11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
9 Temmuz 2012 Pazartesi
Atlanta Antiquing
To contact us Click HERE
After our daughter's wedding last month we traveled to Atlanta where the groom's family hosted an open house for the newlyweds. Atlanta is a wonderful city with a fabulous downtown, beautiful neighborhoods, and of course, lots of shopping!While time was tight I did manage to squeeze in a little thrift shopping. Here are some of the goodies I found...
My favorite find was this Wedgwood creamware vegetable bowl.
Isn't this a darling piece of pottery? Look at the cute little bird's nest nestled in the handle! 
I found a set of 4 Pimpernel placemats, and this little Italian lady is actually a bell. The clapper is hidden under her skirt.
I love transferware! This red and white Staffordshire plate has images of Salt Lake City where much of my family is from.
Lots of silver!
My mother collects Mary Hadley pottery. These are a couple of pieces I know she doesn't have. Look at the cute little mouse in the bottom of the kitten's milk dish, yum!
And a few Christmas items for the store.
I also found some lovely vintage linens that I'll be turning into lavender filled sachets.
I wish I had had more time to shop, but hopefully I'll be visiting frequently! Come check out my booth #20 at Merchant Square Antiques to see what other treasures I found!
I'll be joining
Wow Us Wednesday
Table Top Tuesday
My favorite find was this Wedgwood creamware vegetable bowl. Isn't this a darling piece of pottery? Look at the cute little bird's nest nestled in the handle! I found a set of 4 Pimpernel placemats, and this little Italian lady is actually a bell. The clapper is hidden under her skirt. I love transferware! This red and white Staffordshire plate has images of Salt Lake City where much of my family is from. Lots of silver! My mother collects Mary Hadley pottery. These are a couple of pieces I know she doesn't have. Look at the cute little mouse in the bottom of the kitten's milk dish, yum!And a few Christmas items for the store.I also found some lovely vintage linens that I'll be turning into lavender filled sachets.
I wish I had had more time to shop, but hopefully I'll be visiting frequently! Come check out my booth #20 at Merchant Square Antiques to see what other treasures I found!I'll be joining
Wow Us Wednesday
Table Top Tuesday
Happy Independence Day--A S'More a Day...Keeps the Blues Away
To contact us Click HERE
Oh the sweet love that is chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers...S'more is a contraction of the phrase, "some more" as in I WANT SOME MORE! According to WIKIPEDIA, the origin of the dessert was first recorded in the publication "Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts" of 1927. The recipe is credited to Loretta Scott Crew, who made them by the campfire for the Scouts.
At Camp High Point a few weeks ago, you've read that I participated in a week-long, volunteer-led and supplied, Girl Scout Resident Camp. One of the coolest features we presented to the girls was a different kind of S'More each night. Here are some great ideas for your S'mores (we didn't make all of these but I wanted to make sure to cover the bases). A huge thank you to the Mena, Arkansas McDonald's for donating 100 of their S'More Pies for us to give to the girls as they left camp on the last day.
Traditional S'More
Toast a marshmallow over an open flame until it is your preferred golden brown (I like mine a little scorched). Place the yummy sweet (scorched) cloud of goodness in between two graham crackers with a slice of Hershey's chocolate bar. I definitely want s'more!
Campfire Cones
Using a sugar cone, toss in some mini marshmallows and milk chocolate chips. Wrap the cone in aluminum foil and warm on a grill over low flames. It shouldn't take long before you have a handy little treat to share with a little less mess.
S'More On the Go
In a snack baggie, toss in Golden Grahams, milk chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. It's like a trail mix especially meant for camping. I accidentally left a bad in the car and found that melting all this together is like a Rice Crispie Treat but in the S'More Variety.
Frozen S'More
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, lay out your graham crackers. Then spread marshmallow cream on each cracker. Place one scoop of chocolate ice cream on each cracker and top off with another cracker spread with the marshmallow cream. Freeze the little sweets to set the ice cream. Perfect for those hot summer nights when a camp fire just isn't going to cut it.
Magic S’more Bars (watch Borden's video)10 ounces graham crackers (18 whole crackers, or two cellophane wrapped stacks)
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 pinch of kosher salt
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large resealable bag (or in a food processor), smash graham crackers until finely ground. Stir in melted butter and salt. Press into a 13×9″ pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
2. Sprinkle on chocolate chips. Drizzle can of condensed milk over graham crackers; follow with marshmallows.
3. Bake for 20 minutes more, until marshmallows are lightly browned. Let cool completely.
Have Your Cake and Eat S'More Too
Prepare a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing on the graham cracker crust described above. Top off with a meringue of marshmallow. S'More Cup Cake!
