The Petite Parisian

Pin It, Make It Monday #3

2012-04-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

Before I start, can you just take a second and look at my baby?

Yes, this is my youngest.

When the Heck did she grow up?!

If you need me I'll be in a dark corner crying.

Just a side note: She is currently the only member of the family to be stylin' in coloured jeans. I'm holding out for the perfect mint pair.

(also I can't wait to re-read that sentence in a couple years and

die of shame)

Now back to the regularly scheduled post.....

Leather couches + cute sparkly bum pocket jeans =

Disaster.

Silly rhinestones.

My mom originally pinned this one with me in mind.

It literally takes 2 minutes to do!

One tin of dark brown show polish, an old rag and a soft, clean cloth.

Rub your couch with the shoe polish and let it dry.

It'll look dull when it's completely dry.

Now buff to a nice shine with your soft cloth.

That's it!

My couch looks almost brand new.

And I get to keep my sparkly cute jeans!

Second Annual Birthday Theme Contest

2012-03-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

It's that time of year again!!

I'm already making plans for my birthday.

Yes, it is still 3 months away.

Yes, I plan my own birthday party.

And yes, the winner will receive a prize.

This years party is on a Saturday night! Yay! Much better than a Tuesday, right?!

I've been searching and searching for themes and ideas for this years shindig and having no luck!

The problem is I want to have a co-ed party, but I'm always thinking that the men hate dressing up or doing costumes etc etc.

Sucks to be them ;)

I'm also looking into Derby themes but not a whole lot is coming up other than the Kentucky Derby. We have track about 20 min away, which is doable...Limo ride..??

What do you guys think??

As far as prizes go...Lets see...

For the person whose idea/theme I pick will receive a $10.00 Shutterfly gift card.

Try to include as much detail as possible to your suggestions:)

Remember last years bash?

It will be hard to top it!

But this is my 8 year anniversary of my 21st birthday after all.

Pin It, Make It Monday #2

2012-03-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is so late in getting posted.

I have been at the dentist since 8 getting my ~~face frozen~~ cavities filled.

I love the dentist.

You know what I love for real though?

Vietnamese food.

SO good!

I've had these rice papers in my pantry for forever and

Found this recipe

and knew it was meant to be!

Soaking the wrappers...

Filling....

Here's my little baby, all wrapped up!

I substituted the shrimp for ground beef seasoned with ginger and garlic and hoisin sauce.

It was gooooood.

And can I just tell you that this dippin' sauce is THE sauce!

It's the sauce I always want to make but fall short of perfect.

My only substitution was to omit the diced jalapenos.

I had none so I used some Sambal Olek instead.

You need to make these!!

The First Pin It, Make It Monday!!

2012-03-19T07:10:00.001-07:00

I was a little nervous about what pin I should try and do this weekend.

I wanted it to be a big one.

Yet do-able.

I think I found one that anyone can do!

I'm in love with subway art.

I know its not the newest trend on the blogging block, but it hasn't stopped popping up on Pinterest!

I'm waaaaaay to cheap to buy one, and I wanted mine to be special as well.

On Pinterest I came a cross this girls blog.

She's awesome!!

Her blog made me want to do E-V-E-R-Y project she's made.

She's just that awesome.

And frugal.

I like frugal.

So here's my first attempt.

Every place that Ben and I have been to together.

I know it's not your normal white on black, but that didn't really go with our bedroom anyways.

I also really like the clean, crisp-ness of the aqua on white.

And this is just a little snap of us.

I hope you enjoyed the first Pin It, Make It Monday.

I know I felt very productive in actually doing something with my pins!

Don't forget to Check out Becca's Blog, www.gardenberger.blogspot.com for detailed instructions for making your own subway art!

Pin it, Make it.

2012-03-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

If you're on Pinterest then you already know how addictive it can be.

It's bad people.

Like, Intervention, bad.

But sometimes really great things come out it.

Great meals, genius tips to solve everyday problems, and of course party ideas!

I'm guilty though, of pinning and not doing.

Now I'm going to try and make something at least once a week that I've pinned.

Here's a heart photo prop I made after seeing it on Pinterest.

CLICK HERE To see the original idea

Whether it's a meal, a craft or whatever! I'm just going to do it!

And on Mondays I'll post what I've done.

If any of you do one thing too, share it with me!

Back to Pinterest!

See you Monday!!

Living Room Blues

2012-03-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you guys, but I'm SOOOOOOOO ready for spring.

Seeing as I live in Alberta, I'm know I'm going to have to wait another 2 months.

That doesn't stop me from feeling the spring vibe!

I want light turquoise pants!

I want to plant a garden!

