Christine's Home and Travel Adventures: October 2014

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Villeroy & Boch Apple Bakers

This table is inspired by my Villeroy and Boch apple bakers. Besides, apples are really good at this time of the year.

It all started when I spotted this apple baker while touring Trier City in Germany when I entered a Villeroy and Boch store. I did not buy any because aside from being so pricey (and in euros), they are very breakable and bulky and our luggage were already overweight by that time, but I was so tempted.

Then, I saw them on Ebay with free shipping and I had to have at least 2 of them.

I love how they look on the table.

The recipe even came with the bakers. Pecans, butter, brown sugar, lemon zest placed in the apple cavity after it is cored and maple syrup poured on it. Light the tea light candle under the baker and bake right there for one hour. It dispersed this wonderful aroma throughout the whole house too while baking. Yum!

I used Spode's Buttercup dishes for our setting.

Look at it bubbling. It made the whole house smell so good too.

I love the baker. I will have to find more to complete a set of 8 at least. It would be a good dessert to serve.

The goblets have little yellow pineapples on them, or are they lemons? LOL! I forgot to take a close up picture and it is hard to decipher right now.

A ghost and pumpkin salt and pepper shakers.

Thank you so much for stopping by and thank you to the hostesses. I appreciate you all very much.

Mandarin Orange Mon

http://www.mandarinorangemonday.com

Christine's Table it Monday

http://www.rustic-refined.com/

Masterpiece Monday

http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Kathryn's Make it Pretty Monday

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/

Cindy's Amaze me Monday

http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Marty's Inspire Me Tuesday

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/

Kathy's A Return To Loveliness

http://adelightsomelife.com

Maria Elena's Tuesdays at Our Home

http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Paula's What's It Wed

http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Centerpiece Wed

http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Kate's Flaunt it Friday

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/

Fridays Unfolded

http://www.nancherrow.com/

Friday, October 24, 2014

Kitchen mantel Transformation

I love our kitchen but it seems dark because of the brown beamed ceiling, dark brick floors and wall, a brown door leading to the formal dining room and brown cabinets. DH has a problem with painting wood so I had to think of something not too major that I could lighten up. While I was in FL babysitting grandkids and they were busy watching "Care Bears", I thought about the fireplace mantel. Yes, I can paint that!

I went on line and ordered an Annie Sloan chalk paint in "Cream" color, to match the kitchen counter tops and island silestone, which has a creamy color with a very faint tinge of yellow. I think it matches very well. Do you see the island top on the lower corner of the picture below?

This shows the before and after. I like it now for 2 reasons, it brightens the room somewhat and it also makes the mantel stand out against the brick wall.

After painting it, I distressed it a little and applied some wax over.

We have a full size sliding door which brings in light, and more windows in the breakfast nook which does not show in this photo, but the brown beamed ceiling really brings out darkness.

I really like how it turned out and John liked it too, even though he asked if we can wait till I got back from Florida to rethink some more. But I could not wait and I started painting away as soon as he left for work. He said he can actually see the details on the mantel now, which he did not know existed, lol.

I hope you like it too. Now I like our kitchen even better.

Thank you for stopping by. And many thanks to everyone I am linking to below.

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Cindy's Amaze me Monday

http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Mary's Masterpieces Monday

http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Kathryn's Make it Pretty Monday

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/

Marty's Inspire Me Tuesday

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/

Maria Elena's Tuesdays at Our Home

http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Kathryn's Before and After Wed

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/

Paula's What's It Wed

http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Sarah's Homemaking party

http://www.hopeineveryseason.com/

Kathy's Home and Garden Thursday

http://adelightsomelife.com

Home Sweet Home

The Charm of Home

Kate's Flaunt it Friday

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/

Fridays Unfolded

http://www.nancherrow.com/

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Old New Stand Desk for DH

DH has been wanting to buy a stand desk because he says his back is bothering him when he is sitting for prolonged time. Suddenly I remembered having a tall desk in the garage that I used as a craft table years ago. So, I dragged it from the garage with the 2 tall stools that came with it, and moved them by the window in our home office.

It doesn't match the style of the existing furniture but I don't think it looks bad. Besides, it is functional and John likes it. Now, I can take over the whole brown desk when I am making jewelry.

There it is! I have a small bookshelf that I placed at the end.

Now, let me just take you around the room. This is where I usually blog from.

The right is my side of the desk and it is usually neater, although I straightened his side before I started taking pics, lol. I should use his desktop computer, it's bigger, but I am more used to mine.

We have 2 of those black Asian cabinets, a lateral file cabinet for me

and a tall one in the corner for hubby's files. The bottom 2 drawers are file cabinets.

I want to show you the mirror above the lateral file cabinet. It is framed in a linen fabric with an Asian painting on it.

I like to watch news while blogging or facebooking, so the TV up there comes in handy to keep up with current events.

This was the "Before" of the window side before I moved the table and stools. I think it looks better now.

Thanks for stopping by. Please let me know what you think and I really appreciate comments. Thank you also to the hostesses of the memes I am linking with.

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Cindy's Amaze me Monday

http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/

Mary's Masterpieces Monday

http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Kathryn's Make it Pretty Monday

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/

Marty's Inspire Me Tuesday

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/

Maria Elena's Tuesdays at Our Home

http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Kathryn's Before and After Wed

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/
Paula's What's It Wed
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Kathy's Home and Garden Thursday

http://adelightsomelife.com

Home Sweet Home

The Charm of Home

Kate's Flaunt it Friday

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/

Fridays Unfolded

http://www.nancherrow.com/

Saturday, October 18, 2014

I am a Spook!

I am a Spook, literally! I had a group of friends from College and we called ourselves "The Spooks". We have always been very close and still communicate with each other and have reunions every year or at least every other year.

I dedicate this tablescape to them, my very dearest friends, The Spooks!

I am going back to Florida soon to help my daughter Rochelle with her girls. Although Rea is done with all her chemos with complete response, she still has to undergo radiation and monoclonal antibody introduction, mostly as preventative measures. Thank you so much for everybody who is praying for her. They are really helping. God is indeed listening.

I started with an orange beaded tablecloth, then I added black leather plate chargers, followed by ghost dinner plates. I did not use any salad plates because I did not want to cover the design of the dinner plates. Instead, I used these small ghost plates for layering.