easter fortune eggs

March 24, 2015

Today I am sharing a really quick and fun Easter takeaway idea.

For this project, I used plastic, fillable Easter eggs. It is so very uncharacteristic of me to use these brightly colored eggs! And, I have to admit, it was very hard for me to resist transforming the plastic eggs by painting them in neutral hues and adding speckles!

With that said, I decided to use the eggs I had on hand to create some ‘fortune eggs.’

I filled each egg with a mini version of my favorite Easter treat – the Cadbury crème egg (they are so cute!) – in addition to a favorite quote. These small eggs don’t fit much more. I was able to squeeze in two additional little candies inside each egg.

You may wish to use a bible quote or fortune in place of the quote. If you are creating this for a family party, you may want to write up some favorite family memories to include in the eggs.

These ‘fortune eggs’ are great when you are beyond the Easter egg hunt stage. It is the perfect opportunity to provide your friends and/or family with a little treat to celebrate Easter! So fun!

I hope I have inspired you to come up with your own version of ‘fortune eggs!’

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

Sharing with Craftberry Bush, Sand & Sisal, Coastal Charm, and Crafts a la Mode.

no comments

a winter trip to the flower show

March 13, 2015

For Friday field trip today, I would like to share a few photos from my recent trip to Philadelphia. Every March, Philadelphia is home to the world’s longest-running and largest indoor floor show. Yes, I did go to the flower show, but this year the photos I am sharing are not actually from the show! Instead, these photos are from a couple of my favorite stops along the way!

The first few photos are from Terrain in Glen Mills, PA – for me, always a required stop on a Philly trip. One of my very favorite stores, Terrain is the ultimate in home and garden inspiration!

Next stop is Longwood Gardens! Listed as the 2nd best public garden in the nation, my other “must visit” spot on a Philly trip is Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.

Even on a day when the hemlocks are dripping with ice and the weather prohibits walking the extensive grounds of the gardens, Longwood does not disappoint. Even the bad weather doesn’t prevent a quick walk past the topiary garden.

At this time of year, the Conservatory sports an amazing display of orchids. But, this trip, these were my favorite flowers.

And for me, the winter is a wonderful time to admire favorite indoor spaces that do not get as much attention when the weather makes the outdoor spaces at Longwood more inviting – like the children’s garden. Here are some of the great water features in the children’s garden (Did you see the video of the nest and bird fountain on my Instagram?)

As I leave, I see a suggestion of what is coming in the better weather ahead – this will be filled with roses in bloom before you know it!

Thanks for sharing a few photos from my (snowy and icy) trip to Philadelphia on today’s Friday field trip. Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with French Country Cottage and The Shabby Nest.

no comments

top 10 spring obsessions 2015

March 10, 2015

Now that spring is almost here, it is time to share my top 10 obsessions for the new season! Here they are, in no particular order:

1. First, I must tell you, I am totally in love with gladiator sandals! I have had this obsession before. I know what happens. I get a pair, I wear them once or twice and then, I am over them. Because of my history, I am trying so hard to resist some of my current gladiator favorites. Valentino and Stuart Weitzman (pictured here) both have pairs that make a sandal lover swoon. But, neither pair is within my budget, so I will surely be shopping Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Target for a similar look this spring.

2. I can’t spend spring in Paris? How sad. But, how about a little hint of this romantic city with my morning coffee? These darling city vignette mugs at Anthropologie really hit my fancy! A new mug for the office is an easy and inexpensive way to celebrate the new season. If you would rather dream about New York or London, mugs celebrating these cities are also available at an Anthropologie store or on their website.

3. Ben & Jerrys has done it again! The new ice-cream flavor The Tonight Dough is inspired by one of my favorite all-around entertainers – the talented Jimmy Fallon. What do you get when you put a Jimmy Fallon inspired flavor together with Ben & Jerry’s? Caramel and chocolate chip ice creams with chocolate cookie swirls and gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough and peanut butter cookie dough! Whoa! If you are a big Fallon fan like I am, you may have seen the new ice cream flavor introduced on the first episode of the Tonight Show’s second season. Jimmy is donating all proceeds from the sales of the flavor to the non-profit organization SeriousFun Children’s Network. So, you can feel good knowing your indulgence is giving back by helping children with serious illnesses. Click here to learn more. Thanks for giving me two more great reasons to love ya Jimmy!

