RJ Treleaven

Showing posts with label Winter. Show all posts

It's January 6th, so Happy Epiphany, My Lovelies! Today our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ celebrate Christmas. Today also marks the beginning of the Mardi Gras Season.

Do you like my blog's makeover? I hope you do, and that it's easier for you to navigate and read.

I am enjoying the New Year so far...how about you? I'm looking forward to participating in new experiences (God willing), and getting involved in organizations that impact our nation for good, like DAR.

Yesterday and today I put away all our Christmas decor with the exception of a few red things I like to leave out through Valentine's Day. I did move our village tea set to the breakfast room, and although the little houses are decorated for Christmas, I think I'll leave them out for us to enjoy a little longer. I like the rooftop lids because they keep my hot drinks warm.

I replaced the green candle with a red one after I took this photo.

Most of our poinsettias are sill looking great! I don't have the heart to throw them out yet.

I'm beginning to decorate for Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras. I have also put put a few snowy scenes and snowballs around the house, like this snowball garland:

I also like decorating with white flowers during winter.

I haven't put together a Mardi Gras tablescape yet, but I did make a super-easy Mardi Gras centerpiece. I used primroses (my local nursery is full of them). I chose yellow and purple because Mardi Gras colors are gold, purple, and green.

You can keep the primroses in their nursery pots and slip them into a container, like the little vine and moss market bag, above. Or you can place them in plain terracotta pots with saucers and line a few down the middle of a table runner.

The colors are perfect for Mardi Gras.

Because today is the first official day of the Mardi Gras season, King Cakes are back in stores and bakeries.

I found the cutest book about finding happiness throughout the year: The Happiness Year by Tara Ward. I like it because there are nature lessons in it and unique ideas for seasonal activities.

I'm starting with winter, of course, and it's the last chapter of the book.

If I try any of the activities from the book I'll share them here on the blog or on Instagram

Speaking of Instagram: If you have an account, would you please follow me, and I'll follow you back! My Instagram follow button is on the righthand footer at the bottom of my blog.

I enjoy learning new things, and recently I learned that there are two main types of colored pencils: waxed based and oil based. I had no idea! I have always drawn with Prismacolor Colored Pencils, and I do like them. They are very user friendly and blend beautifully. However, since they are wax based, there is a wax "bloom" that leaves a waxy film over drawings. This is especially noticeable when there are dark colors used on a drawing.

I have been playing around with oil based colored pencils, and I am loving them even though they took some getting used to. Below is a drawing of a rose I drew using oil based colored pencils.

This rose was drawn on Strathmore Colored Pencil Paper with Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor oil-based pencils.

The dark areas on the stems, leaves, and petals will remain dark without the wax bloom.

Mr. Bookish bought me a very large set of these pencils for Christmas, and I am so grateful for his generous gift. He is very encouraging, and wants me to continue taking art classes and perhaps even taking a couple of workshops this year.

I'm very happy to report that art class is so much fun with everyone back in person. I am currently working through a realism book entitled The Realism Challenge by Mark Crilley. Mark has a popular YouTube channel featuring videos of how he recreates items through his drawings.

On the cover, the real items are on the left, and his drawings are on the right.

This is the first challenge in the book: a piece of paper.

The real paper is on the left, and Mark's drawing is on the right. Mine is on the Strathmore colored pencil paper.

I drew this picture with Faber-Castell colored pencils.

I have a small set I like to take to class.

Do you have a word of the year? Here is mine:

There are many things I want to explore in 2023.

Stay tuned!

If you do have a word of the year or maybe a New Year's resolution, please share in comments!

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

In With the New: Thoughts and Hopes For the New Year And a Super-Easy Mardi Gras Centerpiece

Friday, January 6, 2023

Happy National Hot Chocolate Day, My Lovelies! This is one of my favorite days of the year because Hot Chocolate is one of my favorite things, AND it's the last day of January, my least favorite month!

This is a bit of a round-up/recycled post.

As women, we all love chocolate. I don't know many women who don't love it, at least in my small world. And warm sipping chocolate? Heaven, I tell you!

Hot chocolate is comfort in a cup!

Click on the link below each photo for a link to the recipe.

My Favorite Hot Chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate

Mary's Favorite Hot Chocolate

And now I'd like to share with you the very easiest hot chocolate recipe ever. I found this on Genius Kitchen, and it is delicious.

There are only two ingredients: Milk and Nutella!

Nutella Hot Chocolate

1 1/3 c milk

3 T hot chocolate

Whisk together 1/3 cup milk with the Nutella in a small saucepan over medium heat until blended. Add the rest of the milk and increase the heat to medium-high and continue whisking mixture until hot and frothy.

