Happy 4th of July!

via ruby lane

via Melskitchencafe
I'm inspired!

Today we celebrate the birthday of our country.  It is also my birthday!  It really is a great day to have a birthday, with all the BBQ, fun, and fireworks.   I love the sense of nostalgia and pride Americans feel on this day.  It is just a happy time.

Tonight we have plans to grab a few chairs and blankets and listen to a local orchestra and watch the fireworks while the kids run and play in the grass.  It couldn't be any better.

My amazing kiddos.  They are so excited about tonight!

Have a wonderful 4th of July! 
 "God bless America, Land that I love"

Here is how mine turned out!  I used Samoa girl scout cookies instead of brownies.  After all, they do have a hole in the middle...they were super yummy and the concert was wonderful.  What a great 4th and fabulous birthday spending time with my family and friends.

Inspiration: Sarah Richardson's Crest

Rebecca did a piece on summer mantles, and posted this picture from Sarah Richardson's farmhouse.  I fell in love with the crest above the fireplace as soon as I saw this room.

Rebecca's post
image via

Below is a close-up of the shield.  Isn't it gorgeous?!

Sarah Richardson crest; image via Hello Lovely

When I was at one of our local antique stores, I spied this old wooden shield hidden behind objects and leaning up against a wall.  I thought it was kitschy, but cool, despite the rather horrible crushed gold velvet lining.

A Hidden Gem?

I snapped a picture and emailed it to Rebecca to get her opinion.  Too much?  She was encouraging.  We went back a couple of days later, and I picked it up for a song.  Here's what's great about Rebecca- we finished our errands (new curtain rings for my bedroom redo, a look at some shelves, a good lunch), and then, after picking up the Cat, we IMMEDIATELY got to work on making this sucker more presentable.  By we, I really mean Rebecca.  I helped where I could, but she really did all the work.

Here it is, in all of its crushed velvet glory.

After we ripped off all the velvet that we could, we noticed that we could remove the screws and take the metal pieces off.  Much easier!

Here I am, kind of helping!

Here we are, with no more velvet.  This made it so much easier to clean it up!

Looking better already!  Rebecca used a white washing technique that she learned from Sarah Richardson.  The key, it seems, is to wipe a lot of the paint off the brush and then lightly apply it to the piece.

Here it is, all painted and done.  It is vastly different from the inspiration piece, but it is in the same vein, and it is going to look awesome above my fireplace!  Thanks, Rebecca!

~Lori

Inspiration: Black and White

via dressed cinema

via jo malone

When I think of black and white I think of  Cecil Beaton's costumes and set design in My Fair Lady.  I think of the perfumer Jo Malone and her crisp packaging and store front.  Automatically I think of Chanel and all things classic and glamorous; like Grace Kelly in Rear Window, and Leslie Caron dancing with Kelly in An American In Paris.  Black and white is the anti color combination to beat any color scheme when decorating too.  There is nothing more impactful  than a beautifully executed black and white space.


via favim


via closet


via style forum

via goaltus

via pinterest

via pinterest

via shelter

via color outside the lines

via bossy color

via anne sage

via picture of elegance

via house crush

via good life of design

via royalty girl

via iroonie

via gstatic

via seattle times

   
via country living


via country living


It's obvious that Lori and I love a black and white outfit!

Minor Obsession: Favorite Recipes from Pinterest

The other night, I was poking around on pinterest when I came upon a picture of some delicious looking popcorn.  Caramel marshmallow popcorn.  I made the mistake of immediately making said popcorn.  It was probably like 10 o'clock at night.  Best. Decision. Ever.  This stuff is super easy to make and it is delicious.  I'm not kidding when I say that it is delicious; I have made it several times since.  It disappears quickly, even though it is just the Cat and I eating it.  This recipe got me thinking about some of the other tasty recipes pinterest has introduced me to, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite pinned recipes (tried, tasted, and approved!) with you.  

Like I said, super easy, and super delicious, and if your
pantry looks like mine, you'll have the ingredients on hand already.
Get the recipe here:
chef-in-training.com

These strawberries and cream muffins have a delicious little
surprise inside- a cheesecake like filling.  Yum!
Get the recipe at Jane's Sweets and Baking Journal

Believe me when I tell you that I am not a whiz in the kitchen. 
I wish I were a better cook.  But I can bake this bread;
 the recipe is that easy.  It really is so good, especially toasted.
Get the recipe at One Good Thing by Jillee

If you haven't made these baked chicken taquitos yet, I feel
sorry for you.  They are easy.  They are quick.  They are wonderful, and they are loved by all
who come into contact with them.  Really.  YUM.
Recipe here:
The Girl Who Ate Everything

Baked pesto chicken
A fellow teacher made this for our end of the year party, and it was so delicious!
I already went to Trader Joe's and bought some pesto.
The recipe is here: Kalyn's Kitchen

These aren't the only recipes I've pinned, of course; I make the mistake of  going on pinterest right around dinner time, so I am constantly drooling over yummy looking things.  I have tried more than what I've listed, but so far, these are the ones that I have tried and really, really liked.  I hope you enjoy them too!

~Lori

DIY: Simple Things Around the House

I have been busy doing a few little projects, to freshen my house, that don't cost much:  I re-covered the bar stools in my kitchen with this fun hounds-tooth fabric my mom gave me.  I also touched up the paint.  These chairs take a beating from my kids, so they deserve a little love.
I read the section in last months House Beautiful magazine about little ways to modernize the home.  One little trick is to switch out traditional tapered chandelier bulbs for round ones.  I liked the idea of this funky little swap so I decided to try it out.  Ya know what?  I think it is pretty cool looking!

My husband and I are also sprucing-up our little powder room; I will post that soon.

Have a good weekend!  Maybe try a few little low cost (or no cost) projects of your own...

Happy Friday; Quote of the Week

Soon the Cat and I will be in Chicago, visiting my brother and sister-in-law.  We are both super excited for our trip (minus the whole making sure you get to the airport on time, get your bags checked, etc., etc.).

The following is a great picture featuring the iconic Marshall Field's clock on State Street in 1947.  The image comes from the Chicago Daily News.

image via

We've got big plans to visit all the touristy type places, take in lots of amazing architecture, explore as many different neighborhoods as we can, and eat our way through Chicago.  Lucky for us, we have two built in tour guides, so we are both looking forward to our visit.  And for those of you who have summer travel plans, I leave you with a little bit of sound advice...

So very, very true!
image via

~Lori