A Pretty Little Tea Set Shelf

I didn’t get to do this shelf piece on my three day weekend, but was able to do little bits in the evenings after work.   If you recall from previous posts, this is what it looked like when I got it from Goodwill.

And it had this little bear thingy on it, which soon met with the garbage pail.

The first evening I cleaned the piece with TSP ~ a degreaser, deglosser and cleaner {wear gloves when you use this}.  I attached my wood embellishment with some wood glue and just put it off to the side to dry.

Better already.

The next night I  primed it with Kilz 1, 2, 3 primer which is supposed to be a stain killer and save me a step with sanding the piece.   I gave it two coats.

Finally, it was onto the Heirloom White paint and here she is!

Perfect china tea set shelf!  I picked up all of these tea sets at Goodwill, except for the set to the bottom right.  My Mom gave that to me and my granddaughter for Christmas.  It’s got such a pretty pattern and I love the little tray that came with it.

When my granddaughter is old enough, we will be Gone With The Wind southern ladies and I will say, “Why, I do declare, it is time for tea, Miss Evalyse.  Which tea set shall we use today?” {I may have to invest in some lovely hats and gloves that go up to our elbows}.

I’m itching to get started on the little table and chairs; I just need to get the paint in a quart.  Thanks to an anonymous comment on a previous post, I now know that Heirloom White can, indeed, be purchased in a quart size {I was apparently misinformed at the Home Depot I went to}.  So, thank you anonymous!

Linking up with

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch

Make It Yours Day at My Backyard Eden

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Kathy

Chocolate Decor

While I’m working on this {and getting our tax stuff together}

I thought I’d share a delightful room with you that I came across today. 

A chocolate room!  Everything in this room is made out of chocolate {well, except for the mirror, I’m sure}.   This was put together by a sculptor who uses food as his medium.  It is in a mall in Lithuania.   Apparently, they have to keep a constant eye on it in case anyone tries to eat it!  {Go figure!} 

Kathy

proof whisky, live from the Kodak Theatre, Vol. 21

Today we asked ourselves – “what could be better than whisky straight-up?” Our answer – "whisky mixed with champagne, of course". 

The Oscars are happening this weekend. Have you planned your party yet? 

We are pulling out all of the ‘stoppers’ with this week’s celebratory cocktail, The Leading Lady. 

To learn more about our brand visit www.proofbrands.com. Become a friend on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Proof-Brands/181641835185326 and Twitter http://twitter.com/proofbrands to get last minute updates on all of our tastings, parties and events.

The Leading Lady
1 oz proof whisky
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz orange juice
Veuve Clicquot Champagne*

Add 1 oz. proof whisky, 

1/2 oz. simple syrup, ½ oz. lemon juice, 

and 1 oz. orange juice to champagne glass. 

Top with Veuve Clicquot. 

*We went with Veuve Clicquot even 

though the official champagne of the Oscars 

is Moet et Chandon.

On top of her exceptional taste, Veuve Clicquot has one of the most interesting stories. You can learn more about this elegant brand in Tilar J. Mazzeo’s book - The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It Author Tilar J. Mazzeo toasts the élan of Champagne's Grand Dame with The Widow Clicquot, a fascinating story of the cunning bravery and good fortune that helped build the Veuve Clicquot brand. Widowed at age twenty-seven by the death of her husband François Clicquot, Barbe-Nicole assumed control of her family’s wine business amid the chaos of The Napoleonic Wars. That she became a prominent female leader in a male-dominated industry was one thing; building an empire amid savage political unrest was quite another. With passionate research and true admiration for her subject, Mazzeo pays homage to the beloved Widow from Reims and the remarkable weight her name still carries today. - Dave Callanan

.....but we are supposed to be talking about Oscars today....so back to our party planning...

To find the ultimate glam in décor visit the Veuve Clicquot section at Teatro Verde in Toronto (www.teatroverde.com) 

This is where we found our great VC glasses – perfect for the golden theme.

We also managed to complete our look with Oscar statuettes and scene clappers, which we found at several party stores around the city.

For the Golden Globe Awards, we matched cocktails to each of the 10 nominees. Since a great deal of the contenders are the same for the Academies, you may want to use some of the movie-inspired recipes from Volume 15 (www.proofbrands.net/2011/01/proof-whisky-and-nominees-are-vol-15.html).

 Our focus this time will be on Oscar venue and party food. 

 

Inspired by the elegance of a European opera house, with state-of-the-art technical capabilities, Kodak Theatre has been host to many of the world's top performers. Kodak Theatre also hosted high profile events such as The Daytime Emmy Awards, The ESPY Awards, The BET Awards, the American Idol finals, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and as of 2002, became the permanent home of the Oscars. If you are planning to fly to LA for this grand event, keep in mind that guided tours of Kodak Theatre are available Monday to Sunday from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm. Tours last approximately 30 minutes. (www.kodaktheatre.com)

If you want to host an authentic Oscar party, you must take the lead from Wolfgang Puck. He’s been preparing food for the Governor’s Ball (located in the Grand Ballroom at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles www.hollywoodandhighland.com) for many years.

