Easy peasy New Year's Eve DIY's

My oh my it seems I blinked and Christmas was over! I had a lovely time with friends and family and yes I overindulged on quite a few sweets... In all the Christmas craze I found time for some fun little projects for the upcoming New Year festivities! Because what's New Year without a splurge of gold?!..

Gold dipped champagne flutes

Needed -Champagne flutes -Gold spraypaint -Painters tape -Plastic bags -Scissors First off, mark the glasses using the tape to create the pattern in the glass. As you can see in the pictures I creates a slanted pattern. Make sure not to spray too close to the top of the glass as you don't want to make drinking champagne a hazard!

When applying the tape it's okay if the top part isn't flat as long as the bottom part is stuck flat against the glass. Before you flatten the tape onto the glass completely, get the plastic bags and tie them around the top of the glass covering the entire top of the glass and tuck them under the tape. If needed you can use extra tape to stick the plastic on like I did. The glasses should look something like this when you have finished with the plastic and the tape.

And now it's time to spray! Make sure you are in a well ventilated area and everything is covered! Not everything needs to be gold!! Wait for the paint to dry and carefully remove the plastic and the tape! As seen in the picture I applied too much paint on one of the glasses and it startes to drip. But after enough champagne I'm sure no one will notice:) And there you have ready to use gold dipped champagne flutes! For the original post you can check out higorgeous. They have loads of lovely diy's and tips and tricks to spruce up home and wardrobe! And that is exactly the place I found this next lovely diy!

Gold balloons!

Needed
-Balloons (I used white but you can use any colour you like)
-Gold paint
-Paintbrush

To make these lovely balloons, first off you need to blow these babies up!;) In a jar, you add some gold paint. If the paint is too thick you can add some water. Dip the paintbrush in the paint and simply flick the paint at the balloons creating small dots all over. I covered my balloons quite thoroughly with paint but you can use as much or as little as you want. When finished hang them up to dry. As you can see in te picture I hung my balloons up on the ceiling and loved the look of them there so there they will stay:) I used gold ribbon to hang them up to make it that bit more festive.

I love the look of them! Especially after I just took almost all of my Christmas decorations down and the house looks bare!

This way I can slowly simmer down the decorations bit by bit to get used to it!

These are really easy diy's to make, especially on the day itself when you don't have much time. And they spruce up the house in the blink of an eye!

I hope everybody has a wonderfull new years eve and a great start to the new year!!

I will see you all in the new year with some brand new diy's!

Xox Elena

DIY Christmas Post

My oh my, it has been a while since my last post! Shame on me! I've been through a lot these past weeks and living up to Christmas has been great! Specially since I get to DIY 'till I drop! Christmas time is THE time to spruce up your house and it can be over the top if you want! I mean, isn't that what Chrsitmas is all about?!:)Here I have a few DIY's for you all that have been keeping me busy these last few weeks.

My angel behind glass. Everytime Christmas comes around and we get round to dragging the massive box of Christmas stuff from (all the way in the back!) of the cupboard, I'm always surprised at how many things we have collected over the few years we have lived together!
I wanted to create a special way to display my favourite Christmas ornaments without making the house look too cluttered.
By simply taking a beautiful ornament, placing it on a saucer (I added some snow for that extra effect) and placing a glass vase onto the saucer you have a unique little Christmas ornament!

Now these babies I absolutely love! My painted pinecones are foraged in the woods. I let them dry properly and simply painted them in the colours I wanted. The paint was leftover from a previous project. It doesn't really matter which type of paint you use, any type will stick as it's only a thin layer that you apply. Simply paint the tips and let them dry. I just can't get over how cute they look!
The candles on the picture I painted a gold colour using simple gold paint. I used cellotape to make the pattern I wanted, painted them and let them dry. They look really nice as ornaments but they can still be lighted for those cold, snuggly winter nights!
Together with the pinecones they make this orange platter look extra Christmassy:)

My kitchen table looked extremely boring compared to the livingroom. To spruce it up I used some fake berries I had left from my autumn wreath DIY and some lovely red mushrooms I thrifted. To give the arrangements a vintage twist I put them in old medicinebottles (also thrifted). Add some DIY candles to the mix and you have a simple little arrangement for the (otherwise boring) kitchen! Of course you can add these babies to your livingroom table or cabinet! They are so simple and easily add to the Christmas feeling with those lovely colours!

While Googling for ideas I came across loads of lovely Christmas banners. After cutting out all the letters and making a banner, I came to the conclusion that the banner was too heavy to hang up in our house. As I really wanted these letters in the house I decided to take them of the string I had them on and simply stick them to the wall with doublesided tape. To fill the wall up I printed some snowflakes, which I cut out and stuck on the wall aswell. It's super simple and it gives you a happy feeling when you walk in our house as it's the first thing you see when you walk in through the door:)

I'm always looking for ways to hang up our Christmas cards. My dad, lovely as he is!, is always on the lookout for items that I can DIY with and he found these clips while cleaning out the loft. I was using them to hang up my Instagram pictures in the bedroom but you can also use them to hang up Christmas cards. It gives that edgy, industrial look to Christmas and they are easy to remove if you simply use doublesided tape to hang them up!

