Tips for removing wax

  Have you ever splashed wax from a candle onto your coffee table? If you have, don't despair. It's very easy to remove from hard surfaces.

I did a little visual for you. (You're welcome.) :)

1) Spilled/splashed wax - Oh no! Wait until it hardens.

2) Get out your credit card or any plastic card & start scraping. It's just like scraping your windshield in the winter.

3) The wax comes right off. If there's a bit of wax residue, use a bit of soap & warm water to wash it away.
Super quick & easy.

  Another candle tip: If you like votive candles, but not the wax that is left over after they burn down, just take the candle holder that has the left over wax & put the whole thing in the freezer. Leave it there for a few hours. After it has frozen solid it will pop right out. If there is any wax residue, wash with warm, soapy water or if  your candle holder is dishwasher safe, put it in the dishwasher. Wa-la! Pristine candle holders once more! Be warned, however, that if your candle holder is wider at the base that at the top, you will have to break up the wax after it has frozen before it will come out. I use a paring knife to break it into a couple of pieces. If you try to force out the whole chunk of frozen wax you could break your candle holder, as I did once.

  I'm still working on how to get rid of wax from fabrics. I don't have that one down yet. :) I will let you know if I ever figure it out. If YOU know, PLEASE share your wisdom!

 On another note, our youngest child, our daughter Audrey, has her first day of school today. I'm having mixed emotions. She is absolutely ecstatic!

  I'm looking forward to sharing my bulletin board project with you tomorrow! I hope to see you then.

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!

My project this weekend & a tip for cleaning your microwave

 I've had this little desk/side table for going on 6 years with the intentions of painting it. But up until this year, I wasn't sure exactly the look I was going for with it. I was talking about it with my mom (interior decorator extraordinaire) this spring & she gave me a great idea...

  She took me to Urban Barn & showed me a little cabinet with a black top (like my little table already has), silver sides & front, & a butterfly decal wrapped around the side. I have searched the internet, but CANNOT find a picture of the exact one she showed me. So sorry. This is the closest I could find:

Madame Butterfly Tall Cabinet by http://www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk/
Pretty, no?

  I'm not sure I'll add the butterfly to my table... what do you think? I'm thinking it might be too busy with all the displays I do on this table. I would also have to find a stencil or decal. Anywho, I bought some silver spray paint & it's on my to-tackle list for this long weekend. I'll show you the results next week. I'm going to the keep the top black & the chrome trim is also staying. I'm excited to see the results & to finally cross it off my list!

Introducing the Cleaning Tips column! 

(or "One of Steph's handy tips" as my husband calls them)

  In my cleaning detail today I noticed that my microwave was in need of a scrubbing. I learned this tip from the show How Clean Is Your House? & it works so well, I thought I would share.


 Fill a microwaveable bowl full of tap water. Quarter a lemon & add to water. Or in a pinch just add 1/4 cup of lemon juice.

  
  Put bowl in microwave & set for 5 minutes. After it has "cooked" for 5 minutes, let it stand in the microwave for an additional 5 minutes or so. Then, just wipe your microwave out. The steam loosens cooked on food & it just wipes away! And the lemon makes it smell fresh - bonus!


  Thanks for stopping by!

  Enjoy your day!

~Steph