Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Beautiful Holiday Gifts for Mom
Monday, November 03, 2014
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
NO-BAKE Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes Recipe
No-Bake
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake
Delights!
- 1 sleeve graham crackers (about 9 crackers)
- ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1-ounce package sugar free cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix (or 1/3 of a non-sugar free instant pudding may be used)
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, plus extra for garnish if desired
- Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse the crackers into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar and pulse until combined.
- Spoon the crumbs into individual 9-ounce plastic cups (or other individual sized cups for serving). Place in the refrigerator to set while you are preparing the filling.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until light and creamy.
- Add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and pudding mix and beat until completely mixed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well combined.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix again until well combined.
- Change your stand mixture attachment to the wire whisk. On slow speed, fold in the tub of Cool Whip until well combined.
- Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for about an hour to firm up.
- Using a large pastry bag with a large tip, or a spoon, top the graham cracker crust in each cup with the pumpkin mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
For the Love of Bella Notte Linens....
It is no secret how much I love Bella Notte Linens. I have been selling it now for over 8 years in my shop and I am a little obsessed. There really is nothing like it. Nothing. You have to feel it to appreciate it. When you feel it there is no going back. When you sleep on it you will always want more. I consider myself a Bella Notte Linens expert because I love it so much and have been devoted to the line so long. I can talk about the different textures and colors all day and I often do to all my lovely customers that love it just as much. When my little girl was born I knew I wanted nothing other than Bella Notte for her. Non toxic machine washable and super soft for baby girl. Her first blanket was a gorgeous Bella Notte velvet blanket. If you decide you want to take the leap into the Bella Notte world call me for free design assistance. I would love to put a bed together for you. I can tell you once you sleep in it you will be calling me back to order more.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
DIY A Beautiful Kitchen Island
Easy to build, Kitchen Island
I love Pinterest for several reasons and recently I was happily browsing when I came across this beautiful blog called Our Vintage Home. She posted on building her kitchen island and I just loved it! My kitchen space is rather small but having an island to use is something that I would love to have and I loved that I could build this to the size that I needed. So, head on over and check out the way that she built hers and I am going to show you what I used to do mine. All I had with me in the garage was my cellphone so you will have to excuse the quality of the photos. Now if your like me and you find something you love on a blog you head straight for the bottom of the page to see what it looks like. Right? Well I will just start with my finished island and then you don’t have to do that. :)
1-1x8 8 ft long
2- 2x4 8 ft long
screws
gel stain – walnut
Build Michaela's Kitchen Island
14 – 1×3 Boards (About $1.50 Each)
7 – 2×4 boards, stud length or 8′ Length
1 – 1×8 board, 8′ Long (About $8.00 Each)
1 – 2×8 Board, 8′ Long (About $7.00 Each)
2 – 1×2 Boards, 8‘ Long (About $1.00 Each)
3 – 1×4 Boards, 8′ Long (About $4.00 Each)
1 – 1×6 Board, 4′ Long (About $3.00)
1/4 Sheet 1/2″ Plywood
21″ Drawer Slides
Handles or Knobs for 2 Drawers
4 – 1×3 @ 7 1/2″ (Spacers)
2 – 1×8 @ 17 1/2″ (Side Aprons)
1 – 1×8 @ 49″ (Back Apron)
3 – 2×8 @ 21 3/4″ (Sides of Drawer Housing)
2 – 1×2 @ 49″ (Face Frame Top and Bottom)
3 – 1×2 @ 4 1/2″ (Measure to fit exactly, space trim on face frame)
4 – 1×4 @ 24 1/2″ (Shelf Supports)
14 – 1×3 @ 58″ (Shelf Tops)
6 – 2×2 @ 21 3/4″ (Top Supports)
7 – 2×4 @ 60″ (Countertop)
4 – 1×4 @ 21″ (Drawer Sides)
4 – 1×4 @ 19 3/4″ (Drawer Fronts and Backs)
2 – 1×6 @ 23 3/4″ (Drawer Faces)
Sunday, October 05, 2014
Fall House Tour
Fall is my favorite season! I can't get enough of anything with pumpkin in it and all the fall colors make me so happy. The air is starting to get crisp and our outdoor entertaining may be coming to an end but it still is my favorite time to set out an outdoor table. I gather cuttings from my garden to go along with beautiful sunflowers purchased from our local farmers market to create a simple table setting. Drop cloths and burlap are my favorite go to for instant tablecloths. A mix of chairs and a few vintage pieces make it a simple gathering for friends.