Uncategorized - Petite Haus

Angelina September 6, 2016 Breakfast

Strawberry Peach Crepes

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This past Christmas I received a crepe pan and I was SOOOOO EXCITED to make crepes. It took many tries to find a recipe that we liked the best, but then we finally found it!!

What I did now know when I received my crepe pan, is that my husband would turn out to be the master crepe maker as someone (*cough*me*cough*) likes to sleep in and misses the early morning preparation for crepes.

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

I’m including the basic crepe recipe that we use to make all of our crepes – the fillings we choose are usually just fruit simply cut up and served either with whipped cream, Nutella, yogurt sauce, or raspberry-cassis sauce.

Basic Crepe Recipe – makes 6 crepes

adapted from NYT cooking

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup low-fat milk

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp (15g) granulated sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp (55g) all-purpose flour, sifted

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp (55g) whole wheat flour, sifted

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus a little bit of butter for the pan

1 tsp final grated lime zest (or lemon)

Directions

1. In a blender, place the milk, eggs, salt, and sugar. Turn on, and with the motor running, add the flours then the melted butter. Then blend on high speed for 1 minute, until well-mixed and smooth. Transfer this to a bowl, stir in the lime zest, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.

2. To make the crepes, heat up the crepe pan over medium-high heat and brush lightly with butter. Pan must be hot when you add the crepe batter.

3. Give your batter a quick whisk before you use it now. Then, lift the pan off the heat and add approx. 1/4 cup batter, just thin enough to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Tilt and swirl pan to distribute evenly.

4. Return pan to heat and cook crepe for about 1 minute until the edges color and the crepe bottom is lightly browned. It should not stick to the pan. Flip crepe over and cook for another 30 seconds or so on the other side, until speckled.

5. Place crepe onto a plate and continue with the remaining batter, adding butter occasionally to the pan if desired.

6. Crepes are best served at their hottest, so assemble one by one.

7. Here, we cut up fresh strawberries and peaches. The proper way to serve the crepe is to fold it in half, then fold it in half again, so you end up with a quarter triangle like below. We filled this one with strawberries, peaches, and whipped cream!

8. Crepes can be made ahead and reheated in 250 degree oven for 20 minutes. (I have not personally tried this)

What we found when making our crepes was that for some reason the first crepe that comes off the pan is always wonky and stupid and we always throw it away. I don’t know why, but it just seems to be the case.

A note on crepe pans…

You don’t HAVE to use a crepe pan to make crepes, but I figured that it must be better made on a crepe pan otherwise they would have never invented such a thing. The key to a crepe pan is having the heat evenly distributed.

Now, this is the crepe pan that we use (by Staub) and we LOVE it. It is cast iron which evenly distributes heat.

This copper crepe pan of course is a winner but it is nearly twice the price as the one we have.

This one from De Buyer is only $25 and can be used on induction cooktops.

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Angelina September 4, 2016 Beauty and Fashion

What to Pack to Switzerland

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I’m headed to Switzerland this September and I am SOOOO excited!! I went to Zurich once, only for a few hours, but this time we are spending more time in the country. We are going to be doing some light hiking in the Berner Oberland!

Now, I have checked the temperature averages and it seems it gets pretty cool there in the night time – I mean, we *are* staying in the Swiss Alps so of course it is going to be chilly.

I am going to be dressing in layers and also I have an outfit for hiking.

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Coat – I am bringing a waterproof jacket. I am still debating between my Barbour jacket and my North Face Rain Trench. I also have this North Face Venture Jacket too to chose from!

Fleece Pull-over – this Patagonia fleece pullover is so warm.. it will be perfect for walks in the evening and for hiking. We will be walking next to a glacier one of the days! I also have this North Face one.

Hats – Like I said, we are staying in the Alps and I get cold! I am loving these hats: Barefoot Dreams Slouch Beanie , embellished beanie , Fur Pom Ribbed Wool Beanie, and this cute Wool Beanie Hat With Bow.

Gloves – I don’t like cold fingers. I’m bringing gloves. These are cute Bow Glove . These Knitted Glove are a good deal. These Tech Gloves are for those who are glued to their phones – you can still wear them AND text on your phone!

Sunglasses – There is a lot of glare up in the mountains, so look stylish with some sunglasses. I like these Tory Burch, and these Ray-Ban ‘Original Aviator’

Backpack for Hiking – You need to carry a backpack while hiking so you can store your hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, camera, and snacks! I like these Northface one and two

Hiking Pants – Well, you need hiking pants for your hikes! I like these Kuhl Pant or Columbia Trail Pant I also like wearing these Zella Leggings and these adidas Pants

Hiking Boots – Hiking boots are a must for hiking in the mountains. Regular tennis shoes just don’t have the same amount of grip or support in them. I bought these ones by Ahnu and I really want these ones by these ones by Danner .

