Baileys Fudge Sauce, Ice Cream & Choc Leaves...

What's your favourite ice cream sauce topping?

Caramel - sweet or salted?

Berry?

Fruit?

White chocolate?

Mine is Bailey's Fudge Sauce!

More for the Adults.

If serving the chocolate sauce to children, simply leave out the Bailey Irish Cream.

It's such an easy one to whip up:

Baileys Fudge Sauce:

In a pot over very low heat, stir until combined and creamy.

20 grams butter

190 grams of Dark Chocolate Melts

1/2 cup of fresh cream.

Just before serving.

Warm the sauce then add 1 tablespoon Baileys Liqueur.

How to Make Chocolate Leaves:

Wash and dry small camelia leaves.

These are a naturally waxy leaf so the chocolate does not stick to them.

Melt chocolate and spread with a knife onto the leaf.

Place onto wax paper and leave to set.

Once set, slowly and carefully peel off the leaf.

You will be left with the leaf shape and vein patterning.

In a parfait glass place two scoops of vanilla ice cream, 
top with Bailey's fudge sauce, and a chocolate leaf.

Then serve...
Molto delizioso!
(very delicious)

Note: An ingredient conversion chart can be found HERE

GRAB A COFFEE AND POP OVER TO MY GIFT STORES AT

FINE ART AMERICA

REDBUBBLE

SAATCHI ART

#chocolateleaves #fudgesauce #icecreamsundae

The New 'AQUA Clock...

You know what it's like when you get a new decor piece...

things have a strange way of totally changing up.

When I replaced my failing 'worst time keeper ever' black and white clock with a new one, that is what happened.

Because the clock was black and white,

 the decor pieces below it were black and white!

And Grandmas old china cabinet held my collected china in yellow,white and green.

Then along came the new AQUA clock...

Nothing like a bit of colour to brighten things up!
(This clock was purchased from 'Whitegold' - Shop2/189 The Strand, Whakatane.  Check out their online store HERE.)

So the pieces on the top and inside of the cabinet

 morphed into white and aqua...

The yellow, white and green china moved into the white french cabinet,

and the aqua that was there moved into Grandma's china cabinet.

Aqua has to be one of my most favourite colours.

I have collected these pieces over many years...

And the watercolour painting of 'my eye', 
just adds a bit of fun to the display.



#aqua #aquacollection

Office Makeover No2....

Way back in early 2015, I did an $18 office makeover.

But time and wear has occurred...

the paint on the desktop has not worn well.

The satin chair fabric needs replacing.

And then the wine accident happened!

One evening I went to my little office with my very large glass of red to sit and check emails, 
and peruse other wonderful blogs when....

You guessed it -

I dropped the glass of red.

I discovered quite a few things in the moments following...

#one should never attempt to catch the dropped glass of wine.

#red wine hurts if you get it in your eye.

#your grey hair turns a pretty (but winery smelling) shade of burgundy.

#the law of gravity does not apply to red wine spillage - as it went up, down and sideways!

#red wine stains wallpaper painted walls.

Now it was definitely time to make over the office again.

This time round the makeover was based on a beautiful photographic print.

(yes - ironic I know that it is red!)

This is what happened next:
The yellow colour way in the office was removed...

#walls were touched up and repainted in Dulux 'Celery' (satin). 

#desktop was repainted in 'Paris Grey' chalk paint.

#the office chair was recovered in gorgeous new fabric.
(You will find the red rose screensaver for your computer HERE.)

#an old bright blue pinboard was painted black.

#'On A Wire' hanging frames were created.

Find out how to make them HERE.

#the old stool was painted with Paris Grey chalk paint and rattan sprayed with acrylic white.

The cushion was covered in the same fabric as the office chair.

Totally refreshed 

- and completely popping with black and hints of red.

My little home office is a joy to work in.

Love, Love, Love!

❤

#officemakeover #diy

Rattan Stool Makeover...

I really enjoy my rattan stool...

But the natural colourway just does not fit my changing decor anymore. 

 So the easiest thing to do was to paint it!

