Guest Blogging in Another Space

I'm over at Grits and Giggles today helping with the celebrations in Jenilyn's series

Why don't you stop in and tell her I said hi! :)

Sheree xxx

What a gorgeous morning! After a 35 degree (95 F) Friday and a 36 degree (96.8 F)day Saturday, today's 24 degrees (75.2 F)is SO AGREEABLE. Summer surely kicked in with a bang here. I've been out planting in the garden - it's bliss to have it cool enough to enjoy it. I should try to get some photos of what is currently growing. A lot of it is stuff that I have been growing with the boys. They love helping out in the veggie patch.

 I also wanted to let you know about a series starting over at Grits & Giggles that starts tomorrow...

There will be lots of fab tutorials, patterns and ideas by a great line up of girls. I might happen to be one of those participating  - not saying I'm great mind you! Head over there on Monday so you don't miss out.

A Little Help?

Hi peeps! Just popping in briefly amid the flurry of activity here because I really need your help. 

I'm working on a little project, but I'm having trouble with the colours.

I NEED YOUR VOTE!!!

So have a quick look at the images below, and tell me which one you think I should go with.

The voting poll is at the top right hand of the page

A. Lavender/Lemon Sorbet/Navy

B. Lemon Sorbet/Lavender/Navy

C. Raspberry/Taupe/Navy

D. Lemon Sorbet/Ivory/Navy

E. Other - Leave you suggestion in the comments

Of course, I'd love to hear your reasons why you chose the combination you voted for too. :)

Thanks so much for your time with this, I'll let you know what I end up going with.

Note: Yes the navy in each photo SHOULD be the same colour...

No Bake Oreo Truffles

So recently I decided to try some recipes with oreos. About a week and a half before J's Vintage Picnic party, Nikki posted about Golden Oreo Truffles. On my trip to Woolies, I found THE. ONLY. PACKET. THERE. So I snatched it up and brought it home along with a pack of regular Vanilla Oreos. I made them according to the recipe, and then decided that it was too cheese flavoured for my taste (but hey, if you love the flavour of Philly Cream cheese, grab Nikki's version. :) )

Want to make some too?
They are super easy - only 3 ingredients!
Here's my take on it...

No Bake Golden Oreo Truffles

1/4 block  (approx 62g) Light Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 packet of Golden Oreo Biscuits
White chocolate for dipping.

Process the Oreo's in your food processor. (At this point you could save a little of the crumbs for topping if you like) Rub in the cream cheese and roll into balls. I made mine about 1" in diameter. Pop them in the fridge for about 30 mins while you go off and do something else (for me that was hang the washing and play with the kids for a little bit).

Melt your chocolate (I used the medium setting on my microwave and stirred it every 40 seconds or so) and after it has cooled slightly, start dipping your truffles. I used a toothpick inserted in each one. I have read of others using a fork to do the same thing. NB. If your truffles warm up too much, they will likely fall off the toothpick!

If you saved some of the crumbs for decorating the top, now it the time to dip the top of your truffle in it.
Set on to baking paper and chill.  Store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Serve cold.

Or if you prefer the original kind of Oreo's... Just use the same recipe with different biscuits.

Enjoy!

I featured here...

Sharing here...

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Pinwheels {+ Make Your Own}

Do you recall playing with these as kids? The fun of seeing their vibrant colours spin around? 

Just perfect for J's Vintage Picnic Party.

This is what I started with. A paper pad of Amy Tangerine paper in all sorts of deliciously fruity colours. Now perhaps it was the implication of citrus (I am a total sucker for all things citrus - particularly citrus scents, or pretty much any other fruity thing), but when I saw this book of scrap-booking papers, I KNEW what I would use them for!

{MAKE IT!}
I measured in ***** from each corner diagonally and made a slit. I also punctured a hole in the centre of each one (all of which is a whole heap easier if you have a template on hand! I would advise making one if you are going to do this yourself and are making a few). Then in the corner of each triangular part of the corner, make another hole. All of mine I initially did with the tip of the craft knife blade, or on some of them a dressmakers pin.

