New Year's Eve

I planned Crustless Mini Quiches and Baked Potato Stacks for supper and a decadent hot chocolate for dessert.

I baked both of those in a 6 cup muffin tin which worked out really well.  

The 4 quiches were placed in the remaining wells. I used my silicone muffin liners for easy removal and clean up.

I added some halved cherry tomatoes, some biscuits I had made earlier this week and a bit of grated Parmesan Cheese. 

This was very yummy!

This is the potato stack which was baked in the muffin tin.

I sliced the potatoes on my mandolin set on thin. I added a bit of olive oil and seasoning.  Some Parmesan Cheese on top.

The slices were placed directly in the metal muffin tin wells.  I filled 2 of them because I had reserved 4 for the quiches. The total baking time was 45 minutes so they went into the oven earlier.

The hot chocolate was prepared in one of my beautiful vintage crystal mugs.

I made the hot chocolate with hot milk and hot chocolate powder and then added a bit of table cream.

I made whipped cream just before supper and added a couple of dollops on the top then grated some dark chocolate to finish it off.

It was very delicious! 

I turned on my wax warmer with the Cinnamon Vanilla scent.  My favorite.

I placed a small tea light on the end table beside me with the great hot chocolate.

I did have to turn off the Christmas tree because it was reflected directly onto the TV screen.

I turned out most of the lights and enjoyed a quite evening.

I have watched the Harry Potter Movies several times and I have the full set on DVD. 

I had watched Part 1 the night before and decided to settle down and watch Part 2 on New Year's Eve.

They are always a great watch.

I enjoyed parts I had not remembered from previous viewings.

A feel good story to start the new year. 

Small Gifts - Oil Diffusers - One of a Kind

Martini - I created this unique essential oil diffuser with a small martini glass.

I dyed a felted wool ball with a couple of shade of ink.  A few drops of each Nick Bantock Sap Moss and Chartreuse Leaf was added to water to cover the ball. The ball was wet with clear water then immersed into the dye.  It was left there for a half hour.  I squished some of the dye out so it would dry more easily.

The first one I dyed were left overnight and still had to be put in the microwave so this one just went directly there.  With about 15 seconds bursts and cooling down in between it took a few minutes to dry it.

I then put a long round toothpick through the "olive". I then punched a small circle of red felt. To attach the pimento to the olive I put a small green ebead on the bottom end of a green thread and pushed it through the olive with a sharp needle. I just caught the red piece and brought the thread back down to the bottom.  I made sure I went passed the toothpick on one side going up and other side going down.  The thread was knotted just above the ebead then the thread was run through the olive and cut to the surface to hide the end. The glass protects the surface from oil drops.

Mickey Mouse - I found this authentic vintage Disney Mickey Mouse candle holder at the thrift store. I cleaned up the old wax and removed the paint on the outside.

I cut a piece of black felt for the bottom of the holder having the ears and face now black. I put 2 black felt balls in the ear spaces.  

For the nose I put an aqua felt ball to which I sewed on a black wooden bead to finish off the nose.  The nose was threaded to the base felt shape when I attached the nose bead.

I imagine that the nose is where I put the drops of essential oil but it is all felt so it could be placed anywhere.  The glass holder protects the surface from oil drips.

Christmas Tree - I chose this clear glass tea light holder in the shape of a Christmas tree.

I created a felt stack of 1.5 inch circles to fill the tealight space. It took 7 layers to make it high enough and alternated red and green circles.

I added a silver metal flower which could represent a poinsettia in the center top of the stack then added a red polka dot glass bead in the middle.  These accents were stitched to the stack with a red thread which runs the full depth of the stack.  The thread was well knotted on the bottom and tied off

The diffuser can stand as shown or lie flat on a surface.

I've called this one Caffe Latte. I made this oil diffuser with a 2.5 oz Bodum Praveena double wall glass.  I cut many layers of brown felt from 1" at the bottom to 2" at the top to represent the coffee.  Just making the next layer just a bit bigger than the last one. A lot of cutting by hand. Then I added the the cream layer again going a bit bigger.  I added the cinnamon heart on the top with an amber sparkly glass bead on top.  The stack was stitched together with brown thread. It looks pretty sharp. It would fit right in for scents in the kitchen.

Aqua Bouquet - This oil diffuser features felt flowers in a fine art glass Ulpukka bud vase made by Iittala in Finland.

The felt flowers are aqua with silver glass e beads as stamens and threaded onto twisted silver wire. Each flower also has a silver bead at the end of the wire to ensure no rough spots. 

