#DIY Christmas paper trees

Paper, skewers, wine corks or anything that can be used as a base, a pair of scissors and a hot glue gun - so far so good! If you DIY a bit, you probably have all of these at home.

Any paper will do : music sheets, pages of an old book, cooking recipes, blank pages etc.

I used a page of Pride and Prejudice (kept the pages I cut off when I made the book box for my sister) and some music sheets that I had spare.

Cut the pages in the shape of a triangle - you can decide the size you want.

Make a zig-zag fold and poke a hole going through the whole length of the tree from top to middle of the last fold. Then, pass the skewer in the hole and gently open up the page but not too wide to leave the folding visible.
I've cut the top of the corks to make them smaller, and then slid the skewer in it. It should stay still no problem, but you can put a drop of hot glue if you want to secure it.

With a punching machine, I made little golden stars in some gift ribbon and glued them at the top of the trees. I also glued the tip of the tree to the skewer at the back.

It is an extremely easy and inexpensive little craft project. It's relaxing to make and looks cute.


Ben.

#DIY Christmas decoration with homemade porcelain clay

Christmas is just around the corner. In less than two weeks, I'm flying out to France to spend the holidays with my family.. I just can't wait !
But until then, it's my own home that I wanted to decorate. I am in a white-minimalist phase and wanted to try porcelain clay again (after a failed attempt last year) - we were meant to meet again and this weekend was the time.

Here's how:

1 cup baking/bread soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup of water

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat - you can use any saucepan as all ingredients are from your kitchen, it's completely safe. 
Bring to a gentle simmer and let the mixture bubble for a minute. Then stir with a wooden spoon until it looks like mashed potatoes. Remove from the heat, and form a ball with the dough. Be careful because it's very hot.
Place in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and place in the fridge until completely cold. Mine spent all night in there but I'd say the clay should be cold after an hour or two.

Once the clay is cold, take it out of the fridge and knead it until smooth.
Roll out and use as desired.

Oven bake for 45 mins at 80C.
I have used different cookie cutters in shape of stars and used a straw to poke the holes.

I am thrilled with how they baked, no cracks!

To make the garland, all you need is a pair of scissors, some thread/string or even wire and your clay decorations.

I think that it looks very pretty on the mantelpiece. 


Have fun!

Ben

Questions / Réponses

Frédérique du blog frederiqueandfriends nous a posé quelques questions... pour en savoir plus sur vous, laissez-vous guider par nos réponses ! ;) 

1) Quand et pourquoi as-tu commencé ton blog ?

Madeline : J’ai toujours aimé écrire. Le blog est une façon de le faire bien en s’astreignant à une qualité, vu que, potentiellement, le blog est fait pour être lu. Paris Dublin est né parce qu’avec Bénédicte nous voulions partager un petit projet ensemble. L’aventure a commencé en février 2015 avec comme premier article Des vases aux couleurs de l’hiver.

Bénédicte : We started ParisDublin over a year ago to share our DIY, recipes and heart-stoppers. As far back as I can remember, we've always been creating things at home.
It was Madeline's idea, and I jumped right in, no questions asked. I liked the idea to create something pretty, that can interest people. A platform to share what we do.

It's also a way to do something together despite the distance between us.

2) Printemps, été, automne ou hiver ?

Bénédicte : Autumn. I love the colours, all those shades of oranges, red and yellow; I love seeing the leaves falling on the ground even though I am afraid of slipping on them ;)
I like how cold or warm it can be.
It's like the perfect ending to the warm season and the perfect beginning to the cold season.

Madeline : Automne pour ses couleurs, le printemps pour sa douceur, l’été pour les vacances et l’hiver pour Noël.

3) Que voulais-tu faire comme métier quand tu étais au primaire ?

Madeline : Petite je souhaitais être policière !

Bénédicte : I wanted to be a primary school teacher. How far from it am I! Jeez, it's unreal what you think you'll be doing when you'll be grown up and what you really become.

4) Qu'aimerais-tu avoir comme super pouvoir ?

Bénédicte : I wish I had the gift of ubiquity.
I live in Ireland, I'm from France. I would love to travel the world, but I work full time and have only 25 days annual leave per year.
My super power is pretty self-explanatory isn't it?

5) Ton plat préféré ?

Madeline : Burgers maison ! Avec du fromage de chèvre et de l’avocat !

Bénédicte : Answering this question is absolutely impossible for me. Wouldn't know what to pick.

6) Quelle(s) langue(s) parles-tu ?

Madeline : Le français et voilà.

Bénédicte : French, English, I used to be really good at Spanish (it's a bit rusty), and I'm learning Irish.

7) Ton style de musique ?

Bénédicte : Tricky question... I will not fall into the category of people who say "I like everything", but I have several types that I enjoy listening to.
I love ambiant music, alternative and pop-rock.

Madeline : J’écoute un peu de tout, parce que j’écoute rarement la musique. Lorsque j’en écoute c’est surtout en français, pour que je comprenne ce qui se dit. Sinon, je peux mettre en boucle une chanson, quand le rythme est enivrant, qu'elle soit en français ou en anglais.

