Such Pretty Things

Candy Cane Treats and a Little Vacation

I found these gorgeous pastel striped candy canes recently.

I loved them so much that I bought ten boxes of them.  That's a lot of candy canes.  Even for me.  So, what does one do with ten boxes of candy canes, you ask?  Well, I decided to make my own version of those old-fashioned reception mint sticks - the pastel candy sticks dipped in chocolate and wrapped in cellophane. 

To make my own candy sticks, I started by removing the curved potion of the candy canes in order to transform them into "sticks".  You could obviously leave them as canes if you so desired, but I was in the mood for sticks.  :-).  This was really a very easy process - I just scored each cane with a knife (where I wanted the break to be) and then gently snapped off the tops.

The girls were happy to help me dispose of these! 

 

Transformed sticks...

Next, I melted some white chocolate (milk or dark chocolate would be delicious, too) - you can use candy melts for this if you wish.  Then, I just dipped each stick in the melted chocolate and then immediately rolled them in some pretty nonpareils.

 I let them sit for about ten minutes to set up before I packaged them.

I simply placed them in cellophane bags and tied them with some lavender ribbon.

That's it! Super easy candy cane treats!

II also wanted to let you all know that I'm headed out of town for a family vacation.  A little bit of snow and I'm ready for sunny skies and warm beaches. I am such a Winter wimp!  Anyway, Have a great week and I'll be back soon...

:-)

Jessica

Snowy Day S'mores

We had our first snowfall of the season today.

A perfect excuse to stay home and make some yummy s'mores...

With pink marshmallows, of course.

:-)

Hostess Gifts 2009

As the holidays grow closer, I am once again on the lookout for fabulous hostess gifts.  This year I have decided to give these little boxes of truffles from one of my favorite chocolatiers, Charbonnel et Walker.

The company is based in the UK (although you can find their products in department stores like Macy's here in the States) and their packaging is every bit as pretty as their delicious chocolates.  I chose these lovely soft green boxes of "Sugar Dusted Mint Truffles" - don't you just love that name - so perfect for the holidays!

 

Now, while I do love their packaging just as it is, I decided it would be fun to dress the boxes up just a "bit" more...  So, out came my satin ribbons...

and these adorable mini pastel glass ornaments...

I simply removed the original gold ribbon from the candy boxes and added some luscious layers of satin ribbon.

I tied on a big bow and added a few of the ornaments to each box.  To do this, I just looped some very thin jewelry wire through the hooks and then wrapped the ends around the bow a bunch of times to secure them.

This was a very fast and easy way to put a little personal touch on my gifts. You could obviously try this with any box of candy or small gift - and the embellishing possibilities are endless...

:-)

Jessica

Target Tuesday: Holiday Colors

Have you had a chance to check out Target's holiday merchandise yet?  I spent a good chunk of time wandering the holiday decor aisles this past weekend.  I found a few nice things, but much of it was very reminiscent of last year's stuff.  :-(  One thing I did find was this pretty aqua blue beaded garland.

Only two dollars for 18 feet!  A true bargain!  The color is lovely and it really reminds me of my vintage mercury glass ornaments...

I decided that this aqua blue will be the starting point for my holiday color scheme this year.  I am also crazy for lavender these days. These pinkish-purple mercury glass pine cone ornaments were a recent happy find from HomeGoods - another one of my favorite places to shop!

I am really loving the aqua and lavender together.

Of course, I just can't live without a little pink thrown in as well...

So, yes, this will be my holiday color palette this year.

What do you think???

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

Flocked Wallpaper Tutorial

In collecting vintage wallpapers over the years, I have occasionally come across some beautiful flocked wallpapers.

I just love the velvety texture of them.

They are truly gorgeous, but they are also very expensive and usually available in only very limited quantities.  So, when I came across Martha's new flocking supplies, I had an idea...why not make some of my own!

Here's what you'll need to make some, too...

Paper to flock (wallpaper, wrapping, scrapbook, etc...)

Glue pen with a fine point (or tiny paintbrush and white craft glue)

Flocking Powders

Toothpicks

I began by choosing a flat vintage wallpaper that already had a swirly pattern on it.

Next, I began to cover the areas of the design that I wanted to be flocked with a thin layer of glue.

I highly recommend Martha's glue pens - they allow for very precise control of the glue, which is perfect when working on intricate designs.

Next, I liberally shook some of the flocking powder over the areas covered with glue, let it sit for a few seconds,  and then tapped off the excess.

Keep in mind when choosing a flocking color that the paper underneath will show through a bit and this may affect the overall resulting color.  If there are any areas that look a bit messy, you can use a toothpick to easily clean it up.  I was also careful to only work on a small section at a time, so that the glue didn't dry too quickly on me.

