Hey Girl,

via Know Your Meme

Uh, so sorry.

Happy February 29th!

Calli

Absolutely Incredible Raspberry Trifle

Sharing this recipe, I feel a bit like a traitor selling secrets about national security - yes, it's that good. My boyfriend's aunt has been making it for years, and every time she serves it my mouth does a little happy dance. It's a glorious mixture of light cake, rich cheesecake, and tart fresh fruit!

This year, she slipped the recipe in with our Christmas gift - to which I blurted out something along the lines of " this is the best present ever!" and immediately made everyone else in the room feel inferior. At Christmas time. Well done, me.

Had she known I was going to share the recipe online she may have thought twice about gifting it to me at all...

Anyways, it's too late now.

Unfortunately I was lacking a fancy bowl to use so I had to improvise with a giant glass beaker*

Carol's Fantastic Raspberry Trifle

1 Angel Food Cake

2 bricks of cream cheese (use lite, no one will know)

Lemon juice

1/2 - 1c sugar

500 mL whipping cream

Vanilla

Cocoa

600g Frozen raspberries

Make the angel food cake ahead of time and let it cool completely**

Thaw raspberries in a bowl with some sugar (about 1/4 cup - I like to keep them tart). I put mine in the refrigerator over night.

Beat the cream cheese until soft. Add lemon juice (fresh is best) to taste as well as some sugar (about 1/2 a cup).

In a second bowl, whip the cream until quite firm. Add vanilla (about a 1/4 tsp.) and sugar (about a 1/3 cup) to taste.

Gently fold 2/3 of the whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture. Reserve the remaining whipping cream for the top of the trifle.

Assembly: place a layer of angel food in the bottom of a serving dish. Top with a layer of cream cheese/whipped cream mixture and a layer of raspberries. Sprinkle with cocoa. Continue layering until you near the top of the bowl - finish with reserved whipping cream and sprinkle with cocoa.

Now this part is important - let the dessert sit for 10-12 hours if possible so all the flavors can mingle a bit. However don't let it sit too long or the bottom layer gets all mushy.

Also, the dessert will settle a bit, mine sunk at least half an inch, but now that you know ahead if time you won't panic like me.

My boyfriend claims he's had this dessert before with different fresh berries - as a raspberry purist I'm appalled. However, the idea of peaches and raspberries has been taunting me since that last bite 996 hours ago (give or take a minute) and I may be willing to move out of my comfort zone this summer.

Enjoy!

Calli

*I assure you that the beaker has never been used for experiments and was completely clean.

**You could buy a pre-made cake (easy but kind of careless) or make one from scratch (for those overachievers) however I prefer to use a boxed mix - It shows you care but not enough to deal with a hundred thousand egg whites.

On My Mind - 26.02.2012

Right now I can't stop thinking about... 

Patterned Tights - Sexy and graphic, yet subtle enough to wear before the sun goes down... I really love this pattern and, although ornate, they'd probably find a way into my wardrobe every now and then, especially on those "brave" days.

via Obaz

Hilarious Dog Photography -The underwater element takes these "pet" photos to another level - the moments photographer Seth Casteel was able to capture are spectacular. The complete joy and absolute commitment these dogs have for simply chasing a ball makes me want to put more effort into my own free time. 

via msn

Any & All Lemon Desserts - My mouth is watering just thinking about this Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake but I wouldn't turn down a coffee cake, cupcake, or cheesecake either. Heck at this point a lemon-blueberry muffin could curb my craving - for a minute or two. 

via The Vintage Mixer

Charm Friendship Bracelets - The bright bold colours have me thinking of spring and the little charms are just - charming. These are simply braided although I remember making more intricate versions as a teenager. Wonder if it's still cool to pin them to your jeans while you knot away?

via Quiet Lion

Summer! - I know it's only the end of February and summer is a few months off but without a sunny vacation this winter I'm jonesing for some warm rays. Also, this above ground pool is just plain cool and super inviting. 

via Bonytt

Here's to warmer days right around the corner. 

Have a lovely Monday,

Calli

A Bit of Brilliance - Wonderful Wedges

I'm not 100% sure what happened, but I woke up earlier this week with a serious addiction to wedge heels. Camel-brown wedges to be exact - and it's more of a complete fixation, they are all I can think about anymore.

I'm not sure if it's the fact that they are easier to walk in - for me that means I'll actually get to use them! - but I am definitely adding a pair to the top of my want list. 

Luckily there seems to be a lot of choice out there - which means I can feed my fixation. The problem is that my self-control has been severely lacking lately and before I know it I may end up with a new pair for every day of the week...

Is that a problem? Jury is still out. 

These first two styles are from Anthropologie - which means that they are simultaneously gorgeous and out of my price range. I love the sling-back and warm brown colour.

