Mason Jar Mixed Drink Mixers Idea: Add Ingredients to Mason Jars, Put on Ice, Shake & Enjoy! 

Last weekend we were treated to a hard-earned taste of Spring. The skies were blue and the temperatures demanded shorts and flip flops and short-sleeved tops …

 

… along with leg shaving and toe nail painting. 😉

 

But the best part? Flinging the windows open wide and airing out the house.

 

Ahhhhh …

 

And as I sat by the front window tap, tap, tapping on my laptop, I could hear the sounds of kids playing outside. Wondrous sounds filled with laughter and cheers, as they ran up and down the city sidewalk. Games were organized and teams were negotiated. Rules were made and changed and challenged. Balls were bounced and scooters were scooted and bicycles with bells ringing a ring of warning wove in and out of impromptu sidewalk baseball games.

 

And as I sat by the font window tap, tap, tapping on my laptop listening to the wondrous sound of kids playing outside, I found myself reminiscing about days gone by …

 

Long before Graeme and Sammy and Owen and Charlie ruled the sidewalk out front, there was Sam and Cole and Simon and Jack.

 

And much like Graeme and Sammy and Owen and Charlie, there was laughter and cheers and running up and down the sidewalk. Games were organized. Rules were made up … and rules were disputed. Balls were bounced and scooters were scooted and bicycles wove in and out of impromptu sidewalk baseballs games.

 

And when Spring turned to Summer, inflatable pools and hoses and sprinklers were pulled out front. Bathing suits and swim diapers were donned while parents lounged in folding chairs with ice cold beer and glasses of wine.

 

But had I known back then the many joys … and uses … of mason jars, I would have mixed up some mason jar mixed drink mixers for our Saturday nights out front. Some delicious cocktails concocted in mason jars and put on ice …

 

 

… and I would have instructed Cole’s and Simon’s and Jack’s moms and dads to just shake them up.

 

It’s that easy.

 

Maybe I should mix up a batch for Graeme’s and Sammy’s and Owen’s and Charlie’s moms and dads. And together we can toast the next generation of city sidewalk kids with some mason jar mixed drink mixers!

🙂

PIN IT!

Mason Jar Mix Drink Mixers

 

You can find the recipe for a 115 calorie low-cal Margarita by clicking here …

Low-Cal Margarita Recipe (click here)

 

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My to do tomorrow list has gotten out of control.

 

Which shouldn’t come as a big surprise. I’ve been working on it all week, after all.

 

Oh who am I kidding, I’ve been working on it for two weeks.

 

It started innocently enough. A to do today list was created at the start of a new day. Little boxes next to each item to be checked off when completed. Things like appointments for haircuts and eyebrow waxing to schedule. Errands to run. Projects for the house … and the blog … to be started. Or completed. Or photographed.

 

But at the end of each day, only the bare minimum would get done. Little boxes next to necessities like food shopping and Etsy shop orders would get checked.

 

So each new day, the to do today list would grow a little longer. New things cropped up. New appointments to make. New projects to start. New bills to be paid …

 

new things to move to the to do tomorrow list. 😉

 

I just couldn’t get my act in gear. I was easily distracted.  There were funny animal videos on YouTube that needed me to be the 75,397,321th viewer. And I had to read the Mad Men TV Club recaps on Slate. And the Game of Thrones TV Book Club at EW.com …

 

and then the unthinkable happened on Thursday night. I can’t speak of it yet. But Friday morning had me seeking out answers. And comfort from fellow television viewers who did not get an early copy of Entertainment Weekly in their mailbox and were literally as blindsided as McDreamy was by that mac truck …

🙁

And just one more Grey’s Anatomy link (here). Make sure you click on the music before reading. It adds to the sadness of it all.

 

And today?

 

Today is a new day. A rainy Saturday. And a day I fear is to do tomorrow list day …

 

Though in all fairness, the list has grown so long  that it’ll take three or four … or more … tomorrows to add checks to all those appointment making and errand running and project starting/completing/photographing little boxes.

😉

P.S. You can find the tutorial on how I made those Mondrian Stained Glass Mason Jars on the other blog, Mason Jar Crafts Love. Just click here …

 

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It was a week of surprises. Starting with this …

🙂

It just showed up on my doorstep. Via UPS. No forewarning whatsoever.

 

You could say it caught me by surprise.

The accolades on Facebook have been overwhelming. Friends and family and former colleagues and sorority sisters and gymnastics coaches and new blogging friends have been coming out of the woodwork to offer up words of congratulations. And support.

