home infused water

August 9, 2016

Infused water tastes especially wonderful on hot, humid days.

Some fruit from a farmer’s market and a few sprigs of herbs from the garden transform the taste of ordinary water into a refreshing summer beverage.

Although I have seen some cool water bottles sold with a built-in infusion basket – also good for cold-brew tea – no special equipment is necessary to make some great tasting infusions!

A quart size container of water stored in the fridge is perfect to create an infusion with a piece of fruit and a couple sprigs of herbs.

With my garden rosemary, I like to add slices of a medium size orange for a refreshing infusion. Basil from the garden goes wonderfully with strawberries. Mint combines well with any type of berry, melon, or cucumber.

I also like the combination of peach and ginger. For a quart container, I buy a 1 inch piece of ginger at the grocery store and cut into small slices. It provides such a wonderful taste combination with a medium sized, sliced, fresh peach from a local farmer’s market!

Walk your garden or a local farmer’s market and be inspired to create a refreshing beverage for a hot, summer day!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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inital ball jar embellishment

August 2, 2016

I find joy in the details and today’s simple DIY is a perfect example!

I found this raised initial Ball jar at Terrain. I really liked the idea of an initial on the Ball jar, but I wasn’t crazy about the shiny silver lid provided with the jar. I also thought the initial needed a little embellishment.

These items were easy enough to remedy with some gold spray paint and a little bit of gold leaf.

A gold leafing kit is an essential part of any craft supply stash since there are tons of little uses for it. These kits are easy to find at craft stores.

I first spray painted the lid of the jar with a gold metallic spray paint…easy enough! Next, I applied the gold leaf. I brushed some liquid adhesive provided with the kit onto the area where I wanted the gold leaf. I purposely did a messy painting job because I didn’t want it to look too ‘perfect.’ (I thought I may even want to sand a little of the gold leaf off after I had it completed to make it look a little worn.) I used a cotton swab for to apply the adhesive, rather than getting a brush dirty – and after the application, I just threw out the cotton swab!

After the adhesive got a little tacky, I carefully placed a little piece of the gold leaf over the initial and pushed it down with a clean, soft cloth. Lastly, I added a sealant, provided with the kit, to keep the gold leaf in place and prevent discoloration. (I applied this with a cotton swab as well.)

Be sure to follow the directions provided with your gold leaf kit for best results!

I love the result! I got rid of the shiny silver lid and that little speck of gold leaf on the initial made this monogrammed jar perfect!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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girls night out

July 22, 2016

Making Mason jar terrariums is a fun and easy summer activity.

For today’s Friday field trip, I am bringing you to an outdoor garden to share this activity on a stunningly gorgeous summer evening. Cold drinks and interesting conversation are the perfect accompaniments for this fun outdoor get together.

Why not add this activity to your next summer soiree? A very basic terrarium can be easily created with Mason jars, potting soil, charcoal, and decorative pebbles. All the materials needed are easily purchased at a local dollar store or discount store.

To create the terrarium, a 1” layer of pebbles is added to the jar, followed by a thin layer of charcoal and 3” – 4” of potting soil. From there, moss and/or small plants are added as well as any decorative items. After a light watering, the terrarium is complete and the lid can be screwed on.

Adding a decorative feature like a small mushroom or animal gives the terrarium some extra character. (The owls used in these terrariums are actually beads that were attached to toothpicks.) Providing raffia to your guests to tie around the mouth of the jar of the finished terrarium is also a nice detail to include.

As an option, cute little instruction cards can be created and printed on a home computer. Instruct the new terrarium owners to mist the garden lightly occasionally and to remove the top for a while if too much moisture develops.

I hope I have inspired you to have a little terrarium building activity at your next get together – the perfect way to spend a beautiful summer evening!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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corn on the cob butter

July 19, 2016

From pizza to fruit – everything finds its way to the grill at this time of year!

Today, I am sharing a really easy way to add some extra flavor to your grilled corn. It is as simple as adding a few ingredients to your butter! By picking a few basil leaves from the garden and adding a little cheese, the traditional butter condiment can be instantly upgraded!

It doesn’t get any easier!