Brownie S'More
Top your favorite brownie recipe with mini-mallow...easy peasy!
Grilled S'More
Not to be consumed but maybe once in your life...toast buttered bread in a skillet as if you are going to make a grilled cheese. However, your cheese is replaced with Nutella and marshmallow cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. I wouldn't advise consuming this on your own...RICH, RICH, RICH!
I am sure there are more recipes out there...share your favorite s'more!
 |
| Photo by Crystal Smith of Little Bird Studio |
At Camp High Point a few weeks ago, you've read that I participated in a week-long, volunteer-led and supplied, Girl Scout Resident Camp. One of the coolest features we presented to the girls was a different kind of S'More each night. Here are some great ideas for your S'mores (we didn't make all of these but I wanted to make sure to cover the bases). A huge thank you to the Mena, Arkansas McDonald's for donating 100 of their S'More Pies for us to give to the girls as they left camp on the last day.
Traditional S'More
Toast a marshmallow over an open flame until it is your preferred golden brown (I like mine a little scorched). Place the yummy sweet (scorched) cloud of goodness in between two graham crackers with a slice of Hershey's chocolate bar. I definitely want s'more!
Campfire Cones
Using a sugar cone, toss in some mini marshmallows and milk chocolate chips. Wrap the cone in aluminum foil and warm on a grill over low flames. It shouldn't take long before you have a handy little treat to share with a little less mess.
S'More On the Go
In a snack baggie, toss in Golden Grahams, milk chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. It's like a trail mix especially meant for camping. I accidentally left a bad in the car and found that melting all this together is like a Rice Crispie Treat but in the S'More Variety.
Frozen S'More
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, lay out your graham crackers. Then spread marshmallow cream on each cracker. Place one scoop of chocolate ice cream on each cracker and top off with another cracker spread with the marshmallow cream. Freeze the little sweets to set the ice cream. Perfect for those hot summer nights when a camp fire just isn't going to cut it.
Magic S’more Bars (watch Borden's video)10 ounces graham crackers (18 whole crackers, or two cellophane wrapped stacks)
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 pinch of kosher salt
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large resealable bag (or in a food processor), smash graham crackers until finely ground. Stir in melted butter and salt. Press into a 13×9″ pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
2. Sprinkle on chocolate chips. Drizzle can of condensed milk over graham crackers; follow with marshmallows.
3. Bake for 20 minutes more, until marshmallows are lightly browned. Let cool completely.
Have Your Cake and Eat S'More Too
Prepare a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing on the graham cracker crust described above. Top off with a meringue of marshmallow. S'More Cup Cake!
Brownie S'More
Top your favorite brownie recipe with mini-mallow...easy peasy!
Grilled S'More
Not to be consumed but maybe once in your life...toast buttered bread in a skillet as if you are going to make a grilled cheese. However, your cheese is replaced with Nutella and marshmallow cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. I wouldn't advise consuming this on your own...RICH, RICH, RICH!
I am sure there are more recipes out there...share your favorite s'more!
Thursday Scrawl: Turn that Phrase!
To contact us Click HERE
Have you ever heard a song and wished you had been the one to come up with that turn of phrase? Among songs that I am compelled to love if only for their unique phrasing, The Star Spangled Banner is one of my favorites. I have an image of Mr. Key looking up to Old Glory and seeing her still holding her own among the bright lights.
"Oh, say can you see
by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed
at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched
were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare,
the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
Pick a line from a song that has struck you as poetic and write a post using it as your jumping off point. Link up and share the love!
Have you ever heard a song and wished you had been the one to come up with that turn of phrase? Among songs that I am compelled to love if only for their unique phrasing, The Star Spangled Banner is one of my favorites. I have an image of Mr. Key looking up to Old Glory and seeing her still holding her own among the bright lights. "Oh, say can you see
by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed
at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched
were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare,
the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
Pick a line from a song that has struck you as poetic and write a post using it as your jumping off point. Link up and share the love!
Happy Anniversary HD!!!--Daily Love Notes
To contact us Click HERE
Five years ago today at 2 p.m., I married, Chad...you know him as Hubby Dearest. Our love story is a funny and sad one of on and off again for 13 years. Then one day in 2006, HD decided he was never going to let me go if I would give him just one more chance. I am often told I am too nice...well you know what...it pays to be nice! Because I am a forgiving soul, I got to marry my best friend. Because I married my best friend, I get to be the Mama J-Me for Darling Daughter. Because of these two, my life's ambition of being a wife and mother are recognized, embraced and canonized.
