Home

Living in the Dream House

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We were pulling out of the preschool carpool line and my youngest daughter says “mom where are we going next?” My littlest one loves to going places and is always hoping we are going somewhere new after school. Before I can answer my oldest chimes in and says “We are going somewhere. We are going  to the dream house, right mom?” Her response surprised me and took it took me a minute to understand that she was talking about our house. Perhaps our girls have seen a few too many Barbie episodes on Netflix, but the idea that my daughters consider our house the “dream house” is sweet and it caused me to rethink what a “dream house” really is?

I must admit before this I had never pulled in my driveway and thought “dream house,” but my daughter maybe right. There are lots of cottages, bungalows, colonials, casitas, farmhouses and ranch style homes may have a bit of character, but there is something about that them that make me smile and love them even more. It’s the color and personality of these homes that makes me stop and wonder what life is like inside that dream house?

I love this robin’s egg blue door against the soft grey shingles.  The boxwood planters and gas lights make this small home stand out. It’s all the small details that make the curb appeal on this home really shine.

This is another home my mom sent me a photo of that I love. The bright lime colored door with the grey and white striped awnings and the modern wooden lawn-chairs. These details gives this older more traditional bungalow a more modern look.

This Cape Code styled cottage is one of my personal favorites. I love the landscaping with its curvy flower beds and all the beautiful black accents with the door, light fixture and address plate that pull the whole polished look together.

This isn’t your typical colonial style house. The light painted brick and the front entry covered in a climbing vine add visual interest and cause the landscaping to stand out. All the little details like the faux bois garden bench and the glass lanterns made me stop and notice this house.

I love a good front door and this deep blue-green color draws you in and adds some color to this modern Spanish styled home. The architectural details on the doorway are something special that make this house anything but ordinary.

A Texas farmhouse with these amazing red doors that catch your eye and make you want to walk through that iron gate.

Then there is this pink door that I passed and just had to stop to see. This small white brick house makes me smile. It’s those black and white awnings and that preppy pink door that make it stand out. The traditional brass pineapple door knocker and address numbers put a twist on traditional and make this fabulous pink color work. 

Has your house ever lost a bit of that dream house feeling? The architectural style, size or age of your home isn’t everything, these houses prove that small details can make a big difference. So give your house some personality: paint a tired old door a new bright color, update your hardware or use some pots or planter boxes to add a little curb appeal. There is something to loving your home for what it is or could be. A dream house doesn’t have to be limited to that perfect magazine worthy home. As my daughter reminded me, it’s loving and giving life to what you have that makes it the dream.

Food

Summer Burgers With Tomato Onion Jam

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Burgers in our house will never be the same because I have discovered the sweet tangy goodness of tomato onion jam. This jam is so delicious that I might never go back to standard ketchup. The first time I tasted a tomato jam was at a local gastro-pub called Neat Kitchen. My husband ordered their bison burger that is served with  tomato jam and when he shared a bite with me I had serious burger envy. So we made a sandwich trade and being the wonderful husband that he is he shared half of his burger with me. That burger was so good that for a time I had a hard time thinking about ordering anything else from their menu. So with summer grilling season here, I decided that I had to create my own. Summer brings with it great produce like heirloom tomatoes and sweet Vidalia onions, so making your own tomato jam is easy way to bring summer’s very best to your table.

Tomato Onion Jam- (Makes one cup, but this recipe can easily be doubled)

  • 3 heirloom tomatoes, diced
  • 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced (My favorites sweet onions are Vadalia onions or Texas 1015 onions)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

First, core and dice your tomatoes and chop your onions and garlic.

Then melt your butter in a large skillet and sauté your onions over medium low heat until your onions begin to turn translucent.

Add in your garlic tomatoes, brown sugar, cider vinegar and salt and continue to cook them over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes storing occasionally.

As you can see, your onions and tomatoes will cook down to a thick syrupy jam that will coat the back of your spoon.

Let your jam cool a few minutes before you serve it and there you have it. If you are making it ahead it will keep covered in your fridge for up to a week. It’s my new favorite topping for burgers. A summer grilling game changer that will transform your kitchen into gourmet gastro-pub.

