DIY EASY SUMMER HYDRANGEA WREATH

Our back deck is nearly done, I’m just waiting on Brian to finish a few small details and then it will be up on the blog. In the meantime I’ve noticed how lonely our door looks and decided to make a nice summery wreath for it. I chose hydrangeas and roses because they’re my favorite summer flowers. I’m in love with the contrast against our new teal door (Sophisticated Teal from Home Depot) and especially the striped bow! Stripes are one of my favorite patterns ever, it goes with everything and always puts a smile on my face.

I know I’ve mentioned this before but I’m still mourning the loss of Pier One. I’m tempted to walk around in a black veil. Oh Pier One you were so good to me, and I especially loved buying your wreaths. Sniff sniff. So it’s time for me to step up my wreath making game, and this pretty summery hydrangea and rose wreath was a perfect way to dive back in. It’s been so long since I made a wreath I forgot how much fun it is! Below I’ll show you how I made this easy wreath in under 45 minutes.

SUPPLIES NEEDED

18 inch twig or vine wreath form

Hydrangea flowers

Rose flowers

Scissors

Wire cutters (for the flowers)

2 inch wire ribbon

Craft wire

Hot glue gun, with extra glue sticks

INSTRUCTIONS

The hardest part of any wreath usually is making the bow, or at least for me it is. I really hesitated showing you my bow making steps, only because I lack confidence in my skills. I will say I chose a simple bow style and I really like the simplicity of it. However, if you’re a bow making rock star feel free to make one of your own style. There are lots of great tutorials on how to make more complex bows on YouTube.

I like to keep my ribbon attached to the spool so I don’t waste any ribbon. First I pull out a long tail, then I create my first loop and secure it with craft wire. Next I make a second bow loop and attach it to the first loop with wire.

I repeat the process on the other side making a third and fourth loop, again securing the ribbon with wire. Once finished I cut the ribbon leaving a long tail to match the other side. I generally prefer wire edged ribbon so it holds its shape better but it’s not essential.

I use another piece of ribbon to finish the bow’s center. Because wire edge ribbon can be bulky in tight spaces I cut the wire edges off. From there I slightly scrunched the ribbon up for texture and tied a knot in the back. You can trim the back ends of the knot if they show, or just leave them. There you have it, a simple bow you can make in minutes, and I forgot to take a final photo… but you’ll see it below in a sec.

I love making my wreaths on the floor, I get a better visual than sitting at a table and I can also spread out all my stuff! I bought hydrangea bushes because that’s what was on sale at my craft store and it was cheaper. Using wire cutters snip the flower heads and leaves to a comfortable length.

There’s that bow finally! I started by hot gluing my bow down leaving the ends unattached. Then I glued the hydrangeas and the ends of the bow down. I like my bow tails to have a fun flowy look, so I bended them and glued several small sections down. This is another reason to use wire ribbon, to help shape the ribbon tails. Lastly I finished the wreath by gluing in my leaves and roses.

So easy! Who really needs Pier One anyway?? I’m just kidding, I do… come back… come back to me please! Wreaths can get a little expensive with all the floral and ribbon but I did buy most items on sale. Here is a breakdown of the cost.

COST

18 inch wreath form $3.99 – from Wal-Mart

Ribbon $1.99 (on sale half price) – from Hobby Lobby

Hydrangea bushes (on sale half price) $5.99 x 3 bushes = $17.97 – from Hobby Lobby

Roses (on sale half price) $3.49 x 3 = $10.47 – from Hobby Lobby

Hot glue sticks & wire, free, because I had them on hand

Grand total = $34.42

I used a giant suction cup to hang my wreath on the glass, you can usually find them in the floral section of craft stores. If your door is metal they also have magnetic hooks too.

There you have it, a quick and easy summery wreath! I hope you feel inspired to make your own wreath like mine or your make own glorious creation. I have another hydrangea and rose themed blog post planned for later this week. I love these happy flowers everywhere!

Laura

Crafts

EASY DIY FINGERPRINT WALL ART

Happy Tuesday! Today I’m excited to share my easy DIY fingerprint wall art with you! Our media room is nearly complete and should be up on the blog within a few weeks. Right now I’m focusing on decor items to finish the space, and one of those things is wall art! Decorating your walls can get expensive quickly, so this time I was determined to stay on a budget. All the time I see abstract art for sale thinking “Oh I can make that” but I usually forget to. Not this time!

Recently I was browsing decor and I was instantly attracted to this art from Anthropologie, but when I saw the price I nearly choked! Of course it’s much larger than I need for my space but I was very much motivated to make my own version. If your memory is really good you might remember I had a similar print like this from Ballard, in our last house. It was too small though and was damaged in our last move.

I’m much happier with this wall art, it has more personality and it cost just pennies to make! I always have extra gallery frames on hand so that certainly kept the cost down. I’m really fond of the ones from Pottery Barn and love the unique shaped mats, but recently I’ve discovered Target gallery frames and they’re just as great too. So if you’re needing to freshen up your home with some fun art I’ll show you how quick and easy to make this fingerprint wall art. It’s perfect for kids to make too!

SUPPLIES NEEDED

Any size frame

Poster board or card stock

Scissors

Black paint

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the poster board or card stock down to the frame size.

I’m using a mat and I didn’t want to paint the hidden areas so I placed the mat over the poster board and ran my fingernail along the edges so I could so exactly where the mat would be. This is optional but I found it helpful. Then I dipped my finger into basic black craft paint and painted dots on the poster board. I know, super complicated right??

