Gabrielle Messina Just a Girl

Because it snowed.....

Because it snowed here yesterday, I got all the Bavarian inspired ornaments listed in my Etsy Shop and even made a snowman too! I hope you will take a little peek! 

Bavarian Christmas Ornaments

It's been so long since I've been here. I wonder if anyone is out there? Hello.... check, check, 1, 2, 3. Well, if you are, hello, so glad you've stopped by. Autumn is in full swing around here, and forgive me for not posting anything Halloween-ish, but I've got sugarplums dancing in my head at the moment. It's been raining and cold here all day and I've got no desire to step outside when it's this toasty inside!  For the past few months, I've been completely and utterly enamored with Germany, it's culture, traditions, foods; desserts and chocolates mostly. But, for years, it's been their Christmas items...  ahhhh! The Germans really know what they're doing when it comes to crafting the most exquisite Christmas ornaments! Often, the most expensive ones of all too! For years and years I've wanted to get to a true Christkindlmarkt in a Deutschland town. Not the one in Chicago, not the one in Pennsylvania, but an authentic one in Bavaria. I'd sip hot spiced wine, and walk in wonder from stand to stand.  In my craft room, I've been taking in a bit of Bavarian inspiration and making some Christmas ornaments that I hope to have listed in the next few weeks. Here are a few peeks for you!

German Fruit and Cream Cake

With the warmer weather approaching, it's nice to have a few recipes on hand where no oven is needed! Who wants a house as hot as it is outside? This is one of my all time favorites for the summer season. I thought I'd share it with you too....

You'll need:

*16 oz. heavy whipping cream

* 1 lb. Ricotta Cheese

* 3/4 cup sugar

*11 oz cream cheese

*1 tsp vanilla

* 3 packages of soft lady fingers

* Fresh fruit

* a spring- lock pan

 

*Combine Ricotta, Cream cheese, vanilla and sugar with electric mixer until smooth. Set aside.

*Beat heavy whipping cream until it turns to whipped cream and then combine with cheese mixture.

*Next, take your lady fingers and "line" the outside rim of the pan along with the bottom(just sort of squish them in there) You should now have a cake bottom and side.

* Put about a third of the cheese mixture in the pan and cover the lady fingers.

*Next, you'll need to make another layer of lady fingers to cover the filling. This is you're middle layer of the cake. 

*Slice strawberries, blueberries, or kiwi and layer them on top of the lady fingers, generously.

*Top with the remainder of cream and cheese mixture and spread smooth.

*Set in fridge for at least 5 hrs. or overnight.

*Add sliced fruit or berries to the top just before serving!

 

 

 

I See London....

 Truth be told, I've been a bit lazy when it's come to blogging lately. I've been trying to do lots of things around the house and enjoying every second outside with the heavenly weather we've been having. I decided I may re-post some fun entries over the past few years.... If you've been around for awhile, you may remember them, if not, then they're new to you!

So, I've been contemplating doing a post on "London and France" for sometime now. Thought it might be a little too risqué for my online diary, though....   But,  when I found this bustier a few months ago, in the most perfect of shades with foof in all the right places,I knew I had to do that post....  My husband thinks I'm cuckoo for doing it a post on my unmentionables. I assured him he's probably right, but, not only because of this....  The back is so pretty with the deep pink satin....{{Sigh}}  I always enjoy speaking to the antique dealers when I make a purchase. It's a good way to find out where your things came from and even if they can't tell you, I've found that they are often rather interesting people. I bought this pretty one from an older couple years ago at the flea market and struck up a conversation with the gentleman. He warned me (with a grin on his face) that "wearing something like this could result in children"  and that he and his "bride" had quite a few that way! Thought I'd share that funny tidbit with you too. Your welcome. I love that he still referred to her as his bride even after all the children and so many years had come and gone. I should have gotten a better picture of the yellow one up there. It's very 60's- ish and I adore the rosettes and color.  These hang in our armoire, right in front of the bed sheets in our bedroom, there's a few more hanging on the back of the bathroom door too... I like keeping them in places people who may happen to visit our room wouldn't necessarily see. I'll often open the door for a peek. It's like a little treat just for me.... Some are vintage, some not.  I add little sachets of lavender to my drawers, armories, baskets and closets. It's always nice to pull out linens and clothing that smells so wonderful! I grow lavender in our garden outside, but there's never enough of it so make the numerous sachets that I like to use in drawers and cabinets. You can buy it by the pound from Save on Crafts for a very reasonable price and then re-freshen the sachet with a few drops of lavender essential oil when needed. The little favor bags that craft stores sell, usually in the wedding area work very well as the smaller sized sachets. Add pretty millinery and ribbons to make opening a drawer special. On a side note, my husband's sock drawer sachets don't have millinery or velvet ribbons hanging from them... On another side note, he may not like that I just told you he has sachets in his drawers..... So, what do you think, girls? Was this all TMI for you? Hopefully your laughing and not thinking "Why is she showing me her underwear?" 

