Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Latest & Greatest Friday #21

2012-03-02T07:34:00.000-05:00

Friday is here!! Yay!! Are you ready for the weekend? I am in a huge way. This week was filled with runny noses and coughs. Looking forward to healthier weeks ahead!

Features From Last Week's Party

2012-03-01T09:34:00.001-05:00

Here are some of your and my favorites from last week's party! So many yummy recipes and projects! Thanks to all who linked up! If you were featured, my button is on the side free for the taking!! : )

Pandora's Craft Box

Bookshelves Curtains

I love the fabric she used and how
she solved her problem with it. Clever!

Why Cuz I Can

Painted Chair

A little white paint goes a long way!

The Velvet Door

Pottery Barn Knock Offs

Just shows you that style doesn't need to be
expensive!

And another favorite of mine

His Frugal Servant

St. Patrick's Day Wreath

I love how festive this is but still
classy. Not over the top. Perfect.

See you tomorrow at the party!

Cheers!
Jenny

My Fling With Spring

2012-02-28T20:57:00.001-05:00

I know we are technically still in winter but I don't care. I'm springafying our house in drips and drabs. We are enjoying gorgeous weather her in Jersey and we are spending tons of time outside watching the daffodils pop up. I'm ready! So I got out my paints and some other things and made some pretty eggs to fill a homemade nest!

There is a little story associated with these eggs. My mother-in-law passed away somewhat unexpectedly 4 years ago. I had known her for a long time since Jim and I knew each other a long time before getting married. But it wasn't long enough. I feel like we would have become even closer and I feel like she could have taught me so much about being a strong woman. Aside from raising my sweet husband, she was a nurse, mother of 5, animal lover, and an O.C. You know, Original Crafter. She crafted before most of us knew Mod Podge from a glue gun. She loved making ugly things beautiful and creating a pretty home with homemade pretties.

This summer I was thrilled and touched when my father-in-law invited me to go through her massive boxes of craft supplies and take what I wanted. So I happily inherited a huge amount of acrylic paints with a snazzy rotating rack and some other things, including a set of wooden eggs. I knew then what I would do with them! So I feel like my sweet mother-in-law would be happy to know her paint, brushes, and eggs were all used to make something pretty just as she would have!

I used blue, white, ivory, and dark brown acrylic paint. I just used the white to lighten the blue and the ivory. The eggs are just wood and I didn't need to prime or anything.

I applied several coats of paint and tried to make it as smooth as possible. They aren't perfect, of course.

I used a small, short paint brush to apply the speckles. I just dipped it in the paint and ran my thumb over the bristles so it splattered on the eggs. Um, don't do this in your kitchen on the counter next to your china serving dishes. Just trust me. Do it in a box or the sink.

Remember the bed crown I made out of a planter? Well, this was the coco liner that I removed to do that. I just cut it into a circle that would fit inside my container.

I squished it in and tucked in some sticks to make it look more "nesty."

Sweet and springy!

And here are a few other little snips of spring!

A few soft blue and white plates and a bird print in the entry

A new springy excerpt from a poem for our hallway chalkboard

A blue mason jar with some hot pink roses on a pretty silver cake plate with my little Ellie
from two springs ago when she was just a month old. This is sitting by my sink
so I can see her as I wash the dishes. Really though, all I need to do is look down because
all she seems to do is tug at my pants right now.

Have you started adding bits of spring to your decor?

Cheers!
Jenny
Linking up at Homestories A 2 Z and these great parties!

Planter Bed Crown

2012-02-27T21:06:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl I had big dreams. I was going to dress like Madonna, marry Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran, and live in my parent's living room with my 6 children. None of that happened. However, the nice thing about being a parent is living vicariously through your children and gosh darn it, I'm going to do it as much as I can, hence Molly's ballet lessons (more guilt, Mom). Another dream of mine was to see in a bed that looked like this

Source

Sadly, I never did realize that dream. In fact, for a long time my room was wallpapered with orange, yellow, and avocado green owls. And this was before owls were cool. Therefore, Molly gets to sleep in a bed with a bed crown!

I made hers out of a planter which I spray painted and turned upside down. I'll post a tutorial another day. But she loves it. I would have chosen different trims but she wanted a hot pink room which I nixed so the hot pink ribbon on the crown was a concession on my part. The ball fringe matches her curtains which also have ball fringe.

It was so hard to take a picture that truly reflects the color of the hot pink ribbon but still be able to see the pink tulle against the pink wall. Hope you get the idea, though! And that tulle is the same tulle my mother used to swathe around Molly's bassinet when she was born. It makes me happy to see it reused!

Cheers!
Jenny
Linking up at Homestories A 2 Z and these great parties!

Guest Blogger: My Covered Bridge

2012-02-27T07:46:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to be sharing my blog with Kristen at My Covered Bridge! You can find me guest blogging over there today! We are swapping blogs for the day and I'm so glad! You'll love Kristen!

Hi! I'm Kristen from My Covered Bridge! I'm SO excited to be a guest blogger today at Days of Chalk and Chocolate! Since I'm still pretty new to this blogging world, let me introduce myself. I'm a happily married stay-at-home mom with four ~~not so little~~ kids. My husband, Craig, and I are completely remodeling and decorating a home we bought six years ago. I love diving into these projects - and now I love sharing them with everyone through my blog!

Here are a couple of my favorite projects. I gave new life to an old dresser that I bought for $30. It was in bad shape when I found it -

After some prep and painting, I turned it into this -

I also updated a pair of old candlesticks that I had -

And turned them into this -

I hope you stop by My Covered Bridge - you can see how I turned an old $10 door into my headboard, how I made a dance floor for my daughter's sweet sixteen party, or what my new kitchen looks like (after we completely gutted the old 1980's version). And, of course, I'd like to thank Jenny for having me here today! I've had so much fun!

Our New Friend

2012-02-25T20:59:00.000-05:00

We had quite an exciting day today! We adopted this sweet poodle mix!

She needs a good grooming and lots of love and we are all set to provide both! She is around 2 years old, housebroken, and is as sweet as can be. She adores the children and they adore her back. She nibbled treats from Ellie's hand so gingerly! Being that we have girls who are obsessed with fairies it should come as no surprise that she has ended up with the name Pixie! I'll post some pics of her another day in her fancy new red sweater!

Cheers and Woof,
Jenny

Latest & Greatest Friday #20

2012-02-23T19:04:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to see your latest and greatest creations!

Cheers!
Jenny

Latest and Greatest Features

2012-02-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

So many cute and creative link ups this week. Here were the top viewed links.

Flour Me With Love

Pineapple Sheet Cake

This sounds like the perfect spring and summer dessert!

The Space Between

Handmade Wedding Memento

This is so lovely and special. I have all my stuff sitting in a box in my closet. This is so much better!

Tales of a Trophy Wife

12 St. Patrick's Day Projects

One of the best collections of St. Pat's Day projects I've seen this year. Everything she made is classy. Look at that pretty ruffled sweater!

And now two of my favorites!

Little Rays of Sunshine

Toddler T Shirt Dress

Crazy For Crust

Rainbow Birthday Party

I love the colors and all her pretty details.

Thanks for linking up! I hope to see you all tomorrow at the party. And if you were featured, could you grab a button? I would be so appreciative!

Cheers!
Jenny

Also, I'm looking for some guest bloggers. If you have a great idea (or an older post) that you are proud of and would like to share with my readers let me know! Juniper20@gmail.com!

Shabby Apple Winner!

2012-02-22T18:02:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Calli, comment #40!

"Calli Feb 21, 2012 10:03 PM

I also like the extra credit dress!"

You won the Shabby Apple Tiber dress! I emailed you so please respond in the next few days so they can get you your dress!

Thanks to all who entered!

Cheers!
Jenny

Shabby Apple--Last Day!

2012-02-21T19:55:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to enter the Shabby Apple giveaway! You can win this beautiful Tiber dress! Enter here! I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

Well, I knew it was bound to happen but I didn't know how bad it would be. My sweet, adorable, roly poly Ellie has morphed into a stubborn, whiny, tantrum-throwing toddler. I know it's the way of the world and how it's supposed to be but I still had to fight the urge to curl up into the fetal position all day.

I registered Molly for kindergarten today and I'm so excited. I have never been a huge advocate of full-day kindergarten but this girl needs it so I'm glad she'll have it. Molly missed the age cut off by 30 days for entering kindergarten this year so she's been 5 since October. She is always asking me about letter sounds and is so interested in how things work. Her little mind is always going and I know she'll do so well.

Which now means I have another decision to make. Do I go back to work full time? Some days I want to, I miss it, I wish for a classroom again. But then other days I love being able to take the girls to the park in the middle of the day or to eat lunch all together. I'm not a superb stay-at-home mom but I also value this time I get to spend with them. We'll see, I guess!

Cheers!
Jenny

Green Decor and Glitter Play Dough

2012-02-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

Everything is popping up green in the decorating world. If you picked up any shelter magazine lately you'll have been hit with green everywhere for spring! It's fresh, comes in a shade to compliment most decors, and it goes with almost every other color. I am not a huge lover of green and there is almost none in my house but do like the way it's used as a spring accent.

BHG

The green curtains brighten up this palette and brings some lightness
to the heavy, dark sofa. So pretty!

BHG

I love this vintagey, avocado green in the velvet pillow
and bench. It's a way to do green with an understated elegance.

House Beautiful

This bold white against the pear green keeps this wallpaper
modern and crisp.

Drake Design Associates
This green headboard and bed spread are so elegant
and luxurious. I adore them against the blue walls.

A Designer Spot

I love this room with the green walls although I don't think I could
commit to that much kelly. However, the splash
of kelly in the chair and lamp in the second picture
proves that a little bit still makes a huge impact.

Today Molly and I experimented with green in our own way. We made homemade glitter play dough and Molly chose to make it green. She declared it her new favorite color. Her old favorite color was "Pink purple sparkle hearts & flowers" said all in one breath. Now it's green.