Scarves – Europeans love their scarves! This one is cute :Plaid Wool Scarf, I love my Burberry Scarf

This Plaid Fringe Scarf is a good deal.

Purse for Travel – I love either a cross body bag or a bag that folds down into nothing. This Crossbody Bag is super cute, this Crossbody Bag is a deal ($39!) as is this Crossbody Bag . I LOVE my little Longchamp Le Pliage Tote Bag.

Umbrella – A little travel umbrella is super useful in a place where it rains a lot! I like this Polka Dot Travel Umbrella and this Lightweight Mini Umbrella.

Jeans – Jeans are a must. I am wearing black jeans and Skinny Jeans. TheseStretch Skinny Jeans are one of my faves and they are $68 and look great!

Cardigans – Layering is key when dressing in the Spring and Fall in climates like Switzerland where it is chilly at night but nice in the day. Here are the cardigans I have my eyes on: Oversized Knitted Cardigan,Long-sleeved wool and cashmere knit cardigan, Lightweight V-Neck Cardigan, Drape Front Wool & Cashmere Cardigan.

Sunscreen – the glare on the mountains is strong and the elevation is higher. You will get sunburned if you aren’t careful, so I wear this Clinique Sunscreen.

Other Shoes – I love my Chloé ‘Flat – perfect for dressing up for dinner or walking around. I also bring an extra pair of tennis shoes – my Converse are my go to and Europeans always ask me where I got them!

Shirts – this basic V-Neck Tee is my go to. I LOVE wearing tunics – here are my favorites ones: Tunic – plain colors. Stripe Split Hem Tunic. This one is a little dressier: Long-SleeveTunic. Also I am loving plaid shirts this year, especially for the Fall. I like this ‘Ex Boyfriend Plaid’ Cotton Shirt , this Plaid Button Front Shirt, and this Plaid Tunic Shirt(only $44)!

A Dress – I am bringing a silk dress this year because one of the hotels we are staying at is a little fancy and you have to wear nicer clothes. I am choosing this Sleeveless Silk Shift Dress because it folds up small, is wrinkle resistant, and I can also wear leggings under if it I wanted. This Silk Crepe De Chine Shirt Dress is a nice pick too!

I am SO EXCITED to go to Switzerland! It seems to be so picturesque! I am hoping it doesn’t rain the whole time we are there! We are going to places like this…

and this…

If you missed it, check out my other travel guides:

What to pack in your carry-on for long international flights! This is one of my #1 posts!

Are you headed to Paris? Here is my What to pack and wear for your trip to Paris!

Have you been to Switzerland? If so, tell me your favorite thing to do there that I should see!!

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Angelina September 2, 2016 Uncategorized

Happy Fall Y’all – Five on Friday

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I can’t believe that it is SEPTEMBER!!! You know what that means, PUMPKIN EVERYTHING! If you regularly read my blog, you’ll notice I’ve added some Fall touches to my blog!

In case you were wondering, YES I did have a pumpkin spice latte already. I tried to order it on August 31 and the barista was so excited about pumpkin spice because he stated they had the syrup in the store already for several weeks *however* it would not be ready until September 1. So September 1 rolled around yesterday and I got my PSL!
I know some people get mad about celebrating the seasons “early”. “Fall is not until September 21” they say. “Christmas can’t be up until after Thanksgiving”. Well, I take my cue from outside. The leaves are starting to change, the mornings are cool, so according to the weather, it’s Fall.
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Fall Preview…

I’ve been starting to decorate with Fall decor. I am working on a wreath that I will share with you all soon. I’ve never made a wreath before, so this was exciting for me!

Trader Joe’s

As it is now suddenly Fall overnight (I turn into a pumpkin on September 1) I am now into eating comfort foods… soups, stews, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese…

Well, I was at Trader Joe’s and I saw this Hatch Chile Mac & Cheese in the freezer section and decided to try it. GUESS WHAT. It is DELICIOUS! I wish I bought more. It says “two servings”. HA! Actually though, I did only eat 3/4s of it until I was full, so I felt less like a miss piggy. I highly recommend you try it!!

Favorite Instagrams

Here are my favorite Instagrams of the week. I am obsessed with Instagram. You can follow me here.

Kids Trying Dark Chocolate For the First Time

Have you ever seen this video of kids trying chocolate for the first time?? If not, you have to watch it! (it’s a short video). I love the look of utter betrayal… they are thinking, how can this be chocolate? I’ve been tricked! Remember when you snuck into the pantry as a kid and tried the baking chocolate? I know you did. I did. I still cringe remembering how bitter it was! However, I actually love dark chocolate now and dislike a lot of milk chocolates (unless it is quality).

