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a redo becomes a buffet bar

June 10, 2016

before and after furniture Annie Sloan Napoleonic blue pleasure in simple things blog

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!’

new brunch bar pleasure in simple things blog

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…

brunch salad pleasure in simple things blog

Broccoli and cheddar quiche…

brunch2 pleasure in simple things blog

Crème brulee baked French toast…

brunch3 pleasure in simple things blog

Chateaubriand roast with basil butter and rosemary…

brunch4 pleasure in simple things blog
and, of course, Mimosas!

brunch5 pleasure in simple things blog

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

Krylon sea glass paint pleasure in simple things blog

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!

demonstrating Krylon sea glass paint pleasure in simple things blog

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.before and after Krylon sea glass paint pleasure in simple things blogOf 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!

sea glass painting pleasure in simple things blog

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.

Krylon amber sea glass paint before and after pleasure in simple things blog

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!

Krylon amber sea glass paint pleasure in simple things blog

Krylon sea glass paint at night pleasure in simple things blog

 

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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june book giveaway!

May 31, 2016

Rising to the occasion book giveaway pleasure in simple things blog

It is the time of year for celebrations!

Having the ability to give an impromptu toast at a special celebration is definitely a skill.  So, why not be prepared and have the perfect toast prepared before you attend your next celebration?

pleasure in simple things giveaway book rising to the occasion june 2016

You can, if you win this month’s book giveaway!  As the winner, you can use one of the many toasts in this book at your next occasion or, use one as a springboard to create your own version of inspiring words!

Rising to the Occasion by Paul Dickson is a great resource to have on hand for your next special occasion.  Simply leave a comment on this post to be entered to win.  Good luck!

free book rising to the occasion pleasure in simple things blog

Congratulations to Emily,  the winner of last month’s book giveaway Salad Dressings by Jessica Strand.  And, thanks for your kind words Emily!  (Click here for more on this book.Have some fun creating some summer salads!  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Instagram users, read on!  Since June marks the start of summer, let’s share photos of beach finds this month!  Use hashtag #pleasuregram during the month of June to share!  I can’t wait to see your finds!

june 2016 instagram challenge plesure in simple things blog

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

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coastal in newport, ri

May 27, 2016

headboard detail pleasure in simple things blog

Earlier this week, I shared some of the wedding details from the Newport, RI wedding I recently attended.  Today, for Friday field trip, I am sharing some of the coastal décor details from my stay at the Newport Marriott.

The photos above and below are details from the bed headboard.

ewport Marriott light detail pleasure in simple things blog
The painting hanging on the bathroom wall created the feeling of a porthole.

port hole painting pleasure in simple things blog

The restaurant booths:

restaurant detail pleasure in simple things blog

Newport RI Marriott restuarant pleasure in simple things blog

The nautical themed art work was not limited to the bathrooms – there were plenty of pieces throughout the hotel.

painting at Newport RI Marriott pleasure in simple things blog

This light fixture was created from a collection of bottles.

light fixtures pleasure in simple things blog

Loved the numbers on the back of the balcony chairs!

balcony in hotel Newport RI pleasure in simple things blog

The use of ropes was a constant throughout.  Here are a couple additional examples:

rope detail in Newport Marriott pleasure in simple things blog

ceiling ropes pleasure in simple things blog

Maybe you have been inspired to create a couple of your own coastal touches?  Maybe from rope?

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a really marvelous holiday weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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wedding beauty in newport, ri

May 24, 2016

closeup of Newport wedding arch pleasure in simple things blog

It has been a very busy time for me.  Right after a short trip to the West Coast, I attended a wedding on the East Coast in Newport, RI.  On both coasts, my stay was directly on the shore so I was surrounded by all the coastal details I adore!

Castle Hill in RI pleasure in simple things blog

Castle Hill wedding pleasure in simple things blog

At the wedding, I was able to see a guy very special to me wed the gal of his dreams.  This gal also happens to have amazing taste and their wedding certainly reflected it!

a Newport RI wedding pleasure in simple things blog

pink flowers pleasure in simple things blog

wedding arch at Castle Hill pleasure in simple things blog

Today I am sharing with you a little bit of the beauty from the evening.

Newport wedding flowers pleasure in simple things blog

menu card at Castle Hill RI pleasure in simple things blog

white flowers at Castle Hill pleasure in simple things blog

At the couple’s request, photos were not taken at the ceremony or reception, but I did sneak a few photos of the amazing ocean view venue at Castle Hill Inn and a couple of the gorgeous details incorporated into the décor.

wedding table number Newport RI pleasure in simple things blog

wedding tablesetting at Castle Hill pleasure in simple things blog

I hope you enjoy the photos!  You can see a little more Newport on the blog on Friday!

Newport RI wedding flowers pleasure in simple things blog

tears of wedding joy pleasure in simple things blog

Thank you so much for stopping.  Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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fancy watermelon salad

May 17, 2016

fancy watermelon salad by pleasure in simple things blog

I love watermelon.  If you read my blog, you also know I love watermelon salad.  I make it by cutting chunks of watermelon and cheese (usually Feta), drizzling it with some extra virgin olive oil and adding cracked black pepper and basil.  Yum!

