Project Dining Room: Finding the Table

The inspiration for this table comes from Pottery Barn.  It's no secret that I love their stuff, but I don't always love the prices - especially if I know I can make something similar myself for less!  So I got on Craigslist and started looking for tables.  After a few days, I came across this baby for $300.00...

And even better,  it was being sold as a dining room set (with 6 chairs)!  Almost the exact same chairs as the inspiration chairs and the table legs were the perfect shape. I had to have it. 

And so the project begins! 

Tortellini Zoupa

You don't appreciate the complexity or simplicity of a good recipe until you make it yourself.  And this is one of those simple but delicious recipes (that's ready in no time and takes very little effort or skill) that I didn't appreciate until I made it.

Growing up, my mom used to make this soup for us every Fall.  I remember asking for seconds (and thirds!)  because it's just that good.  She got the recipe from my godmother who brought it over from Italy.  

So here it is...the best tortellini soup that's ready in less than 30 minutes!

Tortellini Zoupa
Serves about 6

Ingredients:

4 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

2 Tablespoons butter or EVOO

4 cups broth or stock (chicken, beef, or vegetable)

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

16 oz. frozen or fresh cheese tortellini

15 oz. package of frozen or fresh spinach

14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained (Italian or plain)

Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese to top

Directions:

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, cook chopped garlic in butter or olive oil for about 2 minutes.

Add broth, seasoning, and tortellini, heat to a boil.

Reduce heat and cover, simmer about 5 minutes

Add spinach and tomatoes, simmer 5 minutes more
Top with cheese and enjoy!

Enjoy!

                    

Project Dining Room: The Inspiration

When I bought my house last year, I had very clear vision for the overall look and style. I'm a shabby-chic-"vintagey"-cottage kind of girl.  I love old things.  I love using old things in new ways. I even love new things that look old.  Some rooms had very clear visions and directions where I was shopping for certain pieces, while others, like my dining room, just needed furniture because I had no idea what I wanted the room to look like.  At the time, with no clear direction for this room and just giving most of my life savings away as a down payment on this lovely house, I went to craigslist.  I ended up with the most gorgeous hand carved cherry wood dining room set from an estate sale.  It had been used twice and cost the seller $6,000.00...score!  It had two leaves making it up to 120" long, seating like 16 people comfortably.  After the first holiday season, my friends named it "The Last Supper Table" because of its size.  

After a year of designing other rooms, it was time for my dining room to get some attention. After looking at this beautiful set and realizing not only was it totally too formal for me and so not my style, it was wayyyyyy too big for my dining room, went with nothing else in my house, and needed to go.  So I started doing some dream-browsing...looking through old home design magazines, browsing the web.  Finally, I found it...THE ONE.  

Source

White base, natural wood top, with white/wicker seat chairs...yes please!

For the price of $2,500.00, it was mine!  Who am I kidding though?  I don't need to spend that much on one piece of furniture at this point in my life.

So I decided to make my own.  

Cool idea?  Definitely. 

Difficult?  Probably.

Stay tuned!  More to come! 

Go Green.

You know how some people can't function or even speak in complete and relevant sentences until they have their morning coffee?  Yeah, I'm that way with protein shakes.  If I don't have a protein shake in the morning, I'm a crazy person. Lately, I've been incorporating greens for the added nutritional benefits so I thought I'd share my current favorite recipe (Yes, I made it up and it doesn't have a name).

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 ice cubes (add more after blending to get the desired consistency)
• 1 1/2 cup of liquid (water, milk, almond milk) 
• Handful of raw kale (rinsed and torn into 1 to 2 inch pieces)
• Handful of raw spinach (rinsed)
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/4 c frozen berries (I prefer blueberries or strawberries)
• 2 scoops (or 1 serving) of Vanilla protein powder 
• Splash of Orange Juice

Instructions:

Blend ice cubes, liquid, kale, and spinach on a medium speed, blending until smooth.  Once mixed, add banana, berries, and protein powder and blend until smooth. Add a splash of orange juice and lightly stir with a spoon.   Add a straw and enjoy!!

Feel free to sub the fruits for anything else in your pantry, fridge, or freezer.  I use pineapple sometimes, or throw in an apple. And don't let the color throw you off, you can't taste the kale or spinach!