4. Particularly after the long, hard winter we are experiencing here in Connecticut, I am tired of wearing the heavy sweaters, long underwear, mittens and scarves that have been required in below freezing and subzero temperatures! I am so looking forward to wearing dresses! I am not saying I can’t wear a dress this winter, but with a real threat of frostbite when any scrap of bare skin shows, choosing a dress has not been a fun option! I will definitely be buying a few new fit and flares to mark the occasion of some warmer weather!

5. Quick breads are always good and, with the help of Food Network Magazine, it is easy to create one of 50 (yes, I said 50!) different varieties in a snap! Using a few basic recipes, they have come up with easy variations to create 50 different and delicious choices of quick and easy-to-make breads. With both sweet and savory recipes, ranging from sun-dried tomato-pesto to cinnamon bun, it is easy to find one to suit the occasion or the ingredients I have on hand! Click here for the link to the recipes. Enjoy!

6. I am obsessed with Michelle Masters’ art! Michelle combines a gardening love with her artistic talent by creating topiary inspired designs. My obsession with her art is not limited to the season, but her fresh garden creations scream spring and are just beyond cute! With a wonderful selection of home products and stationery – and always new items to choose from – I love picking up some new designs for myself and for gifts! You can see all the beautiful items she creates by clicking here for her website.

7. Lately I am experiencing a real fascination with old, weathered brick. Currently, my dream house (the one that is ever evolving in my head), has a messy mortar backsplash. I recently discovered Robin Sprong’s amazing wall coverings that speak directly to my obsession for messy mortar and old brick! Sprong has made it possible to put up wallpaper with a very realistic pattern of old bricks or concrete – how cool is this?! A messy mortar backsplash can be installed as easily as putting up some wallpaper! Thank you Robin Sprong!

8. Have you heard about ManCans? When my son requested candles as gifts for his new place, I started looking around for some alternative scents to florals and I found ManCans. These candles come in wonderful ‘manly’ scents like Fresh Cut Grass, Bacon, Sawdust, and New Car. These candles are made in soup cans after the contents have been donated to a soup kitchen. So, in addition to finding a great and inexpensive ‘nongirly’ candle, a purchase is also helping feed people! Wouldn’t one or a few of these make a great Father’s Day gift? Maybe the scent of Memphis Style BBQ or New Mitt would appeal to your Pop? So fun! Click here for the website.

9. When visiting other cities, there are always certain stores that are just prerequisites for inspiration. Like Ballard Designs when visiting Atlanta, Lillian August in Connecticut, ABC Carpet & Home in NYC, or Terrain when visiting Philadelphia. In Boston, one of these spots is Lekker Home. A cool collection of brands and an interesting variety of products make it a fun place to peruse. For the spring, I am ‘jonesing’ for many of the non-breakable sea life themed items that are perfect now that entertaining will soon hit the outdoors. Reusable lobster-motif picks and sea life melamine plates are a couple of my favorites!

10. It is so fun to change up accessories in the spring and Timex makes it really easy to add a couple new casual watches to the mix! I am obsessed with their weekender watch with gold polka dots on the (reversible) band. You may know I have a polka dot obsession -heck, I even have a Pinterest page full of dots and stripes! Love this watch!

I hope you enjoyed sharing my top ten obsessions for spring. I would love to hear about some of yours!

*Please note that photos in this post were not taken by me, but were taken from the respective websites.

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

Sharing with House of Hipsters, Thoughts from Alice, Craftberry Bush, Sand & Sisal, Elizabeth & Co., and Homework.

no comments

powder room redo

March 6, 2015

Who doesn’t love to see a good before and after? For Friday field trip today, I am sharing the progress of a pretty little powder room update.

My good friend, Phyllis, decided she needed to update the bathrooms and laundry room in her beautiful, historic home. On a recent visit, I found her downstairs powder room was almost complete. With only a little styling left to finish, I had to admire the beautiful update she created.

After removing floor to ceiling wallpaper, Phyllis started the powder room project by adding some molding detail on the bottom half of the walls. This is where a handy husband is very important! He crafted both the chair rail and the panel molding. This type of detail on the walls is a great way to add some interest to a small room! Next, for the toughest part of the renovation – removing the old tile floor. (I know, I know – the old floor looked great too, right?)