Ingredients:
2 C. water colored with food coloring or kool-aid if you want it to smell good
1 TBS vegetable oil
2 C. flour
1/2 C. table salt
1 TBS cream of tarter
Glitter

Directions:
Heat the water and oil in a pan until it's hot (I didn't let it come to a boil)

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together the dry ingredients including the glitter. I used about a quarter cup of glitter for this recipe but you use what you think looks about right. We used silver.

Stir the dry ingredients into the hot water/oil and keep it on a low heat while it comes together. Stir, stir, stir and use a heavy wooden spoon because it gets stiff fast!

Turn it out onto a sheet pan and let it cool a bit. When it's cool enough to handle kneed it until it's soft and pliable. Store in an air tight container.

Molly played with it for a good long while and it was fun to do on a sort of boring day.

Tomorrow I announce the Shabby Apple winner! Is it you?

Cheers!
Jenny

Linking up at Homestories A 2 Z and these great parties!

Ruffled Lamp Shade and my rambling thoughts

2012-02-19T11:26:00.002-05:00

I've been a little MIA lately. I have been super tired and spending a lot of time laying around and getting the basic chores of life done. Therefore, I'm halfway through the bag of Dove dark chocolate Jim gave me for Vday and I'm all caught up on my DVRed episodes of Dear Genevieve. Whew. It's been a tough week. But we had a great weekend and Jim is off tomorrow for President's Day and life is hopping once again!

One of the nicest things about our new neighborhood is our neighbors. We have met the nicest, warmest, most friendly people on this street. People wave to each other, kids come over and play on our lawn, and we have dinner with another family every other week or so. Molly will know so many kids when she starts kindergarten in September and I'm so grateful that we bought in this neighborhood. Looking for houses is hard because you basically have to guess on your neighbors if you aren't familiar with that street. What if you live next door to the garage band (almost bought that house) or in a place where people keep to themselves? I love the feeling of having a community and I feel like we have that here.

Ok, enough kum bah ya stuff. Let's talk ruffled lampshades! Yee Haw! Ellie's lamp shade is a basic white shade. Nothing wrong with it but it was getting me annoyed with it's plain Jane-ness. You probably think I made a fabric flower for it, right? Or you think I continued my obsession with ruffles and glued one on, right? Well HA! I did both!

The flower is a pin so I can
take it off if I want. The ruffle is hot glued.

Let me take you through it.

The plain shade

Measure the distance of your shade circumference. Cut a length
of ribbon double that length. Run a long, tight stitch down
the middle to create a ruffle.

Pull the bobbin thread to achieve the look you want.

Hot glue the ruffle onto the bottom of the shade.

Finish the end by hot gluing the end under.
I tried to make it look like part of the ruffle

Pin on a pretty flower if you desire. And add
as many rows of ruffles as you like. I used 2.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend! Oh and I have been checking out this week's link party. It's awesome! Thanks to everyone who linked up!

My Shabby Apple giveaway ends this week too!

Cheers!
Jenny

Linking up at Homestories A 2 Z and these great parties!

Latest & Greatest Friday #19

2012-02-17T07:36:00.000-05:00

Enter the Shabby Apple dress giveaway here!

Latest & Greatest Friday Link Party Features!

2012-02-16T12:50:00.000-05:00

Did you enter the Shabby Apple giveaway going on? If not, go ahead. We'll wait. Thanks!

These were the top viewed links!

Alderberry Hill

Ideas to Make Life Easier

Did you know you can clean paint brushes
with hot white vinegar? I'm trying it!

Macayla's Room

Valentine's Gift for her Husband

This thoughtful gift can be adapted to all sorts
of recipients! Love it!

Simcoe Street

Nursery

Jenny decorates every space with chic
simplicity. I just adore her style!

And one of my personal favorites...

Harrison Home

A Fresh New Look

The colors are so vibrant! Makes me feel like winter is lifting.

Thanks to everyone who linked up with week. If you were featured, I would love if you could grab my button on the side. Thanks!

Cheers!
Jenny

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway!

2012-02-14T09:39:00.002-05:00

I was so tickled when I was contacted by Shabby Apple! I adore their women's and children's dresses and I am so pleased to be able to offer one of my favorites to a lucky winner! One of my readers will win this beautiful navy and white striped Tiber dress!

Isn't it gorgeous?? It would be the perfect spring/summer dress to wear to parties, church events, work, etc. I love the boat neck top too. It's so flattering!

If you aren't familiar with Shabby Apple you must visit their website. They offer vintage inspired clothing and accessories for women and girls.

Yellow and Gray Canary Dress for Girls

Teal Sierra Nevada Dress

Ivory Apron Strings Maternity Dress

To enter to win the navy and white Tiber dress you must

"Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and then leave me a comment saying you did so (mandatory)

and you can also do one or all of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Become a GFC and/or Linky follower of Days of Chalk and Chocolate and leave a comment telling me you did so (1 entry)

2. Visit Shabby Apple and tell me which item you would love to wear to a party or event (1 entry)

3. "Like" Days of Chalk and Chocolate on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so (1 entry)

4. Follow Days of Chalk and Chocolate on Twitter and/or Pinterest and leave a comment saying you did so (1 entry)

This giveaway is open to U.S. shipping addresses only and the winning dress cannot be exchanged.

I will announce the winner on February 22. The winner will be selected by Random.org.

Good luck!

Cheers!

Jenny

Guest Blogger: Mrs. Fox's Sweets

2012-02-12T19:03:00.000-05:00

I love the idea of guest blogging on other blogs and I adore when bloggers I follow and admire can share their ideas on my blog. It's such a great way to pat each other on the back! So I invited Christina to come over today to share some of her amazing baked goods. If you haven't checked out her blog I hope you will. She is a meticulous artist and her creations are magazine worthy!

Hi everyone! I am Christina from Mrs. Fox's Sweets!

I am so excited that Jenny invited me over to share with you my favorite thing...SWEETS!

I am a busy mom of 3 children from ages 4 to 17, a wife to a very supportive husband, and I can't forget the heartbeat and my feet...my little dog named Rex! I truly believe if you have a bad day, a sweet will make it better! My favorite part of baking is the decorating and making it pretty!

Today I am sharing some of the most popular Valentine's sweets:

Hearts on Sticks Cookies

Named this because that is exactly what they are!

Hearts and Kisses Cookies

A chocolate cookie decorated with royal icing!

Rose Cake Pops

Cherry Flavored!

Valentine's Brownies

Brownies with royal icing roses

Black & Red Heart Cupcakes and Love Letters & Hearts Cookies

These were Twilight/Valentine's inspired sweets!

Valentine's Dipped Pretzels

Super easy to make! Perfect sweet and salty combo!

This is just a sampling of the Valentine's Sweets that I have made this year. For more Valentine's ideas or sweet ideas for any occasion stop by and visit me! Every Wednesday, I host Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party where you can share your sweets. As a special Valentine's treat, I have teamed up with Happy Hour Projects for Share the Love, a Valentine link up party for all of your Valentine projects, sweets and crafts! Sunday, February 12th, I have a giveaway starting, so be sure and stop by for that too!

Thanks again Jenny for inviting me over!

Happy Valentine's everyone and have a SWEET week!

Latest & Greatest Friday Link Party #18

2012-02-10T08:22:00.000-05:00

Are you ready for the weekend?? We are going to a special reading of Pinkalicious performed by a theater group at our local library. Not a huge fan of the book but Molly will enjoy it! We are meeting some neighbor friends so it will be a nice little event.

So without any more delay, welcome to this week's link party!!

Latest and Greatest #17 Features

2012-02-09T20:06:00.000-05:00

I'm on a Pinterest binge right now but I had some great features to share from last week's party!

Here are the top viewed links this week!

The Space Between

One Screw Gallery Wall Tutorial

This is an amazing way to hang a gallery wall!

Creatively Living

Bedroom Reveal

I love every single thing in this room!

Keeping Up With The Cyperts

DIY Scarf Storage

I so need this. You do too, don't you.

My Covered Bridge

Valentine's Day Wreath

I love that it's festive but you can really leave it up
all spring too. So sweet!

And one of my personal faves

Anyone Can Decorate

Valentine's Day Bunting

I like the sheet music as the background. So cute!

Thanks to everyone who linked up this week! Come by for tomorrow's party!

Cheers!
Jenny

Valentine's Day Table

2012-02-08T18:56:00.001-05:00

So we are having a lean Valentine's Day this year. I'm ok with that. The problem? I adore Valentine's Day. Growing up, my father would bring us each a little heart shaped box of chocolates. My father wore suits every day with a dress coat over and he would reach into his various pockets and pull out the boxes. I felt so special when he would hand us those chocolates and loved that it was all mine. I didn't have to share that little box with my sisters. Score! As we got older my mother celebrated with a present on our dinner plates. And they weren't small either. She gave me my favorite light blue velour pullover for Valentine's Day! This was huge because my parents didn't have lots of extra money for presents and it always felt so luxurious. Of course, there was that one time, my freshmen year in college, that I anxiously awaited my care package. Everyone's parents had sent them boxes of goodies or candy baskets. I figured mine would be so big I'd need help carrying it back to the dorm. I was puzzled when she gave me a card with no present. And, not only that but she stuck $2 in it and told me to buy myself a soda. Dear reader, I'd like to tell you how maturely I handled the situation. How I realized that I was 18 years old and didn't need my mommy to send me presents. But alas, I can't say that. I called her and cried.

I've matured a bit since and I'm happy to have a simple Valentine's Day. I still want it to be festive though so I dug around in our yet-to-be-unpacked boxes and pulled out some of my wedding china, my wedding crystal, and some dollar store roses. I started playing around with our table to make it a bit fancier than our usual settings. I won't go as far as to call it a "tablescape" in the Sandra Lee sense in that I didn't do much more than roses and place mats. But I do like the sparkle of the silver accents against the red flowers and napkins.

Oh and I got the chargers at Bed Bath and Beyond for $0.49 each. And I could only dig up the salad and accent plates from our china so I used our every day for the main plate.

Cheers!
Jenny

Linking up at Homestories A 2 Z and these great parties!

Forcing Forsythia

2012-02-07T21:52:00.001-05:00

When will spring ever come??? I'm not a lover of winter. I don't relish winter sports. I don't enjoy winter food like stews and soups, and I detest feeling cold. Most of all, I get tired of the colorless and dreary appearance of winter. I do not find bare trees beautiful or brown grass inspiring. I long for the colors of spring.

