Thursday, December 16, 2010

Hand-Painted Decoupage Clock for our Mother!

My sister, Andrea, and I made this hand-painted decoupage clock for our mother's Christmas gift...she is going to LOVE it! We took an inexpensive clock and painted it with our mother's favorite color "pink". Since we wanted to display photos of us with Andrea's baby boy Bobby (our mother's first grandchild), we figured that a lovely metallic blue was perfect! Andrea printed off some of our favorite pictures of all of us and I painted the clock and pasted everything on it (including number stickers and grandma-themed scrapbook sticker embellishments). After everything was completed a took a some glossy Mod Podge and painted over the entire outside part of the clock to make the pink very pretty and shiny!
This is the adorable picture of cute baby Bobby at the top of the clock. He is partaking in some "tummy time"...I love to join in on the fun with him!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Vintage Paper Ephemera Prints and How I Beautifully Store Them!

I am now selling vintage paper ephemera prints and ads! I will be adding more to my "Eco-Friendly Freckles" shop soon! Above is a vintage Christmas Coca-Cola ad and below is one of my prints from a sixties Barbie magazine!
I purchased this lovely floral box for safely storing my vintage prints...and I love it! I got it at Ross, but I bet you can find some similar on Etsy!
When I was going through some of my vintage sixties magazines, I found a lovely image of a woman in her bathroom amongst all of her elegant perfume bottles in a vintage Better Homes and Garden's magazine...I love the colors in this image and the lady's sixties hairstyle! I love it so much that I framed it and now it is on display in my bathroom!You can find all of my vintage paper ephemera prints here in my Etsy Shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ecofriendlyfreckles?section_id=7551986

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Our Christmas Tree Houseplant

My husband, Joe, and I didn't have a Christmas tree so my darling grandmother "Nana" Sharee got us this beautiful, living pine tree/plant that thrives indoors with partial sunlight! We can keep this botanical beauty year round, and when Christmas time rolls around we can decorate it with festive Christmas lights and ornaments! Here is a picture of our angel on the top of our tree (it has been in our family since my sister, Andrea, and I were little girls).
...Even our girl kitty, Nozomi, likes our Christmas tree/houseplant!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The Nutcracker Suite and the Sugar Plum Fairies

My darling sister, Andrea, and I took a blessed baby boy Bobby (my nephew and Andrea's dearly loved son) to one of the historic and charming parts of Tulsa: Utica Square. We stopped here for lunch to meet our grandmother Sharee (Bobby's great-grandmother). Before our lunch engagement, we noticed some delightful Christmas motionettes in an adorable Nutcracker Suite themed display joyously dancing around. We just couldn't pass this up...we had to get some pictures with Bobby by this festive display: above is Momma with Bobby, and below is myself with Bobby...we love him so very much!
Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite characters from the Nutcracker Suite were the sugar plum fairies. I remember as young girls, Andrea and I went to see the ballet "The Nutcracker"; I was amazed by the beauty of the dancing sugar plum fairies. Let's take a moment to enjoy the warmth and comfort of our cozy atmosphere away from the cold winter air and admire the beauty of the Sugar Plum Fairies...here are my favorite picks that I found on Etsy. ;-)

"The Sugar Plum Fairy Gift Tags" by Mulberry Muse

"Sugar Plum - Pink Tulle Clip" by Which Goose

"Sugar Plum Fairy Tutu" by Little Dreamers Inc

"The Nutcracker Party Crown" by Glam Hatter

Monday, December 6, 2010

Celebrating My 300 Blog Follower Milestone!

The elegant image above is a "Vintage Print on an Antique Book Page 8.5 x 12.5 Champagne Toast" by Glass Lion Studio.

Woo hoo! I have reached another blogging milestone: 300 blog followers! In celebration of this grand achievement, let's have a toast of one of my favorite bubblies...that is actually very healthy for you!

Kombucha! Fermented, bubbly, healthy, and delicious...so spectacular it should be served in a champagne flute! I am now selling organic kombucha scobies with starter tea in my Etsy shop Eco-Friendly Freckles...these baby scobies come from my homebrewed-with-love batch of kombucha!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Vintage Cigar Boxes: Fun and Decorative Storage!

