Embroidery Hoop Wreath

August 15, 2019 By Linda Leave a Comment

Embroidery Hoop Wreath DIY – How To Make Embroidery Hoop Wreath With Faux Eucalyptus & White Roses.

For the next four years I’m going to try and spend as little as possible on craft supplies. Let me count the reasons why:

#1 – College. While my first child graduated from college in the spring, my second (and last) child starts her freshman year next week. And with the start of college comes the tuition bill. And this time around the bill is bigger. Gulp. So I’m going to be scrimping, scraping … and praying that nothing big decides to malfunction around the house. Fingers crossed.

#2 – Random Craft Supplies. I have boxes and bins and drawers and shelves filled with various crafting supplies. Things that I thought I wanted to make but never made. Supplies for things I thought I wanted to make, never made … and now can no longer remember what I wanted to make! There’s extra supplies from things I did make. And then there are craft supplies I bought with absolutely nothing in mind; I just thought they were cute.

#3 – Ad Revenues. I’m not sure what’s going on (and it’s probably because I’ve taken a couple of very extended breaks from blogging over the past year … or perhaps things are just slow in the summer and I never noticed before), but my blog ad revenue took a nose dive these past few months.

#4 – College + Ad Revenues. Did I mention college? 🙂 And did I mention ad revenues? Because those ad revenues are what I use to cover that college tuition. And when ad revenues are down … well, my stress levels go up! Fingers crossed (I’m doing a lot of that lately) things will pick up for the upcoming holiday season.

#5 – Recession? I haven’t fulled recovered from the last one and I feel like I’m always looking over my shoulder for signs of the next one …

So I’ve decided I’m going to be much more frugal. I’m going to dig through those boxes and bins and drawers and shelves and (for the most part) craft with what I have. And what I don’t have, I’ll spend as little as possible to acquire.

Take this embroidery hoop wreath craft.

I picked up those hoops years ago. One of those I can’t remember what I wanted to make left over craft supply. The faux eucalyptus leaves were purchased in the spring, long before I started panicking about college tuition! The faux roses are from the dollar store; again picked up years ago. The only ‘new’ craft supply purchased for this project are the faux eucalyptus stems. They were a very frugal $3.19 (link in materials list).

How To Make An Embroidery Hoop Wreath

Materials*

Embroidery Hoop

Faux Eucalyptus Stems

Faux Eucalyptus Leaves

Faux Roses

Florist Wire

Floral Tape

Wire Clippers

Jute or Rope for Hanging

*some affiliate links included.

How To Make Embroidery Hoop Wreath With Faux Eucalyptus & White Roses.

Attach eucalyptus stems to bottom of hoop using florist wire.

Cover wire with floral tape.

Strip the rose stems of the plastic coating. Then remove the wire.

Use florist wire to replace the original faux rose wire.

Make a little loop thing at the end so the wire stays put.

Attach roses to hoop.

Add a jute loop and bow and hang.

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You can find all my craft projects at this link …

Vegetarian California (un)Roll Buddha Bowl Salad

August 13, 2019 By Linda 1 Comment

Vegetarian California (un)Roll Buddha Bowl Salad – Asian Salad Recipe Ideas.

Vegetarian California (un)Roll Buddha Bowl Salad - Sushi Salad Recipe - Sushi Salad Buddha Bowl - Asian Salad Buddha Bowl

It’s been six days since I’ve eaten a vegetable.

I know, I know. Nothing to brag about.

I guess … technically … I may have consumed a pea here and a carrot there (in shrimp fried rice). And does the tomato sauce on pizza count as eating a vegetable?

But then again, isn’t tomato actually a fruit?

Speaking of fruits, not much in the way of fruit passed through through these lips over the past six days either.

Here’s the deal: The past six days was spent visiting my 86-year-old mother and my 88-year-old father in Florida. Before we left, I didn’t form or even think of an eating plan in advance. I went with a go with the flow attitude. I just didn’t realize go with the flow meant zero vegetables …

I think my body is in shock. I also think my body is about 5 pounds heavier than when I left!

I could verify that, but I’ve been avoiding the scale lately! 😉

Let’s just say my clothes are a little snug.

So today I’m back in Chicago and back to my veggie filled Buddha Bowl lunch routine. And this vegetarian California (un)Roll Buddha Bowl salad is one of my favorites! I eat this at least once (and sometimes twice!) a week.