Another way to display your Christmas cards, is to make a frame out of Washitape. I am in love with the stuff! It's so easy to apply and remove from any surface and quickly spruces up a room. Using these ideas I created the frame seen in the picture! This way Christmas cards are displayed easily without falling off shelves and being eaten by the cats! Purrfect solution;)

Now this DIY is a fashion DIY. Christmas is a time to get flashy and dressed up for me. I love shopping for those special Christmas outfits to wear. Of course accessorizing is just as important as the outfit! While out shopping everywhere I looked I saw glitters. Now glitters are good but not too many for me. One thing I love was the glitter nailvarnish I saw everywhere. But why buy if you can create it yourself!?
All you need is some (fine) glitter either thrifted or from the arts and crafts shop and some nailvarnish.
I simply added the glitter to the jar. Make sure to add little bits of glitter at a time and shake well to prevent the varnish from getting clumps in it. Glitter nails=best accessory ever.

Simple DIY's for just that extra touch of Christmas to your home.
I hope everybody has a very Merry Christmas and, if I don't get round to another post before then, a very beautiful start to the New Year!

Xox Elena

DIY Teacup Jewelry Display

As most other girls I have a slight addiction to jewelry. Come to think of it maybe not so slight:)
Due to space issues my jewelry was hidden in tins inside my wardrobe for ages and I needed a way for not only easier access but also a way of displaying my best pieces:)

This DIY with old (cute!) teacups is not only easy but also a cheap and a quick way to create a quirky jewelry display in your room. They don't take up much room either and look too cute:)

What you need for this DIY:

-Teacups and saucers (mix and match all you like!)-Glue

To create the display you simply glue the cups to the saucers. Make sure to glue the bottom of the cup to the bottom of the saucer to create the look you want. You can just have a cup and a saucer but you can also, like me, choose to glue another cup on top of the saucer to place jewelry in the cup! (see picture below) I made two displays as can be seen in the picture below. One for my (diy) rings and one for my nailvarnish!

As you can see in the picture above, I use cups for my hairpins and cottonbuds as well. The cups look much better than plastic containers!
A while ago I spray painted some glass bottles gold. I had the bottles in the livingroom, but due to my excessive DIY'ing I needed to create more space:)
The bottles doubled as a great way to hang my bracelets on and made the picture complete!

It's a super cheap and easy diy. The glue you can buy anywhere, or you probably already have it lying around the house. The teacups and saucers can be thrifted for the smallest prices! Easy Peasy:)

Happy DIY'ing and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

Colour your cutlery!

Eating is one of my favourite things to do:) Providing it's delicious and I get to share it with my friends and family. And what better way to enjoy food than with coloured cutlery?!
It's a simple little DIY that I picked up from a genious blog Hi Gorgeous.

All you need to create this DIY:
-Cutlery you want to colour
-Nailvarnish

I decided to create that dip-dye look you see everywhere these days. It's a fun and fast way to make anything look custom made for your home.

I simply used tape to mark off the side I wanted to colour and used nailvarnish to colour it in.
I used two layers of nailvarnish to get an even colour all over.

Make sure to let the cutlery dry enough otherwise you risk everything being covered in nailvarnish!
I placed my painted cutlery on a plate to dry.

 After they have dried enough you simply remove the tape to reveal your dip-dyed cutlery!

And the beauty is that if you don't like the colour anymore you can simply remove it with nailvarnish remover:)

I do the washing up by hand at home and the nailvarnish has kept for up to five washing up sessions already. I cannot be sure that the varnish will stay on in the dishwasher, but it's easily repainted if it doesn't :)

The spoons and forks look super cute! I wonder why I never thought do to this before!?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

 

DIY orange candles

Hello everyone and happy Wednesday!

This week has been all about painting and re-decorating our bathroom, I've had so little time for DIY'ing!
But! I found this funny orange candle diy this week and I just couldn't resist trying it out!
I've seen these babies pop up all over the internet the last few days so I've seen a few different methods.

This is the method I used to create these fun little candles.

You will need:
-Orange
-Olive Oil
-Knife
-Candle (optional)

First off I cut the orange down the middle and removed the peel. When you have removed the peel make sure that one half of the peel has a wick. This is the white bit in the orange. When you remove the peel slowly this will not damage. However, when you do remove the peel and the white part is not attached to you can always choose to place a candle in the orange. It gives the same effect in the end.
When you have your two halves, pour some olive oil into the peel and make sure you cover the wick.
Let the olive oil soak for a few minutes before lightning otherwise your wick will burn down quickly leaving less time to enjoy the candle.
In the other half, cut a round (or square/oval/anything you fancy) hole in the top. This half will serve as the top of the candle.

Light the wick, place the top and enjoy! I do have to add that it isn't easy to light the wick and it may take you a few tries to light it:)

This DIY is so simple to make and it's a fun alternative to candles. Especially if you are into recycling this is the perfect project for you:)

Have fun making these cuties and thanks for letting me share:)

Xox Elena

Simple DIY's for house make-overs!

