Piña Colada Popsicles!

Let’s just go on vacay, okay?

You totally deserve it. You work way too hard. You need a nice relaxing back massage on a beach with waves crashing in. And you need a strong piña colada in hand.

Quick, go book the plane tickets! In the meantime, though, I’ll bring you a taste of the tropics with these totally exceptional boozy piña colada popsicles. They. Are. Faaaabulous.

Shutterbean is a woman after my own heart. She gives us wonderful recipes (like this one!) that always look so beautiful. Also she’s not afraid of capital letters! HOLLA!

These popsicles are quite simple to make, but they do dirty up quite a few dishes, so prepare yourself! Or just go to work and leave the sink full of dishes, as I am wont to do.

You will need a fresh pineapple! There will be a whole bowlful of chopped pineapple left over after you make the popsicles, for you to nom on at your leisure. You will also need white rum, water, coconut milk, and sugar.

You blend, strain, and pour into popsicle molds (I got mine for $7 at my local Loblaws). Freeze overnight. Trick: before pulling out the popsicles, let them warm up a little inside the molds, between your hands. I had two that broke apart because the bottom stuck when I tried to pull them out while they were still too frozen. Then I learned patience, and waited for them to melt slightly – they came out like a dream!

And then enjoy! Is it possible to get drunk on boozy popsicles? I’m assuming yes, but we can’t take any chances when it comes to scientific experiments! Better get my BFF over here to test the theory.

Aloha!

9/10: Heart-Shaped Nail Art

I mean no offence to my other DIY projects, but I think I have to say that this one is my favourite. Probably because it’s simple, bright, graphic, and colourful. It makes me smile each time I look at it. And although it was both the most frustrating and most soothing project to create, overall I did enjoy the process.

The frustration came from trying to hammer these itsy-bitsy little nails into a thin sheet of particle board, and it not working, the wood almost cracking, my thumb almost getting smashed. I now have a couple tiny holes in my desk – oops. The soothing part came from painting – something I haven’t done in far too long. There’s something lovely about trying to get even brush strokes, and it is the perfect activity for while I’m watching a movie (I have issues sitting idle and just watching a movie).

Me, painting while watching Howl’s Moving Castle for the first time!

I took inspiration from Elise’s ampersand nail art, which I love. But I wanted to make a more colourful version for my home! I had some bright pink string leftover from my hanging plant DIY, so when I saw the beautiful turquoise paint at the store, I knew it was perfect. I bought the yellow, not intending to use it on this project. But once I put the nail/string board back into its black frame, I knew it wasn’t quite “me” yet. I had to go ahead and paint the frame yellow! I should have just gotten the unpainted frame at the store, but live and learn I guess. Here’s what it looked like before I decided to paint!

Close, but no cigar.

It took me about three coats to get the yellow dark enough over the black frame. It was great fun while watching other movies and Olympic events!

Let’s talk materials. I got my paint and a frame and board set from my local craft store (Deserres). The frame/board cost about $10, and the paints were $2 each. I got the string from my Dollarama. The nails are gold, and came in a “picture hanging kit” that I also found at Dollarama. It ended up taking me two of these kits to have enough nails to create a good heart-shaped outline.

The heart I cut out of regular printer paper. I sketched a heart, then went around with a ruler and made sure that each point of the heart was an inch apart. Then I cut it out, taped the heart to my dry, painted board and then went to town, working up a sweat nailing those little buggers in.

The next step was to carefully wrap and twist the string around the nails in a way that I liked. This is the most fun part! Let your creativity guide you. Once I was happy, I wrapped and tied off the ends. Slipped it into the frame. Nailed another nail into the wall. Hung it up where I can see it and where it’ll always make me smile. :)

Yippee-kai-yay! I’m thrilled at how it turned out, thrilled that it came into being pretty naturally, thrilled that this is project #9. As I write this, I’m glancing around my room, spotting the DIY’s that I’ve made this year. They really have enriched my space, as well as my creativity. I’m very happy I chose to create this goal for 2012.

This makes 9 DIY projects I’ve created this year. To see the others, click here!

Project 365: Weeks 28 + 29

Whoops, I completely forgot to do my Project 365 update last Friday! What with all that crazy cake baking, it totally slipped my mind. No matter, twice the fun this week.

My photos, as usual, are pretty food-centric. It’s strange to say, but on days when I stay inside all day, the food I create can be the most interesting subject around. But it’s summer, so I try to go outside as much as possible!

I’m more than halfway through this project, and I have to say I’m totally thrilled with it. I’ve kept with it, sometimes even taking a photo late at night when I get home, and I’ve never missed a day. I love that I can look back on some of the photos and know exactly what was going on in my life that day, while others surprise me! I love that I’ve gotten to know my camera better. I love that I’m satisfied with how *some* of my photos look, for the first time ever.

Thanks for reading. Also, this is my 100th post this year! Yippee!!

Photo Walk: Apartment Details

Lately, I’ve been inspired to continue adding homey touches to the space I call home. I spend a lot of time in my little apartment, and though the walls are starkly white (yellow in the kitchen), I think it’s important to make this space feel like a reflection of me.

Clearly, as these photos show, I adore bright colours and funky patterns. I’ve always been this way, ever since I decorated my childhood bedroom lime green with a curvy orange stripe. In high school, I plastered one wall with paper flotsam and jetsam: magazine cutouts, cards, photos, etc. It was perfect for me at the time, but I like to think I’ve matured (if only a little!). Now, I have one gallery wall that is slowly growing – it houses the same type of stuff, but framed and arranged a little more neatly. Even though this space isn’t permanent, it is my home for at least a little longer, and I love how all the little details I’ve added help it to feel cozy.

My “gallery wall” (clockwise from left): my childhood dreamcatcher, a framed card from a close family friend, DIY poster art, my framed Ryan Gosling autograph (yep, I’m a nerd), a beautiful print my sister brought back from China, my own photo.
 1. Flower wall decals in my kitchen. 2. A spray-painted can that holds my pencils and pens. 3. A frame I found on the street, filled with postcards from a Riopelle exhibit and my own photos. 4. A succulent that has taken the place of my old plant in my DIY hanging container. 5. Happy Buddha that a friend brought me back from NYC. 6. Poster from the 2012 Montreal International Jazz Festival. 7. A carved turtle that was my Grandfather’s, collected shells and stones from Mexico, and a carved wood figure of lovers. 8. Mason jar filled with lavender. 9. A butterfly ornament and terracotta “peace” letters. 10. The feathers from my dreamcatcher. 11. My favourite candles on a vintage cake stand. 12. Paper lantern from NYC Chinatown. 13. My own photo. 
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