I want to paint every room in the house!!

Probably can't get away with the first two, but I'm on the hunt for the perfect hue for our open concept living/dining/kitchen area.

The same neutral tan colour is making me feel Blah.

I went to the paint store this afternoon and found a few that I like. I'm pretty much leaning towards 19 different shades of the same pale blue-green colour.

Typical.

Now I just need to narrow it down to something bright, but not cold, light enough that it will not turn my cabinets a pinky hue, and warm enough that it will still match my existing furniture, drapes, hardwood etc.

Here are the colours I'm 'feelin', in no particular order:

1. Titanium, 2141-60, Benjamin Moore

2. Crystalline, AF-485, Aura

3. Moonshine, 2140-60, BM

4. Green Tint, 2139-60, BM

5. Stonington Gray, HC-170, BM

This a old pic of the dining area, but the colour is still the same, Wilmington Tan from BM.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I'm all ears!!

Office Re-Vamp! A Surprise for My Mom (& Dad)

2012-03-06T09:19:00.001-08:00

This has been a long time coming to you guys.

Since Christmas.

Part of the reason I wasn't blogging (even though I had a crap-load of stuff to show you) was that everything I was making and planning was for my parents office.

Ben, and my brother Caleb and I decided to surprise my mom with a fancy-schmancy new office.

And by that I mean, I decided.

We had about three days to complete, so I started planning in October.

Biggest inspiration was my parents love for Restoration Hardware.

Which, coincidentally made it easy on the budget.

My parents have been collecting old stuff forever, I ended up using stuff they already had.

Along with a few trips to Habitat for Humanity ReStore, we were in business!

Alright, enough chatter!

Here are the before pics!!

Pretty red right?

Pretty dark right?

Just and FYI, all these pictures were taken with my iphone :(

Sorry for the poor quality and lack of editing!

Here's the reveal!

It happened on New Years Eve, Ben and I were at the Keg for a dinner party and Caleb had left for work out of town.

Mom and dad had just driven home (some 10 hours) from Summerland.

And walked into a room with a big bow on the door!

Ben put up 1x8" cedar boards on the ceiling to look like exposed beams.

And I made a 'birdcage chandelier' out of wire hanging baskets and an old chandelier from Habitat for humanity.

My moms favourite part in Pride & Prejudice, hand written on a new lampshade.

Before pic of the old couch...

Waaa-lllaaaaa! 'New' couch!

I know you can't really see it, but the black framed picture is one that my mom has had for years. It's a pic taken by the Vancouver Sun back in the 1960's of her with Pierre Trudeau.

It's just such a fabulous picture that really captures the era.

It needed to be on display!

Next to it is a pair of vintage boxing gloves, stuffed with horse hair.

My had has two pairs that he used to box with his brothers when they were kids.

Salvaged galvanized shelving from habitat for Humanity ($2)

As well as a desk Ben made from an old steel door.

The paint color I picked was from Cloverdale.

I'll link up to my Pinterest board here so you can see where I got some of my ideas.

Thanks for stopping by!

Giselle Turns TWO!

2012-02-26T12:41:00.000-08:00

Now there's going to be mostly pictures on this post, which I'm hoping you'll be OK with.

Considering I have hardly posted I figure you'll be glad I put anything up!

Giselle turned two yesterday and we had a little party for her with her and Venice's friends and family.

I did an aqua & pink party after seeing one on Kara's Party Ideas.

I fell in love with the colors and turned out Dollarama had a ton of stuff in those colors.

It was truly meant to be!

I already had the large star, my mom found this adorable little hutch at an antique store in town for a steal.

I'm pretty sure we spent more money on paint than on the actual hutch.

But it turned out great!

My little bug!

Ben, with baby Samuel. Snug as a bug!

Pretty party girl, Lexie!

WE WANT CAKE!

The adult cake. Cherry vanilla cake with coconut Swiss buttercream.
You can find the recipe HERE.
The only changes I made were:
1: I didn't have clear vanilla for the frosting so I used coconut extract
2: I didn't have a 7" pan, I had a 6" and used that
3: I'm not a frosting ninja like Heather, so I piped the roses instead of making it flat.

I found those edible mini stars at Micheal's and sprinkled them over the cake after I dusted it with Baby Green Disco Dust.

One happy birthday girl!

I just love the looks when Ben lit the sparkler!

Just hanging out, waiting patiently for cake.
Luke, Lexie, Kache, Venice and Katie.

Haaaappy Birthdaaaaaay tooooo yoooouuuuu...

Lexie, Venice and Kache, looking like they're up to no good!

That cotton candy is a messy thing!