At this point I knew I was already low on time, so I enlisted the help of  Mr. Kelp. It was his job to work on attaching them to bamboo rods painted in the signature blue for the party - Dulux Mineral Shower - and cut them into appropriate lengths. Once done, he drilled the holes for me too (I think it's good for dad's to take part in prepping for a party - they feel involved, and the kids love that their dad was part of it all). All the others I had seen on the internet said to just use a push pin to attach the pinwheel to the stick - but we found that it didn't spin freely, so my gorgeous man cut lengths of wire the right size for the drilled holes, and affixed them in place.

He also cut lengths of straw to use as spacers. A small one between the stick and the centre of the pinwheel, a long one between that and the triangles you fold over, and another small one at the front. Then onto the wire was threaded a bead and the wire was folded over to anchor it all together.

There you have it! Some fun for the whole family ('cos you know that they adults played with them just as much as the kids did!!!).

Happy creating, and come back later this week for more on the party.

Sharing...

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Vintage Picnic Birthday Party

About five weeks ago I was talking with Jellyfish about his soon to be here birthday, and was re-checking with him what he wanted to do. Originally I had told him I wasn't going to throw a birthday party since he had a big one last year (that somehow I never really posted about), but that I wanted to keep it just for us. At the time he said he wanted to go for  a picnic - which I thought was pretty cool.

Fast forward till the end of August. He still held to the picnic idea. But there was more. This almost five year old knew what he wanted. A caravan. Made of cardboard. Like the Jeep that Daddy had made the year before. Actually, he asked for an Airstream caravan (Which he didn't get because the effort of getting the cardboard rounded in 3D was more effort than we wanted to expend).

Waiting to go outside...

 
During the morning of the party the kids played vintage games. Bean bag toss, sack races, and egg and spoon races. We substituted golf balls for the eggs since they are about the same weight. Prizes were items such as Kazoo's, little pinwheel hair clips, vintage matchbox cars and vintage style candy for the team games. There were hula hoops for young and old to play with, and a game of Boules for the adults. The majority of the time though they spent playing in the caravan.

The food was served in picnic baskets. I gathered the picnic baskets that I already had, and took a trip to the local oppy (thrift store) to gather a few more. Cleaned them up and filled them with quiche, gourmet sandwiches (which my hunky hubs made on the day), various salads, and scones that my SIL made. Ooh were they good! :) Once filled, we put the picnic baskets in the middle of the picnic rugs (we asked everyone to bring a rug), and the sharing of baskets and time began!

On a table set with vintage linens (the yellow gingham was thrifted) were caramel popcorn, pecan pie, two types of Oreo truffles (OK, well they weren't exactly vintage, but the two older boys had a blast helping me make them a couple of days before the party - we just stored them in the freezer till party day) watermelon, strawberries, vintage jars of candy, gluten and dairy free brownies and orange cake, and vintage Vacola preserve bottles that were my Mum's filled with pin wheels for the kids to play with/take home.

 The cake was a numeral 5, topped with cloudburst frosting, and strawberries and mint, which Jellyfish had asked for months before hand, and kept asking for.

He ended the official party with gift opening, and then he handed out the pinwheels to all the children and sugar crunch Caravan biscuits to everyone as they were leaving. Tired does not begin to describe how I felt - but it was totally worth it!

Happy Birthday my gorgeous five year old! You are amazing, and it is such an adventure watching you grow, learn, love and explore.  We love you so much!!!

P.S. Stay tuned for more Vintage Picnic Birthday details!

Sharing...
http://www.niftythriftythings.com/2012/10/nifty-thrifty-sunday-78.html

My Creative Space - Sneek Peek

I haven't forgotten this little space. And I know I haven't managed to reply to some of your comments yet either... hopefully soon. Things haven't been exactly quiet around these parts though. There had been a little snipping, a little slicing, and a wee bit of sewing - not to mention the baking (more on that later)

Here is a little peek at what I've been working with.

I'll be back in a day or two (few) with more on those.

Sharing the creative passion here.