I included a recipe for you here, but using a little imagination, you can create your own flavor combinations based on your garden or leftover ingredients in your fridge. (A little cayenne and lime juice is another great combo!)

I hope I have inspired you to create a flavored butter for your next grilling session!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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99 cent diy table numbers

July 5, 2016

The cost of throwing parties, particularly weddings, has gotten crazy expensive. The good news is that the little details that make events special can definitely be beautifully executed with very little cost. Like my friend Phyllis says “it’s not what you have, but what you make of it.”

These easy DIY table numbers are made from 99 cent plastic – yes, plastic – Ikea photo frames! You may need to spend a little more than 99 cents to create one if spray paint and paint pens aren’t part of your craft supply repertoire. I happen to have both of these items on hand.

You can choose a color spray paint that best matches your party décor, but choose one with a label indicating adhesion to plastic. I like metallic paints because they add an air of elegance to the final product.

Purchase one frame for each party table. Unwrap each frame, removing the two acrylic plastic inserts and place them aside. Spray the 2 pieces of the frame(s) completely with 2-3 light coats of paint, following the directions on the spray paint can.

While the paint is drying, you can add the desired table number to one of the 2 acrylic pieces using a white, (or whatever color you choose), paint pen. Be sure to remove the protective plastic covering the acrylic before you begin. If you aren’t comfortable drawing a number freehand, no worries! Simply print out a number/type style you like from your home computer and trace it! That is the beauty of the acrylic! Once completed, you can put the second piece of acrylic carefully over the painted piece to protect it from scratching.

Lastly, screw the bottom piece of the frame into the top section and slide in the acrylic pieces.

Beautiful, right? These table numbers coordinate well with many different party themes and decors. I hope I have inspired you to give them a try! Of course, you can always use your painted frame to display a photo!

Note: I used Rust-Oleum metallic spray paints in the colors – some photos are in pure gold and some in hammered rosemary. The pure gold is a smooth finish. The Rust-Oleum hammered metallics create a textured paint finish that you can see in my close-up photo above.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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family heirloom before & after

June 21, 2016

I am excited to show you a finished piece I have been working on for quite some time. You may have seen a little sneak peek of my progress a little while back, but today I am showing the completion of the project. The piece is a special one because it is the only piece of furniture my friend Tracy kept from her mom’s home after she passed away.I wanted to transform this old buffet into something a little more current for Tracy’s home. First, I did some cleaning of the piece. Then, since the piece had been exposed to a lot of smoke and I was afraid the paint may not adhere properly, I took an extra step of starting with a coat of shellac. Then, I painted the piece with two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre, making sure to use visible brush strokes – I think that adds some character for an aged look.

After I had the entire piece painted, I decided I should have kept the top of the piece in a natural wood! So, I stripped off the paint I had already put on and gave it a really good sanding with an electric sander. From there, I added three coats of stain and a clear sealer. I had made the right choice…I loved the way the top came out!

For the rest of the piece, I highlighted some areas with Annie Sloan Country Grey. I love the subtle contrast between the Old Ochre and the Country Grey paint. I also added a wash of Country Grey and water to add some depth of color. Next, I added a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax. I did some light distressing before adding a second coat of wax and added some dark wax in areas. I think the piece has a great aged look without being overly distressed.

Next, I needed to update the furniture’s hardware. The original knobs were very simple. I decided to use something a little more ornate and found some knobs I loved for the piece at Anthropologie. The pulls were a little harder to figure out. You can see one of the old pulls above. I wanted a more updated look, but nothing was available that appealed to me in the width of the old pull. I ended up making a special order from Klaffs – a large bath and kitchen store in my area. I would have to fill in the holes from the old pulls and drill new ones to accommodate a newer sized pull. It took me a couple hours to look through a large selection of pulls before I made a decision, but ordering the new hardware was definitely the right decision…the new pulls are great for the piece!

I think the new hardware is perfect!

Don’t you agree?

And, I think the decision to stain the top of the piece was a great one as well! The piece is ready for its new home! I hope it serves Tracy’s mom’s memory proud!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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creating white sea glass

June 14, 2016

Last week, I showed you how easy it is to create a sea glass look to glass using the new Krylon spray paint. I showed a couple of examples to get you inspired.