Print Recipe

Vegetarian California (un)Roll Buddha Bowl Salad

Course: Salad

Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 cup cooked sushi rice
1/4 cup Marukan seasoned gourmet rice vinegar
1/2 medium avocado, sliced
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 medium cucumber, sliced
1-2 cups lettuce
sesame seeds (optional)
1-2 tbsp Marukan seasoned gourmet rice vinegar

Instructions

Make sushi rice according to package instructions. Once cooked, mix in 1/4 cup of Marukan seasoned gourmet rice vinegar. Set aside 1 cup for salad and store remaining rice in fridge.
Layer 1-2 cups of shredded lettuce/greens in bottom of bowl. Add 1 tbsp of Marukan seasoned gourmet rice vinegar and mix.
Arrange avocado, shredded carrots and cucumber to outer edges of bowl (on top of lettuce). Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of Marukan seasoned gourmet rice vinegar.
Add 1 cup of sushi rice to center of bowl.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional)

So, my favorite part of this Buddha bowl is the seasoning …. specifically the Marukan Seasoned Gourmet Rice Vinegar. It adds a little sweet and a little salty taste to the rice and veggies. Here’s what is looks like …

Seasoned Rice Vinegar - Sushi Rice Vinegar

And here’s an affiliate link on Amazon (click here). Though I found mine at the supermarket. I’m pretty sure other brands offer similar rice vinegar formulations. Just check the ingredients list for sugar and salt.

And as I type that it suddenly doesn’t sound quite as healthy!

Ah well. This is coming from a girl who went six days without nary a vegetable! But I do think the seasoned rice vinegar makes the whole vegetarian California (un)Roll Buddha bowl salad so much tastier!

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Vegetarian California Roll Buddha Bowl Salad - Sushi Salad Recipe - Asian Salad Recipe with Sushi Rice, Avocado, Carrot, Cucumber, Sesame Seeds and Seasoned Rice Vinegar

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Succulent & Seashell Mason Jar Planter

August 8, 2019 By Linda 1 Comment

Succulent & Seashell Mason Jar Planter – Mason Jar Planter Ideas.

Every few years, I like to try my hand at growing things. Again.

Translation: Every few years I contract a bout of amnesia and forget I do not have a green thumb.

And this year is “every few years.”

I started on my “I Can Grow Things” spree with my front and back yards. My track record of growing grass is not … well … not strong. So this year I decided to try again. For the umpteenth time.

Translation: When I say I’m trying again to grow grass in my front and back yards that means I doled out a ridiculous amount of cash to a landscaper to try and take back my yard from the weeds and plant grass seed in the front, and sod in the back.

The experiment is still in the early stages, but I have to say there is quite a bit of green going on around here!

Translation: There was quite a bit of green going on until (1) the dog peed on the sod out back and; (2) the city of Chicago finally got around to trimming my (technically their) tree out front and left a 6 foot pile high of branches on the newly-seeded-and-growing parkway grass for the weekend.

But before the dog and the city’s Bureau of Forestry decided to test my resolve, I felt empowered … emboldened … to try my very own hand at planting some succulents. In a mason jar. With seashells.

No large sums of money were doled out for this project. 🙂

How To Make A Succulent & Seashell Mason Jar Planter

Materials*

Pint Size (16 oz) Mason Jar

Pea Gravel or Aquarium Gravel

Seashells

Potting Soil

*affiliate links.

Add pea gravel (or aquarium gravel).

Add seashells.

Add potting soil and succulent.

Water.

I also made some using sea glass that I shared on the other blog, Mason Jar Crafts Love …

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Why I Chose My House

August 6, 2019 By Linda 22 Comments

I would like to think this fabulous idea of telling you all (finally) about how and why I (and we) chose my (and our) house was all mine. But, alas, that honor goes to the very fabulous and talented Jennifer at Town and Country Living.

And you can read all about why Jennifer chose her historic home here …

This week she’s organized a bunch of us bloggers to share the tales of how and why we fell in love with our homes. You can find links at the end of the post.

So, on to my story …

Now, many of you who stop by regularly have heard me moan and bemoan about my Chicago home. It’s old. It’s creaky. It’s drafty …

and, it’s (technically) a tear-down in my now very gentrified Lakeview neighborhood. So I’ve been reluctant to make any large investments. Lately, it’s been a lipstick on a pig situation.