Color-coded Bookcase

I've been redoing my office over the past few weeks, and this past weekend I decided to tackle the bookcases.  I wanted a fun and creative way to display my books so I did a Google Images search and came across this.

  

via

Make fun of me all you want, but I'm a Lauren Conrad fan.  I'm not sure if it's because people have stopped to tell me, "you look like that girl Lauren from The Hills" since the show started airing (I don't really see the resemblance), or if it's because of her love for fashion, DIY, cooking, and being a successful, independent, business woman, but I like her.  I've followed her blogs and clothing lines over the years and am rarely disappointed (her fictional books were pretty cheesy), so it doesn't surprise me that she made the piece that served as my inspiration.

What I like most about these bookshelves are the color-blocking and layering.  She added picture frames and tchotchkes to the clusters of books and magazines to create depth and height.  It makes each shelf interesting and fun to look at.  

I started out with two of these.  I got them at a furniture consignment store about a year ago for $40.00 each.  They were a cherry wood color when I bought them, but I wasn't a huge fan so I grabbed a can of paint from my garage and painted these babies white! 

Next it was time to pick and choose from this mess.  I had to remove everything from the smaller bookcases to paint them and stacked everything (very neatly, as you can see) on this bookcase.  Just looking at this picture gives me a little anxiety! 

I started by pulling all the books and sorting/stacking them by color and ended up with four color groups: reds, whites, pinks, blacks/blues.  This worked out perfectly because I knew I wanted to use the bottom shelf on both bookcases for photo boxes and magazine storage so four shelves remained.

Next, I just started stacking and building, shelf by shelf!  I looked around my house for tchotchkes and nicknacks in the color schemes, adding and removing as I went.  Here's what I came up with...

They're more like mini-versions, but I love them!  Such an easy, free project you can do with existing things in your home!

Enjoy!

DIY/Knock-off Pottery Barn Pendant

Browsing Pinterest, I saw this DIY Pendant Light and instantly knew I wanted to make it for my entry!  I pinned it and figured maybe someday I'd find the time to get all the materials and components to make it...someday turned into a few weeks later!  So now, I'm sharing my Do-It-Yourself Pottery Barn Knock Off Pendant!

Here is the inspiration for this light fixture.

Pottery Barn Hundi Lantern - $299.00

And here is what my entryway fixture looked like before this project:

Doesn't it just scream inviting entry?   -___-

yeah, not.

So here's what you'll need:

• Glass cake cover or vase
• An old light fixture (make sure it actually works!)
• Three S Hooks: 2 1/8" closed S-Hooks (found at Home Depot) *Tutorial calls for 6, I only used 3

• Galvanized Steel Hanger Strap: I used 3/4" wide, 28 gauge (found at Lowe's) *I used approximately 2 feet

• Utility Chain: Three 1-foot sections of chain (I used this kind from Home Depot - they even cut it for you free of charge!)
• 6 gauge wire or Gorilla Glue
• 3/4" wide ribbon (the color is your choice!)
• Fabric tape measure
• Needle nose pliers
• Spray Paint (the color is your choice!)
• blue painters tape
• newspaper

This little beauty is actually what started the whole project.  I was browsing the aisles of Marshall's waiting for my friend to finish in the fitting rooms and found this cake cover on the clearance shelf for $5.00.  I immediately thought about this project and had to buy it!

Next, I had to find a light fixture to transform.  I began this hunt thinking I would probably end up at Lowe's buying a new fixture to use because there was no way I was finding one.  Who really has these anymore?  I gave it a shot anyway and made a stop at Goodwill on my way home from work one evening.  Within two minutes, I found this for $19.99!  Isn't it just hideous?!

I got up to the register to pay, and the cashier tells me the sale sticker of the day is blue which means all blue stickers were .99.  This lamp was marked with a blue sticker..SCORE!

After making a trip to Home Depot for the additional supplies, I was ready to begin! 

1.  First I took apart the light fixture which unscrewed pretty easily and didn't require any tools.
                                 



2.   I covered the wiring and white candelabra pieces with newspaper and tape and painted EVERYTHING brass with a brown spray paint.

