Fab Find Friday: Danish Deal

No, we're not talking about the breakfast pastry! I bought this bracelet ages ago at a yard sale with Dixie Anne for $0.25. I have a number of fun coloured bangles and wanted to add this green one to the mix. I wore it to work today and for the very first time noticed that it had a brand name and date stamped inside: buch + deichmann 1981. Turns out they were a Danish based company that sold plastic hair accessories and jewelry in the 70s and 80s. Today they only sell eyeglasses. Their vintage jewelry pieces are actually quite sought after, and a bracelet like this one could for for $30-40 on ebay...I swear it's just plastic.

Happy weekend! We're off to the Paris Fair, which I am very excited about. I haven't been to a county fair in a few years. Demolition Derby here we come:)

Wedding Wednesday: Clipping Coupons

Date Set... Check

Venue Booked... Check

Church Booked... Check

Photographer Booked... Check

As you can see, i'm well on my way with the wedding planning. I was blown away by just how early you have to book some things. Our venue only had two dates left when I called 14 months in advance...scary!

Now that the big things are out of the way, it's time for me to focus on all the little details, which of course are the things I truly care about and love! So far I have found a few invaluable resources: Pinterest, Etsy, Style Me Pretty Canada and Groupon.

Groupon has begun featuring many deals for online services, which is awesome for wedding planning! So far I have purchased a groupon for custom labels (destined for my homemade favours) and custom printing (aka Save the Dates and Customer Return Address Labels). I am hoping once we get our engagement photos taken that i'll find a groupon for a custom photobook that I can use as the guestbook at our reception! A little trick of the trade- don't tell anyone you're purchasing for a wedding. For some reason when you add wedding to just about anything (invitations, cake, decorations) the price automatically goes up 20%. For example our save the dates we're from the advertising postcards section (i.e $0.18 per post card vs $1.00 per formal save the date).

These deals paired with the great supplies you can find on etsy make for an easy and cost effective DIY wedding that allows you to add unique creative touches to your day!

Day Off

Today I took the day off in all senses of the word...we spent the better portion of our weekend right here...and we did not want to leave...if it weren't for the rain this morning, we probably wouldn't have headed home early...and I likely wouldn't feel like i had time to organize myself for the week ahead...but we would have been here...

A Rocking We Will Go

As I shared in this post earlier this summer, I have an old wooden rocker that I am slowly but surely refinishing. When I started out, I got this far and then rethought stripping it altogether.

Between the weather and my passive flaking, stripping and a wee bit of sanding...I got this far:

It is complete shabby chic, and as much as I love that, it's not quite the look I was going for in this piece! Tonight I filled the holes with wood filler, and soon this puppy with get a coat of primer and two coats of a very lovely blue/green shade! It was probably the quickest I ever picked out a paint colour (read: I had help from a hungry man...never put a trip to Lowes in between him and dinner), but I'm quite satisfied. I'll share the finished project next week!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

As I mentioned in my Mainescapes post, Caitlin introduced me to a sinful ice cream from Willard Scoops- Salted Caramel. From my first taste I knew I would try to emulate it at home. I found two great recipes online, and attempted the first this weekend. 

The first came from Christie's Corner, it's a Philadelphia style ice cream, and for a first attempt, it's definitely the best flavour i've made so far. If I did it again, I would try less sugar and substitute more of the cream with milk. I can't wait to try the next version!

Recipe:

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 2 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole milk

Instructions

1. In a heavy skillet with a light interior, heat 1 cup sugar over medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar starts to melt. When it does, stop stirring but continue to cook the sugar, swirling the skillet occasionally to ensure the sugar melts evenly. The caramel is done when it turns dark amber.
2. Stir in 1 1/4 cups cream. Be careful, the mixture will spatter! Continue cooking until all the caramel has dissolved.
3. Pour the caramel into a bowl. Add sea salt and vanilla. Allow the caramel to cool to room temperature.
4. Meanwhile, bring the milk, the remaining 1 1/4 cups cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil. Allow to simmer 15 minutes then set aside to cool.
5. When both the milk mixture and caramel have cooled to room temperature, remove skin from the milk mixture and stir it into the caramel.
6. Refrigerate the mix overnight and then pop in the freezer for an hour just before churning. You want to churn this when really cold.
7. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream will still be soft but should be firm enough to keep its shape when you remove the paddle.
8. Transfer to an airtight container and freezer until firm.

