Brown Paper Packages

Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:32:00 +0000

If I haven't told you before, allow me to fill you in now.

I have an addiction.

Yep...it's true.

A very deep addiction to cookbooks.

I will rather sheepishly admit that my heart skips a beat when I have to do a big grocery shop because I know there are tables of discounted cookbooks at our local store all the time.

And I just never know which cookbook I will have to buy.

I'm telling you, it's a disease.

Not because cookbooks are bad...but because I very rarely use them after I've purchased them!!

Someone please tell me I'm not alone in this craziness.

Well, last Christmas I spotted this cookbook.

I knew I had to have it, but I thought I'd be smart about it this time and add it to my Christmas wish list instead (it's not as bad then, right?). Well, hubs was already going a different direction with gifts (lots of fabulous photography goodies), so I was left with no choice but to go out and buy it for myself after the holidays. Right?

Well here's the thing. I went on a diet right after Christmas. I've never been there, so I can't say for sure, but I have a feeling that diets and Magnolia Bakery don't mix well.

So the cookbook sat all sad and forlorn for months.

Until today!

My little 3 year old missy and I decided to make their recipe for Banana Coconut Pecan Bread.

Looks yummy, right?

I indulged in a little slice (still warm, thank you very much) along with the kiddies and...mmm...it has a beautiful, light texture and the toasted pecans and shredded coconut add a nice, subtle flavor.

I like that they called for toasted pecans instead of the usual walnuts. And the best part? It calls for 1.5 cups of mashed bananas! My hubby is the only one who really eats bananas around here and to say he's picky about the ripeness of the banana, would be putting it mildly. A little too yellow and he will turn up his nose. Needless to say, I have a freezer shelf full of too-yellow frozen bananas waiting to be used up.

I used five bananas for this recipe. Score!!

I thought the idea of baking it in a tube pan was a fun twist (their instructions)!

Has anyone else ever baked their banana bread this way? I kind of like it!

So far I'm impressed! I'm really looking forward to baking my way through the whole cookbook! Maybe by the time I've gone all the way through, I'll be able to visit the real bakery in person. Wouldn't that be fun?!

Interested in getting a copy for yourself?

You can buy it online here!

(And no, I haven't been paid for this...they don't have a clue who I am.

I just felt like telling you all about it today!)

= )

Add Some Summer Freshness to Your Sheets!! (DIY Linen Spray)

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:03:00 +0000

There's no doubt about it...we are heading full tilt into my favorite season.

I love, love, LOVE summer.

Every single thing about it (except the noise of the fan at night and the mosquitoes, but that's it.).

But probably my most favorite part about this time of year is being able to throw open the windows and doors in the mornings and let the fresh, cool air in. Aaaahhh.

Lucky me - I inherited my dad's very sensitive sense of smell (that was a blast when I was pregnant. Not.),

so stale house smells drive me around. the. bend.

A few years ago, in my daily battle to keep a fresh smelling home, I discovered a recipe for make-your-own linen spray. (Unfortunately I don't have the source of this recipe anymore.) I was all over that, let me tell ya.

I started making it and spraying it on our bed linens in the mornings when I made up the bed and, even though I'm not a huge fan of the scent of lavender, I LOVE the freshness this spray adds to the sheets. Divine!

Hubs will even comment on how much he loves that first wave of lavender when the comforter is thrown back at night. I'm sure he loves me for sharing that with you too. : )

Think it might be too complicated to make?

Think again.

It doesn't get any easier than this, my friends.

All you need are three simple ingredients:

2 cups distilled water

4 oz. vodka

40 drops lavender essential oil (or any other essential oil you prefer)

You'll also need an empty, clean spray bottle.

First measure out the vodka and pour into the bottle, then add the essential oil.

Shake it up really well. The alcohol mixes with the oil, whereas the water will not...so ya need it in there!

Then add the water.

Screw the top back on, shake it up again and wipe the sweat from your brow.

Now go throw some windows open and spray those sheets!

Then you may pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit down, breathe in the freshness and pat yourself on the back for having achieved total domestic goddess status.

: )

Enjoy!

---------------------------------------------------

DIY Project Parade
It's Just Called Spicy

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Mossy SPRING Sign!

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:06:00 +0000

Hello there!

Wow - I feel like I owe all of you a big apology for being MIA, AWOL and having appeared to jump ship this month...yikes! I've been trying to figure out how to balance my mommy role with blogging ever since Christmas and apparently I haven't done a very good job of it! Let me tell ya...my hat is off to all you ladies out there that have figured it out...you're amazing!!!

Anyhow...don't give up on me please! My mind is still always whirling and swirling with ideas to turn into reality!

Here's an idea that I chewed away on for a while...

I've been wanting to make some mossy letters spelling out "SPRING" ever since last year, but this year decided it would really happen. My original idea was to have them freestanding...until I brought them home and realized that...hmm...a "P" doesn't stand up so well on it's own.

And just a side note here...I realize that for the majority of you - you're probably close to heading into summer already (and I'm terribly envious of you, so don't tell me!!)...but us shivery souls up here in Alberta are just starting to see a few blades of green grass and some swelling buds on the lilac trees...so we're only really just beginning spring!

That's when I remembered some planks of wood that the previous owners left behind.

I started to think that maybe a quick white wash would be just the ticket...

So that's what I did. Now, let me say...I've never white washed anything before so I don't know if this is how you're "really" supposed to do it (how often have you read that line in my posts?!), but it worked great for this purpose. I just stirred together one part white primer to one part water, then slapped it on.

I gave the front two coats and the sides and back one coat. I found you could play with the application a bit to get a thicker coverage in some areas, but quite honestly, there was very little "playing".

I just wanted to finish it before summer arrived. :)

At this point, if I had been thinking (and Hubs had been around because I am tool challenged),

I would have attached some picture hanging devices on the back. Like those saw tooth thingies, or even some circle screws and wire or something.

But, I didn't, and therefore this is now a prop-up-on-a-shelf-only kind of sign.

Here are the infamous letters that won't stand on their own. I picked them up from the dollar store, and I really liked the size of these letters - roughly 6" tall.

(The board, by the way, is 10" tall and just over three feet in length.)

Next I pulled apart some Indian Moss and used LOTS of hot glue on the letters and pushed the moss into the glue firmly. Sometimes I would turn the letter over and press down as well, so that the moss was very firmly glued. It's not much fun dealing with falling moss weeks after you thought you were done with the project, so it pays to take your time at this stage! After the moss was applied to the front of the letters, I slowly glued on little pieces around the edges, and pressed the moss in firmly. You can trim off any sticky-outy bits with scissors at this point so that the shape of the letter is crisp and clear.

Next I glued some tiny little craft eggs into a small grapevine nest - also from Dollarama.

I thought the nest would make a cute extra springy touch next to the letters.

The last step is to firmly glue those letters into place, making sure you measure and space them out properly, and then glue the nest in beside the letters. Voila!

I big fat heart the whimsical touch it adds to my kitchen shelves!

After looking at it for a few days, I decided perhaps a sign saying "HOME" would be just as fun and a little more permanent. So...hi ho hi ho...it's off to make another sign I go!!

Before I do that, however, I want to say a big WELCOME to all the newest followers of BPP!!

To show what a computer/blog savvy person I am (big time sarcasm there), I just recently figured out that there are people - and quite a lot of you at that! - who follow by email!!

Wow! I'm so glad I know about you now! I feel so honored and humbled by all of you that you are actually interested in what I might have to say...what a great community to be a part of!!

P.S. I think I used the words "firmly glue" about 50 times in this post...but at least you get the idea now right? Firmly glue it!!

: )

-------------------------------------------------------------------

DIY Project Parade
It's Just Called Spicy

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Welcome Spring Wreath!

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Hello friends! How is your weekend going?

We've been looking out the window at a mixture of snow, sun, hail and rain the past few days.

Yesterday I decided I'd had enough of being house bound, so I bundled up the kids in the stroller and off we went for a walk. I should mention it had been beautiful and sunny all morning. In my hurry to get out the door after nap time, I didn't bother to make sure it was still sunny (I know...that should have been rather obvious). About ten minutes away from the house it started to snow a little bit...then turn into an all out thunder/hail storm. Yay.

In spite of it, the kids seemed to enjoy it all from under the safety of the stroller "roof" and it was definitely good to get some fresh air!

Hail, snow or sun...this week I decided it was high time to get cracking on a spring wreath.

In my last post on decoupaged eggs, I mentioned that I have held onto last year's Pier 1 flyer all year since I knew it would provide some great inspiration this year!

When I saw this wreath/topiary...I knew I had to try it for myself!

Pretty hey?!

I loved the idea of the topiary, but in the end I decided to keep it

simply as a wreath to hang on the front door.

It took a few weeks to gather up all my supplies since the Dollar Stores in town didn't have anything that caught my eye...and because what I already had on hand...I couldn't find!!!! (Something to do with someone being a little disorganized and scatter brained, but we won't say who that is.)

I used a grapevine wreath I already had on hand, some twiggy/eggy sprays from Dollarama, a bit of Indian moss, a spray of springy flowers from Jysk and some speckled eggs I picked up last year from Homesense.

Putting a wreath together always puts me into a sweat.

I don't know why, but I'm guessing it's the commitment of it all.

Once ya glue it down, you're kinda stuck with it. I know, I'm weird.

But because of my weirdness and commitment issues, I usually lay everything out on top of the wreath first before any hot gluing begins. Anyone else do this?

After a bit of experimenting and using my Pier 1 inspiration picture, I came up with a look I was happy with and finally went ahead and glued it all down. Once I can see that it's coming together, my breathing slows down and I can relax and enjoy the process!

