Gypsy and Cooking!

Christmas is almost here! And I have been busy prepairing for all the holiday fun! Still need a full view of the tree at night with the lights on but here is a little peak at it!

Monday I spent the night at Collection doing hair feathers and ended up doing some pretty cool ones! A bunch of feather braids which are always my favorite! Afterwards I was joined by some great girlfriends for some drinks!

Tuesday me and Nate had a really fun day! The Ottawa Citizen is doing an article on our friends over at Gypsy & Co. and me and Nate were lucky enough to be asked to model their vintage clothes for the article! Can't wait to see it when it comes out! Afterwards we did the last of our holiday shopping, picked up some stocking stuffers and wrapping paper! Finally we went and picked up groceries for all the Christmas baking and got to work!

I made raspberry cheesecake truffles and nanaimo bars to add to the baking I have already done for my Christmas gift tins. Everyones getting fat this year on me! The truffles are a must try so here's the recipe for all my little foodie friends!

Raspberry Cheesecake TrufflesYields about 22 Truffles

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened slightly
14 graham cracker sheets, finely ground in a food processor (about 1 cup)
3 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 tsp raspberry ( I couldn't find and so I just added more jam)
6-8 drops red food coloring


1 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (you can also use bark)
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable shortening


2 graham cracker sheets, finely ground in a food processor (for topping)


Directions:
In a mixing bowl, using a fork, mix together cream cheese, 14 ground graham cracker sheets, raspberry jam, and powdered sugar. Stir into well combine. Mix in 1/4 cup melted white chocolate chips, raspberry extract and food coloring. Blend well. Cover mixture with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, or until firm enough to form mixture into balls.
Remove mixture from freezer and scoop mixture out by tablespoons and form into balls. Place on a wax or parchment covered baking dish or plate. Cover truffle balls with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, or until firm enough to dip in chocolate.
Melt chocolate chips with shortening in microwave on 50% power in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until melted and smooth (if using white chocolate I would do shorter intervals as white chocolate is more temperamental).
Remove truffles from freezer, using a toothpick or fork, dip truffle balls into melted chocolate. Return chocolate covered truffle to wax paper and sprinkle with ground graham cracker before chocolate hardens. Repeat process with remaining truffle balls. Place truffles in refrigerator and allow chocolate to harden. Store truffles in refrigerator in an airtight container.

2 more days of work left till the Holidays and I can't wait! Magical seafood dinner coming our way on Christmas eve and then off to my parents house in the country for a nice relaxing Christmas and I can't wait! Hope everyone is gearing up for an amazing holiday season!

Back Woods Adventures and Makeovers!

Hey guys! So my parents moved back from the west coast last week! I spent the weekend at their new house helping my mom unpack and decorate for Christmas. They have amazing high ceilings and we managed to get an 11 foot tree that still looked small compared to the room! After decorating it with lots of new ornaments we looked through all our old ones from when I was younger. It was a pretty fun little trip down memory lane. I managed to sneak a few classics onto the new tree but shhhhhh don't tell!

It was too Big to  get it all in one shot lol!

 Dolly came out and spent the weekend with us too, she liked snacking on the pine needles and burrowing in my mothers couch! This was pretty much her position all weekend..

I managed to get started on some holiday baking too! Tried out those candy cane bark oreos I posted a while ago! Learned that melting white chocolate is not half as easy as dark chocolate lol. But in the end it turned out well!

Sunday we went out to North Gower to a tree farm to cut down the very frist Christmas tree me and Nate have ever had! We spent our first few Christmas's together at other peoples houses so we never really did much for it at our place. Needless to say I was suupppper  excited to get and decorate our first tree! Started collecting ornaments last last winter lol. We picked out the perfect tree and cut it down with a saw all by ourselves lol. It looks perfect now all decorated in our place!

No picture of it all set up yet but one coming soon I promise!

After all the tree cutting fun I went over to one of my moms best friends house to give her a makeover! Her daughter (who I grew up with) is getting married next month and she needed a hot mother of the bride look! I  did her hair and make-up trials for the wedding and she looked AMAZING! I feel so luck to get to be a part of making her look great for such a big day in their familys lives! We have Christmas eve dinner with them every year fore as far back as I can remember. I have a feeling this year will be an extra emotional one. We're all cry babies lol. To end off here is a picture of me and Nate from last Christmas eve at their house! Can't wait to add one from this year.

