Easter DIY: Chocolate Mousse-Filled Eggs

Last year, I blogged about a few fun Easter egg DIY decor ideas. This year, it's all about the dinner table! These whimsical little eggs are filled with lusciously airy chocolate mousse and the eggs are simply dyed using pastel food colouring. You can easily store these in the fridge in their original container, which makes it easy to bring them as a hostess gift for any spring celebration. To plate, use a pretty egg holder with a small spoon.

The first step to making these is emptying the eggs. Gently tap the egg around its narrower top with a small pairing knife until the egg starts to crack. Running the knife along the top you want to remove, gently tap to crack the shell. Once you've removed the top piece, smooth the edge to get rid of any small pieces of shell -- and then empty the egg. Remove the membrane and wash the inside of the egg. In a large bowl, add a few drops of food colouring until you've reached your desired colour. Mix in a couple drops of white vinegar. Add your eggs - the longer you keep them in the water, the darker they will become. Let dry completely on a cooling rack.

In the meantime, make your favourite chocolate mousse (or try my Orange and Chocolate Mousse recipe). Fill the eggs with the mousse using a piping bag or a ziploc bag with a snapped off corner. Top with sprinkles -- or candied orange, or chocolate shavings, or all of the above. Enjoy!

DIY Gift Wrapping

There's something about doing things at the last-minute isn't there? It kind of gets your adrenaline going and forever reminds me of my years writing Political Science essays during college - I've never written so many 15 page papers overnight! And the less time I have, the more incredibly efficient I become -  does this ring a bell for anyone? I also spent last weekend in New York (my long lost love!) which threw me off my schedule in the most wonderful of ways. Here is one of my favourite photos from the trip - a whimsical moment I happened to come across.

My family flies in from Paris today to celebrate the holiday season and I'm knee deep in last-minute holiday shopping. The wrapping supplies, however, I have covered! I thought I would share an easy DIY wrapping idea - which involves washi tape and a simple candy cane.

And here's a little glimpse of my tree this year - happy holidays!

DIY Easter Egg Decor

With Easter being a handful of days away only, I thought I would share some of the DIY Easter egg ideas I prepared for Style at Home this year. After long work week, I can't think of many more relaxing activities than spending a few hours doing something creative. These eggs all use different simple decorating techniques (using paint, stickers, glitter and tape) and are perfect to make with children or to prepare as decorations for a fancy Easter dinner.

DIY Coffee Table

Regular readers of this blog will notice that I've been sharing more and more home decor posts with all of you. The truth is, I've always been a lover of any creative DIY project, and my love of food has always been linked to my love of pretty tableware. So, it was only natural that I start sharing some of my decor inspiration with all of you! As a regular contributor for Style at Home, decorating is a topic I love to discuss during work hours as well as during my leisure moments.

Gift Wrapping Ideas

It seems that a few days ago I looked at my calendar and September was just ending. How is it almost December? The one thing I systematically look forward to at this time of year is waiting for the first real snow fall. You know, that moment when the skies become white and fluffy, the city quiets down, and thick cotton-like fluffs fall from above in calming streaks? I might not love it as much come February, or March.. or April! but in December it has to be one of the most beautiful scenes nature has to offer.

The first snow fall hasn't hit Toronto yet, but we've been hard at work preparing for the holidays at the Style at Home offices! Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or just time off with friends and family, this time of year usually comes with wrapping a few gifts. I've prepared a few easy ideas to spice up your wrapping skills this year. What do you think? These are all you need to make something personal and pretty without spending a bundle.

To read more about these, take a look at my complete article here.

Holiday DIY project

The holidays are always an ideal time to start working on a few DIY projects. It's usually a great way to save some money but, for me, it's more importantly the perfect excuse to put some time aside to get creative. This is a very, very simple DIY project that will help bring on the holiday spirit. It's just about painting a few pine cones with a soft tone of gold and stacking them in a glass jar. I added a slate label secured with rustic rope. This decor item is ideal to brighten a kitchen counter (that's where mine is right now!) but also looks beautiful atop a mantel, a shelf or on a side table in a guest's room.

DIY Pumpkin Decor

With Canadian Thanksgiving days away and the beautiful Fall season upon us, what better than to infuse our homes with a little seasonal decor? I've put together a few easy DIY ideas using mini pumpkins. To get all the tips to make these centerpieces at home, take a look at my DIY piece on Style at Home.