Love these Sisters

Sisters Lennon and Maisy, 12 and 8 years old, with their rendition of Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend”.  Recently, my daughter introduced me to this song, that I wouldn't have otherwise heard and have now come to love.  Hope you enjoy it too!  Have a fabulous weekend, friends!

Decorating for the 4th of July

Growing up, my favorite holiday was the Fourth of July. Seriously!  I loved it more than opening presents on Christmas morning.

The festivities started with a big parade down Main Street, followed by free hot dogs and soda at the firehouse.

Later in the day all of my family would gather at my grandparent's house for a backyard BBQ.  We would end the day by watching a firework display at the park.

This year we are planning a small barbecue, so I decided to decorate the house red, white and blue.

I started by gathering a few empty spaghetti sauce jars and decorating them with puffy paint.

I placed tea-light candles inside of the smaller jars.

The starfish reminds me of days at the Jersey shore.

I filled the larger jars with clippings from my yard.  An inexpensive way to bring nature in.

I finished it off with garland strung together with twine and ribbon.  Simple and Inexpensive!

What are your plans for July 4th?  A great day of food?  Spending the day with family and friends?  However you celebrate, have fun!

Thrift Store Bench Makeover- Take 2

I found this bench at the thrift store for $7.99.  I originally blogged about it here.

I gave it a quick makeover using leftover paint and fabric from previous projects.  As much as I loved the new color on the bench, I grew tired of the fabric.

After a visit to Joann's, I replaced the fabric for a fresh, new look.

It was by chance that the fabric matched the wall color exactly.

The new fabric really brightens the bench.  The old fabric had become dull and boring.

I like being able to change out the fabric for an instant and inexpensive update.

I love having this bench around for extra seating.  

I am linking this post to: Kelly's Korner

A Clean Fresh Fragrance for Your Home

To boost my mood while cleaning,  I have a simple ritual that I follow.  I open the windows to let some fresh air in, I play happy music to sing along to and I simmer a pot of potpourri.

Homemade potpourri will freshen your house!

It makes my house smell so clean.

A handful of dried lavender buds

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary

A few star anise pods

Two teaspoons of lemon extract

and Two cups of water

Toss it all in a saucepan and let it simmer on the stove.  Be sure to add more water as the water boils down.  Once I'm through cleaning, I refrigerate the leftovers and reuse it the next day.

How do you happily clean your house?  It's best to try and enjoy it since it's something that we have to do!

I am linking this post to: Kelly's Korner

Grandmom's Peach Cobbler

There are 1000 different ways to make peach cobbler, this is my version.

One of my family's favorite desserts is my grandmother's cobbler. I will always associate cobbler with my grandmom.

Before she passed away, I can remember calling her for the recipe. Problem was, my grandmother didn't need measuring utensils to cook.  She eyeballed everything!  So naturally, the first few times I made it I was disappointed when it didn’t turn out just right.  Fast forward to 2012…I have now perfected my grandma's recipe.

The perfect summer comfort food.  It just wouldn't be summer without cobbler.  Serve with vanilla ice cream and it's delicious! Indulge!  You won't be sorry you did!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very cold butter

10 to 12 large peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, cut it into small pieces
1/4 cold water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter the inside of a 2-1/2 quart baking dish.

Combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the cold, diced butter in a large bowl.  Using a pastry blender or a fork combine until mixture is crumbly.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, to set. 

Place sliced peaches into the bottom of baking dish.  Sprinkle sugar, then cinnamon evenly on top of peaches.  Top with small butter pieces.     

Take the mixture out of the refrigerator.  Use a fork to separate crumbs, then sprinkle evenly over peaches.  Drizzle cold water over top.

Bake for 1 hour, until the top is lightly browned and the juices are bubbly.  Serve warm.

*This recipe was made in loving memory of my grandmom.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Yay!  Finally found one!  It's my new favorite plant.  I have longed for one of these pretty plants with large beautiful leaves since spotting it on Debbie's blog.

I was surprised to find one while browsing the garden center in Home Depot last week.  I purchased my plant for around $10. Apparently, that's a really great price.  Too bad there weren't others, I would've bought them all!

From what I've read they are relatively easy to care for.  I'm crossing my fingers hoping I can keep this plant alive.

I am linking this post to:

Welcome Home Adam!

This week my cousin returned home safely after his third deployment to Afghanistan.

He showed us many pictures and talked about the friends he lost while serving in Afghanistan.

He is a Black Hawk door gunner in the Army.

He was kind enough to bring his helmet, so Caleb could try it on. Caleb was one proud kid.  He would have worn Adam's helmet all day, if we let him!

We are so proud of our soldier.  I'm glad he's home safe.  I pray for his safety as well as the safety of all of the soldiers fighting for our freedom.

Stair Spindles and Gallery Wall Reveal

As a reminder here are few before pictures-

To strip the paint off the spindles I went through 2 gallons of paint stripper.  Stripping the paint, required patience and repeated applications.  I found that putting the stripper on thick worked best.  Once the paint was removed, I sanded each spindle smooth before applying the stain.  

For best results, do not go against the grain.

The spindles and frames were stained with Minwax, Jacobean.  I love the color!  It took a few days for the stain to dry and the house to be completely rid of the smell.

And after all that hard work, I am very pleased with the results!