8) Ta fleur préférée ?

Madeline : La rose, fleur que mon amoureux m’offre souvent. Ou les œillets ou les tulipes…

Bénédicte : Daisies :) I like how simple and bright they are. Daffodils as well.

9) Voudrais-tu changer quelques choses dans tes habitudes cette année pour respecter un peu plus l'environnement ?

Bénédicte : I would like to have a nice compost spot in our garden - it would make great soil for future plants and would reduce the bins. 

Madeline : Éteindre les lumières quand je quitte une pièce. Papa, je suis désolée, je n’ai pas encore pris le pli !

10) Chien ou chat ?

Madeline : Ni l’un ni l’autre. Sauf si je suis obligée de choisir… alors je dis chat, parce que ça.

Bénédicte : Dog: to have a running buddy that would never say no to an outdoor adventure.

Chemical-free House Cleaning Products

I am fortunate to be from a very pro homemade household. We all have our own little talents and we are quite a crafty family.
My mother would make almost everything herself - from bread to jam, from cakes to apple juice etc. You get the idea.

A couple of months ago, I decided to start getting rid of chemicals around us in the house.
After taking care of what we eat, the type of fruit and vegetables we buy and where, it was time to tackle the cleaning agents.
A friend of mine introduced me to an all-natural dilutable soap - Dr Bronner. I am a big fan already.
I bought the unscented baby-mild version (light blue), but you can find Orange, Lavender, Peppermint. I have added essential oil and the good thing with the unscented version is that I can change my essential oil depending of the use I'm gonna make of the product.

Our house cleaning routine required one all-purpose spray and one toilet spray plus a toilet bowl scrub.

Sprays
- Spray bottle (Ikea for 1€ each)
- 400ml hot water
- 2 Tablespoons of Dr Bronner
- 2 Tablespoons of soda crystals
- 20 drops essential oil(s) - I used lemongrass and lemon; it's highly refreshing.

I added some distilled white vinegar for the toilet spray to all above ingredients.

Toilet bowl scrub - to make as you go
1/8 cup distilled white Vinegar
Baking soda or soda crystals - about 2 Tablespoons
1 teaspoon Dr Bronner
1/8 cup water

How to:

Spray - Add everything to the hot water and stir well. Let the mixture cool down before transferring to spray bottle. Use as needed.

Toilet scrub - Put all ingredients in a jam jar, tightly close with the lid and shake well. Pour all over the toilet bowl sides. Let sit for few minutes.
Using the brush, scrub the bowl and flush down to clear everything away.
I like to put few drops of Eucalyptus once I am done, to leave a nice fresh scent. It seems to be appreciated by my other half.

What I really like about this is that I don't need to leave the room after spraying the sink, bath and toilet; or I don't need to open the window while cleaning. The products won't give me a headache etc. 
It's all natural, better for us and for the environment! How to kill two birds with one stone.

I know it's different and bit out of the normal path. It doesn't get all foamy and may make you feel like you are not cleaning. But it's not true.
The soap works as a disinfectant; it will not kill 100% of the germs, but neither would the store bought cleaners.
I also bought some surgical spirit : perfectly safe for the skin, it is used to disinfect surfaces and objects. 
I don't know yet how it reacts when diluted (I'll keep you posted), but twice a week, in addition to your spray, you could perfectly rub some surgical spirit onto your toilet seat with a cotton pad.

I really wanted to find a glass spray bottle to avoid plastic and be even more organic, but I have been unable to find one so far.. 

Ben x

French version

#Inspiration 7 : Crayons

About three years ago, I caught this terrible disease called Pinterest.. Since then, I haven't been able to shake it off.

I won't keep you long, so briefly, you can find anything and everything you want on Pinterest. I highly recommend it.

Now, i like the idea of canvas, but my drawing skills are almost inexistant. Life is unfair.

So I was browsing in heaven and found tons of ideas; among those, there was melted crayons art. And then, my heart stopped. Colors. Spashing. All. Over. The. Place. ♥

I had to choose, but I ended up wanting to create something like this :

I got in touch with the real artist of the family (baby sister M.) and after few adjustements, she sent me her sketch that I printed off, cut and used as a stencil.

Tadaaaaam !!

But after that, it went south pretty quickly. I used too many crayons, too randomly and my hairdryer was just about to die (which it did two days later - note to oneself, a hairdryer imploses in one big violent clacking sound). The colors just faded into a giant dark heap.

I was holding the crayons the first time. I hot glued them the second time. 

Yet, again I couldn't reach the result I really wanted, so I decided to finish it differently and play with textures and movements.

The grey, blue and white mixed together are gorgeous to me and they look like a big wave.

Here are some other beautiful ideas:

What you tried this DIY ?

Ben x

Marcel would be proud !

Madeleines are one of the reasons why it's good to be French. Easy to make and a fabulous treat for goûter time (one of the reasons why my better half loves the fact that I'm French ha!).

