This Week's Papercrafts

  On Friday, I had the chance to go scrapbooking with my friends, Allison & MJ. I've been working on scrapping the photos from this year's summer holiday. We went camping in the mountains of Jasper National Park in Alberta. I got a few layouts finished. Here are a couple of my favourites:

  I'm also in the midst of working on my first international card order. 

My little card business is called Eiffel Cards by Stephanie. 

Here are this past week's creations:

Have you been working on anything crafty this week? I'd love to hear about it! 

Be sure to leave a comment & tell me about it.

Enjoy your day!

My Morning at the Farmer's Market

  Hello friends! How was your weekend? Mine was filled with fun, surprises, & friends. It was grand. I didn't even touch my garden as I had hoped to so I'll have to squeeze some of that into my week.

On Saturday, my friends, Allison, Vanessa, & I headed out to the local Farmer's Market for some inspired autumn shopping. It was a beautiful sunny morning. Armed with our Starbucks drinks in hand we perused the isles sampling the farmer's best produce. The carrots, heirloom tomatoes, nectarines were especially tasty.

  The pumpkins & squash were out in full force. I loved the colours & variety. It was a feast for the eyes.

We came across one vendor, Grandora Gardens, who had very knowledgeable staff. 

The girl I was talking to was filling me in on the care of cucumbers. 

Apparently, garden grown cucumbers should not be refrigerated. It makes them go mushy faster. Something about the cucumber taking its moisture & wanting to put it back into the plant to help it survive. She said to cover it in plastic wrap if it's not already & store it at room temperature. When you want to use a portion of it, you cut from the stem side, not the flower side because the flower side is naturally sealed. 

(The stem side is pointier. The flower side is rounder.) 

Then cover the end of the remaining vegetable with plastic & keep on your kitchen counter. It will (apparently) keep for up to 3 weeks! I have yet to prove this, but I am trying it out with the cucumber I bought from her. :)

She also said if you forget & put your cucumber in the fridge, just to leave it there. 

This only works for garden grown / non refrigerated cucumbers. If you buy them at the supermarket, they've likely been shipped in refrigerated storage & will have to be stored in your fridge when you bring them home. 

Interesting.

This vendor also had a wide variety of hot peppers & they even made their own chilli powder which smelled amazing!

There were sales on perennials, succulents, herbs, & dried flowers.

 While we shopped, we were serenaded by some lovely folk music.

As we walked through the market, we met some friends who were pulling their grandson in a wagon & we were saying what a great idea this was because they could put their purchases in the wagon as well instead of carrying around heavy bags. A man with a heavy accent said as he walked by, 

"Bring no more wagons here!" (Roll your rrrr's when reading this)

It struck us funny & we kept quoting him for the rest of the morning. :)

This lady had made these fancy masks that reminded me of the "Masquerade" scene from the 

"Phantom of the Opera"

Lovely hand made soaps that smelled just as lovely

This vendor had a plethora of different vinegars. The balsamic vinegars were amazing!

 I will be going back for some of these!

Me & my sweet friends.

Vanessa, Allison, & Me

  We grabbed an authentic Indian Chai Tea on our way out - delish! And only $1.50!! 

Way cheaper than Starbucks (and just as good)! ;)

  We'll definitely be going back again soon! 

  Before you go, I have an exciting tidbit to share: My recipe Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Pie is being featured on Chef In Training's Mouth Watering Monday. I'm ECSTATIC! Make sure you go check out her yummy blog. 

Thanks for stopping by & enjoy your day!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Pie

  Have you met anyone who DOESN'T like chocolate & peanut butter? I don't believe that person exists. It's one of my all time favourite combinations.

  I'm sure this fabulous dessert will have you swooning with delight. I made this for my husband's last birthday & I think I may have heard angelic music. ;)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Pie

Pie: 

1 1/4 chocolate baking crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

1-8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup whipping cream

3 oz. dark or semi sweet chocolate, chopped

Drizzle:

1 oz. dark or semi sweet chocolate, melted

Combine baking crumbs & butter. Press into bottom of 9" pie plate or spring form pan. Chill in freezer.

Beat cream cheese & peanut butter on medium speed of electric mixer for about 2 minutes or until light & fluffy. Add powdered sugar & vanilla; mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chunks. Set aside.

Beat whipping cream with electric mixer until peaks form. Fold cream cheese mixture into whipped cream. Spoon into prepared crust. 

Drizzle melted chocolate in parallel lines over filling. Pull a blunt knife vertically through chocolate to create decorative effect. 

Chill 2-3 hours before serving.

   This weekend, I'm planning to clean up my garden. We got some frost this past week so a lot of my annuals have bit the dust. I've been faithfully covering my fall mums to protect them from the frost though. I'm not ready to see them go yet. What are you up to this weekend? Projects, crafts, cooking, what? Drop me a line & let me know. Whatever you have planned, have a wonderful weekend. 