Need a place to store those loose odds and ends?! How about a classy, cool vintage cigar box?!
Cigar boxes are the perfect size for storing pens/pencils, matches, jewelry, etc. I am currently using two cigar boxes in my house; one for storing incense resins (pictured above) and the other for storing my husband's guitar accessories and harmonicas (pictured below). The vintage Muriel cigar box I have pictured above had some damage on the inside of the box so I covered it up nicely by draping a piece of black satin over the bottom.
Cigar boxes are also a unique and fun way to display hors d'oeuvres; great for a cocktail party...and even better for a Moulin Rouge themed party! Just place a piece of wax paper on the inside of the cigar box and you are good to go!Here is a swanky vintage cigar box that I have listed in my Etsy shop...

Vintage Bering Imperials Cigar Box

Friday, December 3, 2010

It's Read a New Book Month! My Pick: Organizing from the Inside Out

December is Read-A-New-Book Month! To celebrate this occasion, I would love to share with you all a book that I just can't put down..."Organizing from the Inside Out" by Julie Morgenstern. This book not only motivates me to organize my home and office but it also helps me take a look at my own personality, traits, and desires so I can figure out the most effective and personally pleasing way for me to organize my space and for me to want and enjoy keeping it that way! I encourage you all to purchase or check out this book at your local library so you can finally feel comfortable in your own space and instantly find what you are looking for with ease!

Hey there all of you crafty ladies and Etsy shop owners...I am talking to you! You all have got to check out this awesome book! ;-) Improving your organization skills may assist you in the success of your Etsy shop business as well as give you a more stress-free lifestyle...don't we all want that!

One of the organizing tips in this book that totally makes since to me it to use storage containers that fit your style, interest you, and make you smile...doing this will make organizing fun you and therefore easier to maintain. Here are some beautiful storage organizers that I found on Etsy that just might get some wheels turning in your head; but remember READ THIS BOOK before you start diving in so you will not make organizing mistakes that will take you off track...or you will end up back where you are now!

"Antique and Vintage Farm or Tool Crate - Wood Shelf" by Honey's Treasures

"Primitive Shelf, Coat Rack, Double Vase in Shabby Green - Home Organizer, Hat Rack, Coat Hooks, Key Holder" by TR Woodworks

"Antique Wood Magazine Rack" by Kizzyrayan123

"Vintage Coca-Cola Crate" by Riff Raff Review

"Hat Boxes - Stack of Four (4 boxes) Elegant Textured Leopard Pattern Miniature Millinery" by Petit Chapelier Emporium

...and lastly one of my own creations! A hand-painted upcycled decoupage canister makes a wonderful storage tin for your pens/pencils/paintbrushes, buttons/scissors/sewing supplies, spools of ribbons and lace, kitchen utensils, candle sticks, and many more uses...just use your organizing imagination!
"Paulie's Confession - Hand-Painted Upcycled Decoupage Decor Canister" by Eco-Friendly Freckles

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Baby Bobby's First Christmas Ornament!

What a wonderfully fun-filled time we had on Sunday afternoon at my sweet sister, Andrea's, house. Nana Sharee, Andrea, and I put up and decorated Andrea's, her husband Robert's, and adorable baby Bobby's Christmas tree! This will be Bobby's FIRST Christmas!!! We want to make it extra special too!

Great-Grandma "Nana" Sharee gave Bobby his first Christmas ornament: a cute glass monkey on a rubber ducky. Do you know a little one who will be celebrating his or her first Christmas this year?! If so, you should consider getting them a special Christmas ornament for this memorable holiday...here are my favorite picks on Etsy listed below:
"Large Personalized Handpainted Baby's First Christmas/Boy" by Citygirl Countryboy

"Personalized Ornament Baby's First Christmas Carriage" by Just Wright Boutique


"Baby in the Moon Baby Girl First Christmas Keepsake Ornament - Handpainted, Personalized, Original Design" by Barbzies Custom Arts

"Baby First Christmas Ornament - Zoo Animals with Red Liner" by Paper Tiger N' Stitches

"Baby's First Christmas Ornament" by Mind the Gap

"Baby Girls First Christmas Ornament" by Simply Baitser

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving Trifle!

On this happy Thanksgiving, I made a lovely, gargantuan trifle (to feed my enormous family), and then five individual trifles for my husband Joe's smaller family...it was a Pumpkin-Carmel Trifle with Spice Cake (got the recipe out of Metropolitan Home Magazine...however for the spice cake, I used a recipe from the Food Network.) Everyone loved this decadent dessert with scrumptious pumpkin mouse, buttery toasted pecans, and yummy ginger spice cake! Here is my combination of the two recipes (along with some substitutions) in my delicious Thanksgiving trifle!