Mustard yellow and brown leather - you have captured my heart! And honestly, who can't get into a retro pair of t-strap wedges?

via imgfave

So they are more gray than brown, but I'm going to let that slide and focus on  the soft leather, textured heel, and t-strap style. 

via glit

My favorite way to ware these right now are with summery dresses - too bad it's not yet March. They make your legs look a mile long but also fit in seamlessly with sandals, warm weather, and the beach. Common spring, hurry up already!

Summer (via 7 for all mankind)

Winter (via lookbook)

But the creme de la creme? Oxford wedges... oh man my heart just skipped a beat! I love them paired with a belted flowing skirt in a punchy print.

via Drops of Jupiter

via Running on Happiness

So what do you think? Wedges this summer or not? 

Enjoy!

Calli

Hey Ryan Gosling,

 

You have to stop. Just stop. It’s getting to be too much. See, I’m just a girl who sits in a cubicle all day.  I have to live in a real world. Not the kind of  “real world” with MTV cameras and token drama queens. I live in the kind of “real world” where I have to deal with men who can’t afford to buy me coffee and who can’t emotionally commit. The longer you continue to be so Ryan Gosling, the harder it’s going to be for me to want to live in that world.

via Hello Giggles

Have you caught onto the Ryan Gosling craze that's all over the internet lately? It seems to have all started with a little site I stumbled upon a few months ago called F&%$ Yeah! Ryan Gosling.

It's gotten to the point now that everyone seems to be talking about it - news outlets are covering the scoop, other celebrities are questioning what is going on, and even the man himself has taken notice, reading a few "Hey Girl's" on camera.

The problem with too much of a good thing is that it's easy to get carried away and, as a result, the internet is flooded with - let's call them "intense" - women who are pledging their undying love. 

But really, can you blame them?

As a parting gift from my last job (oh, did I neglect to mention I moved on to another job? It's really not that important...) one of the ladies passed along this link to an incredibly funny blog post on Hello Giggles poking fun at the hype, the crazies, and even at Ryan himself (only once or twice and totally in a respectful way.)

The post is definitely worth a read - but be prepared to laugh out loud.

Hope this brightens your day!

Calli

Putting it in Perspective

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans”

I seem to recall that someone quite famous said this…

If it’s not circled on your calendar, take notice, today is kind of a big deal… I am celebrating my 25th birthday and it’s the official one year anniversary of non-stop-blogging-fun here at Strawberry Roan!

I’d like to think I’ve picked up a couple ‘tricks of the trade’ during my inaugural year in blog-land, one of which being, if you’re going to start a post quoting John Lennon you better have something important to say…

John Lennon was absolutely right.

Ok so his brilliance isn’t a revelation, and yes, I’m going to talk about how it applies to my own life, but you know what? I posted a great fantastic tutorial yesterday and it’s my birthday so just do me a solid and read on (or navigate away, come back tomorrow, and no one will be the wiser).

Birthdays haven’t really been an issue for me before. Turning 16 was cool because I got my driver’s licence, and at 19 I went to the bar for a right-of-passage tequila shot. But this year is different. I’m having some mixed emotions about celebrating another birthday so soon - It does not feel like a full year since the last one.

The issue isn’t with becoming older, I rarely feel my *biological clock ticking away. My concern is what I have to show for another full year under my belt. Twenty-five years seems like such an expanse of time, full of opportunity to achieve amazing things, but I can’t help feel I’ve fallen short.

Where are the crazy years abroad? The half completed Bachelor’s Degree that left me a year behind with the ability to curse in 18 different languages? How about a string of ex-boyfriends that my parent’s hated but taught me about love, heartbreak, and the kind of person I want to be? Perhaps I should stop watching so many movies – I saw The Vow the other night and I think it did some serious damage.

I don’t mean for this to be a pity party (I’ll have that later when I’m alone with leftover cake), after all I did start a blog, paint a bathroom, upholster 5 chairs, bake 60 cupcakes for my dad’s wedding, see Taylor Swift in concert, get a new iPhone, and craft 50% of the Christmas gifts I handed out this year. But it just doesn’t feel like enough.

As always, I’ve got some fabulous plans for 25, that I’m sure will transition onto 26, 27, and 28… One of which is to continue to refer to myself as being in my “early 20s”. I may have learned rounding in elementary school, but I think I’ll just pretend it doesn’t exist for a year or two – really, what’s the harm?

On a side note, I’m second guessing my decision to start a blog on my birthday. Any other day would have given me yet another reason to eat cake. What a shame.

You would think that with two milestones to celebrate I’d have something fabulous planned but that’s not the case – not to dismiss the lovely family dinner my mom has planned for tonight (with cake!). It will be a simple Tuesday night, which suits me just fine.

Enjoy!

