Monthly Archives: February 2012

DIY Dreaming: Striped Serving Tray

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Erica Wodzak| 1 Comment

Although I’m fairly competent in the DIY department, there are so many things I want to make myself these days that I’d just never find the time. Admittedly, Pinterest hasn’t helped that one bit. But when I do have the time, I’m absolutely planning to re-create this amazing DIY serving tray, featured on The Glitter Guide, and originally made by Stacy from Hello Cupcake.

I love that, if done right (which is key–lining up those tape pieces is going to take a whole lot of patience), this is such an inexpensive and adorable project that totally looks store-bought. I love it in blue, but I think I might try it in mint or a forest green, just because I’m a big lover of all things green. I also happen to be in love with the whole idea of chevrons lately, so if things pan out nicely, I may just attempt to DIY a whole lot more than serving trays. Photo frames? Hanging canvases? Business cards? Somebody help me, this girl needs a chevron intervention.

For instructions on how to do it yourself, make sure you check out the directions here!

Posted in At Home, Inspiration

An Intermission

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Erica Wodzak| 6 Comments

As you may have noticed, my little bit of the web has been quiet in the last few days. I want to assure you that no, I did not give up on things, but I have had a bit of an increase in activity in my real life (as opposed to my online one). I have many friends and family that are coming to visit me on the west coast in the coming week and a half, and because this doesn’t happen very often, I want to be able to devote all non-day-job hours strictly to them. What’s more, since I’m taking a few days off work (and my work-days are generally my posting days), it would make maintaining a posting schedule just that much harder.

So in short, although my blog is very important to me, it’s also very important to me that I’m able to prioritize the many commitments I have in my life. And when something special comes up, like your whole entire family coming out for a long and relaxing visit!, I think it’s fair to call for a break. I’ll still be floating around the web, reading articles and posts here and there, but you likely won’t hear from me until February 27th. I’m on vacation!

image via 1

Posted in Here + There

Photo Inspo

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Erica Wodzak| Leave a comment

{i'm completely obsessed with the intentional disarray in this photo}

Long before I got my new Canon camera, I knew I didn’t really need another hobby. I’ve got plenty of things to keep me busy, but I just couldn’t say no to something that looked like so much fun to do, and that also had such a great payoff for others whose memories and little life moments are captured in the photos. Sure, I’ve got lots of amazing memories from some of the things I’ve done so far in my life, but I enjoy it so much more when I can come home and show my friends and family what I did in vivid colour and high resolution. Well, that and the fact that I kind of miss having something to study and learn–after six years of university, it’s second nature!

{monochromatic reds give this photo an elegant and sophisticated vibe}

Along with trying to snap photos of everything I can, I’ve been trying to see the beauty in some of the things I’ve been walking past in this city for the past six and a half years, and never paid attention to. The funny thing is, there are a lot of those things. But definitely what I’m loving most so far are the photos of my friends and family (and my little pup!) that surprise me by turning out so beautifully, which will ensure that I remember in great detail the things that were going on when the photo was snapped.

And since everything is always a work in progress with me, I’m always looking elsewhere for inspiration. I’ve become an avid blog reader as of late, but am trying to extend my blog genres into the realm of photography. It’s these places, and the people who take their own photos, who act to inspire me, and to really make me study their work and try to mimic some of the things I like in my own photography. Maybe it’s the way the light hits a pasta dish, or maybe it’s the brightly coloured elements that make up the photo. I’m constantly learning (and trying out) what works in a photo, what makes a great prop, what lighting highlights your subject best, and it’s all because of the amazing things I’m finding all over the world wide web. So today, I’ve collected a few of my most recent favourites for you, and hopefully they might help you find the beauty in your own day-to-day too.

{in- and out-of-focus shots are my new obsession}

{food photography is one of my favourite new pastimes}

{i am quickly learning that lighting is everything in photography}

{i love anything that sparkles, but capturing those sparkles will still take some practice}

images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Posted in Inspiration, Learning

Let’s Get Back To Love

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Erica Wodzak| Leave a comment

Alright, what’s the (pink and red) elephant doing in the room? My guess would be that it’s stopped in for Valentine’s Day, the holiday that everybody loves to hate and hates to love. But where’s the fun in that?

