Vintage Gwen: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Soiree Day-Fav Roundup

Well here we are, another week, another Tuesday. Can you believe it will be May tomorrow? Goodness! Before it's time to share Graduation and Mother's Day parties/ideas/goodies thought I'd do a little something different today and share a few parties I came across that well, I thought amazing!

Pretty in Pink Party at Amy Atlas

This was for a little girl's 8th birthday but seriously I wanna go!

Motorcycle Party at Amy Atlas

So fun!! I love motorcycles!

Gender Reveal Party at Amy Atlas

Loving yellow and turquoise together! And the use of silhouettes! Inspiration for the future hopefully!

Hhhmmm....I forgot I saw all of these at Amy Atlas! I was searching for graduation party ideas! Ha!

Aren't these parties awesome and inspiring?

Happy Tuesday lovelies!

Ps. Don't forget about my current giveaway from Ramsign!!

Go HERE to enter!!!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Ramsign Giveaway

Happy Friday!

Excited to bring you an awesome giveaway today!

With Spring lingering it's time to think about freshening up our homes. And we can't forget about the outside! One way to do that is displaying your house numbers. Ever heard of Ramsign? Well they make classic, porcelain enamel signs. Take a look...

Love them all!

Want your own?

One lucky person will have their choice of any house number sign with 1-5 digits (not name signs or address plaques)! Use the form below and be sure and check out Ramsign on Facebook and Twitter!

Happy Entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, April 25, 2013

{Recipe} Red Onion Chutney

I made this yummy red onion chutney for a personal shower that I hosted last month and made it again this past weekend for my family to try. While cooking, it dawned on me that since I was making it again I might as well share it! I made it and served it a little different this time so some of the seasonings and how to serve are up to the cook!

I used 2 different recipes as my guide...Kitchen Geekery's version and My Baking Addiction's version. This is one of those recipes that has to simmer a while so expect to be the kitchen for half the day!

Red Onion Chutney

Ingredients:

1 large red onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 yellow onion (leftover and needed to be used so this is optional)

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 bay leaves

Optional: crushed red pepper flakes

Make it:

In a large pan heat oil. Slice onions and add to pan. Add the bay leaf. Cover with lid and cook over medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring periodically. Next add vinegars, brown sugar, cinnamon and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together and simmer for 30 minutes until chutney is thick. Remove the bay leaves and serve. Store in jars or airtight containers.

A few notes:

I didn't measure my red pepper...looked around a teaspoon probably a little more because it was spicy! You can use a de-seeded, finely sliced red chili or jalapeno or none at all. The first time I made it I didn't add any heat nor did I use bay leaf because I thought I didn't have any...it was still good! And you can use salt and pepper to taste as well.

It is common to serve this with goat cheese on crostini. Goat cheese is very tangy so if you're not sure your guests will like it you can mix it with 1/2 a block of cream cheese or just use cream cheese. I've done both now! I also tried out a new seasoning I picked up at Williams Sonoma...

....I mixed 1 tablespoon in to 1/2 block of cream cheese and mmmm so good! It is a lot of flavor going on but I liked it!

I had my family try the chutney with plain cream cheese. They didn't really like it! Ha! I think it was the fact that it was onions and sugar so I might try and lessen the sugar a bit to see what kind a difference it makes.

Oh well....I could eat boats loads of it! Well maybe not boats loads.... ☺

Anyone else like it as much as I do?

Happy Thursday!!

{See my Link Parties Page for the shares!}

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Show & Share #89

Brrr! I can't believe it's almost May and I'm still saying brrr! Sure do wish we'd have spring already! Hope the weather is better in your neck of the woods!

{Party}

Party Rules--

*Link to a specific post--not your home page, no giveaways, or no etsy shops

*Link something you've done in the last month

*Post the party button on your blog (and follow me & the host Lindsay )

*Visit & comment on at least TWO other links posted

Thanks for being here today! Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Soiree Day-Nursing School Grad Party Roundup

I was looking through Pinterest on Sunday at graduation parties trying to get some ideas to help my friend with her son's college graduation party that's coming up real quick. Well I got sidetracked by an awesome nursing school grad party and just went ahead and searched for some more! My sister is about half way done with nursing school and she will well deserve a shindig when she's done. Never too early to get ideas!!

{Note: to pin please click on source name and pin directly from source. Thanks!}

by Sweets Indeed

by Kara's Party Ideas

via Pinterest

by Buttery Books

party favor by Cool Party Favors

gift wrap idea by Sparkling Pants

{instead of a bow use a nurse hat!}

by Oh Amanda

{one of a kind guest book! plain canvas + fun band aids!}

Aren't these great? Can't wait for the party now!

Happy Tuesday!!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Mother's Day Mantle

Well I just now took down my Easter decor. It took me this long because I was indecisive about what to do on my mantle. No spring ideas were coming to me and then I had a light bulb go off....Mother's Day.

I have a Home Interior print that I bought way back when to use when I got married. Well it doesn't really go with my bedroom decor and I have a hallway area that I've not gotten to decorating yet so it's perfect for Mother's Day! I pulled pictures from my bedroom and den and framed a few. And then used a few other things I have so $0 cost for this!! (I love saying that!)

Probably the most famous mother/daughter duo in the Bible is Ruth and Naomi. Ruth had married Naomi's son but both he and his brother died. Naomi wanted to move to Judah and so told her daughter in laws to go back to their families. But Ruth refused. Her words are often used in weddings and a good promise to remember in marriages. But their original form was for a daughter/mother in law relationship. Fascinating that the bible is crystal clear the attitude we should have towards our mother in law!!

Just to bring out some of the colors in the print I found some scrapbook scraps, cut them to size and added some vintage clip on earrings.

Finally I made some coffee filter flowers! So easy! There's all kinds of tutorials pinned.

There's photos of both my grandmothers, my mom when she was a baby and then one of us on my wedding day. A photo of my mother in law holding Lil' Hunkie when he was born and then one of me when pregnant. I couldn't forget my sister and sister in law who are both wonderful aunts. Finally I found a generation photo I had packed away of me, my sis, mom and my niece...the only niece we have! It's jammed packed but that's how I wanted it!!

Happy Thursday!

{See my Link Parties page for the shares!}

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Show & Share #88

Hello lovelies. It's been a tough week so far for the world hasn't it?

Boston, earthquake in Iran, unrest in Venezuela. While these events are heartbreaking we must choose to continue hope not only in God but in the countless people who are good.

"But I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more."

Psalms 71:14 NLT

Praying for all.

♦♦♦

{Party}

Party Rules--

*Link to a specific post--not your home page, no giveaways, or no etsy shops

*Link something you've done in the last month

*Post the party button on your blog (and follow me & the host Lindsay )

*Visit & comment on at least TWO other links posted

Thanks for being here!!

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Soiree Day-The Hunger Games

So a couple months ago I rented The Hunger Games to watch by myself. It didn't really interest hubby....I think he thought it was going to be like Twilight. Ha! Well I thought the movie was so good that I decided to read the book and of course it was even better! Now I'm almost done with the 2nd book, Catching Fire. Man oh man! So good!

I probably won't ever have a party but here's a few I loved!

by FlorieB