Christmas Decor 101: Presents!!

Alright so it's a bit of a stretch. But, when you think about it, wrapping is decorating the present. That's my story and I'm sticking with it. And we'll be ignoring that fact that it's been a week since Christmas... I've been celebrating the holidays and closing down the gallery, so I've been a bit busy.

I love wrapping presents, at all times of the year. At one point in my life, I had a seasonal job as a Christmas gift wrapper at a mall. Easily the worse job I've ever had, but I did take away some great techniques, and I still love wrapping presents. Now I just enjoy doing it on my own time with a bad movie on and a mug of tea at hand. I'm no the only one, clearly, as the lovely and charming Aunt Peaches will attest. I've tried to keep my paper and ribbon collection to a minimum to not have it take over more of my closet, so I have a lot of colours and themes that can be used for many occasions. I also try to optimize my paper and materials by having a theme every year for my presents.
Yes. I am that much of a dork. I've come to terms with this. Moving on.

A previous year's Christmas wrapping theme.

This is arguably the coolest wrapping paper I have. Not only was it found at Ikea, it's reversible. Oh yes. For this wrapping theme a few years ago, I spent an afternoon in front of the TV cutting out the fronds or petals of what became the floral decorations, and tacky glued them all down. The natural curve of the paper definitely helped here.

I'm also cheap. This is both handy and detrimental depending on the situation. I'm cheap because despite lusting over the beautiful paper from Anthropologie pictured below, I refuse to pay $12 for 3 sheets of paper that I have to get shipped to me.

*Swoon. Etc.

The bright side to this paper is that I can attempt to recreate it, in true DIYODS style! I found a fantastic tutorial ages ago on Eco Salon to make prints using a rolling pin. Done and done my friend.

So instead of using the foam shapes, I made lines with a glue gun on some craft paper. They kinda looked like bark lines on a tree.

In retrospect, what I should have done was wrap the craft paper around the rolling pin first, and then done the glue gunning. I also should have had a plastic thing to put the paint o and roll the pin through, rather than paper. The paper absorbed a lot of the paint before I could really roll the pin through it. 

The final turn out worked out fairly well once I had done a few practice rolls. Might do something in a brighter colour like the Anthroplogie paper next go round.

Merry late Christmas to all.

Christmas Decor 101: Trees

The Tree!!!

If I haven't made this alarmingly obvious already, I love Christmas. The season, the weather, decorating, food, all of it. I really, really love Christmas trees. Real ones. If they have to be fake, let them be silver or blue and made of tinsel from the 50s. One year at home when our family tree kept falling over, we had to trash it. I was gutted when my Dad suggested we stick with the fake decorative trees my Mom had a collection of at the time. My Mom agreed with me, and we went out on Christmas Eve and found another tree, luckily. We ended up having a forest that year. Although I don't seem to be the only one who is okay with this.
I think having a real tree is technically not allowed in my apartment building, but I only bring them in after the landlords are gone for the day anyway, or on the weekend. I also don't put real candles on a tree, and turn the lights off on them when I'm going to bed, so the fire risks are at least mitigated. I digress.

The Archives' Christmas tree last year. Note the red and green film stock, miniature hollinger boxes and "cold" sticker decorations.

New York City's Christmas tree back in January of 2011.

My home Christmases are filled with the weirdest collection of vintage, homemade and wonky ornaments and decorations that have been collected throughout my parents' and my sister's and I's lifetimes. All of them have meaning to us; an empty pack of cigarettes from when my parents were first married, the "Monty Python Angel" that sits atop our tree, the giant Chinese Dragon with beads coming out of its nose attacking the small Christmas village at the bottom of the tree. This year might a little quieter since my parents are attempting to downsize for a move planned in the spring, but it will still be uniquely decorated. I've kept this tradition with my smaller collection of decorations and ornaments, which includes some model boats from Halifax, a camel and paper star from India and a set of 1960s long, multi-coloured teardrop (maybe?) shaped ornaments that I found at Value Village years ago.

