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Halloween Costume Idea of the Moment: Pile Of Leaves

Last Halloween we were invited to a dress up party. Normally, this would have thrilled me. I love Halloween, but I was still in that new mom tailspin. Yes, my son was born in June, but some of us take a little longer to recover than others. Like, say a decade… Don’t judge, lest ye be judged – etc. and so on.

A week before the party, I started to make big plans. I was going to create costumes for the whole family using a glue gun and whatever I could find in our closets. The night before the party I had managed to find my hot glue gun… and some glue. Luckily, I was able to throw together a rather spectacular Bride of Frankenstein costume for my teen-aged daughter using an old wedding dress and lace curtains from Ikea (I always have a pair of these curtains on hand – cheap and pretty and great for crafts.) One down. I tossed my husband a crazy puffy wig and told him to find his suit and a pair of glasses for I had decided he would be Phil Spector. As you can imagine, he was thrilled. Another down.

Now, the baby… What to do with the baby? I looked out my window and inspiration struck. The boy would go as a pile of leaves! Brilliant! Armed with a flashlight (because it was now 10:00 PM) and a plastic bag, I went outside and started gathering the brightest, least-dead leaves I could find. Ignoring my disapproving neighbours, children and husband I set to work gluing leaves to a red sleeper and a baby hat. It took forever. Really, FOREVER. But, many hours later, while everyone slept, I attached the last leaf. And here is the final result:

Missing a few leaves, but still mostly intact after 2 hours of partying

COME ON! How awesome is this?  Sure, he ate a few leaves and technically this costume is a fire hazard, but all in all I think he looked marvellous. It’s amazing what you can pull out of your back…yard at the last minute.

Helpful tips

• Use a sleeper & baby hat that you don’t mind sacrificing for the holiday. You won’t be able to use them again once they’re covered in hot glue and dying leaves.
• Keep the finished suit outside until you’re ready to put it on. This keeps it “fresh”.
• Don’t put your baby down in or around a big pile of leaves…

Making butter better!

I was browsing the results of two of my favourite keywords on UsedOttawa recently (“vintage” and “kitchen”) when I got to thinking about my own favourite kitchen finds: a butter bell. It’s a pretty old concept, and very simple, and I bet it was around long before the advent of refrigeration. Inside the jar there is a hollow bell-shaped space attached to the lid. This is where the butter goes. A small amount of cool water is kept in the bottom of the jar to keep the butter at the proper temperature.

It looks like this:

Photo by shesewsseashells

Allow me to indulge in some personal butter backstory.

Growing up, the butter was kept in the fridge. We also used margarine, the bright and yellow kind valued for its spreadable consistency. (Butter was not the only sandwich spread in our house, nay, we also used goose lard. YES INDEED.)

When I first met my husband I was surprised to learn that he left his butter out on the counter. I secretly wondered if he was off his rocker, because as we all know, butter goes bad.

I learned that a small amount (I’m talking any amount under a pound) won’t go bad right away if left unrefrigerated. But I do believe its lifespan is compromised the longer it sits out, and as soon as it hits the counter it begins a downward slide towards the town of Rancid. The salt in the butter acts as a preservative and stretches out its lifespan somewhat, but here’s the rub, we buy unsalted butter. It’s better for recipes (I’ve had professional chefs recommend this to me) and I prefer the taste of it. If I have a salt craving I add a little sprinkle to the top on my toast.

Unsalted butter, however, doesn’t stay as fresh as its saltier counterpart if it is kept on the counter.

Do you leave your butter in the fridge, therefore forcing you to slice off great big squares of it for your toast? Or do you leave it on the counter to soften, therefore (erm, hopefully) using less of it because it’s so easily spreadable? This is one of life’s big questions!

So, back to the butter bell. We’ve been using it for awhile now, and it has kept its promises. I’m pretty happy with it. It really does keep the butter soft, and rather miraculously, keep its fresh flavour. It has to do with the water creating a seal, but the scientific aspect is less important to me. What’s important here is that the butter is spreadable and ready, whenever I want it.

Halloween Costume Idea of the Moment

Alexa from The Swell Life as a California Raisin

I am very much in love with this costume idea. Once again, The Swell Life delivers the Halloween goods.

For the Love of Granny Sofas

They’re often curvy, decoratively carved, relatively small, sometimes have button tufting, and I think they’re fabulous. And though they may stir up images of old lady decor they can look fresh, cool, and modern if handled correctly.