The fifth anniversary is wood (TWSS)...so we plan to give each other wood floors in our living room. Goodbye nasty carpet! Also, since May, I have been sending my Hubby Dearest little "love notes" disguised as photos I took of my fingers each day. I share them now with you.
Five years ago today at 2 p.m., I married, Chad...you know him as Hubby Dearest. Our love story is a funny and sad one of on and off again for 13 years. Then one day in 2006, HD decided he was never going to let me go if I would give him just one more chance. I am often told I am too nice...well you know what...it pays to be nice! Because I am a forgiving soul, I got to marry my best friend. Because I married my best friend, I get to be the Mama J-Me for Darling Daughter. Because of these two, my life's ambition of being a wife and mother are recognized, embraced and canonized. The fifth anniversary is wood (TWSS)...so we plan to give each other wood floors in our living room. Goodbye nasty carpet! Also, since May, I have been sending my Hubby Dearest little "love notes" disguised as photos I took of my fingers each day. I share them now with you.
Paracord Survival Bracelet Tutorial
To contact us Click HERE
IT'S CRAFT-TASTIC WEEK AT AUNT J-ME SAYS SO!
The be-all-end-all craze at GS Camp a few weeks ago was the Paracord Survival Bracelet. You know how it works...older girls get this craft because it requires more fine motor skills and all the little girls want to be like the older girls. Heck even this old lady wanted to learn. The joke was on me though! Turns out the gal who can pick up almost anything crafty and run with it was a little deficient in the following directions area. In my defense...it was 2 a.m. after almost 20 hours on my feet in the heat. Thank you to Shutterbug, TuTu, and Lefty for your patience (and jabs) to encourage me to keep trying. "Hi! My name is Dory...have we met yet?"
After a night of rest and several hours working on a sample in private, I finally got the hang of it. In fact, I went a little nutso (NO! NOT ME!) making dog collars, key fobs and bracelets once I arrived home.
Supplies:
Sharp scissors
Buckles (also at the AN story, $.50/each)
Lighter (we used a wood burning tool at camp)
The length of paracord varies depending on your project. The best rule of thumb is 1 in. = 1 foot of paracord needed.
1. Measure your wrist, neck, etc.
2. After you cut your length of paracord according to the measurement you took, fold the cord in half to find your center. Using a larks head knot, attach your paracord to one side of your buckle.
3. Okay, because this is the only way I know how to say this, your buckle has an "inny" and an "outy" part. Release the buckle and run your paracord through whichever end you haven't already used. Pull that part of the buckle to the length you need plus one inch for good measure (ie...your wrist is 8 inches, then make it 9 inches).
4. Now laying all parts flat, you should have two center pieces attached to your other part of the buckle and then two long free-flying pieces on either side of those center pieces. The knot is called a "cobra" stitch; if you know it, then you're good to go. Go here for FABULOUS photos (and better instructions).STORMDRANE writes, "Take the cord on the left side and place it under the center strands running between the buckle ends. Now take the cord on the right side under the left side cord, over the center strands, and thru the loop of the left side cord. Tighten up the cords so the half knot you just formed is next to the buckle. Now take the right side cord under the center strands. The left side cord goes under the right side cord, over the center strands and thru the loop of the right side cord. Tighten up the cords(not too tight, just until they meet the resistance of the knot) and now you have a completed knot. You will continue doing the alternating the left and right sides as you go. If you don't alternate, you'll quickly see a twisting of the knots, just undo the last knot and alternate it to correct." JUST GO TO HIS INSTRUCTABLE...IT'S AWESOME! Or go ask ShutterBug...I bet if you hire her to be your photographer, she'll teach you! ;-)
5. At the end, use your lighter to melt the ends of your paracord to keep them from fraying.
NOTE: I made the key fobs with experimentation, using the scraps that were not long enough to make another bracelet. StormDrane also has other patterns...I think the fish braid is a real wowie zowie!
IT'S CRAFT-TASTIC WEEK AT AUNT J-ME SAYS SO!The be-all-end-all craze at GS Camp a few weeks ago was the Paracord Survival Bracelet. You know how it works...older girls get this craft because it requires more fine motor skills and all the little girls want to be like the older girls. Heck even this old lady wanted to learn. The joke was on me though! Turns out the gal who can pick up almost anything crafty and run with it was a little deficient in the following directions area. In my defense...it was 2 a.m. after almost 20 hours on my feet in the heat. Thank you to Shutterbug, TuTu, and Lefty for your patience (and jabs) to encourage me to keep trying. "Hi! My name is Dory...have we met yet?"