Be sure to vary the sizes of the dots for some extra appeal. Let the paint dry and then BOOM you have instant wall art! If you’re wondering, the paint dried nicely on the poster board and didn’t create any rippling. I have such a thing for black and white wall art, it makes my heart sing and looks amazing on our wood walls!

I had all my supplies on hand except the poster board and that was under $1. Canvas art would cost a little more but also look amazing, or maybe a fingerprint accent wall somewhere in your home? Go get creative and have some fun!

Ok, you’ve had a little sneak peak at our media room… just a peak that’s all you get for now. I can’t wait to share the rest of the room with you!

Laura

Desserts

RED, WHITE, & BLUE TRIFLE

We’re less than a week away from July 4th and I wanted to share my delicious red, white, and blue trifle dessert with you. This trifle is an absolute favorite dessert of ours all through the summer but especially for our 4th of July celebrations. Years ago, and I mean years, I bought this gorgeous trifle bowl at a Southern Living Home party. I’d never made a trifle before but I was mesmerized by this cute little dish.

Sadly after receiving it my trifle journey didn’t start. Nope, I tucked it away and completely forgot all about it until one day I found it buried in the back of a cabinet. Feeling sad for my poor little trifle bowl, I made it a mission to fulfill its destiny by making as many different trifle desserts as possible. We’ve made every combination you can think of, but this stunning red, white, and blue trifle is a true summer favorite.

It’s light and fresh, making it perfect for a hot summer day. Made with a store bought angel food cake it’s also a breeze to assemble! You may think this is just a basic angel food and whipped cream dessert with strawberries and blueberries but it is not. Adding just a few more simple ingredients takes this trifle dessert from good to WOW! It’s like magic.

If you’ve ever eaten a store bought angel food cake you probably know they don’t taste the best. Brushing the store bought angel food cake with an easy-to-make lemon sugar syrup transforms it into something magical. Yes, you can absolutely make your own angel food cake if time allows, just don’t skimp on the lemon sugar syrup!

Besides the delicious syrup the other secret to this amazing dessert is the cream cheese. The cream cheese takes this fruit trifle to a new level with its rich creaminess, plus the cream cheese stabilizes the whipped cream so it won’t turn runny. When preparing sliced strawberry desserts consider using a strawberry slicer, it’s a great timesaver!

Print Recipe

Red, White, & Blue Trifle

Servings:

Equipment

Electric mixer

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 pre-made angel food cake, sliced into 1 inch slices
2 8 oz containers of cream cheese, softened
2 cups heavy cream, room temperature
2 pints strawberries, rinsed and sliced
2 pints bluberries, rinsed

Instructions

To Prepare the Lemon Syrup

Heat 1/4 cup of sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract. Let cool.

To Prepare the Trifle

Brush both sides of the pound cake with the lemon syrup. Then cut the slices in into 1 inch cubes.
With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese with 2/3 cup of sugar on medium speed until light and smooth. Add the cream and beat on medium-high until it's the consistency of whipped cream.
Arrange half of the cake cubes into a trifle dish, then layer half of the blueberries, spoon half of the cream mixture, followed by half of the strawberries. Repeat the layers one more time, ending with the strawberries and adding extra blueberries for garnish if desired.
Chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator, then serve.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

My strawberry shortcake poke cake is also another popular summer dessert that’s quite easy to make, and perfect for the 4th.

Up on a pedestal a pretty trifle demands attention. It’s such a pretty dessert isn’t it? Not only is it pretty but it’s so easy to make and looks amazing on my blue and white tablecloth – and it’s under $10! My trifle dish is pretty ancient and no longer sold but below I’ve found some gorgeous affordable trifle dishes below and all are under $40.

Don’t hide your trifle bowl in a cabinet and forget all about it like I did. It’s too pretty and versatile to stash it away! Use it to serve salads, salsa, and other dips… you can even decorate with it. Use it as a fruit bowl or to hold candy, potpourri, or other decorative items! Take care and have a happy safe 4th of July!

Laura

HOLIDAYS

4TH OF JULY FIREWORK ORNAMENTS

I’m back today with another fun 4th of July craft project! These firework ornaments are a perfect way to add a little spirit to your home, inside or out. As I explained in my last blog post, the fireworks were cancelled this year so I’m trying to find cute little ways to keep the fun and excitement in this 4th. I had a vision of hanging firework decorations that looked like they were floating in the air and I love how these turned out! Another favorite thing about these ornaments is how cheap they were to make! You can grab a bag of 100 clothes pins for under $2! Let me show you how easy they are to make!

SUPPLIES NEEDED

Lots of clothes pins – each ornament takes 8 to make

Fishing line for a floating effect, you can also use string or ribbon

Glue (I used the cheap washable stuff from the Dollar Tree)

Red, white, and blue paint of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Separate the clothes pins and glue a thin layer of glue to one of the flat sides of the clothes pin, press together and place it on it’s side to dry. You’ll need 8 clothes pins glued together total, however you only want to glue 7 together at first.

NOTE: I used basic glue but I think hot glue would also work great. Sometimes I just don’t want to deal with hot glue drama like finding a plug, glue strings, and 3rd degree finger burns.

Once the 2 sides of the clothes pins are dried it’s time to assemble and glue the shape. On a glue-safe surface glue the 4 ends together creating an X shape. Continue by gluing the side pieces and last the bottom, making sure the center edges stay securely together. Once the shape is created add a little extra glue so it dries strong. Let the glue completely dry.