If you’re really gutsy, and have the right look in your home, you could embrace the velvet, the wood, and the tufting and go all-out glamourous:

But most of us aren’t that gutsy, nor do we have the soaring ceilings and decadent crown moldings of an old Victorian home to pull this look off. So I think there are two other ways these sofas can be redone to work in a home. One is to neutralize it with solid, pale colours like this one upholstered in a white denim:

It still looks pretty, and has a ton of personality – but it’s a bit more subtle.

The other approach is to juxtapose the sofa’s old-fashioned lines with a really modern fabric – whether it’s a punchy colour or a geometric or whimsical pattern.

Here the vivid blue upholstery pops against the painted wood, and paired with the chartreuse walls it looks modern and fun.

A whole set on UsedWinnipeg

And how about this curvy set from UsedGatineau?

To me this sofa on UsedCalgary looks like one big fancy hug.

a channel-back sofa on UsedOttawa

If you're the fabulous Hollywood movie star type, this chaise on UsedNanaimo is right up your alley!

Or for something more affordable: a sofa for $195 on UsedRegina

And here are a few more inspiration pictures so you can envision how you might use one of these great pieces in your home!

Photograph by Monic Richard for Style at Home Magazine

From Crown & Crumpet Tea Salon in San Fransisco

Design by Graham Moss via GlamLamb

Design by Jen Ramos, via Style at Home

Design by Stacey Smithers, Photograph by Donna Griffith for House & Home Magazine

Photograph by Ted Yardwood for House & Home

Granny sofas and settees are usually on the small side – so they don’t necessarily have to live in the living room – they could make a great entry bench, sit at the foot of a bed, look beautiful in a nursery, or even pull up to a dining table!

Watch: Pancake Manor

I love this new web series for kids. Canadian YouTube supa-star and all ’round creative fellow Billy Reid, IS Pancake Manor.  He makes the music, draws the artwork and mans the puppets – voices and all. Be forewarned — you WILL find yourself whistling the theme song. Subscwibe!

Meatloaf Memories

In a meeting surrounded by women I was given the challenge to make meatloaf. Challenge accepted.

Why meatloaf? I haven’t had it since I left home. When I was very young I would help my mom. As I grew up it became a monthly meal that magically appeared on the table. When I left home my need for it just drifted away.

Chop

While chopping the onion, mushrooms & garlic I tried to remember why I haven’t had meatloaf since. What young adult trying to make their way in the world stops to make meatloaf? It’s not even a consideration. Who would miss it surrounded by university parties & late night cram sessions.

Saute

The onions where caramelizing nicely, the garlic was turning from kick-in-the-pants to hint-of-sweetness, and the mushrooms had soaked up the right amount of butter and salt. As as I added the corn at the end ( to thaw and mix ) I came up with another reason why I hadn’t thought of this particular meal.

It’s not romantic. Just say the word “meatloaf”. When I told my partner I was going to make her meatloaf I could see her working through the confusion of ‘why oh why?’ and ‘if he really wants to do this, I’ll support him’. It wasn’t like the time when I made crepes – that was romance.

Mix

This is when things went wrong. You see this picture to the left? You see how the meat is bubbling out of the pan (note the extra in the other pan, slightly out of focus). The pictures I saw of this stage floating around the web have the meat flat, completely in the pan.

What went wrong?

I put in the bread crumbs smashed croutons, milk, eggs, sautéed mix, and 1/3 of the glaze. I lightly mixed it all together with the meat. When it came time to put in the pan – why was there so much?

In Canada we have Metric. Most western Americanized recipes use Imperial.

1 kg = 2.2 lb

Seems in my effort to add up to 2, for my meat medley, I was adding up the wrong 2. I had now inadvertently screwed it all up making, 2 kg, or better known as 4.4lb, of meatloaf. This of course changed my timing, and the meat to mix ratio was way off.

At least my glaze turned out great.

Heat & Cook

I had missed the window to have a perfect meal ready, waiting on the table for my girlfriend when she came home. It was now 7:50pm, time to pick her up from work, without having put anything in the oven. On the counter was a raw slab waiting. The question I had was, if the originally recipe called for 1-1.5hr at 350F how long would twice as much need?

I found a message board stting it would need 2-2.5hr for 5lb. Not good. Since it was now 8:30pm that wouldn’t work. So I justified that my oven cooked on the hotter side. Plus, I had a good amount of mix that didn’t fit (remember the photo above?), so I wasn’t actually going to cook twice as much, no, it was only slightly more.

I figured 1.5hrs would be good.

I chose to cross my fingers and hope it was cooked through to eat at least by 10pm.

The Gamble Worked

It wasn’t the most disgusting thing I ever ate. My girlfriend gave it an 8.5 out of 10. Not bad accounting the slight inflation from love. I was just glad I could have dinner ready for 10pm.

After eating here’s what we decided would be good for next time (hint: she agreed that there would be a next time – also a good sign).

• Get the mix right – 2lb is 2lb. This should give more flavour to the fillings
• Glaze while cooking – I had lathered all the glaze on top before cooking. And we thought maybe a re-glaze every 10-15min would let some thicken while keeping some nice and moist
• More glaze – we’re sauce lovers so the ability to take some of the glaze after and use it as a dip or spread would have been a nice treat

Clean

Did I mention this was the mess I brought my partner home to?

Time to clean.

All Said and done

I think once I get it right, my fond memories of meatloaf just might move me to make it for my kids. Sure, I expect them to forget about it for a while. But when they hit their 30′s, or if they should have kids before then, I’ll have a little challenge waiting for them. Something to remember me by.

Cross-Canada UsedSites Tour of Awesomeness

From top left to bottom right:  Mid-century Danish modern teak cheese board, Scandinavian Porsgrund porcelain trivet, 1953 Eames fibreglass chair, vintage spice tins, 1960s Vanity Fair children’s record player, original Beverly Hills 90210 lunch box

Top 10 from UsedPEI!

As I mentioned last week, my mom just moved back home to Charlottetown, making the trek across the country from Calgary. Since she drove the whole way (eeek!) with only her little SUV and a trailer, there wasn’t room for a ton of stuff. I took the liberty of making some picks to help her new digs feel more like, well, home!

1. So moving can be kind of a big deal, especially when you travel a pretty vast distance. A great photo frame will keep old memories fresh and maybe even make room for some new ones (was that too cheesy?! Whoops)!

Best of friends... on the wall!

2. My little sister was feeling a bit lonesome when they arrived on the island, so they decided to get a new puppy! Her name is Bella and she’s very, very sweet but she’s only 12 weeks old and she’s growing fast. A new kennel will help with growing pains for ‘Lil B.’

A great kennel for the pup!

3. A mirror (or a few) is pretty much a no-brainer for decor; it makes a small space appear larger, it goes with all your other furniture and… it helps prevent awkward lettuce-in-teeth situations. Perfect!

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

4. My sister just started at a new junior high and she could use a great study space. This desk would be a perfect fit in the spare room, aka “Lexy’s Office,” now hop to it little lady, those books aren’t going to read themselves!

School's back in - study time!

5. No lulu in PEI! That’s okay, mom and sis will just have to get their workout wear fixes on UsedPEI.com!

Sweat in style, girls!

6. We have a pretty big family, and rumour has it that Mom has been volunteered to host Christmas dinner this year. Some folding chairs will be necessary to accommodate everyone (understatement!).

Family dinners are right around the corner!

7. Although Calgary winters can get pretty darn cold, we’ll have to see how different an Atlantic winter will be! Better get a warm coat, just in case.

Warm and chic in a peacoat

8. As I mentioned, my sister’s back at school now and this  backpack will be perfect for holding books, lunches, P.E. gear, iPods, cell phones… essentially, everything.

No excuses for forgetting homework at school!

9. I personally don’t get the whole water cooler thing, but my mom insists she needs one. Since I’m a fantastic daughter, I found one.

Drinks (of water) for everyone!

10. We’re big on movie nights at my mom’s place, thus a great couch is of utmost importance. I’m hoping you can vacuum popcorn out of this guy pretty easily…

Neutrals DO go with everything...

Gobble or Get off the Pot

Brilliant turkey salt & pepper shakers via UsedVictoria.com

Today my mother asked me, “Have you bought your Thanksgiving turkey yet?” To which I responded, “Uh…no. Thanksgiving is weeks away.” Wrong answer. If you believe the hype (my mother) all the turkeys in Canada are probably sold out by now. She bought hers two weeks ago. I suspect she’s being a bit alarmist, but she’s managed to terrify into braving the butcher shop tonight after work. Now all I have to do is convince my neighbour to let me take up some space in her deep-freeze…

The family that plays together…

Handmade Portraits: The Beerhorst Family from Etsy on Vimeo.

I want to be a Beerhorst! Very inspiring. This weekend my family is crafting together… whether they like it or not.