I used a big, fluffy burlap bow instead of flowers, but I like the whimsical touch it adds...all cozied up next to the little mossy nest!

Welcome spring!

Have you made a wreath for the season?

I'd love to hear what you did!

-----------------------------------------------------

DIY Project Parade

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Decoupaged Springtime Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:49:00 +0000

It is now officially Spring.

Yeehaw!!!

I have chosen to ignore the foot of snow still outside my door and go ahead with the springish decorating!

For those of you who cringed at my Facebook status last week...it is with joy I tell you that yesterday I marched outside in complete desperation and yanked all the spruce and pine branches out of all the leftover Christmas decorating in our front yard. I just can't handle hanging a springy, flowery wreath on the front door with evergreen branches, skates and candles right next to the door. Snow or no snow.

Y'know what I mean?

Here is my official start.

Source: pier1.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Last year I noticed these eggs in a Pier 1 flyer, so I kept it tucked away all year since I knew it would provide some inspiration later on.

I've never really decoupaged anything before, but I thought I'd give it a try and see if I could come up with anything similar to their flowery eggs.

I found these bright, cheery napkins at the Dollar Store and thought they could be fun with their loud colors - a slightly unusual choice for me, but every now and then I like to live on the wild side. I also picked up a package of styrofoam eggs and set to work with my Mod Podge (matte) and a brush.

I really have no idea how to decoupage, so I tried lots of different methods before I found one I was happy with. That method was cutting an oval shaped piece out of the napkin with at least one or two flowers on the piece.

Then applying the Mod Podge to a small section of the egg...

...and then smoothing the piece of napkin down over the Mod Podge. I brushed along the edges to get it to lay down as flat as possible.

It's pretty sticky and the napkin would tear a bit if it got too wet, so I would let it dry in sections in an egg cup, and then continue applying pieces of napkin until it was totally covered. After everything had dried, I applied an all over coat of Mod Podge and then let it dry again.

And there you have it!

I found this little wooden wagon in a craft tote in the basement and thought it would make a cute little container for the eggs.

What spring/Easter decorating have you been up to lately?!

Are you still looking at snowy mounds out your window, or are you happily watching your tulips and daffodils push through the ground?!

----------------------------------------------------------

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

The Art of the Swedish Sandwich {Cake}

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:13:00 +0000

I think I've mentioned a few times before that my father was born (and currently resides with my very adaptable Canadian mother) in Sweden. Whether he will admit it or not (and he probably won't), he raised us to be proud of our heritage!

I was a wee lil pesky thing when we lived there last (as a family), so my memories are somewhat dimmed, but that hasn't stopped my enthusiasm for learning more about the Swedish culture and...of course...their food. (Anyone who knows me, knows everything is about the food).

In my early twenties, I had the privilege of getting to know an amazing, and I do mean amazing, Swedish lady who also had a great passion for food. I quickly spotted an opportunity to learn from the best, so we would arrange days where I would drive out to her farm and do her hair (I was doing hair part time back in the day) and she would teach my how to cook and bake some really fabulous Swedish dishes. She has since passed on, but I often think back with fond memories of hours in her kitchen cooking away, and of course enjoying some delicious fika (coffee breaks)!

One of the first "lessons" I had, was on making Swedish sandwich cakes. Don't let that scare you...there is nothing "cakey" about it, other than the method of putting it together. They are truly a work of art...just like dessert cakes...and a great way to express yourself creatively.

This week, I invited a fellow Scandinavian mom and her kids over for lunch and a play date with my kids, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to exercise my sandwich making muscles again.

These sandwich cakes make a fabulous lunch and taste delicious...and best of all, they are not hard to make!

(I apologize for the weird lighting...I was in a rush and didn't have the right settings on my camera)

First you will need bread of some sort. There are sooo many different ways to make these cakes that I don't want to limit your creativity by telling you what to use. However, when I make them, I generally will bake up a batch of white bread using all sorts of different pans depending on the amount of people I'm planning to feed. I have made bread in 9"x13" pans, round cake pans, 8"x8" pans, and the usual loaf shape. This time I chose to go with a regular loaf, but the concept of assembly is the same whatever shape of bread you decide to use.

Trim off all the crusts, until you have a nice rectangular block of soft, squishy, bready insides!

Slice the loaf lengthwise into three pieces.

Now you will fill each layer, just like you would when you're filling a cake with frosting. Yum.

I have used many different types of filling and they all taste good. This time I went with a tuna pate, which was delicious (recipe posted below), but I have also done a chicken salad and egg salad filling.

Now you "frost" the cake with mayonnaise.

Spread a thin layer over the top and sides until it's completely covered.

This will keep the bread from drying out (which also means you could do this step the day before if you're pressed for time).

Here comes the fun part where you can express yourself creatively!

I went with shrimp as a topping on this sandwich, but the sky is really the limit for what you can use to decorate with. Some suggestions are: radish roses, olives, hard boiled & sliced eggs, cheese slices rolled up (provolone works great for this), rolled meat slices, salami (especially cervelat), sliced cucumber, tomato wedges or grape tomatoes, dill and/or parsley. And if you're really adventurous...try the tubes of caviar paste you can find at IKEA (squeezed onto the sliced eggs)!

In this tutorial, I have used rather simple elements and it should give you a good basic idea of how to assemble the toppings (but don't let these pictures limit you).

First I mounded cooked, peeled shrimp in the middle and then placed a row of sliced mini cucumbers around the edge...

Next, I cut medium slices of cheddar cheese (we are in Canada after all), and then cut the slices into squares and then wedges. I inserted a cheese wedge between every second slice of cucumber.

Then I added some thin slices of lemon over the shrimp mound...

...and as a finishing touch, I added some sprigs of fresh dill (a quintessential Swedish ingredient).

Next, you will need a "ruffly" variety of lettuce. I can't remember what type I used here, but I'm guessing it was a basic green lettuce (not romaine). Cut a leaf of lettuce down to roughly the same height as your sandwich, and gently press the leaf into the mayonnaise. You may need to add more mayo as "glue", and you could use a toothpick or two, to secure it if your lettuce is particularly stubborn! (Mine definitely was, but I couldn't have a temper tantrum because my guest was right beside me watching!) Continue pressing lettuce leaves all the way around the sandwich sides until it's totally covered. Make sure the lettuce is perfectly dried after washing, as damp lettuce will give you grey hair!

And there you have it!

A lovely, delicious and cultural lunch. Or appetizer. Or just because it's soo good.

Mmmm!!

Here's the recipe for Tuna Pate that I used.

(Adapted from Company's Coming: Appetizers)

2 cans (7 oz.) flaked tuna

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together until smooth, using a blender or mixer.

Chill until ready to use.

By the way, I asked my mother-in-law for this recipe as she makes it into a ball (like a cheese ball) and rolls it in dried parsley flakes. It is completely amazing spread on crackers!! I gave my hubby a little taste when I made this and his eyes practically rolled back into his head. Soo yummy!

(And yes, I did ~~double~~ triple check the recipe to make sure it's correct!)

If you like it...

Pin It

-----------------------------------------------------------

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Paint Colors...What To Choose...What To Choose...

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Good morning, my friends!

Has Spring arrived in your part of the world yet? We were lucky enough to wake up to about two feet of snow outside this morning. Blah!

So I thought it was about time to bring you up to date on the progress in my mom cave/office/craft room.

The update? It's still a mess.

But slightly less of a mess than it was at the beginning of the year.

If you would peek your head into that room right now, you would see piles of things laying on the far end of the room, and then you would find the rest of the things piled everywhere in our guest room.

I keep praying no one will show up unannounced for the weekend until I can at least get the bed uncovered.

Tripping over a filing box (or twelve) in the middle of the floor is just the risk a potential guest will have to take, but I figure I should be kind enough to at least give them a bed to sleep in. I am so thoughtful, I know.

Anyhow...while it may not look like much progress has been made, there actually has been quite a bit. I've sorted through my piles of junk and now know what I will keep and what I won't. We have moved the armoire (WHY is that such a hard word to spell?!?! I have to google it every.single.time.) that was in the kitchen into this room and I now have all my fabrics lovingly folded, organized and stacked in there. I thought I had waaaay more fabric than I actually do, so now I totally see that as a reason to go out and buy more.

And the closet has been completely cleared out...as in no shelves, rods or anything.

Now the room sits and waits. Waits for what you ask?

Well I'll tell you. It waits for my to make up my stinkin mind about paint colors!!

I can't quite figure out why this is such a challenge this time. Typically, I know exactly what color route I want to head down and it doesn't take too long to find what I have in mind.

This time? Noooo. I think it's because the room is mine, all mine. And I'm scared of messing it up.

First I thought I wanted to go along the burlapy, suedey line.

Source: design-seeds.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

I love that this palette is called Mental Vacation!

But then I realized that it just didn't sit right. After all...I'm knocking myself out trying to get rid of all the brown tones in this house. Why would I purposely go and add more?

(No offense to those who love browns...it just doesn't work in this house.)

Then I came across this lovely palette of colors.

Source: design-seeds.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

A bit of a departure, isn't it?

I was completely in love with this one and had 100% settled on it, in my mind.

Until I remembered that I had used a palette very similar to this in a washroom about 14 years ago.

Now, I know this is weird...you don't have to tell me...but I generally don't like to repeat myself. If I've done it once, I don't want to do it again, especially when it comes to decorating.

Sooo...back to the drawing board...er...Pinterest...we go.

Source: design-seeds.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

I love the relaxing smoky blues of this palette.