In our old home, we had giant forsythia bushes that lined our back fence. The best thing about them was that they were early bloomers so, along with the little crocus out and about, they were my lifeline to spring. It was almost as if they would say to me, "It's coming! Be patient!" But I'm not one to be patient so every year about this time I would force a few branches inside. In a few days I would have a clutch of yellow blossoms that would give me a sneak peak (and a bit of relief!) of what was yet to come. Forcing forsythia is easy and I wish I had some at this house to force.

Check your bushes for small buds. That's the time to force, when they have buds but haven't opened. Cut as many branches as you wish to force. Smash the ends just slightly, trim any branches that would be below the water line (or they will rot) and put the branches in lukewarm water. Easy!

My pretty granite. sigh. How I miss you.

source: ehow

Since I don't have forsythia at this house I have daffodils I'm forcing. Some animal dug them up and they were a little frozen. Perfect since now that I have them inside they think it's spring and now I have daffodils popping through in my kitchen. Can't. wait.

Cheers!
Jenny

Jenny
Linking up at Homestories A 2 Z and these great parties!

Spring Fever

2012-02-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

I'm having a bit of spring fever, me thinks. All I want to do is think about bulbs blooming, birds chirping, and putting the winter coat away. I have several started projects but have no desire to finish anything. I put my healthy eating journal next to the coffee pot and promptly forgot all about it. My laundry is piled to the ceiling, Molly's room is a disaster, Jim wore the same jeans more times than I can admit to you all, and yet all I want to do is play play play! And so I am. Do you do that? Do you allow yourself to goof off? In college, goofing off was a way of life for me. Oh I got my work done and graduated with honors, blah, blah. But many a day were spent on the quad lawn watching TKE and Theta Chi walk by.

So this week I'm allowing myself to be that goof off again! I'm baking cookies with Molly, razzing Ellie's belly a bit more, and enjoying leaving work behind. It will still be there when I come back from my little escape!

Those who live around me, enjoy the 50 degree whether today. You can find me at the park or in the backyard watching the daffodils poke through the ground. Join me!

Cheers!
Jenny

17 Valentine's Day Desserts

2012-02-04T19:38:00.004-05:00

Link up to this week's party!

I was browsing around the interwebs looking for a special Valentine's Day dessert and thought I'd share what I found! We're staying in this year to save money but I want our dinner to feel special nonetheless.

Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

There is not one thing not to like here. Red velvet? OK! Cheesecake? OK! Brownies? OK!

Cafe Fernando

Devil's Food Cake

This looks luscious and so special!

Becky Bakes

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

Cheesecake is always so decadent and rich, adding chocolate just makes it sublime.

Cafe Fernando

The Best Chocolate Mousse

This dessert takes only two ingredients!

Tiffany & Company

Fancy Purplish Pink diamond ring

Yes, Tiffany. That is "fancy." It's also $650,000. And it's not dessert. But I sure as heck wouldn't say no if Jim had one of those for me after dinner!

Glorious Treats

Cranberry White Chocolate Bars

These are so sweet and pretty! Cranberries and white chocolate make a beautiful flavor combination!

Real Simple

Chocolate Pots

Look at how pretty these chocolate pots are when you do them in cute cups!

Sprinkle Bakes

Cherry Vanilla Layer Cake

I love the pink layers! What a sweet surprise and so festive!

Sweetalopia

Neapolitan Cake

This cake is so beautiful with it's gorgeous layers! I bet it tastes delicious.

Home Life

Mocha Crepe Cake

I've been wanting to try a crepe cake and this one looks yummy. Maybe I'll make it for our dinner!

Cream Puffs in Venice

Nutella Meringues

Anything is better with Nutella!

6 Bittersweets

Chocolate Macarons

Macarons are the new cupcake. They are all the rage and you can make them in so many flavors!

Martha Stewart

Molten Mocha Cakes

Nothing says love like oozing chocolate!

Williams-Sonoma

Buttermilk Tartlets with Berries

Not every special Valentine's Day dessert needs to be chocolate!

Joy of Baking

Coconut Cake

Coconut cake with lemon curd in the layers is one of my personal favorites.

Better Homes and Gardens

Chocolate Fondue

What is more special than sharing this dessert with your favorite person? Ok, not sharing it would be more special. HA HA HA! kidding.

ShopRite

Tiramisu

Tiramisu means "pick me up" in Italian and this creamy dessert certainly does just that. Tiramisu is easier to make than it looks, too. I've made this recipe but I did it in a large container instead of the individual ones.

And my ultimate favorite chocolate mousse....

Alton Brown

Chocolate Mousse

The recipe didn't have a picture but assure you, it's amazing!

Hope these give you ideas to sweeten up your Valentine's Day!
Cheers!
Jenn

Latest & Greatest Friday Link Party #17

2012-02-03T11:09:00.000-05:00

Last week's party may have been my favorite one yet! I can't wait to see all your link ups this week.

Latest & Greatest Friday 16 Features!

2012-02-02T09:31:00.000-05:00

We did it! We broke 100! I'm so excited to see so many awesome link ups! Here were the top viewed links which were actually tied for first place!

By The Book

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

These look super yummy!

Tattered and Inked

The Notebook Quote Free Printable

And there's a little eye candy on the
link too. YUM.

Tales of Trophy Wife

Laundry Room Art

Maybe I'd do laundry more often if my laundry
room was this cute!

Creatively Living Outside the Box

Bedroom Renovations and Decorating on a Budget

I love this room so much that I'm
using it as an inspiration for my own
bedroom. It looks like a high end design!

Hello Newman's!

Adding Height to Kitchen Cabinets

Great tutorial and beautiful results!

Thanks to everyone who linked up! If you are a featured and are so inclined to grab my button it would be ok... : )

See you later at the link party!

Cheers!
Jenny

Oven Fried Onion Rings

2012-01-31T18:57:00.005-05:00

This is going to be quick because Jim needs the computer for work but I wanted to squeeze this post in. I often make oven baked onions rings as a low fat side dish. They aren't the same as fried rings but then again, you can't take the fry out and keep them the same. But we enjoy these too!

Here's how you do it.

Ingredients:

Onions (tonight I used 2 yellow ones but most times I use 1-2 large sweet ones)
egg
a few tablespoons of milk
seasoned breadcrumbs
salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne or paprika (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 F. Peel your onions and slice into thick rings. Separate the rings. I leave two rings together if they are thin layers so there is a decent amount of onion in each ring. Set aside rings.

2. Mix egg and milk in a medium, shallow bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs with the seasonings to taste in another. You're just setting up a breading station.

3. Use about a tablespoon (more or less) of olive oil to coat a baking sheet and set aside.

4. Dip each ring in the egg mixture to coat and then toss in the breadcrumbs. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

It's best to have them in a single layer but
I couldn't find my large baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes or so, flipping the onion rings over half way through or when the bottom is golden and crispy.

6. Chow down.

Cheers!
Jenny

PS. Did you link up this week? Linking up to Homestories A to Z

Easy Ballet Cake

2012-01-30T19:24:00.001-05:00

We broke 100 link ups this week!! I'm so excited! Thanks to everyone who linked up and is making Latest and Greatest Fridays into such an awesome party each week!

I keep meaning to post about this and finally remembered. When Molly turned 3 we had a ballet birthday party and I made the cake myself. I wanted to do something that would be easy but look pretty without buying a lot of decorations. So I frosted the cake and then frosted two Twinkies to look like ballet shoes and propped them on top. How cute! Of course I'm not a cake decorator but that's ok because I don't mind if it looks homemade since it is.

Ballet shoe coookies are an easter egg cookie cutter that I
sugared and frosted. I'm not quite sure why I put them in the tray
toes up. Why would I do that? Weird.

Super simple centerpieces!
I used the colored M & Ms for the bottom
and then just clusters of lollipops from the party store

Anyway, I think the whole Twinkie-as-a-shoe thing is great and you could make all sorts of things. You could put some mini donuts on and make roller skates or roller blades. You could make skis by adding some licorice to the bottom and some donuts on top to make a boot and then frost. You could make a pair of running sneakers for your friend who just ran a marathon. The shape lends itself to all sorts of stuff!

In other news...

The stomach flu has come for a visit to our house! It's a really cruddy houseguest. It makes a huge mess but never helps to clean up. It occupies our bathrooms without thought to other people's needs, and tends to make meals miserable. I'm really tired of it and wouldn't mind if it would pack it's bags and move on.

When it first came to visit Ellie, I thought that it would leave before visiting the rest of us. But no luck...we were roommates Friday and Saturday (bed partners if you must know) and then it bunked in with Molly yesterday and today. And if that isn't bad enough...it's kicked me out of my spot next to Jim on the couch and is spending tonight and probably all of tomorrow with him. You'd think with all the Lysol sprayed around the house it would take a hint! Dumb flu.

Anyone have any other great and easy cake decorating ideas??

Cheers!
Jenny

Linking up at these parties and Home Stories A to Z

Tszuj Up Store Bought Slipcovers

2012-01-29T19:07:00.002-05:00

Did you know that is how you spell "jujj?" I looked it up. It's true. Anyway, I have these slips I bought years ago when I married Jim and his kitchen set. The chairs are sturdy and well made but not my style at all. So I bought plain white cotton slips to go over them and so we lived with them for a few years before they ended up in the garage when we bought new chairs.

Fast forward to now and we are using our newer chairs in the dining room and Jim's are back in the kitchen with the slipcovers. But they annoy me because they don't reach the floors and the chairs are wearing floods. So I ruffled them this week and now their pants, or I guess skirts in this instance, reach the floor!

Here's how I sewed on a simple ruffle:

I measured around the bottom of the slip and added an extra yard for the gathers. I should have added a hard and a half to 2 yards because I would have preferred fuller gathers. I bought very basic white cotton fabric at Walmart that cost me a total of $8.91. I hemmed one of the long sides.

I made a simple ruffle using my sewing machine (set on the longest stitch, highest tension). I pinned it to the slip to size it around but then I took the pins out and sewed it into a loop by putting right sides together and sewing the short ends together.

