll choose 2 WINNERS, and I'll send each of them a KEY FOB of their own.  Hurry...comments will be closed on Sunday, Dec. 12th at midnight!