From Condiments to Candlelight 06/08/2011
This year, spring was less of a lion and more of a weakling butterfly getting battered in winter's relentless rage of cold rain, cloudy skies, and whipping winds.
The first, official day of the summer solstice is not until the 21st of this month but, whether it's Spring or Summer, the sun is finally having its day.
Thanks to this change in the weather, I finally find myself back outdoors, where many a wondrous thing can happen.
The first, official day of the summer solstice is not until the 21st of this month but, whether it's Spring or Summer, the sun is finally having its day.
Thanks to this change in the weather, I finally find myself back outdoors, where many a wondrous thing can happen.
Me + Sun + Warmth = Project Season
This "project" is a direct result of what I've been eating.
It's mostly the product of many months of salad toppings; think artichokes, green olives, pickled beets, and jalapenos. I can't really say for how long now I've been keeping the jars (but it's long enough my husband said something about the overflowing box in our basement).
"What are you doing with all those jars?"
"I'm gonna do something with them. I have a couple of ideas."
"Well, do you really need to keep adding to the collection? It's seems like every week I'm pulling paper out of the washing machine because one of these jars has lost part of a label."
You see, for some months now, every time we finished a jar, be it of dijon mustard* or bright red, peppadew peppers, I've kept it, washed it out, and saved in it a box downstairs.
From the very beginning - no - I didn't know exactly what I was going to do. But, I felt really wasteful throwing all those jars away (I was recycling but still, I thought I could do something better).
So this is the result of number one, just me deciding to save them. Number two, my husband's gentle nudging (the box was overflowing) and three, the weather turning nice enough for me to get outside finally.
We have this lovely, little patio on the back of our house. In years past, I've filled containers with a varying array of flowers. Unfortunately, though I tried, my roses... well, most everything didn't make it through the winter.
My jasmine plant did though. And for that I'm very thankful. It's one of my absolute, most treasured of life's simple pleasures...
The little, star-like, white flowers, and their strong, lovely scent.
My husband (who's not alone) thinks they smell like an old lady. But I don't mind. I love them. I think I'd be alright if I ended up smelling like that when I'm an old biddy.
Anyway, so I have this container garden.
This year I decided to go with herbs mostly instead of purchasing flowers. I planted stuff that I use almost weekly like cilantro and rosemary. In a couple of pots I planted what are now a few baby shoots of what will, in a few weeks time, be moonflowers, morning glories, and bright orange cosmos that came from seeds right out of my mother's garden.
It makes me so happy to see the magic of nature and growth in action. I can't explain it really. I enjoy the entire process.
I like getting my hands dirty. I like pressing the tiny little seeds into the earth and then covering them ever so slightly. I love watering them and then watching and waiting until one day, seemingly suddenly, there they are, these little green buds, pushing their way through the soil, reaching onward and upward towards the sunshine, soaking in the rays until one day they produce an abundance of beautiful, blooming flowers.
So, one day the inspiration came to me to add a touch of "glow" to my garden.
All it took was: jars, silver jewelry wire, a bag of tea lights, a pair of scissors and the green things that keep flowers from falling over found in the garden section of your local home improvement store; there around a dollar or two a piece.
It's mostly the product of many months of salad toppings; think artichokes, green olives, pickled beets, and jalapenos. I can't really say for how long now I've been keeping the jars (but it's long enough my husband said something about the overflowing box in our basement).
"What are you doing with all those jars?"
"I'm gonna do something with them. I have a couple of ideas."
"Well, do you really need to keep adding to the collection? It's seems like every week I'm pulling paper out of the washing machine because one of these jars has lost part of a label."
You see, for some months now, every time we finished a jar, be it of dijon mustard* or bright red, peppadew peppers, I've kept it, washed it out, and saved in it a box downstairs.
From the very beginning - no - I didn't know exactly what I was going to do. But, I felt really wasteful throwing all those jars away (I was recycling but still, I thought I could do something better).
So this is the result of number one, just me deciding to save them. Number two, my husband's gentle nudging (the box was overflowing) and three, the weather turning nice enough for me to get outside finally.
We have this lovely, little patio on the back of our house. In years past, I've filled containers with a varying array of flowers. Unfortunately, though I tried, my roses... well, most everything didn't make it through the winter.
My jasmine plant did though. And for that I'm very thankful. It's one of my absolute, most treasured of life's simple pleasures...
The little, star-like, white flowers, and their strong, lovely scent.
My husband (who's not alone) thinks they smell like an old lady. But I don't mind. I love them. I think I'd be alright if I ended up smelling like that when I'm an old biddy.
Anyway, so I have this container garden.
This year I decided to go with herbs mostly instead of purchasing flowers. I planted stuff that I use almost weekly like cilantro and rosemary. In a couple of pots I planted what are now a few baby shoots of what will, in a few weeks time, be moonflowers, morning glories, and bright orange cosmos that came from seeds right out of my mother's garden.
It makes me so happy to see the magic of nature and growth in action. I can't explain it really. I enjoy the entire process.
I like getting my hands dirty. I like pressing the tiny little seeds into the earth and then covering them ever so slightly. I love watering them and then watching and waiting until one day, seemingly suddenly, there they are, these little green buds, pushing their way through the soil, reaching onward and upward towards the sunshine, soaking in the rays until one day they produce an abundance of beautiful, blooming flowers.
