Burford Designs

For Delicate Male Sensibilities

Here at our Ugly Christmas Sweater headquarters, the staff (consisting of Mommy and me) got into making some really over-the-top sweaters and simply could not leave off making ones for men, specifically men who enjoy more juvenile, 13-year-old boy humor. We, however, enjoyed making them just as much as any of the others.

The first two sweaters are inspired by the Duck Dynasty guys. The first sweater came about because we had a bunch of vintage faux fur laying around and four snowmen sitting on the table just begging to be made into the Robertson’s likenesses.

(The Beards Are Snowmen – my image)

The second one is decorated front and back and actually has a musical farting mooning Santa. (I know, I know.) These characters are handmade by Mommy using soft sculpture methods (something she used to do in the eighties!).

(Hairy Christmas – my image) 

An additional sweater with a mooning Santa (or elf) on it also has an older weight lifting stuffie and an angry talking golfer. (He has three phrases.)

A quick aside - I just asked Mommy if she remembered what the phrases were and she said, “I don’t know, I think it’s something like ‘hit my ass’ and ‘make me feel good.’” If I didn’t know better, I would think that she’s been reading too many romance novels, of the 50 Shades variety. Even thought she has never read it, yet.

(It’s a Man’s World – my image)

Seriously, I can’t believe the amount of empty booze bottles (even if they are miniatures) we have used… and none of us drink!

(Go Elf Yourself – my image)

Another aside – while reading this post to Mommy she asked what sweaters I was writing about and I mentioned the title for the sweater above “Go Elf Yourself” and Mommy gave me a scrunched up face look to which I replied, “whoa, you just said that the golfer phrases were ‘hit my ass’ and ‘make me feel good’ and you don’t like ‘Go Elf Yourself?’”

Too funny!

This final sweater, for today’s post, came about because of all of the dog shaming/ dog confessions we’ve seen on social media sites like Facebook… so we couldn’t resist.

(Dog Shame – my image) 

Of course, if you would like to see any of our other eBay offerings you can click the following link, search by username “libbynell” or click on one of the other links in this post and search “see other items.”

‘Tis the Season for Ugly Christmas Sweaters

Seriously, the house looks like Christmas exploded all over it. Even though the floors get swept and or vacuumed every night there is still tinsel everywhere and somehow Chewie and Spanky always seem to find that one stray piece of the teeniest tiniest bit of it. But that is not my reason for writing today.

Today it’s all about why the house looks like that… Ugly Christmas Sweaters!

Boy did Mommy and I have fun creating these this year. I wasn’t sure we would top the creativity of last year but I’m so pleased (actually down right giddy) with what we’ve created this year. There have been several sweaters that, once created, one of us (or the other) have stated “I don’t know if I want to sell it, I really like this one!”

This is just a smattering of some of our eBay listings.

(Deck the Halls – my image)

This sweater is from the Eighties with a vintage cloth storybook page... the colors matched so well.

(An American Original – my image)

This is one sweater that Mommy really wants to keep.  Somehow the photos just don't do it justice.  It is body hugging yet slimming and oh so cute in person.

(Grandma Got Run Over – my image) 

A little insider's secret... Rudolph was made out of an unfinished sock monkey!  I wasn't sure what I wanted to name this sweater, so many ideas, then I thought that "this must be how grandma got run over."

Of course, if you want to see more you can check us out on eBay – username Libbynell. 

Also, thanks for passing this along and sharing with anyone you know who may be in the market for an Ugly Christmas Sweater.

And as a post script – some people have been asking (and others didn’t need to ask) the live model for our pics is none other than Mommy herself. We love to joke that she’s not your typical 63-year-old grandma! You’ll know why if you take a look at our listings or wait for one of my follow-up posts.

Impressive Thanksgiving Desserts

This was originally posted in November 2009.  Since it's that time of year again I thought I'd bring it back for another go.

While not all of these will necessarily be super impressive desserts they really don’t need to be as long as they are yummy.  In addition to, or instead of, traditional fares such as pumpkin pie and apple pie here are some other holiday inspired desserts.