Pinned to size

Right sides together and sew the short ends

Repin and sew the ruffle to the bottom of the slip, making sure the right sides are together. The ruffle will be upside down but when you turn it onto the chair it will hang properly.

So I went from this

Cute and easy! I was thinking about adding a ribbon around the bottom. We'll see. And I know I'm ruffling everything nowadays but it's so easy to tszuj stuff up with ruffles. I'm so excite I know how to spell that word.

Love to see what you are tszujing up this week! Keep tszujing!

Cheers!
Jenny
Linking up at these parties and Home Stories A to Z

Latest & Greatest Friday Link Party #16 and Features

2012-01-26T18:34:00.002-05:00

We almost reached 100 link ups this week! You guys rock! I hope we break 100 this week! Here are the top viewed links!

Tattered and Inked took the first spot with her living room tour!

Alderberry Hill wowed us with her Valentine's Day tree. How cute!

The Velvet Door showed off her beautiful ASCP Chateau Gray cabinet!

I am so excited to see what you've got cooked up this week! And if you would or could spread the word maybe we can hit 100 this week!

Valentine's Day Apron Tutorial from The Petite Sewist!

2012-01-26T07:48:00.001-05:00

Have you met Stephanie over at The Petite Sewist? She creates incredible sewing projects and blogs with super detailed and picture filled tutorials. As a novice sewer, I'm in awe of the things she creates. I'm so excited to have her guest blogging today and sharing another great project with us!

Hello, Days of Chalk and Chocolate readers! A special thank you to Jenny for allowing me to post today! I am Stephanie and I blog over at The Petite Sewist where I show off my sewing creations, share pattern reviews, tutorials, petite alterations and style tips. I would love it if you stopped by and said 'hello'.

Today I am here sharing my Roses are Red Apron Tutorial.

I love the fact that aprons are in style now and I think every lovely lady should have one. This retro-style apron was inspired by Valentine's Day and would make a great gift for a friend, or you could use it as a reception apron for a bride-to-be. You will need two coordinating prints.

For the apron front, get some tracing paper and cut out a pattern that is 11 inches wide on the top and 13.5 inches long on the right side. Freehand a curve from the left top to the right bottom sides. Place the 13.5" side of your pattern on the fold of your fabric and cut out.

For the ruffle you will need a strip 70"x2.5". Most fabric is 44" to 60" wide so don't worry if you can't get an entire strip in one piece. As you can see, I had to sew two pieces together.

For the side ties, cut a strip 33"x5". For the top band you will need strips 27"x3", 2 of fabric and 2 of fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of your top bands.

You will also need 1 1/8 yard of rick-rack trim.

To sew the apron ties, fold them right sides together and stitch a 1/2" seam , as shown with the dotted lines. When finished, grade the seam allowances and turn the ties right sides out.

Take your ruffle piece and finish one of the long edges with your rolled hem presser foot. If you're thinking, "Rolled hem presser foot, what the what??" visit my tutorial and your worst fears will subside. This is one darn cool piece of metal! If you don't have a rolled hemmer foot, finish the edge with a narrow hem.

Take the unfinished long edge of your ruffle piece and run 2 rows of gathering stitches (stitch length 4-5) at 1/2" and 3/8". Make your gathers and pin them around the curved edge of the apron front piece, right sides together.

At regular stitch length, sew a 1/2" seam.

When you are done, finish the edge with a serger or zig-zag stitch and press the seam toward the apron front.

Take your rick-rack trim and sew it to the apron on top of the seam.

Now it's time to attach the top band pieces. Take the first band piece and pin it right sides together, to the top apron front. Allow the band to go past the ruffle 1/2" on each side, as shown. Sew a 1/2" seam. Press the seam one way, towards the top. Attach the other band piece above it and press it open.

Fold the un-sewn top edge towards the wrong side of the fabric at 1/2" and press.

Pin the unfinished edges of the apron tails to the right side of the lower band. Stitch at 1/2".

Fold the top band to the bottom band and secure the apron tails in place again, this time incorporating all of the layers.

Grade the top and trim the excess off the corners.

Give your apron tails a good ~YANK~ which will bring everything right sides out. Iron the seams you just pulled out so everything is nice and crisp.

It's time to secure the back edge of the top band to the apron. Carefully pin from the front because this is the side you will stitch on...

...but pay attention to where the pins catch on the back because you want the stitching to catch.

See...you are catching that fold from the back while you topstitch.

And there you have it...the perfect half-apron! Stand back and admire your hard work!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Playroom Curtains and Inspiration

2012-01-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

I finally completed a project I've been working on since we moved in! I wanted ruffly curtains for the girls' playroom and it took me forever because I kept getting sidetracked. I finally got them done last week and I'm pretty happy with them. I am VERY unhappy with my picture taking of them. I couldn't get the lighting right at all! So frustrating. So while I'm going to post what I have, I'm going to try again tomorrow after reading some tutorials for tips. If anyone has tips on how to take pics of curtains that have sunny windows please let me know!

I used a pink polka dotted fabric for the main part and then a few colorful fabrics for the ruffle. I used some leftovers to make some pillows for the kids to sit on while they watch TV, play, draw, etc.

So while I was thinking about this playroom I was browsing Pinterest and found some great inspiration! I will say though that I don't like to post pics without the original source and so many don't link back or list any original source! Quite frustrating!

Source Unknown

LOVE the furniture and the serene colors

Pottery Barn

How cool is that ladder/loft? I can imagine many trips
to the ER though. I used to use the clothes line
art display system in my classroom and I think it's
the best yet.

Land of Nod

Love the map motif.

Tablecloth Playhouse Etsy

Decor Made Simple
Ok, who wouldn't want this?? I mean I want this.
In my room. Molly and Ellie can visit me as I swing
in my room.

Cheers!

Jenny

Linking up here and Home Stories A 2 Z

Shower Curtain

2012-01-22T18:28:00.007-05:00

What did you do today? I finished my dumb shower curtain that was making me nuts!

We knew we were buying a fixer upper. We didn't realize at the time that it was way more fixer than upper but what can ya do? We could see problems we needed to tackle like this upstairs bathroom.

When we looked at the house we thought "Gee, we'll paint over that spongy painting stuff and switch out the vanity and toilet for white and we can live with the yellow for a bit!"

When we got into the house, however, Jim realized that the blue wasn't really sponge painting on drywall. The previous owners had taken down wallpaper but never removed the glue and PAINTED OVER IT. So not only could we just not slap on a coat of paint but it was flaking off and rough to the touch. Wallpaper paste removers/steam/etc. didn't work. So Jim scraped and then we primed it to get it ready for skim coating. And that is where we are left today.

If you want that light fixture email me quickly! I expect to get lots of offers on it. HA HA HA HA! Anyway, so I knew no matter what I was living with the yellow for a while and decided to pick up the pale gray in the floor tile to use as a coordinating color.

I cut apart Jim's bachelor days duvet cover which happens to be pale gray and added some gray/black/yellow pattern fabric ruffles to the bottom to bring some yellow in. I used my button hole foot and settings on the sewing machine to create a way to hang it. Grommets were expensive and this worked really well!

It's the best we can do with the bathroom right now. I'm going to paint the walls white and use a white window treatment. We plan on changing out the vanity to white as well and adding in brushed nickel or chrome light fixtures. Putting a band aid on it for now!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Cheers!
Jenny

Linking up at these parties! and Home Stories A2Z

Mini Gallery Wall

2012-01-21T16:05:00.002-05:00

I dug out some of my favorite framed "artwork" this week. I use the term artwork very loosely in that only 1 of them is an actual painting. The others are either mass produced prints, postcards, or whathaveyou. But I still like each and every one.

That gold chair was left by the previous owners. I have plans for it as you might imagine.

This corner of our living room holds my favorite piece of furniture, my barrister bookcase. My father was an attorney and this was one of several he had in his office. My mom was my dad's secretary for most of his career so we spent a lot of time in their office. This reminds me of my childhood and of my parents. It feels like home to me. Inside I store treasures such as our parents' wedding pictures, my bridal bouquet, childhood editions of the Grimm's Fairy Tales, the silver cups my parents gave my children and the one my grandmother gave me, photo albums, etc.

Remember to add accessories in odd numbers. It is just more pleasing
to the eye and I really find that to be true.

I know the gallery wall may be a little sparse but that was intentional. I don't care for walls loaded with pictures, it's just not my taste. And I didn't want a rectangular or square formation. I also like it because it allows me to add to it. My walls are forever changing and I like to have room to add/take away.

The two small gold frames on the bottom are
postcards from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
I bought those while viewing the collection of DaVinci's
private notebooks which he wrote almost entirely in mirror
image. Interesting. The nest picture is from The Graphics Fairy.
The black square collage frame holds pictures of a trip to Italy
my grandparents took in the 60s. The painting is from our honeymoon
in Hawaii and the school girl was a gift from my parents
when I became a teacher.

I know I only give you snippets of my rooms and never a whole view and mostly that's because I can barely keep them toy free for a second. So one day I will show you the room in its entirety. It just won't be today, lol!

Today we got our first snowfall in NJ. Molly and Ellie went out first thing in the morning and promptly came back in once their wrists got full of snow. I remember that feeling...ICKY. Anyway, I won't show you my living room but I guess you can see the backyard in it's large plastic toy filled state. We have a beautiful swing set that Jim restained and made pretty. It's safely sitting in pieces in Jim's brother's backyard so we are making do until spring.

Blurry, I know, but how do I not show you this? Ellie was not
impressed with the snow.

Hope your hot cocoa is hot and your marshmallows plentiful today!
Cheers!
Jenny

Remember to link up this week!
I am linking up here! and Home Stories A 2 Z

Latest and Greatest Friday #15

2012-01-19T19:12:00.002-05:00

Features from Latest and Greatest 14

2012-01-18T22:32:00.000-05:00

Last week's party was fantastic. I am so glad you all take the time to link up! Here are some that caught my eye!

A Crafty Cook whipped up these Monte Cristo Bites. I am in love with that sandwich and having it in a bite size is taking it over the top for me!