As a side note: this week I have felt a bit like I was on that episode of Friends where Monica makes way too much jam and Joey is eating it with everything. As I was recipe testing and making several different batches of my tomato onion jam, I tried pairing it with the breaded chicken I was making for dinner and found it made an absolutely amazing sauce.

I just pan fried some bread crumbed chicken cutlets with some olive oil and just a touch of butter. Then I served some tomato jam on top and with a side of parmesan mashed potatoes and it was so good that I would definitely make it again to share it with friends. So no matter what you pair it you have to try this tomato onion jam. It’s one of my favorite recipes that I have created this year. Come back next week because I am sharing another one of my all time summer favorites.

Arts and Crafts/Baking

Southern Magnolia Cake

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Chocolate Magnolia Cake

Have you ever baked your own birthday cake? My birthday was last week and husband still doesn’t get why I would want to make my own cake. The simple answer is: I just love to bake. Sometimes it’s just fun to lose track of time for a bit and start creating something beautiful. Usually when I bake layer cakes they are for someone else, so occasionally I enjoy getting to spend a little time creating something I love. This year I wanted a Southern styled cake so I made a favorite of mine Mexican Chocolate cake with cinnamon and I decided to make a single magnolia sugar gum paste flower for the top.

I have loved magnolia trees since I was a kid and used to climb and play in our neighbor Opal’s large Southern magnolia. The old tree took up most of her front lawn and it had lots of low branches that made it perfect to play in. In the spring the magnolia trees would bloom and the neighborhood would look beautiful with all the trees covered in these large creamy white flowers. So I thought that a Southern Magnolia would be just the right touch for the top of my cake.

This is a new sugar flower for me so I took some photographs along the way so you could see how I created this sugar gum paste flower.

First you can buy ready-made sugar gum paste at the craft or baking supply store. I like the Wilton brand. Next depending on the type of flower you are making you will want to get some petal shaped cutter and molds. Craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby carry some but if you want a specialty flower, like a magnolia or a peony then you will likely need to order them online. My two favorite places to find cake supplies are Global Sugar Arts or Sugar Art Studio.

So to make my magnolia the first thing I did was to create the center. I took a small ball of gum paste and used a silicone mold to create the center and then I painted it using a little yellow and brown gel based food coloring. I mixed my food coloring with a tiny bit of lemon extract (you can also use vodka as well). The extract makes the food coloring easy to paint on, but it dries better than water because the alcohol in the extract evaporates.

Then while my center was drying I rolled out a thin sheet of gum paste and cut two sizes of petals. I cut three smaller petals for the inside and six large petals for the base of the flower. Sugar gum paste dries out quickly so once you get your petals cut you want to work quickly to shape them into your flower.

First I shaped the center by overlapping the petals and using just a bit of water on a paint brush to stick the edges of the petals together. I place the center in a small votive candle holder while I worked on the next layer of petals.

Then I overlapped a shaped my outer petals to form the outer layer of petals.

Then to allow it to dry and hold its shape I used aluminum foil to create a doughnut like ring to help hold the flower base then I used some smaller pieces of foil to hold up some of the petals for added dimension. Finally, I added my golden yellow center.

After I finished the flower I tinted some sugar gum paste green with some gel food coloring and I rolled it out thin on a silicone mat and cut it to fit my leaf mold. Next I pressed my mold together so my leaf had veining on either side.

Once I molded my leaves I used a dry paint brush to dust on some edible luster dust (you can find this online or at a cake supplies store) so you could see the veining on the leaves. I used gold dust on the backs of the leaves and the center of the flower and I used a kiwi green colored dust for the front of the leaves.

Then I let my leaves dry following a slight curve on a shallow bowl so they would look more realistic. Real leaves tend to have a bit of a curve to them.

Then finally I dusted my flower petals with a white pearl dust to give them a little shimmer. The flower will need at least four hours to dry so I usually make it the day before. However if protected from moisture, these flowers unlike the real ones will keep for years.

Now if only I could give you a taste of the cake because the decorating may be fun, but the very best part is getting to eat it. So who says you can’t bake your cake and eat it too.