In my eyes, the real value in Valentine’s Day is in showing your favourite people that you love them. These favourites, and we all have them, have likely played huge roles in our lives and deserve a little thanks too. So why are we worried about the significant others that we may not have when we do have some pretty damn amazing family and friends who also mean a lot to us? February 14th doesn’t need to be a day that’s dreaded by single folks, and I especially don’t think it should be about expensive gifts and jewelery either. If any of those things become the main focus of V-day, I think it’s safe to say that we’ve lost sight of it all together.

Valentine’s Day for me goes way back, even beyond the 101 Dalmatians “you’re dog-gone amazing!” cards I’d hand out every year to my classmates. I remember as a kid, my parents would give my sister and I little Hershey’s kisses and candies wrapped up in goodie bags when we’d come down for school, Grandmas and Grandpas would mail us cards, and we’d feel the love from everyone around us. That’s the love we need to be focusing on on the national day of pink and red! If we need boyfriends and girlfriends or really expensive dinners to find that, I think a call to stop and smell the roses (that you can buy for yourself, if you should feel so inclined) is in order. Showing people you care doesn’t need to be extravagant, it doesn’t even need to be vastly different from what you do every day. It really just needs to be real.

{cherry cupcakes: fun to make, fun to eat}

{roses: buy them for yourself! I won't judge}

So to help us all see the real purpose of Valentine’s Day, I’ve collected a few ideas for the little things we can do to show our love for those who are important to us. It could be your significant other, but it could also be your best friend. Maybe it’s your roommate, or maybe it’s your good ol’ Dad. You know what? It might even be your dog. Hey, no judgement here, I’ve spent a good number of Valentine’s Days with my doggie, and you know what? She’s pretty good at showing me her love too–lots of slobber, and no Tiffany’s required.

{don't forget how much fun it is to send and receive Valentine's cards}

{enjoy a deliciously lovely breakfast}

{a great project for a night in with your girlfriends}

images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Posted in At Home, Here + There, Inspiration

The Little Things

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Erica Wodzak| 6 Comments

Usually I like to find a collection of little things at the end of my week that makes me feel happy or inspires me, but this week all it took was one. That one thing was discovering the reason my icing was consistently melting off my cupcakes (or turning into a gooey pool of sugar-ooze): it was because my little hand-mixer was fooling me. Usually I’d mix my icing as much as possible, until the mixer couldn’t spin anymore–I thought this meant the icing was firm enough. Not so, fellow cupcake fiends, not so.

It turns out that my mixer leaves a little (a lot) to be desired in the torque department. Really, wouldn’t you just assume that a power mixer that comes with a whisk attachment would be made for making icing? I know I did… oops.

In the end, it took a lot more elbow grease than I was anticipating, but I beat the rest of the confectioners’ sugar by hand into the icing, and it eventually worked. Ahh, the good ol’ fashioned way. No wonder my grandma’s homemade pies always taste better when she makes them. Anyway, I’m so happy about this discovery that I want to say hallelujah right now, but I already said it once this week and I feel like twice might be a bit much.

If you were wondering, I made these cupcakes from a basic vanilla cupcake recipe, and split the batter (like you see here, except I didn’t bake the layers separately) to dye it two different colours. Since now not one but two of my friends are visiting from Australia, I decided to do my best with the Aussie colours (of the flag. I’ll try for their green and gold another day) to welcome both of my friends back to Canada. You know, make ‘em feel at home in the wintery weather of the Northern Hemisphere. Brrr!

I was definitely intimidated by this layered cupcake task, but I assure you it’s actually incredibly easy. In fact, I sat at my kitchen table in awe for a good 5 minutes thinking “These look amazing. Did I actually make them?”. The simplicity of it all, combined with my new keeps-its-shape-and-doesn’t-run-off icing, made for some pretty darn cute cupcakes, and a very, very content me. Add a few sprinkles and candy balls, and I’m on cupcake cloud nine. Now I just have to not dump the carry-containers upside down on my way up to Whistler this weekend. Come on, baking industry, why don’t you invent cupcake carry-cases? I mean hello, who doesn’t take cupcakes to the mountains every weekend?

Posted in At Home, Here + There