home decorating Archives

Posted on October 15, 2018October 11, 2018 by House Fenway — 2 Comments

Maker’s Monday: Dandelion Wishes Candle Co.

It’s Maker’s Monday time, my favorite day of the week! Monday’s on House Fenway I get the oppurtunity to share another maker’s wonderful shop, amazing talent and product. As the weeks go on I have come to the realization of how important it is to shop small, support local and help empower others to do the same. Buying from a small business helps support someone else’s dream. The product you receive is unique. Your purchase has been created with such incredible thought and passion —something you rarely if ever receive from a “Big Box” store purchase. So with that thought (as I jump down from my soap box), I want to introduce to you this week’s amazing maker, Dandelion Wishes Candle Co.

Meet Dandelion Wishes Candle Co.

When Fall arrives it’s candle burning season in our house! Who doesn’t like the smell of fresh baked Coffee Crumb Cake or Hot Apple Cider in the house? (even better, without having to turn on the oven, dirty the kitchen or wash a dish!) Candles for Dandelion Wishes do just that — make your house smell amazing. Their small batch candles and wax melts are 100% soy-based, which means they burn clean and contain no toxins or pollutants. These hand-poured candles and melts are offered in a wide range scents, here are some of the my seasonal favorites…

**Coffee Crumb Cake:** Rich coffee and sweet strudel make us reminisce about easy Sunday morning breakfast cake. So yummy!

**Lemon Sugar Cookie:** Zesty lemon with a hint of sweet vanilla. Smells like Grandma’s making a fresh batch of lemon sugar cookies!

**Sweater Weather:** A strong warm scent that fills your space with notes of cinnamon, buttercream. vanilla, and a tiny hint of brown sugar. A perfect cold weather scent to make your space feel warm and cozy!

**Woodwork & Plaid:** A masculine scent with fresh notes of Frasier Fir and lemon. Delish!

Special Offer from Dandelion Wishes Candle Co.

Want to try a candle (or 10) from Dandelion Wishes Candle Co.? Tonight only (10/15/18) from 6-9 pm PDT they are having a flash sale. 15% off your order…NO CODE NEEDED!

Check out some of the other House Fenway Maker’s Monday Shops:

Curious Timbers

Gam Gam Handcrafted

The Vintage Nest

Maker’s Monday: Curious Timbers

It’s Monday again and that means another Maker’s Monday here on House Fenway! Every Monday I feature a small business and/or artist, their wares and a little bit about them. It has always been a fun experience meeting other makers and enjoying their creations and I want to share that all with you. The time and talent that goes into each products made by a small business or artist far out ways anything you could purchase from a big box retailer. This week’s maker is a newbie to the community, opening up on Etsy this Summer.

A cute accent to greet your Thanksgiving guests.

Meet the Maker

Meet Curious Timbers, John & Ashley, a husband and wife duo from the heart of Utah. Ashley loves design and John loves handy work, so it was a natural fit to marry their passions together into a business. Curious Timbers specializes in handmade dimensional wood signs. From fancy script lettering to custom seasonal signs, you’d be sure to find something fitting to accent your home.

Curious Timbers also has a wide selection of paint and stains options available to help you match your existing decor. The skies the limit when it comes to customization. Here is a quick preview of current signs offered at Curious Timbers:

Love Shopping Small?

Check out these other small shops that have been features on Maker’s Monday.

Shade Tree Naturals

Gam Gamz Handcrafted

Posted on October 2, 2018October 3, 2018 by House Fenway — 1 Comment

Lock in the Heat This Winter

Now that the weather is becoming cold and harsh outside, we will start to feel chills in our homes in the evenings and it will soon be time for us to turn the heating on once more. We all know that heating is expensive, and when it comes to keeping the house warm and toasty all winter long it can cost us a lot of money if the home won’t lock in the heat. Here are some of the ways you can make sure that when the heating is switched on, that precious heat stays in the house.

Secure the roof

It is incredibly important to pay attention to your roofing this winter because the roof will be the first place heat tries to escape from out of the house. Heat rises, and if you have small gaps in your roof you will lose the heat before you even notice that you have it in the first place. Make sure that you spend some time filling in gaps, stopping moisture from entering the house and also insulting the home too.

Insulate everything

Insulation is the buzzword when it comes to keeping our homes warm all year long, and if you don’t already have enough insulation in your home, you will be losing over half of the heat which you pour into it right away. There are several ways to insulate the house, you can use boards in the walls, use cavity wall insulation and you can also think about insulating under the floors for some extra protection.