I used pear nectar bottles from Walmart (came in a 6 pack for $2) and glued
crafting jewels and pearls from Dollarama.
The paper straws I ordered from Greenmunch.ca
For all you Canadians that are having difficulty finding paper straws and party supplies,
Joy, from Greenmunch is out of Sherwood Park, Alberta!
You NEED to check out her site, she has great stuff and great shipping prices!
If you love mason jars check this out

Cotton Candy cupcakes from Bakingdom

Giselle's falling star. I'm in love with fringed streamers.
After I found these from Oh Happy Day
She's in Paris and wearing the Cutest striped socks. Ever.
Whats not to love?!
That and the fact that Dollarama had full sized crepe paper in my party colors.

Cherry and Blue Raspberry Popcorn

It was so much fun having everyone together to party with Giselle!

She was spoiled!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and it feels good to be back!

If you have thrown a party and made some awesome stuff, I'd love to start featuring some here.

Email me you pictures and a write up of what you did etc.

petiteparisian@gmail.com

I look forward to seeing your creations and featuring you here!

Tickets, Passports, Wallets, CHECK!

2012-02-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

I realize that it's now Monday and I didn't post over the weekend.

Ben actually didn't work this weekend!!

So I was hoping that you'd all for give me.

You're going to forgive me right?

Here are a couple of pictures from our family trip this year to Mexico.

We went to Los Cabos for the first time.

The weather was cooler than usual but I think anything was better than the weather back at home.

We managed to pick the one week where Alberta set record breaking low temperatures.

As in -50 Celsius!

Here are my beauties! Growing up SO fast!!

The gorgeous resort, Barcelo' Los Cabos.

Annual family photo.

We reaaallllyy need to hire an actual photographer for a real family picture.

Sweetest room we've ever stayed in. Swim up with an ocean view!

But hands down, best part of the whole trip was having our awesome babysitter/friend Kirsten along!

She was SO great with the girls.

Best family trip we've ever taken I think.

This was just in January so I guess I'm going to be working backwards in catching you up!

A Return to Blogging

2012-02-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Hi.

I am here to let you all know that I AM planning on blogging this weekend.

I have a TON of stuff to show you!

From an office re-vamp, a family holiday and a couple other little tidbits.

And maybe some explanations as to my whereabouts.

A big THANK YOU to a few of you for kicking me in the blogger bum to get me back.

I needed that!!

See you this weekend!!

Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies.

2011-10-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Yeah, you totally heard me right.

Salted. Caramel. Mocha.

COOKIES!

Just like this years fall special at Starbucks.

You just won't even believe your taste buds.

I originally wanted to make just a salted caramel cookie, but when I was digging out all my baking ingredients from my pantry I spied my instant espresso powder.

I swear lightning struck.

In my house.

I added one and half tablespoons of instant espresso powder to this recipe.

The end results are AH-MAZING!

I've also been tinkering around making some Halloween decorations for the front entry.

Some little glass vials I picked up at the local salvation army got labels, water, glycerin and glitter.

A little spell book inspired by a project I found on Pinterest, inspired by the Snow White story.

My fellow geeks out there will recognize the labels.

I'll give you a hint: The intials are H.P.

This one is my favourite.

Water, Ameri-color Gold coloring gel and drink sparkles from Wilton.

Although these cookies weren't originally for Halloween, the rich, dark brown from the cocoa gave these cookies an almost black colour.

Also lets face it, a cookie that oozes anything is just perfect for Halloween!

I Made This...Sort Of.

2011-09-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'm on Pinterest.

A lot.

I just can't help myself.

And what do I find?

A link to a lady's blog in Brooklyn.

A blog that is so full of DIY's that I can't wait to do.

When I say DIY what I mostly mean is BDIH.

(Ben does it himself)

Feel free to use this new acronym I just made up.

Your welcome:)

Anyhoo, I'm just loving all the burlap, linen and vintage cotton that's out there now.

But I'm frugal, remember?

So this was the perfect blend of cheap, easy and vintage.

I'm pretty sure there's a joke in there somewhere....

This tutorial and free printable was on BrooklynLimestone.

I just had to make it!

So I did.

The only thing Ben helped with was cutting the wooden dowel in half.

This was the only window in our house that didn't have any treatment on it.

Maybe the one window in the house that for the past 4 years really should have had something.

The toilet room.

Now it does and it's just fabulous.

You can make it too!

Hard Cider Caramel Pretzel Bites

2011-09-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

I really can't take any credit for this recipe.

It all goes to my blogger hero, Heather of SprinkleBakes.

She originally did the Ale and Pretzels Caramels.

I just sent off an email to see if it would work with apple cider.

Apparently it does.

To make these beauties you will need:

A cookie sheet, lined with tin foil, and greased

1 bag of large pretzel rods

2 bottles of hard apple cider (I used Growers brand)

And SprinkleBakes Recipe which can be found here.

Just substitute the ale for the cider and the 9x13 pan for the cookie sheet.

Everything else is the same.

And super delicious!!

I ended up rolling the caramel around the pretzel rods.

I found it easier to wrap and eat.

Pinch that caramel!!

I printed off a super cute graphic from the Graphics Fairy (for free, LOVE her!)

and added my own text.

Then ran some plain paper bags from the Dollarama through the printer!

Also I gained 5lbs in the process.

Consider yourself warned.

I'm always amazed that the more 'famous' bloggers still make time for us small frys.

I really appreciate that even though they are writing books and answering tons of questions from their some 3000+ followers, they still are just awesome to talk to and don't make you feel silly for asking questions.

Thanks to all my blogging heroes:)

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with a Toasted Marshmallow Meringue

2011-09-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

I'm just having one of those mornings where I'm having writers block.

Not that I'm a writer or anything, but I'm just having a hard time thinking of a funny anecdote that will cleverly tie in these cupcake/muffins.

It could be because I have a sugar headache from too many sugared peanuts at last nights Rook game.

Or it could be from the whomping I took during said Rook game.

Lowest score on the board.

Should've bid higher and taken more risks!

FIE.

As far as risks go though, my cupcakes felt like a risk.

Sweet potato?

As in...Yam?

The whole time I kept telling myself, "It's just like pumpkin, it's just like pumpkin."

I figured since Americans have Sweet Potato Pie and we have Pumpkin Pie, why can we have pumpkin cupcakes but not sweet potato?

I found a great recipe here at Annie's Eats for a sweet potato cake batter.

And I wanted a marshmallow topping for them but I didn't want it to be so sweet.

I did a little googling...found a basic meringue recipe, whipped it up and then folded in a jar of Marshmallow Fluff.

Marshmallow Meringue Topping

1 7-ounce jar Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
3 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

1. Whisk egg whites and salt together until foamy

2. Add in sugar a tablespoon at a time while whisking. Whisk until all sugar has been added and stiff glossy peaks form.

3. Gently fold in Marshmallow Fluff until combined.

4. Pipe or spoon on to cooled cupcakes.

Did I mention that I bought a blow torch?

Just a wee little one, but I love her.

She's a she and her name is Lady Melisandre.

Any Game of Thrones fans out there??

No?

I'll keep my future nerd tidbits to myself then.

But she was perfect for toasting the topping to a gorgeous golden brown.

If you don't have a kitchen sized torch you can always put them in a oven preheated to 400.

Just watch them until the tops brown.

I have a little bottle of Starbucks caramel sauce kickin' around in my coffee cupboard, and yes,

I have a cupboard dedicated to coffee.

I drizzled the tops with the caramel sauce and sprinkled toasted and chopped pecans.

And then I pretended I was a photographer...and not a good one! hahahaha

I guess I got over the 'writers' block huh?

Any weird flavour combinations that you doubted then loved?

I'd love to hear from you!!

petiteparisian@gmail.com

Falliday 2011

2011-09-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

I told you I was going to start calling it that!

We had such a great family trip to Sandpoint, ID this year!

The kids were amazingly well-behaved and relatively sane for the drive down.

Granted we took 3 days to get there (normally an 8 hour drive).

But we were relaxed by the time we got to the cabin we had rented for the week, which was an added bonus.

We stopped and put the boat in at Moyie Lake Provincial Park.

Found a sand bar and let the girls go wild in the mud.

Fishing was sparse... But when we did catch something the girls did not shy away.

They get that from Ben.

Finally! Sleep's Cabins, Sandpoint, ID.

Brent and Tawnie Sleep were SO amazing and kind!

They had a great family story behind the rental cabins and we'd stay there again in a heart beat!

We took the girls to the Coeur d'alene County fair on the weekend, on probably THE hottest day we were there. A lovely 37 degrees!

Venice went on a pony ride, the ferris wheel with daddy and a bunch of other spinny rides.

Despite the heat the girls were so good and we all had fun!

Tubing was the remedy for the heat!

Even Giselle got a ride...And LOVED it!

By the end she wouldn't sit with anyone, had have her own seat and handles.

And ending up standing up on her own while we were zipping along!

(Ben had her by the life jacket, of course. Not that it helped my anxiety at all.)

By the time our week was up we really couldn't believe it was time to go.

So we decided to stay another 3 days and stay over the long weekend then head home Sunday.

Me and my bug!

This family that stayed in another cabin was awesome!

The mom is a graphic designer but to unwind and let her creative side free she face paints.

She had all the kits and tools and glitter and more importantly a 5 year old daughter.

Venice had struck gold!

Best part...She does it for free!

She sets up in a park and does everyone that wants it.

By the time Venice came back to us she was covered in a rainbow of colors and had more glitter on than Queen Titania herself!

My babies, getting so big now!

S'more night!!

This was a long stucco season, not that it's over yet, but it was so great to have Ben for 12 days straight and for the girls to have Daddy all day, everyday!

Thanks for stopping by today, not really a party, craft or snack post, but it was fun!

Coming up next post....Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue .

New E-mail!

2011-09-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I have a new email, dedicated just to the Petite Parisian!

Yay!

I don't know why it's taken me so long, really.

I never dreamed that any one would want to get in touch I guess.

That, and the fact that the majority of my most loyal followers and frequent commenters are family.

But nevertheless, it is time!!

petiteparisian@gmail.com

So feel free to shoot me over an email, comment or question.

I'd love to hear from you!

As long as you're nice.

I like nice people.

Honey Cupcakes with Vindaloo Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-08-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

I was trying find a cupcake that was indian-y.

They're really not out there.

Trust me.

So, going out on a limb and getting some mixed reviews, I'm putting out my own recipe out there for all to try and let me know how you feel about them.

I enjoyed them as they weren't as sweet as normal cupcake that has say a buttercream frosting,

nor were they savoury (thank goodness!)

The cake base was from Oprah.com, for a traditional honey cake.

Apparently she's tight with the White house cause the chef gave her their recipe.

You can find it here.

As for the frosting I used basic but fool proof cream cheese frosting recipe I found here.

Now, here's where I tweaked it a bit...

For the frosting I added 2 tablespoons of honey.

And about 2 teaspoons of Patek's Vindaloo Curry paste.

Beat it all together until a smooth consistency and all the curry is evenly dispersed.

I used more than the 2 teaspoons of curry paste and would recommend adding it 1/4 teaspoon at at time.

Just until it tastes right to you.

The night of the party I feel that I had added just 1/4 teaspoon too much.

So there it is.

Curried cupcakes, who'd a thunk it?

Just thought I'd also share these butterflies and peacock feather are edible and I ordered them online from

Etsy here.

Her shop is called Sugar Robot and she has some gorgeous stuff!

Arabian Nights Party: A Farewell to Summer.

2011-08-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

It seems funny to be saying farewell to summer.

Seeing as we are the only family in the country that has yet to take our annual summer vacation.

It's coming, but we call it our 'fall-iday'.

Seriously, we don't do that.

But I might start.

I know I said I was done with parties for summer, but I did throw together one last get together.

In my defense though, wasn't the last day of summer last Tuesday or something?

I'm just saying.

Technically it's fall.

Anyhoo, this was my first attempt at doing a last minute party.

Last minute for me being 4 weeks.

I'm working on it ok?

For the most part I had a lot of the decorations already.

From spare fabric, bed sheets, previous party supplies and so on.

All I needed was a few little items that only my fav second hand stores could supply.

Some throw pillow and some tacky brass items and I had my self a party!

Plus I scored BIG time.

I went looking for an elephant plant stand.

My grandma has 5. And lives in BC. Not a big help.

If you know me, then you know that I am beyond optimistic.

The glass is always full. 1/2 water, 1/2 air. See, full.

I packed up the girls 2 days before the party looking for this elephant.

NO elephant.

Just thought I'd ask if there was anything elephant related in the back.

Nope.

But did I want the one at the employees house?

Say what??

Yes, she did own a large ceramic elephant plant stand.

Yes, I do want it.

You wont take ANY money for it.....

OK.

So I got the elephant.

And painted it hot pink.

I should just get on with the pictures ri ght?

You're not even reading this...

Scroll

scroll

blah

blah....

Aha!!

Pictures!!

Namaste!!

My gorgeous sari was brought back from India by my brother.

I knew I'd find a place to wear it to!

Deal of the month!

Getting the hookah going!

My favourite picture of the night.

Honey Cake cupcakes with Vindaloo cream cheese frosting.

With edible butterflies and peacock feathers.

And homemade Chai tea that my mother in law made for us.

I didn't want to be racing around the kitchen all night and stressed about food timings being right so I ordered take out from a great Indian restaurant .

I went in the day before, pre-ordered, haggled at the price (I told you I'm frugal).
So by 8:30 all the food was in the oven staying hot and ready whenever we were!
Perfect!
It was a great night!
We had such amazing weather too, which considering the summer we've been having it was the equivalent to winning the lottery.
I hope you enjoyed the pics!