Ingredients

100gr butter
70gr honey
2 eggs
30gr sugar
120gr flour
1 tsp of baking powder

Madeleines mould - mine is a french made silicone tray with 16 (if i remember well) madeleines shaped holes.


How to


1) Start by melting the butter and honey together in a small pan.

If you have a kitchen machine, now is the time to use it, otherwise just use a regular electric mixer or a whisk.

2) In a bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together. Add flour and baking powder, and once well incorporated add the honey and butter mix.

3) If necessary, grease your moulds. Pour some batter in each shape. Leave to rest for at least an hour in the fridge.

Preheat the oven at 220C (th.7)

4) Put in the oven for about 4 mins, until you see a bump on top of each madeleines, then turn down to 180C and bake for 5 more minutes. They have to be golden with a nice round bump. Leave to cool for few minutes and take out from the mould.

I personally love plain madeleines, but if you pump them a little, they can look just that bit fancier.

To create the chocolate shell, just pop one square of chocolate in each shapes of your mould and put it in the oven for few minutes, until melted. Then take it out, and jiggle one madeleine in each shape to cover the back with chocolate and leave them in the mould.
Let it set, preferably in the fridge, for few hours and let the magic happen !

** I have silicone moulds, I have only tried to make the chocolate shell with these, I cannot guarantee it would work with different type of moulds **

Enjoy !

Ben x


french version

Skin Care Week

Happy New Year to you and your families !

I wish you all the best for 2016 - May it be a year of surprises, creativity and happiness.
Take care of yourselves and your loved ones, physically and mentally.
Take the time to sit back and enjoy what you have.

Personally, it is the first time ever that I actually take resolutions (you can find Madeline's here) and really want to stick to them.

One is to spend more time with my creative self and try to write loads of really cool and nice articles for the blog.

We discussed with Madeline over Christmas what we wanted ParisDublin to become and we both have the desire to make it grow bigger and better :) Good news for ye if you like us enough to bare more of us !

On January 1st, I spent a good hour in my kitchen, but not baking! 

I made few small soaps and a gorgeous (yes, I am praising it already) coffee and brown sugar scrub.

I tried the scrub few hours later, before my shower - the smell is heavenly, it is gentle on the skin and yet you can feel the power of the scrub and it leaves your skin smooth.

I would recommend to use it twice to three per week.

Also, please test on a small part of your skin first, to avoid big allergy reactions.

Coffee and Brown Sugar Scrub

You will need:

- 1 cup of ground coffee

- Half a cup (1/2) of brown sugar (I mixed light brown sugar with some demerera sugar to get a more granulated feel to the scrub)

- A quarter of a cup (1/4) of almond oil 

- 1 teaspoon of Vitamin E (optional) **: I used Bio-Oil

- Few drops of any essential oil you like : I used Orange for its smell and properties

Mix the dry ingredient well together 

             >>>>> 

Add the almond oil, the Bio-oil and the desired essence

 

Pour in an airtight jar that you can decorate - especially if you make the scrub as a give away present.

To use: Wet skin and rub the mix over legs, arms, tummy etc. 

When you are finished massaging, rinse out in the shower. For better finish, I would suggest that you hydrate your skin with some moisturizer or dry oil after your shower.

The scrub keeps for about 3 weeks - but you should finish it before then ;).

Gentle Exfoliating Soaps

- Two soaps : any kind

- Wheat bran (roughly 1/4 cup)

- Essence oils (optional - only if desired) : I used Ylang-Ylang for its soothing properties

- A grater
- Molds (cupcakes, ice cubes, soaps etc.)

If you don't use essence of any kind, I would suggest that you pay a bit more attention to your soap then - the smell is a major factor ("Major Factor!" *salute*).

Grate the soaps into a saucepan and melt over low heat - stay right beside and stir regularly in order to avoid any disasters - soap can burn !

Once it is melted, it will form a thick paste. Remove from the heat, add the bran and essence. Stir well and press down into the molds. You can put coffee beans, dried flowers or anything else at the bottom of your molds to decorate the soaps.

You will want to proceed with all those steps fast enough to avoid the soap to set. 

Once they are dry, take the soaps off the molds and wrap them. I went with a nice sheet of thin paper and some see-thru plastic wrapping. 

Feel free to change the recipes around, change the essential oils according to your liking and their properties.
Be always careful of buying oils that can be used for skin care - do not use candle fragrance !

Let us know if you make your own products.

Ben xx


** I used Bio-Oil, but in future I would prefer Vitamin E oil, or nothing. The vegetable oil that is the almond oil has enough good properties to not have to add vitamins. Adding the vitamin E oil is a plus regarding scars, stretch marks healing.
Bio-Oil is a chemical based oil : it's not natural, it's not "bio" - its composition is no better or worse than any shop bought cream. 

It only depends what you want for your skin regime.
I know myself that I will not be using Bio-Oil too often and not in this DIY anymore. When needing a more powerful scrub, I'll get some Vitamin E oil in some health shop.

B.