Garden

A Garden Tour Of Chicago’s Tulips

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The days of snow and frost are gone and everything around me is blooming. The trees once bear just weeks ago are now fully dressed in their bright green leaves. There is nothing that makes you appreciate spring more than a cold and snowy winter. There are some beautiful benefits to all those chilly Chicago days and I am reminded of that most  when the tulips begin to bloom. Tulips bulbs require freezing temperatures before they flower, so I only planted tulips once when I lived in Texas because they had to take up precious real estate in my refrigerator for several months before they were ready to plant.

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, so after seeing so many beautiful tulips in our neighborhood last year I decided to plant some in our yard this fall. Although popular in Europe and most closely associated with the Netherlands, tulips actually originated in Persia and Turkey. The Europeans gave the flower the name “tulip” because the flower was often worn in Turkish turbans as a decoration and the word tulip was derived from the Persian word for turban. Tulips are a beloved flower that is said to symbolize true love. Taking in all the beautiful tulips around me, it’s clear why gardeners everywhere love these flowers. 

The red tulips that filled the garden beds around this Tudor style home in my neighborhood made me feel like I was visiting an English Garden.

I love to contrast of vibrant red tulips against the purple flowers and the red bud tree.

Here is another view of the gorgeous side yard.

Tulips’ sculptural silhouette also make them a stunning flower in a more modern garden and home. I love bright mix of colors used as a boarder around these flower beds and the pink tulips in the planters are perfection.

The pink tulips make a pretty spring statement in small bunches around the front walk of this home.

A classic colonial all decked out with blue muscari border in front of a dazzling array of tulips in red, yellow, white and orange.

Just a small bunch of red tulips gives this yard a pop of color and it creates a welcoming entrance to this modern farmhouse.

Finally, I thought I would share a few pictures of our spring garden. Our magnolia tree in bloom and white tulips in the flower beds. A close up of our crab apple tree with its pink blossoms and the pink and white tulips that surround it.

However, my favorite part of our yard is our back patio. My girls and I planted over 200 bulbs this fall. The tulips and blue muscari have made our back yard feel like a special garden getaway.

We have loved spending as much time as possible soaking in the warmer weather and taking in the beauty of these gorgeous flowers. Trying to enjoy the tulips for as long as possible I planted two different varieties.

The white emperor tulip is an early bloomer so it was the first to flower.

Followed later by the pink striped salvo tulips which are in full bloom now as the white tulips have begun to fade.

I added some early spring color before the tulips bloomed with some purple violas and pansies.

The blue mascari gives some color to a more shady spot in the yard, as the hostas begin to fill in for the summer. Spring has been glorious here, so I hope you enjoyed a small tour of the beautiful tulip season here in Chicago.

Baking/Food

Strawberry Scones

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Strawberry Scone Recipe

A few years ago when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Will and Kate) were married a couple of my coworkers celebrated in the wee hours of the morning as they watched all the live television coverage of the wedding. In keeping with the royal wedding fun they decided to have scones and tea. All of that 3 a.m. royal wedding watching can leave a girl hungry. So in honor of the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan this weekend I thought I would share my recipe for scones. The British love their scones and for good reason these flakey butter pastries are delicious and fairly simple to make. Many British recipes for scones tend to be more understated because they serve their scones with clotted cream and jam or lemon curd. More traditional flavors tend to include currants or dried fruit.

So after I spent sometime researching classic recipes and I decided to create my own scones. Remembering some delicious strawberry scones I had years ago on a trip to San Francisco, I decided to use strawberries instead of the usual currents or dried fruit.

Strawberries can be tricky to use in muffins and baked goods because they have a high water content and they tend to turn everything pink if you over mix them. So instead of using dried fruit, I decided to use freeze-dried strawberries. These dried strawberries are sweet and they become soft when you bake them. They also preclude some of the moisture issues that can come when you bake fresh strawberries. These freeze-dried strawberries are usually found in the dried fruit aisle, but in one grocery store I found them on the baking aisle. These scones are buttery and flakey on the outside with a tender and sweet crumb on the inside. They easy to make. If you have ever made homemade pie dough or biscuits the technique is similar.

Little heart shaped strawberries for the special occasion.