Sorry house!

But it wasn’t always so. There was a time when I swooned over this house!

I was going to correct the headline to include a “we” and “our” because Mike did play a role too. But then I remembered that … technically … I really did choose this house!

Well, at first that is.

Mike was on a business trip when the realtor called insisting she found our first home. So I rushed over (alone) after work to take a look.

It was love at first sight.

Not to mention love at first neighborhood.

I fell in love with the tree lined street. I fell in love with the cast iron fence. I fell in love with the refurbished Victorian right next door. And the house next to that? Yeah, I fell in love with their white picket fence.

Swoon!

As far as I was concerned, it wasn’t just a house I was buying. I was buying the entire block and the entire neighborhood.

And after 25 years (we originally had a 5-7 year plan) I’m still in love with the neighborhood. The block. And (most) of my neighbors. 😉

Shall we step inside?

The interior looks nothing like the house we bought.

Decor wise.

Style wise.

And detail wise.

In the entry we embarked on our first big DIY experiment: installing faux board and batten molding.

In our space-challenged home, it offered up a great storage solution for the kids coats and backpacks.

Okay, they still threw them on the floor. But at least mom now had hooks to pick them up and hang them on!

And we liked the board and batten look so much …

we installed it in the living room too!

The big windows are nice for letting in light, but we’ve never been a fan of casement windows.

Ah well. Twenty-five years later and we’re still living with them!

This is the space I call my office (since I don’t have a space to call an office). It’s where the proverbial magic happens!

Oh, and that side table is usually piled high with notes and papers and cans of diet Coke!

Did I mention we liked board and batten? Yup. We installed it in the dining room too!

Our house is a railroad set up which means the rooms are stacked back to back. So the dining room is probably the least used but most visited space in our place!

And through that French door is the family room we added on when I found out I was pregnant with #2. I don’t have pictures to share today because my son (who was two-years-old when we built that addition) came home from college and set up his electronics back there! 🙂

Here’s the view from the dining room through to the living room …

But what really sold us on this house …

what really made us realize we needed to live here …

was the screen porch out back.

This is actually our second screen porch. We had to tear down the original and build new for that family room addition.

Thank you so much for visiting my home! And be sure to check out my blogging friends to learn why they chose their homes …

Monday’s Homes

Town and Country Living / Designthusiasm / StoneGable

Tuesday’s Homes

The Happy Housie / The Wicker House / Sincerely Marie Designs

It All Started with Paint / Maison de Cinq / Jennifer Rizzo

Wednesday’s Homes

Worthing Court / The Happy Housie Cabin / Duke Manor Farm

Robb Restyle / Shabbyfufu

Summer Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold

August 1, 2019 By Linda 7 Comments

Summer Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold – Table Setting Ideas for Screen Porch

Sometimes I’m so behind the decorating trends, that I often find myself ahead of them.

Does that make sense?

A decorating/color/craft idea comes along and I miss it. Completely. Whoosh, over my head miss it.

Summer Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold - Summer Table Setting Ideas

But then I get something in my head that I can’t shake.

Perhaps I was influenced by that trend I missed after all?

Perhaps it just takes my mind a little extra time to compute, appreciate and embrace that decorating/color/craft idea?

And when I say a little extra time, I really mean years … and even decades! 😉

Gold Lantern, Succulent Place Card Holder, Grosgrain gray white striped napkin, gold flatware - Summer Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold - Summer Table Setting Ideas

Take gray, for example.

Gray has been trending since the first day I started this blog eight years ago. And was probably trending before then (though I wasn’t paying much attention). And while everyone was painting everything within reach warm gray and greige tones …

I was slathering the very cool-toned and very dark navy on my walls.

Now, I’ve finally turned the tables and am embracing gray just as …

wait for it …

Gold Lantern, Succulent Place Card Holder, Grosgrain gray white striped napkin, gold flatware, faux eucalyptus centerpiece - Summer Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold - Summer Table Setting Ideas

navy starts trending.

For real!

Sigh.

On the plus side, navy & gray/greige do place nice together!

So am I very pathetically behind the decorating trend when I finally painted my walls gray almost a decade after everyone else?