The wood spiral in the vase helps to provide structure to the composition. 

Place your favorite essential oil on the felt flowers and enjoy the scent in your space whether that is the office, the living room, or the bedroom.  This vase will fit in almost any place.

Super happy with these one of a kinds.

Essential Oil Diffuser

I had this idea on my drive to see Mom yesterday.  I was wanting to create a gift for my niece.

I was trying to come up with something to put in a tea light holder which would not be a real candle. She does not burn candles which I chose not to either.  I use a wax warmer instead.  I still use candles for specific photography. 

I thought why don't I create something that looks like a candle that can be used with essential oil.  It would provide the scent without the flame.

I cut seven 1.5 inch circles from white felt which was a stack to create the candle portion. I used red, ginger and yellow felt cut into a flame shape and stitched these 3 pieces together with yellow thread. I stitched the 7 circles together with white thread then stitched the flame in the center. 

The flame will hold the oil so if it discolors a bit it should not affect the white candle part.  It is very dimensional so has a nice presence.

Here is the mercury glass tea light holder in the shape of a bird.  It is very cute.

I've placed the felt oil diffuser in the cavity in the holder.

I think it looks pretty good.

I will wrap it up and give it to her when I see her today.

She loves birds and has several ceramic birds in her collection.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

On the weekend I went for a big walk at the wetlands.  It has been so dry that they are in pretty sad shape and the wildlife must be wondering what is going on.

I did find a few dozen Lesser Yellowlegs in the river.  They were feeding along the edge of the river which also very low.  

These birds are shore birds which feed in marshy areas and muddy edges.  

I expect with the number I saw that this could be the start of the migration process. They will be heading to the southern states in the next little while.

Really a gorgeous bird.

I found a masher for my processing of fruit and berries.   I visited a thrift store which I have not been to since the start of the pandemic.

It has changed hands and now supports a different charity but mostly not much has changed inside.  I am just thinking now that I forgot to visit the second floor. Darn!   It is a bit out of the way so just a few customers, easy to social distance and good variety of goods.

I could have used a masher when I did my chokecherries so I had added it to my shopping list.  This one turns out to be Pampered Chef and it cost me a buck.  

Love it!

I worked on my office chair this morning.  It has been dropping black bits so I wanted to investigate if I could find out where and why.

I have own this chair for years!  I got it when it was being thrown out at the place I was working.  It was made by Doerner Faultless in Waterloo Ontario Canada in the early 1950s.  It was old when I got it, so now it is very old.  

As you can see I tried to clean a stain on the seat and made it worse.  I will sew a cover for the seat which can be washed.

I was going to get rid of it but I think I have solved the problem.  I have put paper down under it to see if any black stuff comes down from it in the next few days.  

I did learn what the three knobs under it did and adjusted it to be more comfortable to sit on.  

The Rudbeckias are a nice hardy flower and are still providing gorgeous colors in many of the gardens in my neighbourhood.

I love their bright yellow coloring which is similar to my favorite sunflowers.

I have taken many pictures of these flowers over the summer.  

I think this one may end up in my 2022 annual flower calendar.

I found this wonderful tea light holder at a small garage sale.

It was very dirty and cruddy so I had to soak it in soapy water then in vinegar to get calcification off from some of the areas.  Not sure what would produce that kind of residue.  It took several hours and some elbow grease to make it shiny and transparent again.

It showed no signs of having a candle in it.

I love the Moroccan star design with the textured glass.  Nice to have it clear which will go with any decor.  It has a long chain so it could hang on the balcony at night.  

Very happy with this purchase.

I saw Blue Herons at the river.  They were pretty far from the path I was on but I was so excited to see them.  The second photo is one stalking some sort of prey.  It was very focused and moving very deliberately.

The first photo shows that in many areas of the wetlands it is dry!  I have not seen that ever in the past.  When it has water you think there will always be water but I did not realize how shallow some areas were.  The ducks were sitting on moist dirt not even mud, I am sure wondering what was going on.  I wonder how many have perished due to lack of water.  There was still a bit of water in the deeper areas but not a lot for the number of birds who would need it.

Fortunately, it has been raining pretty steadily for the last 24 hours

The challenge at Flickr Macro Mondays was Leading Lines.  This photography technique is used to draw the eye of the viewer to a particular area in the photo.  This example would be better if the end of the grass stayed within the frame.

You can see the shot I submitted on my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics).

