Calling all Choco-holics: BHG has a mouth-watering gallery up right now called “18 Luscious Chocolate Cookie Recipes“…need I say more?!

Image #1: Chocolate PB Mini Sandwiches, Peanut Butter Munchies, Minty Cocoa Fudge Sandwich Cookies, Italian Chocolate-Spice Cookies.

Image #2: *Chocolate Pillows and Chocolaty Caramel Thumbprints.

*I’m thinking that anything called “Chocolate Pillows” is a must-try… especially when followed by: “Fill wonton wrappers with a buttery mixture of red wine, melted chocolate, and tart cherries; vanilla ice cream sprinkled with chocolate shavings completes the treat.” Click here for the complete recipe!

This fabulous Holly Heights collection from Kate Spade has a festive “modern & merry” vibe. Kate’s pieces are usually a little out of my price range, but these adorable “Tidbit Plates” are awfully tempting! ($50/set of 4 at Macy’s)

Pictured above: Holly Heights Ornament Set ($75), Holly Heights Mugs ($75/set of 4), and Holly Heights Cake Plate ($100) - all from katespade.com

Well, today is December 1st and the holiday season is officially in full swing! Since a lot of you are on the lookout for fun holiday party ideas, we’ve teamed up with the fabulous VIVA® Diva Cafe to create the ultimate inspiration-based holiday entertaining contest!

We’re looking for images of YOUR most stylish WINTER HOLIDAY ideas - from cool centerpieces, decorations, and DIY projects to inspiration boards featuring creative holiday themes & ideas.

What’s in it for you besides the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from helping a fellow hostess out? How about a great big SHOPPING SPREE at Crate & Barrel to the tune of $1,250 or $500, in addition to stylish entertaining essentials and more great prizes!

Intrigued yet? Hope so! Click here for complete contest details and info on how to enter (it’s easy!!).

Contest starts today and ends at 11:50pm EST on Dec 16th. Voting will happen here at HWTM Dec 17-19th, and the winner will be announced Dec 23rd! Have questions? Post them here!

Even though the new New Year’s Eve themes went up today, that doesn’t mean we forgot about Christmas! Here’s a sneak peek at 2 of the new themes coming to the Christmas/Holiday Party Themes section later this week…

Pictured {above} Paper + Ribbon Holiday and {below} Christmas Candy. Both of these themes focus on decorating ideas that won’t break the bank, but are still big on style!

{Check back Wednesday for full details.}

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I had my fair share of turkey & pumpkin pie, but another holiday was actually top of mind over here… New Year’s Eve party themes are now up on the website!

Pictured above and below: sneak peeks of the new Candlelight Countdown and Copper & Aqua Glow party themes, complete with coordinating Blue Champagne, of course!. Check everything out here.

Feel a Thanksgiving-day sweet tooth coming on? These fall-friendly treats would make for a very happy ending to any turkey-day meal…

Pictured above:
• Spiced Pumpkin Layer Cake (at top)
• Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Icing
• Spiced Pumpkin Mousse Trifle
• Walnut Tartlets (YUM!)

Enjoy!

I was really excited when Carrie and Danielle asked me to submit a question for their inspirational “Daily Q&A“, where they pose all sorts of interesting questions each day and encourage readers to answer.

My question is: Who in your own life would you give the title of “Hostess With the Mostess”? - and it’s up today! Head over Carrie and Danielle to participate in the conversation and give YOUR favorite “Hostess with the Mostess” some well-deserved props!

If you’re looking for an easy & affordable way to dress up the Thanksgiving table in a pinch - just head to the scrapbooking aisle of your favorite craft store! The best thing about this concept is that you can tailor the look of the table to whatever your favorite paper pattern might be…

• This “Funky Thanksgiving” table features a fun retro-mod paper pattern and bright chipboard leaf silhouettes from American Crafts™.

• Opaque orange vase gems and heirloom tomatoes were combined with the paper-wrapped vases for a quick & easy table centerpiece.

• The “runner” was simply a strip of of wide satin ribbon, embellished with tea lights and chipboard leaves.

• Orange paper dinner napkins were folded and accented with a band of patterned ribbon and more of the chipboard leaves.

Ta da! Definitely not rocket science - but not expensive or time-consuming either, which is a definite bonus!  I don’t have pictures of the entire “finished” table, but even with these types of inexpensive elements, the table looks great when all the places are set, so don’t be afraid to rely on “quick fixes” that will be courteous of your time and won’t break the bank!

Will there be pint-sized guests at your turkey day table? Big holiday meals like Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas Eve dinner often take up a lot of time, and little ones can get antsy sitting at the table for so long. Luckily, kids party planning expert Lisa Kothari has shared some fun, easy tips with us on how to keep kids entertained during special holiday meals. Head over to Entertaining 101 to check it out!

And if you’re looking for some Thanksgiving craft projects to keep kids busy, Parents.com has some fabulous ideas:

Pictured above {clockwise from upper left}: Friendly Fowl, Yarn Turkey Centerpiece, Napkin Buddy, and Turkey Sign.

Pictured above {clockwise from upper left}: Painted Rock Placecards, Plymouth Rocks, Teepees & Houses, and Give Thanks Banner.

I’m loving these super colorful and unique fall centerpiece ideas from BHG.com… perfect for a modern thanksgiving table.

Pictured above:

• Bountiful Basket: several colorful dried fruits and veggies displayed in a linen-lined basket

• Zen Gourds: large red mums and golden gourds displayed in modern rows on a sleek square tray

• Sunflower Runner: various sizes of red and yellow sunflower blooms really stand out on square white appetizer trays, like this set from Crate & Barrel. ($22.95/set of 12)

• Flowers & Fruit: large red mums & orange kumquats spill out from a pedestaled urn.  (For a very modern take on this concept, I like the idea of painting the urn a glossy white before creating the arrangement.)