Enjoy your day!

Linkin' Up to: One Artsy Mama & Tatertots & Jello

Update

This dessert was featured on:

What a Little Spray Paint Can Do!

  There is power in a can of spray paint. Well, not literally, but think of all the wonderful projects you've done that involve spray paint. It's a wonderful thing. And the colours that are out there these days are truly beautiful.

  If you've been intimidated by spray paint in the past, don't be. It's so simple to use. Go pick up a can in a colour that you love, make a trip to the thrift store & buy something with good lines but bad colour. Then, break out the spray paint! 

  Here are some such projects that I've done over the past several years. I sadly was not blogging then so I don't have any before photos to show you. You'll have to use your imagination. :)

  The first one I'll show you is a set of canisters that were given to me several years ago. They were originally a 70's avocado green. A little black spray paint & Shazam! They're back in business!

  The second one I'll show you was actually painted by my mom & given to me. My wonderful mom is a real life interior decorator & I'm blessed enough to be able to pick her brain for ideas & suggestions. This mirror was originally in a gold frame. Not so much my taste. Look how unexpectedly fun a coat of hot pink paint makes it!

  

  Number three is one of a set of wall candle sconces that my mom bought for me from an antique show. They were originally painted gold, but again I broke out the black spray paint. Now these beauties have a place of honour in my living room.

  So are you feeling inspired to go paint something? What colour would you choose & what do you have in mind? Spill the beans & share your blog links. I'd love to see YOUR spray paint makeovers!

  On a side note, if you've tried commenting on my blog before without success, please give it another shot. I've recently switched my commenting format & it is now quick & easy!

  If you'd like to see more projects I've done involving spray paint see: My silver table & my thrift shop owl.

Enjoy your day!

My First Guest Post!

  Today is an exciting day for me... I'm doing my first guest posting over at A Turtle's Life for Me! I'm super pumped. Natalie & I share a love for family, thrifting & doing furniture makeovers. I hope you'll come on over & say hello.

  Here's a hint... my post involves this guy:

Enjoy your day!

Note Card Set & Cupcake Layout

  At last! Another papercrafts post. It seems like it's been awhile. :) As I said yesterday, I was able to get some time in at my craft table this past weekend. Here are the fruits of my labours:

  On Friday, Paper Crafts on Facebook shared a picture of a fan who had posted this idea. I saw it & got stoked to give it a shot. These cards were made entirely of scraps. Wouldn't the set make a great gift?

  The key to making this work was the black patterned paper being used in all of the cards. It ties them together as a set.

  I'm still lovin' Echo Park's Little Girl line. I've used almost my whole collection pack up... that's pretty rare for me.  Maybe I'll make some girly cards like the ones above with the scraps I have left over... now there's an idea!

Here's the latest & greatest layout I've made with this adorable line:

Have you been up to anything crafty lately? I'd love to hear about it!

Enjoy your day!

Linking up to: Today's Creative Blog & Crafty, Scrappy, Happy

Vintage pretties

  I'm so excited! On Friday I had a brain wave... but let me start at the very beginning (a very good place to start. That's for all you Sound of Music fans.). The last time I went thrifting/antiquing one of my finds included an 8x10 black & white photograph. The man at the antique shop I got it at didn't know who the people in the photo were/are, but I wanted it anyway. The clothes, the hair, & the soft angelic look of all the girls drew me in. (I'm also curious to know why there's only one male in the photo?)

  I bought a simple black certificate frame at Wal-mart & discovered that it was too big for the photo. I set it aside to return & find a new frame. That's when the brain wave hit. I had some vintage sheet music I was itching to use in my home decor. So I got it out & mounted the photo on top of it. Then I slipped the music with photo into the frame & wa-la - almost instant vintage art. I'm lovin' it.

  I hung it near my back entry with my new mail / magnetic key holder from Umbra. 

I quite like the mix of modern & vintage.

  So that kicked off my weekend in a satisfying way. I had a wonderful weekend: flowers from a dear friend, a massage on Saturday morning, found some cute pumpkins at the farmer's market in the afternoon along with doing some window shopping at some thrift/antique shops. On Saturday evening I was able to get in some crafty time making some cards & a scrapbook layout. (I'll post those pics tomorrow.) Sunday was church with my wonderful church family & family time in the afternoon & evening. A blissful weekend all around.

Oh, and how could I forget?! I also joined Pinterest this weekend. What a cool site. I love the fact that now all the inspiration I come across on the internet can be corralled in one spot without a million bookmarks. 

Not to mention categorized! :)

(This girl loves all things organization.)

  What did you do this weekend? Did you find any treasures or start any projects? 

