New Year’s Eve Glamor: DIY Glittered Paper Feathers

Who else is a little behind the ball on New Year’s Eve decorations? If you need some fast decorations to ring in the new year right, I’ve got you covered. I’ve seen gorgeous glittered feathers all over Pinterest, but I ran out of time to make a run to the craft store (which is where [...]

12 DIY galvanized pipe projects

Galvanized pipe projects have been popping up a lot lately here on the blog. Why? Because the industrial vibe they add to any DIY project just can’t be beat. From a simple set of coat hooks you can make in  minutes to full out furniture ideas – galvanized pipe projects are easy to do and […]

The post 12 DIY galvanized pipe projects appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.

Pink Champagne Cake

I've been looking for champagne cake recipe for a while, and I kept coming across ones that where made with box cake mix or just sounded so so. My plan was to make a Pink Champagne Cake for New Years Eve, I totally think you should you should ring in the New Year with a slice of champagne cake and glass of blubby toasting to the good life and promising of the year ahead! Life is about celebrating the moments and Pink Champagne Cake is a perfect celebratory cake. 

I found a fantastic recipe on a Half-BakedBaker  her recipe is from the cake book Brooze Hounds. I recently shared the Pink Champagne Cake on Instagram and wanted to share the the actual recipe here. This cake is super easy and fun to make, while your making your cake, I can guarantee you'll be smelling the cake batter and saying yummy!

The cake turned out amazing and super moist! The cake is such a pretty pale blush pink and the frosting a pretty ballerina pink. My husband isn't huge on frosting, so I decided to only frost the middle layer and top of my cake and used only half of the recipe for the frosting. The frosting is super yummy and once set has this pretty glaze look, that reminds me of glazed surgery doughnut. 

Pink Champagne Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
6 egg whites
2 cups pink Champagne at room temperature
2-3 drops of red gel food coloring 

For the Champagne / Sparkling Wine, I used a sweet one. I used a inexpensive bottle of Pink Blush from Andre and would totally do that again! Martini & Ross Asti is also a good choice for this cake. 

Pink Champagne Vanilla Frosting

1 cup  unsalted butter
8 cups confectioners sugar
2 -3 Tablespoons pink Champagne
1/4 cup whole milk, or enough to get the proper consistency
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2 drops of red gel food coloring. I thought one drop was perfect to create a pretty ballerina pink shade. 

Baking the Cake

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9 inch round cake pans, you can also slightly dust the inside with flour for ease of removing the cake from the pan. In a large mixing bowl add flour, baking powder and salt, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar 5 minutes together for or until light and fluffy. Add your egg whites in one at a time. Next mix in your vanilla. Start adding in your flour mixture, then champagne and alternate between the two. Make sure you start with flour and end with flour. Next scrape the sides of the bowl done and then add in your food coloring. I used 2-3 drops of coloring for my cake batter. 

Next, evenly pour batter into pans and bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted in the center comes out clean. Let your cake cool on a rack before removing from pan. The cake should remove very easliy from the cake pan, if not try these suggestions from Better Homes and Gardens, How to Remove a Cake from a Pan.

Making the Frosting

In a mixing bowl, beat butter 1 minute. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, Champagne, milk, vanilla, and 1 drop of food coloring; beat until smooth and spreadable. Make sure you fully mix in the food coloring into the frosting. This frosting is super pretty and has a sheen like appearance thank looks even prettier in a shade of pink. As I mentioned above, I halved the frosting recipe and only put frosting in the middle and on top, the cake is sweet enough, rich that you don't miss the frosting on the sides. 

Lastly cut your cake and enjoy! I'm making this cake tonight to celebrate the New Year with our friends and can't wait to make it again!! This time, I won't be so impatient and I'll cool the cake layers in the fridge before frosting! If you make this cake, I'd love to hear your thoughts , enjoy! 