I received so many emails asking why I didn’t include the ‘ice’ color in my post, I decided to dedicate today’s post to a demonstration of that particular color!

The ‘ice’ color of the Krylon sea glass spray paint actually happens to be my favorite of all the colors! I guess I should have included it in my post last week, but here goes! As I mentioned last week, it takes mere seconds to complete a spray painting project! Here you can see me spraying a cute little Weck jar.

And here, the beautiful result! Ready to use in minutes!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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a redo becomes a buffet bar

June 10, 2016

Normally, once I post about a redo on a piece of furniture, I don’t ever show it again. Today I am going against the norm. For Friday field trip, I am giving you a glimpse of a past furniture redo in its new home. It started as a paint project in October 2015, when I transformed an old buffet with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Napoleonic Blue.

(For the full, original post of before and after photos, click here.)

The owner of the buffet recently used it in her coastal home to set up a bar for a brunch with friends and today I am showing you how great the piece looks ‘in action!’

Not only does the bar buffet look wonderful, but the brunch food does as well! Let me share the menu!

Marinated tomato and Burrata salad…

Broccoli and cheddar quiche…

Crème brulee baked French toast…

Chateaubriand roast with basil butter and rosemary…

and, of course, Mimosas!

Nice job styling the bar and creating the food, Ashley! I am so glad the piece has a great home! Thanks for sharing!

I hope I have inspired you to use a piece of your own furniture in a special way! Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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sea glass spray paint

June 7, 2016

We have all made sea glass looking jars from glue, water, and some food coloring – haven’t we? If you haven’t, please don’t even try it! There is a new sea glass spray paint that makes this process so much quicker and so much less of a mess! The effect is created, literally, in seconds -and dries almost as fast. It is possible to transform your entire recycling bin of bottles in mere minutes!

I actually had an empty recycling bin when I decided to demonstrate this new Krylon spray paint, so I made a quick trip to the dollar store. I found some great looking bottles for this exercise and sprayed some to use as table numbers – a fun way to dress up party tables! After spraying, I just added numbers.Of course, there are tons of ways to use the bottles once they are painted! Like…making labels to add to a bottle – easy to do with a home computer!

Because I ended up buying bottles from the dollar store, they are all the same size and shape, but the beauty of using this paint is that you can create a cohesive grouping of bottles by simply painting a variety of shapes and sizes all in the same color.

This Krylon sea glass paint is available in more colors than you probably have sea glass! They include lemon, aqua, ice, cornflower, rose, sea foam, ruby, and amber. Of course, though I didn’t use it for this exercise, ice is probably my favorite! Yes, white is my favorite color in sea glass!

Here is an example of the amber color paint. I used it on a clear glass candlestick. When I put some of my brown sea glass next to the painted candlestick, look how similar they appear!

I hope I have inspired you to create something fun of your own in your favorite sea glass color using Krylon spray paint!

P.S. For an evening party, battery operated lights in bottles are a nice addition. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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family heirloom redo

May 13, 2016

I’m usually not one to post a painting project until I can share both the before and after photos.

I am breaking that practice today by showing you a couple ‘in process’ photos of a current project for today’s Friday field trip.For a friend, I am painting the only piece of furniture she kept from her childhood home after her mom passed away.

The old buffet gave me some issues right from the start…take my advice, and don’t ever paint a piece that sustained constant smoke for 60+ years! Anyway, I am getting down to the home stretch with this project . Here is a little peek. The photo below is the old and new hardware. I special ordered new pulls. Aren’t they nice? And, I think the knobs I bought look great as well!

The base color of the piece is Annie Sloan Old Ochre. After I had already painted a first coat on the entire piece, I decided I needed to strip and sand down the top of the piece. Here is a peek of it with the new finish. It felt great to get rid of that old orangey yellow finish!

I will share all the ‘after’ photos soon – once I have the piece completely finished!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope I have inspired you to look at an old piece of furniture in a new way!

Have a great weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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a redo becomes a buffet bar

sea glass spray paint

family heirloom redo