Blog: Winter

Winter. ‘Tis the season to be jolly – and what’s more jolly than hosting a party?! With everything from Christmas open houses and cookie swaps to New Year’s Eve celebrations, Julia’s end-of-the-year parties have got you covered.

Julia M. Usher

My Top 10 Holiday Table-Setting Tips

Still recovering from Christmas? Weary of party after same-old party? On the verge of drafting a New Year’s resolution vowing never to entertain again? Hold on – don’t be rash! I know all too well the consequences of holiday party-planning

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Julia M. Usher

Color Me Christmas

You might be dreaming of a white Christmas, but I prefer the traditional red and green – for decorating, that is! These colors cheer up even the dreariest of winter days; they’re naturally found in nature, which often means cheaper,

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Julia M. Usher

A Cookie Coming-Out

Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Not familiar with that sound? Well then, you’re as lucky as a kid in a candy shop, because most of us can recognize the sound of the cash register tallying up party damages from miles away. There’s no

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Julia M. Usher

Celebrating the Everyday

OK, so this feature isn’t my usual special party, but it is a celebration in its own right – of the smaller things in life that we (or at least, I) too often take for granted. After a whirlwind winter

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Julia M. Usher

Holiday in a Hurry

My husband often questions my habit of collecting throughout the year. In fact, my last antiques mall-find elicited a frown and dismissive, “What is that @#%*$?!!” Granted, I rarely return from my foraging with anything of real monetary value or

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Julia M. Usher

Good as Gold

Once upon a time, long before I ever wrote about cookies, I owned and operated a bakery. There in my humble South St. Louis shop, I happily crafted all manner of fancy wedding cakes, from modern mosaics and sculptural suspensions to more romantic chocolate-wrapped and

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Julia M. Usher

Home for the Holidays

Like it or not, we’re homebound this holiday. My husband is on call through Christmas, and I’m between photo shoots for my next cookie book, struggling to see my way past the latest blizzard of powdered sugar. Cookies in various

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Julia M. Usher

An Affair of the Heart

We all have that certain someone for whom a box of chocolates doesn’t seem quite enough . . . that person who’s been there, done that, and seen it all! Am I right? . . . OK, now that we’ve

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Julia M. Usher

Bling in the New Year

Tick tock. Tick tock. Before you know it, this year will be a distant point in history. If you’re spinning your wheels on New Year’s resolutions or otherwise counting the passing of time, I urge you to stop. The few

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Julia M. Usher

Dreaming of a Green Christmas

If the flurry of malls and mass consumerism overwhelms you during the Christmas season, then do as I do and avoid the excess by delivering holiday cheer with handcrafted party invitations, favors, and gifts. Or go the extra distance and

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