Inspired by a local restaurant, today I am showing you how I give my watermelon salad an upgrade by turning it into a fancier  ‘watermelon sandwich.’

watermelon salad made by pleasure in simple things blog

I do this by cutting 2 ½” rounds from watermelon slices using a cookie cutter.  I use the same cutter to cut a circle of mozzarella.  I drizzle the ‘sandwich’ I have created with extra virgin olive oil and add some cracked black pepper.  As garnish, I sprinkle crumbled Feta cheese on top and add chopped basil and walnuts.  The finished ‘sandwich’ is just soooo tasty!

cutting watermelon for salad pleasure in simple things blog

The same great watermelon salad I always enjoy, but a much ‘fancier’ version!  It is the perfect size and presentation to use as a first course for your next dinner party!

watermelon salad pleasure in simple things blog

With the great weather ahead – the perfect time to enjoy watermelon – I hope you will consider serving this winning dish to your guests!

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

3 comments

family heirloom redo

May 13, 2016

pulls and knobs for redo pleasure in simple things blog

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.before and after buffet pleasure in simple things blogFor 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!

pulls and knobs pleasure in simple things blog

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!

top refinshed pleasure in simple things blog

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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coastal party favors

May 10, 2016

anchor bag favors pleasure in simple things blog

Friends, you know how much I embrace a good theme – particularly a coastal one!  SO, you can really appreciate today’s post!

I was recently challenged to create Mother’s Day favors for a party celebrating a group of moms on the California coast.  Exciting!  This is the type of project I love!  I am super excited to show you the results of this project!

First, I got a Connecticut artisan to create my vision of a coastal themed, zippered, canvas bag.  I wanted to have a really great bag and find something related to my theme to tuck inside to make it extra special.

completed coastal theme favor pleasure in simple things blog

I had imagined a metallic anchor on the front of the bags, and I got just that!  How perfect are these?!  And, the anchor printed lining couldn’t be any cuter!

ct artisan zippered pouch pleasure in simple things blog

What did I choose to tuck inside these custom creations?  I first decided on some candy beach stones and packaged them in round glass-topped tins.

beach stone candies pleasure in simple things blog

Next, I added an anchor shaped bookmark – a great item to have for beach reads!

anchor bookmark for favor pleasure in simple things blog

As a way to utilize the new bookmarks, large baskets of gently used paperbacks in various notable titles were part of the party décor for moms to grab on their way to the beach.  Fun!

completed coastal theme favor pleasure in simple things blog

I hope I have inspired you to create some themed favors of your own for your next celebration.

If you have a vision for your own design and want to contact the artisan I used, check out Ralph & Martha on Facebook!

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

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may day surprises

April 26, 2016

flowers for May Day pleasure in simple things blog

I have done many different May Day surprises over the years. I love the element of surprise mixed with the beauty of fresh flowers – May Day combines these two elements perfectly!

Daffodils in a May Day Cone pleasure in simple things blog

This year, making my May Day arrangements, I decided I would only use the flowers I could harvest from my yard. This would have been an easy assignment in two more weeks or so, but when I went out into the yard today, I realized there are few flowers in bloom right now!

celebrating May Day with birch bark cone arrangements pleasure in simple things blog

I stuck to my challenge and used the only two flowers varieties I found in bloom. I arranged them in some plastic-lined, birch bark hanging cones I discovered for $2.75 each in the Terrain clearance room.

pleasure in simple things blog celebrates May Day

To add a little interest, I added some variegated Hosta leaves; picking the few that were just starting to poke through the ground! Even my Lillies of the Valley have yet to bloom!

I hope I have inspired you to create some May Day surprises of your own…what can you create from your yard?

May Day cones pleasure in simple things blogThank you for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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‘beachify’ your bottles

April 22, 2016

diy shells for wine bottles pleasure in simple things blog

The weather has finally turned here in Connecticut and I am loving every warm, sunny second of it!

For Friday field trip today, I am taking you into my wine cellar. (Not really, I don’t have a wine cellar – although I do keep a bottle of wine in my cellar!) But, I am showing you a bottle of wine!

shells for wine bottles pleasure in simple things blog

Warm weather not only makes me smile, but encourages me to find summer enhancements that also make me smile. A super simple one is to add a shell garland to your summer wine! A glue gun and a couple of shells (or beach glass) glued to a piece of twine create some easy summer décor! Just glue a shell – preferably found at the beach – onto each end of a length of twine and wrap it around a bottle!

shells on twine for wine bottles pleasure in simple things blog

These make great warm weather napkin rings as well!

If you are giving a bottle of wine as a gift, you can even roll a cute summer dishtowel (maybe a lobster or crab motif) around the bottle and tie it on with the shell enhanced twine!

beachify wine bottles pleasure in simple things blog

An easy way to add a feeling of summer and a smile! :)

Happy sunshine! Thank you for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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