Make a Boring Chore More Fun With a New Ironing Board Cover

Ironing boards come in many shapes and sizes, but when shopping for covers, the selection seems limited. A custom-made ironing board cover is easy, plus who says a cover has to be a natural muslin? A lively print makes a boring chore fun, and can help cheer up an otherwise dull space. A print will [...]

10 tips for decluttering

About a year ago I spent a month decluttering our entire home – and I’ve never really shared much about it. But, I’ve got to tell you…. it’s not a one time venture. It’s a constant battle to keep our home in order and anyone with a small home will tell you that it’s the key […]

The post 10 tips for decluttering appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.

5 Quick Ideas For Your New Year’s Party

The countdown is on – let’s wrap up the holiday season with a few more DIY projects, and make the last party of the year perfect! 1. Make sparkly wands using that leftover tinsel Learn how to make these party favors, and as a bonus, make coordinating hats. Both are projects that you’ll like, and [...]

20 minute meal: Quick Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

My family is a big fan of old school comfort food, and you can’t get much more old school than chicken noodle soup. But let’s be honest, it’s not the fastest thing in the world to make from scratch. So, like most things in life, I had to figure out how to make it fast […]

The post 20 minute meal: Quick Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.

10 Hardwood Flooring Trends for 2015 | Westchester County NY

2015 Hardwood flooring and Stain Trends – Westchester New York This article summarizes the 10 major hardwood flooring trends for 2015. Hardwood floors are the preferred flooring surface for Westchester County NY as well as Northeast and Mid Atlantic states. Hardwood will never go out of style as it’s authentic, renewable, stylish and hard wearing. […]

The post 10 Hardwood Flooring Trends for 2015 | Westchester County NY appeared first on The Flooring Girl.

Five tips to make your home more energy efficient

All year this year, we’ve worked on a ton of different things in our house to make it more energy efficient. From tiny things that take 3 minutes to change to major projects – all of them have increased the efficiency (and decreased our electric bill!) I know a lot of you have had questions […]

The post Five tips to make your home more energy efficient appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.

Last Minute Christmas Craft: DIY Christmas Crackers

One of my favorite Christmas traditions from childhood was the part of Christmas dinner when we got to break into the Christmas crackers. The fancy wrapped cardboard tubes were always filled with confetti, candy, even small toys, and when you pulled the ends apart, it popped open with a satisfying bang. This year, I wanted to [...]

5 Ways To Brighten Your Home During A Dreary Winter

The days are short, and many of them, gloomy, cold, and full of dramatic weather. Make the most of your long days spent inside by trying to make your home as bright and cheery as possible – a few simple changes can make a big difference, and every iota of daylight is appreciated this time [...]

The Ultimate Coconut Cupcakes

If you love coconut cupcakes, this recipe is for you. It takes a lot for me to call anything “the ultimate.” But these are. The Ultimate Coconut Cupcakes that is. Coconut cupcakes, filled with coconut filling, then topped with coconut cream cheese frosting, and garnished with coconut flakes. See… the ultimate. Is your mouth watering […]

The post The Ultimate Coconut Cupcakes appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.

Easy Ornament Storage Ideas

Quick quick – Deck the Halls! Quick quick – take it all down! It’s hard to believe how fast the holiday season passes by. With as much anticipation as you had for getting the holiday decor up, some of you are probably already excited to get it down and stored away for another year. Ornament [...]

Case Study: Levi’s Stadium, Home of the San Francisco 49ers

Nydree is featured in the newest NFL stadium, Levi's Stadium, which is home to the San Franscico 49ers and the 2016 Super Bowl.

how to preserve a boxwood wreath

One of my favorite things about winter is a fresh boxwood wreath, but I’ve confessed many, many times that I’m not a great wreath maker. So this year I finally bought one – and I had no idea that in just a few days it would start turning around the edges and dying. For some […]

The post how to preserve a boxwood wreath appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.

Adding a little interest to the laundry room door!