Strawberry Scones- Makes 8

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks of cold butter,cut into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries broken into small pieces
  • 1 egg mixed with a tablespoon of water for an egg wash
  • 2 tablespoons of white sanding sugar, optional

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

In the bowl of your food processor mix together your flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. If you don’t have a food processor then you can use a large bowl and then cut your butter in using a pastry blender or your fingers, but the food processor make it much quicker.

Cut your butter into small pieces. Then on a high-speed pulse your food processor until the butter is cut into tiny crumbs. It took me less than 30 seconds. You don’t want to over do it because you want to have little bits of butter evenly distributed in your dough.

Next add your orange zest by evenly coating it in your butter and flour mixture. The flour will keep the zest from sticking together in one big clump.

Then lightly whisk together your egg and cream and slowly pour them through the chute of your food processor while you mix it into the flour. Be careful not to over mix. As soon as your dough comes together stop mixing.

As you can see my dough is just slightly sticky. Mary Berry says that slightly sticky dough makes great scones.

Next if you want extra flakey scones then take your pastry dough and chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes. I just take the bowl of my food processor and stick it in my fridge.

Then after your dough has slightly chilled you are ready to add in your strawberries. On a lightly floured surface, carefully knead in your strawberries. Then roll your dough out into an even log and cut it into four equal portions.

Next using your hands or a rolling pin shape each portion of dough into a 4 inch square. Then use a serrated knife to cut each square diagonally into even triangles.

Finally in a small bowl whisk together one egg and one tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Then brush the tops and sides of your scones so they get a pretty golden finish when they bake. If you are feeling fancy, you could also add some decorative white sugar sprinkles.

Then because I have a convection oven that runs a little hot I turned my oven down to 375 degrees and baked my strawberry scones on a hot baking stone for 15 minutes. If you don’t have a baking stone you could just line a baking pan with parchment paper to keep your scones from sticking when they bake. Keep an eye on your scones you want them to turn a golden brown color on top. Depending on your oven it could take 15 to 20 minutes to bake.

So pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy watching all the festivities, fascinators and fashion statements at the royal wedding. These strawberry scones are a delicious way to celebrate any morning.

Family/Home

Mother Daughter Decorating

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“When you are brought up in a home where beautiful things are appreciated it encourages your own life long pursuit.”

Charlotte Moss

My love for decorating and creating beautiful things is something that was nurtured and learned from my mother. I grew up watching her arrange flowers and creating new holiday decorations and I loved the joy and difference it added to our house. However, one of my favorite projects was my high school bedroom. My mom helped me redecorate my room in my own style. An earlier lover of all things blue and white and Ralph Lauren I decided I wanted a country styled room with an iron bed and painted furniture. My mom and I picked out an unfinished dresser and nightstand and she helped me paint it in a shabby chic blue crackle finish with a blue floral stencil. It has been years ago since we took on that project, but it instilled in me a love of painting and decorating. I was inspired as I saw the things I imagined come together to create a beautiful room. I had a place that was mine and I could see and feel the difference it made to live in a room you loved. That bedroom was my first decorating project and I still have the furniture we painted together. I still love the dressers and nightstand we painted and those pieces are in my daughters’ rooms now.

This is the night stand my mom and I painted years ago.

This past week my mom came to visit and to help me with another special project. This time we were painting an old bed and decorating my oldest daughter’s “big girl” room. We had fun chalk painting the bed frame in the backyard (I will have to write another post about chalk paint later) and creating a garden inspired bedroom filled with all the pretty pink and white details that my daughter loves. We rearranged the furniture and art. We also made room for the new art board I created to showcase my daughter’s love of drawing.

The old picture frame I found in the trash now has a new use as a pin board to showcase my daughters artwork.

We shopped at Target and Home Goods for the new bedding and accessories that would add just the right shabby chic touch. The finished room is now filled with special memories of our fun together.

There is a small needlepoint picture stitched by my mom and button artwork and a ribbon flower wreath that I made. Small but personal touches made with love. One of the great decorating lessons I have learned from my mom is that thoughtfulness in the details is what often makes a room truly memorable and special.