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Angelina September 1, 2016 Uncategorized

Mouth Watering Appetizers – Thursday Favorite Things

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Can you believe August is already over??? I cannot, but September brings the start of pumpkin season and I loooove pumpkin everything! Anyway, this week I am featuring some wonderful looking recipes!

From Play Dates to Parties shares her recipe for giant gougeres! Have you ever heard of a gougere? If not, let me explain – it is like a giant cheese puffball that is crunchy on the outside and light and airy in the center.

Silver Foodie shared this recipe for Crispy Potato Onion Rosti. It is a Swiss favorite – essentially a tasty potato pancake! You can serve it up as an appetizer or make large ones for a big meal!

Homemade Interest shared this Roasted Corn and Jalapeño dip!

The Whole Serving shared this delicious looking recipe for Roasted Grapes with Burrata Cheese toast.

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Angelina August 30, 2016 Desserts

Strawberry Pistachio Tart Recipe

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This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

With the last days of Summer (and strawberries), I thought I’d bake something with strawberries! I received this tart pan for my birthday and I have only used it once! So I have been dying to dig it out again for *something* and with strawberries on the brain, I began dreaming of strawberry pistachio tarts and voilà! Here we are.

What I love about baking tarts is that they come out looking fancy and beautiful and they really aren’t THAT HARD to make.

So what I’m saying, if you have guests, you can impress them with a tart.

Plus, a fruit tart is a nice refreshing dessert. It isn’t too heavy like cakes but is fancier than a cookie!

Strawberry Pistachio Tart Recipe

printable version HERE

recipe adapted from epicurious

Ingredients

1 pre-made pie crust

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup ground pistachios

1/4 cup honey

1 cup heavy whipped cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 pint strawberries, washed, dried, with stems removed and diced in half vertically

1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 410 degrees F. Take your pre-made pie crust and roll it out onto the counter. Place the pie crust over the tart pan (my tart pan is 9″) and then gently push the pie crust into the tart pan mold.

2. Using a fork, poke several holes into the pie crust on the bottom of the tart pan to allow steam to escape.

3. Bake tart crust for approximately 13-15 minutes until lightly browned and then set aside to cool to room temperature.

4. Using a mixer, whip the cream cheese, ground pistachios, and honey until well combined and set aside.

5. In a different bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until you have whipped cream (or you can use one of these awesome tools to make your whipped cream!)

6. In the cooled tart shell, spread the pistachio cream evenly. Then spread a layer of whipped cream. Arrange the cut strawberries with the tips pointing up, in a circle starting on the outside first.

7. Sprinkle the tart with chopped pistachios and serve immediately.

You don’t have to use a pre-made pie crust to make your tart shell. I was just too lazy to make my own. If you want to make your own from scratch, this is the recipe I ALWAYS use. For those that are curious,this is the tart pan I used.

So really, this tart is easy to make especially if you use pre-made pie crust. I used the ones from Trader Joe’s and it is pretty good.

I’d love for you to leave a comment or a follow on a social media!

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Angelina August 28, 2016 Fall

Fall Home Decor Favorites 2016

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I have rounded up a few of my favorite picks for Fall home decor this year. I know it is a *wee* bit early but as you know cute things do sell out! I’ve created a few categories. For the living room, outdoors, on the table, metallic accents, and faux greenery. I had so much fun putting this together!
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EDIT – Some of these links may not work anymore since they are from 2016. Here is a widget that always has products that are in stock. They may not be exactly the same as the pictures above.

For the Living Room…

Plaid blanket– I LOVE Pendleton blankets. I have a problem with them. You can use this Pendleton lambswool on the couch, on your bed, as a tablecloth, or outside for pretty blog stylized pictures!

Pillows – We all love to change up our home decor with seasonal pillows. I am loving this Wheat Pillow as well as this watercolor pumpkin patch pillow.

For the Outdoors…

Olive Bucket – I could see a pretty Olive bucket with seasonal faux (or real!) branches spilling out.

Wheelbarrow – I LOVE this Wheelbarrow Planter – you could put it on your front porch or table and put tons of pumpkins inside. Wouldn’t it look cute?

On the Table…

Pumpkin Mugs – Aren’t these pumpkin mugs so cute to sip some pumpkin spice latte or hot apple cider from?