Hi all!!!!  Remember me telling you that I bought something uber exciting from the ReStore a couple of weeks ago??  If you need a refresher, go on over here…. I will wait for you! Okay, maybe it was a little … Continue reading →

The post Adding a little interest to the laundry room door! appeared first on tempting thyme.

Related posts:

1. Black Front Door {Foyer}
2. DIY Dog Gate {using a picture frame}!
3. DIY Jewelry Organizer

Laminate good or bad

Laminate wood flooring good or bad can be determined by several factors . It is related to the design and also with the installation . The design forms a very broad and flexible be a distinct advantage . Weakness in ordinary wood can be covered with laminate wood because it has several layers such as scratch-resistant coating as the topmost layer . Wood laminates are artificial materials with technological advances so that this material has the advantage . This material does not fade and is resistant to UV . The advantages of laminate flooring a popular material for modern home interior design .

Installation is also relatively quickly because it is the pieces that can be fitted together for the entire floor . Moreover, if installed by a professional services that work can be done more quickly . Installation costs are also relatively low .
You can also DIY follow the installation instructions in accordance with the thickness of each material and get tips for laying.
Manufacturers like Armstrong , Pergo will provide color and texture and very good quality . Before shopping you do a review on the internet .

Laminated wood flooring is the main material is solid wood made of several parts that are stacked so that it blends with high pressure and at high temperature to create the wood that can be used for home flooring . The top layer is made a sort of anti-scratch coating with making special protective making it suitable for high traffic passed . The next layer is attached to the first layer .
For the third layer is the core layer has a layer that is strong because it is made with solid fibers and old prisoners in its use . For the last layer is the layer to support layer that is used to support the layer above it . Another uniqueness of this material you do not need glue or nails to reattach .

Depending than the usual type of wood laminated wood prices are usually cheaper . Especially when compared to teak wood is expensive , then laminated wood can be an option . Available colors such as black , gray . The price offered is also relatively inexpensive . The author is widely spread in various countries .
Generally  sale  can shop like in Kansas City , Las Vegas , Menards , Houston , Jacksonville fl , Miami , Dallas TX and generally always provide such liquidators Lumber , Home Depot , and also known in some countries of Jakarta , Johannesburg , Northern Ireland , NZ , Oklahoma city , Zimbabwe and so on .

The use of the house can be used on the entire room including the kitchen , basement, on the stairs , can be installed over concrete , and some even use it for a bathroom floor .
For maintenance and how to clean  are also relatively easy . You can suck the dust with a vacuum cleaner . Spills such as tea , coffee or food splashes can be cleaned easily . You can also wipe it with warm water for stubborn dirt with a little soap or detergent and all that of course you can do yourself .

The use of laminate flooring will make your room bigger impression . You also use a carpet layer thereon . You can also with wood , tile , engineered and so on , especially in the price as well as its advantages and disadvantages . Choice of decor by using laminate flooring you can match the color to be selected will feel the comfort and charm . You can also do a combination of materials with other materials to each room its own material in accordance with its use .
Another advantage is laminate flooring is environmentally friendly means the materials that can be recycled .

Chesterton Humberts named ‘UK Sales Agency of the Year’