TGIF everyone!:) This week has been hectic all around and i'm glad we have the weekend to catch up with each other and our families. Tomorrow it's my brothers 22nd(!) birthday and Sunday it's market time in Nijmegen with a new Bazaar opening up, exciting! If the market is any good our shop (Pleased as Punch) will be there in the near future selling our beautiful vintage items:)

This past week the weather hasn't been great and it's the perfect time for me to start changing up the house. This is what I have been up to the past week:

A few posts ago I showed you how to make a flower garland. I made an entire basket of goodies for my parents' anniversary and decided I needed one for our kitchen:) It took some time to make it as my cat kept eating the paper.. But I managed to make it in the end:) See my post DIY gifts for the instructions on how to make one of these lovelies for your house:)

This week is the week of re-making old DIY's I guess because I made another one of these flags for my home. Last week I posted a DIY for magazine flags which I hung in the bedroom. I had some more magazines so I thought 'what the heck!' I'll make some more:) I still don't know where to hang them but I might change it up in the kitchen every once in a while switching the flowers and the flags:) See my post DIY Magazine Flags on how to make these.

We have this frame inbetween the kitchen and the livingroom. There used to be doors here but the former owners removed them. It's a shame really 'cause it would have given us just that little bit more privacy:) Now don't get me wrong but when I am reading or DIY'ing I just don't need the sounds of games emanating so loudly in my ear;)
Anyway this frame was a boring white and it was long overdue for a spice up! I just love giving small pieces of furniture and wall a splash of colour, it makes the room liven up which is much needed in the cold and dreary days to come!
Try adding some colour to the frames in the house, give the doors a splash of colour and leave the walls white, paint dressers and chairs anything is possible! My motto is that you can always paint it again if you don't like it! You can get good paint for a good price these days and as long as you like it, anything goes:)
Painting chairs and dressers to add colour to your home is also a good option for renters:)

To bring some of those lovely autumn colours inside I made a wreath a few weeks ago, see post Autumn Wreath DIY. I decided to add some lovely glitter leaves to the collection to give it a more complete look:)
I seriously have almost everything lying around the house, I even surprise myself sometimes! I found a few tubes of glitter lying around and decided to re-create some autumn leaves I saw on Pinterest a few weeks ago.
The post in Pinterest used fake leaves but since I couldn't find any and recycling is 'It', I used real leaves. I let them dry and flatten out in a book overnight. When the leaves are dry you simply add some glue to the leaves and sprinkle the glitter onto them. You may need to repeat this step a few times until the glitter sticks completely. When they have dried, Tie a piece of nylon string around the stem and hang them on the door under/above/around the wreath. The colours are still natural despite the glitter and it looks super nice on the door:) Try it!

Last but not least is the bedroom. This room needed some serious tlc and I've been working on it ever since we painted it at the beginning of the summer. My scrabble picture, my magazine flags and my instagram picture are all hanging in the room but it needed that little something more above the bed. Artwork is expensive and we are still in the process of choosing and agreeing on a piece!
My all time favourite story is Alice in Wonderland. The rabbit, the twins, the Cheshire cat what's not to love! I recently saw the picture and quote of Alice and the Mad Hatter in a magazine and the idea of printing and framing the pictures and quotes from the book seemed a brilliant idea:)
I printed the pictures out on photo printing paper and voila! The pictures look even better than I would have hoped and it's something we both like so that's always a plus:)

I'm super happy with the changes I've made in the house and I'm sure I can find even more to do next week:)
For now though have a great weekend and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

DIY Magazine (Birthday) Flags!

Another day, another DIY:)
Cleaning up the other day I found a gazillion old magazine (some of them not even read, shame on me!)
Now, it's my 'little' brother's birthday next week and the birthday flags I dug up from the bottom of the cupboard are just plain ugly. And family deserves a little something special don't you think?!

What I do know is that i've seen this DIY, though done a little differently, on a website or in a magazine ages ago, I just really don't remember where. So long as you know i'm not claiming the idea:)
So after finding the magazines, the idea for flags emerged in my head, like great awesome ideas or memories sometimes do, and I got started straight away!

Flipping through the magazines, I used Flow Magazine, I found loads of beautiful pictures, sketches and inspirational quotes that I cut out as flags. As with loads of magazines some of the pictures had adverts on the back. No-one wants to see adverts on the back of flags, so I simply made some of the flags double sided.
Digging through cupboards you can find any hidden objects forgotten over time:) I found some beautiful green velvet ribbon that was great to string the flags up.

Now on the double sided flags I made sure not to glue them right up to the top. When attaching the flags to the ribbon I slided the ribbon between the two flags and stapled them together. This way the ribbon flows through the flags and can't be seen when strung up.

The only thing that makes this project so time consuming is the finding of pictures and cutting them out. This took me a whole evening to do. Glueing them together and stapling them to the ribbon was a piece of cake:)

Once I finished up I decided that I would love one for the bedroom to! We have a whole load of space above our bed that needed filling so I made one for the bedroom:)

The flags look super nice and will do perfectly while we keep searching for that perfect piece of art we want:) The flags are recycle friendly as well as you are recycling old magazines and you can use the flags for whatever reason you decide. They can also be stored away until you stumble upon them while cleaning!Just kidding!

Happy DIY'ing and thanks for letting me share:)

Xox Elena

DIY Scrabble song lyric picture

What I love about DIY's is that they usually don't cost that much money to create something beautiful for your home. And when you get fed up of it you can just change it up!