And that is exactly what happened...

First the rattan top was spray painted white.

Peaks of the weave still show the natural colour a little, 

but I kinda like that.

Rustic French Country -

Is there such a thing?  LOL

The wooden frame was painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint

in 'Paris Grey'.

And then I waxed the wood.

The cushion was recovered in the same fabric, 

 that I used to recover the office chair.

This is the second part of my office makeover,

more coming soon...

#makeover #homedecor #furniture #chalkpaint

A Quote About Uniqueness...

Isn't it wonderful and such a blessing to be unique?

I thought you might enjoy this extra photograph today too...

so very pretty in purple blue hues with mystical background swirls.
Wouldn't this shot look fabulous framed in white for your decor, 
or
to gift (as Christmas is coming!)
 ;)

#quotes #quote #photography

'On A Wire' Hanging Frames...

I love the fun way these frames are hung on a beaded wire.

You can also use this technique to create a more industrial look 

by using a thicker wire, larger clamps, 

combined with metal or natural wood beads.

Mine are small frames, and as the decor colour accents dictated

red, black and white, those are the colours I used.

To make:

2 x  lightweight picture frames with or without mat

(mine are matless frames - $6 each from The Warehouse).

2 x 40cm lengths of wire 

(adjust wire thickness and length according to size of frame you use).

Clamps

Wire cutters/pliers

Beads 

Art, photographs or quotes

Step 1:  Frame chosen pictures.

Step 2: Measure centre tops of frames and insert an eyelet screws.

Step 3: Make a loop in the wire and clamp.

Step 4: Put beads on wire.

Step 5: Loop clamp as shown at bottom of wire through the eyelet screw and squash clamp to desired length.

Trim excess wire

Make sure each hanger is the same length on each picture.

Hang on wall.

As I live in an earthquake zone, 

I always put a piece of bluetack between the picture frame

 and wall to keep straight.  

This saves time by not having to straighten pictures constantly!. 

'On A Wire' hanging frames look fabulous in my office.

And I can easily update images in the frames 

when there is a need for change.

#diy #picturehangers #beads

In love with Magnolias...

Magnolia 'Black Tulip'...

An outstanding performer in the garden.

New Zealand raised by Mark Jury,
 this stunning magnolia has large cup like blooms.

They are dark ruby red (mine has pink undertones).

Magnolia 'Black Tulip' will grow to a height of 6 metres by 4 metres...
The like acid soil and are deciduous.

Available via most New Zealand Garden Centres 
or through Wairere Nursery online 
http://www.wairere.co.nz/Trees-Deciduous/Magnolia-Deciduous

The magnolia centres are complete bee food...

not to mention incredibly interesting to look at.

And each year in Mia Bella Gardens the tree produces more and more flowers that last an incredible time.


#gardening #trees #magnolia

Red Rose Screensaver...

This red rose shot...

is a little blurred -

and a whole lot beautiful.

Free to use as a screensaver or desktop photo.

(save as to your own computer)

#free #screensaver

DIY Letter Painted Salad Servers and another upcycle!

I bought these bamboo salad servers at Briscoes for $8 in a 50% off sale.

And as I needed a gift for an upcoming housewarming, 

decided to zoosh them up a bit!

I used stick on letters to write salad on each utensil.

Then proceeded to paint them with acrylic paint.

(Orange was the colour of choice because the modern new build house has a bright orange front door and an orange kitchen splashback!)

Dry.

Then paint a second coat of your colour.
Dry.
Then varnish.

(Dry completely for at least a week before gifting/using.
Remember that these are hand wash only, 
so you need to add a little note to the gift.)

The other part of the housewarming gift is a fruit bowl.

This pottery piece was $5 at the Hospice Op Shop.

(I choose the copper to compliment the orange colour as the new kitchen has copper hanging pendant lights above the breakfast bar.)
First step - spray paint inside of bowl copper.

Then spray paint the bottom, middle and top rims.

Sooooo very cool!

Modern and funky and upcycled!

A perfect fit for their new modern home with the orange kitchen splashback and the bright orange front door.  :)