A Shiny Project

I brought home a lovely, old mirror from my recent trip to Aunt Julie's house. It was in decent shape and was functional. I decided to polish it up a bit to make it look more timeless.

It has lovely specks and marks in the mirror that makes it antiquated. Gives it tons of character. But I wasn't crazy about the two toned wood frame, so I decided to change it a bit.

There is nothing a can of spray paint can't fix...

The final product is now in my office and it looks pretty good, if I may say so. I found it difficult not having a mirror at all upstairs while getting dressed. This mirror now gives me the convenience of checking my outfit or my makeup before heading downstairs. The black frame along with the antiquated mirror gives it a classic, timeless look.

Not too bad for a $3 project.

Fun in the Kitchen

Tomorrow is our monthly staff meeting at work. It just happens that it is my boss' and one of my colleague's 50th birthday as well. So, we all signed up for a birthday potluck lunch to surprise the lovely ladies. I signed up for birthday cakes. I wanted to be creative and make something special for each one of the ladies. Valerie, our technology coordinator, has a deep love for coffee. I found an awesome recipe for a coffee cake (a literal cake that tastes like coffee, not the dish you eat in the mornings with your coffee). The coffee cake has an awesome icing that is also coffee flavored. It was a breeze to make and it tastes out of this world! It is not for the light hearted, since it is a strong coffee flavor.

Those lovely flecks you see in the icing are coffee flecks. They add a great dimension to the icing and it tastes wonderful!

Marcy, my boss, doesnt like traditional dessert. She doesnt like dishes that are overly sweet. She has a love for dark chocolate. I decided to try my hand at making dark chocolate truffles with sea salt. The recipe is ridiculously easy. It is a bit time consuming, but oh so worth the time for a piece of dedacent heaven!

The truffle interior is a soft, gooey dark chocolate. The exterior is a crisp shell of milk chocolate with a sprinkle of sea salt. I know it sounds odd to combine salt with chocolate, but the salt cuts the sweetness and offers a nice balance.

It doesnt take much, and I actually only used half of the recipe here. The other half is in the fridge waiting to be completed. Im thinking about using up the rest for Thanksgiving for Paul's family to nibble on.

After standing on my feet all afternoon in the kitchen, its time to sit down and relax on this fine Sunday evening. I am hoping that these two desserts will be a big hit tomorrow. Have a sweet week in where most people will work three days rather than 5!

Winter

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."

-Edith Sitwell, British Poet

I dont know about you, but I am ready for winter to arrive. It is truly my favorite season. While most people balk at the idea of being stuck at home due to an snowstorm, I love being secluded in our cozy home, knowing that I am safe, while the world outside is in white isolation. Winter forces me to ponder all that I am thankful for and enjoy what I have inside my home. A cozy knitted sweater, a ripped old quilt, a trusty old book and a cup of hot tea are a regular staple of my winter days.

Winter causes the world to pause and rest. Everything is covered in white powder, silvery ice and glimmery iclcles. It allows us to take a deep breath and recollect all of our thoughts and memories of the year. Our bodies stretch and crave the warmth comfort of thick socks and cozy sweaters, fully knowing that the warm summer months are not too far away. While under the plaid flannel sheets in a warm bed, one lazily reach out for their loved one, knowing that this moment is sweet and short lived. The sound of small feet and furry paws across the cold floor as they come to curl up with their parents in their cozy santcuary is a sound that one will never forget. The smells of hot tea, cinnamon, sugar cookies and a crackling fire makes one sigh with contentment because these smells says, "Welcome home."

Yes, I am ready for winter.

Not So Wordless...

It has been a long week and its only Wednesday. Ive started to mark my weeks by Wednesdays. Since last week, Ive been battling with cleaning the garage, getting rid of a tiny little mouse that doesnt want to leave the cozy garage, naysayers who aren't ready for winter, and just general grouchiness. I am happy the week is over. Here is to a fresh start!

Thanksgiving is next week! Where has the time GONE??? The beaches of Mexico are calling our names. We are ready to go on our honeymoon! I consider ourselves blessed to be able to go on such a vacation during hard times. We will enjoy the much needed escape and look forward to having a great time together. Even though I dont want the time to pass us by so quickly, I want the time for the honeymoon to get here a little faster!

Happy Wednesday.

My Fort

On this chilly Saturday afternoon, I am curled up on the couch with Sam sleeping at my feet and Sarah Jane curled up in my lap. I had a sudden thought about "home." What makes your house a home? Your home is your special fort, so to speak. It is your special place that reflects your taste, style and personality. No two forts are alike.

For example, from an outsider's perspective, the couch in our living room may seem to be ugly, mismatched and worn down. While the couch is all these things, its still a place of sanctuary for me. It has two twin flannel sheets, one of Grandma J's quilts, Grandma Mercer's quilt and two mismatched comfy pillows on it. It is very crumpled and cozy, but it is a nest, so to speak. While the back cushions were put away a long time ago (thanks to Miss Rosie's little teeth as a 6 month old puppy), it now has regular pillows in flannel pillowcases in its place. The various layers of blankets and quilts offer warmth as needed. You will find me curled up under one of the quilts with a dog at my feet and a cat in my lap on a daily basis. This is where I go to unwind and relax after a long day at work. This is where I curl up for a nap if I am not feeling well. This is where I go to catch up on my favorite shows or read a good book. It is my fort.

I can see myself making a little tent or a fort for our future child in his/her bedroom. I hope that he/she will have a special space in the bedroom to curl up with a book, to coax a dog or a cat into for some cuddle time, or just to escape into a world of imagination. It is such a cozy, comforting feeling knowing that such a place awaits you.

Wordless Wednesday

(yasmin khajavi photography)

Here comes Winter...

Hello everyone! Everyone is getting ready for winter, which seems to be arriving sooner than expected. I am not exactly thrilled about it since I am not a fan of the cold, but I do have my winter coat. Thanks Grandma for the coat! I'm gonna go inside now, and let Rosie do this.

Come on, Sam... winter is awesome! I am so excited about the chilly front that is coming our way! I have been trying to spend more time outside than usual. It is just refreshing feeling the cold wind in my face! I have been trying to help Mama get everything in the yard ready, but I dont think I am a big help...

She winterized the rose bushes in the backyard. Its a very simple process: hammer in a few wooden stakes into the ground, staple deer netting around the stakes, and fill up the enclosed area with straw. I tried to help clean up the straw, but I think I made it messy instead. Oh well, I had fun!

The rose bushes seem to love the straw. After doing this last winter, the roses tripled their size this Spring/Summer! Cant wait to see what happens next year!

You can see a final rose trying to hold on, despite the cold front.

Happy Frost! Hope you keep warm this winter. Do what Sam does: curl up in blankets. You know where to find me: outside!