A while ago I posted my Instagram photo-art I made for in our bedroom. Well it was kind of getting slightly boring and I wanted to change things up. I made sure I could re-use the frame by sticking the photo's on with cellotape. So getting the pictures off was easy. I give this as a tip to anybody who wants to DIY but not make it permanent. Never use glue unless you are either really sure you want to use the DIY over and over. Unless you just want to keep buying new frames and materials, but that's just not what recycling is all about is it?!:)

Well as I was saying, I was looking for a new project to spice up our bedroom wall when I came across loads of different Scrabble letters in the cupboard just waiting to be used!
Now I love using my favourite quotes and song lyrics as art on the wall so I decided to incorporate this into the picture.

In making this DIY you need to make sure you have at least three sets of Scrabble letters, so from three games. It's fun to have different coloured letters as well to make any quote you want to incorporate pop out! I chose lyrics to one of my fave song by "The Gaslight Anthem". Love that band:)
I also chose to incorporate mine and my boyfriends and our cats names into the picture;) Although he is yet to notice this:)

I chose to glue the letters onto the canvas and I know this isn't recycling but otherwise the letters would just not stay on! So I had no choice I guess!

I love the way the picture looks in the bedroom. It's different and one of a kind :) And you can make this DIY super personal with your favourite quotes or even song lyrics:)

Happy Scrabble hunting and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

Vintage & Secondhand in Nijmegen

Another lazy Sunday! Now is the perfect time to read all about our amazing city of Nijmegen and all the vintage goodness we have! One of my first posts was about vintage in Nijmegen. And here is the follow up for all you vintage lovers!
Read, enjoy and shop:)
In my last post I mentioned Het Goed in Nijmegen, my favourite shop and former employer:) if you haven't checked them out yet be sure to soon!

*Second Hand Rose
'First class second hand clothes', that's the motto for this tiny shop in the centre of Nijmegen. Also one of the only shops in Nijmegen that sells clothes for you.
It's possible to hand in clothes by designers and the more expensive brands. So no handing in H&M or Zara. Together you decide on the price and for the next two months your item(s) of clothing will hang in the shop. If they sell you get 40% of the price. If they don't sell after two months you can either pick them up or let the shop give them to charity! Good deal hey!?
Walking past the shop it's impossible not to notice the beautiful clothes in the window display. And if you are a boot fanatic you really need to visit this baby!
The best thing about second hand Rose in my opinion is the quality of the clothes. They only sell certain brands and designers and some of  the clothes are practically new.
I always pop into this shop if I need that little something special to spice up my outfit for a special occasion. It's not always on my list because the prices can be kind of steep. But if you have the money knock yourself out! It's a must visit when in Nijmegen!
Wintersoord 24, Nijmegen
www.secondhandrosenijmegen.nl

*Rock Chick
This shop in the centre of Nijmegen sells amazing vintage pieces that will make anyone feel like a rockchick! Everything is amazing! The window display says so much about the shop and the edgy pieces the owner sells. Unfortunately the shop is only open on request nowadays. Buying is possible via Marktplaats and Etsy (Rockchicknetherland). If you see something you want to try on you only have to email the owner and you can make an appointment to meet at the shop and try it on.
The boots, clothing and jewelery are from the owners own label and sometimes she adds unknown designers to her stock.
It's a crying shame that the shop is open only by appointment as it was a must visit when in Nijmegen! However knowing this you could easily do some research before coming to  Nijmegen and make an appointment to shop!:) But whether it's just window shopping or shopping by appointment be sure to visit the shop and her Marktplaats and Etsy page!
van Welderenstraat 91, Nijmegen

*2ndMas
Practically next to RockChick you will find 2ndMas selling vintage and young designers. Every hanger has a unique item of clothing and you can definitely not walk out of this shop without buying anything! You can resist but you will lose!:)New items find their way into this shop everyday so it's worth checking this shop out a few times when in Nijmegen. Just like Second Hand Rose the clothing is seasonal so you will always find something to not only fit your mood but also the weather:)
van Welderenstraat 97, Nijmegen
www.2ndmas.nl

*Habbekrats
This shop is one of the first in Nijmegen that started selling secondhand items in the 80's. It's situated in the centre of Nijmegen but it's quite easy to miss unless you know where to find it.
Habbekrats sells furniture, clothes, books and household items for a good price. It's my go to shop when I need bits and pieces for my DIY's and projects. When I'm lucky I can find clothes and shoes for a good price but mostly I go there for odds and ends and one of a kind household items.
In de Betouwstraat 17, Nijmegen
www.habbekratsnijmegen.nl

*Klerengoed
Just outside of the centre of Nijmegen you can find Klerengoed. A three storey shop full of clothes, shoes, vintage, theatre items, garden decorations, household items, furniture and many many more items! You need to see it to believe it!
You can hand in clothing everyday of the week so the offer changes everyday as well:)
If you are looking for that special 60's or 70's inspired item, a theatre prop or simply a gardenhose, this shop is the place to be!
Prins Hendrikstraat 14a, Nijmegen
www.klerengoed.nlAnd that is definitely not all the vintage that Nijmegen has to offer! Next time more on this subject! It is after all important to visit before I blog! And that is just what I will do!

'Till next time and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

DIY Brick Bookends

I've been so busy job hunting and vintage hunting for my store that blogging has kind of been on the backburner lately. DIY'ing and creating beautiful things has however not and I have a handy little DIY for all of you book reading fanatics like me!