Bird on a Cake linked up this Cherry Almond Cake. As if those flavors together isn't enough to send you over the edge, look at her beautiful decorating!

I love this pillowcase dress by About Blogging Time. The black and white with the teal ribbon makes it not too sweet! Perfect for my little Ellie (oh boy).

To chalk paint or not to chalk paint that is the question in blogland. How about homemade chalk paint? Art is Beauty whipped some up and revamped this charming dining set!

I love this sweet thimble necklace over at Remade Just Right! Look at those teeny tiny flowers! Adorable!

I can't wait to see what you all link up this Friday! As for me, I'm working on a small gallery wall in my living room. I told Jim that I was done and yes, you just hang brown paper on the walls with blue tape. He, being supportive as always, said "Hmmm. Interesting. So can we draw on them?" Love that guy.

Cheers!
Jenny

Pinterest Stuff

2012-01-17T23:50:00.000-05:00

I worked hard today. I finished the curtains for the playroom (reveal later this week!) and let the girls play in the mud most of the afternoon so there was a big clean up that happened. Plus I am having my moms club for a playgroup here this week week and our house is a disaster. Soooo, of course I'm sitting on the computer browsing Pinterest. Looky looky!

I love the open shelves, the window seat, the shade...everything but the color. I'm just not a green girl. But otherwise it's perfection.

Couldn't find the source. If you know it
please tell me so I can give credit.

Gray is the new brown which was the new navy which was the new black. And it's not just clothes. Gray is all over home magazines, blogs, etc. And gray in the nursery is lovely!

Baca Creative

I have no words. It's perfection. I will never stop loving high contrast either. It always gets me!

Charlie Simmons

I love this room. I love the color, the drapes, the little punches of black, everything. What I don't get is where is all the stuff under the bed? No lone Cinderella slipper? No black sock? No box of clothes that the woman of the house thinks she'll wear again when she "loses the weight?"

Country Living

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!
Jenny

Ottoman Slipcover #2

2012-01-17T10:16:00.002-05:00

Did you link up this week??

I slipcovered our large storage ottoman and it came out ok. It was my first attempt and I figured out what I did wrong. We have a smaller ottoman and I slipcovered it this weekend. It came out so much better and I'm really happy with it! Now they sort of match!

Here is the story! I started out with a brown leatherish ottoman that did not open. This made it so much easier than my first one!

I washed and bleached a 5x4 drop cloth. I draped it over the ottoman and cut off the bottom to where I wanted the ruffle to be attached.

Next I pulled and pinned the sides. The drop cloth has a little give to it so when all sides were pinned I went back and pulled areas a bit tighter and repinned. Since it was a drop cloth and both sides are the same it didn't matter which way I laid the fabric. But if one side had a pattern then I would have laid it with the pattern down, sewing the wrong side.

I trimmed the excess.

I sewed each seam by the pins and again trimmed the excess so it wouldn't be bunchy underneath when I flipped it right side out. Once it was all sewed and trimmed I turned it right side out and checked the fit.

I used a few 3 inch wide pieces of material and sewed them together to make one long piece. I sort of measured and doubled it for my ruffle. I'm not a great measurer so I had to tweak it a bit but it was mostly right on. I made the ruffle by sewing a seam with my machine set on it's tightest tension but the longest stitch. I also tried to use as many of the drop cloth's actual seams for the ruffle so it would look neat and uniform. Let them do some of the work for me, I figure.

I sewed the ruffle into a loop and pinned it to the cover. Make sure to do it right sides together. Your right side for your cover is facing up now since it's on the ottoman. Don't do what I did and flip it inside out and sew it on. sigh.

Once the ruffle is on it's done!

So I tried to hang a large curtain rod in my dining room yesterday. It didn't go well. Apparently my heating duct runs up through the wall and it prevented both the drill and the anchor from going in properly. After I threatened to throw the rod through the window, Jim helped out. He got it up no problem and spackled my holes. Seriously, he always cleans up my messes! But one piece of business I was able to figure out myself is that it is almost impossible to use a drill to screw in screws when the hardware is in the way. So I used one of these. If you don't have one get one. It's a super long bit and it lets you get into tight places. I used it to make lots of holes for Jim to patch!

And lastly, I hung up the cruddy plaques I Mod Podged. I revealed the first two in this post but finished the third this week. They hang in our playroom now.

It's rainy but warmer here. So glad to get a break from the cold that I don't mind the rain at all!

More project reveals coming this week, too!

Cheers!
Jenny Linking up here!! and Home Stories A 2 Z

New Online Shelter Mag--91

2012-01-16T12:49:00.001-05:00

Have you guys seen this magazine? It's called 91 and it's launched quarterly. The next installment (2nd issue) is due out in February. The magazine is created by Caroline Taylor who has a beautiful interior design blog called Patchwork Harmony . 91 has a bit of a vintage edge to it so it appeals to me more than some other shelter mags which tend to use such high end furnishings that there is no way I can relate. I love the soft pretty fabrics, vintage details, and eclectic styles that are showcased, too.

Here's a taste

91 Magazine

This is just a tease. You'll have to check it out yourself! I can't wait for the next issue to be released!

And as for me, I was wrestling this morning with hanging a large curtain rod in my dining room. The darn anchor just wouldn't go in. Jim discovered that our heating vent that runs through to our second story was the blocker. Sigh. Nothing seems easy sometimes!

Cheers,
Jenny

Love Note Pillows and a Question

2012-01-15T14:08:00.005-05:00

I have so many large house projects to work on that I haven't been taking on any little ones. But I couldn't let Valentine's Day go by (even though it's 4 weeks away) without a little something. So last night I made these pillows that I like to call Love Note Pillows. One has a little pocket in which to stash some love notes and the other is just an ooops that turned into a companion pillow. I was inspired to do the love poem script from Roeshel's drop cloth script curtains over at the DIY Show Off.

Measure and cut out two pieces of white cotton duck. Secure to your table using blue tape to prevent the fabric from shifting as you write. Place a piece of cardboard under in case the Sharpie bleeds through. Begin writing your words, poem, song, whatever. I selected a love poem called Love's Philosophy by Percy Bysshe Shelley that had lots of Valentiney words in it. I knew no one would read it but I wanted love words.

Sorry about the blurriness in some of the pics.

Cut out two red hearts from felt. I used a scalloped decoration as a pattern but then decided to cut off the scallops. Leave one heart intact but cut the other in half.

Place the half on top of the intact heart (creating the pocket) and stitch around to secure. I used a zig zag just to make it fun but as you can see my stitching isn't that straight. No biggee to me.

I guess you could sew it on the fabric at this time too but I chose to secure it using Liquid Stitch. Let dry.

Right sides together, sew your two squares together leaving an opening for the pillow.

Stuff with your pillow insert, seal up either by sewing or by Liquid Stitching and you're done.

The second, smaller pillow I made because my first attempt at writing the poem was a bust. I spelled "thou" as "though" and that wouldn't do. So I cut off that line and made a smaller pillow. I made a ruffle from red felt by setting my machine to the longest stitch but the tightest tension and stitching down the middle. I sewed the ruffle onto the front piece before doing the right-sides-together-sew-stuff steps.

Changing topics: Can you have too much drop cloth decorating? I would really love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers!
Jenny Linking up to these great parties! and Home Stories A 2 Z

Felt Pads Tutorial

2012-01-13T21:42:00.002-05:00

My parents rocked Christmas this year with the best gift we received. A sweet pastel table and chair set for the girls. They live in a far away land so it was shipped to us and Jim put it together the night before Christmas so it was ready when they came downstairs.

Some of their friends were up
into the wee hours playing Bridge.

They use it every single day, especially Ellie. So instead of putting it in the playroom I've let it stay in the main living room. Yesterday though something caught my eye. Something on my hardwood floors. My dark walnut hardwood floors. WHAT? WHAT? WHAT????

Gasp.

So I ran to Lowes to get those fuzzy felt pads to put on the bottoms but when I came home I realized the ones I bought wouldn't fit the chair feet (can't put a rectangle peg in a square hole) so I ran off for my supplies to DIY my own. Easy Peasy.

Grab your felt, scissors, Super Glue, and a Kit Kat

I eyeballed a strip of felt to the width of our chair feet. Then I measured against the chair foot and cut 4 rectangles. I used the Super Glue to glue on the felt.

Then I used the scissors to trim off the excess so it would look neat.

Repeat with each foot until your chairs are all covered. Leave them in this position to dry for basically all day to ensure the glue is dry. No one wants scratched and gluey floors. Really, no one does.

My tongue is firmly planted in my cheek for this photo. All the chairs
lined up reminded me of those gorgeous photos of cupcakes
or brownies or candles or whatever all lined up in a neat line on a coordinating background.
So my pack-n-play and my "to be Ebayed" stack is my coordinating background.
Keepin' it reals, y'all.

Happy girls! Happy Mama! Happy Floor! Now you eat the Kit-Kat. But do it in the kitchen so the 18 month old doesn't see you and beg for some. No share.

Doesn't everyone keep their bike helmet on the table? And when will
Ellie ever learn to close her mouth for pictures? I think she's
trying to be the next Kristen Stewart. Oh and yes, I cut her hair myself.
I wither with shame.

Checking their notes. "Um, let's see. Eat goldfish crackers? Check.
Refuse to wear socks in the middle of winter? Yup, got it.
Poop through 3 onesies? Almost done! YES!"

Molly did two fun things yesterday. She finger painted and she baked a donut in her Easy Bake Oven. You can see the evidence of those activities all over her.

Ellie put this whole ensemble together herself. She fancies herself
a younger, hipper Tim Gunn.

Can't wait to see your link ups at Latest and Greatest Friday #14 this week!

Cheers and Happy Weekend!

Jenny

Latest and Greatest Friday #14

2012-01-12T19:15:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope you are all gearing up for a great weekend! Please link up your latest and greatest project, recipe, DIY tip, etc. and show us all what you have been up to!

Features from Latest and Greatest Friday #13

2012-01-12T09:57:00.001-05:00

This was the biggest party yet! Thanks so much for taking the time to link up! I hope to see you all this week. I'll post that later on. But without further ado, here are some amazing features!

