Friday 21 November 2014

Devilishly Destructive Delights Upcycles- Dip Platter

I love a bit of upcycling. Taking something that was once loved and making it just that little bit better. As I mentioned in my previous post, I love Pinterest and I have found it to be a great source of inspiration, particularly around the home. So you can imagine my excitement when I was given the opportunity to make one of my previously pinned ideas. 


Last weekend my Grandma came to visit my new pad and brought with her a whole host of things she had got for only a £1 at her local auction. Amongst mugs and a pestle and mortar she also had this dip platter which I immediately seized the chance of owning. I knew that although it looked a little sad and dated I could make it into something much better and far more modern.


A couple of hours later I had ordered my Chalkboard Paint from eBay for the bargain price of £4. That was all I needed to upcycle this piece. I was eager to get started and was relieved the paint arrived a couple of days later. 


I cleaned each piece and applied a base layer of chalkboard paint. This particular paint is specifically for china and after three or four layers was perfectly covered. I baked it in the oven at 150 degrees for 35 minutes and voila! It was ready. Another great thing about this paint is once baked it is dishwasher proof so pretty much anything can be put in there!


I am yet to write anything on the dishes simply because I wanted to marvel at how good it looks in solid black but at Christmas or when we have our next set of guests over (I'm looking at you Mum and Dad) I will definitely be scrawling all over these bad boys. 

The very best part of this is it was an absolute budget upcycle and I still have over half a pot of chalkboard paint left. I am now desperately looking round for what else I can cover in this amazing paint so keep your eyes peeled...

Monday 17 November 2014

Devilishly Destructive Delights Talks: Homemade Gifts

It's that time of year again when the shops are packed full of Christmas cheer and you find yourselves scouring the shelves and catalogues for the perfect gifts for family and friends, not to mention that Secret Santa you have, that colleague you don't like but have to buy something for and that little old lady who always buys you a box of chocolates. 

But this year rather than settling for the same gift sets and novelty items I implore you to try something a little different. Why not homemade? Handmade gifts have really made it back on the scene thanks to the popularity of shabby chic. This year I've decided to get back into the creative game and make a selection of homemade food gifts for our friends and family.

Stuck for ideas? Don't know where to get your supplies? Well here are my top tips for getting creative and where to shop...

1. Pinterest

Now I heard about Pinterest a couple of years ago but initially resisted the temptation of becoming a member in the fear that it would take over my life and I would upcycle all of my belongings. I eventually gave in and have been a member for quite some time now. I must admit, I am completely obsessed! For those who don't know, Pinterest is an amazing platform that allows it's members to not only search for ideas but also upload their own too. It's not just a place for art but food, music, fashion and much much more. Simply search your interest and you will find thousands of ideas on the page. Want to look at it again later? Click 'pin it' and it will be saved to your very own profile. Find a topic you love and want to see more of? You can pin that too and that will refresh and show new ideas every time you visit your homepage. Here is a quick glimpse at my Pinterest page and my homepage of interests full of other peoples ideas...



I really can't rate this website enough and I would certainly encourage everyone to become members and look for areas that interest them. I have even got the school I work at to become members and I am now responsible for finding new ideas for teachers planning to help enrich the children's learning experience. I effectively get paid for looking at my favourite website! You'll be amazed at what you can find on there- recipes, cleaning tips, home decor ideas and so much more! 

2. High Street Stores

Many people associate handmade gifts with crafters and expensive stores specifically for those with hobbies such as card making, sewing, etc but actually more and more of these things can be found at local high street stores. I often find myself heading down to town and visiting shops such as The Works, Wilkinsons and Tiger for craft supplies and at this time of year they are filling shelves with all kinds of wonderful goodies. Everything from blank cards and envelopes to stamps, you'll be amazed at what can be found at budget prices. 

3. Online Stores

I am an eBay lover and constantly check it for bargains. I have bought so many of my supplies for this years homemade gifts from there. Labels, string, pens, bags, the lot! It's definitely worth shopping around and checking your options. I initially thought I'd found some bargains on Amazon but after I checked eBay I ended up getting the majority of it from there and saved over a tenner!

