This time last year, I was beginning my exciting and humbling journey as Cottages & Bungalows’ 2024 Brand Ambassador. It is hard to believe that a year has gone by, and it is time to pass the torch to another lucky person who will undoubtedly share their expertise, creativity and love of home décor.
This year has been full of creativity as well as loss for me. Last fall, when the announcement came for my ambassadorship, our family mourned the sudden passing of my brother, Matthew, who was only 53 years old. It’s taken a huge toll on us, but having this outlet helped me to cope and knowing that Matthew would have been so proud of it all. His excited text was one of the first I received when the announcement was made that I had won, but little did I know it would be one of the last text messages I would ever receive from him. “Congrats!!! What do you have to do as an ambassador? Do you go places?!” My brother didn’t know too much about what happened behind the scenes in the world of home décor content creators, but he did know one thing: He knew that this meant the world to me, and he was excited for me.
So, to the Cottages & Bungalows family and community, thank you for this creative outlet for what may have been one of the most difficult years in the 41 years of my life. Thank you for allowing me to express myself freely and for all of you that tuned in for Bryan’s Cozy Corner on Fridays on Instagram. Thank you for allowing me to share our home, family and my husband, Jameson, with all of you. It has been such a fantastic year and your love and support through it all means everything to me. If I can leave you with anything, it is that I hope that you have learned to decorate your home for you and no one else. A quote that I live by in designing and decorating our home from one of my favorite designers, Nate Berkus, states: “Your home should tell the story of who you are and be a collection of what you love.” Stay true to this, my friends, and stay true to the wonderfully authentic person you are.
Tips to Having a Stress-Free Holiday
Christmas is one of the merriest times of year, full of memories, laughter, family and friends. It is my very favorite holiday and oftentimes my friends call me “Mr. Christmas” or the “King of Christmas,” and I certainly can’t complain about that! Here are some ways I add calm to the season:
• Decorating Your Home. A cozy little Christmas home may be the goal, but when do you start? This is a hot topic for sure! Do you decorate before Thanksgiving? The day after Thanksgiving? Do you wait until December 1st? For me, I start the minute the last trick-or-treater leaves on Halloween! That may seem a little crazy, but I enjoy all the coziness that Christmas décor brings to our home, and I want to be able to enjoy it. Once the house is decorated, it puts me into the spirit of Christmas and allows me to enjoy everything else: baking, shopping, going to tree-lighting events, going to holiday parties, etc.
• Shopping and Wrapping. I always start my Christmas shopping well before Thanksgiving. Yes, those Black Friday deals are fabulous, but don’t wait it out! Start your November off with a list and get going! Add in experiences too: theater show tickets, concert tickets, museum passes, etc. These gifts are easy to buy online, and you are not only giving a gift but an opportunity to make new memories long past the holiday. And wrap as you go! It makes the task seem less daunting and time-consuming. I often make the wrapping match our current Christmas décor theme and place gifts under our tree.
• Hosting. If you have ever hosted the holidays at your home, you know it can be as stressful as planning a wedding. Start thinking about your menu early on. Choose dishes that are plentiful and can feed large crowds. Be sure to consider how many people you are having when planning the seating. Would it be better to have a buffet-style gathering, a sit-down dinner or an open-house type holiday where guests can mingle around your home? Thinking about these things early on can help you to feel calmer on the actual holiday.
Amana Woolen Mill
For over 160 years, the Amana Woolen Mill has survived devastating winds, floods and fires while riding out the ebbs and flows of the American textile industry. As Iowa’s only remaining woolen mill, it is where a small but passionate group of artisans create beautiful textiles.
The Hardy Houndstooth cotton throw blanket they sent me comes in nine gorgeous colors. It’s so soft and cozy—I love it! The natural color (shown here) works well for all décor styles and seasons. It is made from the finest 100% soft cotton, making it the perfect weight.
Ways to Use an Amana Throw:
Drape it over a chair so your guests can grab it easily for cozy warmth.
Add it to your bed by draping or folding it for added color, texture and interest.
Place it beside a fireplace or by an outdoor fire pit for a cozy, inviting look.
I love styling peg shelves—there are so many fun possibilities—and thanks to Amana Woolen Mill, I have another fabulous piece to style with.
I’ve used throw blankets many times as the centerpiece for a table or draped across the coffee table. Blankets add warmth to any space, and I can’t wait to add this to our table this year!
To learn more about the Amana Woolen Mill, visit amanawoolenmill.com.
Hosting a Holiday Open House
My husband, Jameson, and I have hosted a Holiday Open House for years, and I hope that in sharing how we do this it encourages you to open your home to family and friends during one of the merriest times of year. We usually host our event after Christmas, before New Years. We have found that this timing allows for more of our friends to attend once the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over and it is a more relaxed evening.
We don’t make fancy invitations or fuss with a mailing; it is a simple Facebook invite that we send in early November. Usually, our list ends up between 50 to 80 people and with an open-house style time frame we can invite as many guests as we’d like!
We usually decide on a food theme for the evening. In years past, we have done a variety of appetizers: one year we created a “pasta station” with Jameson’s famous pasta sauce and a macaroni and cheese bar with different toppings, and last year we had a taco bar. Since I’m a fan of cookie baking (this comes from my grandmother) each year, I create a Christmas Cookie Charcuterie station that takes over our entire kitchen bar counter and no one is allowed to leave without taking a package of cookies to go.
Sharing our cozy little Christmas home is one of my favorite things of the season, coming together to celebrate all the memories created throughout the year and starting the new year on the right foot with love and friendship!
Growing up, most of the holiday season was spent in the kitchen with my grandma, baking Christmas cookies for our whole family to enjoy. I can still picture my small, frail grandmother stirring batters by hand. When my grandmother passed, I couldn’t let this tradition go, and so each year I begin in November baking and freezing cookies to share with everyone during the Christmas season.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup milk
2-1/2 cups flour
1 egg
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. baking powder|
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 jar orange marmalade
1/2 jar chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 jar citrus fruit
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Melt shortening. In a medium bowl, soak raisins and citrus fruit in juice from cherries. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, cocoa, baking powder and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add to the soaked raisin mixture the milk, egg, orange marmalade and cherries. Add the melted shortening. Mix all ingredients together and then add in chopped nuts. Form 1” balls and bake for about 15 minutes. For the icing mix together confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and a little milk to make a good consistency.
To see more of Bryan’s cozy little Christmas home, visit him on Instagram @our.cozy.little.home or read more from his introduction as Brand Ambassador.
Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!