Stella B's Kitchen

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Gorgeous picture, too

Our Prairie Home

Barn Door Sign

Hand painted on an actual barn door. Like a door
that came from a barn. For reals.

Krista Sew Inspired

Pin Tuck Pillow

So professional looking, aren't they?

A Jennuine Life

Une Petite Pouffe

Thems is mad sewing skillz. If I had the
skills I'd sew one for each girl's room.

It's a dreary rainy day. It's only 9:53 here in Jersey but already Ellie has whined herself into the pack-n-play with toys, eaten finger paint, gotten finger paint in her freshly washed hair, threw toast with peanut butter down side onto the floor, and been put promptly down for a nap which I'm not sure she needs but one that I need her to take. Where did I leave that cup of coffee now??

Off to create a blogger, I mean help Molly use her Easy Bake Oven.

Cheers!

Jenny

Anchor Inspiration, China Cabinet Redo

2012-01-10T21:25:00.001-05:00

Jackie at Simple Home. Life is one of my new favorite bloggers. She makes everything seem so easy and accessible to someone like me who is a relatively timid DIYer. I always had the ideas but Jim was the brawn of our troop. But lately he's been working so much that he's just not around and when he is he's not interested in DIY. He is more interesting in R and R. So I have to be more proactive if I want things to happen around here and one of the things that have been holding me back was installing anchors. Yes, dumb, but true. I always felt like I was going to mess it all up, break our walls, etc.

So lo and behold today Jackie had a tutorial on installing anchors. I was inspired. I didn't have the same kind of anchors though. I had these (the red ones). So I grabbed the anchor, the matching screw, the big drill with a million bits so I could size it correctly, and a hammer.

First I figured out where to hang the thing I wanted to hang (chalkboard). Then I sized my drill bit to be a bit smaller than the diameter of the anchor. I drilled and then placed the anchor on the hole. Using the hammer, I sank it into the drywall. Next, I switched the bit to the screwdriver and screwed the nail into the anchor. I didn't screw it all the way in because my chalkboard had a wire and I needed it to hang.

Then I wrote a little blurb from one of my favorite poems about winter and realized that I CAN hang stuff up with anchors!! I'm practically Norm from This Old House. Or Bob Villa. Or Bob the Builder.

Here's the whole poem entitled Winter-Time by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is so descriptive, isn't it?

Winter-Time

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,	5
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;	10
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows	15
Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding-cake.	20

Years ago Jim received a free hutch/china cabinet from his boss's father who was downsizing. We moved it from the dad's house to Jim's apartment, from our apartment (after we got married) to our first house, from our first house to the POD that stored our stuff, and from our POD to our current house. I finally have a place to put it and a place to fix it up. Here are the beginning stages.

The glass for the left door is intact. It just
needs to be reinstalled and the muntins attached.

If we can fix that molding we will. Otherwise
we'll just use glass caulk.

I sanded it completely with my orbital sander and tonight I primed the doors and drawer.

I bought two yards of this fabric and I may use it on the inside of the cabinet top.

I'll keep posting the progress on this project. I can't wait for it to be done. Are you working on anything right now? Any projects in motion?

Cheers!
Jenny

Red Velvet Cake

2012-01-09T19:47:00.001-05:00

So as I mentioned, Jim requested a red velvet cake for his birthday cake. I had just gotten my Food Network Magazine and lo and behold! Their cover has a beautiful red velvet cake on it and there was a whole slew of red velvet recipes. I got to work.

For those who wish to get to the meat of the matter this is what I was left with:

The rest of you who want to read the whole story read on.

Ok, so first of all red food coloring is evil. It is like a bad virus and contaminated everything I touched. My hands were red, my counters were red, all my dish towels were red. It was a mess. But anything for my man.

I wasn't impressed with this recipe! I baked it exactly according to the directions and when I tested it the toothpick came out very wet. So I put it in for 3 more minutes and the layers came out soooooo dry that they crumbled. Ick. Anyway, here are some pics from along the way. Remember, I'm a teacher not a photographer so they are what they are.

Dry ingredients. As if you've never seen them before.

So then I made the cream cheese icing which is so good it wipes out all the evil the red food coloring put out into my kitchen. I would use that recipe again for sure. It would be great eaten with a spoon alone in a room with the door closed in bed. Or on graham crackers...whatever.

Don't forget to do this with parchment or waxed paper!
Keeps your platter neat.

See all the crumbs? See the big piece that fell off?
Cake isn't supposed to do that. I was disappointed.

The reality left behind.

I think the end result was pretty so I glammed the pics up with some, what else, red velvet behind it. I'm so creative. Avant garde you may say.

Clearly not staged in any way. That's Molly's nose in the background.
It was too dry for my taste. The cake, not Molly's nose.

Oh and I don't think I ever told you we painted the dining room so guess what?? We painted the dining room! It's a pale gray/blue and I like it. It's hard to show in these pics and I couldn't let you see the state of my dining room (messy) so I took pics that wouldn't show that. The main color is Valspar Sea Salt Blue which is the color in our living room. I dumped in gray paint until I got the color I wanted.

Before

Don't forget to link up this week!

Cheers!
Jenny
Linking up to these great parties and Home Stories A2Z! Visit these blogs and join in the linky love fest.

Jim Turns 40

2012-01-08T08:38:00.001-05:00

My dear husband turns 40 today. We met when he was 22 and I was 21. At the time we were working in a residence with schizophrenic adults, teaching life skills and assisting with daily living. I was impressed by his integrity, gentleness, and honesty. And now, at 40, those traits are still those that make me admire him so. Jim is the best person I know and I was proud of the man he was at 22 and I'm so proud of the man he is at 40.

He chose red velvet as his cake and I got to it last night. I'll post a few pics later when it's frosted. But I have a feeling I'll be cleaning up red food coloring for weeks to come. It is EVERYWHERE because I am the messiest baker ever. Hopefully it will taste good and the food coloring disaster will be worth it.

I hope you have a blessed and beautiful Sunday!

Cheers!
Jenny

Old Plaques New Again

2012-01-07T08:07:00.001-05:00

I've been busy on some decorating projects for our house. Some worked out and some did not (stupid homemade shower curtain). Here is one that worked! A while ago I got these hideous plaques at a garage sale for the (very appropriate) price of $0.00. Free! Super! Jim thought I was insane but again just hauled them away.

Here they are from way back when:

Clearly they were old but really...when were these
ever pretty? When did someone look at these
and say "oh yes! I have just the spot!"

So I did what any reasonable DIY blogger would do. I spray painted them white and Mod Podged the heck out of 'em with sweet pictures of my babes. Then I dug out my wedding portrait (um, not quite a portrait, I know. But remember, I was young and giddy at the time I chose it) and did a little leaning vignette on my mantel.

I know what my fellow teachers are thinking right now.
I know, it's also a cause/effect lesson. I picked right up on it.

Truthfully, I don't mean for them to be permanent. They aren't even fantastic copies since I just printed them on printer paper from my computer. But they make me happy and it makes me thrilled to know I paid nothing for them. How can you not smile at that belly peeping out on Ellie? Luscious. I have one more that I'm still working on and I'll post that as soon as I'm done!

If I get that stupid shower curtain up I'll post that soon too. It has the potential to be so cute! We'll see.

Hope you are all happy and well.

Cheers!
Jenny
Linking up to Home Stories A2Z

Features From Last Week's Party

2012-01-06T18:45:00.000-05:00

WHEW! Today was an amazingly tiring day. I had a very, um, exuberant class. 5th grade boys are so special in their own way and that's all I have to say about that! : )

So last week was awesome! You guys rock! Thank you so much for linking up and supporting the party each week. These were some of my faves!

I need this buffet in my dining room. How can I get her to give it to me??? The paint really highlights the details.

Dumped and Discovered

"French" and "blue" may be my new two favorite words after seeing this dresser transformation. See ya, "mint" & "chip!"

Larissa Hill Designs

Couldn't you just dig into this right now? I could have used ~~a dozen~~ one of these cheesecakes today.

Inside BruCrew Life

I can't stop loving this apron even though Christmas is over. It is such a cute apron and would make a beautiful hostess gift around the holidays!

Purple Chocolate Home

I am either obsessed with french things today or furniture or both because I just adore this french opera table! So clever!

Lovely, Etc.

ok, one more because I really want to feature them all but that would be an awfully long post.

This zippered clutch doesn't even appear homemade to me, it's so perfect! Someday I'll sew like this. Or someday I'll pay for something someone else sewed like this. Either or. Isn't it so pretty?

Threading My Way

All of these women have some beautiful and creative blogs so I hope you'll follow them as well as visit! And I hope to see you all this week at the party too!

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Cheers!
Jenny

Latest and Greatest #13

2012-01-06T06:49:00.000-05:00

I'm so sorry I haven't posted features yet! I was called into teach yesterday and then Jim was on the computer all night working. I just got called in again (ugh) so I am going to post the link party and then follow up later! Hope you all have a good day! I'm in 5th grade..pray I can do the math! HA HA!

Can't wait to see all your stuff this week!

Powder Room Update, Goals for 2012

2012-01-03T23:09:00.001-05:00

I tackled the powder room again. This time it went much better. I'm just going to plug away at it a little each night until it surrenders. On the plus side, it's a heckuva workout and my arms and so sore! But it's a good sore that lets me know a kickbutt powder room is on the way. I went to Pinterest for some inspiration tonight when I was getting a bit down about it all. Look at these amazing rooms!

Via Pinterest
I tried to go to the original link but I
couldn't find it. But I love the wallpaper.

Munger Interiors
Isn't that faucet great?? I love the muted colors too.

Kristen Buckingham
This is so so sweet. I love the horizontal
paneling and the corner placed mirror.

Decor Pad
Again I couldn't get back to the original link
but I adore this wallpaper, wide crown moulding
and the light fixture. not digging the one-legged sink.
It feels a little "cyclops" to me.

Moving on...what are you going to resolve to do this 2012? I have a list.