 

 

 

Hippity- Hoppity Easter's On It's Way!!!!!

Before it comes and goes, I wanted to wish you a very Happy Easter! I hope it's filled with pretty pastel dresses, patent leather shoes in lovely hues and Easter bonnets too! I hope Mr. Rabbit leaves you lots of chocolate treats and marshmallow PEEPS, plenty of sweet smelling flowers and green grass with hidden painted eggs for the kids to find!  I have a few projects started around the house and this is one of the little ones I finally got around to making one of the adorable paper clay dolls that the fabulously talented Amy Hanna contributed to Amy Powers' Inspired Ideas Christmas Magazine. So much fun! I need to make two more still.... Right now, my sweet little chick's just hanging out on our Easter tree!  A spun cotton bunny's there too! Lots of vintage flowers and eggs hanging about!  A few months ago, after seeing and swooning over it, I made one of Amy Hanna's Baskets of Love, also featured in Amy Powers' Spring edition magazine!!!! Let me tell you how much I love, love, love this project! Loads of inspiration in those pages, I'll tell 'ya! Well, very soon my little man will be waking from his much needed nap and this chick has got some Easter preparations to tend to! In the midst of all the bunnies and candy hope you'll enjoy the beauty and peace of the true meaning of Easter!!!

Lots of pastel kisses coming your way! xooxxox

 

My Vice

 Nutella and strawberries.... Nature has it's own superfoods, but surely, Nutella has to be man's superfood. My favorite power snack/vice in life. Today, I opted for a pretty plate and napkin, but let's be honest, between you and me, I usually just hover over the jar of Nutella and a big bowl of strawberries. Sometimes, if my kids are around, I put the jar in the sink so they think I'm just scarfing down the sweet red berries. I know I'm caught when they come in the kitchen with their step stools to get a good look over and into the kitchen sink....  Most people tend to use it on toast, bread or even French toast.... I like to use it in cookies as well, but by far, even better than a big dollop on your finger is a strawberry smothered in it's chocolaty, hazelnut goodness....

Just try it and thank me later! Off to the gym! HA!

Hot Air Balloons for the Spring

The sweet as can be, Rosalyn- Sue  hosted a swap with a springtime theme. Just as soon as she asked, way back in January, I thought about hot air balloons and started to daydream about warmer days! I've always loved hot air balloons. You can't get much more whimsical! Little ornaments that can hang on an Easter tree, wreath, piece of furniture, mirror, chandelier or wherever! I started with the same basic elements for each: a handmade "basket" that I tied off with tarnished vintage tinsel, the "balloon" a vintage Christmas ball and the most special touch; antique place cards that I've held onto for years. I think they would have been used for a baby or bridal shower. I just love her flapper-esque dress complete with beads and a sash!!I tried to match the flowers with each of the girls'  colors, tastes and styles. Lori's hot air balloon has vintage millinery in dusty rose, pale pink and butter yellow. For the hostess , I picked blooms in peachy- pink, cream and faded robin's egg blue. Hope's  is loaded in neutrals with the slightest hint of whisper pink...  As for Jenn's, lavender and violet, pink upon more pink and a slight hint of aqua in there too... Amy's is covered in an abundance of all spring's hues!  There's plenty of pastel pink and velvet creams for Andrea... Sherry's; a plethora of pink foof in all it's shades....  Finally, Natasha's is covered with flowers in colors of sorbet.

P.S. My husband persuaded me to get a gym membership. Just for the record, I am NOT a gym girl! I'd much sooner mow the lawn or chase my kids at the park. Especially on a day like today!!! Sunny and calm outside... a perfect day for a balloon ride!! 

Heirloom Eggs

Hello, everyone! Yes, I am still on my blogging break but wanted to share a little Easter project with you before Easter has come and gone. I want to first thank you guys for your emails and comments, and a few phone calls too. I had completely shut down emotionally for a point a few months ago. I tried to live life like usual, I tried to blog like usual, but when I wasn't responding to comments and emails like usual, you guys noticed. I have learned some important things over the past few months and weeks. The most importantly is trust your instincts. I know we hear this over and over again. Don't ever push them to the side, they're there for a reason. Thank you, dear readers, for sharing your personal stories with me and for opening up your lives like a storybook to help me. I feel like I know so many of you and wish I could have you all as my neighbors so we could sit in the backyard and talk. 