Weekend Round-Up

Went to a bridal shower for a dear family friend.  I grew up next door too her and then our parents bought houses on the same street together! We have been friends with since birth pretty much. Her family are such greeat people and I feel so lucky to have them around. It is so nice to still be able to be a part of the special moments in there lives! Can't wait for the wedding next month!

 Then I got in a little xmas shopping with my mom and sister! It is so nice to have my parents back out east. I missed them so much and it will be nice for us all to be settled so close to each other!

We put off Christmas tree cutting till next Sunday and I can barely wait! I'll be spending next weekend out at my parents new house helping unpack and bset up their new place. Should be a fun little girls weekend with my mom, just what I need it's been too long!

Been getting really excited top take full advantage of Ottawa winter this year. Googled some pictures of the canal yesterday that got me all amped up!

Also  came across this really cool poster for the 1895 Ottawa winter carnival!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Retail Therapy!

Every girl loves to shop! I am no  exception to this rule lol so here are some of my most recent purchases!

What kind pieces have you guys been drawn to this winter?

D.I.Y. Christmas!

So I am BIG on the holiday season and am starting to put together a little list of baking and fun DIY holiday projects I want to do!

First off some fun hand painted tree ornaments! This one I came accross on tumblr is the initial inspiration!

Next is a delish looking little holiday treat! Oreos dipped in white chocolate sprinkled in candy cane bits! looks so yummy I can't wait to try em!!

What are all you guys doing to get into the holiday spirit? Any fun DIY holiday suggestions? I am open to some more fun little projects!

 Taking this weekend super slow, spent our friday night with chinese take out and Oceans11 to 13. Today consists of pj's on the couch lol pretty crazy life I lead! Next weekend we're going to cut down our christmas tree! I may be a little too excited lol.

Hope everyones having a rad weekend!

Long Overdue Update!!!

Alright so I know I have been a major slacker over the past year but I am getting back into the blogging game! Sorry for the neglect I had a way busy year. Sometimes lifes craziness really takes over everything else!

In the past little while my newest DIY fun has been doing feather hair extentions! I do them at my place and at a local bars girls night once every two weeks where they do 10$ manicures and have delish martini deals!

If there are any Ottawa followers on here who wants so be sure to get at me! I have done lots more but been very lazy about getting pictures so thats all you get for now!

Other than that I have just been enjoying life up here in Canada with my husband! Gearing up for an amazing holiday season! My parents move back to Ontario next week so I can`t wait to share in all our old family traditions!

Well since its been so long heres a big photo update opf the past few months!

Summer BBQs and cottage adventures

Enjoying Canadian Thanksgiving with the family! And thats not a cell in my hand its a meat therm lol

A couple  cute photos of me and Nate!

And lastly me ready to go out Saturday night and then hungover the next am lol

In other  news I just lightened my hair from black but can`t manage to get a good picture of it so we`ll leave that for a future update but I am pretty stoked to have a change in colour. I was black for far too long!

Missed you all so much and can`t wait to get back in touch!





On the town

Just a qick post to pop up a picture of me and Nate out at the bar last week I am so pale the flash erases my nose lol!

Spring Cleaning!

I felt like getting a head start on spring cleaning today and cleaned out my closet.

That means I have a bunch of stuff for sale on ebay! Be sure to take a peak!

http://shop.ebay.ca/wrenthewench/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p4340

Hope everyones having a good day!

Attention All Designers

I am gearing up to do a lot of shoots again.

If you would like me to shoot your clothes, t-shirts, accessories and what not please email me a wrenwtp@gmail.com with links to your stuff and I will get back to you asap!

Back In The Game

Tonight I had my first photo shoot in over a year. Aka since I got sick, went on insane meds had intense surgery and gained weight.


It was nice to feel pretty again and realize how much weight I have lost. I feel hot again! I worked so hard to take off the weight and it was so worth it!

160 pounds to 133 pounds in 3 and a half months. 27 whole pounds of hard work and sweat! It’s so nice to be almost back to my old self!

Pictures coming soon!!