4. Google Shopping

This tool is my best friend. Whenever I look for a product I always look for it on Google shopping which provides me with all of the shops it is available from along with the price including shipping costs. It has helped me find many a bargain and also introduced me to a lot of great stores.

Top Tip!
One thing I must say is don't be taken in by shops claiming to offer the 'real deal'. Stores such as HobbyCraft and Paperchase, although lovely come with a big price tag which can often be avoided, especially if you are looking for simple things such as cards and envelopes. You don't want to be splashing the cash on the wrong things.

So there you have it, my top tips of where to look and what to do for a great homemade Christmas. I'm in the middle of making my Christmas gifts at the moment so as soon as they're ready I'll be sure to share them with you all. I'd love to hear what gifts you like to create for your friends and family so be sure to get in contact by following me on these platforms:

Twitter: @snazzyspazilla
Pinterest: Ellen Rust
Instagram: @snazzyspazilla

Monday 3 November 2014

Devilishly Destructive Delights Reviews: Tesco Simply

I have a secret. A savvy shoppers secret that up until now I had been able to contain. However after my last purchase I decided I simply couldn't hide it any more and have decided to share it. This secret is the Tesco Simply range which can be found in their frozen department of most stores. Why am I so excited over frozen meat? Well, it tastes delicious and makes an excellent, cheap meal.

I love a good roast but to my mind the meat is expensive. Quite often I put off making a roast dinner or even looking at the meat in stores, instead settling for the same cheap cuts of meat time and time again. However I recently found whilst doing a Tesco shop that I could have a more exciting piece of meat, perfect for two, for half the price I would normally find in the chilled section. Hardly daring to believe it I decided to give Tesco Simply Brisket a try and I must say I am thrilled I did, so much so that the following week I went back to try another item in their range and indeed the following week too. 

So what makes this meat so good and so cheap? Surely you can taste the difference? Well that's what I thought too when I glanced at the small box which apparently contained an entire meal. I was wrong however. The brisket which came frozen in a plastic bag was tipped into a Pyrex dish, forgotten about for an hour and then before my eyes turned into a melt in the mouth sensation. A perfect meal with minimal effort. And do you want to know the best bit? All this only set me back £5.75! I didn't even have to make the accompanying sauce nor did I need to have a slow cooker to make the meat as tender as it was. It was perfect and left Richard and I amazed. 


Next we tried the gammon after having a lovely piece from Asda previously. Again it came in a small box, frozen and ready to throw in the oven and again we had great results. Succulent meat, packed full of flavour and this time it was only £5. Now I am ordinarily hard pressed to try and find gammon steaks for that price let alone a joint complete with garnish. 



And finally last night we treated ourselves to pork shoulder. Pork shoulder?! I can't think of a time when I have eaten this out, let alone in the luxury of my own home. This took just over an hour to cook and was served with mash potato, brussel sprouts and carrots along with gravy using the meat juices and it was beautiful. The meat was tender and the barbecue sauce to accompany it was delicious. All of this for just £3.50. Now at that price you would assume it was a tough old bit of meat but I can honestly say it was one of the nicest bit of pork I had ever eaten, something Richard also vouched for.


It's amazing to think that meat and meals that would originally have been completely out of our price range can be made so affordable and so easy each week which is why I have written this post. There really is no excuse for having a poor meal. You can't argue on price, you can't argue on quality and you can't even say you don't have the time because these can be cooked in a microwave in a matter of minutes! Supermarkets are also decreasing the prices of many vegetables at the minute, with a bag of carrots setting me back only 89p and they can last for a good couple of meals. Want to bulk it out? Get stuffing, potatoes or even more vegetables to pile onto your plates. You'll be amazed at how far the meat will go.

So I emplore you to get out of your boring shopping habits and take a trip down to the frozen aisle to see what bargains can be found, that not only will save you time, effort and money but will also taste amazing too!