Phyllis picked out a pretty geometric mosaic tile pattern that also coordinated well with the tile she chose for the upstairs bath and the gray marble she chose for the nearby laundry room. (I can’t wait to see the finished laundry room – I will try and share that with you on an upcoming field trip!) The mosaic tile pattern was installed with a black tile border. For the wall color, Phyllis chose a lovely shade of gray called Pike’s Peak by Benjamin Moore.

Phyllis kept her sink, but decided to install a new, more efficient toilet.

We all know good taste is not limited to shopping at expensive stores and Phyllis proved this, big time, with her mirror choice. After visiting many stores, she chose this beauty she found at Marshalls to hang in the new powder room.

A little bling in the light fixture choice and shine on the wall switch definitely add an elegant touch to the space.

Coordinating with a little bit of shine, Phyllis created a little orchid planting in a silver container specifically for the space.

Phyllis has plans to add a white plantation shutter to the window and a few more accessories to complete the space, but with the styling almost finished, you can see how pretty the new area came out!

Thanks so much Phyllis for sharing your beautiful new powder room on Friday field trip!

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Nancherrow, Shabby Nest, Coastal Charm, and French Country Cottage.

2 comments

anthro inspired leather tassel necklace

March 3, 2015

Tassels are definitely cool. I have made them from paper or yarn, never really thinking about substituting these materials for leather – until now. I happened to notice a leather tassel necklace on display at Anthropologie and that sparked my desire to make my own leather tassel and create a necklace.

I have a whole box of scrap leather in my basement that came from the dumpster of a factory that manufactures some very famous (and expensive) handbags. After seeing the leather tassel necklace, I knew I needed to use some of that scrap leather to make my own tassel!

My inspiration to create a leather tassel necklace. On the left is a photo from the Anthropologie website. On the right is an Anthropologie in-store display.

A leather tassel is so easy to make and only requires a small piece of leather and some scissors or knife! I was surprised at how easy it is to get really great results. Basically, I just cut a rectangle piece of leather, cut fringe, added a loop for hanging, and glued (I used Gorilla glue) and rolled the piece of leather. Measuring is not even required. I made mine pretty much by eye, although I did measure the width of the pieces of fringe (1/4”) since I wanted to be sure they were consistent.

To turn my tassel into a necklace, the only supply I would need? A chain. I decided I would purchase the chain and just hoped to find a reasonably priced one. Guess what? I found the perfect chain (40” long – more than I needed) on clearance for $1.97 at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft store! At this price, I decided I would make two necklaces and I picked out and purchased two chains. I could make each leather tassel necklace for under $2.00! The one I saw at Anthropologie was $78! Plus, I would like mine better because I could eliminate the shiny gold metal piece I didn’t really care for on the Anthro necklace.

I used a rectangle of green textured leather for my first tassel and I cut a separate small piece of leather to fashion a loop for hanging. I used black leather for the second tassel I made and created the loop by folding up and gluing the end piece of fringe. The black leather was much heavier than the green, and I found this method for creating a loop worked better with the heavier leather.

I got a little adventurous creating the black tassel – I glued pink felt on one side before I cut the fringe so that hints of pink would show on the completed tassel. Love it!

Didn’t they come out great?

If you want to make some tassels and don’t have a scrap box of leather, think about using leather from handbags you were planning on discarding or from handbags from the thrift store. Give it a try! I am making more tassels – and, I have plans that go beyond necklaces! ;)

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

Sharing with Craftberry Bush, Thoughts from Alice, House of Hipsters, Sand & Sisal, and Elizabeth & Co.

7 comments

love letter heart tags diy

February 13, 2015

For Friday field trip today, I am sharing one last Valentine’s Day idea before the weekend. These are really sweet, easy to make love letter tags made with hearts of dried lavender. I have been on a lavender kick lately – adding lavender to my shortbread cookies, making lavender heart shaped linen sachets, and now…using lavender on gift tags!

Just follow the easy steps pictured and you can have some romantic tags put together in no time flat! There are plenty of options for the ‘love letter’ part… you can use printed paper from the craft store, paper from an old book – an old poetry book is perfect – or, print something from your computer printer.

(1.) Cut a piece of cardstock to size and (2.) glue ‘love letter’ paper to the front of it. (3.) Draw a heart shaped bead of glue onto the front of the card. (4.) Sprinkle dried lavender over the glue and press lightly. ( 5.) Let dry before shaking off excess lavender. (6.) Trim the top corners of the cardstock and use a paper punch to add a hole. Add some twine or cord.