Last year's tree. Note the crazy penguin near the middle.

This year's tree has mooses.

And cacti. And chilli peppers. Yep.

I retrieved most of my weird Christmas light collection from home recently, so my tree has been decked out with several extra strings of lights this year.
The metal tinsel adds extra sparkle.

One of these days, I am going to have my own tinsel tree, antique or not. I've been very inspired by Meg Allen Cole's old Threadbanger tutorial to make my own tinsel tree, although maybe to a smaller scale than hers! I cleaned out the local Dollarama recently of this awesome blue/silver tinsel, so I have most of the supplies at least. I tried to upload the actual youtube video, Blogger didn't like that idea. Hence the link and no preview.

DIY Christmas wreath

So I gave a wee photo hint of the wreath I've made in the previous post. It's done now and with minimal burns from the glue gun! Win!

 Here's the process and finished product.

 First off, spend a few years collecting small ish boxes and desperately finding places to store them while waiting to do this project. I used predominantly some... medication boxes, chicken stock cube boxes and some cube boxes that held tiny lightbulbs. Also, start to swipe scraps of brown craft paper from work because you don't have the room for an entire roll of craft paper.

 Wrap all the boxes, either singularly or a few stacked together to have different sizes in said stolen craft paper. I did a test run with tape and the tape came off within days. Hot glue those suckers.

 I wasn't kidding. Do several boxes. 

 Find that unused ball of kitchen twine in the kitchen, and further wrap up the little packages.

 Using some old cardboard and a plate, make a ring shape for the backing of the wreath. Drawing in the chunk of the plate that's missing isn't entirely neccessary.

 Arrange the boxes in a pattern of your choice on the ring BEFORE GLUING THEM DOWN. Gluing each present down separately, add different layers to give some depth.

 While the glue is drying, enjoy your tea and Blackadder Goes Forth on DVD while the Gerbils occasionally scurry about. Also, add some extra hot glue to the back to ensure the presents stay on the backing. You can also add some wire to the back if you think it feels a bit flimsy, I found with all the presents glued together, it was pretty stiff.

And Bam! Hang that sucka' on the nail on the door that was left behind by the previous tenants. Y'all gotta wreath my friends.

I'm really pleased with how this turned out. I had bought some Christmas swags at Michael's since they were on sale recently, and I'm still on the fence about whether they work or not. I have a red frondy looking thing, green stalks with green berries and a random gold leafy-looking thing, not sure what you'd cal it. They're really pretty, but a little big, and/or too much for the wreath. Not sure. Dang it. We'll see.

Christmas Decor 101: Wreaths!

This will be the first of a series (I know! Super serious attempt at real blogging) of posts about Christmas decor. One or two of these will include teaser photos for Christmas craft projects that I'm doing this year!

Enough with the explanations! On with the decor!

Wreaths! Doors, windows, over the (imaginary) fireplace, where ever!

We got rather lucky when we moved into our current apartment; someone had plonked a nail into our door and left it there. It's a teensy bit too low, but it works for hanging stuff, even if a wreath sometimes covers the peephole. Most years, I haven't actually hung a wreath for Christmas, chiefly I think because I didn't have one or got around to making one. What I would usually do was take a branch off of the tree and hang a large bow with a few cheap ball ornaments on that. This would make our door smell really nice and seasonal for about a day and a bit before the pine smell wore off, and looked really pretty and natural.

I've been inspired for years by a variety of pretty wreaths that I see throughout the interwebs.

As soon as I have that beautiful rugged lodge, this is going over the fireplace with a bow. Found on Apartment Therapy.

Ooooo, leafy! And made of paper! As found on Apartment Therapy, again.

 This paper one on Craft Stylish looks wonderfully Mod.  I'd probably substitute in more greens, call me a traditionalist.

Eeee! I originally found this on a Canadian Living round-up of wreaths, and in theory it's from Pier 1 Imports... can't really find it on their website, but it definitely looks DIY-able.