From Grammys to Oscars Master Chef Still Serves It Up by CY Interview

Master chef Wolfgang Puck has been preparing fine cuisine for years. Annually, at the Governor’s Ball for the Academy Awards Dinner, he gets to raise his already high profile – aided by a 1000 person crew. He will be handling big dinner events for the Grammys, as well as the Oscars this year. After all these years, what still gets him excited?

http://www.cyinterview.com/2011/01/wolfgang-puck-from-grammys-to-oscars-master-chef-still-serves-it-up/

Even though we will not be attending the real event, we can still bring a little California sunshine to our own wintry Academy tribute. Here are a couple of great classic-California dishes to serve.

Wolfgang’s Signature Crab Louie

8 ounces jumbo lump crab

3 tablespoons Thousand Island or Russian dressing

2 tablespoons chives

1 vine-ripened tomato, diced and well drained

1/4 red onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Pepper

1 Pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

16 endive leaves

1 whole avocado, diced

Pick through the crab meat thoroughly and remove any shells. Place the crab in a small bowl, and fold in the dressing and chives. Combine the tomato, onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley in a small bowl to make a nice relish. With the endive leaves, create a flower pattern on individual plates. Place a small mound of the Crab Louie mixture in the center. Layer the diced avocado on top of the crab. Layer the tomato mixture on top of the avocado. Serve

Or how about a Wolfgang Puck Caviar Plate

Osetra caviar

3 eggs, hard boiled

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1 small red onion, very finely diced

1/4 cup finely chopped chives

1/4 cup crème fraiche

1/4 cup melted butter

Toast points or blini (mini crepes)

Place the caviar tin in a small bowl of ice to keep it cold. Shell the eggs, cut them in half, and separate the whites and yolks, chopping them separately. Place ice bowl of caviar on a platter and surround it with small bowls of chopped egg yolks and whites, lemon wedges, red onion, chives, crème fraiche, melted butter, blini, and toast points.

For this recipe and many more classic WP recipes visit his website. (http://www.wolfgangpuck.com) If cooking is not your thing, you can enjoy Wolfgang Puck's recipes at the only WP restaurant in Toronto. Located at Terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport, it's one of the few places at the terminal that serves hot meals before entering the security check point. Both his signature thin-crusted pizza and rosemary chicken are available at the terminal.

We picked up our caviar at St. Lawrence Market. Caviar Direct, on the lower level, has a great selection. (www.stlawrencemarket.com)

Weekend Forecast:

Saturday: Cloudy periods and a high of -2 degrees

Sunday: Mixed precipitation and a high of 2 degrees

Pillows!

I’m happy that I did get to do a few pillows this weekend.  One of my favorites is the Alice in
Wonderland print fabric.  I just put it on my desk chair for pictures.  This pillow is 14 inches.

I wanted to use something with it and found that I had this onion fringe with similar colors.

I think it came out cute and I may even have enough fabric left over to make little cushions for that child’s table and chairs set that I got for free a few months ago.

Pillow number 2 was the Alice in Wonderland text and my pillow form was a bit bigger at 20 inches.  I wanted to add something to this pillow, too, so I found some extra fabric that I already had, with a color that worked, and made a ruffle out of it.

It is pictured here with the Alice print pillow.

You can see some of the text a bit clearer in these close up shots.

I put it on my sofa so you could see just how big it is ~ almost the size of the back pillows that go with my sofa!

I only got as far as cutting the French Country Rooster fabric and picking out a possible trim.  Everything got put to the side when I had an opportunity for a visit with the granddaughter today. 

I’ll be cleaning up the house this week after work to get the house ready to go on the market.  Our goal is the end of this month and, of course, it’s almost here!

Kathy

Three Day Weekend Projects

Thank you so much for your confidence in me; I really appreciated your comments on my last post!  This weekend is a three day weekend for me and I’m hoping that {in addition to cleaning my house} I get to work on a few projects. 

Alice in Wonderland text

Alice in Wonderland figures

French Script

Italian Postcard/Label

{which may become something other than a pillow}

French Country Rooster print

The fabric above I recently purchased from fabric.com.  I got 1-2 yards of each fabric to recover some pillows. 

I’m also hoping to sand and prime this little shelf that I had picked up at Goodwill.  If you recall my post here, where I first showed it, it had a Teddy Bear emblem at the top.  This shelf is going to be used to hold the little china tea sets I found at Goodwill.