Fab Find Friday: Caramel Bits

I know this isn't vintage or antique related, but I felt I needed to share one of my favourite baking products from the US. Whenever I visit Cait, I make her take me to the Grocery Store. I love visiting grocery stores in other countries and checking out what they carry that we don't have in Canada. A few years ago I spotted these Kraft Caramel Bits. Originally for caramel apples I'm guessing, they're the perfect size for cookie mix ins! I picked up two bags this past trip, and I can't wait to make Chris' favourite Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies! When I don't have these on hand, I just use the caramel squares and cut them into bits myself (certainly not as convenient), but the results are similar.

How about you, do you have a favourite product you can only get in another country?

Happy Friday everyone!

Jess

Mainscapes

Maine is a beautiful state; I like to think of it as an American New Brunswick! 

Two local businesses we visited worth calling out are Willard Scoops (you must try their Salted Caramel...I am going to try to emulate at home) and Scratch Baking Co. for their amazing Apple Spice cookies and yummy homemade bagels. If you're looking for bagels aim to get there before 9am.

Cait and I went on a beach walk on Saturday morning...I couldn't get over the size of the seagulls, my picture does not do them justice! The turquoise door was lovely, the wreath was made of seashells!

House Crashing- Portland ME

My friend Caitlin bought her first house last December. It was a foreclosure, so she got it for a great deal, but as we all know with many great deals comes a lot of work! This house received a full paint job, new wood floors throughout the main floor, a window cut out between the kitchen and living room to open the space and a wall knocked down to turn a main floor bedroom into the dining room!

 This was my first visit to Caitlin's house, and here are a few of my favourite things!

L-R:

• The 210 on the shelf is the number of Cait's Grandparent's house...love this idea!
• I loved the L.L.Bean mat Cait had at her front door. This is also a shot of the wood floors and the wall that was knocked out for her dining room. It completely opens the space:)
• This was a print Cait has in the living room and I absolutely loved it! She's taking her time covering her walls with art she absolutely loves and I definitely support that approach! 

Mr. Elliot Charles is also a fine fixture in Cait's new home! He's definitely loving the new space and the wider windowsills!

Happy Tuesday everyone! Hope you have a great day!

The Way Life Should Be

Hello from the beautiful state of Maine! I am visiting my good friend Caitlin and her sweet kitty Elliot this weekend. Caitlin just bought her first house in December and this is my first visit to her new digs. I will post a house crashing post next week of all the great work and decor she has done already (and of course an Elliot photo shoot)!

This morning we met up with my parents in Portsmouth New Hampshire for me to try on wedding dresses. We found a couple that I liked and will keep in mind, but more importantly figured out the style I like and what looked good.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. A big shout out to one of my avid readers Emily and her kitty Luna:)

Ginger Crinkles

I made these cookies for us to take with us on our weekend camping trip. They are probably my most favourite cookie, and I think they're one of Chris' favourites as well. They are my Grammy's recipe, and I find they do better if the dough is chilled a bit in the fridge before you bake them.

Ginger Crinkles

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 and 1/4 cups white sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

1 and 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix oil, sugar, egg, and molasses. Add in dry ingredients, mix until combined. Chill for at least 2 hours. Roll Tbsp size dough balls, roll balls in sugar and then flatten with a fork. Bake for 11 mins at 375. Remove, let stand on baking sheet for 2 mins, transfer to cooling rack.

Note: These came out less chewy than normal, but storing them in a plastic bag will soften them! We found they were best on day 2 of camping!

Extra Note: If these are your husband to be's favourite cookies and they are ready before dinner, his plate will look like this despite other side dish options being available:

Fab Find Friday: A Trip to Aberfoyle

I have to start this Fab Find Friday with a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my momma, who is affectionately known as Toodles! 

Last weekend Chris and I headed to Aberfoyle. I took some pictures of a few things that caught my eye, and we walked away with one special find!

Cousins of the Green Machine

L:I've always oogled these pie cupboards...one day when I have a bakery:)

R:I loved this cupboard...especially the one brown drawer

Oh fruit jars how I love thee!

So on to the find! Every time I see penants at antique shows, I always go through them one by one to see if there's anything interesting...I love this idea from Layla's trip to a camp n wisconsin:

We found a penant from the famous Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick. Since Chris and I just visited the Rocks, we thought it was fitting to add this guy to our collection:

Hope you all have a great long weekend! We're camping...and it looks like rain, so wish us luck!