After a night of rest and several hours working on a sample in private, I finally got the hang of it. In fact, I went a little nutso (NO! NOT ME!) making dog collars, key fobs and bracelets once I arrived home.
Supplies:- Paracord, or equivalent 1/8" diameter cord (I visited the Army Navy store! $.12/foot)
Sharp scissors
Buckles (also at the AN story, $.50/each)
Lighter (we used a wood burning tool at camp)
The length of paracord varies depending on your project. The best rule of thumb is 1 in. = 1 foot of paracord needed.
1. Measure your wrist, neck, etc.
2. After you cut your length of paracord according to the measurement you took, fold the cord in half to find your center. Using a larks head knot, attach your paracord to one side of your buckle.3. Okay, because this is the only way I know how to say this, your buckle has an "inny" and an "outy" part. Release the buckle and run your paracord through whichever end you haven't already used. Pull that part of the buckle to the length you need plus one inch for good measure (ie...your wrist is 8 inches, then make it 9 inches).
4. Now laying all parts flat, you should have two center pieces attached to your other part of the buckle and then two long free-flying pieces on either side of those center pieces. The knot is called a "cobra" stitch; if you know it, then you're good to go. Go here for FABULOUS photos (and better instructions).
5. At the end, use your lighter to melt the ends of your paracord to keep them from fraying.
NOTE: I made the key fobs with experimentation, using the scraps that were not long enough to make another bracelet. StormDrane also has other patterns...I think the fish braid is a real wowie zowie!
8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
Top Three Things I've Gained from Pinterest
To contact us Click HERE
What was life like before Pinterest? Dark? Lonely? Lacking in color?
I'm only kidding. Sort of.
I will say, though, that the world of Pinterest has connected me with other bloggers and projects and ideas I never would have otherwise known. There are some, however, that stand out more than others. So, I thought I'd round up my top three because, in my opinion, these are worth sharing.
1. Going 'Poo-Free'
Yep. Weird, I know. Sounds weird if you don't know what that is already...and maybe it sounds weird if you do know what it is already.
Now, I know and am prepared for you to judge me. That's OK. But before I delve into this one, please let me defend myself on one important fact: I am not a granola-crunching, Birkenstock-wearing, save-the-environment, will-do-anything-in-the-name-of-healthy kind of person. Well, I do care about the environment and being healthy but I'm not an extremist by any means.
So, let's carry on, shall we?
A few months ago, I was surfing around on the main page of Pinterest, looking at stuff people I don't know had pinned. And I saw the words 'Poo-Free'. Um, what the heck? I thought. So I clicked on it. A skeptic, I started reading about this lady who started using baking soda and vinegar in place of her store-bought shampoo and vinegar. What a weirdy...I thought. And then I got to the reasons WHY she did it. I'll re-cap, but please read her blog for the full why and how-to.
The three reasons she (her blog is simplemom.net, btw) lists:
And then I read this one. I had just been thinking, vinegar? Stinky! when I read her recipe of a teaspoon of vanilla, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon to mask the vinegar smell. (P.S. This smells AWESOME.)
Well...those got me thinking. I have crazy oily hair...always have. And I lose approximately 28% of my hair down the drain every.single.time. For a girl with thin hair, this is NOT cool.
So I casually brought it up in conversation with Cowboy. Would he think I was crazy? Or weird and extreme? Or would he call off the wedding?
I'm only joking...sort of. So I sauntered through a conversation, throwing in the idea, moving on, then circling back to wonder aloud what he thought of the idea. He really did.not.care.
So there I was, a month before the wedding. And I did it. And do you want to know what? I'm a believer...100%. Here's why:
2. DIY Pore Strips
Also beauty-routine-related, this one has absolutely nothing to do with chemicals and everything to do with budget. You know those pore deep-cleansing strips? You know...the ones you pay $18 for 10 chances to rip the skin on your nose off?
Yeah...I happen to (much to my bank account's and nose's demise) love those.
So when I saw that you could make your own pore cleansing mask (read: not just your nose!) for a few cents, I ran to the store like a mad woman looking for unflavored gelatin. One package of unflavored gelatin + a tablespoon or 2 of milk + a few seconds in the microwave. That's all. Read the original post here.
