Bruce Littlefield's Life 101 » Decorating

Decorating – Gingerbread Houses

Bruce Littlefield — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:50:39 +0000

When I was a kid growing up in South Carolina, I always insisted on making a gingerbread house as the centerpiece of our holiday table. Each year, I did my best to recreate the witch’s house in Hansel & Gretel and inevitably my brother would pick off some of my gumdrops, leaving a hole in the roof and starting a Christmas brouhaha. Gingerbread houses are fun and aren’t that difficult to make… unless you are trying to create what I call a “Gingerbread Mansion”… and that’s a whole other animal! Check these out!

Bruce on CBS Early Show

Bruce Littlefield — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:01:06 +0000

One of my favorite holiday traditions: looking at Christmas lights! For my book, Merry Christmas, America! (on sale at Amazon) I toured the country and climbed up ladders with America’s best Clark Griswold’s to find out why they do what they do. I stopped by the CBS Early Show a few year’s back to talk to Harry Smith about the book and about lighting it up! Check out the video and find out why some of our neighbors go to all this effort and how they make Christmas sparkle.

Holidays – Gifting 101

Bruce Littlefield — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:35:08 +0000

I stopped by WGN-TV in Chicago to help host Steve Sanders with his holiday list. Check it out here.
Three gifting DON’Ts: #1 DON’T give a fruitcake unless its a gag gift. #2. DON’T give anything that poops or pees. #3 DON’T just throw it in a gift bag.
Three gifting DO’s: #1. DO shop at a discount retailers like TJ Maxx & Home Goods. #2. DO think comfort (luxurious sheets, towels, robe.) #3. DO know that the real way to someone’s heart is if you get their pet a gift.
I also was in Philadelphia with the gorgeous and fun Michelle Grossman on NBC’s 10! Check it out here. Ho ho ho, here we go!

Life 101 – Halloween candy

Bruce Littlefield — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:05:12 +0000

Halloween is a dentist’s favorite holiday. Why? Would you believe that over $2 billion is spent each year on Halloween candy?! That’s a whole lot of scary cavities. But since you’re going to run out and buy some (and be judged by the kiddies), let me tell you that chocolate candy bars are rated the #1 Trick or Treaters delight (and Snickers is the absolute fave.) And, in case you’re wondering, there is more than 35 million pounds of candy corn made each year, equaling something like 9 billion kernels. But, hey, at only 3.6 calories, it might be the dieter’s choice. There’s less sugar in a candy corn than in a raisin! Or forgo the calories all together and give yourself a candy corn manicure.

Life 101 – Simple happiness

Bruce Littlefield — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:24:39 +0000

As my PaPa used to say, “I’m busier than a one-armed paper hanger with hives.” It’s “back to school” season and if you’re like me, you don’t have a lot of time. So, simple is beautiful. Here are a few Life 101 ideas to inspire a happy day: A love noted dropped in a book bag or briefcase can turn the day around. Pay the toll for the car behind you and tell the toll collector to say, “have a nice day.” Or do like I did this weekend and grab a simple container, cut some flowers, and make your house a little brighter. Doing something nice takes less than a minute and will pay off all day long.

Life 101 – Every Home Should Have…

Bruce Littlefield — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:02:45 +0000

Hope you’re going to have some fun in your yard this weekend. During the summer, one of my favorite things is to roll my garden cart out to the flower beds and whip up some arrangements. I think every home should have a garden cart. I got mine at a garage sale and besides being pretty and cheap (sounds like a girl I knew in high school), it is also very practical. I keep interesting bottles and vases on it and my tools (all found at garage sales) and use its surface as my own mobile florist. Get yourself one and get in the garden!

Bruce on Summer Entertaining

Bruce Littlefield — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:56:27 +0000

My front porch ready to party. Photo by Cal Crary

Check out the feature in Chronogram Magazine which includes my ideas on summer entertaining:

“It’s summertime and the living is easy!” gushes Bruce Littlefield, quoting George Gershwin. A party maven and arbiter of American fun, Littlefield suggests our summer get-togethers should be just that. Easy. Because everyone wants to let their hair down and have a good time. One of his basic party principles is having an array of drinks ready for guests as they arrive.

Duh, right?! Check out the article by writer Holly Tarson for great drink recipes including a peach julep, caipirinha, strawberry mint margarita, and summery white sangria. Yummy! Makes me want to let my hair down and throw a party this weekend!

Garage Sales – New economy

Bruce Littlefield — Wed, 25 May 2011 21:48:11 +0000

My garden cart is a garage sale find. I adore it and think it has so much more character than something new out of the box. I think with the economic times we find ourselves in ($5 gallon gas!) and all the talk about being “green,” this summer will see more garage sales than ever before. I’m betting that people will also drop some of the hand-me-down stigma when it is finally realized that you’re giving a second life to something somebody no longer needs or wants, and by buying at a garage sale, you’re buying with cash you really have. Most garage sale shopkeepers don’t accept credit cards.
Check out this interview I did with Jay Levin at The Record in Northern Jersey. Headline: Garage sales are becoming a necessity for many struggling homeowners. My Life101 tip: Get your stuff out of self-storage and make some money on it!

Bruce Talks Garage Saling

Bruce Littlefield — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:22:43 +0000

Today, the inimitable Cindy Adams featured me as her NY Post column’s “Only in New York” line: “RECORD citywide garage sales coming. At Da Tommaso ‘Garage Sale America’ author Bruce Littlefield: ‘People who before never dreamt of one will have several to raise cash.’” I do believe that… and it’s not only in the city, kids! Check out this month’s Ruralite Magazine. They feature a story called “The Joys of the Garage Sale,” in which I take you for a ride around the countryside and give some advice about how to make your next garage sale excursion filled with adventure and treasure. Read it here.

When I grow up…

Bruce Littlefield — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:45:02 +0000

It took Scott Weaver more than 35 years to design this amazing kinetic structure entitled “Rolling Through the Bay.” It is made out of over 100,000 toothpicks and depicts San Francisco with balls roll through it. Watch. It’s a viral wow! Oh, and he either has the patience of Job or the worst case of OCD I’ve ever seen.