I’m truly and deeply touched.

 

The book will be available next month. And when my publisher tells me exactly where it will be sold, you’ll be the first to know! In the meanwhile, it’s available for pre-order at Amazon.com and BN.com and Indiebound.org and Books a Million.

I guess I need to start practicing my autograph.

😉

I was also surprised by the big meltdown this week. Seriously. I never thought the mounds of snow would go. It was messy. Still is. But it gives me hope that I’ll be able to retire my giant, full length puffy coat soon. ish. Maybe by Easter … ?

 

But the Chicago meltdown is nothing compared to what’s going on in the Boston area. Have you seen this photo {click here} from Cape Cod? Wild!

 

Then there was the tax return surprise. For the first time in, like, ever I have to write a check. To the state of IL. Something tells me Illinois taxes are too high …

 

Governor Rauner, can you please get on that? Like pronto. And Mayor Emmanuel, feel free to chime in too.

 

And now for a few surprising things that caught my eye on the interwebs …

 

I just love it when I come across something I’ve never seen done before. Like this artist’s work {click here}. Super cool. And super original!

 

This {click here} is nothing short of mind blowing.

 

And, finally, this {click here} is truly inspirational.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

🙂

Linda

P.S. In case you missed my posts this week, here’s a quick run down {with links} …

{1. Spring Flowers | 2. Chandelier Stencil | 3. WW Sesame Chicken | 4. Aging New Locker Baskets}

Sharing:

The DIY Showoff | Inspiration Monday @Refresh Restyle

I am under no illusion that Spring will arrive anytime soon in Chicago. Not when the wind chills are clocking in at below zero as I type this …

 

In fact, Spring in Chicago is an oxymoron. It’s a fleeting event. Arriving in bits and spurts. A warm day here. A sunny week there. Interspersed with snow. Or frost. Faking out the tulips. Just when they think it’s safe to peek out from under their winter beds of earth, a spate of cold cuts them off.

 

Sigh.

 

At least we can count on spectacular Indian Summers.

 

So for now, we have to rely on grocery store tulips to keep our Spring dreaming alive …

They are a perfect addition to my daughter’s new room mini remodel (which I have yet to share here but will soon; finishing touches are being attended to!). But when we stumbled across an aqua metal side table at IKEA a few weeks ago, it set a very Spring-like vibe in her new space.

 

 

And can I just share that I got a little teary eyed when she requested some painted and distressed mason jars for her room?

 

Who knew?

 

I’m so happy she doesn’t think of me as that reclusive, crazy woman whose always painting and sanding mason jars in the basement. And wrangling with bubble wrap and shipping tape and packing peanuts  in the living room …

😉

Now if you, like me, need to be reminded on this wintry Saturday that Spring is just a few weeks away, then I have some very Springy eye candy for you from my blogging friends. Just follow the links to be inspired …

 

by Spring …

Faux Garden Clock at Worthing Court

{swoon}

Easy Springtime Planter at The Everyday Home

{adorbs}

Whitewashed Pots at Snazzy Little Things

{so doing this!}

Spring Wreath at Dandelion Patina

{burlap … and chalkboard … and mossy twine balls. oh my!}

 

Happy Saturday to you!

🙂

Linda

Shamrock Mason Jars – St. Patrick’s Day Craft Ideas. 

*** the shamrock mason jar tutorial can be found by clicking here ***

Oddly nice.

 

That’s the response I received on my Mason Jar Crafts Love Facebook fan page when I posted these shamrock mason jars.

 

Exactly what I hoped for.

😉

Oh well. To each his own. Luckily others have responded more favorably. I’ve sold one of each set on Etsy (here and here) and have a potential custom request for 25. I’ve also posted a detailed tutorial on how to make these shamrock mason jars on the other blog, Mason Jar Crafts Love. Just click here …

 

Oddly nice indeed!

 

I can’t believe today marks 4 years since I quit smoking. I’ll be honest, I still miss is sometimes. Okay, all the time. I swear if I’m still alive at 80 I’m taking up smoking again …

 

This week has been all about 50 Shades of Gray. And now I can’t help but wonder if I should read the book? Should I see he movie? Should I read the book first and then see the movie? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

 

And now for some things that caught my eye recently …

 

This is the cutest thing ever. Guaranteed smiles. Just click here …

 

Boosh!

 

That’s my mind exploding. Find out why here …

 

Grab a box of tissues before reading this (here). It really spoke to me. I’ve been referencing it frequently as I help my daughter navigate her teens.