 Over the years, I've discovered that projects that include pictures of loved ones quickly become my favorites and continue to be so year after year. There's something to be said about making something so personal. In keeping with the spirit of creating something with particular meaning to myself and my family, I set about making a simple Easter project that could be cherished for years to come and hopefully, at least I'd like to think that they'll be past onto the next generation.I needed a special gift for my grandma for Easter...  how the idea of the project came about. This is a picture of her parents on their wedding day.... Lily of the Valley was my great- grandfather's favorite flower. I remembered being told that years ago. He liked the biblical meaning behind them. So a sprig or two of these simple flowers seemed fitting for the eggs.Again, her parents years later on the boardwalk in Atlantic City in the 1940's. Ahhh, to relive those times!  I decided to use wooden eggs. I like that there's some weight to them and had them on hand, but there's an array of different egg shapes from styrofoam, plastic or  papier måché in any craft store. When it comes to covering your egg, you're limited only by your imagination.... paper to decoupage, paint, fabric and lace strips and glitter. I like the look of gilded eggs because there's a patina to them, like they've been around for years already. As you can see above, there are cracks and parts on the egg where the gold leaf never touched. And who says you have to cover your eggs... there's so many beautiful eggs out there. If you find eggs pretty enough, you can skip this step and go right ahead to resizing your family photo and embellishing your egg. For this step, I kept mine simple with barely there flowers, paper doilies that have been dyed to a pretty pink, crepe paper and ribbons in muted colors so the pictures could do the talking. Of course, you could do more of less depending upon your taste.I chose mostly old photos to use on my eggs, but you could certainly use current photos. In fact, I have plans to make a few more with my children on. Right now, they're piled in an old urn in my family waiting to be put into baskets and given as Easter gifts very soon! I hope by now, you're feeling spring wherever you may be! Thanks for stopping by and most importantly, thank you for your friendship. 

 

On the Horizon

 Where have I been? I've had a few emails asking that question.... Well, I'm here and have been trying to keep up with posting, comments, emails and blog visits.... To be completely honest though, my heart's not all here. You guys are the best and deserve my whole heart! I'll be taking a blog break for a bit. Sometimes life hands us difficult situations and we must be strong and weather the storm. I know there are blue skies on the horizon. Things that were certain a month ago are not so certain anymore and things that may have mattered then are irrelevant now.... I'll be back just as soon as the time's right. All my love...

Our Bedroom

 At some point on most any given day, the rooms of my house begin to look like a pig sty. It's not just the kids, I pile my messes and projects on all available surfaces. This room is different, however. I don't set piles of laundry that needs putting away on the chairs; instead the piles stay in the laundry room or actually get put away. The curtains are pulled back just as soon as we awake. The bed; unless someones ill, it gets made every single day. There's no television and if the kids bring a few toys in during the morning, I make sure they take them out before we head downstairs to start the day. In my experience, they day just seems to go smoother when I walk through a tidy room to get to the laundry room throughout the course of the day. The day also seems to come to a better close when everything's in it's place. It really is a little haven for me, as much of a cliché as that sounds.The bedding is Simply Shabby Chic from Target a few years ago. It was a complete steal and I love it. I know there are lots and lots of companies that sell beautiful bedding out there. They are tempting at times, then I snap myself back into reality and realize I really don't want to have to take out a loan from the bank to get it! There's a fluffy down comforter from Ikea inside that you sink into and makes you feel as if you are sinking into a cloud.  
My husband's side of the bed. I removed a ridiculously large alarm clock and put the Blessed Mother statue in it's place for the sake of the picture. The chandelier, as with most other things sitting around, was a flea market find. The flowers in their pastel shades looked like buttercream roses that were plucked right from a cake in a bakery shop window. The metal is old has a perfect patina and the candles are waxy with drips.
Mary statues.... I could never have enough. Most are from family or a trip I took to Italy when I was much younger. The clear glass one, is my most treasured and was a gift to my grandparents on their wedding day.  And the wall in the background, I have big plans to turn it into a wall of mirrors, it just hasn't materialized yet. It will, though!  Talk about serendipity! This lamp was another flea market find. It is an exact pairing with the chandelier with it's roses of butter cream, perfect patina, and drippy wax.A close up of vanity goods.And the vanity itself. The dusty pink velvet chair is part of a pair. My mom put them in my bedroom as a little girl and I took them with me when I left home. They've been in my bedroom since. They hold an extra special meaning since they came from the furniture store my grandparents owned decades and decades ago.   Well, I think that about sums up your nickel tour of our bedroom. I didn't get a picture of the armoire, but I think you can get a pretty good idea from the reflection in the mirror here. I do hope you enjoyed yourself and I hope that you will come back and visit with me soon! ; ) It's a beautiful day here!