 While beautiful, I have some Archivist issues with this one. I might make scans and copies of old photos, rather than gluing real ones to each other. Just sayin'. Found in the winter issue of Sweet Paul Magazine. Search 'wreaths.'

I've always loved Aunt Peaches creations, whatever the season. Clearly other people do too, since some jerk stole one of them right off her door this past fall. Jerk.
This year she's going for something that can be non-Christmasey and seasonal, so she's going Mushrooms! Love it!

And there's always this one I made for my bedroom door last year. It could easily be done again with Christmas wrapping paper for a more traditional look! I'm relatively certain the original directions were for a Christmas theme anyway.

This year, since I have some time on my hands, I decided to make my own! Here's a teaser of the inspiration, although I've something like this in mind for years now.

Here's the actual teaser photo, and I'm so happy to be getting rid of those boxes I've been saving for years!

See you soon with the results of the craft project and part two of Christmas decor 101!

An Etsy Vintage Christmas

It's December!! Finally. I'm also not in school anymore, so I can actually enjoy it! Huzzah!

Since what I'm actually doing tonight is going to a hockey game after work, here's a fantasy Etsy Christmas post, with a boatload of sparkles and a healthy dose of vintage. One or two of these things are things I plan on attempting some DIYs of throughout the holidays. I have a mild tinsel addiction, and this is the time of year to work those things out.

I'd decorate my new, 7 foot tree from Phat Dog Vintage.

Trimming it with even more garland, from One Strange Girl.

I'd add more colour with these little pretties. Oooooo, pretty. Stolen from Tarragon Vintage.

And these. Want. Several. Snapshot Vintage.

This will be on the walls. From My Vintage Fix.

 This would already be on my door, probably smelling like "country kitchen." Wild Ridge Design. 

I'd be doing some Christmas cooking with snowflakes. Found Here, on Etsy.

And I'd wear this while doing said cooking. Pug Mug.

Or this one, from the Vintage Trunk.

Or this sexy number from The Mushroom Patch.

 And I'd probably be drinking some ice wine out of this berry bush. New Hope Elizabeth.

Or some Eggnog out of these glasses of holiday themed amazingness. I mean, really. Vintage Wolfy.

Le sigh... 

It's officially winter and Christmas season now, so more holiday posts to come, whether you like it or not.

Also, since I'm a decor addict, there might be a series of decor related posts throughout the month. Just saying.

Adventures in Chinese cooking, attempt deux.

One of the few bonuses of having our parents attempting to move in the spring is the wealth of stuff that is now up for grabs. I've been slowly accumulating some favorite furniture and knick knacks out of the basement, and had the fortune to find my giant Chinese cookbook in the process. I've always appreciated cookbooks with CLEAR instructions and tips and tricks, both of which this book has. It also doubles as a coffee table book due to its beautiful pictures, and a coffee table if you put some legs under it. This thing weighs a ton.

The Food of China, photos by Jason Lowe, recipes by Deh-Ta Hsuing and Nina Simonds

I've been meaning to try and make congee for a long time now. For some reason I always thought it was a hard thing to make, although clearly I was delusional. It just takes a while. The Risotto of China. Or rice porridge. Risotto sounds nicer. This recipe is also only for 4 servings, unlike the mega bowls you get at Chinese restaurants. There's nothing wrong with the mega bowls, but it helps if you have six to seven people, versus the one that I'd be feeding. I halved this recipe, and it was a great dinner and leftover lunch the next day.


Plain Congee, with accompaniments
Serves 4

220 g (1 cup) of short-grain rice
2.25 litres (9 cups) chicken stock or water
light soy sauce, to taste
sesame oil, to taste

Toppings!
3 spring onions (Green onions? Are these not the same thing?) chopped
4 tablespoons chopped coriander (ignore)
30 g (1 oz) slicked pickled ginger (I used fresh)
4 tablespoons finely chopped preserved turnip (didn't have)
4 tablespoons roasted peanuts (didn't have these either)
2 one-thousand year old eggs, cut into slivers (really?)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (nope)
2 fried dough sticks, sliced diagonally (hate these things)
[I added 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Because I'm like that]

Put rice in a bowl and, using your fingers as a rake, rinse under cold running water to remove any dust. Drain rice in a colander. Place in a clay pot (if you're authentic), casserole or large saucepan and stir in water/chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, or until it has a porridge-like texture and the rice is breaking up.