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day!

Linking up to Crafty, Scrappy, Happy

Fall Decor

 I've been seeing some fabulous fall decor in blog land as of late. I am especially enjoying all the fall wreath ideas out there. Alas, I didn't make one this year, but I did get a good deal on mine at HomeSense. That counts right? ;)

  I don't do a ton of fall decorating in our home... mainly just a few touches in the main living area & my front porch. I'm in awe of some of the beautiful front porch displays I've seen recently. Gorgeousness! Seriously, just Googling "front porch decorated for fall" will inspire you. There are some amazing displays out there. 

  Here's what I've done this year on our front porch. Our porch is pretty small, so I keep it simple. I'll probably add some pumpkins when I find some.

Fall Mums

Fall Mums

New doormat in fall-ish colours

My HomeSense wreath

I did something a bit different with some of my fall decor inside this year. I had some sprigs of fake fall leaves, but was never quite sure what to do with them. They weren't wired, so it was impossible to make them look real. So, I cut them all off the sprig so I could use them individually. I added some to the hurricane lantern on our front table. And don't worry - the candle in there is a flameless, battery operated candle, so it's not a fire hazard! 

I'm loving the orange accents with my purple walls.

Front table. Leafy pumpkin is from HomeSense as well.

I also used some of the leaves in my table centre piece. In the fall, I collect pinecones in the parks near our house. Yes, I'm that lady who is walking around the public parks, collecting natural items to use inside. :)

Centre piece on dining area table

More pinecones & a small birch branch adds a little touch of added interest to this pumpkin pie dish.

On the bar top

What have you been doing for fall decorating in your home? 

Please leave a comment & fill me in. I'd love to hear from you.

Enjoy your day!

Linking up to: the Fall Festival at Nest of Posies, Tater Tots & Jello, One Artsy Mama, & Craftaholics Anonymous

Chai Loaf

  I am loving fall. Well, here in Saskatoon it still feels like the middle of summer since our weather has been unusually warm. But I've started to see a few trees starting to don their autumn fashions, the nights are feeling cool, & school is back in full swing. It feels good to be back to the regular routine. With fall comes a change in menu & the foods we make take a bit of a turn. Soups, stews, & "comfort food" become regulars on my menu plan. I also tend to do more baking.

  Here is a great recipe for one of our favourite loaves. I'm pretty sure it will become a favourite of yours too.

Chai Loaf

Prep time: 15 min. Total time: 3 hrs. 55 min (includes cooling time)

Makes 1 loaf

Bread

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter or marg, softened

2 eggs

1/2 cup prepared tea or water (I use decaf chai)

1/3 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. ground cardamom (found it in the ethnic foods at superstore)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

3-5 tsp. milk

additional ground cinnamon

1) Heat oven to 350 F. Grease loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) In large bowl, beat sugar & butter with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in eggs, tea, milk, & vanilla on low speed until ingredients are well combined (will appear curdled) . Stir in remaining bread ingredients just until moistened. Spread in pan.

3) Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not underbake). Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool 30 minutes.

4) In small bowl, stir powdered sugar, vanilla, & 3 tsp. of the milk, adding more milk by the teaspoonfuls, until spreadable. Spread glaze over bread. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly & store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

  What are some of your favourite fall baking recipes? I'd love to hear about the things you're whipping up in your home. 

  Thanks for stopping by! 

Enjoy your day!

Linking up to: Nest of Posies Fall Festival, Tater Tots & Jello, & Craftaholics Anonymous

The big reveal

TA-DA!

  My little side table is complete! I can't believe it only took me an evening to complete the makeover on this little beauty. If I had known, I would have done it long ago.

  A reminder of the before:

Here's a rundown of the process:

I took it outside, gave it a light sanding, wiped off the dust, & taped off the black top & chrome trim - 

I kept those as is.

Got on my painting duds & broke out the spray paint.

My painting pants...
you can actually see all the past/present colours of my house on these babies!
They're like a work of art in themselves! :)

I used Krylon Metallic spray paint in Aluminum.

And all systems go! I sprayed on the first coat:

And a second coat:

After 2 coats. Before distressing.

It was looking a little too space age for me at this point so I got out some black craft paint I had kickin' around & played around with some dry brushing on the corners & edges. I ended up dry brushing on some black paint & then smudging it (purposefully) with a paper towel to make it look a bit more distressed.  

After distressing with black craft paint.

The finished product:

I think it will look especially stunning at Christmas time with my silver/white colour scheme. 

Here's some more after shots:

  Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave a comment & tell me what you think.

Enjoy your day!

~Steph

Linking up to: The DIY Showoff,  Crafty Scrappy Happy, Just a Girl, Common Ground, Miss Mustard Seed, & Tater Tots & Jello