Pumpkin Bowls – I own these pumpkin cocottes and I use them all Fall long! I serve my pumpkin soup in them and it makes it extra special! This year Staub came out with the pumpkin cocottes in white (already sold out online on WS, keep checking back, but I found Sur La Table also has little white pumpkins as does Bed Bath & Beyond. Those retailers also have the large pumpkin. Macy’s has the large pumpkin too but not at a discount.) Staub came out with a large cast iron white pumpkin new this year too – I own it already in orange

Fall plates -aren’t these seasonal Fall Leaves plates just perfect? I love the colors!

Seasonal Centerpiece – This Harvest Pumpkin Candle basket is so perfect for the center of your table! Imagine lit candles providing ambient light while you eat!

Gold Silverware – This set of gold silverware goes so well with the colors of Fall! Speaking of gold…

Metallic Gold…

Napkin Rings – I think these gold napkin rings are perfect! They go with almost anything.

Metallic Gold pumpkin and gourds – These are faux of course. There is a large metallic gold pumpkin and then also metallic gold pumpkin and gourds.

Faux Branches and Greenery…

I love all of these faux branches – there is an acorn spray, gingko spray, and setaria spray. The acorns are perfect for filling vases, bowls, or just scattering around.

Then there is this pretty Magnolia wheat wreath!!

I love these black and white Mackenzie Childs Beware pumpkins!

I hope you enjoyed my little round-up for Fall home decor! Forgot to mention, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this pumpkin bread (and there is now a gluten free version!!). I know it’s a little pricey but IT IS WORTH IT.

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Angelina August 26, 2016 Uncategorized

Fall finds, trip to Switzerland and more… Five on Friday

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Fall finds at Williams Sonoma

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Last year I purchased these pumpkins bowls and large cast iron pumpkin cocotte. We used them through all of Autumn to bake our soups in. Well, we dug it out of storage today and are serving up this season’s pumpkin soup for the first time this year!

This year, Staub came out with a large cast iron white pumpkin and then the smaller soup bowls. Isn’t it super cute in white? For those that would prefer, there is also a black pumpkin for Halloween night!

Sur La Table also has little white pumpkins as does Bed Bath & Beyond. Those retailers also have the large pumpkin. Macy’s has the large pumpkin too but not at a discount.

The thing I bought this year was a new bread pan for my pumpkin bread! Secret though…. I totally use the WS pecan pumpkin bread mix to make the pumpkin bread. It is just SO GOOD. I strongly suggest buying their pumpkin pecan butter too. Here is where you can get a set of the bread mix and pecan pumpkin butter. New this year is some caramel pumpkin butter – could be good. Here is the gluten free bread mix! This is the cute bread pan pictured below that I bought!

Switzerland Trip!

We are headed to Switzerland this Fall!!! I have been to Zurich once just for a few hours – we stopped by the old town and went to Rhine Falls. This time we’re going through Zurich, then to Lucerne and then to the Bernese Oberland. Have any of you been to Switzerland?? I would LOVE to know your tips, must-sees, where to eat, and etc! Please leave me a comment!!

Facebook!

I’ve been working on updating my Facebook page for Peonies & Orange Blossoms. After reading this post from Shabbyfufu, I have spent a lot of time doing some digital renovation (can I call it that?) on the page. I invite you all to come check out! Link is below OR go here.

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Favorite Instagrams

Doesn’t this bowl look SO TASTY and pretty all at the same time!?

On the Web…

Have you seen the laundry room of Chip and Joanna of Fixer Upper fame?? I doubt it because they’ve never showed us before… until NOW! Isn’t it pretty??? Read Joanna’s article here.

From the blog…

Have you ever had a PUPUSA? A what, you say? A pupusa!! If you’ve never heard of them before or want my recipe for them, check out my pupusa post here!

PS – Can you believe this is the LAST Five on Friday in August??

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Angelina August 25, 2016 Summer

6 Summer Tablescapes – Thursday Favorite Things

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Last week I was talking about Fall but this week we’re focusing back on Summer! I was inspired by all of these beautiful Summer tablescapes that some of our lovely bloggers shared with us all! Let’s take a look at them!

For those of you that read my blog early this morning, you may have noticed I accidentally published this post a little early! Whoops! Here it is again, this time with the link party.

Also in exciting news, we have a new PARTY LOGO!!!

Belle Blue Interiors shared this pretty butterfly blue meadow table.

Olla Podrida shared this fun French Riviera tablescape!

Designs by Pinky shared this beautiful black, white, and green tablescape!

Dining Delight shared this Summer tablescape with black, white, and red colors!

J. Bigg’s Little Piecesshared this fun owl table with the back-to-school spirit kept in mind!

Fabby’s Living shared this sea-themed Summer table.

