POP!

Have you seen this yet?!  What a great idea!


Great idea for party favors.  I can see this at a wedding reception instead of tossing rice or blowing bubbles?!

Snaps of Color

Last week I had this CRAZY revelation: I decided to stop wearing all color and just wear black.  All the time.  Now, most of you have never seen my closet but rest assured there are about 11 items that are black and 150+ items that are brightly colored/print/floral/chevron/tie dye/you-get-the-picture.  Honestly, I love walking into my closet because it is an explosion of color.  And since high school I have been a girl who LOVES color.

But...

I have 4 kids and a busy life and as I stood in a clothing store last week looking around at ALL of the prints and florals and colors I felt overwhelmed.  I decided that maybe I could simplify one area of my life and start dressing in just black.  Kind of like a uniform.  I would wake up and simply put on one color!  Right?  It would be so easy.

It lasted for 1 1/2 days.

I mentioned my all black plans to a handful of friends; no one was in favor of the idea.  The running theme was "But...that's so NOT you!"

Turns out they were right.  Black is chic.  And I love the color black.  But to wear it every day for every item of clothing just isn't ME.

So I returned to my colorful ways and I doubt many people even noticed the difference :).

In honor of my love of color here are a few favorite color shots this week.  Gosh color makes me so happy...






(all images from my Pinterest "Just Because I Love it" board)

Fire Escape!

I saw this and fell in love.






The first apartment Mr. S and I lived in was on 25th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan.  It was a fifth floor walkup.  The only "outdoor" space we had (which is a luxury in NYC) was a little fire escape just like this shelf.  Ahhhhhh memories.  I don't miss the fire escape and 5th floor walkup living but I DO love this planter shelf.

Yours at Uncommon Goods for $100.  New York memories not included.

Make it Monday: Candy Corn Inspired Bottles

Confession:  I really really really REALLY love candy corn.  And it is only available for like 6 weeks of the year.  So when I saw this great DIY project inspired by the in-short-supply-candy-corn I knew I had to feature it.

There is a great tutorial on this project found here.  You will need glass bottles (different heights and shapes are great) and three colors of spray paint - white, yellow and orange.

Such a fun and inexpensive decorating idea!

My Favorite Vintage Haunt: Napa, CA

I have a confession to make:  I have been keeping a secret.  A BIG secret :)  But now I am prepared to spill the beans about my absolute favorite vintage/antique haunt in Napa.  For those just joining, I live about 20 minutes from downtown Napa and consider the place an extension of my hometown.  I have been visiting the same thrift/vintage/antique stores there for many years now but ONE claimed my heart long ago as my FAVORITE.

It is called...

Antiques on Second.



I know...killer name, right?!  Just kidding.  Hey, they are keeping their location right there in the name of the store.  They are literally located on Second Street in Napa.  Doesn't get easier to find than that.

Treasures abound here.  Prices range from acceptable to a bit out of reach.  Inspiration fills the entire space.  It is a store where I have picked up brilliant vintage dresses that I will keep for the rest of my life, antique tea towels I have refashioned into cafe curtains, enamel earrings, dressers, tables, signs, small children's size chairs for my playroom, dollhouse furniture for my daughter; I could go on and on. 




(I spotted this treasure the other day and the only reason I didn't bring it home was that I have no current need for a dresser.  Which KILLS me.  Check out that amazing French burlap paint treatment.  Swoooooooon)

RUN don't walk to Antiques on Second.  I'll be right over.

Antiques on Second
1370 2nd Street
Napa, CA 94559

(707)  252-6353

P.S. I am not being compensated in any way by Antiques on Second for this glowing post.  I just really love the store and want to see others fall in love with it too.

Make it Monday: The Best Oninon Rings EVER

 
Recently we discovered a recipe that ensures we make the BEST onion rings ever.  It is very simple.

You need a large yellow onion (the recipe above calls for a vidalia onion but we like yellow better for onion rings).  We have a medium sized fryer but if you don't have a fryer you can heat oil in a pot over the stove.

Cut your onion into chunky rings.  No need to keep those slices thin!  Once sliced, dip liberally in the following mixture:

Onion Ring Batter

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg, separated
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pepper to taste (this is our addition)

In 1 bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking powder. In another bowl, beat egg yolk, then stir in milk and vegetable oil. Combine wet and dry ingredients, stir until smooth. In a third bowl, beat egg white until soft peaks form, then fold into egg-flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Dip onion rings into batter and deep fry.

YUUUUUUUUUMMMMM.  In all the times we have made these they never make it to the table.  Me and Mr. S eat them straight out of the fryer.  The kids have had maybe one.  Seriously, so good.