Garden Party 2011

2011-08-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to make sure I got a Garden Party post in.

We missed last year, which was the first year we'd missed since 2006.

So this year we had to do it up big time!!

It was such a gorgeous night with such great friend and family.

It really was perfect!

My mom is such an amazing cook and hostess. I just can't speak enough praise for her!!

On with the show!

Christie made these gorgeous shabby chic looking water bottle labels.

Fresh flowers from my 'garden'.

A little pre-dinner croquet.

The hostess, whipping up a culinary storm!

The girls of GP 2011

The little ducks of GP

The men of GP

Christie and I came over in the morning and did a little decorating

Dinner Cocktails, SO delicious!!

Champagne, Apricot Brandy & Apricot Nectar.

Also pictured, the deep fried buffalo chicken wontons.....I'm drooling just thinking about them!

Spiced Coconut Lentil Soup with Cilantro butter.

My awesome parents/friends/hosts.

Open faced steak, tomato and provolone sandwich with Worcestershire butter.

And baked garlicky wedge potatoes.

And a molten chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and Hagen Daaz vanilla ice cream.

Rob with Lexie and Ben with Venice getting ready to light the lantern

Me and my bestie!

My family, minus one sleeping baby!

The beautiful Roy family

Lantern Time!!

Intense lantern watching from two little girls who stayed up waaaaaaaay past their bed time!

Making a wish!

My wish was for some more homemade aioli.

And another buffalo wonton.

And a pair of sweats.

While you were Hiking in Peru......

2011-08-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Thought I'd abandoned you forever?

Never.

Just been busy, that's all.

It's summer (supposedly) and we've been out and about.

I've also been very sneaky.

My cousin Travis and his wife Jen went to Peru with my brother and a few other friends for 18 days, hiking and seeing the sights.

3 days before they left they took possession of their first house.

The night before they left they found water in the basement....

So my cousin Jen (Travis's sister, not wife. . . It's confusing, I know) and Jen's (Travis's Wife) sister Jody and I decided we'd try and re-do their laundry room.

It was the room in most dire need of a reno.

Just look at the before pics.

Jody and the wine made the evenings funner!

Those dang wood panels took a few coats of paint...

Jen, Jody and Ben having a serious wallpaper discussion.

Wallpaper complete!

Flooring complete! And lighting too!

And now the Reveal!!

AFTER:

Jen painted all the cabinets, picked an area rug at Home Depot for a sweet deal!

Her husband Aaron did all the baseboards and babysitting.

Jody and her mom came and finished up the last of the painting and looked after searching out decorations and furnishings.

Stacey over at Hattrick Designs used her awesome Silhouette machine and make the lost socks vinyl cut out.

Surprise!!

Yes, I hid in the corner and jumped out at Travis when they came home.

I love surprises.

Travis, not so much.

After the initial shock wore off they were really happy ( I thiiiink).

We love you guys so much!!

Happy Housewarming!!

Butterbeer and a farewell to Harry

2011-07-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

The time is upon us.

Us geeks, that is.

The last Harry Potter movie comes out tonight.

I will not be among the madness, but I will toast to the finale!

With a frosty glass of butterbeer!

It's not actually beer, but it has butter, so it's gotta be good.

I searched the Internet for ideas and recipes and found a few that looked promising.

They just HAD to be good, they were from 'real' wizards.....

Yeeeeaaaah.

Anyhoo, I combined two that looked the best, but it's hard trying to make something taste real, that doesn't really exist.

I gave it my best shot and was really happy with the results!

Here's what you need to make my version of Butterbeer:

(4 servings)

1 2L bottle of clear cream soda (I used Fanta, the only clear one I could find)
3/4 cup of whipping cream
1 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of water
6 tablespoons of butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon of Rum extract
2 ounces of butter ripple schnapps, you can omit this if you want to serve to kids
2 tablespoons of icing sugar

1. Combine brown sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat, and let dissolve and heat to 240 degrees.
2. Add 1/2 cup of cream and cubed butter & stir. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
3. Once at room temp, add rum extract and Schnapps.
4. Put in fridge and let cool, as long as possible, I did mine over night, but I did a test batch after an hour in the fridge and it was great!
5. In a separate bowl, add remaining 1/4 cup of cream, icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of cram soda. Whisk until frothy, but not whipped.
6. In each of the 4 chilled mugs or glasses, pour 1/4 cup of chilled brown sugar mixture, then 1/4 cup of cream soda, and stir until blended well.
7. Pour more cream soda into each cup until it's an inch left.
8. Top with frothy cream mixture.
9. Serve immediately to Harry Potter fans, trust me no one else will get it.