That is all it takes to create a romantic little tag with a wonderful hint of lavender fragrance! Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie xo

Sharing with Nancherrow, House of Hipsters, Craftberry Bush, Crafts a la Mode, The Shabby Nest, and French Country Cottage.

10 comments

easy lavender heart sachets

February 10, 2015

Who wouldn’t want to receive a heart on Valentine’s Day? A great way to give one is to gift a homemade heart-shaped sachet.

Today I am sharing some really easy ones I made up using lavender. These sachets are created with just a basic straight sewing stitch and do not require any measuring at all. I used a sewing machine, but they can also be sewn by hand if need be. (If you would rather try a sachet with a no-sew method, click here for a great option.)

I made a template using a piece of scrap paper by folding it in half and cutting out the squatty heart shape I wanted…approximately 6 1/2 “ across – making it palm size and the perfect little heart to tuck into a drawer. I purchased a small piece of pale pink linen and pulled out a scrap of white linen I had at home in my pile of fabric scraps. Muslin would also work.

lavender heart shortbread cookies pleasure in simple things blog

Another great way to use lavender for Valentine’s Day…add some to your heart shaped shortbreads! (Be sure to use culinary grade lavender.)

I stamped a message on a small piece of the white linen and pulled threads to fray the edges on all four sides. Using the heart template I made, I cut two heart pieces from the pink linen. On the right side of the fabric on one of the pink linen hearts, I positioned the white message piece and attached it with one short running stitch up the middle.

Then, I positioned the two heart pieces – right sides out – together and stitched around the border, roughly 1/4 “ from the edge. Remember – I did no measuring! About 1” before reaching around the heart with the stitching, I stopped to add in the lavender. I spooned in enough lavender to get the look I wanted. Then I went back and finished the stitching.

I think these sachets are so sweet…and, the lavender smells so lovely!

Because I wanted the look of the raw edges on my heart, it really simplified the sewing and made this a super easy project for any skill level! There is still plenty of time to make some up before the weekend!

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

Sharing with Sand & Sisal, Homework, and Elizabeth & Co.

no comments

rosewater lemonade for valentine’s day

February 6, 2015

Since a rose is one of the most enduring symbols of love and appreciation, what better way to add something special to a Valentine’s Day table than to serve a beverage enhanced by a rose? For Friday field trip today, we are adding rose essence to served lemonade to add a subtle suggestion of friendship or romance to the table.

Lemonade is always a great soft drink option – particularly fresh squeezed – and adding raspberries, strawberries, and/or basil is always a nice way to ‘fancy it up.’ But, for a romantic option, an even nicer addition is a little rosewater.

The essence of roses is a lovely way to add a little romance to an ordinary beverage…Perfect when a nonalcoholic drink is in order. I add a single tablespoon of rosewater to a quart of lemonade. Obviously, this amount can be adjusted to your taste.

Rosewater lemonade is the perfect beverage to serve to friends at a lunch, as a garden club meeting refreshment, or at a Valentine’s Day brunch. I always have a bottle of rosewater in my kitchen because I frequently use it in my baking. If you don’t happen to have any on hand, you can pick it up at a specialty food store or Middle Eastern market.

Now that you have some rosewater on hand, you may want to try using it in other ways. Click here to see my recipe for rosewater meringues.

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

This post is dedicated to someone very special…welcome to the world, Rose Catherine! In little Rose’s honor, and as a special Valentine’s Day gift to you for sharing pleasure in simple things, I am giving you a gift of a pretty recipe card for rosewater meringues – just send me an email with your address and I will mail one right off to you – in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day! Happy Valentine’s Day sweet friends. xo :)

Sharing with House of Hipsters, Shabby Nest, French Country Cottage, Craftberry Bush, and Kim Klassen.

8 comments

polka dot fringed pencils diy

February 3, 2015

I think most of us that love creating are collectors – often collecting beautiful scraps to recycle for imagined future projects. Today, I am sharing one way I use my salvaged tissue paper by providing a tutorial for creating pretty fringed pencils. How earth friendly to use recycled tissue paper and old pencils that have been in the junk drawer, for who knows how long, to make these cute pencils!