Cut a piece of fishing line to your desired length and glue the clothes pin together with the fishing line in the center. Once dry, glue the last clothes pin at the top.

Once the glue is dry it’s time to paint, I used my favorite Rustoleum gloss spray paint in Apple Red, Sail Blue, and White. Remember to paint both sides because the ornaments do rotate, adding to the magic!

I placed a piece of tape over the fishing line so I wouldn’t get paint on it. I did get paint on a few sections of the line but it easily scratched off with my nails.

Hanging the ornaments is really easy because they’re so light weight. Inside I was able to hold them up with just tape on my fireplace mantel. To hang outside I tied the fishing line to thin craft wire and then attached the wire to our string lights. I guess in theory you could also tie the fishing line directly to whatever surface you want but I was worried it would be hard to untie at the end.

We hung these from our patio string lights, but they would look adorable anywhere! Hang them from a chandelier, inside a window, a pergola, or your front porch.

Ok… I’m kind of obsessed with these now. I’m already making more because I love the cheerful effect so much! They seem pretty sturdy too, I dropped some and they didn’t break. Speaking of the 4th, are you looking for a delicious dessert to make this year? I’ll be posting my favorite red, white, and blue dessert in a few days that’s so simple to make and tastes AMAZING!

Laura

HOLIDAYS

DIY 4TH OF JULY TISSUE PAPER GARLAND

Can you believe June is already coming to a close? It’s time to start planning 4th of July festivities! It’s funny, I’ve never been a fan of watching the fireworks. In Texas it was always a miserable experience with extreme heat, bug bites, and insane traffic. One year we sat in traffic nearly 2 hours! This year with Covid-19 it was announced the fireworks were cancelled and I was instantly sad. Yeah… I hate the fireworks but take them away I get even more sad!

Living in the forest, it is an absolute no-no when it comes to home fireworks, I’m not even risking it with sparklers, so I decided to really go overboard with patriotic decorations! If you’re needing some fun, festive July 4th decor this garland is perfect for you. Plus it’s very budget friendly, you can find red, white, and blue tissue paper from Walmart or the Dollar Tree for about $1 a package.

Once you get the rhythm down you’ll have this garland made in no time, I had my daughter help me and we flew through this project in no time!

SUPPLIES NEEDED

Red, white, and blue tissue paper

Scissors

Stapler

INSTRUCTIONS

To start, layer 3 sheets each of blue, white, and red tissue paper to make a total of 9 sheets. If your tissue is different sizes cut it down so it’s all the same size.

Fold the tissue paper in half so you have a center crease and cut the tissue paper in half. Then cut the 2 pieces each in half, so you end up with 4 strips of tissue paper.

Don’t worry, your cuts don’t need to perfectly line up and the width of the tissue strips is up to you, mine were about 4-5 inches wide.

Take one tissue stack and staple down the center every half inch or so.

Once you’re about an inch from the end of the tissue stack, overlap a new stack and staple. Continue stapling down the tissue stack adding more tissue slices until you reach your desired length.

With scissors cut 1/4 inch strips all the way down one side of the tissue paper, leaving about a 1/2-inch center. The thinner the cuts the better, wider cuts don’t fluff up as well.

Now repeat cutting strips on the other side but have the cuts offset from each other, see the arrows above. This helps the spine of the garland be stronger.

Remember it doesn’t need to be perfect, this craft project falls into the “you can’t screw this up” category and I love those! If your cuts are crooked and wonky it won’t show once fluffed.

All done, now it’s time to fluff! With your fingers, fluff and scrunch the tissue until it’s nice and fluffy, be patient, it might take a bit! Once you’re finished fluffing, if you see any visible staples just scrunch the tissue a little more. The tissue garland is surprisingly tough, I got a little rough with mine and it was fine.

How cute and festive is this garland? It’s the perfect DIY budget 4th of July decoration for some patriotic fun! I love it on our fireplace mantel, but on the 4th I’ll be moving it outside to our back deck, I can’t wait! I have more 4th of July projects I’ll be sharing very soon!

Laura

Cocktails & Drinks

WATERMELON MINT ICED TEA

Happy Saturday! June came hard and fast, bringing an interesting mix of weather. We’ve had cold days plus rain, sleet, and hail, and then those freaking HOT days! The weather in Colorado flip-flops a lot, and here I thought Texas was bad! Regardless of the crazy weather, it seems to always be hot when we’re doing outdoor projects, and with outdoor projects you naturally want some refreshing summer drinks.

As much as I wish I could drink chilled coffee drinks and wine all day on summer days (#goals right?), I also need to hydrate so I don’t shrivel up like a raisin. This watermelon mint tea is so light and refreshing, it’s a perfect hydrating summer drink! I kinda came up with it by accident and I’m excited to share it with you.

I’ve been a longtime fan of mint tea whether it’s hot or cold, and quite often in the summer we have a watermelon sitting on the kitchen counter. So why not combine them? Making watermelon juice sounds complicated but I promise it isn’t! Before juicing the watermelon I suggest you brew the mint tea and let it cool so the ice doesn’t melt too fast and dilute all the great flavors. You can always make the tea in advance and chill the tea in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

If you haven’t had watermelon juice before you’re in for a real treat, it’s incredibly delicious and hydrating! Filled with vitamins A, B6, and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants, and amino acids, it’s also incredibly healthy!