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Here is our new beautiful logo!! What do you all think??? I think the flowers are so pretty! Please follow your hostesses!

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Angelina August 23, 2016 Uncategorized

How Would you Decorate a Giant Wall?

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Alright my internet friends, I have a question for you. In the house that we are building, we have a wall in our living room that is 24 feet long and the ceiling height is 14 feet tall. So… A BIG giant wall! Normally, one would put a fireplace on that wall but the fireplace is going on the other side of the room. See diagram below.
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So our wall with the 3 French doors would look something like below… 3 French doors, with room for a sconce in between and then there will be windows above the doors too. The windows will help prevent the odd 5 feet of empty space between the top of the door and ceiling.

Photo by Lee Construction

Our fireplace inspiration is Patina Farm… stoned fireplace that is see through, except our fireplace will be a gas one as an open wood burning fireplace just like below is not allowed in our county.

source-patina farm

So, now we turn to the wall. THE BIG wall. I am trying to solve how to decorate this wall before it’s built in case someone has a great suggestion that I would need to prepare for before the walls go up (like wiring for sconces or something).
Now, we will have a tv on that wall (unfortunately… why are TVs so ugly??)
It will look exactly like the picture below as it is the exact console table we have. iI is 100″ wide, 24″ deep and 32″ high.

This thing piece will be centered on the wall. So what do we do around it?

Now, I know that the ideas below won’t be accomplished in one night. It would take me a long time to put together a gallery wall completely BUT so long as I have a plan then that’s fine.

Gallery Wall…
We could do a big gallery wall. I have always envisioned having a gallery wall somewhere. This could look interesting. Of course I would want to fill it with antique oils… I also happen to be friends with some antique painting dealers who I’m sure would be happy to sell me a whole house full!

source simple everyday glamour

Here is a more modern gallery wall… I could accomplish this in a day but I would like antique oils instead (but my checkbook doesn’t!)

Oh, when I think of gallery walls by the way, I always think of this super cool room that was in Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was so cool!

Or I could find some giant paintings!

source 1st dibs

Panels

We could put some wood panels on the wall. But I wouldn’t want to panel the rest of the room, so it would just be the one wall.

source – 1st dibs

These panels are a little simpler. We could make some faux panels essentially… just put some wood trim on the wall and paint it.

source – 1st dibs

Panels like below, although I know those are doors but we could just do the panels and pretend like they are doors.

We could also just do panels on the lower half of the wall like below. Although then would we need to do that on the wall with the French doors? Remember there are really only 2 walls in the living room.

Wallpaper

We could just wallpaper the one wall and put two paintings on it.

source 1st dibs

We could frame some wallpaper like below and hang some paintings.

Mirrors

Do I put one or two giant mirrors on the wall?

Source

source – 1st dibs

Built-In Cabinets

Do we build built in cabinets, like the picture below (except where the painting is put the tv console?)

source Suzanna Kasler

See, my husband could have his ladder he has wanted like below!

Tapestry

Let’s be honest, I would really love a large antique tapestry. But finding one in my price range at this size would be an impossible feat. Hey, a girl can dream!

Also, you will have probably noted that my source pictures are all very fancy. Well, it was hard finding pictures of large walls and the only places I could think of that have large walls are in the Chateaus in France and Palaces of Europe. So, of course, my house wouldn’t nearly be as fancy!

So, how would YOU decorate such a large wall?? Please let me know, I am eager to hear as we’re going to have to finalize our plans soon and if there is a change like (make sure you put lights on the wall) then let me know.

Also, I have considered a window, but the windows that would be at eye level would be ugly because it looks at something ugly on the other side. We *could* consider clerestory windows, would have to talk to structural engineer about roof lines and such.

Leave me a comment!

Please be aware I moderate my comments so your comment (to prevent spam) and it will not show up immediately.

linking up at: amaze me monday The Scoop! Make it Pretty Monday Lou Lou Girls BNOTP Mon Inspire Me Tuesday Wow us Wednesdays!Share Your Style Thursday Favorite Things, Creative Circle, Thoughts of Home Home Sweet Home Feathered Nest Fridays Craftberry Bush Foodie Friday & Everything Else Best of the Weekend Share it One More Time Sundays at Home

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Angelina August 19, 2016 friday favorites

Choosing a Front Door, Shoes, and more! – Five on Friday #25

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House Updates… Front Door

WOO HOO! We are finally done with the architect and have moved on to structural engineering!!! It has taken us 8 MONTHS to get to this point. Now it shouldn’t take *too* much longer (like a month or two) to actually like get really rolling with things and finally see something in real life and not on paper. Which means… decisions, decisions, and decisions are on the horizon!