The pink bedspread came from Rachel Ashwell’s Shabby Chic line at Target. The two bed pillows were something custom I made from the remains of the extra duvet cover that I used to upholster the art board and the old crib sheet from my daughter’s toddler bed. My sewing skills are fairly basic, but I got creative to add a few dressmaker like details. I used a simple pillow case as my pattern. Then I used the ribbon tied edges from the duvet on the side opening of my pillow.

This gave me a pretty and professional looking edge without lots of extra work.

Then because the white crib sheet had less fabric to work with I decided to add a ruffled edge using an old summer dress my daughters had outgrown.

I carefully cut off the bottom ruffle and sewed it around the opening of my pillowcase.

This finishing detail gave the pillow just the right shabby chic look that I wanted.

My daughter who was worried about giving up her old toddler bed, now loves her new room. It’s filled with all the magical cottage garden details she likes and I can’t wait to see how she continues to personalize it by adding her own artwork and treasures.

It’s a great gift to have the opportunity to choose what your room looks like and to fill it with things you love. My mom’s love of beauty and creativity helped shaped who I am today and I hope that my daughter feels that same joy in her new room.

A favorite photo of my mom and daughter together.

Now stay tuned, I am going to have to gear up for my next project this summer, because watching this room transformation has caused my three-year old to declared herself “BIG.” My youngest daughter now has a vision of her very own “big girl” room with hot pink and purple. So the fun and the decorating continues.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Garden

Spring Is Here

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The earth laughs in flowers- Ralph Waldo Emerson

After a cold April, May is here and the flowers in Chicago are all in bloom. My mom was in town this past week so I took some time away, but this week we made it out to one of my favorite places, the Chicago Botanical Gardens. The spring blooms were gorgeous so I had fun taking a few photos hoping to capture a bit of the beauty of spring.

This pink anemone with its feathery two toned purple center was one of my favorites.


The stately foxgloves towered over the flower beds welcoming bees and butterflies.

There are ranunculus in every color imaginable. Theses layers of fuchsia petals are a happy sign of spring.

A honey bee stopped long enough for a photograph.


Lilies taking in the warm spring sun.

Then there was a hillside of poppies in vibrant reds, yellows and oranges. The view was spectacular. Spring is here and everywhere you look there are breathtakingly beautiful flowers.

Baking

Chocolate Cabernet Tart

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Chocolate Raspberry Tart Recipe

What should I bring for dessert? I was looking for a recipe to share with friends last week and I thought it might be fun to make a tart. So as I was searching through my cookbooks trying to decide what to make, I found this recipe for a Chocolate Cabernet Tart from a well-loved French restaurant in Houston called Chez Nous. It comes from a wonderful cookbook my sister-in-law gave me a few years ago called Houston’s Classic Desserts. The book has a collection of dessert recipes from some of the best restaurants from my hometown of Houston.

This recipe just read like it would be good, so I decided to take a risk and try something new. The results were so delicious that I decided I would make it again and share it on the blog. It’s an elegant and pretty dessert, but it’s also surprisingly easy to make. The crust is made from almonds so this tart is also gluten free. I know I have some readers with nut allergies, so if I were going to make a crust without nuts then I would substitute a chocolate graham cracker crust instead.

Chez Nous’ Chocolate Cabernet Tart (Serves 8)

  • 1 2/3 cup almonds,blanched and slivered
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup creme fraiche (you can also use sour cream I have tested both but the creme fraiche adds a subtle tanginess that I like)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup Cabernet
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 10 ounces semi sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces (I used Ghirardelli but you could use another high quality chocolate)
  • 1 (6 ounce) container of raspberries
  • 1 small bunch of mint leaves (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Place the almonds, 3/4 cup sugar and 4 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces in the food processor and blend them at high-speed for 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Then scrape down your sides of your food processor and do this about 3 times so your nuts are finely chopped and blended with your butter.

Here is what my almond mixture looked like before I place it in my tart pan. Then lightly spray the sides of a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray and press your almond mixture evenly on the sides and bottom of your pan. I like to start with my sides first because I find that it is easier to get my sides even if I start there and then press the remaining crumbs evenly on the bottom. Next, to keep your tart from unevenly puffing up as it bakes, I like to use a fork to lightly prick some holes in just a few places to allow the steam to escape as it bakes.