Source: design-seeds.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

The touch of lavender in this palette makes my heart go pitter patter.

I didn't think I was a fan of grey and lavender together, but apparently I am becoming one.

Source: design-seeds.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Again, more smoky greys and purples with a touch of sage.

Totally loving on it.

(Do people still refer to these colors as lavender and sage or is that "soooo ten years ago"?? Inquiring minds would like to know.)

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

I can't quite decide on this one. One day I like the girly hues and the next I find them just too pink.

I think in the end - at least for today - I am going back and forth between "Mountain Air" and "Succulent Tones", even if I have already "been there, done that".

If it were your room...what would you pick? What color palette inspires and relaxes you at the same time?

If you're on the hunt for some colors yourself, have you checked out Design Seeds?

If not, then you really must. There is so much inspiration and beauty to be found there and you never know... you might even find yourself looking at some colors and shades you hadn't previously considered!

Till next time!

Evie

This One's For the Birds.

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:23:00 +0000

Hello, hello!

I cannot believe how long it's taken me to get this post up and out to you.

My apologies, I'm not ignoring you, I promise!

We've just been suuuuuper busy around here lately with painting, painting, painting and more painting! My little kiddies have been watching a lot of kiddie shows and movies lately (not that they seemed to mind one bit), while their mama and daddy attacked the walls, trim, banisters...you name it.

Eventually it will all be finished and I'll have the fun of showing you some before & after's!!!

However, last week there was a rather special holiday here in Alberta called Family Day.

I think it's one of my favorite things about living in Alberta. Daddy was away at work, but I was determined to put down the paint brushes and have a little fun with the kiddos, so we gathered up the supplies and made some bird seed ornaments to hang in the trees in our back yard. Our kids have fun watching the birds in these trees during the summer, so I thought this would be a fun project for us and maybe we would see a few of them come back.

I found a great recipe over at Saltwater Kids although hers are much prettier than ours, so you should definitely go check it out.

So first we gathered up the supplies and then paused for a picture.

Not an easy task with a near 2 & 3 year old. : )

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup water

1 pkg. unflavored gelatin (not shown - oops)

3 Tbsp. corn syrup

4 cups birdseed

First we dumped in the flour and the water.

My perfectionistic self took a deep breath or several and let my three year old do the "dumping" and just told myself to forget about the mess. Whew...yay me!

Then the corn syrup...

And then my lil chubby cheeked almost two year old did the very important job of adding the gelatin...

Mix it all together...

Then add the birdseed and mix some more...

Maybe have a little taste test when Mommy isn't looking too.

Next I sprayed some cooking spray into a mini muffin pan.

You can really use any kind of mould you want for this, but I thought the muffin pan would be the simplest for us.

Press the seed mixture down firmly into the moulds and take another mouthful of birdseed while Mommy is busy taking pictures...

Then insert straws all the way through, wiggling them to make sure they go all the way to the bottom.

Let them dry for a few hours in the mould with the straws in place, then remove the straws and gently pry them out of the mould, flip them over and let dry for a few more hours, or overnight if you can wait that long!

I threaded some jute twine through the holes and tied them off with some knots and then we headed out into the great outdoors...otherwise known as our backyard.

Visions of birdies eating the birdseed ornaments were dancing through their heads, I'm sure.

Of course the majority of them were all hung on the bottom three branches....

The lure of the playset pulled them away eventually at which point I did a little OCD rearranging, but they haven't forgotten and every now and then we have a little peek out the window to see if there have been any takers.

We haven't seen any visitors yet, and who knows maybe it's the wrong time of year, but really...in the end that doesn't matter. We had a great time making something...messes included...and spent Family Day having fun together...just like it should be.

Next year I hope to make new ones with the kiddies to hang on the evergreens as outdoor Christmas ornaments. Stars...bells...gingerbread men...fun, fun!

--------------------------------------------------------

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Whoops!!

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:43:00 +0000

Well. I did it.

The one thing I've been afraid of doing for...well...years.

See, many, many moons ago I copied a recipe out a magazine.
I believe it was for a grapefruit cake with a grapefruit frosting.
Sounds pretty good, right?
Well, it wasn't. It was downright awful.
I never could figure out why it tasted so bad when it sounded like it would taste absolutely divine.
A long time later I realized I had mixed up the measurements and added a tiny amount of grapefruit zest to the cake and WAY too much to the frosting.
Ever since then, and particularly since posting recipes on this blog, I've been pretty paranoid about doing it again.

Well, guess what? I did.

So...my biggest apologies to those who were brave enough to make the Fallish Carrot Ginger soup I posted last fall.
Tonight I made it again, and this time followed the directions on the blog.
I couldn't figure why it didn't smell quite right, but of course never bothered to taste test...I mean, it always tastes good!
Well, let's just say...err...I made a wee tiny typo and wrote the wrong measurements for ginger and...well, my instructions said to add one TABLESPOON of ginger. Yowza.
So that, my friends, is what I did tonight.
Let's just say this...I've been dealing with a headcold this weekend.
My sinus's are now clear.
And my mouth is shooting flames.

It should have read one (barely) TEASPOON of ginger!
Sheesh.

I've corrected it on the post but of course I am now hanging my head in shame and hoping you'll trust me again. It IS a delicious soup...when it has the right measurements!

Now if you'll excuse me...I have a pot of soup to dispose of...

How To Make Custom Roman Shades

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:44:00 +0000

Hey there, friends!

Tuesday was the last day of my hubby's three week "vacation"...and I say that loosely because there wasn't much relaxing going on. We purposely put our nose to the grindstone and dedicated the days to getting this place painted, as well as finishing up some other long-put-off job.

One of those put-off jobs was sewing up a roman shade for our bedroom.

I LOVE me some roman shades. If I could (and hopefully eventually I will), I would have them on every window in the house and do away with those dust collecting mini blinds forever.

The problem here lies solely in finding a good block of time where I can sit down uninterrupted and sew away. Our little renocation (I'm stealing the word from a friend cause I think it's brilliant) provided the perfect opportunity.

I thought while I was at it, I'd take pictures and write up with a "how-to" for any of you who might be interested in tackling some shades of your own.

Still with me?

Good.

There are a LOT of pictures...you've been pre-warned! When I learned how to make them, all I had was a bit of chicken scratching and a rough sketch to go by. I would have loved some really clear instructions, so I've tried to do my best here for you.

These shades are not difficult to make, they just require some time and patience.

And hey...in the end you'll have a beautiful custom shade that fits perfectly and matches exactly...for a fraction of the cost. Can't beat that, right?!

First you'll need to purchase your supplies - obviously!

Figure out the measurements of you window and make sure the fabric you choose is wide enough.

I typically buy 1.5 meters (roughly 1.7 yards) and I always have enough to cover a standard window.

- Drapery lining same amount as fabric (I usually use a light blocking liner)

- tube tape (width of window x 5)

- nylon cord (length + width + 1/2 length x 5...I explain this more below)

- 1.5" velcro

- cleat

- circle screws (5)

- cord drop

- slat (width of window)

- 1/4 " dowels (5 - width of window)

1" x 2" board (width of window)

- staple gun

- staples

If you've never heard of some of these items, don't worry, the pictures will better explain what you need to look for...keep reading!

First off, give your fabric a good ironing.

A crisp press makes a sewing project sooo much easier!

I always press both the fabric and lining.

Measure the width and height of the inside of your window where the shade will be hanging.

My window measured exactly 46" x 46".

Then, cut out your fabric adding 1/2" to each side and 4" to the length.

I cut my fabric out at 47" x 50".

Now take your lining and mark out your measurements for the tube tape (show below) with pins.

The first row of tape should be 5 inches from the bottom. The next row should be 8 inches up and repeat with three more rows 8 inches apart.

Tube tape is a fantastic product that has little loops along the top of the tape for running nylon cord through (as shown above) and a pocket along the bottom (shown below) where you can insert a dowel. If you are still unsure of what you are looking for, ask for tube tape used for roman shades at your fabric store and they should hopefully know what you're looking for.

Now it's time to pin down the tube tape. Pin the tape to the right side of the lining and start at the bottom.

You have already measured out five inches and marked it with a pin. Pin your tape down with the bottom of the tape right above the marking pin (as shown above). Keep measuring as you pin your tape across the width of the lining, making sure you are keeping the tape straight.

Lay your next row of tape down, once again above the pin marking (refer to above photo).

As you work your way across, pinning the tape down, measure 8" from the top of the tape to the top of the tape below and you will be able to make sure you are continuing to pin in a straight line.

Continue laying out and pinning your rows of tape until you have five rows completed.

After my fifth row of tape, I had about 13" of fabric left. This is the way it should be!

You don't want to go too close to the top of your fabric or things will look very wonky when you're at the finishing stages!

Now baste your tape onto the lining. I used a bright colored thread in this tutorial for demonstration purposes, but you certainly don't have to. Just make sure when you are basting, that you stitch right along the top of the tape and avoid stitching over the little loops.

Now it's time to stitch the lining to the fabric!

Pin right sides together, and stitch the sides and bottom together with a 1/2" seam, leaving the top open.

Trim the bottom corners and flip right side out, making sure the corners are neatly pushed out. You're going to feel like a professional seamstress when you see your shade coming together!

Press the edges of the shade out flat.

Now you need to find a slat of some sort to push into the bottom of your shade.

I have used different materials for this with the various shades I've made. The main thing you need to look for when choosing a slat, is that it is sturdy yet slim. I have used gardening stakes before, but for this particular shade, Hubs had some plastic slats from an old mini blind hanging around, and it worked perfectly! It was flexible and yet wouldn't break - which is something you need to watch for if you use a wooden slat. If it is too thin, it can snap. I would say a 1/4" thickness would be perfect. The width of the slat should not be greater than 1.25".