So, we have to pick out our windows and doors around now so the engineer can make sure that there is enough support surrounding the selected windows and doors.

Now, our architect wanted us to have steel front door that you would be able to look through an entryway and see all they way through through another steel window into the backyard, like so… (btw all these images below are from Pinterest)

Now, don’t get me wrong, this look is TOTALLY COOL and I really like it. Now comes the but…. but steel windows are RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE. At *least* three times the cost of “regular” windows and doors and then some. Having a steel window or door entrance wasn’t on my “dream house wish list” but having 3 ovens was (um yes, don’t judge, when you host Thanksgiving with 40 people every year you will know why I wanted 3 ovens). The other two main problems with steel windows are this – they are not the best at insulation which is not good in a place that frequently is above 100 degrees. And speaking of heat, the handles for door get ridiculously hot and will burn you when they have sun sitting on them all day. That’s not good.

So instead, I’m changing the front door to something similar to this…

Keep in mind, we are only look at doors, nothing else, not the shape of the room or the ceiling or anything. I think this look is more French country and is more of the look I am going for in the end. The first look is very contemporary and I am not too sure it really has been what I have been wanting. I reviewed my posts about French style houses and no where do I notice a steel door entrance.

Above is another example of a flat arch French door in a different stain. Don’t know what color I will pick- if I keep it a natural wood or if I will paint!

So, as I reflect back on my project, I have to keep reminding myself… is this where I want to spend my money? Do I really want this specific thing or is it there because the architect or someone said I needed it? I reviewed my “dream home check list” that my husband and I made back when we were in school together many years ago. We have everything on our list checked off. Steel windows/doors were not on our “must have” list.

You can always look at the most expensive thing and say, oh I like that, but you can’t do that for everything always, right? I think the decision not to have steel entryway has made me feel better as I realized it wasn’t what I had quite envisioned.

Where did you put your money in your house? Now, if we want to talk about where I’m spending my money… it’s the kitchen.

Olympics

I have been watching some of the events of the Olympics. But I wish NBC would stop talking about stories and show more of the sports. I think it is so interesting how every different type of sport has a specific body type that does well. The gymnasts – petite. Runners – lean. Cyclists – big thighs. Swimmers – ripped torso. Weight lifters – big. And the list goes on.

Anyway, I just have to share this picture of Usain Bolt if you haven’t seen it already. I love how everyone’s legs are so blurry because they are running that fast, but Usain literally has time to look back and give a smile for the camera because he is just so much faster than everyone else! I mean, imagine the other runners, literally running as fast as they possibly can, but still so slow that Usain can pose for a picture!

image from Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Spotted…

Ok, one night while I was staying up late I found some cute Fall shoes and just had to share them!

How much fun are these Cat flats in glitter!

I think these Gold, black, and alligator print sneakers are super stylish!!!

Wait, I’m seeing a theme, cute velvet mary janes with *glitter* heels. All the shoes I was drawn to were shiny/sparkly!

Instagram Picks for the Week!

I LOVE Instagram… it’s the perfect social media for my attention span.

This last one made me giggle… a hot dog in a croissant!!

From the Blog…

I thought I would reshare this bathroom remodel! Isn’t it just fabulous??? It is in my parents’ house!! I was looking at sconces one day and showed them to my mom, she said, oh! I already own those… they are the ones below in the picture!

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Angelina August 18, 2016 Uncategorized

Prepping for Fall Round Up – Thursday Favorite Things

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Welcome to another Thursday Favorite Things! Thank you for joining us – we party every Wednesday night at 6pm PST.

This week it seems people are starting to look to Fall. YES I know it is Summer still but planning people have got to plan. I am featuring a few posts from last week’s party with this theme in mind!

First, we have DIY Budget Girl’s Fall trail mix. It sounds so delicious… I could totally nosh on some right now!

To Simply Inspire has some cute ideas for First Day of School pictures. While I don’t have any kids, I know a lot of my readers do, so I thought you might enjoy these ideas!

This post from Pam at Everyday Living about the colors of Provence really have me in the mood for Fall. The yellows/oranges/browns with pops of green I think scream Fall.

Jenna at Champagne and Polka Dots has us transitioning into Fall with this styled jumpsuit!

But for those who think Fall posts should be reserved until September, I present to you a peach crisp recipe from Lolly Jane! It looks so good, can’t you imagine enjoying this warmed up with ice cream??

Congratulations if you were featured! I have pinned your posts to our Thursday Favorite Things Pinterest Board! Please grab a “featured” button (click on link) to display on your blogs!

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Angelina August 16, 2016 French Country

Purple Transferware Tablescape

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In this post – using antique or vintage transfer ware for your every day table!