1. Have more patience with my girls.
2. Work more and beef up our savings account.
3. Finish the powder room and the upstairs bathroom. Anything else is gravy.
4. Be more active, eat healthier, be a better example to my daughters.
5. Spend more time on Pinterest (ha ha ha! kidding)
6. Cook more often and use the crock pot more.

I hope you are all off to a fantastic 2012! I will have two projects to show you soon! I'm so excited about each! Here is a preview though...

Oh and when I was looking for pictures I found this one from over a year ago. Molly was a super napper and would bury herself in the covers completely, head and all. One day I saw this and couldn't help but take a picture. Those little piggies were the only things peeping out.

I am seeing so many cool projects linked up to the various link parties and to mine. Aren't you all so creative??? I will feature some tomorrow! Check back and see if it's your project!!

Cheers!
Jenny

Powder Room Grudge Match

2012-01-02T22:24:00.000-05:00

It's on, Powder Room. It's on like Donkey Kong. You are going DOWN. Oh sure, you thought your friend, Kitchen, would get the best of us. I remember well. Kitchen thought it would beat us with it's blue and gold wall paper.

But we brought Kitchen down and now I have a smooth wall on which to paint a rich brown and hang plates (and old phones) on. Mwah ha ha!!! It's your turn, Powder Room. Be afraid.

So you threw your first punch and I'll admit I had the air knocked out of me. More blue and gold wall paper, a wicker mirror hiding a hole that once housed a medicine cabinet, the weird faux painted light fixture. It was a lot to take. But I came back with a 1-2-RIP and your downward spiral began.

Sneaky...but I figured out your two different plant hook maneuver.

Ok, so 38 year old wallpaper paste was a good plan.

But you haven't bested me. Oh no, you have not bested me yet. Meet Steamer. Your arch nemesis. Your Kryptonite if you will.

Steamer didn't come alone though. He brought his friends Scraper and Hot Soapy Water and Sponge. Together we are like the Justice League and cannot be beat!

Oh I know it will be a duel to the end but I guarantee Powder Room, that I will be the one left standing. You have been warned.

Cheers!
Jenny

Don't forget to link up your latest and greatest!

Top 10 Projects of 2011

2011-12-30T22:07:00.001-05:00

2011 has been such a year of ups and downs for us! We sold a house, bought a house, moved to another part of the state, I went back to teaching in a part-time mode, Jim started working from home, and so much more. But a steady in my life has been starting this blog and sharing it with so many wonderful people! Here are my 10 most popular blog posts and thank you to all of you who read my little slice of life!

New Fall Wreath

Halloween Glam Wreath

Wreath Tutorial

Garage Sale Table Makeover

Ooops, wrong picture

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes

Dollar Store Acorn Decoration

Whew, it's been such a year! We are so happy to be where we are and I'm so grateful I started this blog. It's been such a blessing in my life at a time when I really needed it!

Don't forget to link up your favorite projects this week!

Cheers!

Jenny

Linking up to these fantastic parties!

Latest and Greatest Friday #12, Features!

2011-12-30T08:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who linked up last week. I know it was a bit crazy with the holidays and I was so happy to see such creative projects linked up! Here are some favorites:

These snowman are adorable! You'll never guess what she uses to form them!

Pitter & Glink
Snowmen Nativity

I love love love the fabric!

Living In The Woods
Cane Chair

Honestly, there isn't anything on Mrs. Fox's site that doesn't look perfect and amazing!

Mrs. Fox's Sweets
Christmas Tree Cookies

Let's party!!

Ruffled Scarf Tutorial

2011-12-29T13:38:00.003-05:00

A while ago I bought a set of chocolate brown sheets. I got them at a discount store and they ended up not being very good quality. Jim was all "These sheets feel cheap" and I was all "cuz they are cheap." So I washed them and put them away as a set of extras. Then I won a fantastic set of sheets in a giveaway and decided it was time to get rid of the cheap ones. So I made some scarves out of the material and now I'm happy!

Here is how I did it:

I cut my sheet into long strips. I cut it across the bottom so one side was already hemmed and it cut down on my work. Obviously for the subsequent scarves I had to hem all sides.

Hem the raw sides

Then I used my machine to sew a line of stitching down the middle but I set it so it ruffled. My machine doesn't do a great job at ruffling so I did use the old pull-the-bobbin-thread method to add a bit more ruffle. My machine ruffles a bit if I make the tension as high as it will go but set my stitches on the longest setting.

Then I ran a line of stitching on either side about an inch from the edges. Again I set my machine so it was ruffling the fabric as it went.

All done! Revel in your fabulousness!

I made one for my sister too. Plus I have tons of sheet material left over so I have to think of something else to do with it.

Cheers!
Jenny

Linking up here!! Go visit some awesome parties!

New Year's Eve Ideas!

2011-12-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I guest blogged at Type A Decorating about New Year's Eve and this is my blog post! Go check out Tammy's site to read other guest bloggers.

The wrapping paper is in the garbage, the yule log has turned to ashes, Daddy's twice a year church obligation has been met...Christmas is over. I hope you all had a beautiful and blessed holiday! Let's look forward to an even better 2012 Here are some ideas to get your party on!

Look at these beautiful party and table decorations! Of course a glittery theme is best for ushering in the new year!

The Celebration Shoppe

Martha shows a great way to use up the leftover gift wrap! These look like sparkly icicles to me.

Martha Stewart

This table setting is chic and shiny at the same time. I had mint julep cups at my wedding so I always like seeing them on a table setting.

The Hostess With The Mostess

I love the idea of using clocks as decor for New Year's Eve.

Lisa Storms

Gorgeous decorations for cupcakes! So festive!

I Am Baker

More metallics! I bet we can scam some glittery stars left over from Dollar Tree like the one I bought for Christmas decorating.

Design Indulgences

Don't forget the champagne! You can have it in a glass....

Pottery Barn

or in your cupcake.

Homemade By Holman

Aqua, black, and silver? Yes, please!

Not Just a Mommy

I hope you glean a little inspiration from these ideas and have yourself a sparkly, shiny, and Happy New Year! And thanks, Tammy, for letting me visit today!

Cheers!

Jenny

Visiting Family This Week and Reflections From 2011

2011-12-28T09:25:00.000-05:00

I'm visiting my family for the holiday week and won't be blogging as much as I would like. But I am so excited to share my guest blog at The Artsy Girl Connection. Marilyn asked me to be part of her guest blogging reflections series in which we were able to share our 2011 highlights both bloggy and personal. Check out my thoughts!

Hope to be back and blogging soon!

Cheers!
Jenny

Merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T17:00:00.001-05:00

I hope you all have a very blessed holiday!

Here is a little bit of our Christmas Eve so far!

Cookie Baking

A visit to Peddler's Village to see the Gingerbread House Contest Display

Peddler's Village is a quaint outdoor shopping area. It has cute shops,
cafes, bakeries, pubs, and specialty stores. Every year
they host a gingerbread house contest.

What's better than a gingerbread house? A gingerbread tree house!

One of the blue ribbon winners! It was
perfect and reminded me of my
sweet nephews who went to Disney World last week!

Amazing details. The tree is inside the house and you
can look inside and see furnishings.

I'd move in if I could!

This was in the children's catagory. So cute!

Tonight we are going to watch some Christmas specials and get ready for Santa's visit. I have a feeling Mrs. Claus may have some wrapping to do and I do believe Santa may be putting some toys together. Just a hunch.

Cheers!

Jenny

Guest Blogging at Family Ever After

2011-12-23T13:27:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I am guest blogging at Family Ever After today! I share my favorite double chocolate mint cookies! Head over and check it out!

Cheers!
Jenny

Latest and Greatest Friday #11, A Tease!

2011-12-23T08:54:00.000-05:00

Look at what my sister made for my nephew's Italian class! I cannoli believe they were delicious! (heh heh)

Happy Friday!!! Happy Christmas Eve Eve! Happy Happy Days to All! LINK UP and be Merry! Last Link Party of 2011!!!

Features from Latest and Greatest Friday

2011-12-20T21:23:00.001-05:00

I decided to do some features tonight instead of for Friday's post. I am always left in awe of what people are able to accomplish and create! Take a look at these!

Peppermint Macaroons

Castles and Carriages
WOW. These look amazing. I have
wanted to try making macaroons
for a while now and this may be
my inspiration now.

Teal Dresser

Becoming Martha
I love the color and the details. And I
love that she kept the top dark.

Gingerbread Cookie Dough Truffles

Crazy for Crust
Can you even believe these are true??
I want them now! They sound so good!

Bow-Tie Sweater Pillow

Vixen Made
She made this out of an old sweater! I love it
and such a great way to recycle and
create from what you already have.

So there you go! Some of my favorites! And I'd love to grow the party so that we can all see even more cool stuff you all make. If you know a blogger who did a really neat craft, creation, recipe, DIY, etc. project feel free to direct them to my Friday party! Looking at all the links is one of my favorite things to do when the kids go to bed!

Cheers!

Jenny

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!--Shabby Apple, Decorating, Christmas Idea

2011-12-19T19:54:00.002-05:00

So as promised I am announcing the winner of the gorgeous black Boogie Woogie dress from Shabby Apple!

The winner is lucky #42!

Congratulations to tmc480 who said...

I'm going to email you! I hope you enjoy your new dress! Thank you to everyone who entered! I was so excited to be able to offer the giveaway!

So Jim and I move very very very slowly. We moved in the week before Halloween and all my pictures are still in boxes. Most of my pretty china, my living room accessories, and I have yet to hang curtains in almost all the rooms. ACK! So I started doing a few things here and there and now I'm anxious to get going on the rest of the house.

I scored this lamp at Home Goods for $25. I love it. Jim thinks it's weird. But I have such traditional tastes that I felt like my living room was more like my grandma's so I wanted a little more contemporary style. The shade is a beautiful peacock in real life! It was a little short so I stuck some books under it and now it's the perfect height.

And I want to do 6 ft bead board in the breakfast nook of our kitchen sometime this fall. But until then I hung some plates. The black ones I bought in an antique store years ago and the other two toile ones were from Home Goods. I didn't think I'd like all the black against the dark brown but I really do!