Chesterton Humberts has added another property award to its trophy cabinet as it was named ‘UK Sales Agency of the Year’ at last night’s prestigious RESI Awards, in recognition of its outstanding residential sales service. It was also shortlisted for the ‘UK Lettings Agency’ and ‘International Sales Team’. Judges were impressed with how Chesterton Humberts has achieved success on a national scale, and noted that that our client-list of veteran blue-chip companies which include Topland, Dorrington, Grosvenor and Grainger was a testament to the quality of the company’s service. This accolade comes swiftly on the back of last year’s win in the ‘Best UK Lettings Agency.’ Robert Bartlett, Chesterton Humberts’ CEO, commented, “I am extremely proud of everybody who has helped us get to a position where we can regularly win this sort of prestigious award” Our company dedication to meeting the needs of a range of clients and providing the highest quality service was recognised by a panel of industry experts. The huge achievement shows how hard the company has worked, from the agents on the ground to the Marketing and IT divisions, to innovate and improve service and keep ahead of some very strong competitors. Richard Davies, Head of Residential, has also said, “I am extremely proud of what we have achieved over the last year.  New processes have included an out of hours call system where customers can talk to a Chesterton Humberts representative 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, enabling them to book viewings and make offers.” Other winning factors include heavy investment into the marketing department to ensure properties are promoted to the widest possible audience. This has included a much stronger advertising and PR presence across the country, as well as innovative technologies such as interactive property adverts where potential buyers can get a true sense of the lifestyle that accompanies the property for sale. Chesterton Humberts also sponsored the accolade ‘Residential Personality of the Year’, which was won by well-known industry figure Jamie Ritblat, founder and CEO of  Delancey, for his work on the Olympic legacy.      

The post Chesterton Humberts named ‘UK Sales Agency of the Year’ appeared first on Chesterton Humberts Blog.

Mini Santa Hat Cheesecakes {Gluten Free}

Hi there Shabby Creek friends! It’s Laura from Inspiration for Moms back with a very festive treat. Christmas is only a few weeks away and if you’re looking for a cute holiday dessert to impress your family and friends, look no further! My Gluten-Free Mini Santa Hat Cheesecakes not only look cute, they taste divine! […]

The post Mini Santa Hat Cheesecakes {Gluten Free} appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.

Decking Our Halls in Chartreuse and Gold

I planned on sharing this post this morning, sadly due to connectivity issues with our internet I wasn't able to. Rejoice, my internet is working again! I'ts hard to believe that Christmas is just right around the corner and I couldn't be more thrilled. Last year we Decked Our Halls in Color, this year I took a nod from our interior and thoughts shades or chartreuse mixed with gold would be so pretty. I shared our Christmas tree a few weeks ago, I'm so thrilled this year we went with a pretty flocked tree from Treetopia. In other fun news, I was in the LA Times last Thursday! They asked my opinions on Real vs. Artificial Christmas trees, you can read th article here (in the paper edition, they shared a picture of my son Tabari decorating our tree) When you have a chance stop by the Treetopia blog, I'm sharing my tips on decorating for the Holidays. I love evenings in our home during Christmastime and decided to take pictures of our home then. 

I kept our Christmas decorations pretty simple, filing a ceramic bowl with lots of ornaments and gold garland, During the holidays, can't get enough of tinsel garland! Our chartreuse and green ornaments are from Big Lots! I bought almost all the gold ornaments from Target [make sure you use your cartwheel app to score extra deals while shopping there]

I'm in love with our butterfly artwork above the sofa and wanted to add some merry mint to it, so I decided to make an ornament garland. I used gold ribbon to strung the each ornament though the top to create the garland. I used a mixture of gold, matte, glitter and shiny ornaments to create the garland. 

Our Christmas tree all lit up, I'm just in love with it and can't say that enough! I bought pre-lit garland from Lowes its the super nice and 'real' kind and placed it on our campaign dresser to give it extra sparkle.

This pretty picture with our Christmas tree all aglow in the bakcground just slays me!! So much pretty. 

I hope everyone's having a fun filled holiday season! I still have some last minute Christmas shopping to do this week, thankfully with help from the internet I'll get it all done! Stop by Thursday, I'll be sharing back to back last minute Holiday gift guides for Her / Him and Kids! 

Quick reminder, there's only a few days left to Enter the Color♥Hug giveaway, please click here to enter! 

Case Study: National Center for Civil and Human Rights

Project Name: National Center for Civil and Human Rights Project Location: Atlanta, Ga. Design Firm: Perkins + Will Products Specified: Oak Winter Storm Total Amount: 6,169.8-square-feet Nydree Flooring Provides Functionality and Style for National Center for Civil and Human Rights The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Ga., one of the most prestigious and highly touted museums […]

DIY Faux Hammered Tin Christmas Star

I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree topper for YEARS. I just can’t seem to find something that’s simple, clean, modern and within my budget. As a result, for the last few years, our trees have been star-less. It looked like we’d be doing the same this year, until we got a [...]

