Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

This recipe is so simple and so good. This is my first time making a Peppermint Buttercream and I must say, I will definitely be making this again before the holidays are over! 

I made a Classic Vanilla Buttercream recipe, which I have a link to here. There is also a link for Chocolate Buttercream as well. I bet the peppermint would taste great with the chocolate too!

The only addition I made to the vanilla buttercream recipe was 2 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil. That's it! This is my first time using an essential oil in my baking. I will definitely have to venture out of my comfort zone more and try other oils. 

To top off my cupcakes I took a few candy canes and put them inside a Ziploc bag and crushed them with a rolling pin. My daughter had a lot of fun helping with this part!

There you go! A very easy, but festive holiday dessert that is sure to impress. 

Faux Fireplace

I know this is pretty unconventional, but I certainly didn't want to waste a good piece of furniture. This is an old mirrored shelf from an outdated dresser. I bought the dresser to makeover, which is still on my "to do list". These old dressers usually sell better without the bulky mirrored shelves. I originally considered turning this piece into some type of foyer storage shelf with hooks for jackets and coats. I even saw someone on Pinterest who turned hers into a hutch on the wall. Nice! I felt this piece was too heavy for a wall though. 

It is the perfect size for a fireplace however! In the deep south we really do not have the need for a fireplace, yet they are so pretty to decorate with. I love my fireplace just for it's facade. I rarely actually utilize it though. So, I assume others out there would find this faux fireplace convenient. Nice soft glow of fire, without all the mess, and a mantle to decorate!

In all the excitement, I forgot to take a "before" picture. This is as close as I got. I barely started so we'll say it counts. As you can tell I had already removed the mirror. We'll get to that in a bit. 

I used Glidden Antique White latex paint. I found this ready made color in a sample size at Walmart. I had no idea they sold premixed colors!