It's here, the confetti post. After last week's look at pink champagne, I knew I had to share my other love: confetti. I know it seems a little weird, I mean how can tiny cut-up pieces of paper bring me so much joy? They just do. That's the great thing about embracing the details - the smallest thing can make you happy. Try standing in the middle of a confetti storm and not smile, I dare you!
According to one of my all-time favourite Christmas gifts: The Encyclopedia of the Exquisite, confetti began as food. Medieval Italians used to toss candied spices or fruits off their balconies to the people below. Ouch! I'm not so sure getting pelted with sugarcoated almonds would appeal to me as much as the light floating of tissue paper shards. Well, whatever its origins, I'm glad that confetti as we know it today exists.
The best thing about confetti? It's absolutely easy to make. There's not a lot of thinking that goes into cutting up paper - or for an even more romantic, whimsical experience, cut up rose petals (see right.) There are also tons of confetti-themed DIY projects you can try. Style Motivation has a post featuring 17 cute confetti crafts. Check out the slide show below for some of my favourite confetti themed ideas.
For instructions on how to make any of these gorgeous goodies, follow the links below.
It was only a matter of time before I got to champagne. When it makes up half the title of your blog, you know it's important. Champagne and confetti are two of my inexplicable happy things - those random things in life that can make me smile no matter what. So, in the first of what I can assure you will be many champagne-related posts, I present the most girly and fun of all the champagnes - pink champagne!
When it comes to picking champagne, I have a secret weapon. A colleague of mine, Gillian Tinsley, is a veritable wine-guru and I've enlisted her help to find me a great one. She writes a blog dedicated to sparkling wines! She recommends Henry of Pelham's Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut.
"This elegant sparkler has beautiful and complex aromas and flavours of bright red fruit. Lots of balanced acidity, this wine is perfect to sip on its own, and lingers on the palate." -- Gillian
It's a reasonably priced Niagara wine that can be purchased at any LCBO. I haven't gotten a chance to try it yet so I'm thinking I might pick some up this weekend and make my routine movie night a little more special.
No night in with champagne would be complete without some tasty treats. I wanted to keep my pink champagne theme and found two amazing recipes to die for. Pink Champagne Sorbet (swoon) and Skinny Pink Champagne Cupcakes (that's right, skinny!!) Click through the links for the original posts or check out my recipe page for details.
So, grab a bottle, whip up some delightful sweets and turn an ordinary day into an exquisite day.
Are you starting to get the winter blues? Are you dying for that first sign of spring - something, anything to tell you that this snow is over? Well just because April showers and May flowers are still months away, doesn't mean you can't bring spring to you. One of the easiest ways to bring a little sunshine and happiness into your life is fresh cut flowers.
I don't know what it is, but when I come into a room prettied up by some gorgeous blooms, my day gets a little sunnier. I don't know if it's the smell of the flowers or the splash of colour that makes me happy, but whatever it is, it works.
If you're looking to spice up your dreary winter room with some fresh flowers, you don't need to look very far. Many local flower shops sell even the most summery of blooms all year round (see below for some of my favourites). And if weekly flowers just aren't in your budget, you can always pick up a bouquet at the grocery store - a more wallet-friendly option.
If you want to save money, try buying the flowers in bunches and arranging them yourself. It will be cheaper than purchasing the them as a pre-made bouquet. Now, if you're like me and the very idea of DIY fills you with cold sweats, don't despair. There are numerous videos online that teach the basics of flower arranging. Not to mention, Martha Stewart has a huge selection of videos on her site dedicated to floral arranging. Of the videos I watched, I like this one from LaurenConrad.com. It's short and straight forward and gives some good tips. Check it out:
If you're looking for some local shops to buy some beautiful bouquets, here are a few to try:
The Watering Can - 28 James St., St. Catharines BBBlooms - 62 Welland Ave., St. Catharines Vermeer's Garden Centre and Flower Shop - 684 South Pelham Rd., Welland
And don't forget that you can always find great deals on fresh flowers at your local grocery store - Sobeys and Zehrs have some good choices. For how to make the most out of your grocery store flowers, check out this Buzzfeed article.