 

Just because I love every and anything Harry Potter, I was so excited when JK Rowling answered some questions bandied about on Tumblr and Twitter (as an aside, if JK Rowling responded to a tweet of mine, I would drop dead from sheer excitement!). If you, like me, have lingering questions about Harry Potter, just click here …

 

Finally, some may be offended to be called cheap. Me? I’m honored (click here) …

 

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Here’s hoping your day was filled with love. Mine was filled with a lovely trip to Ikea with my lovely daughter …

🙂

Linda

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According to my very own very unscientific study, gold decor is gaining in popularity. I know a lot of bloggers started to embrace gold over the past few years. Myself included (here and here).

 

But now gold has gone mainstream …

 

tickling the fancy of the masses.

 

I mean, how else to explain the explosion of gold mason jar orders at the Etsy shop in 2015?

 

In December, I spray painted a mere 13 gold jars. But in January? That number jumped to 33!  And if I was good at math I could tell you what percentage increase that was; but, alas, I am not gifted with math skills so no percentages will be calculated.

 

All I know, it’s a pretty big increase. More than doubled. Not quite tripled …

 

but close.

And speaking of mason jars, we had a bit of a glitter issue around here this past week. I’ll go so far as to call it glittergeddon. You can find out more about it at Mason Jar Crafts Love here …

And now for some chip-worthy things that caught my eye this week …

 

My friend Laura reminded me about the HGTV Dream Home sweepstakes. And since I’m on a lucky streak, I had to stop by and enter (here).

 

I also entered the $25 Grand in Your Hand Fixer Upper sweepstakes. To enter, you need to watch the show for a secret code. And I’m secretly hoping that if I win, Chip and Joanna will show up on my front porch to deliver the oversized check. And perhaps give my very own fixer upper a fix.

My friend Debbie shared a beautiful tablescape idea this week. And her photography blew me away. Simply stunning. Magazine worthy! Check it out here …

 

My friend Kim created a painted furniture masterpiece. She is so talented! I love everything about it. The colors. The  The knobs. Oh, and her amazing painting & caring for painted furniture tips are … well … amazing! Check it out here …

 

Speaking of painted furniture, my friend Karen is another master furniture painter. I love so many of her projects, but this dresser made to look like inlay is draw dropping. Seriously. And you seriously have to check it out for yourself  here …

 

On a final note, if you’re looking for some easy, last minute game day entertaining ideas, I’ve shared some tips over at Inspired Home (here).

 

And I’ll leave you on this chilly-snow-is-on-the-way weekend with another one of my guilty-pleasure online addictions: Humans of New York.

Enjoy!

Linda

I realize I should be talking about the picture above. The mason jar art I’ve “framed” and hung on clipboards in my basement work space. But I have other things on my mind this Monday morning.

 

More pressing things.

 

You see, I fear Chicago is beginning to lose some of its street cred.

 

I don’t think it comes as a surprise that Chicago gets cold in the winter. I remember my first winter here. My mother insisted I take her mink coat when I moved. She had already relocated to Florida, after all. And, apparently, I was moving to the arctic …

 

or so it seemed; that was everyone’s reaction when I told them I was going to live in Chicago.

 

Which surprised me. I mean, I lived in New Jersey. Worked in New York City. Equally as north of the equator as Chicago. Situated near a large body of water. I figured it would be about the same.

 

Oh, how naïve I was.

 

Especially since my first winter here was one of the coldest in Chicago’s history. I remember watching the morning news on January 18, 1994, only to learn the temperature outside was -21 F. One degree colder than the South Pole. Or North Pole? I can’t remember. All I knew is colder than a Pole couldn’t be good.

 

Not to mention the -60 F wind chill.

 

Brrrr.

 

But the city didn’t shut down. I still went to work.

 

Thankful for my mom’s mink coat.

 

Chicago Public Schools made a rare move that day and gave students a day off. Mayor Daley was famously reluctant to close schools. But faced with -60 wind chills, he buckled.

 

And I understand his decision. Fully agree with his decision. Because I was out in that bone-chilling cold. We even got a flat tire in that cold. Which Mike changed while I sat a a nearby bar, sipping on a Margarita. In between running out to give him hot cups of coffee and cocoa.

 

But that’s a story for another day …

 

Last week, our newest Mayor (Rahm Emmanuel) decided to close the schools on Wednesday. At the mere mention of possible -1 air temps and  -30 wind chills.