Once the tea is prepared, slice up the watermelon into medium sized chunks and just throw it in a blender or food processor. You’ll want two cups of strained juice for this recipe so blend and repeat the process until you have at least 3 cups. Once you strain the watermelon you’ll loose a bit of volume, so you’ll want to account for that. You can also just juice the entire watermelon, watermelon juice is so delicious I know you’ll want extra!

I find the delicate taste of the watermelon to add the perfect amount of sweetness to the tea, if you prefer sweeter tea feel free to add a little sugar to the tea while it’s still warm.

Strain the pureed watermelon using a mesh strainer over a bowl, you can gently scrape the bottom of the strainer with a spoon to speed this process up. You’ll know when all the liquid is strained out when the remaining contents in the strainer resemble a thick applesauce. Combine equal parts of the mint tea and watermelon juice, add ice garnish with a sprig of mint, and you’re good to go!

As long as you strain the watermelon it shouldn’t matter if you use a seedless watermelon or one with seeds. Find the recipe below.

Print Recipe

Watermelon Mint Iced Tea

Servings:

Equipment

Blender
Strainer

Ingredients

1 watermelon (to make 2 cups of watermelon juice)
2 mint tea bags (we used Tazo)
2 cups water
fresh mint leaves (optional)

Instructions

Brew the mint tea bags with 2 cups of water, and let cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the watermelon for juicing. Slice the watermelon into medium sized chunks, filling the blender about 2/3 of the way full. Blend until smooth, adding more watermelon chunks if necessary until you reach at least 3 cups.
Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the watermelon juice through the strainer, stirring with a spoon to strain.
Once you've reached 2 cups of strained watermelon juice, combine the juice and tea in a pitcher, and stir to mix.
When ready to serve, pour into 2 glasses over ice, and garnish with mint if desired.

Warm summer days call for this healthy refreshing drink! We’re working on our back deck today and tomorrow, I’m hoping we can finish most of it this weekend. Whether we do or don’t I can guarantee we will be sipping on some watermelon mint iced tea! If you come up with any watermelon tea variations I’d love to hear them. Have a great weekend, stay happy and hydrated!

Laura

Colorado Home

OUR ONE YEAR HOME UPDATE

I can’t believe it’s already been an entire year! The time has really flown by, we’ve accomplished a lot but we still have quite a way to go! We did take some time off in the fall and winter but now we’re back at it in full force. We spend most evenings and weekends tackling projects, something is always sore on my body and 70 percent of my clothes are covered in paint. It’s certainly been an adventure… an exhausting one at that, but with each space we improve it just motivates me to keep going. Today I want to show you where we are a year later, current projects that aren’t finished, a few small spaces we’ve improved, and some future projects we have planned.

If you’re new to my blog and curious about some of our past home projects I’ve linked them below:

Here are some before photos:

Ok, so I never got the chance to update the front of our house because there were always tools and equipment everywhere… and then snow season hit, but here we are! We replaced the front door, painted the house, took out the upstairs patio door by the chimney and replaced the house lights.

Next on our list is to paint the roof the same color as the garage. If it were a deep shade of green I think I’d leave it but nope it’s a hideous faded mint chocolate chip ice cream green. We also hope to tweak the vent near the door so it’s less noticeable.

The main part of the house is painted Rockies Brown and the garage and trim are Appalachian Brown both by Benjamin Moore. I obsessed on finding the perfect shade of teal for the front door and ended up with Sophisticated Teal from Home Depot. I absolutely love it!

Exterior Lights | Wreath (It’s Pier One so act fast)

This nightmarish space is a work in progress and it’s slowly improving.

We’ve replaced the exterior door that leads into a small outdoor closet. The blue metal retaining wall will eventually go, but it won’t be easy. For now we’ve decided just to paint it so it’s less hideous. I actually just finished painting all our blue retaining walls and the metal stairs, I just haven’t taken a photo… sorry! It looks much better!!

Now on to the entryway and basement area. I get nauseous looking at these before photos, still unfinished but this space has drastically improved.

Ceiling Light | Hardwood Floor

This space will be the next reveal on the blog, but for now here’s a little sneak peak. We’ve referred to this space as the basement and I’m not exactly sure why. You definitely get basement vibes down here but it’s not underground. Our realtor referred to the space as a basement and I think the word just stuck, but we’ve decided to call this space a media room… and I’m so excited and ready for it to be finished.

This space is a true work horse. It will be our downstairs getaway space to read or watch TV, plus we’ve added an entry space and coat closet plus a utility closet for our washer and dryer. All of our doors are on backorder, it’s been frustrating. We just need doors and a few minor furnishings and decor items to finish this space.

As soon as we get our doors and Brian installs them I’ll stain them and it will be up on the blog, so excited! I mentioned on Instagram how I posted this room to Houzz, asking a simple question and they hated it. They shredded this room… I’ll go into all the drama during the blog reveal I promise!

Ceiling Light | Chandelier Lamp

Sorry about some of these photos! Normally I like to stage our home photos (within reason) meaning I hide dirty shoes and cords and put away junk but I kind of snapped these pictures without thinking. Sometimes I snap pics for my own personal use without thinking they could end up on the blog.

Now for the loft, it’s a quirky L-shaped space that has lots of potential. We added some furniture such as a queen bed, a chair, and a twin bed but it still needs a lot of work. The living room ceiling flows into this space, so the ceiling is basically the only thing done. I’ve ripped down the paneling and I’m still deciding what to do with the walls and floor.