Or was I ahead on the navy trend?

Am I decorating savant? Or perhaps I just sing to a different decorating tune? Follow my own way …

And will I regret my gray wall decision in a year or two when beige and brown (god forbid) comes back?

Hmmmm…

But as I was creating these gold paint dipped terracotta place card holders that I used in this summer table setting in gray, white, gold, I got to thinking …

is the paint dip trend still a trend?

Or has it landed on one of those evil lists that keep telling me mason jars are so not hot anymore?

And yet, here I am finally … finally … paint dipping something, just as paint dipping something is sooooooo 2015.

Maybe I can bring it back again?

And who knows? Next week this not-so-trend-setting-trend-setter might just be back here with a coffee filter wreath tutorial. 😉

I never made one of those, so I’m only about 10 years behind on that decorating trend! 🙂

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Easy Distressed Terracotta Pots

July 30, 2019 By Linda 5 Comments

Easy Distressed Terracotta Pots – How To Age Flower Pots Tutorial

Easy distressed terracotta pots - how to age flower paints with paint and sandpaper

Let me set the scene for you:

It’s a gorgeous summer day. Like a day you wish each and every day could be like. Like a day you want to retire to … and a day that has you wondering exactly what city, what state, what country, what island you could you move to that would guarantee you a full year of days just like this day.

Or at least 300 days out of 365 like this day.

It’s sunny (of course). Temperatures are in the mid-70’s. There’s a slight breeze; just enough to rustle a few leaves. Absolutely zero humidity.

Am I right? Did I not just describe the perfect day.

I’m out the back porch working on this easy distressed terracotta pot project, listening to the sounds of the city around me.

Birds are chirping. I can hear the garbage truck working it’s way down the alley. The dogs next door start barking when they see me. Across the alley I hear the little voices kids playing out on the second floor balcony.

In the distance, I hear a drumbeat. And not the tom tom kind. But a full on rock and roll riff.

And as I “paint’ these terracotta pots … and I use the word paint very loosely because I’m basically just dry brushing and cross hatching away … that rock and roll rift picks up speed and volume. So I start dry brushing faster and faster along with the beat.

And the little voices across the alley on the second floor balcony hear the drums too. And they call out for the drummer to stop.

But I’m digging it. It the perfect background music for this particular project. And in no time at all, I’m done.

And the music ends.

But now the little kids with their little voices on the second floor balcony across the way call out, “hello person.”

Are they calling out to me? Perhaps another neighbor is working in their back yard too?

I wave. And they wave back.

So yes, they were calling out to me! The perfect icing on the perfect day.

End of scene.

P.S. I add a little drum riff tune to the video tutorial to help set the mood for you too!

Easy Distressed Terracotta Pots Tutorial

Materials*

Terracotta Pots & Saucers

White Chalk Paint

Chip Brush

80 Grit Sandpaper

*includes some affiliate links

Start with paint. I prefer chalk paint because it’s easy to work with and dries incredible fast. But you can use an acrylic paint too. Just use a matte finish.

Using a chip brush, dry brush on pot in cross hatch pattern. Don’t worry, you can’t make a mistake.

Keep painting until you get your desired look. I went a little heavier on the paint, but made sure some terracotta color still shows through.

Don’t forget to paint the saucer too!

Optional: Distress with 80 grit sandpaper. I just hit a few of the edges around the top rim and bottom.

Easy distressed terracotta flower pots - age flower pots with chalk paint and sandpaper

Just add plants to finish them off!

Now back to finding the perfect city/state/country/island where I can find the perfect day, day after day …

I’d also like someplace that I can enjoy the sounds of the city in the background …

and little voices calling out “hello person.”

Rock and roll drum riff optional.

🙂

Pin It!

Easy Distressed Terracotta Pots - How To Age Flower Pots with Chalk Paint - DIY Aged Terracotta Flower Pots

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Screen Porch in Gray & White

July 25, 2019 By Linda 10 Comments

Screen Porch in Gray & White – Decorating Ideas for Screen Porch

I used to be all about the summer. The sun. The sand. The tan.

Not so much anymore.

But then again I used to be a size 2.

I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking there might be a correlation between the two. Or 2. 😉

But when I say I was all about the summer I mean I was All. About. The Summer.