Slide the slat between the fabric and lining down to the bottom of the shade.

Now you will need to stitch a pocket to keep the slat in place, which you can do either by hand or by machine. For this blind, I used a zipper foot and stitched with the machine. This is by far the most challenging step (if done by machine) as you need to make sure you are far enough away from the wall to accommodate the slat sticking out behind you and in front of you, as you stitch.

Stitching by hand will alleviate this problem, but it does take longer.

Time to stitch the tape again! This time you'll be stitching through all the fabric so make sure your top thread and bobbin thread match the fabrics! (Bobbin thread should match the shade fabric and top thread should match the lining.) Once again, pin the tape and fabric together, making sure everything is smooth and flat.

Now you will carefully stitch in the "ditch", as you can see in the above picture.

This will eliminate any chance of accidentally stitching the loops shut.

I suggest pinning and stitching one row at a time, removing the basting before continuing on to the next row.

This way you can be sure to pull the fabric smooth between each row and ensure a better finished product.

Now the shade part is complete! Yippee! You did it!

Give yourself a pat on the back!

Now you will need your 1" x 2" board - measured and cut to fit inside the width of the window (ours was 45.75"), dowels, circle screws, velcro, nylon cord and cord drop.

Using leftover fabric, "upholster" the 1" x 2" board. To be honest, this part is optional. The shade will work just fine without covering the board...it just won't look as nice!

At any rate, if you choose to cover it...wrap it much the same as you would wrap a gift...just use staples instead of tape!

Tuck those ends in and staple them neatly too!

Now staple the "hook" side of the velcro to one edge of the board.

In this example, we stapled the velcro right over the staples fastening the fabric underneath, so everything is neat and tidy.

Now you will need to stitch the "loop" part of the velcro to the lining side of the shade.

My window is 46" in height, so I marked a pin at 46.25" and pinned the velcro just above the "marking pin".

(Hubs makes a great hand model, hey?!)

Stitch down both sides of the velcro.

Trim the excess fabric down about 1/2" away from the velcro, as shown.

Attach the velcro on the shade to the velcro on the board.

If you're like me, you'll be getting very excited right about now! You're going down the home stretch!

Now you will need to measure out and predrill holes for the little circle screws.

Start by measuring in 2" on each end. Predrill. You want each of the screws to be roughly 10" apart, so in our case, we predrilled right in the middle of the board, and then again in the middle of the two "sections".

It should look something like this...

-->2"------->10"------->10"------->10"------->2"--

Screw in the circle screws.

They should be about 1/4" from the edge of the board that is closest to the shade.

Now it's time to pull it all together with your nylon cord.

Decide which side you want to have your cord drop (the side you want to pull the shade up) and start working on the opposite side of the shade. You will need to tie a bulky knot - and this is important because you don't want that knot eventually pulling through the loops on the tube tape. I usually knot it about three times, and then thread the cord through a large blunt needle.

So again - start at the bottom of the opposite side you want your cord drop.

Measure 2" in from the edge and pull your needle through a loop on the bottom row of tube tape.

This picture should give you a good idea of how you will need to thread your cording.

Continue measuring in 2" from the edge and work your way through all the rows of tube tape, then through the first circle screw and continue through all the other circle screws until you get to the opposite side. Cut your cord at roughly the halfway area on the opposite side of the shade. For example, my shade is 46" in length, so I cut the cord at 23".

Now go back and thread another row, starting 10" over from your first row. Thread it through the loops, measuring to make sure you're continuing in a straight line, thread through the circle screw and continue through the rest of the circle screws until you get to the opposite edge once more and again cut the cord at 23". Continue moving over until you have five rows threaded as shown in the picture above.

Now - just to make sure that knot doesn't come untied in the future (the nylon cord can be slippery), I like to stitch my knot together with a regular needle and thread. Just run some stitches through it all and eliminate a possible headache down the road.

Next, insert the dowels into the little pockets in the bottom of the tube tape. You may need to trim down the length of the dowels to fit neatly inside the tape, and that can easily be done with a utility knife.

Ta-da! The construction of your shade is finished!!

Now you just need to attach it to your window!

I hope you are very proud of yourself right now...you deserve a pat on the back!

You may want a couple extra helping hands at this point. It can get a little awkward for one.

Line up the shade edge of the board with the outside edge of your window casing, and predrill through the board and into the casing. We usually use three screws - one of each edge and one in the middle.

Screw the board to the casing.

At this point you can step back and see if the shade is hanging level, and if not, simply unscrew the board and adjust the shade by pulling apart the velcro and moving it however needed and then screwing it back up again. The beauty of it all is that the velcro side is sandwiched between the board and the casing so you will not be able to see any of the adjustments.

Now you need to determine where you would like your cleat.

In this case, we fastened it to the inside of the widow casing, but you could also fasten it to the wall beside the window. The choice is all yours!

Thread your nylon cording through the cord drop and tie a knot, then trim off the excess cording.

Guess what?! You're all done!

Pull your blind up and adjust the folds. I've found that it takes a few days to "train" the fabric to lie down into nice folds, especially if the fabric is thick and I've used a light blocking liner.

This shade cost me around $30 for all the material and supplies and it fits my window perfectly and the color and style is exactly what I want. That makes it all worth the effort for me and I have to say I'm hooked on making them.

Good luck and happy sewing!

I think you will soon be just as addicted to customizing your shades as I am!!

This morning as I was going through some new blog posts by various bloggers I follow, I spotted this beautiful shade over at Dear Lillie. Check it out! Gorgeous shades made from a drop cloth and then painted. What a fabulous idea...it definitely got my mind rolling again about further possibilities!

If you like it...

Pin It

-----------------------------------------------

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Recipe Hits at the BPP Home!

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:28:00 +0000

I don't know about you...but I'm a bit of a freak about recipes.

I own dozens and dozens of cookbooks and have a lot of recipes saved to my "favorites" on the computer.

And then...along came Pinterest. Like so many others...I, in vain, tried to stay away from "what everybody else was doing." (Now I'm kinda wondering what my reason behind that was?)

I am now at the point where I can't seem to go to sleep at night without a quick scan of the pins of those I follow. Therapy, people?

Anyhow, if you follow me, you may have noticed I tend to repin a lot of um...recipes.

(Especially lots of chocolate recipes!)

One of my goals for 2012 is to introduce some new meals to our family. We've been stuck in a little bit of a rut this last year, and I thought some new flavours would do us all good. So I've been referring back to those pins and actually making the recipes instead of just drooling over the pictures.

If you've been doing this as well, you have probably experienced the same thing as me...sometimes the picture looks a whole lot better than the recipe tastes.

And then other times...the opposite!

The recipe was totally and completely drool worthy, just like the picture.

So without further yakking...here are some of my favorites!!!

Source: jane-adventuresindinner.blogspot.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Homemade Ricotta.

I can't even tell you how excited I was when I saw this recipe (Go Jane!). And even more excited that it did, in fact, work. I celebrated the success (and it's very easy, by the way) by making lasagna with homemade pasta and of course the ricotta. Yum.

I don't know what ricotta costs where you live, but where I live, it's about $7 - $8 per 500 ml. container.

I figured out I can make the same amount for about $3 and in about the same time it would take me to pack up my two kids, drive to the store and buy some. Gotta love that!

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Oh. My. Goodness.

There are no words for this recipe for chicken gyros. Totally amazing.

If you like Greek food, you will be in tastebud heaven. Make your own pitas and it's even better.

Love, love, LOVE!!!!!!

Source: inomthings.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Lemon Garlic pasta with pine nuts.

I made my own pasta, so that took a bit more time, but otherwise this is a quick, simple and easy dish to put together and delivers a lot of flavor. I especially liked the added crunch from the pine nuts.

Source: thecrunchymamacita.blogspot.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

I don't know if these really even needs an explanation! How could you possibly go wrong with nutella or fudge? Put the two together and...it's amazing. I made a batch for Christmas and conveniently forgot to put out all of them. Then I went on a month long no-sugar diet right after New Years, so they are still sitting in the fridge waiting for me. Lovely nuggets of bliss.

Source: notwithoutsalt.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

I've been on a Greek kick this past week, and these Greek nachos fit the bill!!!

Yummy, yummy, yummy is all I have to say. My kids loved them too!

Source: allrecipes.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Low Carb Cauliflower Leek Soup.

Okay, to be fair, I didn't repin this one. My sister-in-law made it, posted the recipe link on Facebook, I pinned it and then made it. In fact, I'm making it again tonight...it's simmering away while I write. Do yourself a favor and try it...it's deelish!!!

Source: aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Oatmeal pancakes.

Sunday night is pancake night at our house cause this momma wants a break from any serious cooking, and I knew I had to try this recipe out.

My pancakes didn't turn out as fluffy as these, but the flavour was all there. Yum, yum!

Source: cookingwithk.net via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Crusty Italian Bread.

I loved how easy this was! There is nothing like a fresh loaf of bread with dinner...or at any time for that matter!

Source: sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Rolo cookies.

These are also super easy and fun to make, not to mention slightly addictive to eat!

Source: nuttykitchen.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Okay, this one I am still a little bit confused about.

The concept is chilling coconut milk and then whipping the heavy cream that rises to the top. I tried it and found that it didn't "whip" like I expected it to and it didn't taste like I thought it would. So in that regard, I wasn't totally thrilled with it (although maybe it wasn't supposed to be really, really thick after whipping...I don't know.). However, I still list it here as a favorite because of what I used it for! After adding a bit of sugar and vanilla, I used it to top off a pina colada pancake concoction...and wow! THAT had some serious yum factor!! I'm hoping to share that whole recipe with you soon!