I took these photos with my phone one day for Haley and I had no intention of putting them on the blog but now that Haley has moved up here with stuff everywhere a photo is impossible. So I thought I’d go ahead and share these photos. Really regretting not tucking the blankets and sheets in!! Overall it’s a cute space and it has a ton of potential.

Bed | USB Lamps | Curtains | Pillows

Trunk (It’s Pier One so act fast) | Mannequin

Now it’s time for the nasty sunroom update. One day when we were self-isolating/quarantining/losing our mind I just started ripping the interior of this room out. I was cooped up in the house and one day I just ripped out the carpet and paneling, and it felt good! Then Brian slowly started to demo this space. I’ve showed lots of video on Instagram… it’s just felt so good and I had to share.

I am so freakin excited about this space. We plan to turn it into a cozy back deck. We have a deck off the front of our house with a great view but this space just feels special. It has a different cozy vibe back here and I love it. I’m even more exited as to what happens when this small back deck is finished. Then we start MEGA DECK!! Y’all I am so pumped about mega deck!

Mega deck will be an awesome multi-level deck that extends off the side of the house past the tree. A majority of our land extends that direction and we’re excited to put it to good use. We’ve come up with so many fun ideas for mega deck!

We plan on having a dining area, a wine bar rail with stools, a lounge section, a yoga deck, a hot tub, and an outdoor playground. Yep, you heard me right! I want an outdoor playground… after a few glasses of wine tell me you don’t want to swing and slide… haha! I sure do and I’m a kid at heart. It will definitely take a while but we’ll do it in phases. It will be a lot of work but a lot of fun too.

Our bathroom will probably be one of our last projects to finish. The old laundry room is back behind the shower and we plan to combine the spaces for a larger bathroom. Until then we just did some minor cosmetic improvements to make the space more bearable. Ashley and I painted spots on the wall one day while we were snowed in during Covid isolation and it was really fun.

Light | Mirror

That’s all for now, but soon I’ll have the media room to reveal. The world’s crazy right now and it’s 100% affected me and my ability to concentrate on my blog. Thank you so much for your patience! I’ve linked all the items I could find that are still for sale throughout my post. I’m absolutely heart broken about Pier One leaving us, it was one of my favorite stores ever! If you see something you like act fast before it’s gone forever!

Stay safe, wear a mask, wash your hands, and treat everyone with love and respect!

Laura

Uncategorized

GET GORGEOUS SKIN WITH THIS EASY TURMERIC FACE MASK

Let’s talk face masks… no not the ones you’re forced to wear out in public, the beauty kind! It’s been a rough few months in the beauty department with the stores and salons closed. My daughter Haley and I are rocking some pretty serious roots and I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be pampered in a salon or spa. So we’ve been making easy beauty recipes at home, and this simple recipe has just 3 ingredients! When it comes to DIY skincare recipes I’m all about simple and easy to find ingredients.

For this beauty face mask the winning ingredient is turmeric! Consumed in food, turmeric gives the body tremendous health benefits, but did you know you can use it topically on the skin too? Not only does it have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties, it also helps reduce acne and acne scaring, and overall it brightens the skin. Being a woman in her 40’s with acne prone skin and having 2 teenage girls I’d say this DIY face mask is a winner!

Clearly turmeric is the all-star ingredient, but let’s not forget about the honey and greek yogurt. Honey is anti-bacterial and helps to even the skin tone, and it is also moisturizing. Yogurt contains lactic acid that helps exfoliate the skin and boost collagen, and it helps to prevent wrinkles. Combining all 3 ingredients gives you an incredibly easy and effective at-home face mask for pennies!

The recipe below is enough to make 3-4 face masks depending on how thick you apply it. Feel free to reduce this recipe for a smaller portion or double it if you need more.

Print Recipe

3 Ingredient Turmeric Face Mask

Ingredients

1 tbs turmeric
1 tbs honey
2 tbs plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients until blended.
Apply an even layer to the skin for 15-20 minutes.
Rinse using a dark or old wash cloth and apply your regular skincare.
For extra exfoliation, once dry wet your finger tips and gently massage the skin, rinse, and apply your regular skincare.
Use immediately or chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to use. I love using this mask chilled, it really de-puffs and wakes your face up.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in a clean, sealed container and use within 5 days. You can use this mask up to 3x a week.
READ MY HELPFUL TIPS BELOW!

WILL MY FACE STAIN YELLOW?

Yes and no. After you remove the face mask you may see a faint yellow residue. This can be solved easily by washing your face with a gentle cleanser or using a toner with a cotton ball to remove residue. If any mask gets up in your hair line you’ll probably want to jump in the shower.

A FEW TIPS

Turmeric stains so use caution. Use a dark colored wash cloth to avoid staining or paper towels to remove the mask. Also be careful about your countertop or floor and wipe up any drips immediately.

I like to use this face mask right before the shower, it’s so easy to just jump in and rinse and not to worry about staining my wash cloth or countertop.

Don’t use this mask right before a date or special event in case you do have a little yellow residue.

As with all DIY skincare recipes you’ll want to keep things sanitary. If you’re saving leftover mask be sure to scoop out the face mask with a clean spoon (no fingers) to keep it fresh and clean.

Be sure to slice up a some cucumber so you can feel like a spa diva… or if you just need a snack.