I used Rust-oleum spray paint (in "Antique Brown") which was left over from another project, plus it's what matches the rest of the fixtures and hardware in my house.

  

3.  While the light fixture pieces were drying, I measured the thinnest part of the cake cover with a fabric tape measure, then measured and cut the hanger strap, leaving a little extra so the end holes on the hanger strap overlap and can be secured together.   

I secured the hanger strap together with a piece of 6-gauge wire I had left over from another project.  You can use Gorilla Glue for this too - it's just messier and requires a dry time..I guess I'm impatient!

After sealing with the wire, I insterted the s-hooks pointing up - one through the overlapping ends, and the other two s-hooks at even distances apart (creating a triangle when looking at the from above).


4.  Using ribbon, cover the hanger strap by running a piece of ribbon along both sides.  You may need to cut holes and wrap the fabric around the s-hooks.  Alternately, if you like the look of the holes on the hanger strap, you can spray paint the strap.  I recommend doing this after attaching the s-hooks (not when spray painting the rest of the pieces), as the paint may scratch off.

5.  Now it's time to hook your chains to the s-hooks!  Using needle nose pliers, bend the last link at one end of the chain and hook onto the s-hook.  Repeat this step for the other two S-hooks. Clamp the chains closed and touch up of the spray paint if needed.

6. When the fixture is dry, it's time to reassemble!  The assembly and pieces you use will vary depending on where you are hanging the fixture.  Because this is going in my entry (which is not a grand entrance by any means), I only had about 2 feet of "clearance" between the top of the door and the ceiling, and measured the fixture (with the glass included!) and assembled, ensuring I had enough door clearance.

7.  Finally, bend the each of the three free ends of chain (not the end connected to the s-hooks!) and attached them to the top of your assembled fixture, spacing evenly.  The tutorial I followed used an additional set of s-hooks here, however I didn't think it was necessary so I skipped that step.

8.  Wire the fixture into your ceiling (which is much easier than you think), and viola!! 

What do you think? :)



Now, let's break down the cost:

• Glass cake cover: $5.00 (Marshalls)
• Light fixture: $.99 (Goodwill)
• S Hooks: $1.96 ($.98 for two) (Lowes)
• Galvanized Steel Hanger Strap: $2.50 (Lowe's)
• Utility Chain: $1.89 ($.63 per 1' section) (Home Depot)

The rest of the items I already had or were free:

• 6 gauge wire or Gorilla Glue
• Ribbon 
• Fabric tape measure
• Needle nose pliers
• Spray Paint (the color is your choice!)
• blue painters tape
• newspaper

This brings the grand total to $12.34!  Not too bad for a $299.00 pendant! 

I hope you enjoyed reading!

Picture Perfect

One of my most favorite things in the entire world are photographs.  Old, new, people I know, people I don't, landscapes - doesn't matter - I love them.  And I always have.


I've been in my home for a year now and realized too many of my walls are bare!  I needed to change that pronto! Thanks to the camera I splurged on earlier this year and my recent trip home,  I had some great shots that were frame worthy.  


I don't like matchy-matchy things.  In my house, the furniture compliments each other but isn't part of a set.  The same goes for picture frames...mine rarely match!  Most of the frames I have are from garage sales and salvation army and I don't spend more than about $4.00 per frame.

I decided the first wall I'd tackle was the "guest hallway" which leads to two guest rooms, a guest bathroom, and my laundry area.  I walk by the hallway every day to get to my garage and it just looks so sad and neglected.  The light fixture is the worst thing about it!  See what I mean?   

Time for a change!  
I started by gathering picture frames I've accumulated, then went through photos on my computer matching photos with frames.  I uploaded the prints to Costco's Photo Center which can have your prints ready in about an hour for great prices!  I framed the photos and used my dining room table (also known as "The Last Supper Table" by my friends because of how huge it is--seats 12 people!) to lay them out.  It's important to measure the length of the wall where you are hanging the frames first so you lay them out with the right amount of space. 