Because Valentine’s Day is so close, I have chosen to use tissue paper that coordinates with a Valentine’s Day theme in one of my favorite patterns…polka dots! Join me as I channel my inner Kate Spade! (Am I the only one that has a polka dot Pinterest board?)

Supplies Needed
Pencils (round)
Spray adhesive
Decorative tissue paper – one 6” x 12” piece for each pencil

Start by deciding how many pencils you will create, and cut the appropriate number of tissue paper pieces. A tissue paper with a little more weight is preferred over a super thin variety.

(You can also use a paper cocktail napkin – by separating the top layer and using that in place of the tissue paper. The fringe will not be as long if you choose to use a napkin, since they are not the full 12” specified. Also, I find the cocktail napkin does not hold up as well as the tissue paper when sharpening the pencil. The beige with white polka dot pencil shown here was made with paper from a cocktail napkin.)

Spray the wrong side of the tissue with the adhesive, being sure to plan for overspray (protect the area), leaving a section without spray (use a piece of paper to mask the area from spray). The reason for the non-adhesive section is because you don’t want adhesive on the area that will be the fringe. With care, lay the piece of tissue paper on a clean, flat surface – adhesive side up. Carefully line up the pencil in the corner of the tissue paper remembering that the adhesive is in place and put it directly on the right spot the first time. The eraser side will be on the inside, and the writing side on the outside edge, of the tissue paper. Roll the pencil tightly down the length of the tissue paper.

Cut the end of the tissue paper to make the fringe, stopping within a 1/2” of the eraser end of the pencil. You will want to make cuts approximately 1/4” spaces apart – this does not need to be exact – by placing the bottom of your scissors inside the tube you created at the pencil end. As the final step, twist the fringed end of the pencil…because there is a little adhesive on this end, it will keep the twist in place. Trim the fringe to desired length, if needed.

That’s it! Cute, right? I made a tag from a round cut from a pink paint swatch and added a gold leaf heart. If you are giving your pencil(s) as a Valentine to a youngster (or someone young at heart), you may want to add a gift tag with a corny Valentine saying like:
• You’ve got the right stuff!
• You are just write for me!
• Write on!
• You’re all write with me!

I hope you enjoyed today’s fringed pencil craft. Maybe I have inspired you to make up a batch to match your office décor, or… to match your kitchen where you keep the grocery list?

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

Sharing with Nancherrow, Craftberrry Bush, Thoughts from Alice, Sand & Sisal, Homework, and Elizabeth & Co.

2 comments

february book giveaway!

January 30, 2015

As usual for me at this time of year, my mind wanders towards thoughts of warmer weather, gardening, and spending a lot more time outdoors. Even though I can appreciate some aspects of winter, it is most definitely not my favorite of the seasons.

With this in mind, you will understand why I chose The House Gardener by Isabelle Palmer as the book for the February giveaway selection. This book provides tons of ideas and inspiration for indoor gardens…a great way to brighten up cold winter days and to inspire thoughts of the next (warmer!) season ahead.

Through this delightful book, Ms. Palmer will show you how to choose, grow, and decorate with houseplants, as well as guide you through the different techniques needed to care for your new “green guests.”

Included in this book are instructions for drying and pressing flowers, suggestions for specific plant types based on conditions, caring for orchids, creating terrariums, and much more!

Just leave a comment during the month of February to be entered into the random drawing at the end of the month.

And, a big congratulations to Carol at Art & Sand for being selected randomly from everyone that commented during the month of January! Carol, you have won the January giveaway selection, The Kinfolk Table: Recipes for Small Gatherings by Nathan Williams. This is a beautiful book and I know you will enjoy it!

For those that use Instagram, February’s challenge will be to share heart photos. At this time of year, hearts seem to appear everywhere! Be creative and share a photo of a heart you spot in an unexpected place using the hashtag #pleasuregram! Can’t wait to see what you find! ;)

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend, Jackie xo

P.S. If you want some inspiration to get started on some indoor gardening, click here for some terrarium inspiration!

3 comments

« Previous Entries Next Entries »

pleasure in simple things

search

categories

recent posts

archives

my friends & favs

easter fortune eggs

a winter trip to the flower show

top 10 spring obsessions 2015

powder room redo

anthro inspired leather tassel necklace

love letter heart tags diy

easy lavender heart sachets

rosewater lemonade for valentine’s day

polka dot fringed pencils diy

february book giveaway!