Light it up

What’s the best thing about winter in your home? Being able to snuggle up in the evenings with the fire burning and scented candles everywhere. If you want to keep your house feeling cosy and warm all through the winter there really isn’t a cheaper way than to light lots of candles in your living room. You can buy huge packs of tealights online for a small cost and they will last you for a few months as you light up the home each evening and bring in that fiery heat to the room.

Bring in the blankets

If you are on a pretty tight budget for your home this year and you are looking for a better way to keep you and your family toasty, you can go out to your local homeward store and buy some plush blankets for everyone. You could have one each or you can share them and they will keep you all feeling super warm and cosy in the evenings without having to spend a single penny on your heating bills.

Drink tea

A good cup of tea can solve all of life’s problems, and it can also help us stay warm during those unforgiving winter nights. If you find yourself freezing cold in the evenings consider drinking a cup of tea or a hot cocoa and you will immediately feel better. It will warm you up from the inside and it will make you feel super warm and toasty for the evenings.

Posted on September 26, 2018October 22, 2018 by House Fenway — Leave a comment

A Guide to the Best Baking Apples

It’s that time of year again — apple picking and fall baking! With so many apple varieties to choose from, it can be hard to decide which apple is the best to use when baking. The best baking apples offer a balance of sweet and tart flavors as well as firm flesh that doesn’t break down in the oven while baking.

Here is a list to help when deciding what apples to use in your fall baking.

8 “go-to” apples for the perfect Fall apple dish:

Jonathans

A classic American variety, and widely regarded as one of the best flavored with a good sweet/sharp balance. You’ll recognize Jonathans apples by their deep red-stripe skin and classic apple shape. Grown in many Midwest states, Jonathans are a great apple for pies, juice and cider.

Honeycrisp

The name says it all! Honeycrisp apples are one of the sweetest apples around. They are distinctively crisp and firm, holding their shape while baking. Mix Honeycrisp apples with a tart apple like Granny Smith for a stellar pie packed full of flavor!

Granny Smith

These pretty green apples are tangy and tart with a firm flesh. One of the most popular apples for pie making, pair them with your favorite sweet apple for the perfect flavor combination.

Braeburn

This deep red beauty is spicy and sweet. It’s stores well with it’s firm texture and holds it’s shape well while baking. A great apple to eat raw. It makes the perfect portable snack!

Golden Delicious

This golden beauty is sweet with a thin skin. Golden Delicious apples require less sugar in recipes due to it’s innate sweet nature and breakdown quicker in the baking process. These are the perfect apple if you like your apple pie to have a softer texture. Great sliced in salads and to make apple butter.

Cortland

The cousin to the very popular Macintosh, Cortland’s are sweet with a tart aftertaste for a little kick. This red, plump apple has a snow white flesh that is slow to brown after slicing.

Gala

This crisp apple has a sweet, mellow flavor. A beautifully marbled apple is ideal for applesauce and is the perfect apple to eat raw.

Macintosh

Sweet and juicy, Macintosh apples have a thick red skin with a soft, meaty flesh. Macintosh apples flesh is softer in consistency and will breakdown quickly while baking. Pair Macintosh apples with a firm, crisp apple like Granny Smith for the ultimate pie combo.

Ok, now that you are educated on all the apple facts, it’s time to make something yummy and I have just the recipe, Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Crumble.
Enjoy ~M

Posted on September 24, 2018September 24, 2018 by House Fenway — 3 Comments

Maker’s Monday: Gam Gamz Handcrafted

It’s Monday! The day of the week I usually hate, but not now, with the start of House Fenway’s Maker’s Monday. I have something to look forward to at the start of every week. Each Monday is “Maker’s Monday”. I feature a small business and/or artist, their wares and a little bit about them.

Since starting House Fenway 2 years ago, it has always been a fun experience meeting other makers and enjoying their creations. The time and talent that goes into each products made by a small business or artist far out ways anything you could purchase from a big box retailer. This week’s maker is no exception.

This Week’s Feature:

Hettie is the owner of Gam Gamz Handcrafted and is a master seamstress. Decorative pillow covers to infinity scarves, this girl definitely knows how to sew! Gam Gamz Handcrafted carries a wide range of fabric styles to match just about any decor and is always sourcing new prints to keep up with current trends. Hettie’s speciality, pillow covers, are the perfect inexpensive way to transform a room within minutes. And who doesn’t love that?

I have several of Gam Gamz Handcrafted pillow covers throughout my house, but my new buffalo-check cover is by far my favorite. It’s neutral without just being boring “Plain Jane” and can easily be incorporated with seasonal decor from Halloween to Christmas.

From now until Sunday September 30, 2018 use exclusive promo code MAKER18 and receive 15% off your purchase at Gam Gamz Handcrafted.

Love shopping small? Check out another one of my Maker’s Monday shops;
The Vintage Nest