Source: wiveswithknives.net via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Fig & Prosciutto Pizza.

Need I say more? It's delicious!

Source: fycupcakes.tumblr.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

And last, but definitely not least, the Ferrero Roche Nutella cupcake.

Seriously heavenly. I made these for a little pity party I threw for myself for my bday and wow, were they awesome!!

I hope you were able to find some eye candy here that you can soon create in your kitchen...and hey!

When you do, let me know your thoughts! I love hearing from you all!

Till next time!

Gettin' My Act Together 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:23:00 +0000

I mentioned it in my last post...my plans to get organized in 2012.

I had to change that plan to "Get My Act Together 2012" instead...since there is a lot more I want to see happen and change this year than only organization.

Here's a tidbit of how life has gone down in the BPP House over the past couple years.

2010 was pretty much the worst year of our lives, definitely our married life, but possibly our single lives as well. If something could go wrong that year, it did. It was a bad, bad year.

Long story short, nothing but the grace of God pulled us through in tact.

Hubby's work transferred him to our new hometown in December of 2010, and I stayed back in our old hometown with our 2 yr. old and 6 month old and tried not to go crazy. Finally, by the end of Feb. 2011, all the relocation issues, home selling issues, renovation issues and such were OVER and we were all able to move down here and be together as a family again. It was fantastic.

In short, 2011 was spent trying to simply recover.

As a result of that, very, very little was accomplished in the area of making this home "ours".

We optimistically thought we would be able to achieve more than we did...but we didn't.

Now is 2012 and both hubby and I are feeling mostly normal again (whatever that is) and are anxious to tackle things around here.

I've spent the last year analyzing how we use our home and what we could do to make it work.

Look between your fingers if you need to, but I am about to show you our home's dirty laundry.

It ain't purdy.

First on the agenda is to CLEAN OUT THE CLOSETS!!!

We had to throw things into closets very quickly after moving in, due to two curious babies, and lots of company.

I never got around to fixing it cause...well, I don't like organizing and it's easier to close the door.

The bottom half of the closet...we like coffee, can you tell?

I don't have much cupboard space in my kitchen so I used whatever little nook and cranny I could find to throw extra "stuff" into.

The front closet.

It's where we hang coats we never wear.

And cleaning supplies.

And water.

And extra pantry supplies.

I'm pretty sure my mom is hyperventilating now, if she's gotten this far in the post without fainting.

I'm happy to say though...I picked up some super cute wallpaper at a crazy low price ($1.50/roll) and I have some pretty sweet plans to pretty up these closets in the very, very near future! Keep your eyes open for that!

Sure hoping I didn't just shoot myself in the foot by typing that out...

Aaaaaannndd the kitchen.

Oh the kitchen. So many issues here.

First off, I have to empty that armoire out so that I can use it in my craft room. More on that later.

In order to create more storage and space in general, we plan to build bench seating along the window, then purchase a round table. I think it'll cozy up the kitchen significantly and oh...I can hardly wait for that extra storage. Before we (as in "he"...no sense in trying to fool you) can tackle that, however, we need to replace the flooring, so I'm keeping my eyes open for a nice, neutral tile.

Here is our living room.

Exciting, isn't it? This is something that has bothered me since the day we moved in...the furniture just blends in with the walls...the floors...the trim, etc. Blaaaahhhhh.

I'm SO EXCITED to say that we're painting those walls...finally!

I've picked out a gorgeous light grey (you can see the sample swatches by the window) that we are both crazy about it, and in fact, I've already started painting the short walls.

I can't wait to show it to you once it's all finished!

We're also planning to purchase new furniture for in here at some point this year.

I kid you not...that furniture is the most uncomfortable furniture you could find to sit on, short of a wooden pew. I bought it when I was single and was all about the look and nothing else.

I wish I could say I'm kidding, but I'm not!...the day I bought the couch/love seat, I was actually intending to purchase something espresso in color and very modern in style. I found what I wanted and was heading up to the front desk to tell the salesperson what I wanted, when I passed this set. I turned around and said, "Ohhh!! I like that one too! How much is it? Okay, I'll take it."

I never even bothered to sit on it.

Yup. Hubs has never let me live it down.

Boring, bland oak trim...you are goin' down!!!

We're planning to replace all the trim with some nice thick shaker style, glossy white trim as well as replace the doors. Or paint them white, depending on the budget. I've got board & batten in mind for this hallway too, but I have this uncomfortable, nagging feeling that I might have to do a lot of out of this world cooking and baking for hubby in order to convince him.

The days are numbered for that loverly oak and burgundy banister as well...

(How 'bout that nice 80's hallway light too?!)

Here's our teeny, tiny en suite.

We plan to put in new flooring - the bathroom is so tiny that I get to do a Sarah Richardson style "splurge" and install marble tile. I can hardly wait!! We'll paint the vanity a semi-gloss black and install a new counter top/sink and matching marble tile back splash.

Eeeeeeeee!!!

And last, but definitely not least...my room of shame. The future office/craft space.

Some of you may have seen this picture before. It really is a scary space and every time hubby or I go in here to attempt to clean it up, we stand and stare for a while, then sigh and walk out, firmly closing the door behind us.

Well, this year it IS going to happen. It IS.

Hubs has his man-cave with the black furniture and beloved flat screen TV, and now this momma needs her mom-cave. I already shared with you some of my inspiration pictures in a previous post, and I can barely wait to get going on this mess. The armoire from the kitchen will be moving down here to house my rather ridiculous, but impossible to part with, fabric collection. I. Can't. Wait.

Well, congratulations to any of you who got this far down the post!

You really are dedicated readers if you haven't run away screaming by now!

There are a lot more personal and family goals we have for 2012, but I'll save that for another day.

For now, let's just think of pretty decorating and hope for great things in the reno dept. over here this year!!

Cheers!

The Love of White, White, White!

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Hello all!

Are you all still there??

I've been busy trying to figure out how to add more hours to my day...maybe you have the secret.
Please do share!

Alright, I kid...I haven't been trying to figure anything like that out.

I've been trying to get ORGANIZED.

I'm also discovering I have some sort of homemaking ADD.

Currently, I have two walls test painted on our main floor, one closet half organized, one armoire slightly emptied, a wreath 1/4 finished, and tea stained coffee filters laying around.

It's all part of my Ginormous 2012 Get Organized Plan.

Except maybe the wreath and coffee filters...that was merely a momentary creative escape.

Part of my Plan...and I am hoping to share it all with you soon...is to paint the trim in our house.

This is about the best picture I could find of the goldeny oak trim above the sink in the kitchen.

You can't see it here, but the sill was stained and rough and icky looking...plus it blended right in with the golden cabinets on either side. I know a lot of people love oak, so hopefully you won't be offended by me saying it's just. not. my. thing. And in our house...golden oak is EVERYWHERE. Floors, doors, trim, cabinets...all tied together nicely with a very blah, boring shade of beige wall paint.

EVERYWHERE.

The weather has been playing tricks on us in Alberta this winter so....

...all the springy feeling sunshine (I knew it was too good to be true!) simply forced me to whip out my paint brush. I painted....and painted...

...and painted some more....

Finally...a coat of primer and three coats of semi-gloss white later...I had a beautiful, shiny white window.

Sigh.

I'm so in love.

I almost love doing dishes again!

Oh, the refreshing power of white!!!!

Oh...and as for the weather?

It turned cold and snowy right after I finished my little painting project.

Definitely winter again - not spring - so I dashed outside to bring a few sprigs of spruce back in and "winter-ize" the sill. I like it.

Simple.

Clean.

Just the look I'm aiming for in the rest of the house.

Hi ho, hi ho....off to organize I go!

What have you been up to after "Christmas" was put away??

Dreaming Up My Own Space

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:53:00 +0000

Happy New Year, Friends!

Did you all have a happy time celebrating Christmas and New Years?!

I apologize for being absent for so long, but I was feeling a bit burned out after all the crazy crafting before Christmas, then celebrating three different family Christmases.

This year was my first time "doing" Christmas for my little family (sans hubby, who had to work over the weekend) and my extended family. Quite the adventure, let me tell you. I have a bit of work to do when it comes to my hosting/cooking skills! My sister in law has been trying to convince me to share with you all my flop of a Christmas dinner, but I think I'm a little too embarrassed! Just picture...a not totally thawed, prehistoric sized bird that wouldn't fit into my roaster and refused to cook all the way through, a smoking oven (no yummy roasting turkey smells here, friends), a broken dish in the dairy-free veggie dish, a very diaper rashed lil boy running around sans diaper and leaving several puddles behind, starving, hovering teenagers, a less-than-delicious punch made from the rhubarb syrup I froze last summer, and a dinner table that didn't look anything like the one I took photos of. It makes for a good laugh now, but I felt like crying in the moment!

Oh well...better luck next year!

Now, after a few days of resting up (and cleaning up!), I have started making a mental list of the home improvements we (mostly I) want to see happen in 2012! It's always fun to dream, right?!

The BIGGEST goal on the list for this year is organizing and decorating my office/crafting room.

I can hardly wait! Currently, I refer to this room as my Room of Shame...I think someone could consider calling the Hoarders production team if they ever stuck their head in there...it's a little terrifying. And, as I'm sure most of you can understand, when you're the creative type, you need a space where you can create! Right now 95% of my creating happens in a little 2.5 foot counter space between the stove and microwave in the kitchen. Not cool.

