Spruce Up Your Doormat

  My doormat had seen better days.  At one point it was a nice welcome mat to our home.  Now, it looks far less inviting.  Sure I could have tossed it and purchased something nicer, but I was convinced I could upgrade it with a can of spray paint.

  Before spraying, I taped around the sides with painter's tape and placed an "A" in the center for our last name.

I covered the entire mat with spray paint and hoped for the best!

Not the greatest, but definitely better!  It was a nice start to a little outside Fall decorating.

  My girl Bella, who normally doesn't like to be outside longer than to use the bathroom, came outside to join me.

While Princess slept comfortably!  Ah, the life!  Oh well...

I hope you guys are having a beautiful day!

Burlap Garland

 A few weeks ago while browsing through Pinterest, I came across the most stunning linen garland made by Jenni at, Beautiful Nest.  I was inspired to make my own!

Although Jenni used linen, I was able to achieve a similar look using burlap.  Burlap is one of my favorite materials to work with.  In the past I've used it cover a headboard, create an earring display, recover a lampshade and make a pillow.  Its large weave pattern made it perfect for this project.

For the complete tutorial visit Jenni's blog!  She has many awe-inspiring projects.  You'll be glad you stopped by!

*Thanks so much to Laurie @ Tip Junkie and Amy @ WhisperWood Cottage for featuring my garland on their fabulous sites!

Corn Husk Wreath

I was inspired by this Martha Stewart wreath and decided to create my own.

After purchasing my supplies I was ready to go!
-a straw wreath (no need to unwrap)
-dried corn husks (purchased at an international food market)
-approximately 3 packs of U pins (purchased at a craft store)

I followed Martha's tutorial and started layering the husks after soaking them in water for about 10 minutes.

  It wasn't hard to do, a little time consuming, but not hard at all!  The steps go a little quicker if you're listening to music or catching up on DVR'd shows, while you build your wreath.

The closer you stack the husks,  the fuller your wreath will be.

While I was at it, I decided to add a touch of Fall to my tabletop.

Can you tell the fake pears from the real ones?

These guys are the fake ones!

 And these, are totally edible!

Happy Fall!

*Thank-you so much to Michelle @ Someday Crafts , Stephanie Lynn @ Under The Table and Dreaming and The CSI Project for featuring my wreath on their blogs!

A Stick Vase

  Who says decorating has to be expensive?  Brighten up your home for Fall with items you may have in your yard.

Gather some sticks, cut them to size, then glue them around a spaghetti jar, for an inexpensive vase!

If you're interested you can view my previous spaghetti jar vases here and here.

*Thank-you so much to Donna@ Funky Junk Interiors for featuring my vase on her Facebook page!

I am linking this post to:

Bench Makeover

  I purchased this bench from a seller on Craigslist a few months ago.  It's a good size and I thought it would look nice on my porch.  Although the color wasn't bad as is, I decided to paint over it using leftover paint I had on hand.

  After giving the bench a fresh coat of paint, I felt like it looked a little plain.  I added a stencil pattern to the top of bench using template from Emily at Jones Design Company.

My pattern didn't turn out as well as I hoped blamed in part to my crappy paint brush and unsteady hands...

but, overall I am pleased with the new look!

Thank-you so much Emily for sharing your template!

  *A huge thanks to Kim at Today's Creative Blog for featuring my bench on her Facebook page and Kristi at Addicted 2 Decorating for featuring my bench on her blog!  You guys are awesome!!!!

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I Heart Nap Time

Wow Us Wednesdays!

My Dishwasher is Evil!

 
  Earlier this week, I cleaned the kitchen up before going to bed, like I do every other night of the week.  Wiped the counters down, swept the floor, ran the dishwasher, went to bed.  No Biggie!!  Except this time was different, I woke up the next morning to a huge mess!  Apparently the garbage disposal was clogged and the water from the dishwasher drained into the sink, causing the sink to overflow.  The water in the sink spilled all over place, saturating the floors, the base cabinets and all the stuff inside the cabinets.  Oh the drama that took place thereafter,  I should have won an Oscar for my performance!  I don't cope well with stress and my kitchen mess just took me over the top!  We don't own a shop-vac so we got most of the water up with our carpet cleaner. Worked better than expected, but things are still wet and some mold has set in.  Boo-hoo!

  At this point our insurance company has been called and together we're moving forward to get this mess resolved.  The floors are coming up and the base cabinets will be replaced.    

  But for now, my kitchen is a wreck and my nerves are bad!  In the end I know everything will be put back together and I will love my new floors.  Until then, I just need to get over myself and enjoy not cooking for the rest of the week!    

  So my friends, I'll see ya in a week or so while we're under construction!

Shrimp and Grits(My Way)

When in the South, Eat Like a Southerner!

  As a child, I never understood the appeal of grits.  Growing up in N.J. my mom made Farina.  Farina was my favorite breakfast!  Similar to grits, we ate Farina as a hot cereal.  Grits weren't a "big deal" until I moved to Georgia.  I was unaware that grits were served as a main dish and not just for breakfast.  I recently enjoyed Shrimp and Grits at a local restaurant and knew this was one dish I had to make at home.  I decided to make this dish for dinner.  This recipe has become a family favorite.  Love Shrimp?  Love Grits?  Then you'll love this recipe too!

-Ingredients, Grits:

6 cups water
2 cups half-and-half
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups quick grits
8 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, separated

Directions:

* To avoid lumps add grits to water before boiling.  In a saucepan, combine water, salt, black pepper, 3 tablespoons of butter and slowly add grits.  Stirring constantly slowly bring ingredients to a boil.  Reduce to a low heat and continue to stir often, until ingredients are thick and smooth, about 10 minutes.  Add cheese and half-and-half.  Stir gently until cheese melts.  Turn off heat and add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.  Stir until completely smooth.  Allow grits to rest, before serving.

 

-Ingredients, Shrimp:

1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled- devein if you prefer  *save those shells!
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tsp dried dill
Salt to taste

Directions:

  Heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat.  Add garlic and saute until mixture is simmering and garlic is fragrant.  Add shrimp and cook, until shrimp is white throughout, about 4 minutes.  *Add salt to taste. Sprinkle with dill.

 

-Ingredients, Shrimp Sauce:

1 lb large raw shrimp shells
4 tablespoons butter, separated
4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

    In a large sauce pan, add milk, shrimp shells, two tablespoons of butter and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook partially covered for about 20 minutes.  Turn off the heat and season with garlic, salt and pepper.  *Strain shells and save only the broth.  In a separate pan, heat remaining two tablespoons of butter in a large sauce pan and sprinkle with the flour, always stirring.  Slowly add the broth, whisking it vigorously until it thickens.  Set aside.

*To serve, spoon grits onto a plate.  Add shrimp sauce and top with shrimp.  Garnish with dill and serve!