Add a sprinkling of soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper (if you're fancy and have many kinds of pepper)  to season the congee. The congee can be served plain, or choose a selection from the toppings listed and serve in bowls alongside the congee for guests to help themselves.

As you can see form the pictures, I added shrimp. Normally, they taste great in congee. According to the seafood congee recipe underneath the regular one, you add the uncooked shrimp at the end, bring the congee back up to a boil, and cook them in the congee directly for about a minute. I discovered that this was mildly dangerous, since the congee bubbled and exploded frequently, and didn't really taste that exciting. I may stick with plain and toppings from now on. Otherwise however, this turned out great! I can see this being done frequently during the upcoming winter, especially now that I go to Bulkbarn regularly.


Also, December starts on Saturday. I've waited long enough to start holiday posts. You've been warned. Again.

Also, the chicken survived!

Adventures in Chinese cooking, attempt one.

I really like Chinese food. This is a fairly general statement, I'm ware, but generally speaking, I enjoy and will eat most to all Chinese dishes that are put in front of me. With the exception of tripe. That  was unpleasant.

I was perusing my usual run of blogs one day, and found this recipe for Egg Drop Soup on The Kitchn's blog. Egg Drop soup is one of those things that I've usually like (there have been some bad ones over the years), and have always wondered how to make it properly. Emma's instruction are nice and clear, and her tip for pouring the eggs properly into the soup is genius. Her recipe also includes a full list of the ingredients that can be used to make this soup, and I'm sure everyone has their own variations I've put mine at the end of her recipe. I was quite pleased with my combo.

Egg Drop Soup
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 for a light dinner

  Base Ingredients
4 cups (32 oz) chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 to 4 large eggs
Salt or soy sauce

Flavoring Extras - Use one or all
1/2" fresh ginger, peeled and cut into rounds
1 stem lemongrass, bruised
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
2 star anise
6-8 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons miso

Soup Extras - Use one or all
1/2 block (7-8 oz) extra-firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 bunch baby bok choy, thinly sliced
4 spring onions, thinly sliced

Pour the stock into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Put the smaller flavoring extras you're using into a tea ball or spice bag. Add all your flavoring extras to the saucepan with the stock. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Scoop out all the flavoring extras with a slotted spoon. Taste and add salt or soy sauce as needed.

Add any soup extras to the stock and simmer for five minutes. Save some scallions for sprinkling on top of the soup at the end.

Scoop out 1/4 cup or so of the stock and whisk it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk this back into the stock and let it simmer for a minute or two until the broth no longer tastes starchy.

Whisk together the eggs in a small bowl with the remaining teaspoon of cornstarch. Make sure your soup is at a bare simmer. Holding a fork over the bowl (see photo), pour the eggs slowly through the tines. Whisk the broth gently with your other hand as you pour. Let the soup stand for a few seconds to finish cooking the eggs.

Serve immediately, topped with thinly sliced scallions.

"This recipe will make four small cups of soup, but can be easily scaled up if you have more guests at your table. I generally use 1 to 2 cups of broth and one egg per person.
One last parting note: this is not a soup that keeps well. It's best poured straight from the saucepan into the serving bowls and then eaten as soon as it's cool enough to swallow."

The version that I did was this!
Flavoring Extras - Use one or all
ginger,
garlic,
2 point of star anise,
1/3 of a cinnamon stick ish,
1 tablespoon soy sauce,
2 tablespoons miso,

Soup Extras - Use one or all
2 dried shitaki mushrooms, thinly sliced (don't do this, not ideal),
small handful of leftover enoki mushrooms from a hotpot night last week,
4 spring onions, thinly sliced

The pringles are optional, and not recommended for the soup.