So the fact that there is a room downstairs waiting for me, but has been basically unusable for nearly a year, has driven me a wee bit around the bend.

Hubs has given me free reign over picking the decorating style in there, which I'm terribly excited about!

I always make sure he can live with any design decisions I make around the house, and even though he's pretty easy going, it does mean that things are not overly "girly" or too feminine.

Now being completely free to chose whatever I want has me a bit stumped!

What is "my" style now?

There are SO MANY styles I love!
I know I want something that is inspiring, peaceful, creative and cozy.

Naturally, I turned to Pinterest and Houzz.com for inspiration!

As you will see...styles that inspire me are kind of all over the place...

Source: houzz.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

I LOVE this color scheme. No surprise there.
The curvy chairs are perfection...need to find me one of those.

Source: houzz.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Loving the calming color scheme with the pops of black.

Mmm hmmm.

Source: houzz.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

This is the same office as in the first picture, but I'm noticing more accents of hot pink. I like it and I didn't think I'd ever like hot pink again after 1988!

(I'm sure there must be a more up-to-date word for that color now, but I don't know what it is. Anyone?)

Source: houzz.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Okay, personally, I am not a fan of this wallpaper...but I do really like the desk, chair and mirror.

So chic!

Source: houzz.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Swing over to another decorating corner and you have French Country...love that too.

So peaceful and relaxing.

Source: whippedstyle.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

I know this is a bedroom...but I just adore the shabby chicness and romantic feel of the room. So feminine!!

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Can we get any different here? Wow...see what I mean?! I am all over the place.

I DROOL over this office. It makes me want to get my creative butt into shape. Okay, that sounded weird.
It just feels orderly and yet inspiring!

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

I'm totally nuts about this desk. L.O.V.E. it.

And the black and white chair.

And the charcoal wall color.

Source: jonesdesigncompany.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

Then again...check out Emily's home office from Jones Design Company.

I think she and I are design kindred spirits. There's not much (if anything) in her house, I wouldn't do in my own if I could. Love her style.

Those desks couldn't be any more different from the previous one I was ooohing and aaahing over, but I sure love them!

Source: freshome.com via Brown Paper Packages on Pinterest

I could do without the zebra ottoman, but other than that, I love the crisp look of the modern white table, the traditional gold mirror, funky lamps and black wall. So crisp!

So...as you can see...I have my work cut out for me just trying to figure out what exactly I want in that room.

What would you choose?

Did you see anything that inspired you?!

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Monkey See, Monkey Do

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:55:00 +0000

Monkey see, Monkey do.

Everyone else is doing it, so I guess I will too!

Here are Brown Paper Packages' most popular posts from 2011

and my personal faves at the end...

#1. Pretty Paper Peonies

By FAR the most popular post...almost entirely thanks to Pinterest!

It makes me laugh every time I look at my stats because that is the one project where I followed a tutorial from another blog! Oh the traffic that has been sent her way!

#2. Michael's Knock-Off Pumpkins

These were a lot of fun to create out of old clothes lying around in my fabric totes...but I certainly didn't expect them to go over as well as they did. What a fun surprise!

#3. Christmas Home Tour

I'm so glad you stopped by! : )

#4. The Stenciling is DONE!

And guess what? We still love it!

Which is a verrrry good thing, cause I don't have any intentions of repainting that wall anytime in the next decade or so.

#5. DIY Cutest Ever Lolly Ornaments

Have I mentioned that the candy tree fell over four times and had to be completely redecorated every time?!

#6. The Project That Didn't Want To End

Still lovin' on the black and white and no plans to change it out...yet!

#7. Blingety Bling Pumpkins

Easiest. Project. Ever.

#8. School Desk Turns Retro

The kiddies are still lovin' on this one too and it has made a great step ladder for me when I need to get something out of a high cupboard...whoo!

And three of my favorites?

Repurposed Candle Holders

Antique Window Turned Coat Hook

Cement Look Candle Holders

There's been quite a bit of crafting going on around here in 2011 and I look forward to sharing lots more with you in 2012...and hopefully lots more design changes in our home and yard too!

Until then though...we still have one more Christmas celebration to attend, New Years Eve to celebrate, a big birthday and retirement party to help throw...so I'm going to continue on with my little blogging break while I spend time with family and friends, and leave you now with my biggest wishes for a very happy and blessed New Year to each one of you!!!

To All My Fab Readers...

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:26:00 +0000

Well, it's here...ready or not!

"Christmas" starts on Christmas Eve for me...thanks to my Scandinavian heritage.

So...Merry Christmas to all of you!!!

Thank you so much for your support and interest in Brown Paper Packages!

It's been really fun getting to know you over the past few months

and I'm looking forward to getting to know you all even better in 2012!

But until then...best wishes for a happy Christmas weekend to you and your families from myself and my family!

May your hearts and tummies be filled to the brim!

Source: lh4.ggpht.com via Maria on Pinterest

Now I'm off to cross more things off my to do list!!

We're celebrating a pretty important birthday party over here, you know!

Be blessed this Season!

Evie & family

P.S. My most sincere apologies to all of you who have left such kind comments the last couple weeks and have not heard back from me. I love reading your comments - they mean so much to me - but unfortunately I've been rather swamped the last while and have not been able to respond as I would have liked. Just know that I appreciate you all so much!

Also a big ol' welcome to all new BPPackages followers!!

I'm looking forward to hearing more from you in the weeks to come!

Comfort in a Crust

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:17:00 +0000

It's that time of year!

If you're anything like me, you're running around desperate to finish wrapping gifts, buying a few forgotten gifts, finishing up the baking (or starting) and smacking your head for yet again forgetting to buy and mail Christmas cards for your family members.

Or - if you're like a certain sister-in-law of mine who's name I shall not mention...you finished everything on Dec. 1st.

Which means you don't need to read the rest of this post.

But you probably will anyhow, just cause everything else is done and you're bored.

Anyhow, for the rest of you who are like me (running around in circles and possibly collapsing into a dramatic heap of tears), here's a handy dandy AND super yummy recipe that'll give you a bit of much needed time while dinner is baking and satisfy your taste buds. It's even a teeny bit healthy cause it has...shhh...spinach in it.

(There's enough cheese in it to make sure it doesn't taste healthy, don't worry)

Introducing...

I'm not a huge spinach lover, really, but this dish is one of my favorites.

Seriously.

It's so yummy, savoury and cheesy.

Total comfort food on a cold, snowy day.

First you'll need a pie crust. Buy one if you want.

I usually make up a batch of pastry using the recipe on the back of the Tenderflake box (works great every time!), then I portion it into six balls and freeze it. That way, when I know I'm going to be short on time, I pull out a ball, thaw it during the day and it's ready to roll by dinner time.

Now make up the filling:

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 package cream cheese (8 oz.), softened

300 gr. pkg. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed

4 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

8 oz. grated cheese, Jack, Cheddar or Mozzarella

Handful of crumbled feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Roll out pie crust and place in pie dish.

Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth.

Add spinach, eggs and seasonings. Mix well.

Add grated cheese and pour into pie crust.

Sprinkle feta cheese (as much or as little as you want) over top.

Bake for 45 minutes or until set in the middle.

Cut into slices, serve up with a salad.

Oh....yumminess.

This is truly one of our family favorites...the three different cheeses may have something to do with that...but even our little kiddies LOVE it. So it can't be all that bad then, can it?

Mmm hmmm good!

---------------------------------------------------------------

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Make Your Own Tree Filler Flowers!

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:30:00 +0000

Have you ever noticed how those fancy trees in the department stores and boutiques are so amazing?
I know...dumb question.
For years, I would study those trees like nobodies business and try to figure out how to replicate it at home. Well, my trees are a far cry from those beauties, but there was one trick I learned.
Flowers. Big flowers. Lots of big flowers.
(Along with bazillions of other "stuff" but that's beside the point today.)

Back in the day when Hubs and I were a double-income-no-kids unit, buying those big, glittery flowers to fill up our tree wasn't a painful deal.

But now...well, let's just say I wanted the flowers without the price tag and that could only mean one thing...
a DIY project was comin' up!

I wanted some filler flowers for the white tree in our bedroom, so I tried to think of fabrics that would work with that color scheme...silver, grey, blue and white. I remembered a (yet another) stash of black and white plaid fabric I've been hauling around for a couple decades or so and thought I'd give it a go.

After some monkeying around and trying to figure out what would work, I was finally able to come up with a flower that made me smile and fit the style and color scheme of the tree really well.

Yippeee! Gotta love it when things work out.

Here's how you can make your own:

First you will need to make templates. I took a piece of paper and sketched out a simple petal shape, and then drew three more, getting smaller each time. I just used plain old note paper...nothing fancy here peoples, I have to work fast around these parts. The largest petal is roughly about 3.5 inches long and 2 inches wide. Make the petals just a bit smaller as you go. It really isn't too fussy as the shape and size will change with every petal as you go along in your project.

Next, cut out six petals of each size.

Here's what I used:

Six petals of plaid in the largest size,

six petals of fine white netting in the large size

AND six petals of white satin in the same large size,

six petals of plaid in the medium size

AND six petals of fine white netting in the same medium size,

then finally six petals of white satin in the small size.

The main thing you need to remember when choosing your fabric is...it cannot be a natural fiber fabric.

You need fabric that has plastic in it, so that it will melt when heat is applied.

Which brings me to the next point...you will be using an open flame to shape your petals.

Obviously common sense is needed when using fire!

For instance...don't put your petal in the flame then turn away to gaze at your adorable children playing and sharing oh-so-nicely together on the kitchen floor. The petal will catch on fire and things go downhill rather quickly from there. Don't say I didn't warn you.

PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Have I skeered you yet? Good!

Once you have your candle ready, hold your petal in front of the flame and watch it closely. Turn the petal so that heat is applied to all of the edges. The more heat applied, the more the fabric will curl up. It's important to remember to keep the heat coming from the back, as that will make the fabric curl forward as it melts.

Keep in mind that different fabrics will react differently to the heat. In my experience the satin curled and formed the easiest, more heat was needed for the plaid fabric, and the netting would melt extremely quickly. I suggest cutting out sample petals and testing it to see how the fabric will react first.

Here you can see how the satin is starting to curl forward.

Once you get the hang of it, it's really fun!

Lay out your six largest petals as shown in the picture, and glue together at the bottom with hot glue.

My glue gun is one of my best friends, have you noticed?

Then continue on with each layer of petals, making sure the petals are staggered with the layer under them. Make sense? You want the petals on top to be between the petals on the bottom.

Hmm...pictures are worth a thousand words...!

So to recap: Plaid petals, netting petals, satin petals, plaid petals, netting petals, satin petals.

Then hot glue a sparkly gemstone in the middle!

You could leave the flower as is now...or you could add a little glue the bottom layer of petals to bring it all together...

Like so...dab a little glue along the edge of the petal, pinch it to the petal beside it and...

Voila! The glue brings the bottom layer "up" and the flower will not be as floppy.

Stuff the flowers in the tree, then sit back and enjoy the customized prettiness!

These flowers cost somewhere around fifty cents each in supplies.

That sounds a lot better to me than $8 or more a stem! And I love that the black and white works so well with the tree style and our room!

Now...go forth and make some flowers!

Just...don't take your eyes off that flame!

: )

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Christmas 2011 Outdoor Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:45:00 +0000

Hello again, friends!

Are you all happy and tired from touring all the great homes in blogland this week?

What a lot of inspiration out there!

Well, I'm happy to finally be showing you the outside decorating we've done around here.

To be honest, I was kind of stumped on what to do. I just didn't seem to be getting any good ideas at all...until I realized there really isn't anything wrong with reverting to "old faithful"...that is, the same style of outdoor decorating I have done for a few years now.

I have enjoyed putting out a garden bench of some sort by our front door and decorating it up with lots of greenery, lights and outdoorsy "stuff". I've always loved it. So why stop now?

As you probably already know, this Christmas we have a new house...and a new garden bench!

Those of you who have been following along since earlier last summer might remember the cute little story about this twig bench, from my garden tour post in July.

I thought it might add a nice rustic touch in the front for Christmas, so we dragged it around...and I say "we" rather loosely, because it wasn't "we" at all...it was all the male half of "we" that dragged it around front. And he wasn't particularly impressed with the female half of "we" either when I suggested it, since he'd been shoveling off all the snow on our deck onto the bench below for several weeks.

Well, he's a good man and didn't grumble too much...and now it sits in the front.

In our neck of the woods (I love saying that), you can buy a permit at the town office and cut down up to three trees in certain designated of the countryside...so we packed up the kids, a sled, some snacks and off we went to find our trees.

This beautiful tree was one of our lovely finds. I think it adds a bit of a woodsy feel, and I love that.

I cut off some pine and spruce branches to line the bench and then wove lights around the branches for a bit of added twinkle at night.

I've had this old lantern for so long, I don't even remember where I got it!

One of the glass panels is broken out now, but it's still a much loved addition to our outdoor accessories.

In the summertime, these cast iron pots are filled with overflowing flowers and vines, but in the winter we like to fill them with more greenery, lights and a twiggy lit up tree.

Another tree stuffed into another cast iron pot by the front door.

This tree required a bit of a haircut to fit into the entryway! This is the first year I've put a live tree into a pot, and I will admit I'm really happy with the look...I believe it might be a permanent addition to the "old faithful" decor every year now!

Hubs found this big lantern at Home Sense several years ago and convinced me to buy it...not that it really took too much rubber arm twisting... *wink*

And last, but not least, more greenery on the door.

I could not come up with any ideas for a wreath for the door and even considered just leaving the door empty...until I remembered this old wall hangy thingie that I had spray painted black last summer.

Duh! It worked great and all it needed was some more pine branches!

It doesn't get any easier than that.

Now c'mon in while I take you through the house to the deck off the kitchen...

If you missed touring the rest of the house earlier this week, you can go here.

Again - usually this is filled with my favorite red geraniums in the summertime, but now it's filled with more pine and spruce, sticks, lights and lit up twiggy branches.

We enjoy seeing the twinkly lights through the window at night while we're eating dinner together!

Thanks again for visiting!

I'll be sharing a fun tutorial for a tree filler flower in the next couple days, so I hope you'll be back to check that out! Although...for your sake...I hope you've finished your tree decorating by now so that you can sit back and enjoy it for a while!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Christmas Home Tour 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:54:00 +0000

I'm so happy to finally be finished my Christmas decorating so I can invite you in for a little tour!

Don't ask for any cookies though...that's still on my to-do list.

Coffee, however, I will happily brew for you and join you with a cup!

Come on it! We love company!

I think you'll catch on pretty quickly that Hubs and I are just a leetle Christmas crazy. I decorate the inside and he looks after the outside (which he loves...aren't I lucky?!). You'll find that I can't decide on what style of decorating I like best, so this year I just incorporated it all into different rooms in the house. Sounds crazy, right? It might be...but we like it! The main theme that ties everything together is trees, trees and more trees of all heights, colors and styles!

Here are four lil cuties to start with.

Some may find it plain, but I really like the look of trees with only twinkly white lights.

Especially when they are paired up with black lanterns and flickering candlelight.

(What I really don't like, however, is the not-at-all-attractive paint job on the stairway spindles! We haven't had a chance to change them yet, so please squint as you walk by!)

At the top of the stairs, I hung the chalkboard I made for the garden.

It happily states the reason we celebrate this wonderful season!

I didn't do much decorating in the living room...this little vignette on the dresser is all, but I have some big plans for next year!

I was so excited to find these aqua/white/silver/brown ornaments on sale this last summer, since the colors tie in so perfectly with the feature wall behind them! I love my white trees too, in case you haven't picked up on that yet from previous posts! *wink*

My mom gave me a box of chandelier crystals last winter and I'm nuts about the sparkle and glam they add to the tree! The silver and opalescent netting adds even more glitter, and you all know I love my glitter/sparkle/glam!

These faux mercury glass candle holders were a fun find last summer at a Christmas in July sale!

Another beautiful floral piece passed on from my mother's collection of Christmas decor...

I've already written a zillion posts on the kitchen, so I won't go into that here,

but if you missed them...you can go here, here, here and here to read up!

Next stop is our bedroom!

You might notice a slight departure in style here. This is the one room we've managed to mostly renovate and make "us" so far...so needless to say...the Christmas decor in here is probably my favorite.

Yes...it's a bit of a tight squeeze to get past that tree, but it's okay...

it's on my side of the room and I'm willing to put up with it!

I normally use this heavy urn as a base for my night table, but come Christmas time it turns into a stand for this tree! I've been using it as a stand for years and I really enjoy the pretty touch it adds.

The ornaments for this tree were such happy purchases...all of them were either seriously discounted

post-Christmas finds, given to me or handmade. And funny enough...everything but the flowers were purchased before moving into this house and choosing final paint colors! Gotta love it when that happens!

The black and white flowers are handmade and I'll be posting the tutorial on those next week.

Make sure to check back!

The rest of the decor is fairly minimal but sparkle to the max!

This crystal bowl was a beautiful wedding gift and I love how it enhances the twinkling white lights.

(yes that's me in the silver ball...hi!)

Another dollar store clearance find...

Next stop is my daughter's candyland vignette.

Okay, maybe this one is my favorite! Hmmm...no...I think it's a tie.

You can find the tutorial for the glittery lollipops here.

Yum!

Now we're going to head downstairs to the family room.

I set up our big green tree down here for a couple different reasons. We're not down here too much, so the ornaments are mostly "out of sight, out of mind" for our toddlers, which means there is a lot less "don't touch that!" going on. Secondly, the ornaments work perfectly with the wall color down here (also not my choice but I'm glad the ornaments work!). I'm almost a little embarrassed to show you this room because it's a bit of a mish mash of furniture that we don't know where else to put. Ah well...keeping it real as they say!

This is hubs favorite tree...he especially likes the warm, cozy shades of gold, bronze and cream.

A bronzy leaf wreath hangs on our big Ikea mirror over the sofa.

I love it's simple elegance.

Garlands hang over the two windows and the ornaments and vines echo the warm neutral tones on the tree.

A few candle clusters fill up some empty areas in the other parts of the room...

The last stop is the guest room! I couldn't leave that undecorated, now could I?

I love a rustic style decor too, and I thought this trio of alpine trees fit pretty nicely in between the antique wooden sofa and the antique gate leg table.

I hope our guests will enjoy the pine cones, red berries and twinkling lights during their stay with us.

Thanks so much for coming over!

I'll be showing you our outside decor this week, so I hope you'll be sure to come by again!

------------------------------------------------------------

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Christmas In The Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:41:00 +0000

I wasn't sure if I dared to do yet another post on the decorations in my kitchen...just in case I would blow your level of interest...but then I realized if I left all of the Christmas decorating in the house for one post...well...your computer might blow up instead. Or something like that.

And besides...the kitchen is the most decorated room in our house...it's the heart of the home after all and we spend most of our time here (yes, even over the TV room!).

