This post has ideas that will help you include turquoise in your home color palette. Use them as accent colors or pair them with a range of different colors to amazing effect. Depending on how you use it, turquoise decor can be bold, whimsical, dreamy, or lively. Some good colors combinations are White, Yellow, Pink, Green and even Orange and Coral red.
11 Room design ideas in Turquoise Blue!
This post has ideas that will help you include turquoise in your home color palette. Use them as accent colors or pair them with a range of different colors to amazing effect. Depending on how you use it, turquoise decor can be bold, whimsical, dreamy, or lively. Some good colors combinations are White, Yellow, Pink, Green and even Orange and Coral red.
The First of My Seed Catalogues Have Arrived
We left on December 4 for our winter vacation, spending a couple of days in chilly Wisconsin before heading to our vacation home in the warm and sunny south. We returned home in the late evening hours on December 22. It was a wonderful break and while we could have stayed longer I wanted to be home to spend Christmas with the kids and grandkids.
There wasn't a lot to do in the garden at the
Happy 2012!

Here is the recipe for a celebratory cocktail "Ice Wine Martini". In case you are not familiar, ice wine is from grapes harvested after a hard frost, picked frozen, they are a heavy concentration of sweetness.
Ice Wine Martini
10 seedless green grapes, plus 2 halved grapes for garnish
2 ounces of Ice Wine (I like Inniskillin)
2 ounces vodka, preferably Ciroc
Ice
In a blender puree the 10 grapes with ice wine and vodka. Pour the puree through a strainer, into an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain agin into a large chilled martini glass, garnish with the grape halves. "Heavenly!"
And the last order of business is announcing the winner of the "World of Department Stores" book, the immensely talented Pamela Terry of 'The House of Edward' blog. Pamela is a magical wordsmith, her stories, life and inspiration is a favorite. Enjoy Pamela!
May all of yours come true............
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for visiting 5th and State blog. Your support and comments mean the world to me........
Much love
Debra
Merry Christmas from the Herb Gardener
Well, after most of the planning, shopping, worrying, cleaning and baking are out of the way (we probably all have wrapping left to do), Christmas is nigh -- as they used to say. As hectic and demanding as the holidays are, I still love them. Sometimes I love them more in hindsight, it's true. Luckily for me, after the hoopla dies down, memories of a handful of delightful, touching and
THE WORLD OF DEPARTMENT STORES, review and giveaway
Lavishly illustrated with photographs and ephemera from all over the world 'The World of Department Stores' by Vendome Press, offers a fascinating history of these centers of shopping and regional culture.
The department store quickly spread through Europe and Asia, then the New World by the great architects of the time
from Design Chic
Let's explore these temples of consumerism, where dreams were fulfilled
Remember this chain from New York, now defunct, it was an elegant favorite of mine.
Personally entranced by the large collection of perfumes, one could find Armani, Prada, Gucci........all under one roof, plus the clothes, shoes, handbags.........ahhhh
The most renown being Harrod's of London
And Galleries Lafayette in Paris

The lavish Marshall Fields in Chicago, at Christmas were lunch around the "great" tree in the famed Walnut room was a family ritual.
Regional favorites are Macy's in New York
Wanamakers of Philadelphia
Our Chicago institution was revered and tradition centered for numerous families. We used to meet my dear grandmother Minnie (love that name) under the clock. When it became Macy's, the uproar was tremendous. Many refuse to shop there to this day
To win a copy of this beautiful book, simply leave a comment
Merry Christmas!
with love
Debra
The Best Hot Rum Toddy Recipe Ever
If you like rum and only try one new recipe for the holidays, make it this one. This little beauty will make you tolerant of discarded wrapping paper all over the house, glasses off their coasters and uncovered goodies littering the shelves of the refrigerator. Let me put it like this: A rum toddy or two can be positively medicinal during the holidays -- in the nicest possible way -- I
12 More Creative Gift-wrap Ideas for Christmas
I hope these ideas help you with making wrapping gifts a fun and creative craft. Use these ideas as inspirations and looks into your craft stash to find your unique creative expression. Have fun and enjoy all aspects of this holiday. Merry Christmas everyone!!