Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Kitchen Revival // Independence Day Recipe Round Up


It's almost the 4th, and what better way to celebrate than with a backyard BBQ {unless you're in AZ, then it's a poolside BBQ}?

Here's a collection of delicious recipes to make your dinner sparkle as much as the fireworks!






Source: recipe.com via Nancy on Pinterest






Source: ourbestbites.com via A on Pinterest


Source: womansday.com via Jamie on Pinterest






Happy Grilling!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

DIY Tutorials // Extra Large Lollies


I've shown a tutorial here on hello there! house how to make paper lollies, but here's some simple directions on how to take those lollies to the next level! 


My extra huge lollies are made using Bazzill Basics new 24" x 12" cardstock found at Scrapbooks, ETC in Mesa. The Next size down is made with the 12" x 12" cardstock and the smaller size (the polka dot lollie) is made with printed 8.5 x 11" paper using Rhonna Designs Nautical Chic Papers



I followed the directions for the regular paper lollies, making my accordion folds hot dog style (use the long side) so it make them extra long. I had to use 5 pieces of paper to make a circle, it's really HUGE once you get it all hot glued together .


I repeated the process with the smaller pieces of paper (just 3 sheets for those) and added some more Nautical Chic Printable elements to jazz them up a bit. To attach the different sizes together, I punched holes in the lollies and wrapped them with wire. Then I cute out circles of chipboard from cereal boxes and hot glues those to the back for stability. Once I strung them up with Divine Twine from a punched hole in the largest lollie, they were ready to hang up! So fun & festive for the 4th, I think I'll leave them up until Labor Day!





Monday, June 25, 2012

Garden Seeds on the Road // Hydrangea



I am visiting my parents in New Jersey and must share some of my mother's garden with you.  My mom has been a big inspiration to me as she is a long-time gardener and has a beautiful property.  One of her garden's features is hydrangea.  She has many varieties and colors and luckily, they are all in bloom in June.  Take a look:

Oakleaf Hydrangea
Annabelle Hydrangea


Hydrangea have a unique ability to change color based upon the ph of the soil.  I have read that you can put one in a pot and manipulate the ph in an effort to change if from pink to blue, for example.  Pretty cool science!

Lace Cap Hydrangea
Side yard



Hydrangea are not intended for the Arizona climate.  They are better suited for cold climates, or zones 4-9.  If you see one in a store in Phoenix, do not buy it with the intent of planting it in your garden.  It may survive for a week or so, but will ultimately land in your compost.  

Happy Hydrangea!




Friday, June 15, 2012

Treasure Hunting // Wood Creations Furniture: Pine Table Clearance


We love sharing all the great deals from our home & garden event sponsors & vendors. Wood Creations Furniture has a fabulous deal on a gorgeous Pine Dining Table that you don't want to miss- only $299!



Wood Creations Furniture: Pine Table Clearance- Get Yours Today!: Sometimes, our manufacturers do things that we do not understand. Like, discontinuing products that are our favorites :( such as these GORGE...


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Organize Your Life // Garage Envy

Somewhere, over the rainbow, I will have a nice big spacious organized garage. Until then, I will dream and drool over all these spaces that are not filled with furniture to be finished and overspray : /

























Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Kitchen Revival // Using The Vegetables From Your Garden


If you're anything like me, you GROSSLY overestimated the amount of vegetables you should have planted this season. Granted, this was our time starting a garden, so my strategy was to plant a ton in case half our plants died off. I guess my thumb was greener than I thought because out of the 18 tomato plants we put in the ground, only 2 have not fruited. And by fruited, I mean EXPLODED with tomatoes. Our cherry tomato plants, which started at 1 foot high, have grown to 5 feet high and are crawling out across our walkways on PVC pipe bridges we've set up for them. All in all, we are harvesting far too many tomatoes every day to eat so I had to find something to do with all those 'maters. Luckily I came across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen for Fresh Tomato Sauce and set out to make my first batch today.




I will warn you, the prepping of the tomatoes does take FOREVER, but the cooking of the sauce is easy peasy after all that. Here's the recipe for the sauce- the flavor does beat anything you can buy in a jar, even if it does take you all afternoon.




Tuesday, June 12, 2012

DIY Tutorials // Make Your Chalk Paint


When I stumbled across this tutorial, I literally shouted JACKPOT at the top of my lungs. Brillance, is what it is. Don't get me I LOVE Annie Sloan's chalkpaint, but it's very hard to get your hands on, and while there are a great many colors, you are always going to be limited to what they carry. Now, you can make ANY color chalk paint your heart desires (and of course, at a fraction of the cost). 



All I did was mosey on over to Home Depot, grabbed Martha Stewart's paint sample of Main Lobster, and asked the mixer for a flat sample of the paint. It's a nice sized sample for about $5, and then I grabbed a 2.5 lb bag of Plaster of Paris for about $6. I went home, poured about 2/3 of the paint sample into a plastic container, then shook about 1/3 cup of the Plaster of Paris into the container and mixed thoroughly. What I ended up with was a lovely thick paint that was very similar to the chalk paint consistency. I got to work on the chair, but the mixture did start to thicken up with time, and the heat (I was painting outside) so I added a few drops of water (be careful not to add to much! a water little goes a long way), remixed and it was perfect and silky!



My chair was sitting outside for a while so not in great condition. It has paint flaking off of it, so I lightly sanded the thing to get most of the flakes off, then painted right over it. What I ended up with was a antiquey handpainted look- not the gorgeous smooth professional look my husband produces on furniture, but the change in style was fun & refreshing! I topped it with clear wax, and am now debating on glazing over the piece and distressing it a little before recovering the cushion seat with burlap. I'll be sure to share the finished pictures once I decide!


Monday, June 11, 2012

Garden Seeds // Spotlight: Zinnias


June is the time of year when zinnias are in bloom.  They add tremendous color and height to any garden and are also a beautiful cut flower for your favorite vase.

This year, I have scattered zinnia everywhere:  in between vegetables, in pots and amid my sunflowers.  There are a zillion varieties of zinnia so your choices of color, shape and height are endless.



Zinnia can be planted through mid-June, so pick up a couple seed packets today and get these beauties in the ground.  They are tolerant of full sun but need water daily.

Happy Planting!




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