And Jim is still getting into the decorating scene too. Remember his window coverings? Well, look at this picture and guess what element he added.

Love this PB knock off ornament. You know how I love me some PBKO.

It's Overflowing

Cheers!

Jenny

Peppermint Ganache Cake & Last Day for Shabby Apple!

2011-12-18T19:48:00.004-05:00

Today is the last day to enter my Shabby Apple giveaway! Go enter. I'll wait.

"Let them eat cake!" is what I always say! I also say things like "chork pops" instead of "pork chops" because that's what my goofball mom always said. But back to the point of cake...the best 4 letter word ever. I adore cake (as evidenced by my not-losing-baby-weight statement from my earlier post). So when we decided to host Jim's family here I knew I wanted to make a festive cake that didn't include things like fruit bits from a plastic container in the baking aisle or any dessert made with vegetables (Pipe down, Pumpkin. You had your time.)

So I served a Peppermint Ganache Cake and it was delish! Here's how I did it:

Peppermint Ganache Cake (real directions are in bold for those who want to bypass the snarky fluff)

1 box of vanilla cake mix (or make your own and I bet you make your own mayonnaise too, don't you!) and the ingredients for that particular mix

1 bag of high quality chocolate chips or the equivalent to 2 cups of the finest semi-sweet chocolate you are willing not to eat in it's natural state (really ganachers will shrink back in horror at the mention of using chips but I had good results so that's up to you. Don't hate the playa, hate the game)

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1/2-1 tsp of peppermint extract depending on how minty you'd like your ganache

Enough vanilla butter cream to frost your cake.

Bake cakes according to directions on your mix. I chose to bake mine in 3 pans instead of two so I'd have more ganache in it. To do this I just used a measuring cup to ensure each pan had the same amount. Real bakers will tell you to do this on a scale by weight but frankly cake and weigh are two words I try not to put together. Pie and Pilates are two others. Moving on....

So when they cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to slice the little dome off the tops if you'd like to ~~eat cake scraps~~ have perfectly flat cakes.

Make the ganache:

Put chocolate in a big bowl and heat 2 cups of cream in a sauce pan until it's super hot but not boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute to let the chocolate melt. Then you can gently encourage the melting by stirring with a rubber spatula. Once it's mostly worked together and it is glossy, dark brown, and you are itching to pour it in a glass and drink it, you can add the peppermint extract. Reserve about 1 cup and let the remaining ganache get to room temp. Whip it until it is spreading consistency and frost the layers of your cake. I piped a small ring of butter cream around the cake edge and then filled it in with the whipped ganache icing so that it wouldn't bleed out and make my icing on the sides streaky. You will have tons of ganache left over so you can really frost anything with it.

Stack and then frost your entire cake with the vanilla butter cream. To get a really smooth finish, dip an offset spatula into super hot water and then wipe on a towel. The hot metal will melt the butter ever so slightly and you'll get a super smooth finish.

Nuke the remaining ganache (the unwhipped cup) until it is warm enough to pour. Pour the entire cup over the top in the middle and then gently push the ganache out with a knife to let it drip down the sides.

It was da' bomb and da' bumdiggity.

Here is my butter cream recipe:
2 sticks softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar (more or less depending on the consistency you want and how sweet you want it)
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tbs heavy cream

Whip to spreading consistency, adding sugar and cream to achieve the feel you want.

Bad blogger that I am, I forgot to take a picture of that first beautiful slice and remembered after we'd attacked it. But you get the idea on the inside of it:

What holiday goodies are you making?? Share some yummy recipes!

Cheers!
Jenny

Linking up here
and these great parties! Visit!

Random Stuff

2011-12-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

We have been so busy and I know my posting has been sporadic. But we had Jim's whole family here for a Christmas celebration and it took us some time to prepare. It was such a great time though! Molly and Ellie were in their glory with their cousins and aunts and uncles showering them with attention. We are very lucky to have such a great relationship with both sides of our family.

I've come to the realization
that I'm not losing my pregnancy weight
right now so I finally let a family picture
get taken. Focus on the cuties in plaid!

Such a princess!

That's my man! Doin' the dishes...sigh-swoon-sigh

It's time for bed. The fun has ended!

Cheers!
Jenny

Latest and Greatest Friday #10, Features, Candied Orange Peels

2011-12-15T21:42:00.019-05:00

Don't forget to enter my Shabby Apple Giveaway!!

Thank you to my followers...I just made it over 200 and I'm so thankful for all of you! I love reading your comments, following your blogs, and sharing my little slice of life with you. Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts and to share your life with me!

WOW...we had 40 link ups which is the most we've had. I love seeing all your beautiful projects!! Thank you for taking the time to link up! Here are some of my faves!

Just Sew Sassy
Holiday Tea Towels

ADORABLE!! Make these for your kids' teachers.
We don't want mugs or candles. And if you
homeschool then you deserve a huge present so
make yourself a margarita and then a tea towel.

Sew Rugged at Bear Rabbit Bear
Pottery Barn Knock Off Advent Calendar

I will admit that PB knock offs are my
secret villainous pleasure. I feel
like we are all bringin' down the man
when we make their stuff.

Giggles Galore
Gingerbread House Decorating Party

Umm, what can I say? This is perfection.
Every detail is spot on! Love!

For some reason the code kept screwing up my page so I put the link party at the end of this post. Scroll scroll scroll until you reach it and until I get my web developer husband to figure out why the code is being stupid.

Today I made candied orange peels. I have always wanted to try it because it just doesn't seem like it could really be a good idea. But it is and I'm so glad I gave it a shot.

Of course I dipped them in chocolate too. Wouldn't want
to know there is actually fruit
in this candy.

Here is how I did it. I cut the peel off of two large naval oranges and sliced it into small pieces. I put them in a sauce pan with water and brought it up to a boil. I boiled the peels for 15 minutes. Drain. Refill with clean water. Boil 15 minutes. Drain. Refill. Boil. Drain. Refill. Drain. I didn't want my peels to be bitter at all so that's why I boiled them 4 x.

Add 1.5 cups sugar to the pot with the peels and 1.5 cups water. Cover, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer on low. Keep your eye on it but resist lifting the lid. The steam will wash down all the sugar that crystallizes on the sides. You also don't want your sugar to brown and burn. Simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove using a slotted spoon and toss them in regular white sugar to coat. Don't worry if they are clumpy when you first take them out of the syrup mixture. The sugar helps separate them. Cool on a rack.

After they cooled we dipped them in melted semi-sweet chocolate mixed with a little shortening to help it set up. You don't have to do this. I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to unless you are seriously weird. But that's your call.

no, not chocolate covered shrimp. orange peels.

And that's it! They are chewy and sweet and citrusy and we really liked them! I think they are a nice thing to have out at a party for in between the main meal and dessert. It's like a dessert appetizer. I would love to try lemon peels with white chocolate.

Or frankly, skip the peels and let's take the chocolate and run.

Here are some other citrus holiday dessert ideas!

Southern Living
Chocolate-Citrus Cake with Candied Oranges

Joy of Baking

Lemon Cranberry Cake
Family Circle

I hope you are all enjoying the prep and hustle and bustle of the holiday season!

Cheers!
Jenny

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway!

2011-12-11T22:41:00.001-05:00

Shabby Apple: "We decided to pair two things we love—the soft, cotton jersey of our favorite t-shirt,
and the gorgeous sateen of our Jazz Age collection—to create the Boogie Woogie,
an indispensably comfortable-yet-elegant little black dress.
A luxe jersey cap sleeve top is gathered at the waist with a wide satin sash,
and a veritable bouquet of appliquéd, ruched flowers and leaves
adorns the full sateen skirt that swirls just below your knee. "

I fell in love with the soft romantic skirt with the sweet ruffle flowers that are so popular right now! Wouldn't this be wonderful to wear to a party?

Shabby Apple is the best at taking vintage styles and making them new and fresh. Here are some of my favorite examples of their vintage inspired dresses:

I love this white party dress with grosgrain ribbon belt.

Confidential

This deep eggplant purple dress's classic style flatters everyone.

L.A.

This navy blue dress from their Academia line is so chic!

Phi Beta Kappa

In addition to their dresses, Shabby Apple offers the prettiest skirts, including the navy blue Adelaide skirt shown here:

Shabby Apple also offers a wide variety of jewelry & accessories, fitness apparal, maternity clothes, and even art.

In addition to Shabby Apple's generosity in offering one of their gorgeous women's dresses, they are also offering 10% off to all my readers so really everybody wins! Just enter the code "chocolate10off" to receive the 10% discount. Shop now...the code expires in 30 days!

To enter to win the black Boogie Woogie Dress do one or all of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Become a follower of Days of Chalk and Chocolate and leave a comment telling me

you did so (1 entry)

2. Visit Shabby Apple and tell me which item you would love to wear to a party or event (1 entry)

3. "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and then leave me a comment saying you did so (1 entry)

4. "Like" Days of Chalk and Chocolate on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so (1 entry)

5. Follow Days of Chalk and Chocolate on Twitter and/or Pinterest and leave a comment saying you did so (1 entry)

This giveaway is open to U.S. shipping addresses only and the winning dress cannot be exchanged.

I will announce the winner on December 19th. The winner will be selected by Random.org.

Good luck! Oh wait, look at this sweet little girls dress! I can't stop!

Tangerine Tot

GOOD LUCK! Oh and don't forget to link up your latest and greatest projects here!

Latest and Greatest Friday #9 and Features

2011-12-08T19:33:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy to see so many link ups! I would love to see this party grow so we can all share and enjoy what we have done! Here are some of my favorites!

HomeMade by Cameron

Natural and festive

Vixen Made

Lace Tree Tee
So darling!

Tales of Trophy Wife

Puff the Magic Pie
Yummy and sounds like the perfect comfort food

Just Sew Sassy

Candy Cane Bubble Wreath
The colors are so festive and I love her placement of the wreath
in a frame with matching fabric flowers.

Being Brook

Easy Wooden Coasters
This is a great gift for a housewarming party too (hint hint)

Please visit all these beautiful blogs and see their other ideas and if you were featured please grab my button for your blog! xoxo

ok, now for this week!! YIPPEE.