A Slice Of Heaven

I don't know why anything lemon flavored makes me giddy with happiness.  Especially the pastries.   So, when I saw this recipe by frugalfarmwife, it was love at first sight.  It looks so yummy and gluten free too!

For years now, instead of a cake, I enjoy a lemon meringue pie for my birthday instead.  This year am going to try these for sure.  

Here is the recipe.  Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Lemon Bars Recipe

For the crust:

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¾ cup butter (softened)

For the Filling:

• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 2-3 teaspoons grated lemon peel (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Combine crust ingredients and mix well.

Press into the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes until the crust begins to turn a light brown.

Remove pan from oven.

Beat filling ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.

Pour over warm crust.

Return to oven, and bake for and additional 15-20 minutes until filling is set, and slightly brown around the edges.

Remove from oven, and cool for 10-15 minutes.

Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

Use a butter knife to loosen lemon bars from the edges of the pan.

Let cool completely.

Cut bars, and remove from pan.

Cherio!

Feelin Blue Never Felt This Good!

 I've always had a soft spot for blue especially baby blue so when I came across these gorgeous examples of how magnificent the color can be in a space, of course I just had to share.  I am so inspired, hope they inspire you too.

Cherio!

Oh Happy Day!

If you have been following my blog for a little while you would know that I am totally obsessed with tapestry. I talked about it here.  Honestly though, I talk about it all the time.

I have been looking for that special piece...you know, the one.   It has just the right colors, theme and size.  It is very much like finding a good man, hard to do but when you do, it is pure magic!

Well, here is my baby.  Found it!  Oh happy day! 

It took me many months of searching which goes to prove that diligence is always rewarded at the end of the day.  I will be using this as a focal point in my bedroom.  Yay me!  

Next up is a chenille spread in a beautiful shade of light teal/Seafoam green.  Am siked, I will post it here when I find it. Fingers crossed.

Have a beautiful weekend lovelies!

Cherio.

Keep Calm And Carry On....Within Reason

Lately, I have really been struggling to keep it all together.   I am sure you can identify.   There is work, home, family life, friendships, studying and maintaining my faith, my sweet little blog and projects for my fashion line...it never stops.  

And I keep going.  

And going.

Part of me wants to just stop and BREATHE for a while. So I do sometimes.  

The old me would have never EVER taken a break but I have learned the hard way that there is no healthy substitute for a good night's rest if you are tired.

What is more important than your health?  A dear friend once said to me “It is kinda hard to achieve your dream when you are six feet under or lying on a hospital bed”.  It was a very sobering thought, one I never forgot.

Today just like any other day, my to do list is very long. I have made up my mind though that I will get it all done within reason.  If one or two things are left for tomorrow, so be it. Today, I will stay calm, carry on and just enjoy being ALIVE. 

Cherio!

Bathroom Makeover Inspiration

  Hola peeps!  Wow, can you believe it?...... 2013 and we are still here.  Oopsie, I guess the Mayans got the dates mixed up.  Oh well.

Ha ha, seeing that I will be here after all, I decided to spruce up my bathroom a bit. As always I started with a little research.  Here is some of the gorgeous inspiration I found.  I am so excited!

Black and white photos are always a good idea.  So chic.

I really love this bathroom curtain and the rug. And check out the decorative mirror above the tub.  

The natural touches here and there are so relaxing, makes me think of the spa.  

This gorgeous basket and all of the products below are from pottery barn and the prices are not bad either.

The print on this towel is too fabulous for words. No need for a crystal ball, I see these in my immediate future.

Luv, luv.

Organic rugs, such a neat idea and beautiful too!

I adore a good terry robe so I am having a major crush on these.  It is the perfect thing for some "me time".  And we ladies can always use some of that.

Cherio!

Christmas Tree Inspiration

If there is one season that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, that would be Christmas time.  Every year during the yule tide season, I become a kid again.  I love the food, the fragrant smell of pine everywhere, the Christmas carols...well most of them, and the way everyone seems to be in a better mood.  I especially love the many different ways people decorate their Christmas trees.

 Every year the trees seem to be more creative and even more fabulous than before.  Check out these trees from trendytree and I dare you to not be inspired!

Cherio!

Pie - A Little Slice Of Heaven

I found this pie recipe a little while ago on asgoodasgluten and I just had to share!  Just looking at this makes me sooooooooo happy....this is definitely my Thanks Giving desert.  Yum!

