Living Room Loving!

Since moving into the house we have been working on a 1000 and 1 projects that seem to be never ending! Rooms are are finally starting to come together and so that is a pretty exciting feeling!

Our living room is finally not feeling like a large void space so I figured I'd share it with you guys, still some pieces to find and some life to add in here but I am pretty happy with it so far!

First off here are the before pictures (sorry they are so tiny I saved them off the mls listing and they were super crappy resolution)

 

This was the ONLY non wallpapered and freshly painted room in the house. But of course it was taupe and blah and I just couldn't live with it so we painted it white along with the rest of the house to start with a fresh slate!

We were able to re use the curtains we had made for our old apartment which I was super happy about cause I still love them.

Yes our whole entire lives are antique and aqua and this is something I have come to accept lol, I can't help it. It's all I ever seem to be drawn too!

Next we had a large empty back wall to the room and it needed a project! I was inspired by this photo I saw online of a re-purposed mantle without a fire place and I went with it!

I found a dirt cheap  used wood mantle on craigs list. I painted random patches in aqua, used a crackle medium over them and then painted over it all in white to get this aged look to it. I also sanded it a bit and added a few coats of varnish to finish it off.

I am slowly working on the back wall behind the couch but it`s a bit tougher. I am hunting down antique ceiling medallions used for lighting and refinishing them all in white to cover to create a textured accent wall. The new ones are insanely over priced so I refuse to give in and buy them (ones the size of the large ones pictured run about 85$ - $125). 4 down a million more to find! Also how magical are our peaked door ways!!

The back wall with the tv and storage are still super lack luster minus our beautifully refinished sideboard which we are using as a tv stand. I am still on the hunt for a piece to use as dvd storage. And we also plan on wall mounting the tv and hiding the boxes away in the side board drawers.

So not fully complete but I am super happy with  how it is coming along! The master bath is SOOOO close to being done as well as the dinning room. So be expecting posts of those rooms soon!

Mason Jar Candles

So i have a semi addiction to mason jars, whether they be new limited edition vintage look blue tint jars (which I used for this project) or gorgeous vintage ones with clip tops and glass twist on tops that I find while antiquing. I use them for everything around the house from baking supplies in the kitchen or q-tips and cotton pads in the bathroom. I probably have over 100 lol it`s clearly becoming a problem.

When we first moved into the house this summer I found a bunch of rogue ones in the shed out back and decided to make candles with them since  most were missing tops of frankly to crusty for me to every want to put things I use into, even after cleaning them lol.

My first time around I made quite a few mistakes and learned from them so this time I had a list of what not to do`s. Since a lot of you seemed interested in making some as well I figured I would share with all of you what I learned the first time around. Not to mention it`s the perfect time for year for some of you to get into this D.I.Y p0roject because they would make great Christmas presents!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

-Mason jars (medium and small jars work best)
-Brick of wax
-Clothes pins
-Wicks (you can buy pre cut ones but I opted to buy a large spool of them)
-Wax melting tin
-Wax thermometer 
-Scented oils and or scented wax tablets

It is a little pricey to get started but if you are planning on doing them for presents it will for sure balance out. Not to mention once you have all the supplies you`re set for the next time.

I like to buy most of my crafting supplies at Micheal`s. They are a little over priced but they have amazing coupons, and even have an app you can download on your phone that will update with all the weekly 40% off coupons. Before I got started on this project I spent 2 weeks hoarding coupons and making multiple trips to get the best deals.

You can buy the wax melting tin in a little starter pack at micheals for $40 which includes the thermometer, some tin forms for smaller candles, some scents, a small brick of wax and some wicks. I used my 40% coupon on this and then got the at cash 50% coupon for the following week. I then went back and bough that giant brick of wax which is $50 before my 50% off coupon. And at the same time used the 40% weekly coupon to get the large spool of wicks which was $40 before discount. I also bought some oil scents.

Now you don`t have to be a Micheal`s coupon addict like me to do this project but it took it from over $130 to start to about $70 so it`s well worth it. Alright enough with the cheapo talks onto the crafting.

Start by filling a large pot of water up halfway and placing it on the over on high to start boiling. I have messed up a large pot over the years from crafting so I use that for this type of thing. If you don`t have a pot you aren`t worried about messing up, be sure to stop by a value village or second hand store and pick up a dumpy old pot cause they will get messed up.

Now line up all your jars measure out the wicks and place them with the clothes pins on the mouths of your mason jars. Getting the wicks centered can be painfully annoying as an fyi.

 

Make sure the wick and clothes pins are placed sideways on your jars to make it easier to pour later

Break of some wax from your brick ( I used a hammer and crowbar). Place it in your wax pot with the thermometer clipped inside and set in all inside the pot of boiling water.