Calli

*Disclaimer: In no way am I referring to the biological clock that controls baby-making. I was able to ditch that one in a high-speed James Bond style car chase and won’t see it again for another 5 years.

Infiniti Scarf Tutorial

If you've had an opportunity to read around the ol' blog here, there's a good chance you've heard me go off about one obsession or another. Mid-century furniture, chairs in need of re-upholstery, bags in a rainbow of colours, black and white photos, scarves...

That last one is new, at least newer than the rest. And Etsy is feeding my obsession. Honestly, if I'm caught hiding in the bushes outside the sewing room of one of their many talented scarf creators, drooling over printed fabrics, that site will be 78% to blame.

I may or may not have an entire pin-board of scarves - and a real-life closet of a dozen or so... but I find that nowadays, when I find a gorgeous new scarf online, I don't rush to see how much it is, or if they ship to Canada, because I know I really don't need it. And if I bought all the scarfs that I really really wanted my family would have to contemplate an intervention.

Think I'm being dramatic? Don't feel bad, it's been known to happen from time-to-time. Check out these posts I've written recently, here, here, and here. - Yes, 3 in a month and a half, this one makes 4. It's a sickness really...

Anyways, onto the tutorial...

On Saturday I was able to slip in a little thrift shopping. In addition to a great striped skirt (floor length for the summer) I found some beautiful gray plaid fabric. $3.99 for 2+ meters (80ish inches) - I knew immediately that I wanted to do something with it, my mind went to upholstery first, as always, but then it hit me, infinity scarf all the way!

*Note, I'd never made an infinity scarf before.

Step 1: Wash and dry the fabric. Iron if needed.

Even if your fabric isn't from a thrift store it's always a good idea to wash and dry it to save a lot of headaches later on. No one likes shrinkage.

Step 2: Cut the fabric to size.

The fabric was quite wide (52 centimeters, 20.5 inches) so I cut it in half length wise. That made the piece I was working with about 2 meters long (80 inches) and 27 centimeters (10 inches) wide.

Step 3: Sew

I folded the fabric in half lengthwise, good sides facing each other, and made a stitch along the raw edge. This left me with a long fabric tube.

 After turning the fabric good side out, I turned my attention to the ends.

Take one end of the scarf and turn the raw edge in on itself - like a hem. Stitch the end, be careful not to sew the end closed!

At this point, I put a twist in the scarf before stitching it all closed - it gives the scarf some extra oomph when worn. The easiest way I could find to do this, without enlisting a friend to help, was to hold the hemmed end under my chin, take the raw edge and twist it once, then place the ends together on a flat surface.

Next, place the raw end inside of the hemmed end. Stitch closed.

Step 4: Show off!

That's it, infinity scarf complete!

Well there you have it, a great scarf for less than $4 and 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Calli

By the way, I'm sharing this tutorial over at...
Brassy Apple
Skip to my Lou 
Fun to Craft 
Today's Creative Blog 
Night Owl Crafting
Beyond the Picket Fence 

A Bit of Brilliance - Navy

It's finally happening - Design*Sponge has made the move to Pinterest!

They've decided to start selecting two main trends they're loving each month and pin images that showcase these trends. I love reading Design*Sponge so I'm really excited to follow them on Pinterest too and get regular updates on my homepage.

Currently they're focusing on Copper and Navy. I'm really loving theses deep blue images they've shared.

Great wallpaper and fixture! via Ideas to Steal

I heart everything - via Emily Henderson

Think I saw this print on Mad Men! via butdoesitfloat

Wonderfully put together - via Emerson Fry

For more pinspiration, go check out their boards here.

Enjoy!

Calli

Spellbound By These Valentines

It had to be done - I'd apologize but I'm not actually sorry. 

I'm sure that these Harry Potter Valentine's have found their way around the internet but I couldn't resist sharing them anyway!

You can check them all out at yenniper

Yes, I'm a nerd, but honestly, couldn't it be worse?

Enjoy!

Calli

Have A Heart

Yeah, Yeah... I missed Valentine's Day - at least here in blog land. Sue me. 

Sorry, that came out a bit more sour than intended. It's not that I don't not like Valentine's Day, it's just that I don't care enough to put in the effort - get dressed up, go out, buy gifts, write down how I feel...

Although, I should be honest and say that my heart melted a bit when I got home from work to some lovely red roses. Oh, and I like the chocolate part of the day. 

Always the one to jump on the bandwagon at the very last possible moment, here are some lovely Valentine's-esque ideas. 

