We’re tickled that The Scout Guide recently featured is in CUSTOM HOLIDAY DESIGN WITH STYLING THE NEW WEST. Are you ready for the holidays??

As the holiday season quickly approaches, I wanted to share an article written earlier this year by The Scout Guide. It tracks me through a day of holiday design…follow along for the fun.

My bacon, gouda and pimento egg bites will give Starbucks a run for da’ money. I’ve been in the test kitchen for several weeks now trying to find the perfect mix of ingredients that will satisfy a low-fat but tasty bite to add to my Easter table. These bites will deliver and be something you can easily make for the week giving you a blast of protein to start your day. The secret weapon…. you’ll die…. it is cottage cheese!!

A southern girl raised near Louisville, Kentucky, Jill found her way to Boulder, Colorado, for college, and then went on to call New York City home for almost five years. Working at 51st Street and 5th Avenue for a real estate firm in their marketing department by day and performing and writing music at the folk clubs in the West Village at night, she loved the city and everything it offered.

Spring always brings lots of inquiries of how I can help a real estate firm or client stage a home. Most homes are not ready to stage unless some time has been spent editing and deleting. So the “Tip for Spring” is to edit and delete.

If you are looking for that perfect sugar cookie recipe for your sweetheart, try this tasty one from Lady in the Wild West Bakery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It is the best cookie dipping recipe ever and she claims they don’t spread while baking making a thicker cookie and much easier to ice and sprinkle.

Who hasn’t had some type of love affair with these vintage Christmas ornaments from the 1930’s? Mr. Max Eckardt proudly produced these delicate creations in the USA reflecting a timeless era whereby the unadorned glass bulbs supplied by the Corning company to Eckardt’s factories were handmade, lacquered and then coated in silver nitrate glazing the pretties with their signature name ……one that was truly bright and shiny.

This Fall Tortilla Soup Recipe will not disappoint darling! While some of us are almost done with fall… some of you are right in the middle of it. This Fall Tortilla Soup will not disappoint darling, perfect for trick or treat night, fall get together or a tailgate that we did here. I have doctored this recipe up for years KNOWING it had deviated somewhere past the original recipe.

Planning a dinner party shouldn’t have you filled with angst so I penned “Easy Steps to Planning a Mountain Dinner Party” to HELP in this area. My job is to alleviate this angst and lay out details. So let’s talk deets…..So your top three easy steps are to Define a Theme, Think in Stations and Make-Ahead Main Courses.

Wyoming Whiskey Bars will give you a taste of the wild west! This twist on the Derby Pie Bars will leave your palette hungry for more!

A great styled living room begins with basics.

Hack # 1. One of the most basic rules in styling is the simple rule of three’s. This hack will train you to edit which is probably the hardest thing for clients to do. Let’s start with paint color and use the 60-30-10.

The reoccurring theme I hear from clients is that they aren’t sure of their personal style. Your home is the place that should feel like home not just a place to park. Top three to keep focused on when trying to narrow in on your style…. Number one…..make your design choices that give you the home you need and the one you want to have. Number two…..visualize how your family can best live out this lifestyle Number three…. what are your dream transformations and realistic budgets for this ? Get Real About i.e. Dogs. Skiing. Children. Entertaining. Traveling. That’s right darling list those passions, wants and needs of yours and your family’s….

Recently some of the IG Entrepreneurs I follow and exchange ideas with were enjoying some morning Avocado Toast, Coffee and pondering what actually motivates you past the green in your jeans. For me as a stylist, I was having a moment where I needed to dig down and get it straightened out of “ the what and the why” I do this crazy stuff called styling aka TBT “decorating.”

BBQ Chicken is probably the messiest chicken in town but it’s worth every scrape on the grill for this fingerlicken Labor Day recipe. Ask my husband Jason, who is the official taste tester of the recipes…he said “You’ll want to save up your calories for this picnic treat.”

Savory Easy Arugula Salad will tempt your palette in a simple yet fresh taste. Using fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, you will fall in love with our simple salad!

Building your board takes a little more time than just buying what's available at the grocery. Make sure you take time "selecting" your items making sure you have plenty for your guests. This will be the focal point of your cocktail party aka your meeting spot. Make it a tasty journey for everyone presenting new things for you and them to try. You might even sketch up a little roadmap for them to identify what cheese, salami or treat they are trying!

For our second series of Style Wednesday, I entitled it "Herbs, Ferns and Books" and Katherine of "Katherine's Kitchen" and myself baked up a fabulous library menu based on fresh herbs. All of our goodies were focused on what you would serve during "tea time" in the library. It was so much fun as we collaborated with @foxtailbooks a boutique library curator and @flowersbychloejh who gave us some fabulous ferns and herbs to style our table. The centerpiece of course was an assortment of books brought by Christy Smirl herself (foxtailbooks) and other lovely books from @twentytwohome. Our table was styled with Gluten Free/Sugar Free Berry Scones with a Almond Whipped Crème and Berry Liquor Compote, Black Pepper and Fennel Breadsticks, Lemon Rosemary Filled Cookies, Old-Fashioned Raspberry Jam Cake from Bonnie's (aka Granny) Southern Kitchen, Quiche Adorned with Herbs and these Mini Coconut Lime Tartletts with Whipped Mint Crème Fraiche. Voila! Tea Time!

This original cheese straw recipe will be something you'll want to file away when you need a quick gift or party favor for your next cocktail hour. It is totally a southern thing which is why I have it in my kitchen repertoire. They are tasty and crunchy and ADDICTIVE! While there are a million recipes out there, they can be a bit finicky if you've never made them before. Use this one for a fool-proof recipe for your recipe box.