3. Homemade Greek Yogurt
OK, so I, like many of you, really like the idea of eating natural, non-processed foods...no fillers, no preservatives, no fake sugar. I REALLY like that idea...and more often than not, I try to hold our meals to these standards. You feel better when you eat healthy...you just do. Better enough that the thought of fast food makes my stomach churn. But, there's a certain cost to eating healthy. And we all know, as exhibited by Whole Foods scheme to take the economy down one kale leaf at a time, that organic is usually better...but WAY more expensive.
So when I saw this tutorial/recipe for homemade greek yogurt, I thought, you can DO that?! So I read through the directions. Meh...seemed like a lot of work to me, but thoughts of no preservatives and half-priced greek yogurt conned me into trying it. Turns out, it was actually the number of steps that had conned me. It is SUPER easy, you guys! Actual hands-on time is very minimal. I've done it both in a crock pot and in the oven. That means greek yogurt for the cost of a half-gallon of milk (so, usually half of what a container of store-bought greek yogurt would cost), and NO preservatives, fake sugars or fake "fruit"!
And then sometimes the stars align and this happens:
Yep...I made a batch of greek yogurt for 50 cents that week.
So what about you guys? What kind of tutorials/recipes/ideas/blogs has Pinterest introduced to you that has pretty much blown your mind and changed your world?
I'm only kidding. Sort of.
I will say, though, that the world of Pinterest has connected me with other bloggers and projects and ideas I never would have otherwise known. There are some, however, that stand out more than others. So, I thought I'd round up my top three because, in my opinion, these are worth sharing.
1. Going 'Poo-Free'
Yep. Weird, I know. Sounds weird if you don't know what that is already...and maybe it sounds weird if you do know what it is already.
Now, I know and am prepared for you to judge me. That's OK. But before I delve into this one, please let me defend myself on one important fact: I am not a granola-crunching, Birkenstock-wearing, save-the-environment, will-do-anything-in-the-name-of-healthy kind of person. Well, I do care about the environment and being healthy but I'm not an extremist by any means.
So, let's carry on, shall we?
A few months ago, I was surfing around on the main page of Pinterest, looking at stuff people I don't know had pinned. And I saw the words 'Poo-Free'. Um, what the heck? I thought. So I clicked on it. A skeptic, I started reading about this lady who started using baking soda and vinegar in place of her store-bought shampoo and vinegar. What a weirdy...I thought. And then I got to the reasons WHY she did it. I'll re-cap, but please read her blog for the full why and how-to.
The three reasons she (her blog is simplemom.net, btw) lists:
- Shampoo is a detergent
- Shampoo has all sorts of chemicals (um--read this if you want to know what kind of chemicals)
- Shampoo is an unnecessary cost
And then I read this one. I had just been thinking, vinegar? Stinky! when I read her recipe of a teaspoon of vanilla, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon to mask the vinegar smell. (P.S. This smells AWESOME.)
Well...those got me thinking. I have crazy oily hair...always have. And I lose approximately 28% of my hair down the drain every.single.time. For a girl with thin hair, this is NOT cool.
So I casually brought it up in conversation with Cowboy. Would he think I was crazy? Or weird and extreme? Or would he call off the wedding?
I'm only joking...sort of. So I sauntered through a conversation, throwing in the idea, moving on, then circling back to wonder aloud what he thought of the idea. He really did.not.care.
So there I was, a month before the wedding. And I did it. And do you want to know what? I'm a believer...100%. Here's why:
- It is CHEAP. I just bought a big box of baking soda for 56 cents. At a tablespoon per use, do you know how long that 56 cents is going to last me?
- It's baking soda. If it's healthy enough to be in my food (err...cookies), it will do zero harm to my skin or hair. Picture it (uh, or don't)...your skin is wet, ready to soak in anything you give it. Hey, want to throw some laundry detergent on your head? Of course not! So why would you?
- Speaking of skin--this one took me by surprise. Since I started running regularly a few years ago, I've gone through the worst break-outs on my shoulders and chest (sorry, tmi). When I started half-marathon and full-marathon training, you KNOW all hell broke loose. I would shower as soon as possible to get the grime off, but apparently, the shampoo was only agitating it more. When I switched to baking soda/vinegar, the break-outs stopped completely. NOT kidding.
