A Pallet Box Of Pretty Pansies...

Here is a super easy way to pretty up an outdoor table.

Whip up a pallet box.

Paint it.

Attach some plaited rope handle accents.

Upcycle some plastic pots

By spray painting in the colour of your choice.

 Then pop into the painted pots some pretty pansies.

Just the look I adore...

Simple...

Rustic...

and a little bit pretty!

To make the box you, will need to cut the pallet wood into the following lengths:

Base = 2 x wood lengths at 400mm
Sides = 2 x wood lengths at 395mm
Ends = 2 x wood lengths at 175mm
(to convert to inches use an online measurement calculator)

It is a basic build:
Nail one side to each base piece.
Nail the ends in place attaching to side wood
Then nail the base pieces to the end pieces to hold it in shape.
Plait some rope to create a handle for each end.
Staple gun in place.
I haven't ever made a box before and it was simple to do.  
;)

Fabulous for the covered deck mosaic table!

Love Is...Inspirational Quote....

Love is the beauty of the soul!

Yes it is...

I have so many favourite quotes.

Yip - you guessed it...this is one of them!

Use on the mood board,

frame for the home decor,

on a homemade card...

or as a screensaver.

Enjoy in black and white or in purple with a hint of pink....

#quotes #quote #flowerquote

DIY Pretty Fabric Wrapped Books...

Wrapped books are such a wonderful idea...

They add height and interest to a tabletop, shelf or sideboard vignette.

And they are such an easy thing to create!

Today I am going to make fabric wrapped books!

You will need:

Old books (I used three)
Fabric
soft stick sellotape 
a ruler for measuring
a pen for marking size before cutting fabric
pinking shears

 I've chosen fabric in contrasting colourways
 that will compliment the items on my shelf.

 Because I want to reuse the books for future crafts, 
or to change the fabric colours, I am not using glue.

 The first step is to measure the fabric to cover the book from the cover.

 You need to allow fabric for the inside cover edges.
Also remember the spine of the book fabric allowance.

 These are my very vintage pinking shears.
Using these I am cutting an edge on the long length of the fabric top and bottom.

 Using a soft stick sellotape (one that removes without to much tearing to the paper cover) stick the fabric to the inside of the front and back covers.

On the outside edge you have the pinking pattern which also stops the fabric fraying.

 It doesn't matter if the fabric overhangs the book, 
or it shows a little cover if the cover is a complimentary colour.


This is was the shelf looked like before the books...

 This is with one book added.

If you are interested in finding out how to make the 
Mini Pallet Love Sign, you will find the tutorial HERE.

 And here is the shelf with the three pretty fabric wrapped books.
Essentially what you are doing is adding a riser.
The books are the riser (added height).

It's quite amazing what adding a little height with a riser can do to the visual of a vignette.
This is effective on a coffee table, side board or on a shelf, or bedside table.

#oldbooks #craft #homedecor #bookstack #fabriccovered

The Pink Hyacinth...

The delightful scent and beautiful form make the hyacinth one of those most sought after flowering bulbs.

 If grown indoors the pot needs to be in a warm position.

 The position of the pot also requires good light conditions.

 Keep the soil slightly moist.

Too much watering will make the hyacinth grow tall and leggy.

The scent will fill the room the plant is in!

 To help stop the plants growing towards the strongest light source,

just give the pot a half turn everyday.

Hyacinths come in the most gorgeous colours.

I chose bright pink for a pop of colour in the decor,

but they come in a range of hues in the colours of white, purple, mauve, pink, and peach.

But:

Classic Banana Cake...

Nothing beats a classic banana cake!

Always popular and delicious too.
Drizzle cake with passionfruit topping for an extra tropical flavour.

Another sure fire way to use up your over ripe bananas in the fruit bowl!

This cake recipe is from the 'Edmonds Sure To Rise Cookery Book'.

You'll find this iconic cookbook on the shelf
 in most New Zealand Bookstores or supermarkets.

Or online via Fishpond.

This book is probably the most used in my cookery book collection.
It's so used the cover has come off and a few pages are loose!
I just bought my son a new Edmonds cookbook because he is about to leave home, and you simply must have this cookbook in your kitchen!

Get the banana cake printable recipe HERE.

Chocolate Cake

• Ingredients: 
•  125g butter, softened
•   ¾ cup fine white caster sugar
•   2 eggs
•   1 - 1 ½ cups or 3-4 mashed ripe bananas
•   1 and a half teaspoons Baking soda 
•   2 Tablespoons hot Milk
•   2 cups white flour
•   1 tsp Baking Powder
• 
  
•   Chocolate Icing
•  1 and 1/2 cups powdered icing sugar 
•  1 Tablespoon Dark Cocoa Powder
•  25 grams melted butter
• Milk to mix to consistency.

1. Method:
   
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Butter the inside of a 20cm deep round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add the mashed banana and mix well.
5. Stir the baking soda into the hot milk and add to creamed mixture, then sift the dry ingredients together and fold through the creamed mixture.
6. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin, level the top, and bake for about 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
7. Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. When cold ice with Chocolate Icing or dust with icing sugar.

#banana #bananarecipes #bananacake

A New Pot Plant Standard...

Do you ever go into the garden centre,

 and see a plant that is screaming at you 'make me into a standard?'

Well that is what happened with this Ficus.

The main trunk is so straight.

How more perfect is that!

I bought it with no idea where in the house it would go.

But once home decided it was time for a change in the French Masculine Bedroom.

I have had black wrought iron pieces on the side table for too long.

Time for something new.

Time for a pot plant!

So I just repotted the ficus into a bigger plastic pot that would fit inside the display planter.

Then trimmed the plant into a standard by removing the lower leaves.

A slight prune to round it a little was needed.

As the plant grows the shape will improve with regular trimming.
I always like to do this as a gentle slow process.

This fiscus variety is called 'Baby Ben'.

It's a variety that is great for topiary.

They like part shade, so the filtered light in the bedroom,

 and no draughts means it should thrive.

If you like the black & white photographs that are framed above the Ficus, 

they are available HERE on the Mia Bella Passions Photography page for your free personal use.

Choc Chip & Banana Brownie...

It seems I have an overabundance of very ripe bananas in my fruit bowl!

Now that is a great excuse to make brownie don't ya think?

 Chocolate Chip & Banana Brownie to be precise!

 Serve warmed or cold.

With or without cream.

Too make it extra special add some custard.

 It's a very nice lunchbox treat too!

 You'll find the recipe HERE.

To make the stencil for the icing sugar I  printed a butterfly template from the net and cut it out.
Place on each brownie segment, sieve icing sugar over the top, and carefully remove the stencil.
(My gorgeous daughter came up with this idea and it really works!)

Chocolate Chip & Banana Brownie 

Nom Nom!

.

Note: An ingredient conversion chart can be found HERE

Visit My Saatchi Art Print store HERE

#brownie #chocolate #banana #baking #homemade  #cakedecorating