Apple Pumpkin Salted Caramel Pie
Ingredients: 
·1 GF Super Easy Pie Crust Recipe (I use a homemade blend of gluten free flours or Bob's Gluten Free All Purpose Blend)
Apple Layer:
·2 medium Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
·¼ cup sugar
·1 TBS GF flour mix
·½ tsp cinnamon 
Pumpkin Layer:
·1 cup canned pure pumpkin
·¼ cup sugar
·1 egg, slightly beaten
·½ tsp cinnamon
·1/8 tsp allspice
·1/8 tsp ginger
·1/8 tsp cloves
·1/8 tsp nutmeg
·Dash of sea salt
Streusel:
·¼ cup packed brown sugar
·2 TBS GF flour
·2 TBS butter, softened
·½ cup pecans, chopped
Salted Caramel Sauce:
·12 individually wrapped caramels
·¾ TBS skim milk
·Dash of sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400˚. Prepare pie crust according to recipe. 

In a large bowl, combine all apple layer ingredients. Spoon mixture into prepared pie crust.

In the same bowl, mix pumpkin layer ingredients until well blended. Pour over apple mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix streusel ingredients with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles course crumbs. 

Sprinkle streusel over baked pie, and then return to the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted into pumpkin layer comes out clean. 

Over a double boiler, combine caramels and milk. Stir frequently and heat over medium-low heat until mixture becomes a sauce. Stir in a dash of sea salt and drizzle over the pie. Let pie cool completely before topping with caramel and serving.

And there you have it, an amazing mouth watering desert.  I have a feeling that once I make this, it will be a happy happy Thanks Giving.

Cherio!

Save A buck or Two - Easy File Cabinet Makeovers

Complete tutorial at designsponge

How many time have you stared at that old crusty file cabinet and would have physically thrown it outside...if you could lift it?  Well, after today, whenever you look at that cabinet it will be in awe.  I've got something for ya!  These easy makeovers will not only be a snap to do but they will brighten up your space and bring some style to your organizing.

As you know, file cabinets are very sturdy, durable and very inexpensive. That is, if you buy a used one.  You can find them just about anywhere and everywhere, at thrift stores, garage sales, craigslist....perhaps forgotten in your own basement.  And many of us do. A lot of these pieces are metal and they rust after a while so as soon as the rust starts to show they are put out to the curb or sold very cheaply.  But hey, this is good news for you!  Don't let a little rust scare you from seizing or retaining a potentially fabulous piece of furniture.

Here are some easy makeovers/tutorials you can use to transform a drab looking file cabinet.  Are you ready? Okay, let's do this!

 Find the super easy tutorial for this amazing transformation at quardecor.blogspot.com

You can never fail with map designs.  So chic.

quardecor.blogspot.com

Nothings adds more pizzaz than a pop of bright yellow.  How gorgeous is this!

Find the tutorial at littlehouseinthebigd

I absolutely love this! It is modern and romantic without being too girly...great balance and wonderful transformation. Find the tutorial at divineserendipity

The color and pattern on this piece is so rich, stylish and cheerful!

Find this tutorial at savedbylovecreations

Most of these transformations were done with  spray paint, leftover wallpaper remnants, spray adhesive, and cheap $2 handles from Home Depot or Ace Hardware. Stencils and scrap grass cloth can also be used as well.  Just have fun and let your imagination go!

Cherio and happy diy-ing.

1 Whole Tee + 1 Half = 1 Fabulous DIY Dress!

I saw this adorable little DIY dress by lhdctv yesterday, and I just knew I had to make this. Problem is I can't sew to save my life.  Seriously.  But hey....the instructions looked so easy I decided "what the heck!

And so, armed with two blouses that I decided to sacrifice....ahem, I mean sew.  I began making my dress.

First I cut the bottom of the first blouse in half.  I like the more fitted blouse for the top portion of my dress so I cut the floral blouse in half for the bottom.

Of course I eyeballed this.....I just cut it as straight as I could but no ruler was involved. At all.  (Use a ruler if you are not cray cray brave like me)

Next, I got an orange hue thread (since it matched my dress) and hand sewed the floral piece to the bottom hem of the blouse.  Now, I could have stitched this with a machine like they did here but I am more comfortable hand stitching so I decided to go old school with this.

And there it is....all done! My bloggie pal Laura from my grandma reads my blog  would be so proud.  She posted her very chic DIY dress a week ago and it really inspired me to learn how to sew.  Thanks Laura!
Your grandma reads your blog and I am sure she is proud too.  Shhhhh, my mom reads mine and my sister's but she has no choice......lol, I set our blog posts to go straight to her email)


Cherio!