I found this crafty little DIY on a site I recently discovered; www.roomed.nl. It has so many lovely ideas and inspiration for your home, you really need to check it out!

Today I tried out this DIY to create your very own brick bookends. Now if like me you have plenty of books around the house and are running out of shelving ideas, you need to try this!

What you need:
- Bricks (I used two but you can create as many as you want!)
-Paint and brush
-Markers

To start of you need your bricks. Now I might of kind of nicked mine from my dad's shed:) But you can also buy them in any garden centre! We are crafting here not thieving;)
Next off you need to thoroughly clean the bricks and get any mud of them. Let them dry if needed.
Next you can paint. I chose colours I had lying around the house that I used for other projects. Recycling!
Now because you are painting bricks it may take longer for the paint to dry than on any other surface.
To be sure I gave mine three days to dry properly in a warm area.

Next on the list is painting or drawing the letters onto the bricks. Use favourite book titles to give them a personal touch.
If you have great handwriting you could just freehand the letters on. Because I do not have nice handwriting I chose to print the titles and cut them out so as to use that as a stencil.

Add any drawings and other personal touches you want. You don't have to re-create the book in exact detail, you can make them however you want them to be:)

It is such a simple DIY and after making them I am definitely going to create some more for the living room and the bedroom! I have so many favourite books to choose from so it won't be hard getting inspired. 

If you want to you could even leave out the booktitles and add your favourite quotes from the book. Anything goes!

Happy DIY'ing and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

Light my fire DIY candles

I have always wanted to make my own candles but for some reason thought it to be too much work. This is so not the case as I found out!Making candles is fun, easy and during those long cold winter nights make your house look that much cosier:)
On my first go I made my candles by melting small pieces of candles that had seen their best days. On my other go I made the candles using beeswax that I ordered online.

Needed for making candles:
-Pieces of old candles that are left over and/or beeswax
-Teacups and/or glass jars
-An old pan
-Candlewicks
-Wooden skewers
Before you start making the candles it's a tip to cut the wicks to the desires size. You want the wicks to reach the bottom of the jar/cup and they need to stick out approx 1 1/2 cm above the wax to burn properly. Cut the wicks a bit longer than you need them to be as you will need to tie them onto the skewer. When fixed to the skewers place aside to use later on.

To get started you need to melt the candlewax or beeswax in a pan. Be sure to use an old pan or buy one in a second hand shop. I can guarantee you that the pan you use will not be usable after this project so getting a cheap one at a thrift store is a tip!

Make sure to keep the fire low so the wax can melt slowly and doesn't bubble. When the wax has melted pour a small layer into the teacup/jar and place the skewer with the wick into the cup/jar. Make sure the wick is in the middle and keep the wick in place until the wax is dry enough.

When the base has dried pour the rest of the wax into the jar until the desired height.
When the wax had dried to can remove the skewer and cut the wick if needed to make it about 1 cm tall.
And there you have it! Your selfmade candles to light up your house!
Now there are a few tips I can give you when making these candles. 
First of all I found using beeswax was way less messier and quicker than using old candles. The beeswax melts quicker and smells better as well!
Using 500 grams of beeswax I was able to make five candles.
Make sure to use a placemat or a newspaper to cover up your workplace. This project can get very messy!
You can place your selfmade candles into anything you want. I chose to use old teacups because I have loads just lying around the house that I don't use. And they look super cute as candles:)

Have fun with this DIY and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

Yum! Peanutbutter cupcakes

So today I tried this yummie new recipe for peanut butter cupcakes. They were absolutely yum and it wouldn't be very nice of me not to share with all you lovely people:)

Needed for 18 cupcakes
230 grams soft butter
230 grams granulated sugar
230 grams selfraising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
260 grams chunky peanut butter

For the icing
130 grams chunky peanut butter
 115 grams soft butter
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
400 grams powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk

Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees and place 18 paper cupcake holders into the cupcake/muffin tray.
Beat the soft butter, sugar, flour and eggs in a big bowl with a mixer until you have a smooth mixture. Stir the peanut butter through the mixturecuntil everything is nicely mixed up.
Add the mixture to the paper cupcake holders and bake the cakes for approx. 20-22 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
When done take the tray out of the oven and leave to cool for 5 minute

After those delish cupcakes have cooled enough, take them out of the tray and leave them to cool completely.

To make the icing, mix the peanutbutter with the soft butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl until the texture is light and fluffy.
Beat the powdered sugar and the milk into the mixture and drop a nice big blob of icing onto those yummy cakes!

The crunchy peanutbutter adds that yummy crunch to the cupcakes but you can always use smooth peanut butter instead.
On top of the icing that goes onto the cakes I love adding just a drizzle of chocolate sprinkles on top to make it that more yummier!

Happy baking and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

Lets talk food! Crispy chicken with spicy dip

This recipe I have to admit is my Mum's. And it is yum!

It's gorgeous for a warm day, sitting in the garden sipping on a nice cool beer. Or maybe I just always think of summer when I make this dish because we only ate it on hot summer days, who knows?
It's also easy to swap the chicken for turkey or fish for example, it will all taste good with the yummie saus! 

Ingredients for the sauce

150 ml sour cream

30 ml mayonaise

1 1/2 spring onions

1/2 teaspoon grinded cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon grinded red pepper

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1/2 teaspoon tabasco saus

For the chicken

50 grams flour

1 egg

225 grams chicken, cut into small pieces

Start with the saus because this element of the dish is at it's best when cool.