- My hair
iswas painlessly limp, flat and thin. Now? Not at all. It has a certain healthy body to it. I can't explain it, but it's like my hair was depressed by shampoo (regardless of brand...you name it, I've tried it!) and then when I took it away, it threw a party and started doing whatever I wanted it to. - Want more proof? So I wouldn't have to mess with it when we went on our honeymoon (uh, baking soda + squeeze bottles of water + vinegar + carry on = no thank you), I packed travel sized bottles of regular shampoo and conditioner. Big mistake. I literally undid everything. My hair freaked out and stayed freakishly close to my head, I was attacked by a static monster, and my skin went on strike in form of major break-outs. You know I kissed the baking soda when I got home.
2. DIY Pore Strips
Also beauty-routine-related, this one has absolutely nothing to do with chemicals and everything to do with budget. You know those pore deep-cleansing strips? You know...the ones you pay $18 for 10 chances to rip the skin on your nose off?
Yeah...I happen to (much to my bank account's and nose's demise) love those.
So when I saw that you could make your own pore cleansing mask (read: not just your nose!) for a few cents, I ran to the store like a mad woman looking for unflavored gelatin. One package of unflavored gelatin + a tablespoon or 2 of milk + a few seconds in the microwave. That's all. Read the original post here.
3. Homemade Greek Yogurt
OK, so I, like many of you, really like the idea of eating natural, non-processed foods...no fillers, no preservatives, no fake sugar. I REALLY like that idea...and more often than not, I try to hold our meals to these standards. You feel better when you eat healthy...you just do. Better enough that the thought of fast food makes my stomach churn. But, there's a certain cost to eating healthy. And we all know, as exhibited by Whole Foods scheme to take the economy down one kale leaf at a time, that organic is usually better...but WAY more expensive.
So when I saw this tutorial/recipe for homemade greek yogurt, I thought, you can DO that?! So I read through the directions. Meh...seemed like a lot of work to me, but thoughts of no preservatives and half-priced greek yogurt conned me into trying it. Turns out, it was actually the number of steps that had conned me. It is SUPER easy, you guys! Actual hands-on time is very minimal. I've done it both in a crock pot and in the oven. That means greek yogurt for the cost of a half-gallon of milk (so, usually half of what a container of store-bought greek yogurt would cost), and NO preservatives, fake sugars or fake "fruit"!
And then sometimes the stars align and this happens:
Yep...I made a batch of greek yogurt for 50 cents that week.
So what about you guys? What kind of tutorials/recipes/ideas/blogs has Pinterest introduced to you that has pretty much blown your mind and changed your world?
House Tour (Finally!)
To contact us Click HERE
Oh me, oh my...I've been promising a tour of the new house since...um...October. Then I was kidnapped...by...a wedding beast, but better late than never, right?
For any new readers, let me break this down. I met my (now) husband (we call him Cowboy around here) in December of 2010. You can read the story of our first date here. Less than six months later, he proposed. He moved away from Kansas City the following month, in June, for his third year med school rotations and I followed him here in October. Then we married and honeymooned last month (December). Now we're just trying to adjust to the swing of things in "real life" and trying to figure out how to be a wife and a husband. Needless to say, things haven't settled down in the slightest!
So, finally, I bring you a tour of our first home together! We're only renting since we're only here for 18 mos., so we can't do much to change the walls or anything. Fortunately, our landlord happens to rock and also happens to be a professional (house) painter, so this 1950s ranch is in tip-top shape!
You'll notice a lot of the same things from my apartment tour, so if you want more information on those projects, hop on over there!
I want to preface this tour with two items: 1) I'm still trying to learn this camera, so I'm only allowing myself to shoot in manual mode (hoping I will learn more/faster!). I shot most of these pictures yesterday in the late afternoon when it was cloudy, so the house was a bit dark. I had some trouble compensating for the darkness without overexposing shots backlit by windows...plus, some of them came out grainy, so if you have any tips for this newbie, PLEASE send them over! 2) While I feel we have a great foundation laid, I do feel the house is a bit bare. There's not a lot on the walls yet and there's a couple of places missing furniture (which...sometimes less is more, I know), so I've also outlined any projects I have planned for each room!
So, without further ado...
Front (Spring, come quickly, please!)
Main project for the front porch is outdoor pillows. Cowboy's brother MADE us an awesome porch swing as a wedding gift, so I'd like to liven things up a bit so that it's more inviting once the weather warms up!
Entry Way/Living Room
Main projects in the living room include hanging pictures/art on the walls (maybe a gallery on the wall behind the open front door?) and to give the side table/box (pictured above) a little makeover. I found it at Goodwill for 10 bucks and it's the perfect size for a side table + extra storage! It's a bit beat up with some scratches and dents, but you know I love those! It's actually a shiny silver, though the picture doesn't quite do it justice. I'm thinking a fun stencil or maybe some matte stripes to break up the shininess and give it some visual interest. What do you guys think?
