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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Organize Your Life // Mail

How to fix mail as an eye sore? Here are a few fine examples. I love making ugly things pretty.

via bhg

via bhg

You could easily make something like this to organize all that mail going in and out. Have a trash can underneath for junk! #organize

via gilt

organize mail and homework in your entryway using salvaged mailboxes

via bhg

Mail organizer tutorial--if I adjust the sizing this process could be used to organize the well in the wall where the ancient doorbell used to be.

via noodlehead

via bright and blithe

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Kitchen Revival // Popcorn-palooza

I'm so excited to announce that my best friend, Stacy Snyder of The Hip Hurrah will be joining us every other week for Kitchen Revivial! Get ready for some hip new recipes, inspiration from NYC's restaurants, and cocktail concoctions for your next get together!

Source: chaosinthekitchen.com via Diana on Pinterest

Air popped Popcorn is basically the world's most perfect snack; and has two times the polyphenol (an antioxidant) than the same size serving of fruit. It also has an antioxidant that helps prevent Alzheimer's Disease, and is a whole grain. What could be better to much on than that? You can read more info on the benefits of Air-popped Popcorn on The Daily Meal.

A big bag of organic kernels is $2 at Trader Joe's, and you only need to pop 1/4-1/2 cup of the kernels at a time to get enough for a sizable snack. Filling, fibrous, full of anti-oxidants, and most importantly FUN (when those bad boys started popping, my roomie and I started screaming like little girls. I had forgotten to put the lid on the pan and the popcorn started flying all over the place. in retrospect....that was probably a good thing).

Popcorn is also so fun because the topping possibilities are endlesssss....... get some olive oil spray and fleur de sel and you have a simple, healthy little snack. Or get crazy and add some cayenne pepper, cinnamon, curry- any number of sweet or savory spices to fit your mood. I've been dying to try some lavender salt as a topping <<<<-might be to die for.

Another great way to incorporate some popcorn into your life is adding into homemade tail mix as a filler. However, today the goal was to make mini energy balls to eat during my shift at work so my blood sugar levels don't crash and I'm not a rabid starving beast by the end.

I made both this recipe for peanut butter balls from theKitchn and the one with sriracha. I did a double batch (but still only used the 1/3 cup sugar) and divided the pb caramel at the end, adding the vanilla to one half and 2 Tbs sriracha to the other. I added one whole banana to the vanilla mixture since I have been running a lot and everyone knows about the banana-running-potassium thing. I did affect the consistency, and right now they are in balls and setting in the fridge. raisins would be good too, and wont affect the consistency of the caramel. If adding raisins, I would add cinnamon (natch). Also I will note that I now have a lot of left over sriracha peanut butter caramel that I am thinking of adding to a pad thai noodle dish.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

D.I.Y. Tutorials // Easter Books

These books were made as a hand-out at a party. We are so pleased at how cute they turned out! And what fun to add something that isn't a basket or eggs to your Easter decor!

ONE // Get some books. We found these Readers Digests at a thrift store for .25 each. Using painters tape (or duct tape) tape off the pages of the book as a whole. Spray paint the outside and edge of the books. Once paint is dry, remove the tape (carefully).

TWO // Use the front of the book as a template to cut out a rectangle of decorative paper that will fit as the cover of your book. You only need to do decorate the book that will be on top of the stack. Mod Podge the paper onto the book. Don't stress too much about air bubbles and perfect straightness. The air bubbles help the book look aged and the paper that hangs over a bit will be taken care of later. Mod Podge your image onto the upper half of the book cover. Wait overnight for books to dry completely.

THREE // Once dry, sand the edges with sand paper. Then distress with distressing ink and some paper towel. Use little if any on the spine, you don't want the original title of the book to show through.

sanding

distressing ink

FOUR // Embellish! Glue on jewels, flowers, glitter...whatever you want!

FIVE // Make your tags. I used shipping tags that you can get at any office supply store for a reasonable price. I used a sponge brush and painted the bottom third of the tag with craft paint making sure each brush stroke was in the same direction. I allowed them to dry with something weighing the tag down so that the tag wouldn't curl up because of the moisture. Add "Bunny Tales" to the tag in your cutest hand writing. We also chose to add some glitter glue and distressing ink.

FIVE // Tie the books together using your material of choice and add the tag.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Garden Seeds // Root Bound Plants

Yesterday I bought this Blanket Flower (Gallardia Fanfare ) plant at a nursery from the 50% sale rack. $2.50 for a 2 quart plant. I immediately knew it was root bound by the light weight of the container. When a plant is all roots, there is less room for soil so it will feel light in weight. Even after watering, the container stays light as it has no soil to hold the moisture. You might also see roots growing out the bottom of the container.

No worries! Root bound plants are not destined for death in your garden. It is rather an opportunity for you to save it! Here is my Blanket Flower right out of the store container:

Notice all the white roots growing in a circular pattern. When roots can no longer grow down they will grow around. If you planted this in your garden/pot without trimming it first, the roots will continue to grow circularly, thereby limiting the oxygen to the roots and this plant will most likely die.

How to Trim Roots:

1. Cut off densely bound roots with a pair of clippers. I cut off about 2 inches of this plant as it was seriously bound. Cutting roots will not harm a plant.

2. Untangle remaining roots with your hands, breaking the circular nature of the growth.

3. Choose a pot or garden space that is bigger than the original container (2 quarts in this case). This plant obviously needs more space to grow to its full potential!

4. Spread the roots gently when planting. Plant no deeper than the top of the root ball.

Ideally, you want to buy plants that are not root bound. This is often the case, however, when plants have sat at a nursery for awhile.

The future is bright for this Gallardia. Notice it has four buds on it!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Domestic Fashion // Pallets

The question is what can't you do with a pallet? They are everywhere and being re-purposed into everything. They are no longer the wood of choice for bonfires. People around the world are putting an end to that!