I put together this purple transferware table earlier this year and photographed it but then I forgot to post it! I had fun putting this table together.

This post may contain affiliate links.

I took down the antique purple transferware plates from the walls and enjoyed how the look with the grey of the table and chargers.

They also go great with my Juliska purple goblets!

I put these antique Staffordshire cows in the center of the table to complete the look.

Why store all of your antiques on the walls or in the display cabinets? Pull them out and use them!

These Staffordshire figures remind me of the white cows that Charles Faudree always decorated with!

When taking this picture, I realized the fabric on the antique Swedish chair goes with the purples on the plate and goblets!

A mixture of peonies and ranunculus sit in the center of the table. This is meant to be a simple table to show off the antiques.

Antique monogrammed napkins were at every place setting.

You can create a similar table too and use your transfer ware!

If you are going to dine on the transfer ware, I would suggest either using plastic utensils so you don’t scratch the plate or putting a clear glass plate on top.

I just love the look of the antique purple transferware.
I think it is a really interesting color.
Hope you all enjoyed my little table!

Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

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Angelina August 12, 2016 Fall

Five on Friday #24 – Planning for Fall, Velvet Corn, Harry Potter, and More!

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This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

Getting ready for Fall!

Yes, I know it might be a *little* early to start thinking about Fall – I am sure many of you are planning for back-to-school or are trying to squeeze in a last Summer vacation. But I am a planner. I like to plan things. I am starting to plan for Fall.

First, I have been busy pinning away on Pinterest on my Fall boards. I have two:

Fall & Halloween Decor and Fall Recipes.

The pumpkins are planted. You see – I actually started planning for Fall just after July 4… if you want to grow your own pumpkin patch and have it ready at the right time that takes planning!

I bought some Fall scented candles! I love the Bath & Body Works fall scents! The Leaves Candle is one of my favorite scents for Fall. I buy it every year. This year I also bought the Pumpkin Pecan Waffles, Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow, and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. I haven’t burnt these ones yet, but I’m getting ready!

And, while I was out shopping this week, I had a little preview of this years’ new VELVET CORN!!!

I LOVE IT!!!! Just when I thought, oh, I’m done with buying velvet pumpkins… velvet corn comes along to sit next to them. It is going to look so good next to my velvet pumpkins. I will be posting about the velvet corn some time later once I get my hands on more… it is currently shipping so we will all have to wait! You saw it here first!!

Instagram Favorites and Stories!

Have you tried out the Instagram stories??? If not, let me explain: It’s like Snapchat but in Instagram. Still don’t get it?? Well, any picture or video you take in your Instagram Story will only appear for 24 hours maximum and then will disappear. I am LOVING this… why? Because I can now post things that I wanted to before but it won’t “ruin” the look of my Instagram feed because it disappears!

So, how do you use it?

On your home screen, swipe your finger right (see my lovely picture below!)

Then, it brings you to a screen with a camera. Just simply take a picture by tapping the check button in the bottom OR if you want to upload a video just hold the button down and it will record. Then simply upload it!

So, where can you see “Your Story” and stories by others?

See the circles just below where it says “Your Story” in a colorful circle and then other pictures in colorful circles?? That’s where you see the stories. You will not see these in people’s regular instagram feed. You have to look at them on the home screen.

Did you like my little Instagram Tutorial? I’d Love for you to follow me on Instagram (@LePetit_Macaron). I am obsessed with it.

Let’s look at a few of my favorites…

Spotted…

Speaking of planning for Fall… last year I wanted to buy the trendy LL bean duck boots but they were sold out in my size by the time I went to buy them…. so THIS YEAR I planned ahead and they just recently arrived.

Now the most popular style is the 8″ boot here… but I got the 6″ boot here because I thought I would wear it more in sunny California. I think if you live somewhere where it snows you should get the 8″ boot and if you live in a warmer climate go with the 6″.

They also come in different colors: there is a blue one here. I strongly recommend getting the wool camp sock to go along with it.

Below is the 8″ boot with the wool camp sock.

from charmingly styled

from Covering the Bases

Below is the 6″ boot

from the College Prepster

Sneak Peek on the Blog…

Coming this weekend, a little sneak peek of a tour of a newly built French Farmhouse tour. Those who follow my instagram will recognize this vignette… it is from the house tour!

Be sure to check back on Sunday morning to tour the house!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – A Review

I am a big Harry Potter fan (I had gone to the midnight opening at the bookstore for books 4-7), but I suppose some of that has faded with age as I was unaware that the newest Harry Potter book was even being released!

Anyway, I knew that there was a Harry Potter play that was going to premiere in London this year.