 

First up is Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

(photo courtesy of Food Network)

I love multi layered desserts and have found trifles to be simply beautiful.  This one is S-I-M-P-L-E!  If you can follow directions on a box and make things like packaged pudding, then you can easily whip up this tasty little treat.

 

Another play on a layered trifle dessert is Country Living’s Pumpkin Mousse.  There is a bit more measuring and mixing in this recipe but you are making the mousse from scratch.  Of course to cut down on time and energy you could always use whipped topping, however, if I am going to the trouble of making all of this from scratch, then I would probably make the whipped cream myself because most things don’t taste as good as homemade.

(photo courtesy of Country Living)

I am smitten with Smitten Kitchen.  Other than the clever name, they have fabulous recipes and amazing photos of the dishes along with some of the step by step pics along the way.  From that site I wanted to share this delectable Cranberry, Caramel and Almond Tart.

(photo courtesy of Smitten Kitchen)

While reading the comments I noticed that several people had trouble with the crust of the tart.  One commenter suggested using páte brisée (that I wrote about the other day when I linked the various desserts from the Martha Stewart special).  As I wrote there, páte brisée is my go to recipe, it is what I used for the fruit tartlets I made for Hannah's Tea Party.

What Do Jay Leno and Craig Ferguson Have To Do With Ugly Christmas Sweaters?

Is it Leno worthy?  It’s something you might see on a typical Monday night during Headlines on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

 

It’s definitely Craig Ferguson worthy… he and Geoff Peterson would get a tremendous kick out of it on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson... because it’s puerile.  And that makes it perfect fodder for both Craig and Geoff Peterson because they both love things that are childish and seem naughty and in poor taste.  At least it would give Craig something to torment Beth with throughout the show (or a few shows since dragging it out makes things funnier… right?).

 

What is this ubiquitous IT I am referring to?

 

Well, I’ll tell you… it’s a close up photo of one of the ugly Christmas sweaters Mommy posted to sell on eBay.  While scrolling through the photos posted (most of these pictures were taken by Daddy), I noticed one that make me do a double take.  As I looked at the photo I couldn’t help but notice an, let’s say, unusual shadow being cast upon the sweater. 

 

I think it would more than likely get an “oh-la-la” and a censor blip or pixilation if it were to be shown on the tellie, especially if you didn’t know that it was simply a shadow of Daddy’s finger... at least I hope that’s all it was!  LOL! 

 

Although the picture of that sweater would make for great late night television… but anyone who watches The Late Late Show would know that Geoff Peterson would prefer either the Manly Man sweater or the Trio sweater because they have balls oops, I mean BELLS!

 

There are still a couple of days left to grab one of these lovely ugly Christmas sweaters for your very own or maybe as a Christmas gift.  GP looks pretty cold in that studio sometimes…

Ugly Christmas Sweaters For Sale

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here... well, that's if Christmas was all about horribly terrific, gaudy and ugly Christmas sweaters and vests... and around here that's exactly what we mean.

(Ugly Christmas Sweater - my image)

Mommy has finally decided to part with some of her collection of vintage and not-so-vintage Christmas and winter scene sweaters...  some are decked out and hand-decorated a bit more to make them even more over-the-top... and trust me, that is possible.

(Musical Ugly Christmas Sweater - my image)

I've included some links to the auctions and a few photos so you can see what I'm talking about.  If you want to see more picures for yourself and possibly buy one, just follow one of the links or look up eBay seller: libbynell. 

Fun little bit of trivia - there are two listings that have snow in the background of some of pictures and they were taken last week and the other photos (no snow) were taken this morning.

Look...  it's got big brass bells!

(Manly Man's Ugly Christmas Sweater - my image)

Feel free to share with anyone who may need or want one for there very own this holiday season.  Thanks a million!!  I'm sure Mommy will appreciate it as well!

Learn To Teach Your Own Online Class with Crissy Herron

There has been so much going on these past couple of weeks (since work ended) and in the past few months that I have been neglecting keeping in touch with you.  I am going to try to do better, I promise. 

Things are changing and I have been having to look long and hard at myself and what I want to do.  One of the things I have on my dream to-do list is to teach classes, especially online classes and workshops, so I was super excited to see that Crissy Herron, from Indie Biz Chicks, teaches a workshop on How to Teach an Online Class.  How perfect is that?