I would spend the other three seasons of the year dreaming about the summer. Plotting and planning for the summer. Scrimping and saving so I could rent a house at the beach for the summer (typically with 10 or 12 other people, some of whom I would meet for the first time on that first day of summer).

And when summer would finally arrive … after so much plotting, planning and anticipation … I would spend the summer perfecting the perfect tan.

It was all about the summer tan.

But then I grew up. Had kids of my own. Discovered the dangers of tanning and the protections of sun block. And all that plotting and planning and scrimping and saving came to an end.

Oh, and did I mention the size 2 got lost somewhere in between the growing up and the having kids? Um huh.

And then one day I turned on the TV and there was the tan mom from New Jersey. Remember her? Scary stuff. And a total wake up call for this suntan chasing girl!

Now I’m more about Spring. And Fall …

and Spring and Fall sweaters to cover up that no longer size 2 suntan-less pale body of mine! 🙂

And our screen porch — all decked out in gray and white Cabana stripes this year — is perfect for keeping the sun out during the Summer.

And Spring.

And Fall. 🙂

Screen Porch Shopping Sources*

*includes some affiliate links

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Succulent Place Card Holders

July 23, 2019 By Linda 10 Comments

Succulent Place Card Holders – Gold Dipped Terra Cotta Pot Planters

I created a video!

I know, I know. No big deal, right?

Nothing to jump up and down about, right?

Nothing to phone home about, right?

I mean, let’s get real here: people have been making videos for decades. Just look at the success of YouTube. Not to mention all the videos flooding Instagram and Facebook feeds.

People have actually gained fame … and fortune … for their video creations.

As the saying goes, you can’t swing a dead cat online without hitting a video!

So my little video is really not a big deal. But then again (for me) it feels like a pretty big deal.

You see, I noticed some blogs started featuring “My Latest Video” videos as part of their blog posts. And I wanted to get in on the action. Only problem?

Where to start!

What I did know: I didn’t want to actually shoot video footage. Instead, I wanted to use still images from my blog posts and turn them into a video slide show with music and text.

Now, many years ago, I recall working with Windows Movie Maker with the kids on school projects. But, alas, Windows Movie Maker is no more.

After much Googling and watching many, many how to make a video tutorials, I settled on the Microsoft Photo app (which I used on my laptop, not phone). There are limitations when it comes to fonts and font size and font placement. And you need to find your own free music sources …

perhaps one day I’ll offer my own video tutorial on how to turn a blog post into a video slide show using Microsoft Photo app …

but at the end of the day. I’m pleased.

For the most part.

And if anyone has a better program or app I should look into, please let me know! Preferable something free that offers more flexibility with fonts and font placement!

For my first video, I turned my how to make a succulent place card holder tutorial (below) into a slide show with music and text (above) …

How To Make A Succulent Place Card Holder

Materials*

Potting Soil

Painter’s Tape

Alphabet Rubber Stamps & Ink Pad

*includes affiliate links

Succulent Place Card Holders - Gold Dipped Terracotta Pots Table Setting

Step 1: How To Make Gold Dipped Terracotta Pots

Use Washi tape (which is more flexible than painter’s tape on these mini pots) to tape off area to be gold “dipped” (which means spray painted).

How to Make Succulent Place Card Holders with Mini Terracotta Pots Gold Dipped

Use painter’s tape to tape off the top of the terracotta pot.

Spray with gold spray paint. Remove tape when dry.

How to Make Succulent Place Card Holder Table Setting

Step 2: Plant Succulents

Add a little bit of potting soil to bottom of mini terracotta pots.

Add succulent. Water lightly.

Using Craft Wire to Make Place Card Holder Succulent

Step 3: How To Make Custom Place Cards & Place Card Holder

Wrap light gauge craft wire around end of pencil three times.

Squash the rings together (yes, my very technical “squash” term is used here!

Use card stock paper and mini stamps to make place cards.

Slip into craft wire holder.

Add to succulents.

And that’s it!

And it feels like (to me) that I made two projects in one!

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Succulent Place Card Holders - Gold Dipped Mini Terracotta Pots Place Card Holders - How to Make Simple Place Card Holders for Summer Table Setting

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Cabana Stripe Gray & White Envelope Pillow Tutorial

July 18, 2019 By Linda 5 Comments

Cabana Stripe Gray & White Envelope Pillow Tutorial – How To Sew A Pillow Cover

I love me a Cabana Stripe.