Pumpkin-Carmel Trifle with Spice Cake

Ingredients

Pumpkin Mousse
• 1 envelope (¼ oz.) unflavored gelatin powder
• 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin (not pie filling)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1½ cups well-chilled heavy cream

Spice Cake
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used 1/3 cup grated fresh ginger)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk (I used home-brewed kefir)

Brandy Syrup
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brandy or cognac (I used Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum)

Toasted Pecans
• ½ cup pecan pieces
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter


• 1 pint caramel ice cream, softened (I used Greek God's Honey Yogurt, mixed with cream cheese, and local honey)

Directions

To make the mousse, put ¼ cup cold water in a small heat-proof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside for 10 minutes for the gelatin to soften.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and sugar. Meanwhile, set the bowl of softened gelatin over a pan of simmering water and cook until the gelatin is clear. Immediately whisk the hot gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin/gelatin mixture. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

To make the spice cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 9" x 13" rectangular cake pan.

In a small mixing bowl whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground ginger (or fresh ginger) and ground cloves.

Cream the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately beginning and ending with the dry.

When the batter is well mixed and smooth, pour it into the cake pan and bake about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out to cool completely.

To make the brandy syrup, in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir sugar with ¼ cup water until sugar has dissolved. Add brandy. Let cool and refrigerate, covered.

To prepare pecans, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add pecans and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 3 minutes.

To serve, trim ⅛ inch from around edges of cake. Cut cake into 16 squares. Put ¼ cup mousse in bottom of each of 8 glasses and spread slightly. Sprinkle ½ tablespoon pecans over mousse and add a square of cake. Brush cake with brandy syrup. Lightly spread 1 tablespoon softened ice cream over cake in each glass. Repeat one more layer as before, except for ice cream. Instead, form an oval scoop of ice cream to top trifle: using two metal serving spoons, scoop ice cream with one spoon and put other spoon over top of ice-cream-filled spoon to mold. Repeat for remaining glasses.

Don't have a trifle dish?! Here is a perfect one I found on Etsy!

"Vintage Glass Compote, Trifle Bowl, Punch or Dessert Bowl" by Rusty Cow.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Tis the Season for a Trip to the Museum

My sweet, loving baby nephew, Bobby, and I under the gorgeous Christmas tree at our local magnificent museum: "Philbrook Museum of Art".

Bobby's momma and my twin sister, Andrea, and our grandmother "Nana" Sharee (Bobby's GREAT grandmother) went to the Philbrook Museum today to find the perfect masterpiece for Andrea to write her essay for her Art Appreciation class final. We enjoyed gazing at all of the beautiful works of art, remembering our favorites to come back to and consider for Andrea's essay....we were looking for something that Andrea could really relate to...and finally once we found it we knew right away that we didn't need to look any further. It was a breathtaking sculpture of a mother and her baby boy carved out of marble! I can't wait to read her completed essay! I took some pictures of Andrea and her darling baby boy, Bobby, with this amazing sculpture...here is one of them!
After we found Andrea's art piece for her essay final, we took some pictures by the Philbrook Christmas tree then sipped on tea and shared a decadent dessert, a moist lemon cake with blueberries and fancy cheese filling, at the exquisite cafe Villa inside the museum. We then went upstairs to look at the many adorable homemade gingerbread houses created by local Tulsa schools and organizations...they were incredible and so cute! I love gingerbread houses...if you would like to admire some charming little gingerbread houses, check out these I found on Etsy!"Gingerbread House Medium" by Lollipops Sugar Shoppe.

"Gingerbread House Kit (edible)" by Kenzie Kandi.
"Handmade Edible Gingerbread House - X-Large" by Couture Cakes & Confections.

"The Little Vegan Gingerbread House Kit" by The Cupcake Mint.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Two Turtle Doves

Oooh, what an adorable Christmas ornament! This one is for newlywed love birds titled "Love Birds Ornament - Personalized" by Samantha Jorn // Studio.

Joe and I had my sweet sister and brother-in-law, Robert, take some pictures of us with their very nice, professional camera so we can give them out this holiday season (I also took some photos of them with their darling baby Bobby). I have not yet picked out the Christmas cards to give everyone...but I know which photo of us is going to be inside each Christmas card...What do you all think?!