Insirational Home

A variety of home decor ideas. Most of them are from

digsdigs.com

Inspirational Dresses

These are some inspirational pictures that I've found recently from ShabbyApple.com.

Valentine Cheesecake

This was our Valentine Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. It came out wonderful. I used some tips I found in the Kitchen Bible about making cheesecakes and it made a huge difference. You separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites together until still and fold them into your batter at the end. Add the egg yellows as usual. It makes it very fluffy and creamy.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

  With the help of my Hubby I've been taking pictures of some outfit ideas. I thought that if I took pictures of outfits I liked then on the days I don't know what to wear maybe I'll see something I like. Perhaps if there is anyone out there who cares where I shop this will interest them.
Yellow sweat- from a clothes bag, Blue Dress- cast off from my sister, Boots- Rugged Warehouse $10
Scarf- from Hubby

Scarf- Wet Seal ( had it too long to remember what it cost.) Blue shirt- TJMaxx $5, Berry colored skirt- from sister, White tank top- TJMaxx, American Eagle Jeans- Goodwill $4, Necklace- another hand-me-down.  

Eyeshadow that I like. Belk $10

  

Yellow sweater- from clothes bag, Necklace- Christmas present last year, Flowers shirt- Kohls $7, Jeans- Old Navy clearance $10

Boots- Goodwill, Skirt- Old Navy Clearance, Berry colored shirt- had forever, Cream sweater- Old Navy clearance, Brown Vest- Rue 21 clearance $5.

Skirt Makeover

 I took two hand me down skirts and made them into one I enjoy wearing. It has pockets! They are my new best friends. I can't tell you how much I enjoy wearing a skirt with pockets. :)

Here you can see where I attached the brown ruffle to the underskirt.

I drew the flower onto the material with a pencil then embroidered over it.

By drawing the stitches tighter than they should have been at the pocket I made a little ruffled edge.

Hot drinks for cold days!

Frothy Spice Latte

In a sauce pan heat 1 cup of milk
 1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of Hazelnut Creamer
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg
add a generous amount of marshmallows and let melt.
Stir constantly.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Lights of Christmas

I love Christmas lights whether they're on the tree, decorating the outside of a building or hung around the ceiling. I still have a strong fascination though for fire. Anything with a flame is my favorite type of lighting. This Christmas I have lots of lights in my house here are a couple.

Winter Projects

 As winter has set in and I'm forced indoors my hands just can't stay idle and I want to make things.

 

I love my new hooded scarf. I stayed very warm during our beautiful first snow fall as I was going in and out of stores. The feathers feel very soft against my chin.

This little fury hair clip has become one of my favorites. It's made from a feather scarf (Hobby Lobby) meant for children. I cut off about a 6 inch section and sewed it onto a small circle of felt, then hot glued a hair brat on the back. The center is a white button that is sewn on also.

Little creations for little feet. I just need to find someone they'll fit now. :)

Homemade Pretzels!

This was my first attempt at making pretzels. They came out very well. I sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the tops but I think next time I'm going to try cinnamon and sugar to make them a sweet treat.

Buttery Pretzels
Dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons instant yeast

7/8 to 1 cup warm water

Topping:

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons baking soda

coarse salt

3 Tablespoons melted butter

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well-combined. Knead dough by hand or with the dough hook for 5 minutes or until soft,smooth, and quite slack.

Flour the dough, place it in a bag, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 500˚F. Prepare two baking sheets by spraying with vegetable oil spray.

Transfer dough to a lightly greased work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl. Make sure the baking soda is dissolved completely.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 inches long.) Twist each rope into a pretzel shape.

Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash ( this will give the pretzel a nice golden-brown color), and place on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse salt. Allow the pretzels to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake pretzels for 8-9 minutes, or until they are golden brown.(Reverse the baking sheets half way through baking time.) Remove the pretzels from the oven. Brush pretzels with all the melted butter. Serve warm or reheat.

Marshmallow Brownies

Snowball Brownies

Recipe:
1/2 cup oil
1cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup coco
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Bake on 350˚ till center is almost set. Sprinkle top with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Bake till melted. 

Almost Chai Tea

Almost Chai Tea

1 black tea bag

1/2 Tablespoon honey

1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar

cinnamon

nutmeg

Clematis

The very last bloom on the clematis Stephen bought for me. It was beautiful!

Yummy Cookies!

These are my favorite cookies! If you're wanting to make cookies for a Christmas party or Thanksgiving get together this is the perfect recipe. It make a ton of delicious cookies. If you're wanting a smaller batch for home I've down sized the recipe to a fourth before and they still turn out wonderful.

 NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES

 2 cups butter
 24 oz. chocolate chips
 4 cups flour
 2 cups brown sugar
 2 tsp. soda
 1 tsp. salt
 2 cups sugar
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
 5 cups blended oatmeal
 4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
 2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups chopped nuts (optional)

 Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a coarse powder. Cream the
butter
 and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour,
oatmeal,
 salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar, and
nuts.
 Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.

 Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies .

Teapots

I enjoy collecting teapots that I think are cute. Each has a story as well. One is from my mom, another from a yard selling day with a friend, one that matches my sisters and still another that's a true English teapot from across the ocean. I love my tea tray!

Autumn Outfit

 An outfit from my fall closet.

Violin

 My violin makes beautiful pictures. If only the music that comes from it could be as beautiful.