Doesn’t it just scream summer?

And not just any old summer. The cabana stripe is so not the Seaside-Heights-Atlantic-City-of-Jersey-Shore-fame summer. It’s more like a Saint-Tropez summer. Or a Cannes summer. Or a Martha’s Vineyard summer …

in my mind’s eye, I envision lots of cabana stripes on the Kennedy compound, back in the day.

Cabana stripes can even be a Spring Lake, NJ summer.

In fact, I’m pretty sure I spotted a few of those distinctive wide stripes on an awning or two back when I was a Jersey shore beach bum.

I haven’t yet found the Midwest equivalent of the cabana stripe summer. But I’m pretty sure I could find some cabana stripes along the North Shore (just north of Chicago where our many of our local high society folks call home). I can’t confirm since I’m still awaiting my invite to a summer soiree at one of the many mansions dotting the lakefront. 😉

And Lake Geneva in Wisconsin seems ripe for a wide cabana stripe or ten.

All this talk of cabana stripes has me thinking about how different stripes can conjure different emotions.

Take pin stripes. They can either go buttoned-up corporate business suit …

or a carefree day at the ballpark cheering on your favorite team with a hot dog in one hand and a beer in the other.

Candy stripes remind me of my sister’s Candy Striping days.

And zebra stripes are … well … a whole different kind of New Jersey summer. One you would definitely experience in Seaside Heights and Atlantic City! 😉

But back to cabana stripes. I typically think of them in nautical colors (like the navy and white my screen porch sported last year) or summer yellow and white. But I think my new gray and white cabana striped pillows offer a similar summery vibe …

Cabana Stripe Gray & White Envelope Pillow Tutorial

The fabric used in this tutorial is Premier Prints Indoor/Outdoor vertical stripe in gray and white, with 3″ wide stripes for a 6″ repeat. You can find the fabric at this affiliate link ….

Let’s just start this envelope pillow tutorial with a disclaimer: When it comes to making pillow covers, I just wing it. No patterns used. Just me, my tape measure, my scissors, my pins, and my sewing machine. Oh, and thread too!

I start by measuring the length and width of my pillow form. I’m using a 20 x 20 Ikea down pillow inseert (click here for Ikea pillow insert found on Amazon).

So I cut a piece of fabric 21″ wide x at least 50″ long.

Now fold the fabric around the pillow insert (with right sides of fabric touching the pillow) and pull tight(ish) for a snug fit. On the back side of the insert, overlap the fabric at least 5″ and then fold back a layer to create a clean seam. Pin in place.

Carefully remove fabric from pillow form, keeping it folded in thirds. Lie flat, right sides together.

With right sides of fabric together, adjust your folds until the center piece of the fabric measures 19 1/2″ in total length. (I like a tight fit slip cover when using a down pillow insert, so I sew the seams a 1/2″ smaller than the pillow insert dimensions).

With right sides together, iron flat.

Iron center overlap seam (where the pocket insert for the pillow form will be) flat too.

Trim off excess fabric from center seam pocket.

Now refold fabric along the center seam, so the finished ironed edge is on the inside.

This will make sure when you sew the side seams together, the clean finished edge will be on the outside of the envelope pocket.

Pin right sides together.

Sew side seams together. I used a 3/4″ seam allowance on both sides for a finished 19 1/2″ width.

Turn right sides out and press. Here’s a shot of the envelope opening.

And now my back porch feels just like Saint-Tropez.

Okay, that’s a stretch. Maybe more like Lake Geneva.

Or, better yet, one of those North Shore lakefront masons I’m still awaiting my party invite to! 😉

Pin It!

Cabana Stripe Fabric - Gray and White Cabana Striped Fabric - Pillow Cover Tutorial - How To Make and Envelope Pillow Cover

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Mediterranean Vegetarian Quinoa & Hummus Buddha Bowl

July 16, 2019 By Linda Leave a Comment

Mediterranean Vegetarian Quinoa & Hummus Buddha Bowl – Weight Watchers 6 Point Buddha Bowl Recipe

I’m done with dieting.

Done. Done. And Done.

I’m done with counting calories. Counting points.

I’m done with measuring. Done with weighing. Done.