I have to say that it was kind of difficult trying to make something taste like something you've only ever tasted in your imagination.

Did that sound mildly crazy?

Maybe a little.

I think it came out just as I'd imagined it would taste like.

Creamy, sugary, salty, fizzy and kind of nutty too.

Delicious!

Man's feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell. ~Jean Paul Richter

Thank You Cards

2011-07-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

I totally dropped the ball at Christmas time with Venice's pre-school teachers.

We came to the little concert the kids were putting on and I watched all these parents come with gift bags and boxes.

I was baffled.

I didn't get the memo for the gift exchange.

Then I saw it.

The hand off to Ms. Jackie.

Then to Miss Lisa.

Aw crap.

Pretty sure I was the only one with out a thank you gift to the teachers.

The teachers that are shaping the mind of my oldest child.

So when summer was coming I was ready.

Thanks to Pinterest, who sent me to Skip to my Lou who had the girls from eighteen25 as guest bloggers.

I did exactly as they said, I inserted our family name at the bottom, printed them off, pasted onto green cardstock and glue gunned the coffee sleeves I'd been saving for just that moment.

Ripped over to Starbucks, got the gift cards, insert into the coffee sleeve pockets & gave them over to the Teach.

I win.

You can get the more detailed steps to making these over at Skip to my Lou.

I think these would work as a thank you card for anything, not just teacher appreciation.

I might just start doing nice things for people just to get one of these ;)

Get Your Sparkle On! A Fashion Fairytale Birthday for Venice!

2011-07-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

What a whirl wind spring and early summer!

I can, with mixed emotions, announce that I am done party planning for the summer.

Just the summer people.

I'm not giving up, just taking a break.

So for my party finale, I present my little peanut's 4th birthday party.

Barbie in Paris or a Fashion Fairytale, based on a movie that came out last fall.

Some floral inspiration from my backyard.

Unfortunately, they didn't last for the party.

*sniff*

Doesn't mean they're not still dead in the vase.

On my table.

Good Morning birthday girl!!

Barbie snuck out of Mattel to dropped by and see Venice.

Unfortunately she was sleeping, but I told her it was OK to leave a message, balloons and a little gift.

Barbie's SO nice!

(wink)

Wand and sticker/coloring book from 'Barbie'.

I love the excitement in her eyes!

GG stopped by and dropped off a couple of presents in the morning.

Bride Venice.

Hair, Check!

Dress, Check!

Glitter spray, Check!

Sassy pose, Check!

Worried dad, Check.

Treat bag, with Barbie chocolate coins, bubble gum pop-rocks & glitter stickers.

Each girl got to take home a strawberry cupcake with chocolate mousse filling, topped with a vanilla bean buttercream.

The dress up rack and accessory trunk were a huge hit!

Food table!

The fashion Flairies, yes Flair-ies, dropped off some treats.

Shine brought white chocolate Eiffel Tower suckers with lustre dust.

Shimmer brought white chocolate dipped strawberries with hot pink sugar sprinkles and disco dust.

Glimmer made some mini strawberry pop tarts.

I ate 6.

Out of 10.

Mom's got to take home a 6 pack of glitter and instructions for doing quick (and cheap) glitter pedicures with their daughters!

Pink lemonade with drink sparkles!

I had kept Venice out of the basement for about a week, this was her first time seeing it all decorated.

Isn't this one priceless?!

Strawberry cake on top of chocolate with marshmallow fondant, pink sugar diamonds, and edible sugar paper wrapping.

With an oversized Eiffel tower candle...in case you missed that.

Intensely watching Barbie reunite with ken...Oh brother.

Trying to blow out the sparkler!

Lifting + me = baaaaad photo

See?

Let's blow that thing out!!

Venice and her friend Isabelle from preschool.

BFF Lexie!

Cousin Olivia was SO cute!

Getting ready for gift opening!

Lexie, just lovin' that ring pop!

Hair cutting Barbie from Auntie Jen and Uncle Travis was a big hit!

Adding four pink feathers let me re-use the ostrich feather centerpiece from the Glam party, SA-WEET!

Wardrobe change!

Glittered party hats, that no one wanted to wear.

Mental note: Don't stay up till 11:30 glittering hats no one will wear.

Is it just me or does she look tired?

And my little bug who almost slept through the entire party!

Venice was spoiled by her friends and family!

Thanks to all her little friends from school and her closest family friends that came out to celebrate with us.

So far, her most used gifts are her scooter and her BFF crown necklace that she got from Lexie.

I should also mention that my memory card filled up before I could get a post-party shot of the theatre room.

WOW!!