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #144 and

Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #302. 

Have a great week!

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I took the camera out this morning but the sun rose and quickly disappeared behind a very large cloud bank.  Disappointed!

At the bird feeder I did get this decent photo of a House Sparrow.   I found it interesting that they spend their time on the ground will Chickadees and Nuthatches are at the bird feeder.  I am sure the sparrows are eating seeds spilled from the feeder above.  They will sit on the rail and eat seeds there if someone provides them.

It was so gloomy it was very difficult to get a decent shot.

This is the book that has been on my night stand for the last few weeks.  The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp.

There is a reading for every day of Advent.  Scripture, thoughts and questions about the subject.  

I have done a bible study on this book in past years.  I have had several of my participants from the past be in touch.  During this time it has been helpful to go over the material we covered together about 5 years ago. 

This was taken Friday when was out and about  delivering  my caramel popcorn bags to the door step of my sisters' houses. I stopped at the wetlands in Summerwood again.  It was pretty cold so I did not stay long.  I got a better shot of the skating rink created on the pond.  The chairs on the sidelines just waiting for a game of shinny to take get started. 

I have not been out much so the fact that the watch stopped working a couple of months ago was no big deal.  

I bought a battery on my big errand day a couple of weeks ago and I decided that it was time to put it in.  I totally forgot how I did it last time so I had to relearn.

I was afraid that I would not be able to close but it was fine.  I always like to have a watch when I am out and about.

 

The challenge at Flickr Macro Monday this week was Holiday Lights.  A few options were candles, tree lights, lit buildings but staying within the 3" limit.  

This one is a tealight taken against the lights on the small tree across the room. I like the focus on the wick. 

You can check out my submission on my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics).

Have a good week!

Easter & Tea Today

I see that I have not set up tea in a long while. It is the pits to be sick and just have no energy for the extras.  I am feeling better just in time for Easter with extended family.

We have a tradition that plan a get together for Mom and her 6 girls on the Saturday of the Easter weekend.  Everyone brings their projects, we share, eat potluck lunch and supper, visit, and generally have a great time.  A few things had to change since Mom & Dad are in a new place but we had such a great time.  We had grand daughters and  great grand daughters drop by for a visit. A grandson and his family came for supper.  We were 30 for supper.  The men join us for the meals and I picked Dad up and made sure he was on time for eating.  Mom was thrilled.

One sister brought her Christmas Tree hanging, Mom had a baby quilt, another sister was working on a quilt for a grad gift, a grand daughter brought her abstract art which she will be in a craft sale in a few weeks.  One granddaughter was working on shadow boxes with hearts for care workers.  One of the new babies made an appearance which meant Dad got to see him which was great.

This teapot napkin holder was a find by my sister and she gifted it to me.  It's great because it can become my summer holder which is not breakable.  It can go out on the balcony with no concerns.  Love it.

We took a walk to the local thrift store in the afternoon.  I continue to add to my cobalt glass collection and this tea light holder was perfect at .50 cents.

It is a Tulip Tea Light Holder by Partylite. It needed a really good washing but as you can see it is shiny and sparkly now.

Mom found something she was looking for, my sister and her daughter chose tops with the kind of fabric she needed to make flowers.  I forgot to take a photo.

I found a couple of fleece items for more pot protectors.

This trivet fits right in.  It was a gift from a friend who made a trip to Hawaii in February.  I love the turtles!!!  My favorites in the sea.

The blue color of the letters worked really well with the blue in the napkin I used for a table cover.

The sunflower blue and yellow napkins were from the same sister as the napkin holder.  Works perfectly into my kitchen color scheme.

I was able to quick set up tea today with these wonderful gifts.

The tea is Earl Grey wit a bit of honey and cream in a yellow mug.  Yummy.

We had quite a few leftovers from our potluck on the weekend.

One of my contributions was drinks.  I brought my 12 cup coffee maker, my stainless steel tea pot ( no worries about that one breaking), honey, white sugar, brown sugar, a variety of tea, cream and milk.

There was juice for the kids.

Winter White Tea

The table was fitted with a cut lace table runner in white cotton.  It has such lovely texture and pattern. I love that you can see the pine table through the cut work which provides a bit of contrast.

I included on the table a few white glass ornaments from my collection.  I chose a couple white pinecones. These live in a box in my photo shoot props as I don't want to dig out the Christmas decorations when I need a bit of this decor.  I chose a heart since we are nearing Valentine's Day.