The newest book is actually the script to the play and is NOT a novel.

I knew this when I started to read the book, because I wanted to create realistic expectations. There was no way this book was going to be as good as the originals simply because of the format – you cannot have as much character development and narration with a play! I’m going to write my review of the book below, with SPOILERS, so if you don’t want to read the spoilers consider yourself warned.

SPOILERS BELOW FOR THE BOOK REVIEW

*SPOILERS*

Ok. The play starts off 19 years since the 7th book left off, with Albus Potter, the son of Harry Potter. Albus goes to Hogwarts and several years actually fly by in a matter of pages (what?! I wish we could all take the train back into the school!). Much to Harry’s dismay, Albus becomes best friends with Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Draco Malfoy.

For some reason, the two of them decide to go on a quest to prevent Cedric Diggory from dying in the Goblet of Fire. They steal a time turner from Hermione Granger, now the Minister of Magic. They go back and time and basically screw up everything so that Voldemort would essentially rule the world. Harry, Ron and Hermione have to come in and save the day and undo the time travel to make it all right again. The plot also involves someone who states that she is the daughter of Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange – honestly, I think that this was totally lame and ruins part of the original books.

So, in short, I did not love the play, as I knew I would not, and honestly I even debated about reading the story but decided to because I couldn’t help myself. I felt like there wasn’t enough character development. It didn’t have nearly the amount of details as the books (well, it can’t, because it is not a novel). I didn’t like how the adult Harry was portrayed because he didn’t seem very Harry Potter like at all.

In short, a Harry Potter story written by someone who is not JK Rowling can never be as good as the original books – and I knew that when I started the story which is why I had really low expectations. So given how low my expectations were, I had a nice time reading the play, but if you have high expectations you will be very disappointed. I enjoyed spending some time with some of my favorite literary characters for a few hours.

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Angelina August 11, 2016 Uncategorized

Lavender Decor – Thursday Favorite Things

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Welcome friends for another Thursday Favorite Things link party! We go live every night 6pm PST and would love to have you link up your posts and join our party!

This week my favorite thing is LAVENDER!!! I just love lavender… it is perfect for my green, err, brown thumb, because it looks great alive or dried(dead)!

Pret a Vivre blog shared these DIY lavender bouquets complete with cute lavender-themed Thank You cards!

Old Things New Blog shared this super cute table with lavender and cherries!

Bringing French Country Home shares some tips on how to dry lavender.

Congratulations if you were featured! I have pinned your posts to our Thursday Favorite Things Pinterest Board! Please grab a “featured” button (click on link) to display on your blogs!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, The WINNER for the GIVEAWAYS from last week was announced HERE at Katherine’s Corner!! Congratulations and thank you all for participating!!!

Please follow your hostesses!

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Angelina August 9, 2016 Desserts

Peach Honey Tarts

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It’s PEACH season and I’d love to say we have peaches coming out of ears like last year BUT the birds have been eating them like CRAZY this year.
I would put up a net to protect the peaches but I did that for the cherries and a bird got caught in the net and died and now I can’t do that ever again.
So we still to have a lot of peaches, but just not AS MANY as last year. But we still have enough to make a tart!

The peaches we grow are from the “free stone” variety of peaches – meaning the peach pit comes out of the peach much easier than the “cling” variety of peaches. The cling variety of peaches are what you get in the grocery story- they ship much better and are less susceptible to bruising. BUT the free stone peaches are much sweeter (and therefore bruise) but they are much tastier than any peach you will find in the store!

Peach Honey Tarts

printable version here

Ingredients

1 pre-made pie crust

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup honey

1 cup heavy whipped cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

peaches (roughly 1 peach needed per tart), sliced thinly length wise

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 410 degrees F. Take your pre-made pie crust and roll it out onto the counter. Place the pie crust over the tart pan (my tart pans are 4″) and then gently push the pie crust into the tart pan mold.

2. Using a fork, poke several holes into the pie crust on the bottom of the tart pan to allow steam to escape. I could make four 4″ tarts with this.

3. Bake tart crust for approximately 11-14 minutes until lightly browned and then set aside to cool to room temperature.

4. Using a mixer, whip the cream cheese and honey until well combined and set aside.

5. In a different bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until you have whipped cream (or you can use one of these awesome tools to make your whipped cream!)

6. In the cooled tart shell, spread the honey cream evenly. Then spread a layer of whipped cream. Arrange the peaches in any pattern you desire

7. Serve immediately.

You want to make this tart extra decadent? Make some honey ice cream and serve it on the side!
Oh, and as for honey, this Orange Blossom Honey from Savannah Bee Company is seriously the best honey EVER!