Choc-caramel Easter Slice

I found this Easter slice recipe on 'The Bite',

And it promised to be the biggest sweet overload in history with an almond chocolatey cake base,
gooey caramel filling and chocolate covered malt balls on top of that!

But here's the surprise....

it was sweet... but nicely so...

Not at all over the top as one might have expected,

and sooooo delicious!

The caramel was a little gooey,

  but adding longer cooking time will firm it up without a problem. 
Printable recipe is at - https://www.nzherald.co.nz/eatwell/recipes/choc-caramel-easter-slice/ZEAQFX3LMZHLDPNXMWCSEYRQJQ/

For your Easter dessert display, 

add candles...

 And serve the Choc-caramel Easter Slices on brown paper, 

on a worn wooden chopping board.

Feathers always add to the fun!

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by joining for free HERE.

#easterslice #easterbaking #easterrecipes #caramelslice

Porch Love...

Nothing beats a covered porch for summer dining,
an outdoor room to relax in, listen to music, or spend time with family & friends.

So today I'm sharing 'Mia Bella Passions back porch'.

 It's quite a large area,
sited between a bedroom and the red sitting room.
Bonus is it has a roof!

There's an old oak table centred on the deck that has a mosaic top.
The picture is of a butterfly.

The words read: Fly like a butterfly - free.

 Of course, there is the mandatory fresh flowers...

a bowl of creamy white lilies.

The chairs are worn wood, 

I thought maybe one day I'll chalk paint them.

 But right now they're just plain shabby,
but I like that!

The old fish tank sits on top of a huge cabinet.

It contains air plants, a bromeliad, rocks, driftwood, and various treasures. 

 There are quite a few plants.

I'm very fond of orchids.

 Rhododendrons and bromeliads.

The stencilled valentines mat sits outside the bedroom door.
Here's the link on how to make one:
http://miabellapassion.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/stenciled-valentines-heart-door-mat.html

French doors open onto the deck from this room...

as well as French doors on the opposite side from the red sitting room.

 An old patio aviary sits in the corner,

  that's used to store baskets and bits...

 The upcycled chandelier/candelabra hangs from the ceiling beam...

 There are practical shelves for those shoes.

 And room for some pretties too.

 A black wrought iron birdcage and globe

 A hand-painted gourd birdhouse.

 More mosaic.

 There's quite a few birdhouses actually!

The back porch is a fabulous place to relax,

to enjoy the flowers,

and simply chill out in the tranquillity!

 Tucker Dog agrees...

Shanti-Rose thinks it is a fabulous place to nap, too.
Isn't she the cutest?

There was just one thing missing from the back porch decor.

That was a porch rules sign.

So what does one do?

Get creating, of course!
Using the free vintage Chrysanthemum flower printable from here:
http://miabellapassion.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/vintage-chrysanthemum-printables.html
I added some wording in various fonts, printed it on matte photo paper, and popped it into a brass gold frame.
That is complementary to the lone brass upcycled chandelier , which is now a candelabra!
Read about that DIY session here:
http://miabellapassion.blogspot.co.nz/2015/03/upcycle-chandelier-into-outdoor.html 

I'm loving the new Porch Rules sign,

and it's the perfect finishing touch!

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by joining for free HERE.

#porchdecor ideas #porchstyling #covereddeckstyling

Upcycle a chandelier into an outdoor candelabra...

I picked up this  vintage chandelier style light fitting at the thrift store...
I knew straight away that I wanted to up-cycle it,
 into a candelabra for the back porch.

And it is gorgeous...
 In aged brass

It's so heavy!

 

And the patina is stunning. 

I know brass and copper is quite popular in home décor right now...

And I'm probably am going to cop a bit of abuse when I tell ya all

I actually bought matt black spray paint to paint it black!

When nitty came to gritty....

I just could not do it!

I even posted a 'Shall I - shan't I' pic for debate on Hometalk...

With the consensus of the votes 

to 'leave it be'.
Paint free...

in it's original fabulousness...

And so I did!

 The faulty wiring was cut out...

 The light-bulb fitting removed so a candle would fit in its place...

The ceiling rose nailed up...

and the chandelier hung.

Long slim candles...

Were fitted...

And lit.

After a while

the wax began to melt

Creating beautiful waxy drips...

wax drips are an art form in itself!

I'm in love with candles.... 

And upcycled chandeliers
made into an outdoor candelabras.

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