Although I have a lot of different classes that I would like to teach, one that is currently in the forefront of my mind is an online class dealing with Social Media.  So many people ask me about it on a regular basis that I have already started making tip sheets and mini lessons for them so I could really hit the ground running with that idea.

There are some really cool products and information available over at the Indie Biz Chicks site, I have taken and been a part of a ton of things associated with Crissy and her business.  I am signing up to try and win a spot, and you can try to win a spot for yourself (or just sign up for the class itself), by following the instructions of Crissy's post over at Indie Biz Chicks.  Hurry though, she will be drawing a winner on July 5, 2011 at 10 AM Eastern.

Happy Fourth of July!

Groundhog Day Marathon on Encore

For those that don’t know it tomorrow is Groundhog Day here in the United States (and according to Wikipedia in Canada as well).  Growing up, this was my friend Brian’s favorite holiday.  Groundhog Day is, according to legend, the indicator of how long winter will last.  When the groundhog leaves his burrow that morning, if he does not see his shadow (usually because it is cloudy and overcast) then he will continue on his way and that signifies that winter will end soon.  However, if it’s a sunny day and the groundhog “sees his shadow” then he will retreat back into the burrow and we will have six more weeks of winter.

 

In celebration of Groundhog Day, Encore (a US premium television station owned by Starz) will be playing24 hours of Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray.  (Well it works out to 24 and ½ hours but I’ll let that slide).  Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an egocentric Pittsburgh TV weatherman who, during a hated assignment covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, finds himself repeating the same day over and over again. After indulging in hedonism and numerous suicide attempts, he begins to reexamine his life and priorities.

The first time I watched Groundhog Day I didn’t really like it, and then I watched it again and enjoyed it.  I think it is one of those movies that takes repeated viewings to understand some of the nuances and enjoy it.  It’s also fun to try and figure out how long Phil (Bill Murray) was stuck living the same day over and over again (how long it took him to get the gist of his gift, how long it would take to master some of the things he did, etc). 

 

Groundhog Day begins airing at Midnight Eastern and Pacific so be sure to try and catch at least one showing before the day is over.

 

Happy Tuesday and Happy (almost) Groundhog Day!

Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Valentine's Day

Countdown to Valentine's Day (February 1 - February 14) airs romantic movies, specials, and Martha Stewart valentine-themed segments in her show.

 
[01/19/11 - 01:09 PM]
Hallmark Channel Kicks Off "Countdown to Valentine's Day" With "A Valentine's Date," A Star-Studded Hallmark Channel Original Movie World Premiere February 4

[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by The Hallmark Channel. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the distribution of the enclosed information.]

NOT THE ROMANTIC INTERLUDE ONE EXPECTS

HALLMARK CHANNEL KICKS OFF "COUNTDOWN TO VALENTINE'S DAY" WITH "A VALENTINE'S DATE," A STAR-STUDDED HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE WORLD PREMIERE FEBRUARY 4

Elisa Donovan ("In Gayle We Trust"), Brad Rowe ("General Hospital"), Tom Skerritt ("Brothers & Sisters"), John Schneider ("Desperate Housewives," "Hot in Cleveland"), Tracey Gold ("Growing Pains") and Fred Willard ("Modern Family," "Accidentally in Love") star in "A Valentine's Date," a Hallmark Channel Original Movie World Premiere, Friday, February 4 (9 p.m. ET/PT, 8c). "A Valentine's Date" is the lead-off Original Movie in Hallmark Channel's 'Countdown to Valentine's Day' campaign, which kicks off February 1 and runs through Valentine's Day. Other Hallmark Channel Original Movie World Premieres for the 2011 'Countdown to Valentine's Day' include: "Smooch," starring Kellie Martin, Kiernan Shipka and Simon Kassianides, Saturday, February 5 (9 p.m. ET/PT, 8c) and "Accidentally in Love," starring Jennie Garth, Ethan Erickson, Marilu Henner and Fred Willard, written by Garth's husband Peter Facinelli ("Nurse Jackie," "Twilight"), Saturday, February 12 (9 p.m. ET/PT, 8C).