This was a lot of fun! We loved this face mask, we all had incredibly smooth, glowing skin afterwards, and bonus you can even eat it! Head to the kitchen and create your own spa night!

Laura

Crafts

MAKE GORGEOUS, INEXPENSIVE NAPKIN RINGS FROM TWINE & GLUE

I love a beautifully set table, and nothing brings a table together like gorgeous napkin rings! These napkin rings look like they were store bought, yet I made them out of items I had at home at very little cost.

Several months ago I had a light bulb moment and realized toilet paper and paper towel rolls were the same width as napkin rings. So naturally I’ve been brainstorming clever ways to use them for making napkin rings. I prefer using paper towel rolls but you can certainly use toilet paper rolls to make these rings…but you’ll need several. I decided to use a paper towel roll because it fits more and feels less germy.

I used basic cooking twine, the ones I use to tie up my chicken, to make these napkin rings. Cooking twine has a smooth texture which for this project I really liked. You can also use jute twine or yarn and experiment with the different textures. When it comes to the glue, the cheaper the better! I used cheap basic washable glue from the Dollar Tree.

So just to prepare you, it takes a few days to make these (mostly because of dry time), but don’t let that put you off. It’s a satisfying project and well worth it. Below I’ll show you supplies needed and break down the steps to show you how easy it is to make these beautiful napkin rings!

SUPPLIES NEEDED

Paper towel or toilet paper rolls

Twine or thin yarn

Scissors

Plastic wrap

Cheap, basic glue

Cornstarch

Water

Bowl

Whisk

Newspaper or drop cloth

Paint

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wrap an empty paper towel roller with plastic wrap.

2. Measure out the amount of twine you need. I did this by wrapping the twine around the roller until I achieved the look I was going for. Then I unwrapped and used this as a guide to cut the rest of the twine to length. I used roughly 228 inches for each ring, you can use more or less.

3. With the twine, go around the roller one time and tie a knot.

4. Continue wrapping the twine in a single layer until you create the width of a typical napkin ring. This first layer will act as a guide.

5. Continue to wrap the twine around in a random pattern on top of the first layer and leave a small tail.

6. Take the tail of the twine and loop it under another piece of twine.

7. Then pull it tight to create a knot. It’s best to make your new knot on the same side as the original knot. Both knots will be the back of the napkin ring and hidden.

8. Trim the knot ends shorter and tuck the little string edges under, pushing on the roller if necessary.

9. Continue each step until you reach the desired number of napkin rings needed. I was easily able to slide and adjust my wrapped twine bundles along the roller. I was able to comfortably fit 6 rings per roller.

10. Gather your supplies to make the glue mixture. Grab a bowl, then mix 1/4 cup glue, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons water.

11. Whisk together until smooth, then rinse the measuring utensils and the whisk. You can use a disposable bowl, but don’t worry I had no problem washing the glue mixture out of my bowl. I left it in the bowl 3 days (covered with plastic wrap) and it cleaned up just fine.

NOTE: My glue mixture was enough to make 8 napkin rings. If you are making more than 8 you’ll need to double the mixture.

12. Over newspaper or a drop cloth scoop small amounts of the glue mixture with your fingers. Then rub and press the glue mixture into each napkin ring. You’ll also want to scrunch the edges of the napkin ring with your fingers to ensure the twine is even and feels tight. Do this a few times letting the mixture penetrate the twine layers until it feels thoroughly wet, think of this as paper mache but with twine. Repeat the step for each napkin ring. You can wear a disposable glove but I just used my bare hands, that’s how I roll. Cover the remaining glue in the bowl with plastic wrap, you’ll need it later!

13. Place the roller upright to dry so it doesn’t stick to anything.

14. After 2-3 hours check the rings and apply another light layer of the glue mixture to the rings. Cover and save the remaining mixture. Let the rings dry 12-24 hours until they have completely hardened. Once completely dry remove the rings by twisting and sliding them off the roller. You can even crush or cut the roller if necessary, but I didn’t need to. If you see any jagged glue residue along the ring edges simply scrape it off with a pair of scissors.

15. Now it’s time to glue the inside of the ring. It looks firm and stable but the friction of a napkin sliding in and out will eventually pull out the string. Dip a finger in the remaining glue mixture and rub it along the inside of the napkin ring.

16. BE WARNED: if you don’t have enough glue on your finger it can drag and pull the inside of the twine loose. I only had this happen on one ring, if this happens just get extra glue and pat the string down. The trick is to keep a lot of glue on your finger, it your finger feels dry then stop and get more glue. You could also trying using a small craft brush to apply the glue. Once the inside of the napkin ring is coated in glue let it dry completely. Once dry, the napkin rings should feel firm and sturdy.

Now it’s time to paint! I used gold spray paint because it’s what I had on hand, but you can use any color or type of paint you have. I must say I certainly love the gold though! I think in the future I’d love to make bronze and silver napkin rings as well. Let the paint dry, and now you have gorgeous napkin rings!

Also, I chose to paint my napkin rings because I wanted them to be fancy! However you can leave yours natural for a rustic look as well. Definitely experiment and have fun!

I’m pretty picky about homemade gifts but I think these napkin rings would make a great gift, don’t you agree?

Time to set the table! If you’re drooling over these plates you can find them HERE. Leopard addiction is a real thing and I definitely have it!

I absolutely love these napkin rings, each one has it’s own unique look. It was so much fun and you can bet I’ll be doing more DIY napkin rings as ideas come to me.