Once you have let your slices baste in the batter goodness, place them individually in your fryer.  

Lobster Goodness - Sam's Chowder House

My earliest memory of eating lobster was sitting next to my very proper Australian-born grandmother at a seafood restaurant in Northern Virginia.  I was about 8 or 9?  She had ordered lobster tail as her meal - I was on the popcorn shrimp and hushpuppy childrens program and was fascinated with this yummy stuff she was dipping in butter.  And even now, 30 years later, I still remember how golden delicious that first bite of lobster tasted.  WOW.  It made an everlasting impression.

Fast forward to this summer and a visit to Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay, CA.  Our family had rented a beach house in Moss Beach for a few days with dear friends of ours.  They strongly suggested that we all have lunch at Sam's and we happily obliged.  Sam's is known first and foremost for their Clam Chowder (which is divine and easily the best tasting soup to ever cross my lips).  Following closely behind is their Lobster Sandwich, which was supposed to be completely amazing.

When in Rome...so I ordered the Lobster Sandwich.



I took a picture of it as it was placed in front of me.  Good thing too because it didn't last long.  I DEVOURED it and then looked around for MORE.  But because I am a lady I refrained from ordering another meal.  I really wanted to...but my very proper grandmother would not have approved :).

Best lobster meal EVER.  

Gifts To Make To Give

Did that blog title make sense?  I have recently discovered a great site called The 36th Avenue - here author Vanessa Christenson has some fantastic tips on gifts to make that AREN'T corny or cheap or overdone.  I promise :). 

Check out a few of my favorites and spend a little time on this site:

 

 Cupcake baking set for the baking enthusiest in your life.  A great use for all of those brightly colored yet slightly mismatched liners you have collected, plus sprinkles and a few other bits and bobs packed up in a little case.  Adorable?  Check!




Chunky knit bracelet out of thin strips of jersey.  She has included a very helpful tutorial on this simple project that packs a fashion punch.  Awesome?  Check!

 

 Simple yet colorful fabric scrap keychains.  The sky is the limit on size and embelishments for this project.  Best part - a great way to use up your awesome fabric scraps.  Tutorial here.  Awesome?  Check!

There are 25 projects listed here and the three I mentioned were just my favorites.  Check it out and design the perfect gift for someone with beautiful supplies you already have on hand.

Being Alive

Well said, Ms. Winfrey

Watercolor Quilt

Want to see a truly unique quilt? 

I LOVE this.  It is currently sold out...but my DIY brain is already churning.  Maybe take a plain white quilted fabric and paint the circles with tie dye paint (better to get the water color effect than standard fabric paint - also, fabric paint is stiff and sometimes scratchy - this won't happen with dye), then wrap the whole piece in plastic to let the colors set for a few days.  Wash out and presto - tie dye watercolor circle quilt.  I also adore the binding; it brings the whole piece together.

I'd love to try this...

Good to Know: A Roundup

 I want to share a few handy things I have seen/learned over the last week or so.  I mean, who doesn't want a few tips to add to their toolbox, right?

To start things off, look at this nifty idea for hiding a spare key.  Take an empty pill bottle, put a spare key inside and refasten the pill bottle lid.  Then hot glue a rock to the lid (preferably a rock similar to other small outdoor rocks on your property.  Once the rock has dried, dig a hole and sink the bottle in so that only the rock is showing above ground.  Voila!  Hidden key and no one the wiser.  Just make sure that you remember where you buried your "treasure". (thanks to www.savvyhousekeeping.com for the tip!)

Next, do you have an ongoing struggle with weeds in your lawn/flower beds/garden/in general somewhere on your property?  The answer is probably yes; who are we kidding, we all have weeds that irk us.  Have you ever tried this vinegar tip?

  

I haven't yet and I can't wait to.   Someone try this and report back!

Finally, this is a simple yet brilliant idea.  Take a door organizer for your shoes...and repurpose into a snack organizer for your pantry. 

Awesome, right?!  You're welcome :)  See you next time on Good to Know!

Chalkboard Printables for Back to School

It is that glorious and bittersweet time again: the beginning of a new school year.  Personally, this year it is bittersweet for me.  I have loved having my older two kids home for the summer and am in no hurry to pack them back off to school.  If you have school age children, you are probably going to grab your camera/smart phone on the first day of school to capture their excited smiles, all decked out in new clothes and backpacks.  

This year I happened upon some great free printables over at Yellow Bliss Road.  There is a chalkboard drawn printable for each grade level, even preschool.

 The instructions for downloading are simple and clear; printing was a snap.  And my trying-to-be-cool-on-the-first-day-of-school-kids LOVED holding them up for their annual snaps.  Proof: