The House Dressing Company

Written by : Julie Cove

On July 1st the crowds appeared young and old to celebrate our country’s big day with a Canada Day Parade and did we have a fun time!

I don’t know about you but I love parades!  … and our Sidney community sure participates in a fun one!  For many years I entered my store into the parade, made shirts for over 20 of us and passed 1000’s of balloons and candy pieces into the crowd (and we always had a blast!)  but for the last few years I have enjoyed it from the curbside along with my family and friends!  What a treat and the day couldn’t have been more perfect weather wise! With this blog in mind I took some snapshots for those of you that were unable to attend and for those of you that would like to see some of the fun sites once again!

What I love about our parade is the opportunity to see the creativity put into the floats, costumes, routines, music and above all the community spirit that is displayed by all, entrants and attendees.  People are happy and joyful and you can never have enough of this.  I also love the awareness surrounding new businesses, organizations and causes that are exhibited with patriotic celebration in this parade.  Thus I’ve included some of the website links for you in case you wish to explore any of these folks that I captured thru my lens.

The Peninsula Celebrations Society certainly deserves a big round of applause for making this such a successful annual event for our community to enjoy! Thank You!

However, this is only one exciting event that Sidney hosts, our calendar is full of summer events for your family and guests to enjoy. Check it out here and make yourself some fun plans.

I hope you enjoy my snaps of this fun, happy and celebratory event!  Sorry if I went snap happy again but I just can’t help myself!

Here are some of the Links from the Parade photos above;

Flader, Hale,  Hughesman Chartered Accountants

Shaw Ocean Discovery Center

Central Saanich Lions Club

4H Club

Coast Capital Savings

Peninsula Co-op

HMS Booktown

Bell Buoy Barber Shop

Butchart Gardens

Annacortes Sister Cities Association

Written by : Helen McIntyre

Given their practicality, versatility, durability, easy-care, affordability and fashionable good looks, it’s no wonder that more people are choosing to put slipcovered furniture in their homes.

RELAX!! They're slipcovers

Let me start by clarifying a commonly asked question: We, at The House Dressing Company, unfortunately do not sell generic slipcovers that fit over your existing furniture. We however….. do sell tailor-made slipcovers that are designed to fit snugly over our manufacturer’s own custom made furniture styles. These slipcovers will only fit over the specific furniture frame style that it is purposely made for. I hope this helps to answer any questions or to clear up any confusion!

Here, on the Beautiful West Coast, slipcovers are a popular choice for many homeowners. Thankfully, our temperate weather allows us to enjoy the outdoors most of the year and as a result a majority of us want our homes to reflect this casual, natural and friendly environment. Slipcovered furniture does just that and much more…..

A light airy floral slipcover for those sunny, summer days!!

Changing your slipcover with the seasons is an excellent, inexpensive way to completely alter the look of your room! If a warm chenille or velvet feels and looks great for the Fall and Winter……a light, fresh cotton or linen could be the perfect fit for those wonderful Spring and Summer months!! The great part about this transformation is that it’s quick, easy, cost effective, innovative, fun and the second slipcover hardly takes up any storage space! You’ll notice at our store, we carry the complete line of, designer-selected, Rowe fabric swatches. This enables all of our clients to have an enjoyable, leisurely experience while selecting the perfect fabric for their furniture piece.

Rowe Slipcovers fit snugly, so you have all the benefits, without the slippage and loose appearance of most slipcovers, thus blending the look and fit of custom upholstery with the quick cleaning and redesign ease of slipcovers. Take a look at Rowe Furniture’s, very user friendly, website and browse through all of their great slipcover styles. www.rowefurniture.com

You might be thinking……Slipcovers aren’t really my style???!!!!….because you prefer a more tailored, modern look. Well….there is a style to fit into every one’s design scheme. I am one of those people that prefer the more modern, contemporary look. However, I do like and would have Rowe slipcovers in my own home……(if I had a bigger home with more rooms) I really like the straight lines and simplicity of the Grayson and Darby. If you tend to like the more shabby chic look then you might prefer the Montecristo. There is also a slipcovered Wingback and ottoman to cater to those that have a more traditional taste..this is called the Napa. We currently have in the store right now a Masquerade in a “two seat end with a chaise” (which is a sofa with chaise) configuration. This style is also available in many sectional configurations as well as a standard sofa, loveseat and chair. (which is referred to as the Nantucket) We are always receiving new styles…so be sure to come in the store often to see whats new!

For all of you out there that have children, grandchildren, dogs, cats, nieces, nephews or messy eaters in your homes……slipcovers could be the solution to all of your worries! Cleaning your slipcovers is very simple!, but there are a few points you should know. There are a bundle of fabrics that are classified as “Washed Fabrics” …this means that the fabric can be washed normally, in your own washing machine. However, if you decide to choose a fabric that is not a “washed fabric” don’t worry!…you can still clean it. It just means that you will have to have it laundered by a “Professional Upholstery Furniture Cleaning Company”. There are cleaning codes & instructions associated with each fabric and its important to understand and relay this information to the company you are using. Make sure you take note of how the covers are applied so you are aware of how they are put back on. This isn’t complicated, it just makes it easier when you are recovering the pieces.

Slipcovers give you piece of mind and the ability to enjoy the more pleasurable things in life! …rather than stressing about the little things.

It's a dogs life!

Hope you learned something new about slipcovers!! Please feel free to send me a line with any questions or chat with me at the store!

Have a great weekend

Written by : Helen McIntyre

I LOVE FOOD!!! In my mind food is never boring and I am always excited to plan my next meal. My family and friends all know that I have a large, healthy appetite and am always in the mood for eating! When I first met my husband 9 years ago I did not know a thing about cooking, nor was I interested in learning. Now, I love to cook and enjoy spending time in the kitchen preparing new recipes using cookbooks and helpful tips from friends.

Whether you are entertaining a large group, having a cozy dinner for two or enjoying wine with friends, WILDLY DELICIOUS products are always a part of a great, yummy menu plan. There are loads of different mouth watering flavours to satisfy every one’s unique tastes.

One of my favourites is the Caramelized Onion and Maple Confit. The exquisite versatility of this product makes it a must have in your pantry. It consists of deep brown maple syrup from Quebec, folded into golden caramelized onions. It is the perfect condiment to serve with soft ripened cheeses or together with a cold meat plate. On Canada Day, I spread some on top of my grilled salmon. It was absolutely fantastic!

Canadian Caramelized Onion & Maple Confit

We have so many different products in the store right now from Wildly Delicious, it is hard for me to narrow down which the best ones are to focus on! One item which in fact is so delicious that most people do not know what to do with are COMPOTES. They are mainly meant to elevate and compliment, but never mask, the wonderful flavour of your favourite cheeses. However they can also liven up sandwiches, pair with meats and vegetables and the sweet ones can be used with your  delicious desserts. We currently have these Compotes in the store:  Fig, Apple & Walnut and Caramelized Onion.

Delicious Compotes

Wildly Delicious products not only make great additions to your meal planning, but they also make great hostess gifts!! We offer free wrapping at the store for those occasions when you are heading to a friends for dinner and need a small little gift in a hurry!. What better way to thank your host/hostess than bringing an amazing appetizer! Some great ides would be the Warm Dips and  Serving Sets. All you do is gently heat the dip by lighting the tea light and serve with bread cubes, chips or an assortment of fresh veggies. The Serving Sets are great all year round and after the dip is finished you can use the warmer for other things like….mini chocolate/cheese fondues, or your own favourite dip made from scratch. The ceramic warmers are dishwasher safe and very compact for easy storage!

Warm Dips and Serving Sets

Dip Mixes and Spreads Scream Summer!!! Wildly Delicious came up with a great idea to keep your dips cool during those hot sunny days. Simply place your dip in the top and fill the bottom with ice! It’s that easy!! We have 2 delicious flavours of dips right now: Roasted Red Pepper & Feta and Artichoke & Leek. You can control your calories by mixing the dips with a 1:1 ratio of yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream or mayonnaise. Pick your favourite! Yogurt or cream cheese are always my favourite choices! Cut out the carbs completely by serving these yummy dips with a wonderful selection of fresh veggies. Your guests will love these great STELLAR STARTERS!!

Dip Mixes & Spreads

Dip Chiller Set

For a tasty recipe using the Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Dip Mix please click below:

http://www.wildlydelicious.com/wildly_Dip_Mixes.htm

I almost forgot to mention the Cilantro and Chilli Chimichurri Sauce. This sauce is a mixture of fresh cilantro, parsley, garlic, chilli, oil and vinegar. This fragrant condiment is served best as a dipping sauce for steak. There is a recipe for a salad below to try with the Chimichurri Sauce. Have fun and enjoy.

Salads

Grilled Salmon Drizzled with Cilantro & Chilli Chimichurri Sauce
Served over Baby Spinach
Serves 4

Remove salmon from the grill and place on baby spinach. Garnish with additional Cilantro & Chilli
Chimichurri Sauce.

Last but not least…………My other favourite, besides the Caramelized Onion Confit is the Blood Orange & Ginger Teriyaki Grilling and Roasting Glaze. This sauce is both sweet and savory and is delicious! My husband and I had it over grilled Pork Tenderloin the other night. We used some sauce while BBQing and some more drizzled over top at the end. The combination of the different flavours is unbelievable!

Come on by the store and take a peak at all the Wildly Delicious products now available.  We also have samples out of the scrumptious Artichoke & Leek Dip Mix…  See you in the store!

For more recipes and product information please visit Wildly Delicious’s website @ www.wildlydelicious.com

Last week was busy for me and did not post…….. so stay tuned for a second fun blog topic later in the week!