I’m done with restricting. I’m done with grazing.

Now, this doesn’t mean I’m going to eat a Big Mac everyday. In fact, quite the opposite.

I’m going vegan. Ish.

My daughter calls me a fake vegan. Which, I suppose, is true.

Because I’m not exactly adopting the whole vegan mindset. I’m just co-opting the food.

It comes down to me liking to eat. A lot. And, with a vegan lifestyle you can eat. A lot. Of food.

I guess technically you could call my new “diet” (which isn’t a diet in the sense of the whole counting/measuring/restricting version) is plant-based.
99% of the time. With the Buddha bowl making up a large portion of my daily food intake.

And now, I digress ….

After my whole no more measuring, counting, weighing rant, I’m going to give you a recipe that not only includes measurements … but also includes Weight Watchers points.

I know, I know.

If we were on Twitter I’d say don’t @ me.

But, technically, Weight Watchers isn’t really a diet. Right? They call it a lifestyle plan.

But mostly I’m giving the Weight Watchers points for this Mediterranean Vegetarian Quinoa & Hummus Buddha Bowl because I’ve already built up … over the years … a pretty extensive library of assorted Weight Watchers recipes. They’re some of my most visited posts, so I don’t want to disappoint.

And let’s face it: just because I’m no loner counting and measuring and weighing and restricting, it doesn’t mean everyone else is. So for those counting and measuring etc. etc., I’ll offer some counting and measuring … and Weight Watchers points … for this Buddha bowl recipe.

Print Recipe

Mediterranean Quinoa & Hummus Buddha Bowl

Weight Watchers 6 Point Salad Recipe

Servings: 1

Ingredients

2 cups shredded lettuce
1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, halves
1 small carrot
1/2 medium cucumber
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp hummus (link for homemade hummus recipe below)
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
paprika

Instructions

Add shredded lettuce to bottom of large bowl. Mix with 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice.
Add cooked quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot. Sprinkle with second tbsp of fresh lemon juice.
Top with homemade hummus (recipe link below) or store bought.

Here’s the link to the homemade hummus recipe (click here). And, if I must say so myself, it’s the most delicious and creamy hummus. Ever.

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White Poppy Painted Mason Jar

June 13, 2019 By Linda 9 Comments

White Poppy Painted Mason Jar – Painted Flowers on Mason Jars DIY

White Poppy Painted Mason Jar - Painted Mason Jar Craft Ideas - Easy How To Paint Poppies - Easy Mason Jar Crafts - Painting Flowers on Mason Jars

My husband is frustrated with the weather.

In Chicago, of all places.

And he’s lived here all his life! He wants it warm and dry …

and Chicago is just not cooperating.

How to paint poppies - Marimekko poppies - white poppies - Mason Jar crafts - White Poppy Painted Mason Jar

Sure we get a throwaway gorgeous day peppered in here and there. A casual reminder of what we’re missing by not living in one of those warm climate states.

And, admittedly, he’s hankering for summer weather when, technically, it’s not actually summer.

But my biggest fears about his demands for warm and dry means my retirement dream of a downtown Chicago condo with spectacular city views from every room will remain just that …

a dream.

Sigh.

I do have one teeny tiny hold out sign of hope. And it’s called Uber.

We had a meeting with the IRS last week at their downtown Chicago offices (no, we’re not being audited; in fact, the IRS owes us quite a sum of money and we had to prove our identity).

But I digress …

Anyhoo, we took Ubers to and from our appointment. At off-peak travel times. And it was a very pleasant experience.

And during that very pleasant drive, my husband did admit that while he’s not the biggest of downtown Chicago fans, he would be up for exploring the Chicago Riverwalk area.

Hey, it’s a small sliver of hope!

So maybe on a warm and dry summer evening in mid-July, he’ll become as intoxicated as I with downtown Chicago as the sun sets and the skyline lights up … 😉

So, now you may be asking, Linda what do white poppy painted mason jars have to do with the weather in Chicago and my dreams of living downtown? Not much, really. Except despite the wet and temperatures vacillating from high 50’s to high 60’s, the flowers are a blooming! So I thought I’d get in on that blooming flower action with some painted flowers on mason jars of my very own …

and share with you all the tutorial on how easy it is to paint poppies!