Think of all the beautiful color combinations you can come up with. I want to see all your amazing creations! If you make these tag me on Instagram or leave a photo under my Pinterest pin. Go create my friends, it’s good for the soul!

Laura

Colorado Home

OUR MASTER BEDROOM UPDATE

Last October our space-efficient master bedroom was the first remodeled room in our new house to make the blog. Overall I was thrilled with the result and how we maximized space, but deep down I knew the room needed more. At the time we were sleeping with our mattress on the basement floor and we just wanted to move into our bedroom ASAP! Then we immediately started the living room and Ashley’s room, and then boom… the holidays hit. So with all the quiet days we’ve had stuck at home lately I decided it was time to give our bedroom a little character.

I’m thrilled with the results of our master bedroom update, and best of all it was practically free!

When we had our living room cedar ceiling installed it was recommended to order an extra 20 percent of wood. This is in case you get bad boards or have mistakes, but that extra 20 percent plus all the leftover scraps just sat in our garage. One day while organizing the garage I had a lightbulb moment we needed a cedar accent wall!

Slowly we sorted out all the pieces of cedar that could be salvaged. I had to sand out a few defects, but we managed to find exactly the amount of wood we needed.

Brian cut the boards to length, and with his nail gun he had the boards up within a few hours. Then I filled in nail holes, stained the boards, and touched up the baseboards. It was the perfect day project that cost us nothing and gave our room some pizazz!

I say stained, but really I just brushed on Minwax water based clear polycrylic in a satin finish. It gives the wood just a hint of color and dries in about an hour, it’s awesome! It’s what I’ve also used on all our knotty alder doors.

I wasn’t sure our wooden nightstands would look good on a wooden wall, so my original plan was to paint them with a flat black paint. I really like black furniture but the downside is it shows dust so bad! I may paint them black one day, but for now I really like the wood on wood look, it gives the room such an organic feel.

The leopard pillow covers on our bed are some of my favorite. I bought them about 10 years ago on clearance for about $3 each, at Lowe’s of all places! I just wish I had bought more!

With spring here and summer around the corner I had to go back to my favorite all-white bed. Not only does white bedding look fresh and clean it also helps me sleep. It’s very soothing and non-stimulating which is what someone with sleep issues needs! I need my bedroom to be calm and soothing.

The only purchase I did make was this gorgeous blue throw that was on sale for a little over $30, and it’s still on sale! I was craving a little blue in the room, I just love the color and texture so much!

Every spring I love to grow wheatgrass around the house, so once all my flowers wilted I started planting seeds. They grow fast too, in about 7 or 8 days you’ll get tall green grass. Sometimes I let the grass grow shaggy and sometimes I trim them with scissors, I love both looks. You can get all the details on how to grow wheatgrass HERE.

Lastly, we decided to remove the rug from our bedroom, it just wasn’t working. The heavy storage bed was creating a bubble in the center that we couldn’t smooth out, and it was a magnet for dirt! I would vacuum it daily and it looked filthy and smooshed after only 5 months -worst purchase ever!! Once we removed the rug the room looked so much bigger, so I think I’ll just live without a rug.

I’m very pleased with how everything turned out, the wood is so warm and inviting. I do find our TV wall a little plain so in the future I might find a way to jazz it up a bit.

We’ve stayed extremely busy the last few weeks working on random projects around the house and I’ve loved every minute of it! Besides the pantry, this is our only other new finished project but we’ve started so many other things and done lots of demo work. Soon I’ll be doing some house updates to show you everything we have going on. Take care!

Laura

HOLIDAYS

HOW TO DYE POLKA DOT EASTER EGGS

Easter is just a few days away so it’s time to start decorating some eggs! I like to try and stay away from store bought kits and come up with fun ideas of my own. Last year we dyed Easter eggs using this simple rice method and I absolutely loved the way they turned out, but since our grocery store is out of rice I decided to hang on to what I have left. So, we went the old fashioned way dying our Easter eggs, but this time with a polka dot twist.

These polka dot eggs were really easy to make and hello… they’re super cute! All you need to make these polka dot eggs are just a few items that you probably already have.

So how did we create these cute polka dots? Blue painters tape and a hole punch! I also tried address labels, and that did work but it was a lot more time consuming. Once you get a rhythm down it goes pretty fast, and if you have someone helping you you’ll have your dots ready in no time.

I punched and Ashley took the dots off the hole puncher and placed them on the egg. Most of our tape dots came out very easily but the few that did stick we pulled off with tweezers. We used regular liquid food coloring from the grocery store and settled on neon pink. We’ve got the girliest Easter eggs around!

SUPPLIES NEEDED

Boiled eggs

Painters tape or address labels

Hole punch

Tweezers (optional but helpful)

Cup

Food coloring

Vinegar

Boiling water

Slotted spoon

Cooling rack

Paper towels

INSTRUCTIONS

Start with hardboiled eggs that are cool and completely dry.

Tear off a piece of tape and secure one end to the table and hold the other end taut while you punch the tape. A few might not fully punch, when that happened I just used scissors and cut off the stuck edges. Most of our tape dots came out easily, a few did stick but were easy to remove.

Place the tape dots on the eggs making sure they are attached on all sides, then create a spot for the eggs to dry by placing a cooling rack over paper towels.