Here is my tart crust before I placed it in my oven to bake. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until your crust turns golden brown.

Then let your crust cool while you make the chocolate filling. First get you chocolate broken or chopped into small pieces in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then in a medium sauce pan mix together your creme fraiche, sugar, cream and Cabernet and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk your creme fraiche mixture so the sugar dissolves evenly. Then when it comes to a simmer take your pan off the heat and pour it over your chocolate. Then whisk together the chocolate and creme fraiche mixture. Until it is smooth and all the chocolate has melted.

Then pour your chocolate filling in your almond tart shell. If you get a few air bubbles that rise to the top then use a toothpick or the tip of a knife to pop the tiny bubbles so you have a smooth glossy top.

Then place your tart in the fridge to cool and set for a least 3 hours before serving. Once your chocolate tart is set you are ready to remove the ring from your tart pan and decorate the top with raspberries. I made one where I covered the whole top with raspberries and then I made this second one that I liked even better, where I made a wreath of berries around my tart with some mint leaves. Decorating or garnishing the top is always my favorite part. I used a clusters of three berries with one mint leaf placed at a slight angle and I repeated that pattern all the way around my tart.

 

One bite of the crunchy almonds, silky smooth chocolate and the sweet raspberries makes it’s worth the effort. This tart is particularly good because the richness of the chocolate is balanced with the subtle flavor of the Cabernet.  Chocolate, wine and French pastry all in one dessert, am I dreaming? It’s just amazing. So if you are looking for some baking fun then you need to try this raspberry chocolate tart. It’s as delicious as it looks.

Arts and Crafts/Home

Another Girl’s Treasure

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I was driving down 7th street when I saw it leaned up against a big blue trash can. My heart skipped a beat as my mind swirled with the possibilities, but before I could stop to pick it up I had to drop my girls off at school. I quickly made my way back to see if it was still there, the large old picture had perhaps seen better days. The 1950’s landscape photograph was peeling off, but the large solid frame was a find. So I decided it was coming home with me, the only trouble was how it was going to fit in the back of my car. I carefully began to slide the five foot long frame into my car. I questioned my own judment as I struggled to load the frame, because it was almost as tall as me, but I was determined. I said a little prayer that the tailgate would close and when it did I was grateful I didn’t have far to go.

What was left of the lake scene after I got it loaded out of the car.

I have been working on a small bedroom remix for my five year old’s new “big girl room” and I thought this frame would make a great custom pin board. My young budding artist loves to paint and draw. We enjoy her paintings, but recently the amount of artwork as become a bit overwhelming. So I though a new large cork board would be a great new piece to add over her bookshelf. This way she can create her own gallery of pictures to personalize her room.

I headed out to the craft store to get some supplies to transform this vintage lake house picture into something a bit more shabby chic. I found some cork tiles that I could cut down to fit my board, some heavy duty adhesive tape and white chalk paint. Then while I was getting all the supplies, I found these pretty metal flowers that I thought would add just the right vintage touch to the edges. Then I headed home to begin putting it all together.

A little white chalk paint helped give this frame a completely new look.

A solid roll of cork that was big enough to cover my board was going to cost over $60, so I decided to use less expensive cork tiles. I used a craft knife to cut them to fit. Then I found some clear heavy duty adhesive tape made by Gorilla Glue that is designed to hold up to 15 pounds. The heavy duty tape worked well to hold up the small cork squares.

I used a T-square which helped me cut straight lines on the edge pieces that needed trimming.

Admittedly the patchwork of cork tiles is not the best look on it’s own, so I took some extra fabric I had and I used it to upholster my pin board.

I used a staple gun to pull the fabric tight across my board. Then to cover the edges and staples I glued on some grosgrain ribbon trim.

Some fabric glues can leave a stain on ribbon even after it dries so I like to use hot glue, which dries clear.

Then for the final shabby chic touch I added some metal flowers to the corners.

These metal flowers were on sale at Michaels this week for $1.60 which made them an especially great find.