All you need to do is combine all of the ingredients for the saus together and give it all a good stir until all the ingredients are blended. If you like the saus extra spicy, at this point you can always add more cayenne or tobasco to the saus. Just make sure to taste regularly before you make it inedible! Place the saus in the fridge to let it chill enough.
For the chicken put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. To the well add the egg yolk and 150 ml of water and stir well. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff and fold them into the batter.
Heat a pan with oil, we use a chip pan but if you don't have a well ventilated room just use a normal pan with a good layer of oil in it. Otherwise you and the house will be smelling of chip oil for a few days after!
When the oil is hot enough, take the chicken, dip it into the batter and then into the frying pan they go!

When the chicken has a lovely goldenbrown colour take them out and let them drain on a plate with some kitchen paper.
When the chicken is cool enough thread them onto sticks to make the dipping easier.
And there you have it! Lovely goldenbrown chicken with a spicy dip! Serve it with salad and/or cold potatoes, a nice cold beer, all shared with friends and family. Your evening can not get better than that! 
Buon appetito!

Xox Elena

*Listening to Ellie Goulding, Halcyon Days

DIY Gold Vases

Weekend is here and I have another gold themed DIY for you all! It just brings that extra bit of bling into your house and looks super nice!

What I love about these kinds of DIY is that the items and colours you choose can be anything that suits your mood and house style. On top of that you use items that you probably already have lying around the house waiting to be recycled!

What you need for this DIY are:
- Glass vases, bottles and jars (for example an empty peanut butter jar or a empty cola bottle)
- Spray paint in your favourite colour(s)

Make sure to wash the jars and vases before you spray them to make sure the paint sticks properly.
Next you simply have to spray paint all the items you have.
Putting the items onto a brick for example gives them height and makes them easier to spray. This way you don't have to hold them while spraying and either get paint on your hands or fingerprints on the glass!

Once the paint has dried the new vases are ready for use!
You can choose to display each one in a different place in the house or choose to group them all together, it's totally up to you.
As you can see in the picture I grouped mine together. This makes them stand out more in the house and looks just so pretty with a single flower in one or some of the vases.

Currently I have no flowers in mine due to the fact that my cats kept eating them. So instead of moving the vases every time I just took the flowers out. Saves a lot of stress!

Happy DIY'ing and have a good weekend!

Xox Elena

DIY Spraypainted flowers

Weekend is just around the corner and to celebrate I have a awesome little DIY for some gorgeous and easy spray painted flowers:)

I love having flowers in the house but unfortunately they die sooner than later. Instead of wasting my money buying new flowers every week I decided to try painting dried flowers to keep them forever and ever:)


What you will need for this DIY are:

- Dried flowers (Try using plants without flowers like the one shown in the picture below. Plants with flowers will start to wilt and the leaves will drop off making it hard to spray paint them)
- Spray paint in any colour (choosing autumn colours now will add warmth into your home and brings the autumn inside!)

First off you need to dry the flowers you want to paint. This could take up to a few weeks so you need to plan this DIY in advance. I hung my flowers in a dry area (the shed) to try and reduce the drying time.
After the flowers have dried all you need to do is spray the flowers in the colour you choose and let them dry for the required amount of time!
And presto! There you have your DIY painted flowers.

I chose gold for my flowers to add a little bling into our lives! And I must say that they look awesome in our kitchen!You can make as many of these bunches as you wish and display them in different colours around the house. You could even choose to hang the flowers upside down from the ceiling for that creative effect in your house! You could even go for a rainbow effect by painting every branch a different colour!
Happy DIY'ing and thanks for letting me share!

Xox Elena

DIY Rings

Over the weekend I picked up a craft that I haven't done in a while which is making my own rings!
I first started making my own rings when I found that most of the rings in the shops were either not to my liking or too expensive.
I also had lots of earrings that I just didn't wear anymore or I was missing one of them. They were just sitting in a tin gathering dust. I had a little snoop around the internet to see where I could get basic rings, and found that the arts & craft shop Pipoos is the cheapest one. If anyone knows a cheaper one please let me know!

So over the weekend I couldn't find a ring to wear with my outfit and decided to just have a look what I could glue. I next spent the entire afternoon making rings instead of cleaning. It was much more fun!

All you need to create your own rings are:
-Adjustable rings ( Found in any arts&crafts store)
- Earrings, scrabble letters, pendants, anything that has a flat surface and can be glued to the ring
- Superglue
- De-greaser
- Wire cutters
- File

First off you need to de-grease the metal rings to make sure the glue will hold properly.
With a pair of pliers or wire cutter take off the back of the earring/brooch/pendant and if needed file it down evenly. Make sure to de-grease this as well!

Next you can apply glue onto the ring and stick your earring/brooch/etc on. Hold it down for a couple of seconds just to give it that extra hold-on and then let it dry for as long as needed. And that it all you need to do! It's the simplest thing and you can make as many rings as you want!

So if you have any earrings lying around or a pendant you don't wear anymore, save it don't throw it away! It could make for a nice little ring!

