January is a time of change - new year, new resolutions, a perfect time for a fresh start.

The holiday decorations are all packed up and put away, but before you mindlessly arrange your stuff the way it was before you shifted it to accommodate the season, think about ways to give your home a fresh start as well. Rethink furniture placement. Eliminate clutter. Organize your space so it works efficiently for you and it is comfortable and a pleasure to live in. Easier said than done? Totally!

Here is a new year's resolution challenge for you - don't keep something just because...use this opportunity to challenge the status quo. William Morris said, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.". This famous quote is a great measuring stick to use to determine what stays and what goes. Don't waste your money trying to buy things to go with a piece of furniture, paint color, or floor covering that you hate in the hope that they will somehow help you hate it less. Buy what gives you joy.

We had a client who called us in to rescue her master bedroom suite - she liked some things about it (much of her furniture, her custom bedding and window treatments, her collection of jadeware and artwork), hated others (the oppressiveness of the wall color, the rug, the uncomfortable loveseat).

We recommended some pillows and a rug in patterns that would pull together the golds and burgundies in her bedding and valances with the jade in her accessories, a lighter, but still warm, paint color, a pair of comfortable chairs and ottoman for a useable lounging spot by the fireplace, and simple re-arrangement of artwork and accessories. She was excited by our suggestions and delighted with the outcome!

New rug ...

Pillow and upholstery fabrics ...

Rearrangement of the artwork and accessories ... and voila! A fresh new space that is comfortable, functional, and distinctive with just a few key changes!

Look at your home with new eyes and decide what about it you need to change and what gives you joy!

We held our annual 'Nutcracker Sweets' Dessert Party this weekend to celebrate the end of the holiday season in style (and with a sugar coma!). Twenty-three nutcrackers collected over the years and arranged on and around a gold and cream paper mâché drum stood watch over a table laden ... and I mean that in the best possible way ... with 15 desserts representing at least 12 pounds of butter, 16 pounds of sugar, 8 pounds of confectioners sugar and untold amounts of cream, chocolate, and eggs ... a cardiologists nightmare, but what a way to go! Above is one tower of sweets including the BEST raspberry crumble bars (recipe from the FLOUR bakery cookbook), incredibly addictive Lemon Ricotta cookies which, miraculously, I was able to hide from my son long enough to get on the table, and these sinfully rich Sea Salt Caramel Brownies.

2016-01-02 19.22.39 — Raspberry crumble shortbread, lemon ricotta cookies, and our favorite caramel sea salt brownies in a tempting buffet table display

Our nutcracker collection marches among the cakes and confections on a holiday dessert buffet table

2016-01-02 19.21.52 — Scattered votive candles add elegance to the evening dessert event

Gingerbread cakes shaped like houses are dusted with sugar “snow”

2016-01-02 19.23.23 — Miniature toffee cheesecakes

Mini toffee cheesecakes - a perennial favorite topped with homemade caramel, whipped cream and a sprinkling of crunchy toffee bits

2016-01-02 19.23.15 — Raspberry and almond flavors are a match made in heaven!

Almond scented white cake with raspberry filling and topping, finished with almond flavored cream cheese frosting, another favorite that has become a permanent fixture on the party menu

2016-01-02 19.23.06 — Cinnamon, sugar, nad buttercream? It doesn’t get any better than that!

A new offering this year inspired by one of my favorite cookie flavors - Snickerdoodle Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream frosting. While I have never met a buttercream frosting I didn't like (I am personally lobbying for frosting to be included as one of the four major food groups), this one containing vanilla and cinnamon alongside 4 1/2 sticks of butter and 9 cups of sugar (?!) is incredible! I think this may make a return visit in the form of mini cupcakes next year...preserving the spectacular flavors in a less daunting package!

2016-01-02 19.22.59 — Gingerbread house cakelets

Adorable AND delicious gingerbread containing pieces of crystallized ginger and baked in mini gingerbread house molds. A sprinkling of non-melting powdered sugar (available from King Arthur Baking Co.) gives them a snow dusted look that doesn't absorb and disappear into the moist cakes as the evening wears on.

2016-01-02 19.22.53 — Lemon deliciousness

Another favorite recipe; lemon cake - not as dramatic as some of the showy cakes, but refreshing in its lemony moist deliciousness as the cake is infused with lemon-sugar syrup hot out of the oven

2016-01-02 19.22.48 — Chocolate mousse bites

For the casual chocoholic, we always offer our favorite chocolate mousse recipe in some manner - this year it appeared both in demitasse cups and in these Belgian chocolate shells topped with fresh whipped cream and chocolate filigree decorations ... the shells and filigree are available seasonally online through Gourmet Finales Dessert Emporium.