Supplies Needed:
Framed photos - size, style, etc. up to you
2" 3M ScotchBlue Painters tape
Measuring tape
Picture hanging hooks or nails (I used these which I bought at my local hardware store)
Hammer


Because my frames are different sizes and shapes and being hung on a shorter wall, I decided to lay them out horizontally with a 2-inch space across the middle and just started building!  Two things are important with this layout - one, the edge of all frames line along the 2-inch space should be level, and secondly, the edges along the left and right of the entire collage should line up exactly.  This is what I came up with... 

After my layout was complete, I ran a piece of 2-inch painters tape down the wall and made sure it was level. This acts as the "spacer" and point of reference when hanging the frames.

Then I just started nailing and hanging photos!  I measured as much as possible but winged it for the most part.    I decided to do the bottom row entirely before moving on to the top row.  A few photos/frames were swapped as I started to hang the frames but the layout is the same.

From The Last Supper Table to the wall in 25 minutes!

Carefully remove the tape - you may have to temporarily remove some photos to do this.

Before and after - like my new light fixture?  Easily installed in 15 minutes.  

Hope you enjoyed reading! 

DIY: Antique Door turned Jewelry holder!

My best friend just moved back home, got an amazing job, and bought her first house!  I couldn't be more proud, excited, and happy for her as she starts this next chapter of "grown-up life" and I wanted to get her a unique and fun housewarming gift!  While I was home visiting, I got to see her cute new house and get a feel for the colors and look she was going for in each room.  She mentioned she was looking for an antique wooden screen door to use as a jewelry holder in her room -- there couldn't have been a more perfect mission/project for me during my two week vacation!

I got a slow, unenthusiastic start by looking at antique stores, Goodwill, and Salvation Army.  I was coming up with overpriced items or empty handed. Then, at a Habitat for Humanity Restore, I found THE ONE!  

Okay, so it's not a screen door and you can't hang jewelry from it...YET, but that's why they sell chicken wire and screen! And that's why I love it!  Hello, DIY project! 

How cool is the hardware on this thing?  I love it.  

Now it's time to morph into a jewelry holder!  

First things first, gather your supplies.   

Tools: 

• Wooden Door - size/shape/color/finish is totally up to you
• Tape measure (to measure the framed glass area)
• Chicken Wire or Screen - large enough to cover the framed glass you just measured.  I used 1 in. mesh.
• Wire Cutters
• Staple gun/Staples 

Optional items that I used:

• Screw driver (to remove hardware if you want to change or paint it)
• Spray Paint
• Painters tape

I used chicken wire because it looks cool and seemed more functional when trying to hang earrings and necklaces.  You can find it by the roll at most hardware stores - I got this at Home Depot.  I bought PLENTY (like 23 feet extra!) but I'll use it on future projects.  

1.  Lay the door on a flat surface and measure the area you'd like to cover with chicken wire (in my case, it was the entire window frame).  Next, measure the chicken wire, adding an extra inch on all sides (for example, if the area you're covering is 22"x28", cut a 24"x30" piece of chicken wire).  Using the wire cutters, cut your chicken wire!

2.  Center the cut piece over the door - you may need an extra set of hands to help with this part...thanks little sister!  Using the staple gun, staple the wire to each of the four corners of the window frame to secure. 

3.  Continue to add staples every few inches along each side of the window frame where the wire "V's" (pictured below)  

4.  If you aren't already scraped up from the wire edges, nice work! That makes one of us.  To seal the edges off to make them less deadly, my sister and I wedged them between the window frame and door frame.  The window frame in many doors is sealed which might not allow you to do this with the edges of the wire.  Alternately, you can bend the wire down or in towards the staples or add a cool picture frame to the edge.

Now on to the optional project...

As I mentioned before, I love the hardware, especially the darker color metal, but the silver just wasn't working for me...it looked cheesy!   This is where five minutes and a can of spray paint become your best friend!  Rustoleum Spray Paint is my favorite brand when painting metal - it sprays evenly, doesn't scratch easily, dries quickly and stays true to color.  Plus, they make it in almost every color!  

For this knob, I chose white spray paint - I thought it would contrast the darker metal and the color of the door nicely.  Using the painters tape, I taped off the base and top of the knob (cut around the round edge using a x-acto knife).  Spray paint and leave in a well ventilated area to dry.  

Once dry, remove the tape, and voila!

Reattach the hardware and start hanging jewelry!  

Such a fun and easy project!  I hope you enjoy!