That's it! This is one of the best tasting hot chocolates ever!

This was my breakfast this morning. It made me feel a little better, and it certainly filled me up!

Instead of buying hot chocolate spoons, how about making your own?

Alas, I cannot have any sugar at the present time. However, I found something that I can have! Check it out:

Y'all, this is fantastic! I wasn't expecting it to be very good quite frankly. It's a drinking chocolate, so it's thicker than hot chocolate. You can mix any type of milk with it, and the suggestion is to use almond milk. Since I didn't have any on hand, I used oat milk, and it was fantastic! I highly recommend this product.

Hot chocolate is the best comfort food or drink there is. What about you? What brings you comfort?

Until next time...

Blessings!

Ricki Jill

Happy National Hot Chocolate Day!

Monday, January 31, 2022

Happy Tuesday, My Lovelies! We spent the weekend putting away all things Christmas and tidying-up. We decorated a little for Valentine's Day, and I also put together a little winter vignette on my work table.

I shopped our attic for this display.

I wasn't quite ready to put away the little glittery, snowy trees I made at our ECW event.

I love peonies, even fake ones.

I still have plenty of room on the left side for most projects. I needed the entire surface when it was my Christmas wrapping station, but for the next couple of months, I will probably only use it to arrange flowers.

What have you been up to lately?

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Winter Vignette

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Hello, My Lovelies! On this special edition of What I'm Reading Wednesday, I thought I'd put together a round-up of books either set during winter or in cold climates. These books will encourage you to cozy-up to the fire with a warm beverage because they will give you the chills! Plus, I have read and highly recommend them all. I hope you find one that strikes your fancy!

In case you're wondering...I'm currently reading the tenth book in the Mitford Series, and this one is set in Holly Springs, Mississippi during summer, so while I'm burning-up in the Mississippi Delta, y'all can chill in one of these cold climates. ;P

Each book will link you to my full review if you're interested. The only hints about the books you'll get are the cover and the setting.

Maine

Seattle and Antarctica

Small village in Northern Sweden

Boston

Boston, Moscow

Yulethorpe

Swiss Alps

Do any of them interest you? Which one(s)?

What warm beverage will you be having with your book?

January is Hot Tea Month!

Until next time...

Blessings!
Ricki Jill

Cozy Reads Round-Up

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Happy Wednesday, My Lovelies! Yesterday we had a Snow Day here in Central Alabama. It was so much fun hearing the children outside playing because all the schools were closed. The snow didn't begin until late in the day, so I didn't take any photos because it was too dark. Since I've been home all day, I thought I'd perfect my London Fog Earl Grey Tea latte, and I did just that. This is the best recipe I've ever made, and I want to share it with y'all.

Check out the frothy goodness!

I've been making tea lattes for a very long time. Our oldest daughter loves them and she especially loves the London Fog ones made with Earl Grey tea. We drink them year round, even during summer. I've tried many versions of the London Fog Latte: with lavender, or maple syrup, or vanilla. Honestly I can't begin to tell you how many variations I've tried. After years of trial and error, here is my very best London Fog Latte recipe.

This is all you'll need.

1 1/2 T maple syrup, 1 T brown sugar

2/3 c strong Earl Grey tea (we like Numi), 1 t vanilla bean paste, and 1/3 c milk

London Fog Earl Grey Latte Recipe

Ingredients:

2/3 c strongly brewed Earl Grey tea

1/3 c whole milk

1 1/2 T maple syrup

1T brown sugar

1 t vanilla bean paste

cinnamon sugar for garnish

Procedure:

Brew your tea, and while it steeps you can gather the rest of your ingredients. Let tea steep at least five minutes.

In your milk frother begin frothing milk and set it to the highest milk temperature setting.

(I have a Breville Milk Café Electric Frother, and I highly recommend it. It heats milk to the perfect temperature, and it's perfect for hot chocolate, too.)

As it's frothing the milk and heating it, slowly add the maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla bean paste. These ingredients make the milk thicker and creamier.

Pour your tea in a large mug, and add the frothed milk by first adding the milk and then spoon the foam on top. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top to taste.

NOTE: If you have a handheld milk frother, you might want to mix all the ingredients in the tea first and froth the milk by itself.

I know you want one of these. Admit that you do!!!

Add the ingredients to your next grocery list. And then I want you to tell me if it's the best version of a London Fog Latte you've ever had. If you think you have a better version, you're wrong.

(I'm so kidding...please share with me your favorite recipe for a tea latte. I enjoy learning new things! And if I like your recipe better, you have to let me share it here on the blog. That's the deal!)

Until next time...

Blessings!

Ricki Jill

RJ Treleaven

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