I have removed the bear and have this wood embellishment to add in its place.   If I make a trip to Home Depot this weekend, I’d like to see if they  have something close to Heirloom White that I can use with a brush and roller.    If you know of a paint color from your own experience, I’d love to know about it.

So, that’s what I’d like to accomplish this weekend.  Do you have any projects planned?

Kathy

proof whisky, après-ski, après-skate, après-just-about-anything, Vol. 20

A couple of weeks ago we spoke about ‘embracing’ our Canadian winters, and then we went on to talk about comforting indoor activities. 

Today, however, we are manning up to the elements. Please put on your parka, oil up your saucer sled and enjoy this week’s thirst-quenching winter recipe - indoors or out. Our Thursty Thursday is the Whisky Avalanche. To learn more about our brand visit www.proofbrands.com. 

Become a friend on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Proof-Brands/181641835185326 and Twitter http://twitter.com/proofbrands 

to get last minute updates on all of our tastings, parties and events.

Whisky Avalanche 

(single serve)

1 ½ oz proof whisky
½ oz cinnamon simple syrup*
dash of orange bitters

2 oz grapefruit juice

2 oz ginger ale

Fill a glass with ice. Add 1 ½ oz. proof whisky, 2 oz. grapefruit juice, ½ oz. cinnamon simple syrup*, a dash of orange bitters (optional, but well worth it) and top with 2 oz ginger ale. Garnish with a piece of grapefruit.

Whisky Avalanche 

(punch bowl)

9 oz proof whisky
3 oz cinnamon simple syrup*
4-6 dashes of orange bitters

12 oz grapefruit juice

12 oz ginger ale

Fill a punch with ice. Add 9 oz. proof whisky, 12 oz. grapefruit juice, 3 oz. cinnamon simple syrup*, 4-6 dashes of orange bitters (optional, but well worth it) and top with 12 oz ginger ale. Garnish with a slices of grapefruit.

*Simple syrup recipe – Combine equal parts of sugar and boiling water. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a jar or bottle, add cinnamon stick and let cool. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Next week is reading week for most Ontario Universities and Colleges. If you have decided to switch out the ‘fly & flop’ beach holiday 

for a more local week on the slopes, you may want to visit this website for Ontario ski resort information (http://www.skiontario.ca)

Blue Mountain in Collingwood, Ontario is offering many great deals for students. We visited the village and it is awesome! (www.bluemountain.ca) Nestled at the foot of the slopes, Blue Mountain Village has more than 25 shops, restaurants and bars. 

With an outdoor fire-pit, entertainment and nightlife, it’s a great place to spend your week with friends.

For luxury accommodations, book your stay at the Westin Trillium House Blue Mountain. (http://deals.westin.com/Westin-Trillium-House-Blue-Mountain-Resort-1498/so.htm?PS=PS_aa_NorthBosChi_Google_the_westin_trillium_house_blue_mountain_Exact_120810_NAD_FM Situated in the village, the Westin has boutique-designed rooms, and has an Oliver & Bononcini Restaurant right off the main lobby. (http://www.oliverbonacini.com/Blue-Mountain.aspx)

In addition to skiing, the area offers skating, toboganning and other great activities. (www.sceniccaves.com/) (www.highlandsnordic.on.ca)

The Town of Collingwood offers a combination of old time charm and history with the best recreation in Southern Ontario, including its huge Elvis Festival (www.collingwoodelvisfestival.com), Collingwood has much to offer. (www.town.collingwood.on.ca)

This is downtown, Collingwood. (Town hall and shops)

Skating in Toronto:

If you’re more rink rat than snow bunny, visit one of toronto’s great outdoor rinks. They are all accessible by TTC and most offer skate rentals. (http://www.toronto.ca/parks/skating/outdoor-rinks.htm) Some of the best city rinks include: Barbara Ann Scott Skating Rink, behind the College Park outdoor courtyard at Yonge and College Streets, Trinity-Bellwoods Skating Rink, at Gorevale Avenue, Withrow Park and Riverdale Park.

Skate in the heart of the city at Nathan Phillip Square. One of the most beautiful rinks is the Natrel Rink at Harbourfront Centre (http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/skating/)

Just North of the City you can find the Mel Lastman Square Rink (North York Centre subway stop, 5100 Yonge Street 416-395-7584). 

For a more intimate and natural experience, drop into the Evergreen Brick Works, They now offer skating 4 days a week. (http://ebw.evergreen.ca/whats-on/skating/)

Last week’s tasting at the Summerhill LCBO was a huge success. (bottom left: Paul from August Ninth www.augustninth.ca)

Drop in to see us Friday night at the King and Spadina LCBO (4-8pm) and in Oakville on Saturday afternoon from 1pm to 5pm (www.proofbrands.com)

Weather Forecast

Saturday: Mainly sunny and a high of 0 degrees

Sunday: Scattered flurries and once again 0 degrees