pleasure in simple things

before and after bench redo

April 17, 2018

This bench was just crying out for a little loving, don’t you think?

I just couldn’t resist updating this bench with some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and some Spoonflower fabric!

First, I chose a library themed fabric from Spoonflower and put in my online order for one yard of a cotton canvas. If you haven’t checked out Spoonflower before, I highly recommend it. You know how you may have an idea for a fabric you want and when you go to the fabric store to find it, you are really disappointed when they don’t anything close to what you imagined? Well, with Spoonflower it is possible to find a fabric in most any theme you may imagine!

I prepped the bench by taking off the cushion and I prepped the fabric by washing, drying, and ironing it.

The original color of the paint on the bench was black. I chose to paint it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in graphite. (I was a little bit tempted to choose a red paint, but if I bought a can in red, I knew I would never use the rest of the can!) Because I chose such a dark color paint, I had no worries about color showing through from the old finish. I simply painted the bench with two coats of graphite and waxed it with Annie Sloan clear wax. I let the first coat set and applied a second coat of clear wax.

I removed the old fabric from the top of the bench using a screwdriver and pliers. I was happy to find the padding in good shape since, beyond my labor, I really couldn’t spend more than the cost of the paint, wax, and fabric for this update. Using a staple gun, I carefully reupholstered the top of the bench in the super cool fabric I found at Spoonflower and reattached it to the bench.

The second coat of wax wasn’t totally dry when I took these photos. When it was, I buffed the piece with a soft cloth. Project complete!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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kane’s famous donuts

April 13, 2018

I can’t say donuts are my favorite thing. I can’t even say I’m a big donut lover. But, when a donut place receives national recognition for its donuts, I am definitely curious to try them! This happened to me recently when I was visiting the North Shore.

Since we were close enough to Kane’s Donuts in Massachusetts ‘to taste it’ on a recent visit to see my son, he drove me to the unassuming little neighborhood shop in Saugus and treated me to Kane’s for a Sunday morning breakfast!

The long line in front of Kane’s moved pretty fast and, before I knew it, I was in front of the display case trying to decide which donuts to order! I didn’t want to go too nuts, so I decided I would pick just two.

My son had already ordered the honey dipped – which Travel & Leisure Magazine named the best honey-dipped donut in America! – so I knew I could try his and proceeded to order a couple additional flavors to sample. I decided on coconut lemon and turtle for my two choices. One was filled and one had chocolate – seemed like a good variety! The lemon coconut had an outside covering of coconut and so much lemon filling, I couldn’t eat any more after finishing it. I had thought I would just take a couple bites and move on to the turtle one, but that didn’t happen – the lemon coconut one was just SO good, I couldn’t stop eating it! (I ended up saving the turtle one and devouring it later that evening.)

After my tasting, I can definitely see why Kane’s was named one of the Top 10 Best Places for Donuts in America by Bon Appetit, one of America’s 50 Best Donuts by Saveur, and Best Donuts in New England by Yankee Magazine. This local hot spot, using fresh and local ingredients to serve up donuts since 1955, is definitely worth a visit!

Note: This Massachusetts icon now also has a location in Boston.

Thanks for stopping by today for Friday field trip!

Have a great weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things (like a fabulous donut!), Jackie

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mother’s day lavender almonds

April 10, 2018

On my last trip to Boston, I was at the market near the waterfront. One of the vendors was selling many different flavors of a variety of nuts. I tried quite a few flavors and picked out some to bring home.

After I got back home and sampled my purchases, I found my favorite of the nuts were the ones flavored Limoncello lavender. I thought the aroma and subtle taste of the lavender on the nuts was fabulous!

The nuts I brought home didn’t last very long and I found myself wishing I had more! It wasn’t long before I decided to make my own lavender flavored almonds…substituting vanilla for the Limoncello. After several attempts at creating vanilla lavender almonds, I found the recipe here to be the winning combination of ingredients.