Mix 1/2 cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 10-20 drops of food coloring in a cup and stir until blended. Repeat for each color being used. Let the dye cool down a bit then using a slotted spoon dip the eggs in dye for 3-5 minutes or until desired color is achieved. Remove with the slotted spoon and allow to dry on the cooling rack. As you can see the tape dots stayed on while in the food coloring.

Let the eggs dry completely, about 10 minutes, to avoid smearing. Peel off the tape dots and you’re done!

With all the painting we do we always have blue painters tape hanging around, but you can experiment with other types of tape as well. Like I mentioned above you can punch labels too, I thought it was a little trickier though. Painters tape is ideal, it sticks well and removes easily too. We used regular painters tape, I’m not sure if the plastic painters tape would punch as well.

I’m fully stocked up on eggs and I’m ready to create more pretty Easter eggs. With egg leftovers we’ll be making a zesty egg and potato salad. What are you’re favorite ways to use hardboiled eggs? If you have any favorites leave them in the comments. Have a Happy Easter!

Laura

Breakfast

LEMON WHITE CHOCOLATE SCONES

When life gives you lemons head to the kitchen! You can turn it around by making these yummy lemon white chocolate scones! Yep… I’m still on my lemon kick. This self isolation is making me a bit loopy, and the best therapy for me is cooking or baking. Since our house is still overflowing with lemons I decided we should bake some lemony treats. Recently while going through my old recipe box I said “Hey Ash, let’s bake some lemon scones”. “What are scones?” she asked. Suddenly guilt ran through my body. I had failed in my job as a mother, my 16 year old daughter who loves food, baking, has been in countless bakeries, and traveled throughout England and Ireland doesn’t know what a scone is? What kind of Mother am I? Ok… see, this isolation is making me lose it!

Scones remind me of a cross between a biscuit and soft cookie. They are moist and soft on the inside, and the outside has delicious crumbly edges. Scones might seem a little fussy to make but honestly they aren’t. The key to making successful scones is to keep the ingredients as cold as possible, especially the butter, and to not overwork the dough. If this is your first time making scones or you haven’t been successful in the past, have no fear I’ve got a few easy tips to share.

TIPS TO GET THE BEST SCONES

You want all your ingredients cold. With a lot of baking it’s good to let your ingredients warm to room temperature, but not with scones.

Place the amount of cold butter you need on a small plate, chop it into pieces, and place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. You can also measure out the dry ingredients and place them into the freezer as well, this ensures everything stays cold.

Blend the flour and butter mixture until it resembles sand. When you pick it up and squeeze it between your fingers it should be cohesive, a little like moon sand, if you know what that is.

Scone dough is delicate so it’s very important not to overwork the dough, just pat it together into a ball, then a circle, and stop.

Altitude, humidity, and temperature can affect baked goods, sometimes I need to add a little extra milk. Should your scone dough be too dry to form into a ball, add a few extra teaspoons at a time of COLD milk until the dough comes together. Take care not to over-wet the dough, it should look a bit crumbly.

Rest the dough 20 minutes in the refrigerator so the butter pockets stay nice and cold.

To make this recipe easier I use a food processor, I use it for everything! You can go old school and blend the ingredients with a pastry blender or even two forks, just be aware it will take longer.

Follow these easy tips and you’ll have delicious scones in no time!

Pulling the scones apart before baking helps create a crumbly edge, if you prefer softer edges keep them closer together.

I like to finish with a simple glaze made of powdered sugar and lemon juice. Don’t skimp on the glaze, it’s the best part. A bit tart on it’s own, but it’s bursting with fresh lemon flavor and makes for an incredible scone!

WHY USE PARCHMENT PAPER?

I love the ease of using parchment paper, it protects my baking sheets and makes clean up a breeze. You can go without, but be aware scones tend to brown a bit more on the bottom when not using parchment paper.

CAN YOU FREEZE SCONES?

Yes you can! I recommend that if you plan to freeze them, do it before before baking, not after. Follow the steps by slicing the scone circle into equal slices on the baking sheet. Pull the slices apart and freeze on the baking sheet 4-5 hours until frozen solid. Then place the scones in a freezer bag, or you can individually wrap them and freeze. If you bake them from frozen, increase the cooking time 5-10 minutes.

Print Recipe

Lemon White Chocolate Scones

Servings:

Ingredients

3 cups flour
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 tbs lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbs unsalted butter, cubed & COLD
2 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs lemon juice

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs lemon juice

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk milk, lemon juice, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in small bowl.
In a food processer combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse several times to blend.
Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles sand.
Transfer the butter mixture to a seperate bowl and add the wet ingredients, stir just until the dough comes together. Then stir in the white chocolate chips.
Gently form the dough into a ball. The dough will be crumbly, if it's too dry to form a ball add a few teaspoons of cold milk until the dough comes together. Take care not to overwork the dough. Stop once you can form a ball.
Place the dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet and with your fingers press the dough into a 1 inch thick circle.
Place the baking sheet with the dough into the refrigerator to chill 20 minutes.
With a knife, cut the dough circle into triangles. Then seperate the triangles until they're about 1 inch apart.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until the scones rise and are golden. Remove the scones from the oven and place on a wire rack until cool.
While the scones are cooling, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Drizzle the glaze over the scones and serve.

I have redeemed myself. I’m so glad to share that Ashley now knows the importance of a proper scone and how to make them.

The scones are best served fresh, they tend to dry out a little the next day but they’re still delicious. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. These scones taste so light and refreshing, lemons and white chocolate just go so good together, ya know? YUM!