2016-01-02 19.22.32 — Chocolate coconut almond tart

The table would not be complete without this Chocolate Coconut Almond Tart which tastes exactly like a very grown up Almond Joy bar

2016-01-02 19.22.23 — Creme caramel flan

A relative newcomer (the last 4 or 5 years), Creme Caramel is now another favorite that we would be remiss to leave out. The smooth and creamy texture is a perfect contrast to the cakes and cookies...and, serendipitously, it is a great gluten-free option

A brand new recipe this year - A Tiramisu recipe from Mary Berry, one of the judges on the British reality TV show, The Great British Bake-off which we binge-watched during the baking week of party prep! Sadly, I broke the chocolate decoration trying to stand it on the cake, so alas it is flat instead...maybe next year we'll get the decoration right, but the taste was delicious

2016-01-02 19.22.11 — Banana cake…don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it…it is an oft requested favorite in our house!

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese frosting is an absolute must. My kids have requested this cake for birthdays for as long as I can remember and I have baked it many, many times over the years as cake, and as mini-cupcakes for a variety of occasions! The basketweave frosting application only appears once a year for this party, though!

2016-01-02 19.22.05 — Espresso-white chocolate macadamia nut bark? Yes please!

This Espresso White Chocolate Macadamia Bark candy pulled double duty this year in gift baskets as well as on the party table. It is such an unbeatable combination of salty and sweet

2016-01-02 19.21.57 — Classic German chocolate cake

German Chocolate Cake is another recent addition to the line-up and I keep trying out different frosting options ... this year a classic chocolate buttercream. Personally, I think a mocha buttercream would be the perfect combination, but I don't dare to mess with tradition yet where German Chocolate cake is concerned ... maybe next year I will be braver

2016-01-02 19.24.29 — Beverage bar includes our teacup collection and silver servers

Beverages arranged on the sideboard included Asti Spumanti, Sparkling Cider, and Ice Water...along with Tea and Decaf Coffee. My teacup collection works out beautifully for parties as everyone has a unique cup so there is no confusion as to who's beverage is who's. These 5 tier teacup stands are both pretty and practical both in the china cabinet and in use!

2016-01-02 19.24.34 — Chocolate dipped stirring spoons are always a hit

Chocolate dipped stirring spoons for those who need a bit of chocolate with their coffee ... easy to make and a festive addition displayed in a blue willow teapot

2016-01-02 19.23.43 — Some savory appetizers offer a brief intermezzo from all the sugary desserts!

For a respite from the sugar, we always offer a cheese and savory snack table. This included hot artichoke dip, mozzarella/tomato/basil Caprese skewers with a drizzle of balsamic creme, and a wonderful savory roasted red pepper cheesecake topped with apricot jam glaze and served with pita chips. We also discovered the wonders of Great Hill Blue Cheese (a hunk of locally made creamy deliciousness) served with a drizzle of honey from the hives of a friend in a neighboring town on table water crackers ...just yuuumm!

Feeding friends and family is a wonderful and rewarding way to start the new year

A look at a few behind-the-scenes moments ...

2015-12-26 12.46.05 — The beast…a must-have for the baking enthusiast!

The newest addition to the kitchen appliance line-up ... Xmas this year upgraded me from my 24 year old 4.5 qt Kitchen Aid to this 7qt pro model affectionately nicknamed "the beast"; suffice it to say it got a great workout in it's first week home!

German chocolate filling ready for duty and sea salt caramel brownies getting their sprinkling of sea salt flakes on the warm caramel drizzle

2016-01-01 17.02.09 — German chocolate cake filling

2015-12-21 17.05.22 — A pan of sea salt caramel brownies

2015-12-28 17.33.10 — gingerbread cakes cooling

2016-01-01 16.45.55 — Raspberry almond cake decoration in progress

Gingerbread cooling and a ring of frosting keeps the raspberry topping going on top of the cake while it is setting ... rosettes of frosting and fresh raspberries will be added as a finishing touch

The deliciousness that is espresso white chocolate macadamia bark. Messy but deceptively simple to make

2015-12-21 16.58.41 — great ingredients make for great candy!

2015-12-23 11.56.36 — White chocolate and espresso laced dark chocolate are marbled together and miked with toasted macadamia nuts for this heavenly homemade candy bark

Half sheet trays of raspberry bars cooling ... cutting them with a pizza wheel turned out to be a stroke of genius ... the cook's family gets to taste test the edges...just to make sure, you know, that they are good!

2015-12-19 16.47.27 — trays of raspberry shortbread bars

2015-12-19 16.45.11 — lemon ricotta cookies

Half sheets of lemon ricotta cookies all frosted and waiting to be packed in tins. There were quite a few that didn't make it to said tins as they are addictive and ... the cooks family ...'nuf said.

2016-01-01 16.59.56 — a crowded refrigerator holds completed desserts

I posted this on facebook with the caption "I think I need a bigger fridge". There were a number of offers from friends who claimed to have plenty of fridge space ... hmmmm.