White Poppy Painted Mason Jar Tutorial – How To Paint White Poppies on Mason Jars

How to Paint Poppies - Easy Tutorial DIY painted Poppy - White Poppy Painted Mason Jar - Painted Mason Jar Craft Ideas - Easy How To Paint Poppies - Easy Mason Jar Crafts - Painting Flowers on Mason Jars

Materials*

Aged Gray Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint

Linen White Rust-Oleum White Paint

Raw Umber Americana Acrylic Paint

Pint Size (16 oz) Ball Mason Jars

80 Grit Sandpaper

Paint Brushes

Clear Matte Spray Sealant

*affiliate links included.

Rustoleum Chalk Paint in gray - How to Paint White Poppies on Mason Jars - Easy Poppy Painting Tutorial

Start with two coats of Aged Gray Rust-Oleum Chalked Paint. Let dry thoroughly between coats (I tend to give them overnight, but chalk paint dries quickly so if in a rush you can add the second coat in a few hours).

Rustoleum Aged Gray chalk paint - White Poppy Painted Mason Jar - Easy Tutorial on How To Paint Poppies on Mason Jars

Once dry, use 80 grit sandpaper on raised lettering, numbers, areas to distress.

White Chalk Painted Mason Jars with Painted Poppy

Use Linen White Rust-Oleum Chalked paint to add poppies using a medium tipped brush.

White Poppy Flowers Painted on Mason Jars

Use paint brush to create six connected dots to form the base of the poppy.

Let dry before proceeding to next step.

Using Aged Gray Rust-Oleum Chalked paint and your medium tipped brush, add dots to the middle of the poppies.

Let dry before proceeding to next step.

Using Raw Umber Americana acrylic paint and a fine tipped brush, ad dots to the middle of the poppies, like so.

Using the same Raw Umber acrylic paint and fine tipped paint brush, add small stems to each poppy, like so.

Let dry completely before proceeding to next step (I typically give this an overnight dry before sealing with a clear coat – see below).

Finish with a coat of clear finish matte spray (this is my go to brand that doesn’t cause the white paint to yellow).

I also made a second jar using Rust-Oleum Country Gray Chalked Paint (which I refer to as greige)

And I made a third jar with a white base and gray and greige painted poppies …

Pin It!

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You can find all my mason jar projects at this link …

Neutral and Gray Living Room Makeover

June 6, 2019 By Linda 12 Comments

Neutral and Gray Living Room Makeover – Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

Back in November I volunteered to host Thanksgiving dinner. We were a smaller(ish) crowd than usual. Now grown nieces and nephews were traveling out of state to spend the holiday with their own extended families.

It had been years since I’ve hosted any formal gathering at our space-challenged home.

Needless to say, I was a bit rusty.

But in the middle of it all, I decided to add a little mayhem to the madness …

and completely redecorate our living and dining rooms before that Thanksgiving feast.

That’s something a sane person does. Right?

But to be honest, I’ve been threatening a makeover of these spaces for months.

Okay, more like a year.

I actually bought this fabric in February 2018 from this Etsy shop. And then I just waited and waited and waited for …

I’m not sure.

I definitely needed a push.

To be honest, I work best with a deadline. And hosting Thanksgiving seemed a very logical deadline. And much-need push.

My husband and kids, on the other hand, thought it was completely illogical. And perhaps a bit insane … 😉

And these prints? These black and white botanical prints from this Etsy shop?

Yeah, I had been hanging to to them for close to a year as well.

The big question, though, was wall color.

I had paint chips of grays that I shuffled and reshuffled for a year.

I wanted something not to dark … not too light. Not too blue. Not too green. Not too purple.

Gray is tough!

And I was working with a self-imposed ridiculously short deadline, so there was no time for a do over.

In the end, I picked Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray.

Which is actually a lighter shade and a bit warmer than in the picture above. (See the first picture on this post for a more accurate shade).

It’s definitely more of a greige gray with warmer undertones.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the walls were previously painted a very dark navy (Sherwin Williams Naval) …

You can see more of my navy & white living room at this link …

Remember?

So before I even opened up my can of Agreeable Gray, I had to reach for the primer.

Followed by two coats of gray.

Sigh.

It was done in the nick of time.

And, as much as I loved my foray into the dark side with navy …

I’m really happy with how much lighter and brighter the living and dining rooms are!

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