The newly flocked vintage wallpaper...

The entire flocking process is super easy and lots of fun.  In fact, it's very similar to how one applied glitter to crafts projects as a child - you know, squeezing out the Elmer's glue, dumping on some glitter, and then shaking of the excess. And remember, you could try this method on any type of paper or make your own design - you don't need to use vintage papers.  I am very happy with the results and plan to make some hand-flocked wrapping papers for my (smaller!) holiday gifts this year.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Now, do I dare attempt the mall today???  

:-)

Jessica

Happy Thanksgiving!

Target Tuesday: Glittered Pears

I've been busy finalizing the details for my Thanksgiving table.  I'm going rather traditional this year and breaking out my brown and white transferware, my gold-rimmed chargers, and my "turkey" plates.

I found these wonderful gold-foil wrapped chocolate pears at a local gift shop and knew instantly that they would be an integral part of my place-settings.

In fact, I was so inspired by them that I decided to make "the pear" a major theme for my Thanksgiving decor this year. I was wondering around Target yesterday and came across these great "pear" vase fillers in the artificial plant aisle.

They come in a box of 15 for about eight dollars.  They are just cute little faux pears and they are the perfect size for using as place cards or for a tabletop centerpiece.

I decided to glitter mine for a little touch of glamour - a perfect opportunity to use my Martha Stewart "Florentine Gold" glitter! The process was super simple - I just applied a thin coat of watered-down white glue to each pear and then sprinkled them liberally with glitter, shaking off the excess,  After they were completely dry, I added a vintage velvet leaf to each one.  I love how they turned out...and they were so easy and inexpensive to make!

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

Beaded Garland

I've been collecting these beads for some time now.

They are the kind that you find at the craft store already strung on a short string.

I loved the pretty colors, so I bought them even though I didn't really have a specific plan as to what to do with them - but I knew I'd eventually come up with something.  And I did!  I decided to make some simple beaded garland.

It was as easy as stringing the beads on some thin jewelry wire and tying a knot!  It took some time, but it was a very relaxing project.

Just to give you an idea, here is the garland hung on a sweet little white tinsel tree ($2.50 from Target's dollar spot).

And, when I am finished using it as a tree garland, I am going to re-purpose it and  hang it on my younger daughter's bedroom chandelier.

It adds a little color and whimsy.

And kinda reminds me of candy!

Next year, I think I will make some garlands with vintage beads from old necklaces.  I better start collecting them now...  :-)

Happy Weekend!

Jessica

Corners of My Home

As you may know, I am a big fan of Flickr.  I often post my blog photos over there and I love to look at all the beautiful photographs.  One of my favorite Flickr groups is called Corner of My Home - it features wonderful little snippets of people's houses.  I find the photos so inspiring and I love to get a glimpse into how other people decorate their homes.  So, in that spirit, I thought I'd share some little bits and pieces of my home with you today...

Here's one of my favorite Italian tole candlesticks.

My older daughter's dresser top.

Her pastel tole chandelier.

Stacks of china plates.

Flowery hooked rug detail.

Some tole cans on top of my bedroom armoire...

My living room mantel at the moment.

Shelves of floral china.

Drawer of vintage linens.

Girly headbands.

The little one's purse...

A favorite antique plate I keep on my buffet.

A very old oil painting of pink roses.

Mercury glass candlesticks just waiting for the holidays.

Ruffled, shabby chic pillows.

Oh, and lots and lots of laundry...

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

New Martha Stewart Crafts

I was in Michael's the other day and I noticed that they were clearing out the Martha Stewart section.  I immediately got a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I am a big fan of Martha's products (and packaging!) and I was worried that the bad economy might have taken it's toll.  But, fear not, my concerns were unwarranted. They were just clearing out to make room for all her cool new products!

In addition to the many new scrapbook papers and tools, Martha has come out with some fabulous new craft items.  The first is her incredible new selection of glitter and glitter kits - just in time for the holidays.

You may remember how much I loved my glitter set last year.  Well, now Martha's expanded the selection to include Iridescent glitter...



Foil flaked glitter...



How fun is this?  It looks like flakes of gold leaf!



And this fabulous tinsel-like glitter!





I am also super excited about the new flocking products.  Have you ever tried the technique of "flocking"?  I have always wanted to, so now here's my chance. The flocking powder comes in a rainbow of pretty colors.



I am also in love with Martha's new sticker collections.



The colors are beautiful.  Here are some of my favorites...



These taffy stickers look good enough to eat!



And I am crazy for these glittery confection stickers...



Finally, these sparkly photo corners are a must have for any scrapbooker!





So, have you seen Martha's new products in a store near you?  Which are your favorites?

Happy Weekend!

:-)

Jessica