There was more popcorn than carpet.

It was worth every kernel.

Love you Peanut!!

Finally!!! Hollywood Glam Birthday!!

2011-07-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

You just don't even know how excited I am right now!

I can hardly type.

After a looooong wait, and a brief memory card/unreadable file/aneurysm moment, I can now present to you some fabulous pictures from my fabulous 1940's Hollywood Glam Birthday party!

Enjoy!

From the left, Val, Gail, Jody, Heather, Barb, Me, Jenna, Jen, Emily, Christie, Stacey, Jen, Kelsey, Ang, Steph

All my dames, looking glam!

Feature cocktail.

Welcome drinks to the first to arrive.

Bubbly! With drink sparkles of course!

My hair, with vintage brooch.

Every guest got to autograph their own star for the wall of fame!

From the left, Stacey, Kelsey, Christie, Me, Emily with our stars.

Where's Ben when you need him?! We were all ready to stamp our hands in cement!

Black and white cupcakes, with nutella whipped cream filling, chocolate hazelnut buttercream, sprayed with edible gold paint and a dusting of gold disco dust.

Which I will do a post for, I promise!

I had printed up ballots with 6 categories for the costume contest.

Best dressed, best hair, best hat, best makeup, sexiest outfit, and most authentic.

Prizes were an old fashioned note book, vintage style half aprons and a gold, multi-chained and jewelled necklace.

Tiramisu mousse on chocolate spoons, thanks Mom!

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts, SO good! Thanks to my sis Christie for the recipe!

Behind us is the Marquee sign that Ben and I made together.

And by together I mean I dreamed it up, sketched a pic, order the lights and handed it all over.

We make a great team!

There 4 dozen roses spread out in clusters to add to the drama of the night.

Thanks to my mama.

We had two little stars at the party. My cousin Jen with her baby boy, Samuel and my sister-in-law Stephanie, with her baby girl, Amelia!

Both were SO good!

Jen had her moms wedding gloves! I love authentic vintage.

A beautiful shot of my beautiful mom, who was voted best dressed for the night!

I just love this shot!

Kelsey looks like an Audrey Hepburn!

Barb and my mom, sittin' pretty at the bar.

Kelsey and Stacey made faux cigarette holders from chopsticks, paint, white out and glitter.

They looked so real!

Cheers!

Jen with her mom Gail (left) and MIL Val (right).

I just loved these gold chandeliers! They changed the whole look of the basement. For less than $5 a piece!

Blow pop jelly shots, from JSTK. Love her!

Red carpet pose!

Party in full swing, and a shot of the caviar canapes and the shrimp cocktail appetizer that the waitress' passed around on silver platters.

Bartender/photographer/best big brother in the world, Caleb, with my girl Jenna!

Work it girls!!

Meatball lovers Unite!

Ang, Christie, Emily, Kelsey, Me and Stac trying to look all 1940's and serious.

Just had to be done in B&W for the full effect.

Each guest got to go with SWAG bags of course!

It wouldn't be Hollywood with out one right?!

Each bag came with a bath bomb, Rose scented and full of glitter. A Mac eyeshadow or pigment, a Dior or Mac Lipgloss and a pair of vintage clip on earrings.

Steph and Ang, who had great dresses!

Steph's was her grandmas and Ang's was a vintage reproduction from a vintage website.

Both look gorgeous, sporting the red lips!

To say that the night was amazing just doesn't even come close to describing how I felt about it!

I couldn't believe how much thought and effort everyone put into their outfits and accessories!

Everyone was dressed to the nines and played the part.

We all got to be red carpet, silver screen stars for a night and it was just an unforgettable night!

A huge thanks to my big brother who was such a great sport! He took all the pictures, bartended, dishwashed and just added another great element to the night.

A big thank you to all my Dame's who came and celebrated and went all out!

You ladies made my day!

(sniff)

Good News and Bad News...

2011-06-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

So good news first right?

Isn't that what everyone wants?

Good news is, is that the Hollywood Glam Party was a major success!

Actually, I think it was beyond a success, but I'm a little biased I think.

You're all probably thinking, "Quit tootin' your own horn already and show us some dang pictures!!".

This is the part where I get to the bad news...

There are pictures....in Waterton National Park.

My brother, who took all the pictures and who was our dapper bar keep, and who was just Ah-Mazing all around, took the memory card on his hiking trip the next morning.

Oh and did I mention that he's gone for a week...

A WHOLE WEEK!!!

Did you hear that sound?

That was a big vein in my head bursting.

Stay tuned for pictures early next week.

And if that camera with that memory card doesn't make it back I may have to do a post on how to go ninja on someone.