And really - I just wanted an excuse to join in with At the Picket Fence's Christmas in the Kitchen block

party!!! (after all that - did I really need so many excuses?)

Well here goes! When I spotted the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen/living room when we moved in, I immediately knew that come Christmas time I wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary on top of the cabinets!

So I set up a prelit four foot tree, complete with a little "snow", berries and pinecones...

The little sled is one of my favorites to decorate with, and it's always a surprise where it will end up each year! I love filling it with..cough...ahem...brown paper packages...and throwing a little lit up tree in the back. It makes me think of some old fashioned scene (in my head...I have a good imagination!) of children pulling a toboggan full of gifts out in the snow. Told ya I'm a dreamer!

The apothecary jars were good ol' Home Sense clearance finds, and I love them filled with glass balls at Christmas time!

The wreath was another clearance find years ago...and I like continuation of the wintery/outdoorsy style even over the kitchen sink!

Recognize this little "Joy" ornament from my Christmas in July shopping spree?!

These are the only snowmen I have, but I think they're so durn tootin' cute!

They kinda remind me of Hubs and I...although I doubt I'd ever be able to convince him to wear a rose in his top hat.

I'm sure most of you have seen more than enough posts on the candy stripe wreath and advent tree, so I won't bore you to tears with more on that...

Although I will say this....that candy jar with sour cherry balls is half empty now.

(What??! Christmas is only like...two weeks away!)

I never would have guessed when I found this old scrappy window, that it would turn into such a loved piece of "art". It was supposed to be a coat hook, but I'm afraid I have taken over with hanging decorations off it instead. I just can't resist!

My sister in law gave me this vintage reproduction postcard/ornament, and I have always loved it.

I thought it would look nice hanging here instead of the usual seasonal wreath. I love the wintery scene...and the glitter of course!

Hubs old boyhood skates are hanging up as a little touch of nostalgia.

A simple twisted together swag of red berries completes the outdoorsy feel...

You've likely already seen my shelves filled with old and new pieces and memories in the post

on kitchen vignettes...

Last, but not least, our simple Christmas table with a special runner made out of linen tea toweling from my late Grandma's fabric stash...

At the end of our table sits a funny little three legged bench, draped with a cozy blanket and furry pillow. Perfect for snuggling with my babies...or as extra seating when we have company.

I'm so loving having advent candles this year and passing on the tradition of lighting another candle every Advent Sunday to my children.

All the dinnerware was given to us as shower gifts before we got married.

I love the simplicity of the white and burgundy red together.

These glasses are another special-to-me addition.

My dad was traveling in Europe on a speaking trip over my birthday many years ago, and he felt so bad for not being home, that he picked out these beautiful goblets as a special gift when he came back home.

(I was not upset that he was away, by the way...I was in my 20's and "mature" enough to not throw a fit thankfully...haha!)

More shower gifts that match the red luncheon plates...

Thank you for joining me on this little tour of Christmas in our Kitchen!!

I promise my next posts will definitely be about other rooms in the house, and I'm especially looking forward to showing you the outside too!

Linking to:

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

Candy Tree!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:53:00 +0000

Last year I decided I wanted to create a little candy themed tree for our daughter's room.

Due to relocation and moving circumstances, I didn't really do any decorating for Christmas last year but instead took advantage of all the post Christmas sales!

I managed to snag a few "candy" ornaments, but I discovered they were a bit of a challenge to find!

But, with a bit of creativity and a few craft supplies, I was able to put together a "sweet" little candy tree.

Here she is...another one of my three foot white trees (I LOVE white trees!!).

And I love this tree! I kind of end up wiping a bit of drool off my chin when I look at it...it looks so yummy!

My three year old loves it too - although admittedly not as much as her mommy - and reminds me often "those are not to eat, mommy, only look."

I wanted to incorporate several cupcake ornaments, but I only found one...and that was after Easter and it's not even an ornament!

I will make it my project next year to come up with some sort of cute hanging cupcake ornaments...I've already been scouting out the materials! In the meantime, this life sized bit of decadence takes the center stage on the tree. Love!!

I showed you the tutorial for these super cute lollies earlier in the week.

Click here if you missed the tutorial! They are so fun and easy to make.

More hanging candies made from left over lolly materials...

The glitter makes me all giddy!

I found some wired pink beaded garland last year on clearance, and I love the special touch it adds.

I came across a box of glittery plastic gumdrops at one our local boutiques earlier in the season. I knew they would be the perfect addition to the tree, so when I got home, I strung them together with fishing line to make little garlands.

Inexpensive pink and purple balls from Walmart tie in nicely with the pastel candy colors!

Perfect for a little girl's room!

I wonder if visions of sugarplums dance through her head at night?!

And there you have it...one of my favorite trees in the house!

There are a few more trees to show you, but that will have to wait for another day!

I'm having trouble finding time to set up photo shoots when little wiggly bodies are not trying hard to see what mommy is doing (and maybe sneak into a photo or two!). But I can't wait to show them to you!

---------------------------------------------------------------

Linking up to:

Christmas Cheer Link Party at Honey We're Home!

2805

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!

My Super Simple Christmas Table

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:04:00 +0000

This year I decided to keep my table setting simple.

Very simple.

In the past, I have done more elaborate centerpieces with varying heights, sparkly fabric, glittery reindeer and lots of little tealights. It was pretty and I loved it, but this year I wanted simple...maybe even a little farmhousy.

I remembered a pile of red and white vintage tea towel fabric that was at one time a part of my grandma's "stash"...can you believe I've been hauling meters of this fabric around for sixteen years!

I thought it would work perfectly with the color scheme I have going in the kitchen!

It couldn't have been easier to whip up a runner....a simple half inch fold and fold over again....

...and stitch up the hem...

Voila!

I love the simplicity of this look.

And I love that the fabric belonged to my grandma even more.

My centerpiece this year is full of old memories and nostalgia.

I have fond memories of lighting a candle each advent Sunday as a child and I loved the idea of creating the same tradition and memories for my own children.

So I created a very simple candlescape with four pillar candles and some pine sprays sprinkled with

red and white berries on a white cake pedestal.

There's nothing quite like the warmth of flickering candles while you eat your meal together as a family!

My setting may not be grand or opulent, but it's perfect for our simple kitchen decor this year!

DIY Cutest Ever Lolly Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Evie) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:19:00 +0000

I think these lollies are my most favorite DIY project...ever.

It must appeal to my inner child, cause I had sooo much fun making them.

Sometime last year I decided I wanted to create a candy themed tree for my daughter's room this Christmas.

I bought a few ornaments on sale after Christmas last year, but there really wasn't too much available.

After searching online, I quickly realized I could have a whole plethora of candy themed ornaments...if I was willing to sell my right arm and leg for them.

I wasn't that eager or willing.

So I decided to figure out how to make as much as I could myself.

And from that...the cutest ever lolly ornaments were born! (at least I think they're the cutest ever!)

First I went to my fave in town shop...the Dollar Store...and searched for some modeling clay.

Some white, and several other bright colors.

I rolled out little logs of clay into flat pieces...about three inches long by an inch wide...

...then stacked the colored piece on top of the white...

Then carefully cut out a piece about one third of an inch wide.

Don't throw out the scrap side pieces though! You can still use them.

Then I rolled up the piece, making sure the colored clay was on top.

I pinched the end together a bit and then rolled, slightly pinching it all together while rolling.

Don't worry about cracking...we'll cover that up later.

I used my daughter's mini rolling pin to slightly flatten out the lolly piece and even out the sides.

Then I inserted a craft stick, gently pushing it through the center of the lolly, making sure it didn't poke out the other end.

Once I finished rolling all the store bought clay I had, I let them dry overnight in a glass.

There was no info on the package stating that I could bake it, or even that it would dry out, but I decided to try air drying, rather than experimenting with baking it if it wasn't intended for that.

Then I rolled up all the little scrap pieces into smaller pieces of "candy".

So cute, right?!

I realized I needed more lollies for the tree, but was too impatient to pack everyone up for another trip to the Dollar Store, so I decided to make my own modeling clay.

You can click here for the recipe I used. Now - I have to say I wasn't thrilled with this recipe...it dried out pretty quickly and required quite a bit of babying. However, if you want to try making your own clay...there are oodles of recipes to be found online, so look around for something that you think will work nicely.

I made these lollies larger by cutting my strips longer - about 6 inches.

Then I let everything dry overnight.

Leaving them alone was definitely the hardest part!!

The next morning I painted the sticks white with acrylic paint.

I could have used regular lollipop sticks, but I personally liked the length of the craft sticks much better.

Then I used matte Mod Podge to seal the clay.

Mod Podge will cover up a multitude of mistakes and cracks!

I let the first coat dry completely, and then covered it with a thick second coat...

...and then I sprinkled opalescent glitter all over the lolly before the Mod Podge dried.

Don't be stingy with the glitter!

When glitter is involved...more is more!!

Remember those little pieces of candy? I sealed and glittered those too and then glued a little loop of fishing line to the back to make hanging ornaments.

Ooohhh! I just love them!!!

I arranged the brighter colored lollies into a little glass container to add to the little candyland vignette.

By the way, the end result on the Dollar Store clay? It definitely didn't dry out overnight, but it did firm up a little. Once I sealed it with Mod Podge, it hardened significantly and became very usable. Because I know that these lollies are not going to be handled often, I am totally happy with them even though they still are still a tiny bit malleable. I expect over time they will harden completely.

For now though, I'm finding myself sneaking into my room and drooling over her little candy tree.

Full reveal to come on that, so y'all come back now y'hear?!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see the other great parties I'm linking up to, click HERE!