For a bit of sparkle I added a crystal votive holder which was a gift from my sister years ago.

I added a flameless tea light as I almost never use real candles anymore.  It provides a bit of warm light to the tablescape.


These sour cream biscuits are seasoned with steak spice.  A nice little snack with a bit of butter.

The economy of loose tea is that generally you can steep it at least a couple of times.  That means I need a process to be manage the number of steeps.

I use Steep Markers on my teapots to remind me how many times I have steeped this batch of tea.  When using infusers or tea bags I set my timer to pull it once when it rings so that it can be steeped again. To go with the winter theme I selected a polar bear charm with blue and white beads.
 
I added some plain yogurt with a few frozen blueberries.
It is held in a cute white fluted ceramic bowl.



I used my fluted porcelain tea mug in white for my Masala Chai Tea.  This has been a staple tea for me for a few years. 










This is made locally by the The Chai Wallahs and sold in several locations in the central area of the province.  I would highly recommend this tea.



Here's the whole picture of the tablescape.  I have used my large white porcelain tea pot which pours well and works well with this theme.

I am sharing with

Share Your Cup #281 hosted by Jann at Daily Cup with Mrs. Olson.

Bernideen's Friends Sharing Tea

Tuesday Cuppa Tea hosted by Ruth

Don't forget my Blog Challenge by leaving a comment on my featured post.  I have posted to my Flickr account as a challenge for Winter White.

Card Club Kit - Set 4 - Card 1

Adhere the greeting layer to the blue card.  Glue the Teddy Bear square above the greeting.

Optional: If you want a different sentiment you can turn the white layer over and stamp or otherwise add a sentiment below the Teddy Bear.

This is a 4x4 inch photo from my 2018 Teddy Bear calendar.  You can check out my calendar page.  Teddy is hanging out on a sunflower with a coordinating button on his vest.  He has a tealight holder in copper in front of him.  I added a mercury glass bottle with orange flowers. 

Recent Photos

I lit three candles on my advent wreath.  I have added a tall slim glass in the center for the fifth candle which makes up the wreath. 

I love the warmth of real tealight candles.


I read this book recently about a woman who connects with an Amish woman.  A storm keeps them together and an emergency forces them to see what is important at Christmas time.
Family tops the list.

I have been adding to my collection of blue and white pieces. 

I bought the ceramic decor ball with floral elements a couple weeks ago.  I was looking for a base to use to display it.  I found this rice bowl with the right colors and pleasing patterns. 

The small vase is only 4 inches tall but has pleasing floral decor.

The set of napkin rings in alternate blue & white and the alternate colors.  Lovely floral decor.  They are hexagonal.

I have a full shelf and a good number of items to develop table still lifes in the new year.

I have been looking for a cheese board for a while.  While vising my niece we had a couple hours to visit the local Goodwill.  A new store which was large and well organized.  The photo on the left is what it looked like before I transformed it.  I wanted to be able customize the board for the seasons.  I was able to remove the photo on the bottom of the glass with my heat gun.  Now I can add a doily or other seasonal decor under the glass. Love it!

I am currently reading this book which is about a woman at crossroads in her life. She has some amazing events take place for her.  I look forward to the rest of the book and how her life improves.

Sharing with Share Your Cup 275 hosted by Jann at Daily Cup with Mrs Olson.

Be Present for Christmas - Lesson 3 - Candle in the Darkness

The activity suggested this week was to light a candle and pray for those who are hurting. Thank God for being the Light of the world.

I chose a tea light in glass holder for the reminder to be the light in our dark world.  I chose a flameless battery powered candle to avoid any safety issues. The glass tea holder is from IKEA.

I printed a prayer list to glue into our journals.

I'm selecting my lessons from The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp.  The book provides 24 lessons for each day of Advent of which I have chosen 6 for this class.  We will have readings, questions, discussion, and an activity each week. 

This week the reading was from Isaiah saying the people who walk in darkness will see a great light.

Soon it will be time for advent wreaths with candles glowing.  Is yours ready? 

Art - Desk Dish

This crystal dish was given to me and I`ve been thinking about about how to fill it.  I found this vase filler in the great colors of turquoise, red and white. There were pods, balls, and nuts along with this great butterfly.  I place a candle insert on the top of the big stuff I placed on the bottom.  I filled the surrounding area with some glass beads in similar colors. I placed a red electric tea light candle in the holder. I can still put the lid on and take it off when I want the light on. I`m really happy with how it turned out.