Easy DIY Ideas for Custom Wrapping Paper

Dress up your gift wrapping this season with some custom touches. Whether it be with everyday permanent markers, paint pens, watercolors, or handmade block printing stamps, the recipients will be charmed. Custom wrapping is an especially nice way to engage your kids in the gift wrapping process too, so make a day of it, and [...]

DIY Dickens Christmas: Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

`He has given us plenty of merriment… Here is a glass of mulled wine ready to our hand at the moment; and I say, “Uncle Scrooge.” `A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the old man, whatever he is.’ - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol And with that, the tradition of serving mulled [...]

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte + {Nestle TollHouse Delightfull’s}

Are you baking up a storm, getting ready for Christmas next week?  Hard to believe it is only 7 days away!!  EEEEKKKK!  I still have tons of gifts to buy and make!  Why did I wait until the last minute???  … Continue reading →

The post Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte + {Nestle TollHouse Delightfull’s} appeared first on tempting thyme.

Related posts:

1. Homemade Peanut Butter Cups!
2. Peanut Butter Buckeye Cupcakes
3. Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Cup {Cookie} Sandwiches!-Wicked Weekend

Learn From Me: Secure That Christmas Tree

I can tell you one thing you won’t want to be dealing with at 2am – a fallen Christmas tree. I suspect my own err was loading on the ornaments too early; the weight of the ornaments (which of course were hung with more concentration in the front of the tree than in the back) in [...]

Screen Rehab! Making Hanukkah Candles With Beeswax

As someone who celebrates Hanukkah, I have to admit that I get a bad case of Christmas Envy this time each year. Whether it’s a home trimmed in twinkle lights, reindeer sweaters or pine-scented trees with tartan skirts, I love it all… and I sit on the holiday decor sidelines, twirling my dreidel. What Christmas [...]

One Bookboard Wreath Form, Three Different Wreaths

Without even realizing it, I found myself the owner of several bookboard wreath forms this holiday season. I picked up the first set of these forms from my local Paper Source store a few weeks back. At $5.95 for a set of two 12″ forms, the price was right to grab a set without a [...]

Restoration, Refinish & Repair

Restore, Refinish or Repair Your Hardwood Floor Our craftsmen specialize in the detailed art and exact science of hardwood restoration, refinish and repair. We approach every home and every project as professionals, ensuring we preserve, conserve and enhance historical authenticity, design and architectural integrity. ProSand will work with home owners, builders, designers, architects and other [...]

The post Restoration, Refinish & Repair appeared first on ProSand Flooring.

Payment for Large Commercial Jobs

I am a general contractor with three large commercial buildings with approximately 150,000sq ft that need new floors. I can’t put down a deposit but I can pay you every 90 days for the work completed. Can you come and see it? Of course I could come and see it. A jobs of this size […]

The Best of 2014: My top 10 Flooring Articles

My Top 10 Hardwood flooring articles – The best of 2014 As the year is coming to a close, I thought it would be helpful to reflect on my top flooring articles for the year.  These are sorted by number of clicks and generally represent the most frequently asked hardwood flooring questions we get.   […]

The post The Best of 2014: My top 10 Flooring Articles appeared first on The Flooring Girl.

DIY Apothecary Jars {for every Season}

I hope you are not tired of seeing Apothecary Jars, as I am going to quickly show you how to make them.  Can I tell you a little secret?  I still can’t pronounce apothecary correctly, and I really have to … Continue reading →

The post DIY Apothecary Jars {for every Season} appeared first on tempting thyme.

Related posts:

1. How to make a Traditional Bow {for wreaths and floral arrangments}
2. DIY Jewelry Organizer
3. Christmas Card Display