February 14 is a day of hearts and flowers and sweet sentiments, unless you are Laura Conners and Dylan Hackett, former sweethearts and spouses on the verge of divorce. Laura, a busy bank executive has moved her daughter Kelsey to New York to restart their lives after separating from her husband and childhood sweetheart Dylan, who still resides in Texas. Laura's been so immersed in her job, she has conveniently forgotten to sign the divorce papers buried at the bottom of her purse. Since Laura and Kelsey moved to New York six years ago, Dylan has seen his daughter on a mere handful of occasions. He's had enough. Dylan sues Laura for custody, forcing her to return to Texas. At the hearing, the pair begin bickering, forcing a Texas State Family Court Judge to order a cooling off period to give Dylan and Laura a chance to think about what's most important - Kelsey. The judge re-sets the custody hearing for February 14. Now Laura, Dylan and Kelsey have a Valentine's date to remember what made them a loving family, so that everyone's heart can be happy once more.

"A Valentine's Date" is executive produced by Barry Barnholtz, Zelma Kiwi and Jeffrey Schenck, produced by Michael Feifer and co-produced by Peter Sullivan. The movie is based on original material by Jeffrey Schenck and Peter Sullivan. "A Valentine's Date" is directed by Michael Feifer from a screenplay by Michael Feifer and Peter Sullivan. Music by Andres Boulton.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of almost 88million subscribers. The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,450 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading network in providing quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies, general entertainment and home and lifestyle content. Hallmark Channel's sibling network is Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, which focuses on the family-friendly movies with a mix of classic theatrical films, presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library, original Hallmark Channel movies and special events.

Happy New Year

Ringing in the New Year was not at the top of my list last night since it seems that I am trying to fight off a cold.  I hate being sick and I really hate it since I rarely get that sick.  Usually I am able to fight it off with herbal medicine but it seems that these past few months have put that to the test.  I guess I am just rundown and my body is telling me to take a break. 

 

Being without power for a day didn’t bode so well this week either, luckily the power is back on so that we will at least have heat during this 0° cold spell.  The temperature is fluctuating from below 0 to the high teens so it’s a lot more then simply cold.  So being able to curl up in bed, rest and watch movies for the weekend is a good place to be.

 

With so many plans to implement in this new year it is nice to rest up and be rejuvenated so that Monday when I have to go back to work I can hit the ground running. 

 

Wishing you and yours a joyous and prosperous New Year!

Christmas, Christmas, Time is Here

Christmas Day was very pleasant.

 

I wrote that I would share some of the recipes and goodies that I made up for all of us to snack on throughout Christmas Day.  It was nice to have everything ready to go and all I had to do was put things into and onto the serving dishes once we were ready to eat.

 

Our main sustenance consisted of spinach dip and shrimp cocktail.  Then there was a bevy of desserts including mini cherry cheesecakes, oatmeal raisin cookies, snicker doodles, and triple chocolate chip cookies (Daddy made all three types of cookies, he’s turning into quite the little baker).

 

Here are some of the recipes:

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

2 pkgs. (8oz.) cream cheese, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 package vanilla wafer cookies (you won’t use the entire box)
1 can cherry pie filling

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping down the sides frequently. Add eggs one at a time and mix. Finally, add vanilla and lemon juice, and mix until just blended. 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool cheesecakes completely. 

 

Garnish with cherries from canned cherry pie filling.  

 

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes about 48 mini cheesecakes.

 

Note: I made some with the cookies and some without.  If you omit the vanilla wafers then you get a more cheesecake but mine came out a little watery.  The ones with the wafers are perfect.

Spinach Dip

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 package onion or leek dry soup mix

1 (1 pound) loaf round sourdough bread

 

Mix the sour cream, mayo, soup mix and spinach together.  Place in refrigerator to set up.

 

Just before you are ready to serve ( I usually do this about an hour or so before to allow the edges of the bread to harden just a bit) cut of the top of the bread loaf, tear it into pieces and scoop out the bread from the middle of the loaf to create a bowl.

 

Take spinach dip mixture from the fridge and scoop it into the bread bowl.

 

Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

1 cup ketchup

3 Tablespoons prepared horseradish

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Few splashes of hot sauce (I use Tabasco)

 

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

 

Enjoy!