The flowers looked a bit too uniform for me so I took some pliers and bent the centers so they looked like roses. Then I spray painted the flowers since the back sides of the petals were not painted so they would be completely white. 

I love the finished look of the flowers and I think they are my daughter’s favorite part of the whole project.

Here is the finished pin board that is ready to be hung on the wall. Now it’s my daughter’s turn to start personalizing it by adding her favorite pieces of art.

This old picture may have been a little lonely sitting out on that curb, but I am glad I rescued it. I spent $55 in supplies which included the chalk paint, cork and gorilla glue, but to get just a large cork board alone would have been at least twice as much. So it was definitely worth the little bit of time it took to transform this old picture into something new.

This project had a very girly feel to it since it was going in my young daughter’s room, but a different fabric choice would give it a completely different feel and make this work in an office as well. It also could have been painted to become a chalkboard for a kitchen or covered in magnetic paper and then wallpapered for a message or photo board. The possibilities are endless.

Have you ever taken a chance on something you found?

Here are a few things I have learned when picking up roadside treasures:

  • It needs to spark some joy for you. Sometimes you can find something great but if you don’t have a place for it then it may be meant for someone else.
  • Make sure you give it a good cleaning and let it sit in garage quarantine just to make sure there aren’t and bugs or unexpected issues with your find.
  • Never underestimate the power of paint or things like silver or gold leafing. They can completely transform something that has good lines.
  • Be especially careful with upholstered pieces. They need to pass the smell test and stay away from it if it’s wet. However, slipcovers or new upholstery can do amazing things.
  • If you get home and change your mind then the worst thing that could happen is it goes right back out to the curb
  • Finally, I find there is a little extra design freedom when you get something for free so take a chance because you have a great opportunity to create something custom and one of a kind.

 

 

Food

The Substantial Sandwich: An Italian Caprese and Prosciutto Sandwich

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When we traveled to Italy last summer it was clear that not only did the Italians love their food, but they really cared about whether you the diner were enjoying what they made. What I love about Italian cooking is that it tends to be less fussy, because the food is so flavorful that there is beauty in that simplicity. While we were there we had these amazing mozzarella, prosciutto and tomato sandwiches. The flavor of the slightly salty prosciutto with the creamy mozzarella, and the bright tomatoes and basil made even a simple sandwich wonderful. So this week I decided to share a recipe for these brilliantly simple and delicious Italian caprese and Prosciutto sandwiches.

Italian Caprese and Prosciutto Sandwich -Serves 4

  • 1 French baguette (the better the bread the better the sandwich so go for the best and crispest baguette you can find)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 package (4oz) of thinly sliced prosciutto
  •  2 to 3 heirloom tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1  package (8oz) of fresh mozzarella, sliced into thin rounds
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh basil pesto (I happen to love the Giovanni Rana brand)
  • 8 fresh basil leaves

First slice your baguette into four even pieces then cut each section in half horizontally. Next you want to spread a little olive oil on each side of your bread. Then toast your bread in a toaster oven or put your bread on a sheet pan and place it under your oven broiler, but keep a close eye on it. Just a minute or two under the broiler will be enough. You want to lightly toast your bread so it is warm and is just beginning to get golden brown edges.

Next get your tomatoes sliced. I find it’s easier to slice my tomatoes with a serrated bread knife. Cut your tomatoes into thin round slices and then cut those slices in half. Then you want to season your tomatoes by sprinkling them with salt and pepper and drizzling just a touch of balsamic vinegar on top.

Now you are ready to assemble your sandwich. Layer on your prosciutto slices then top them with your sliced fresh mozzarella. Then top your cheese with your tomato slices and a drizzle of fresh basil pesto. Add a few fresh basil leaves on top and there you have it.

The best part about this recipe is that you can make it in less than ten minutes.  How easy and delicious is that? Want to serve it the Italian way then get some Pellegrino sparkling water.  Then add a side of some gourmet veggie chips or some fruit and you have a simple but flavorful Italian meal. Sometimes sandwiches get overlooked when it comes to dinner, but a substantial sandwich like this Italian Caprese and Prosciutto Sandwich makes a great quick and easy weeknight meal.

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