60's Christmas Inspo - Grapefruit Gum Drops

So, here’s the thing. Kitty wanted a 1960’s themed Christmas Party (think Madmen meets Leave It to Beaver) with a house full of like 50 friends, martinis and old fashioneds splashing around, 60’s era appetizers and food being dipped into and falling on the floor, the record player raging and laughter ringing throughout the house…and Covid ruined it.

So, redirected. Six of our pod members were still down to meet and do a little themed thing along with white elephant and playing some board games.

Dirty Martinis were had, butterfly shrimp, puppy chow, meatballs and baked brie was had (among other delicious things. We did white elephant (with an actual ceramic white elephant somehow beating out the other gifts as the most sought after prize. Farkle was played and decaf coffee was drank and I asked everyone to leave at 9:45 pm (don’t worry they stayed until 10:30pm).

BUT. The gem of the show were the Grapefruit Gumdrops that had intimidated me for YEARS, and, like a lot of hard things I’ve tackled this quarantine, were something I wanted to complete and accomplish so that the scary candy making monsters weren’t lurking in the closet anymore.

Turns out, they are so easy and perfectly delicious. So, everyone make these whether you are going to eat them all or not. They are pretty, holiday spirit-y, and will make you feel like a badass in the kitchen whether you make them for yourself or give them away.

*Recipe from Better Home + Gardens/Dec 2017

Holiday Gift Guide - Part One

The holidays are upon us and who knew that we would still be in Pandemic mode and even more unsure of what the next year holds. While you are probably starting to put your Christmas lists and budgets together, sifting through names for Christmas Card lists and if you’ll be going home or not, the gift giving portion can be overwhelming.

While I waver between the idealistic simplicity of minimalism and the undoubted maximalist that I am (to be fair, I think I am smack dab in the middle) I can’t argue with anyone that I have many things and I do love a good piece. Servingware, vintage glasses, random antiques and nature I’ve collected and the thing is that no one can come at me because I have probably lent something completely random and obscure to half the people in Nashville at one time or the other.

But, I will say, the holidays can make people consumer crazy and I’m as guilty getting caught up in it as everyone else. Usually it’s a slow easing out of my tabs as I realize I just spent an hour googling a random item at 10:30 pm that in actuality I have no intention of buying and then taking some deep breaths and murmuring some words about being content with what I have.

So, here’s an idea for you. That beer bread from the second episode for Wild Wednesdays? It makes a great gift. Low number of ingredients, easy to mix and make, and is basically foolproof. Just combine all of the dry ingredients into a bag or cute containers ( can be all divided up), add in a can of beer and instructions, then package up (in a super cute stocking from Spark Vintage) and gift!

Great for someone who wants to get into baking but is intimidated, a group activity for kids, or a friend who wants the self care of being in the kitchen without the stress of a million things happening at once. It gets used, is practical and won’t take up shelf space.

Happy Holidays,

Kat

Giving Thanks - In Spirit

The holidays are going to be looking different this year, on so many accounts. Maybe this is the first time you’ve chosen not to go home due to Corona or keeping family safe, you have to work because we’re in a pandemic and money is tight, or things are just weird all around and staying home is the best option.

Here for you. Don’t forget to self-care, go outside and phone a friend or family member. Then make this cocktail and FT your bestie.

I’m lucky enough to have my parents visiting for a few days over Thanksgiving and while they arrive tomorrow I wanted to make sure my Thanksgiving cocktail was good to go, they’re great and awesome but you know, could think of better things I could be spending my time on than recipe testing cocktails ;)

So, cheers. Make this drink if you can or another if you must. Show me what you’re making on insta (@wildartifact). Dive deep into the thankfulness and maybe you didn’t get that trip to Spain you were planning, the wedding of your dreams got re-booked or ended up completely different and maybe now you’re shopping in a different jean size (who isn’t tho, amiright) so I encourage you to look to the small, mundane, ordinary, those stable parts of life that are constant and always there, in the most beautiful of ways.

For myself, a lot of cool, fun things didn’t happen, but instead of stressing out, I breathed out and let the space linger. I am thankful for my stunning, beautiful friends who show up all the damn time, the way the light filters through my bedroom curtains in the morning, the scent of the air that changes throughout the year. I am thankful for my cute little house (no matter the eye rolley things that happen to it), the beautiful but small gatherings I did get to do, the words and support whispered to me that enabled me to take the leap and start Wild Wednesdays and launch Wild Artifact into another direction. The work, the work, the work. Thankful for space to dive deeper than I ever have and start opening those rooms I’d welded shut, to heal and love and learn. Thankful for the summer nights I would be ridiculous and dress for dinner, dishes I would experiment with, then smoke a cigar and stay out and greet the stars as they appeared and get lost in silence and wonder. I got to play a lot this year, not vacation play or sports or the typical, but I got to experiment and have successes and then also not have things work out and that be ok. Thankful for the times I got to spend with my family, beautiful/stressful/full/loving/hard working times. Lying with my niece in the middle of a windy summer, Minnesota night, the stars so numerous our brains felt like exploding and our eyes hurting, trading secrets and talks and feeling more like adults than the boundary of elder. The friendships that have deepened with intentionality and authenticity. The books I’ve read and the three journals I’ve ferociously written in, the dreams that have come to me every night and the ones that have made it in the dream journals. Thankful for friends love stories unfolding before our eyes and those little bursts of humanity that stun and leave you shaken, in the best way. Those moments of courage and bravery where I felt like throwing up and stopping, because it all felt bigger than myself and what I could handle….and doing it anyway. The five little lemon trees that are thriving from those Gin + Tonics made on a sultry night in June.

And the thing is, I can keep going. But I’ll save that for what may inevitably be my fifth journal of 2020 and just say that I am also thankful for you. To anyone who reads this and has encouraged or supported me in any way. It can be hard to keep going when comparison and the world so daunting and full of people doing amazing things, but y’alls kind words give me life. So, thank you.