 

Small potatoes compared to January 18, 1994.

 

He also set a pretty low standard, Chicago wise, for school closures. Because Thursday called for more of the same. And schools were closed again.

 

So when the forecast for Friday rolled around … and it looked like it could be the coldest day yet … what was the Mayor Rahm Emmanuel to do? He had backed himself into a corner with the Wednesday and Thursday closures. So he took the only logical direction.

 

And declared schools would be open.

 

What?

 

Perhaps he had finally come to his senses. Remembered that we Chicagoans are a hardy bunch …

 

especially those of us who survived January 18, 1994.

Or maybe he realized if he kept up with the practice of closing our schools at the mere mention of -1 air temps and -30 wind chills, our children would end up spending half their summer break in school.

 

And here is where I should have a clever segue to the subject at hand. Mason jar digital art. Two free. One free printable I created. And one purchased through and ETsy shop. All hung on clipboards. In my craft & Etsy shop work space.

 

 

In my basement craft & work space nook under the stairs.

 

But I’m at a complete loss.

 

Maybe my segue could be about my new mason jar 2015 calendar digital art …

 

 

… and how I wonder how many days during the first few months of 2015 our schools will be closed for cold and/or snow days?

 

 

But what I should probably tell you is where I found that calendar. I ordered it from an Etsy shop, Corissa Nelson Art, for $4.00. You can order your own by clicking here …

 

I found the vintage mason jar art at The Graphics Fairy …

 

… just click here to download your own mason jar art free printable.

 

The cool mason jar photo art is from Redfly Creations. I did crop mine using the free PicMonkey photo editing site to make it a vertical image.

 

 

Click here to download.

 

Finally, I tried my hand at making my very own mason jar clipart for Valentine’s day …

 

 

This is new to me, so don’t judge me too harshly …

 

 

You can download the free printable by clicking here: Mason Jar Valentine’s Day Free Printable

 

Oh, and as for the clipboard “frames,” they are so easy to hang. You just need to put a nail in the wall and you’re done …

 

 

Linda

You can find out more about my new craft & Etsy shop work space nook under the basement stairs by clicking here …

 

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Good morning to you all from a very chilly Chicago!

 

And when I say chilly, I mean bone-crushing-25-degree-below-wind-chill chilly.

 

I’ve had something on my mind this week. Something I need to share with you.

 

And get your input.

 

You see, as I was wishing someone a ‘Happy New Year’ in an email yesterday, I couldn’t help but wonder what the statute of limitations is for extending 2015 New Year’s wishes?

 

Of course, the day of is obviously accepted. Expected, really. As is the 2nd and the 3rd …

 

but after that it starts to get fuzzy.

 

I know, depending on the day of the week January 1 lands, it’s still appropriate … expected … to use a ‘Happy New Year’ salutation on the first day back to work. Or school. Or whatever.

 

And then what?

 

Can we continue to express, and share, our wishes for a happy new year throughout the first week of said new year? And if so, what’s the cut-off date?

 

Was my use of a ‘Happy New Year’ at the end of an email on January 9th a violation?

 

Perhaps an abomination?

 

Isn’t it funny how the Christmas and New Year holiday feels like it was so long ago …

 

Sigh.

 

But onwards and upwards!

 

Here are some things that caught my eye this week. Staring with something I created for my other blog, Mason Jar Crafts Love. A $20-a-week mason jar money saving challenge idea …

… that you can find by clicking here. I even offer a free printable for that label.

 

In addition to saving money, I’m all over girl power and positive reinforcement this new year. As is my amazing blog friend Bliss Ranch (who I am determined to meet in person one day; even if I have to get in my car and drive around the state of Minnesota calling out here name!).

 

She made an amazing Positive Affirmation sign for her granddaughter to hang above her new bed in her new room in her new house {click here} ….

 

 

That is one lucky 4-year-old girl!

 

Speaking of girls, if I was still 7-years-old, I would want my bedroom to look exactly like this …

 

Speaking of not girls — but powerful and intelligent zillionaires  — I know Bill Gates is a genius and all, but I’m not sure I can get behind this idea …

 

Speaking of my selfish needs and wants, I really, really, really want to win this ..

 

Speaking of furniture, I think this might just be my favorite IKEA hack ever ….

 

And speaking of you, I hope you have an amazing weekend!

Linda

P.S. Lastly – but definitely not leastly — I’m in the Saturday Spotlight over at Junk Chic Cottage today. Stop by and check it out here …