Stir every once in a while and check water levels in pot as it evaporates be sure to add more. Once all wax is melted (takes at least 20 minutes) check thermometer and wait till it hits the optimal melting point temp marked on the specific wax you purchased. Mine was 125c. Once you hit your temp level add in scents or color additions (all can be purchased at micheal`s where wax is sold). Stir and prepair to pour.

Pouring is CRUTIAL in how your handles turn out. SO READ THIS PART CAREFULLY.

Place an oven mitt on your non pouring hand and use it to help you steady your pour. POUR AS SLOWLY AS POSSIBLE. 

If you do not slow pour you will end up with massive air bubbles on the inside of your candle and will impede it from ever burning properly or for a long period of time. This was my big mistake I made the first time around and most of my candles were pretty much useless due to this

Allow wax to settle and harden for a few hours and then melt a bit more wax. During the hardening of the wax your candle will sink down around the wick. Go back in again with a slow pour to fill in these sunken parts, ensure to not just fill sunken parts but pour enough to reach the mouth on all sides of the candle so that after setting you can not tell this second step was done. Once those have set you are good to go!

Be sure to let me know if any of you guys try this out and  feel free to write me here if you have any questions! Happy crafting!

Recipe: Cauliflower Bacon Cheddar Chowder!

I made this soup a few weeks back for me and Nate, we loved it so much that I made it again this past weekend when we were up at the cottage for a family gathering. Everyone seemed to love it as much as us so I wanted to share the recipe here for you guys!

It takes a bit of prep and you'll have to be in the kitchen the whole time you make it. It's not a prep and relax kind of recipe but it's well worth the efforts in the end!

Ingredients

8 slices of bacon, chopped (half used for garnish)
1/2 of a large white onion chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
4 cups shredded or grated cauliflower (1/2 large head)
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth, divided
2 cups 2% milk
3-4 dashes hot sauce (or more or less)
2-1/2 cups (12oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (half used for garnish)
2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Whisk together flour and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a small bowl then set aside.
2. Saute bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep all bacon drippings drippings in the pot. Add chopped onion, celery, and garlic to the pot then season with salt and pepper and saute until vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add shredded cauliflower to the pot then stir to combine. ( if you do not have a food processor to shred the cauliflower shop VERY small)Add water then place a lid on top and steam cauliflower until tender, stirring a couple times, about 5-7 minutes. Add remaining chicken broth and milk then turn up heat and bring to a boil.
4. Slowly whisk in flour/chicken broth mixture while stirring, then turn down heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until chowder has thickened. Turn off heat then stir in 2 cups cheddar cheese until smooth, then stir in half the cooked bacon. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Serve topped with remaining shredded cheese, cooked bacon, and green onions, if desired.

What We Ate Wednesday

Delightful cheddar rosemary jalapeno bread and baked treats from Art Is In Bakery

Snacks for game night at our place

Left over veg snack from game night along with my fave couscous salad from The Herb and Spice

Steak and Potato Gratin for dinner!

Pesto pizza with shrimp, orange bell peppers and bacon

Epic treats from Truffle Treasures in The Glebe. Truffles, dark chocolate cranberry bark, apple caramel fudge and chocolate raspberry fudge!

Spinach wraps with Barbacoa Beef and homemade Salsa Fresca

Homemade stuffing, Apple cider pork roast (recipe coming tomorrow) and garlic green beans

Clearly we  have been eating well lately! As soon as fall rolls around I get back in my cooking grove!

Recipe - Perfect Winter Soup!

Since winter is on it`s way I wanted to make some soup to freeze. I made Barbacoa Beef again this week and set aside the broth so I could use it for my soup base.

It is so flavourful that it takes little to no effort to make this soup!

Ingredients
-All left over broth from cooking barbacoa beef
-2 large boneless chicken breasts
-4 cups chicken broth
-2 cups cooked Orzo

Directions
Place  both chicken breasts in slow-cooker with remaining broth from beef. Set slow-cooker to high for 4 hours and after cooking let sit on warming mode for at least 2 more hours.

 Take out chicken and set on a baking tray. Use 2 forks to pull chicken apart in to shreds like you would for pulled pork.

Place shredded chicken back in broth and add 4 cups of chicken broth (the beef broth is almost too flavorful and needs to be cut down a bit with plain broth). Add cooked Orzo in, give it a good stir and then portion for freezing.

I got 5 containers filled for freezing with this recipe.

Feel free to add in any veggies in your fridge you want to use up in when you go to slow cook the chicken. Last time I tossed in some potatoes and celery I had laying around and it was just as great!

Beef ingredients that end up creating broth fro this soup before cooking the brisket

Ready for freezing! No pretty pictures of a meal with it yet cause I am freezing it all for now.

It`s that simple and I promise this soup is perfect for all the cold lazy winter days ahead!