And you can also make it as quirky as you want them to be! I have made rings out of Scrabble letters, old buttons, brooches, earrings, stamps and Domino stones. Anything goes! As long as you like it! And they're also one of a kind!

Thanks for letting me share!

Happy DIY'ing!

Xox Elena

Autumn Wreath DIY

The days are getting shorter and colder and autumn is just around the corner. We were lucky to have a great summer with loads of sunshine, especially during our holidays. Something I am super grateful for!

But with the days getting colder and wetter the urge to create and keep myself busy inside is growing stronger!
I have been searching the web for awesome autumn projects and kept seeing these beautiful wreaths. Autumn colours are gorgeous and bringing them inside makes the upcoming autumn feel less worse:)

So today I decided to go to one of my favourite thrift stores (Vraag en Aanbod in Wijchen) to see what I could score to create my little project. I chose to thrift the items I needed because the silk flowers needed to create the wreath are so expensive! And I am all about saving money and spending as little as possible to create something beautiful!

The items I used to create my wreath are:

- Silk Flowers, leaves and/or berries in autumn colours
- Foam wreath form
- Scissors
- Glue

First off I cut off all the berries from the stems, leaving about 4 cm. over to stick into the foam.

Then I simply started sticking the ends into the foam until I had the entire shape covered in berries. Because the berries were cut off into quite big bunches I found I had patches between the flowers where you could see the foam popping out from underneath. To fix this is I simply glued some left over berries ontop and inbetween the other ones to fill the gaps.  

When finished the wreath should look like the above picture! It's so simple and easy to make. It took me about 15 minutes to create, and that's including the time I spent trying to keep my cats from eating the berries! So imagine how much quicker you could do it!:)

Our wreath looks beautiful in the livingroom and I can't wait to add some more autumn into the house with more flower arrangements!

Thanks for letting me share and happ DIY'ing!

Xox Elena

*Listening to Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox

New Layout & Logo

When I started my blog, only a few weeks ago, I hadn't the slightest clue how to work this page and create a page that oozes me. After starting the blog I have been searching and trying out new tips and tricks to make the blog more me. It took me a while, because I am simply not an internet person. I knew what I wanted in my mind, but to make the computer to create this was on a whole other level!

But I finally got the jist and have created a simple page that is more like me than the previous layout was.
You may have noticed that I have changed and added a logo. I am very excited to tell you guys that I am finally in the proces of starting my very own webshop to go with my blog.

I love collecting vintage and retro and my house has gotten to that point where I can simply not afford to buy any more items without us having to move out to create more space! It's very tragic!

So my dream is finally becoming real and as soon as the shop is up and running I will let all of you know!

But for now, it's just the logo:)

Wish me luck and I'll keep you updated!

Xox Elena

Vintage in Antwerp

Vintage in Antwerp

This holiday has been all about (re)visiting and (re)discovering places in Holland and also abroad. 

In the holidays we visited Antwerp. My boyfriends brother used to live there so we have been quite a few times already. But it is definitely a place worth visiting more than once! They have a zoo in the middle of the city. Awesome? I think so! But besides the fact that they have a Starbucks, a Zoo, the people speak Flemish(didn't pay much attention in French lessons), waffles(Yum!) and it's just a beautiful city, it also has an enormous amount of second hand and vintage shops!

And that brings us round to the reason of this post! Vintage. Vintage vintage vintage. Love it! 
Now I have visited many times and been to most of the shops I want to share with you today. 

Unfortunately I don't have any 'inside pics' for you. Reason? The shops are nearly all shut on a monday. Something we didn't take into consideration the day we went. Stupid?Yes. Now I am not going to include all the vintage shops that Antwerp has to offer. I handpicked a few that I find to be the best that the city has to offer.

*Nice&Cheap
**Spend a bit more for something gorgeous
***Dig Deep, these babies don't come cheap

Clothes and Furniture

***Belchique
Now this second hand shop is the place to be for unique vintage designer items. You can't go into this shop and expect to find a shirt or skirt for a few euros, it's just not how they roll. And the owner of the shop doesn't only have high-end vintage from all the well known designers, she also includes designs by young designers. This is the place to be if you have a love for high-end fashion, looking for a one of a kind item and most importantly have some money to spend.
Kloosterstraat 177, 2000 Antwerp

***Cheap Thrills
Walking past this shop you will find it oozes retro and vintage. In Cheap Thrills you will be able to find vintage and designer boots. It is also an outlet for the shop Zappa that can be found in the Kammenstraat. Be sure to bring enough money if you actually want to take something home with you. The boots come at a high price!
Sint-Antoniusstraat 4, Antwerp

*My Ohm
Stepping into this vintage shop is like taking a time machine back to the 80's. Debbie Harry everywhere! It's impossible to miss this shop as the hats & accessories are part of the ouside decoration of the shop. And they do a great job of attracting the shoppers may I add! In this lovely shop you will find worn but fashionable boots, pumps and sandals. All one of a kind and they come at a nice price! Clothes, bags and accessories are also available in the shop and will have you scouring for quite a while trying to find that perfect buy.
Vrijdagmarkt 14, 2000 Antwerp