Quite possible the absolute best thing I've seen on Pinterest in awhile, these cheesecakes are mirrored after those adorable little message candies!

via Hungry Happenings

Perfect size, fun shape, great colour combo, and quirky graphic element, this ring has it all if you ask me - plus it would look great with almost anything. 

via Etsy

This heart shaped rock collection is so lovely - what a neat idea. I can only imagine the story behind each individual rock.

via Completely Costal

Every ounce of childhood wonder I still have has me asking - how'd they do that? This shell pendant is gorgeous, and the heart detail adds the perfect touch of whimsy! 

via Etsy

Easily DIY-able with some scissors or a heart shaped punch, I love this simple Valentine's Day card. Imagine using patterned, printed, or embossed paper for the little hearts!

via Etsy

Well there you have it - oh, and Happy Belated Valentine's Day.

Enjoy!

Calli

To Do:

I may have mentioned yesterday that lately my life has been more hectic than usual. It may or may not have to do with the fact that I started a new job last week. 

Isn't that first crazy week of information overload exhausting?

It was a big change - sad at times, exciting at others - but it's for the best and I'm hoping things will calm down soon and I can get back to my crafting/sewing/baking/ and most importantly, blogging!

As an avid list maker I'm hoping a solid plan of attack can get me back on track - and my house in some sort of presentable condition. Here's a list of all the things, over and above the usual cleaning, I hope/want/need to do in the next month:

• Fill holes and paint photo ledges
• Hang artwork in entry
• Fill/Paint nicks in walls (living room, second bathroom)
• Paint trim in guest bedroom
• Tape off/prep for guest bedroom paint
• Paint guest bedroom
• Clean out garage (vagueness is a hint that this wont get done)

It seems do-able, in fact I feel a bit better now that it's down on paper. It's good new for the ol' blog too since I should have something to talk about. The only hiccup I can foresee is that my birthday is in a couple weeks and my calendar is quickly filling up...

Enjoy!

Calli

My Weekend and Guest Bedroom Update

I had myself a busy little weekend - life in general has been pretty hectic lately so I apologize if I've seemed a little distant. 

Saturday morning I met my friend Jen for a coffee/paint chip date. She's re-painting her bedroom and looking for something calming. We decided on a lovely green-blue-grey tone called Night Rain - I'm so excited to see how it all comes together!

Since I was at the paint store anyway, I decided to sneak a peak at some hues for my guest bedroom. That poor room has been neglected since day one and I'd really like to utilize it better starting this spring. 

I'm thinking mauve walls with crisp white trim. It's a bit of a risk but I can't shake the idea of something insanely feminine. I'm also toying with the idea of a herringbone feature wall done in a high gloss finish - same colour, tone on tone, with just a hint of shimmer. Sprinkle in fresh white sheets, soft linen drapes, and some metallic touches and voila! Sounds easy right?

Here's something for all you visual learners...

 

Sources: 1. Kristen F. Davis Designs; 2. Jen Loves Kev; 3. Little Emma English Home; 4. Sara's Closet

I'll try to keep you up to date on Jen's place, my place, and any other place I know of. I'm hoping that the painting of my room can start at the end of the month.

Enjoy!

Calli

A Bit of Brilliance - So Into Stripes

Oh stripes - so versatile. They can be nautical, wild, fun, and fresh!

It's time to add scarves to my long list of indulgences - right next to my chair, purse, and glassware addiction. This striped beauty caught my attention on Esty and immediately my purchase finger went crazy. Is it just me or are scarves even easier to buy since they're relatively inexpensive?

via Etsy

Preppy girls everywhere (or at least this one) are going wild for these little striped earrings. What a fun and adorable way to add a bit of colour and pattern to your outfit.

via Etsy

Is it just me or should this cake taste even better because each layer is a different shade of pinkish-purple?

via Martha Stewart

Ignore the tree for a second, I know that Christmas is over, and take a peek at that amazing area rug. Honestly, I am drooling over the fantastic colours.

via Trendey

Isn't this floor incredible? I don't think I'd have the patience to pull this off but I've got a ton of respect for whoever dreamed up this beauty.

via Small Shop Studio

The only problem with these wonderfully striped bits of inspiration is that now my home/accessories/baked goods feel boring and plain.

Enjoy!

Calli

Hey Girl, Super Bowl Edition

via Handmade Ryan Gosling

Somehow it's just easier to get over the hump with a little shot of Ryan.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Calli

Ten out of Ten for Cuteness

I'm at that stage where friends are starting to reproduce....

via Etsy

I'm clearly not there yet - a little piece of my mother's heart may or may not have just broken - but I love a good room, even if it's designed for someone who can't yet appreciate it. These nurseries are just lovely. If only my own room was pulled together as well.

via Decopeques

via oh dee oh

via Interiors & All Things Pretty

The chance to decorate a darling little nursery could be just enough to make me re-consider my stance on nine month of pregnancy followed by numerous hours of labour. Or, I could start sweet talking my pregnant friends...

Enjoy!

Calli