Dining Room
The dining room is the one that feels empty to me and I definitely have some projects planned for this room! First and foremost, I'm going to strip the table. Yeah, I know I'm the one who painted it black (and it looked AWESOME in my all-white apartment), but there are SO many layers of paint on that thing...I'm nearly dying to see what the wood underneath looks like! I will strip/stain the top and probably paint the legs and chairs a different color (not sure what yet). I'm also looking for a killer buffet/sideboard to fill up that left wall and display/hold all of our nice dishes. Again, nothing hanging on the walls, but I do want to wait until I have furniture figured out before I start a war with these plaster walls (yeah, this is also a reason we don't have a lot hung yet...I hate these plaster walls!).
Kitchen
This is a pretty neutral room, thanks to the landlord. Apparently everything that's brown now (all of the trim, the doors, the cabinets, etc.) was a country blue. YIKES. He also just re-tiled the countertops and installed a brand new stove/oven, so we got a pretty sweet (neutral-colored) deal. I don't have anything specifically planned for this room as we actually have hung stuff and I've made café curtains for all of the windows (too bad my windows are overexposed and you can't even see the curtains! haha!).
Laundry Room
This is where my apology for grainy pictures definitely becomes necessary. I did make new curtains for the side door and hung the anchor/umbrella hooks (sidenote: aren't those awesome? It's like our version of his and hers hooks. He's in the navy and well, I think you can figure out why the umbrella represents me. :), so I don't have a whole lot planned for this little room!
Master Bedroom
Mainly, I just want to hang something above the bed. I haven't been inspired by anything specifically yet, so stay posted. :)
Hallway
Just a little fun shot of what's hanging in the hallway since anything hanging is obviously a big deal at this point! I hung a banner I made for the wedding from Cowboy's framed "poems"--one from right after our first date and his proposal poem (see more on that here). The other is a retro poster we picked up in the Smoky Mountains on our honeymoon (we stopped at that church in Smoky Mountain National Park).
(BLUE) Bathroom
I hope you like turquoise! YES, that is the original 1950s tile/bathroom. We even have the gold-flecked countertop! The landlord told us he thought the tile was in such good shape, that he would just paint to match! HA! Oh well, I love color, so I won't complain too much. I've already made a faux roman shade for the window using some cheap mini blinds, so now I really just want to hang something over the towel rod.
Office/Guest Bedroom
Once again, nothing hanging on the walls! (Are you sick of hearing me say that yet?) We also need a rug for this room. I wasn't so much feeling the clutter since I have to spend my entire workday/work week back there, so we actually re-arranged things last night!
Ah! So much better! Just need a rug to cozy up and sound-proof the room a bit.
By the way, those rolling drawers under the desk are actually just stacking metal boxes I found at The Yard a few months ago for only $2.99! We picked up some casters while we were there, screwed them into the bottom and now we have a place to hide all of the junk that will slide under the desk and look awesomely industrial. Definitely worth our $10.
So that's our home! I'm also adding this to the The Tour page, on top of the apartment tour, so you can easily access it later.
P.S. MYU flew past 300 followers this week! Thank you all so, so much for your continued support, whether you subscribe through Google Friend Connect, e-mail or RSS reader...I know there are nearly a thousand of you total, which is crazy and exciting to me. You guys rock. :)
For any new readers, let me break this down. I met my (now) husband (we call him Cowboy around here) in December of 2010. You can read the story of our first date here. Less than six months later, he proposed. He moved away from Kansas City the following month, in June, for his third year med school rotations and I followed him here in October. Then we married and honeymooned last month (December). Now we're just trying to adjust to the swing of things in "real life" and trying to figure out how to be a wife and a husband. Needless to say, things haven't settled down in the slightest!
So, finally, I bring you a tour of our first home together! We're only renting since we're only here for 18 mos., so we can't do much to change the walls or anything. Fortunately, our landlord happens to rock and also happens to be a professional (house) painter, so this 1950s ranch is in tip-top shape!
You'll notice a lot of the same things from my apartment tour, so if you want more information on those projects, hop on over there!