I wish someone had invented a scratch and sniff computer screen so you could smell the heavenly aroma of the lavender! Give the recipe a try – maybe you will be inspired to adjust the flavors/amounts to your own taste and come up with your own flavor combination!

I think this treat is great to gift for Mother’s Day! Try packaging the almonds in a pretty jar or a vintage teacup!

Maybe for the next holiday I will try to recreate my second favorite flavor – the bananas foster flavored nuts!

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

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philadelphia flower show 2018

April 6, 2018

My two favorite vignettes at the 2018 Philadelphia Flower Show (the nation’s largest and longest-running horticultural event) were a study in contrasts. The first, very elegant; the second extremely casual.

You can see why this library display would be a favorite of mine – it showcased plants and books!

The dramatic wall color was the perfect way to offset the gorgeous display of books and plants.

This second, more relaxed display, featured a ‘shipwreck.’ Using a boat to display the plants was a perfect way to incorporate the 2018 show theme Wonders of Water.

Is it crazy to think about a similar installation in my backyard?!

I hope you enjoyed sharing my two favorite displays from the Philadelphia Flower Show for today’s Friday field trip!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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just do it chandelier

April 3, 2018

I know my life runs in themes – either that or, my attention to detail just seems to make it easy to create themes in everyday life!

On a recent trip to Boston, I made a visit to the global headquarters and flagship store location of Converse (a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike, Inc.) It was of particular interest to me on this visit because I had just decided to start reading the book Shoe Dog – a memoir by Nike’s creator, Phil Knight -and I was completely immersed in all things Nike.

My favorite part of the headquarters décor, and what I want to share with you today, is the fabulous Chuck Taylor sneaker chandelier installation in the Converse lobby!

The creation is so amazing and so absolutely perfect for the headquarters!

This creativity gives just a tiny hint of the immense amount of creative talent housed inside the building!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this super cool chandelier!

Converse Blank Canvas is a unique customization experience only available at the flagship store location. With the help of a designer, visitors can customize and embellish sneakers they purchase at the store.

A view from inside the Converse global headquarters, located at Lovejoy Wharf, a historic waterfront area and part of Boston’s iconic Freedom Trail.

Check out my newest Chuck Taylor (Chuck 70s) purchase (I also got a coordinating sweatshirt!) from the Converse flagship store in Boston. I’m really loving the reverse terry fabric!:

See more views of my new kicks on my Instagram!

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

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april book giveaway!

March 30, 2018

I have been learning quite a bit about honey and bees lately and I find them fascinating! The result of this fascination is that I find myself seeking out local honeys at farmer’s markets and specialty stores. My current interest led me to choose a book about honey for this month’s giveaway. I am also adding a honey dipper to the gift because a true honey connoisseur would never serve or eat their honey from a metal utensil!

While trying to eliminate processed foods, I have been using maple syrup and honey as substitutes for sugar. A local beekeeper recently pointed out to me – honey is technically the only unprocessed of the two since maple syrup goes through a long boiling process. Interesting!

So, the giveaway for this month is Honey by Angelo Proseperi-Porta. Sometimes trying to substitute honey in recipes can be tricking. This book makes it easy with everyday recipes for cooking and baking, and a section of information that includes tips on substituting honey in recipes. This book is a great help in making a transition from sugar to honey and contains more than 85 sweet and savory recipes!

For a chance to own this wonderful book, just leave a comment and you will be entered to win! The winner will be chosen at random at the end of April. Good luck!

The March giveaway book seemed to speak to many people. The interest in the book really makes me wish I had more than one copy to gift! But, sadly, I needed to choose only one person to receive the one copy. I did so totally at random and that person is Mary P. Congrats to Mary and thank you to everyone who entered to win! To read more about One Good Deed a Day: a Journal, click here.

Instagram users, read on! This month, the challenge is to share photos of things with a bee motif. I love the little hobnail votive with a bee that I have in my office – isn’t it adorable? And, it smells heavenly! Since the giveaway this month is a book about honey, sharing photos of bees is right on theme! Use the hashtag #pleasuregram to share your photos.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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

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chicks in a puddle

March 27, 2018

Even though Easter usually has no shortage of candy available, it is still fun to add a candy favor to each Easter place setting. You have seen me make edible candy nests in the past (or candy turkeys at Thanksgiving), but today I am making ‘chicks in a puddle.’