**Jutka & Riska

Jutka & Riska sell vintage items, dead-stock and also new designs by up and coming artists. They have their own collection and their designs can be found in magazines as they also rent their designs and collection to fashion editors for editorials. And if you don't have the time to go over to one of their shops in Holland or Belgium, they have a webshop where you can load up on as many items as you fancy! It's a unique vintage shop and well worth a visit when in Antwerp!
Nationalestraat 87, 2000 Antwerp
**Sussies Vintage
If you love vintage then Sussies Vintage is the place to be! Not only do they sell vintage clothes and accessories, you can also find retro and vintage furniture in the shop. And for a great price! They have recently opened an online shop to make it that much easier to purchase some of their gorgeous items. But beware, the clothing may have those thrift store prices but the furniture doesn't! You will have to dig deep into your pockets to purchase a vintage item for your home! Check out their site for more information on online buying and visiting the stores in Holland and Antwerp.
www.sussiesvintage.nl
Oude Koornmarkt 69, 2000 Antwerp

*Think Twice
Now, Thinktwice is the first shop I go to when in Antwerp. The clothes and accessories are to die for and the prices are just right. Make sure to visit the shop when you have enough time because the amount of items they have is mindblowing. I spend at least 1 1/2-2 hours (maybe more) in here just trying on item after item. The shop has that retro look and can be spotted from a mile off.
If you are planning to go to Antwerp, and ofcourse to ThinkTwice, make sure to check out their website beforehand. Every once in a while they have sales in the shop. Usually when the old stock goes out and the new stock comes in. All the prices coincide with the day of the month. So everything is on sale for 1,2 or 3 euros! Can it get any better?!
Lange Klarenstraat 21, 2000 Antwerp

***Kings and QueensKings and Queens have everything a Rockabilly could dream of. The shoes, the accessories, the clothes. Everything reminds you of the 50's! Now the items are all new, so no vintage buys here. But it is definitely a store you want to pop into. Even just for the feel of stepping into the 50's :)
Vleminckstraat 8, Antwerp

**LxpAnd now for a different twist. Did you ever have a gala or party that you just couldn't find the right dress for? And on top of that you don't have enough money to buy a new fabulous dress that you will probabky only wear once? Then Lxp is the answer for you! This shop rents clothes and accessories for a reasonable price for just one day. The shop looks chique and it gives you the feel that you are at a photoshoot trying on all the dresses! It's a great place to find a dress and accessories for just one day or evening, the only downside is you have to bring everything back after a day!
Hopland 53, 2000 Antwerp

**Little VintageLittle Vintage is the cutest store of all! It sells the cutest vintage outfits for your mini-me's! Vintage outfits from the 50's to 90's, deadstock and secondhand can be found at this store. The owner, a mother of 4, didn't want her children to be dressed in H&M like all the other kids so she decided to open up shop especially for the kids! The shop looks just like a childrens room way back then. She has included vintage childrens toys as decoration that will seriously have you reminiscing about the good ol' days!
Even if you don't have any kids, it's just the cutest little shop to check out, if only for a peek in the window!
Aalmoezenierstraat 3, 2000 Antwerp

***Tante brocanteWant to spice up your livingroom with a smidge of vintage? Then this is the address for you! Tante brocante have a huge collection of vintage items for sale. Anything from tiles to dressers to hats. From vases to lamps to paintings. You name it, they have it! And if you have a request which you can't find in the shop. The owners probably know where to find it for you.
The prices are up there, but the shop apparently attracts people from all over so it's worth a visit!
Kloosterstraat 53, 2000 Antwerp

*Tipi'sTipi's is one of those vintage stores where you have to dig to find something in your size and colour. The way vintage shops used to be! It may take you a little while to sort through all the clothes and items they have but you will always find something worth your while and for a great price.
Tipi's also let's you sell your own items in the shop. You show the items you want to sell, they hang them in the shop and all you have to do is pop in once in a while to collect your winnings. Most of the time you just end up buying something new out of the shop again but hey, the concept is great!
It's not so great if you are on a short trip as you can't pop in once in a while to collect your money. This is more of an option when you're on a long holiday in Belgium! Oh and the window displays are amazing!
Nationalestraat 160, Antwerp

**Foxhole 
This shop is great because of the neatness of it. Now in my opinion vintage stores should be messy and finding an item you like has taken you an hour to to find by digging through a massive pile of clothes! But neatness can be handy as you can simply scan the racks to find your item of choice. Every week they add 100 new items to, their already booming, collection of clothes and accessories. The shop is also found in Brussels.
Reyndersstraat 10, 2000 Antwerp

Books & Music

Coffee & VinylCoffee & Vinyl is a coffeshop, record store and art gallery all rolled up into one. Here you will be able to find all the lp's and cd's you want while enjoying coffe and delish cakes and sweets. Once in a while they have art exhibitions as well. For more information you can check out their website www.coffeeandvinyl.com.
Volkstraat 45, 2000 Antwerp

Harry's boekenbak
Make sure to bring a hankerchief when entering the shop. It's and old place with old books which equals dust! But whether you are seeking modern literature, horror, comic, documentaries, science fiction, thriller or any other book, Harry's Boekenbak will provide it for you. Oh and games, they have lots of games:)
www.harrysboekenbak.be for more information.


Now this is just a small peek of the vintage stores in Antwerp, but these are my faves. Be sure to check out Antwerp on the internet as they have many more sights and shops to visit. And make sure to eat a waffle, they are amazing, just saying.


Thanks for letting me share.

Xox Elena