I want to preface this tour with two items: 1) I'm still trying to learn this camera, so I'm only allowing myself to shoot in manual mode (hoping I will learn more/faster!). I shot most of these pictures yesterday in the late afternoon when it was cloudy, so the house was a bit dark. I had some trouble compensating for the darkness without overexposing shots backlit by windows...plus, some of them came out grainy, so if you have any tips for this newbie, PLEASE send them over! 2) While I feel we have a great foundation laid, I do feel the house is a bit bare. There's not a lot on the walls yet and there's a couple of places missing furniture (which...sometimes less is more, I know), so I've also outlined any projects I have planned for each room!
So, without further ado...
Front (Spring, come quickly, please!)
Main project for the front porch is outdoor pillows. Cowboy's brother MADE us an awesome porch swing as a wedding gift, so I'd like to liven things up a bit so that it's more inviting once the weather warms up!
Entry Way/Living Room
Main projects in the living room include hanging pictures/art on the walls (maybe a gallery on the wall behind the open front door?) and to give the side table/box (pictured above) a little makeover. I found it at Goodwill for 10 bucks and it's the perfect size for a side table + extra storage! It's a bit beat up with some scratches and dents, but you know I love those! It's actually a shiny silver, though the picture doesn't quite do it justice. I'm thinking a fun stencil or maybe some matte stripes to break up the shininess and give it some visual interest. What do you guys think?
Dining Room
The dining room is the one that feels empty to me and I definitely have some projects planned for this room! First and foremost, I'm going to strip the table. Yeah, I know I'm the one who painted it black (and it looked AWESOME in my all-white apartment), but there are SO many layers of paint on that thing...I'm nearly dying to see what the wood underneath looks like! I will strip/stain the top and probably paint the legs and chairs a different color (not sure what yet). I'm also looking for a killer buffet/sideboard to fill up that left wall and display/hold all of our nice dishes. Again, nothing hanging on the walls, but I do want to wait until I have furniture figured out before I start a war with these plaster walls (yeah, this is also a reason we don't have a lot hung yet...I hate these plaster walls!).
Kitchen
This is a pretty neutral room, thanks to the landlord. Apparently everything that's brown now (all of the trim, the doors, the cabinets, etc.) was a country blue. YIKES. He also just re-tiled the countertops and installed a brand new stove/oven, so we got a pretty sweet (neutral-colored) deal. I don't have anything specifically planned for this room as we actually have hung stuff and I've made café curtains for all of the windows (too bad my windows are overexposed and you can't even see the curtains! haha!).
Laundry Room
This is where my apology for grainy pictures definitely becomes necessary. I did make new curtains for the side door and hung the anchor/umbrella hooks (sidenote: aren't those awesome? It's like our version of his and hers hooks. He's in the navy and well, I think you can figure out why the umbrella represents me. :), so I don't have a whole lot planned for this little room!
Master Bedroom
Mainly, I just want to hang something above the bed. I haven't been inspired by anything specifically yet, so stay posted. :)
Hallway
Just a little fun shot of what's hanging in the hallway since anything hanging is obviously a big deal at this point! I hung a banner I made for the wedding from Cowboy's framed "poems"--one from right after our first date and his proposal poem (see more on that here). The other is a retro poster we picked up in the Smoky Mountains on our honeymoon (we stopped at that church in Smoky Mountain National Park).
(BLUE) Bathroom
I hope you like turquoise! YES, that is the original 1950s tile/bathroom. We even have the gold-flecked countertop! The landlord told us he thought the tile was in such good shape, that he would just paint to match! HA! Oh well, I love color, so I won't complain too much. I've already made a faux roman shade for the window using some cheap mini blinds, so now I really just want to hang something over the towel rod.
Office/Guest Bedroom
Once again, nothing hanging on the walls! (Are you sick of hearing me say that yet?) We also need a rug for this room. I wasn't so much feeling the clutter since I have to spend my entire workday/work week back there, so we actually re-arranged things last night!
Ah! So much better! Just need a rug to cozy up and sound-proof the room a bit.
By the way, those rolling drawers under the desk are actually just stacking metal boxes I found at The Yard a few months ago for only $2.99! We picked up some casters while we were there, screwed them into the bottom and now we have a place to hide all of the junk that will slide under the desk and look awesomely industrial. Definitely worth our $10.
So that's our home! I'm also adding this to the The Tour page, on top of the apartment tour, so you can easily access it later.
P.S. MYU flew past 300 followers this week! Thank you all so, so much for your continued support, whether you subscribe through Google Friend Connect, e-mail or RSS reader...I know there are nearly a thousand of you total, which is crazy and exciting to me. You guys rock. :)
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)