Tuesday, February 24, 2015

A Paper Rose

Making this paper rose for the Contemporary Animal Print tablescape was fun and very quick.  As I was making them, I knew that they can be used in various ways.  I did see a collection of them made into a beautiful wall wreath and from a distance you wouldn't even know that it was made of paper.  The Pinterest pinner which inspired me to give this a try used paper maps to make the roses.  I wanted a less colorful rose, so I choose to go with music sheets.  The music sheets were purchased as a book at a resale shop for twenty-five cents.  I think the older the sheet music, the better since the pages become brown with age and it adds a more vintage look.  This simple and inexpensive project  easily qualifies to be posted under my category, Frugal Frittering.  Give it a try, it is a lot of fun.



Although there are many paper roses and their instructions out there on the internet, here is the direct link that I found on Pinterest to the instructions that I used on how to make this charming paper rose:


Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Contemporary Animal Print Tablescape 2015

Since Easter is a bit away, I thought it might be fun to put together a tablesetting using my usual black, but also a leopard print.  I had found a leopard print table runner year's ago at Hobby Lobby which was drastically reduced in price and I purchased it and stored it away for a future tablesetting challenge.  Well it was time to put it to good use.  However, this pattern was out of my comfort zone.  What color, patterns and textures could I possibly use with it?  I had to dig really deep inside to find some creative thoughts on this one.  What better way to begin is by bringing out some of the neutral items I had on hand, such as a white tablecloth, napkins and, of course, my basic black items such as the black placemats, stemware etc.

Well, black and white seems to represent a contemporary style to me, so out came the mirrors, the cylinder candle holders and clear crystal votive holders and apothecary jar.  So now the question remained, what accent color to use?  It was rather simple....moss/avocado green.  It happened to be what I had a lot of in my collection.  I love the moss/avocado green Indiana glassware and wood plate chargers that I happen to find at a really nice thrift/antique store.  I get so much usage with these glasses and for so little cost.

It is amazing what just one table runner can do for the entire look of the table.   Now you can tell me if I lived up to that challenge.

Here are some evening photos:




And some day time photos:







Thank you for visiting.  Stop by again and I will post more details under Frugal Frittering about making this paper rose from music sheets.  Super easy and delightfully inexpensive and could make a great place card holder. 

 

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Valentine's Day-A Little on the Wild Side

To begin with, I want to thank Susan from one of my favorite blogs, Between Naps on the Porch, for welcoming me into the Tablescape Thursday group which is hosted on her site.  I have been eagerly  looking forward to each Thursday for the past half year to view her blog including the many beautiful tablesettings from many of the talented artists that have created them.  I am honored to be among such creative and gifted people.  Thank you.  I hope that by sharing my tablesettings that I, too, can provide others with as much enjoyment as they have given me. 

Last week was my first posting to the party which was my Valentine's Day tablesetting.  I appreciate all the kind words I received and welcome others ideas or suggestions.  Even though I have posted my Valentine's Day tablescape, I realized that I still had this week to share my modified tablesetting.  Even though it may still be in line with the Valentine's Day theme, in my opinion, it has a whole new look.  The temptation was here! The cute little black, white and red rose appetizer plates inspired me to dig out my black Halloween placemats, napkins and glasses so that I could create the "A Little on the Wild Side Valentine's Day" tablescape. Let me know if you agree with me, but adding black to a tablesetting always sets a statement and changes everything.  It gives the entire table that WOW factor and, in some cases, it portrays elegance and regalness.  

So....let your hair down, kick off your shoes, play some upbeat music and get a little wild!  Happy Valentine's Day.  


 


Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Cupcake Love

No doubt....I love cupcakes.  Those sweet, fluffy, moist little sweets topped so lovingly with rich, buttery, decadent frosting.  Not to mention there are so many variations that you can make to either the cupcake batter or the frosting.  Endless possibilities.  This post is a result of one of the experimental possibilities.  I found a easy to make frosting recipe on Pinterest that I thought would be delicious on a vanilla cupcake.  What made it attractive was that it was made with Jello gelatin.  I used cherry flavor for this recipe. The final outcome is pictured below.  (One change that I would make, however, would be to reduce the amount of sugar.  I prefer a hint of sweetness in my desserts.)   If you wish to try it yourself, here is the link to the recipe:  http://littledelightscakes.com/jello-frosting/