Burlap Stenciled Banner

Fall is here and I am loving the cooler weather as the heat wave finally broke and it dropped to 65 degree today! I have been eyeing up fabric buntings for sometime now and decided to try one on my own.

 I have had this burlap in my fabric supplies for awhile and wanted to make something festive for the mantel as well possibly use as prop on one of my photo sessions. 

To start, I cut out a triangle and started tracing the shape onto the burlap. I then cut straight across the top of the burlap and left about an inch space between each triangle. I did it this way so I wouldn't have to worry about stringing the triangles together, as they would already be attached.

I then taped the stencil letters onto the burlap.  Using stencil brushes and acrylic red and black paint I stenciled a letter onto each triangle.

The entire project took less than 2 hours and I am pretty happy with the results. I would love to make a "give thanks"one before Thanksgiving and "be merry" for Christmas.

 

xoxo

Kerry

Coffee Mugs Re-Purposed.

I got a little Pinterest inspiration this weekend that I couldn't help but act on.  I saw this image of coffee mugs being used for potted plants and was immediately taken.  You see, I have a bit of an addiction to collecting eclectic pottery.  With only two coffee drinkers in our house, though, we never get to give some of these mugs the love that they deserve.  I thought this use would put them on display and give them a new purpose (plus provide me with a little extra space in my cupboard.....). 

I love staring being able to stare at all the pretty mugs now.   Such a great addition to my kitchen window!

Thank you, Pinterest, for the inspiration!!

xo.

Dalton

Clutter Buckets

Our living room has become a dumping ground...for toys. Literally, my son likes to take every bucket and pretend he is a garbage man and dump them all into a huge pile. HUGE! I only wish I took a picture...well not really it was pretty embarrassing.  Last weekend, my husband decided to take back our living room and moved the toys into an organized playroom.  (Thank you, Ethan!)  In an effort to keep the downstairs living room neat I made some clutter buckets to put on the stairs that throughout the day we can throw toys that are not being used in the buckets to go back upstairs into the playroom...where they belong.

We picked up the buckets at the container store and I had the pretty letters from a packet I picked up a Michael's months ago. I punched out the letters I needed and then glued them to the buckets. I used my favorite glue, Mod Podge that I have also used, here, here and here.

The clutter buckets are a simple way of keeping our living room overrun with toys.

Have a great weekend!

xoxo

Kerry

Birthdays and a Teepee!

September is birthday month around here.  Lola and June each partied it up and ate cake in honor of their special days this last week.  So much fun; it's really is crazy to think an entire year has gone by since the last set of celebrations.  Where does the time go?!? Anyway, before I digress, I wanted to share one of my favorite birthday presents the two girls received.  A teepee!!

The girls love forts (and so do I).  They spend countless hours pulling pillows off couches, piling them up and playing underneath.   My parents found a cool little shop on Etsy called Moozle Home that sells handmade teepees like this one.  They thought one of these structures might provide a bit more permanence to their play and also help take their tent obsessions to a whole new level.  They were right on.

The teepee they bought was handmade by a woman named Kate and shipped from the Netherlands.  It came in the small package shown below and was incredibly easy to put together.  It's made out of organic cotton and it's machine washable.  Awesome on all fronts!

The girls are obsessed.  We have had so much fun playing in the new structure.  Lola keeps asking to have a sleepover in it.  I'm sure that will happen soon enough.....

What a great birthday present this teepee was!!

xo.

Dalton

happy birthday

happy birthday to you. happy birthday to you.  happy birthday dear, dalton.

wishing you the happiest day!

xoxo
Kerry

Gel Manicure

I love color. I especially love color on my nails and toes as the result from a good manicure and pedicure. Unfortunately, I don't love how after a manicure my nails start chipping on my way home from the salon.  

Source: imabeautygeek.com via Kerry on Pinterest

On a recent trip with my friend to the nail salon she told me to try the gel manicure. Usually I am a pedicure only person because I feel like the manicures I get never last. The gel manicure was $25 and my friend was raving about it so I figured I would give it a shot. It is amazing! It takes about the same time as a regular manicure but it lasts SO much longer.  Seriously, mine lasted 3 weeks and were going strong. The only reason I needed a new one was because my nails had grown so much. 

So next time you are at the nail place try the gel manicure. (Make sure you check the price as I have found them ranging from $25-$50 which I think it a bit steep.) 

I promise you won't be disappointed. 

xoxo

Kerry

Dilly Beans

I couldn't resist buying a bunch of green and purple beans this last weekend at the local Farmers Market.  And when I saw the big stalks of dill for sale in the tent next store, I knew what needed to be done.
Dilly Beans.

I am definitely a canning novice, but thanks to the help of my trusty canning bible, "Put 'Em Up!" (which I LOVE and cannot recommend enough!!) I've been testing out more and more recipes recently.  Dilly Beans has continued to be one of my favorites.  It's quick and easy, and very rewarding!

This recipe call for the following ingredients:

4lbs of green beans washed, topped, and tailed

6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 cup of fresh dill weed

2 tablespoons of dill seed (I've never used this as I've never had it in my pantry)

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

4 cups of distilled white vinegar

2 cups of water

1/4 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of salt

With these ingredients I filled 8 pint jars with beans. 

To prepare these delectable little guys I cut the beans into lengths about 1 inch shorter than the pint jars.  I packed the beans vertically into hot jars (boiled first to sterilize) fairly tightly.  I then divided garlic, dill weed, and peppercorns evenly amongst the jars.  At the same time as I was doing this, I heated the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt until it reached a boil.  I then poured the hot brine over the beans so they were covered just a tad (the recipe actually says 1/2" but I've always done a little less).  After wiping the rim of each jar and securing tops tightly, I processed the jars in a canner for 15 minutes.

After the jars are filled and processed I let them sit for 24 hours and then checked the seals.  If all is good at that point, they can be stored in a cool dark place for up to a year.

Dilly beans are one of my favorite things to give as a thank you gift or bring along to pass out and munch on at a dinner party.  They are delicious, addicting, and the name is just so fun to say don't you think?!?!

I love canning, especially in the fall.  I think it helps me with the season change and also provides a nice chance to reflect on the bounties of summer. 

In our new place in Denver we were lucky enough to inherit a backyard filled with concord grapes.  I am planning to harvest and preserve 20 lbs or so in the next few weeks.  Anyone have any good recipes or tips? I was thinking jam, juice, and maybe some fruit leather.  Any advice or tips you're willing to share would be much appreciated!!  I'll report back on the process soon.

Have a great weekend!

xo.

Dalton