You can easily replicate these in minutes as a super simple DIY. Only 3 items are required to pull it off – candy chicks, white chocolate baking pieces, and a little blue food coloring.

My ‘chicks in a puddle’ are simply candy chicks sitting in a ‘puddle’ of white chocolate that has been tinted blue!

To create your own, melt some white chocolate chips, from the baking section of the grocery store, in a double boiler. When melted and smooth, add a little food coloring to the chocolate – to tint it a light blue color – and mix thoroughly. With a teaspoon, spoon the chocolate in small ovals onto wax paper or parchment to create ‘puddles.’ While the chocolate is still warm, press a candy chick into each ‘puddle.’ Place the ‘puddles’ into the fridge for a minute or two to speed up the setting.

This can be a fun activity with the children or grandchildren!

That’s it! Aren’t they cute little additions to the dinner plates?

I hope you are inspired to create some chicks in a puddle for your Easter table! A great tie-in for a child’s Easter basket is the book Puddle by Hyewon Yum!

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

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crane beach in ipswich

March 23, 2018

I fit in a beach walk on a recent trip to the North Shore of Massachusetts – squeezed in between two major Nor’easters!

On today’s Friday field trip, I welcome you to Crane Beach!

Thanks for stopping by and joining me on a winter beach walk! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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polar bear easter egg

March 20, 2018

Today, I am sharing another DIY Easter egg design. And, even though you may not be interested in making a polar bear designed Easter egg, you can use the technique I used here to create a design of your own.

I started with an emptied-out egg. The first thing I needed to do was to make a polar bear template to use on the egg. I used a mailing label to draw a simplistic design of a polar bear. Why a mailing label? Because, I would next adhere the sticker shape I created to the egg. Since I was dyeing the egg to contrast in color from the white polar bear, the shape of the sticker would resist the dye – leaving a white polar bear shape on the egg.

Removing polar bear shaped sticker after dyeing the egg.

After the egg was dyed, I splattered it with white paint, using the same technique I used on my constellation designed eggs. I really glopped the paint on, because I wanted to give a suggestion of a heavy snowfall!

When the paint was dried, I used a pair of tweezers to carefully pull the sticker off the egg. As you can see, it didn’t keep the spot perfectly white – some dye did get under the sticker. The effect is almost like a batik. Wax can be used in place of the sticker (like that used for Ukrainian Easter eggs) to eliminate any dye from getting through, but I really like the effect when some dye makes it under the sticker.

Finally, I used a thin, black, permanent marker to outline the polar bear shape and gave him a nose and some eyes.

Pretty easy, right? This same technique can be used in so many ways. I created the polar bear for a friend, but I may continue the theme by creating a penguin next! Are you wondering what has me thinking of such cold weather friends for Easter instead of bunnies and chicks? Must be that New England March snow!

I hope I have inspired you to create some new Easter eggs designs!

Thanks for stopping by and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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white orchids

March 16, 2018

The current highlight at Longwood Gardens, one of the top public gardens in the nation, is orchids. I like orchids, though they are not my favorite. But, I have to say, on my last trip to Longwood, I fell in love with one of the orchid installations.

It consists of all white (my favorite flower color!) orchids suspended from the ceiling in balls.

I am sharing a few photos of this display for today’s Friday field trip. I am sorry the exposure of the photos isn’t the best, but they were taken on a stormy weekend!

If you are an orchid lover, I strongly encourage you to visit Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The Orchid Extravaganza continues through March 25^th. If you can squeeze in a trip, you will also be treated to a viewing of a rare display of blue-poppies – currently in bloom.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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before and after bench redo

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just do it chandelier

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chicks in a puddle

crane beach in ipswich

polar bear easter egg

white orchids