So, one day the inspiration came to me to add a touch of "glow" to my garden.
All it took was: jars, silver jewelry wire, a bag of tea lights, a pair of scissors and the green things that keep flowers from falling over found in the garden section of your local home improvement store; there around a dollar or two a piece.
Project - Contained Candlelight:
How to: Wrap one length of wire under lip of jar; twist ends together tightly so they cannot slip over the ridge. Wrap another length of wire under lip of jar and twist so it ends up on the opposite side. Take a length of wire (this one will determine how your jar hangs so adjust according to desired height). Thread wire under other wire so that the string comes out away from the jar. Twist around itself once or twice leaving about as much excess wire to match the length of the wire already twisted on. Now, gather all wire ends on that side (3) and begin to twist around and around until you've created a little ball of wire that seals off the end; repeat on other side then hang.
For some of the candles, I simply pushed the jar top through the hole of plant rods and then shoved the stakes into the dirt in my containers. It was a really fast, fun effect. You could easily create a pathway leading up to your doorway with this technique or just speckle your garden with candlelight. This literally takes two seconds if you already have jars and the plant stakes are extremely affordable. The candlelight is care free because it's well contained.
For this candle stake, I placed jars in the plant rods and then secured the rods to the stake with jewelry wire. I expect a beautiful effect once the ivy in this container gradually makes its way up the stake, creeping in, out and around the jars.
For this container, I combined both the wired jars and the plant rods to create this pretty dangling candlelight.
I'm really happy with my twinkling garden display. It was super easy and only took about an hour or two to put everything together. I know if you try this, you'll find it hard to contain your delight. *wink* *wink*
Rachel
*dijon mustard is one of my favorite, versatile ingredients for jazzing up bean dips, making a sauce "zippy," or mixing into quinoa dishes; see surprisinglysatisfying.blogspot.com for more.
5 Comments
Late Bloomer 03/02/2011
I recently had a revelation that is pertinent to what I will now refer to as the "dormant season" of this blog.
You see, I haven't lost my love of projecting or the desire to share inspirations and creations with you. It's just that, from about beginning to mid-November through quite possibly the end of April, the temperature where I live often hovers around, or is at, or is well below freezing. I delight in the seasons. I don't despise winter or anything like that but, my projecting productivity is goes down quite drastically throughout the cold winter and beginning months of spring.
So, my revelation - (assuming that people are still interested and I am still inclined) come next year, I will just post something in late fall/ early winter explaining that the blog will be back in action come late spring.
I realized, I'm like a late blooming, spring bud. I feed off of warmer temperatures and sunshine; that's just when I naturally come alive. It's more than just a vitamin D thing (which believe me, my cupboard is stocked with those much needed mood boosting nuggets), there is something about the colors of Spring, the warmth of fall, the increase in activity that comes when the world thaws that is just so invigorating.
Over the past few months, I have often contemplated deleting this blog. Not because I don't want to mess with it any more necessarily but because I just knew there wasn't any part of me that was up for the kind of energy requiring, projecting/ inspiration inducing activities that most of the projects I feature here require. So I thought, I might as well delete it.
Then, this thought occurred to me, "I don't necessarily need to entirely delete it. I just need to make a point to basically 'Shut it Down' next winter with an explanation that I'll be right back at it once the warmer weather ensues."
So, there it is. I expect to be back and posting again around the end ofApril.
Until then, happy projecting!
Rachel
You see, I haven't lost my love of projecting or the desire to share inspirations and creations with you. It's just that, from about beginning to mid-November through quite possibly the end of April, the temperature where I live often hovers around, or is at, or is well below freezing. I delight in the seasons. I don't despise winter or anything like that but, my projecting productivity is goes down quite drastically throughout the cold winter and beginning months of spring.
So, my revelation - (assuming that people are still interested and I am still inclined) come next year, I will just post something in late fall/ early winter explaining that the blog will be back in action come late spring.
I realized, I'm like a late blooming, spring bud. I feed off of warmer temperatures and sunshine; that's just when I naturally come alive. It's more than just a vitamin D thing (which believe me, my cupboard is stocked with those much needed mood boosting nuggets), there is something about the colors of Spring, the warmth of fall, the increase in activity that comes when the world thaws that is just so invigorating.
Over the past few months, I have often contemplated deleting this blog. Not because I don't want to mess with it any more necessarily but because I just knew there wasn't any part of me that was up for the kind of energy requiring, projecting/ inspiration inducing activities that most of the projects I feature here require. So I thought, I might as well delete it.
Then, this thought occurred to me, "I don't necessarily need to entirely delete it. I just need to make a point to basically 'Shut it Down' next winter with an explanation that I'll be right back at it once the warmer weather ensues."
So, there it is. I expect to be back and posting again around the end ofApril.
Until then, happy projecting!
Rachel
Bump on a Log 01/31/2011
The word NEGLECT comes to mind when I think about this blog. It's not that I haven't been doing, creating, projecting, etc. It's just that… well… this blog has not been the priority. I have another blog that's about food and, since I do that three times a day, everyday, it really has been gettin' all the blog-lovin'. I thought about deleting this blog but, within the last two weeks I've had a couple of people ask me about it and so, I thought I would go ahead and post.
Okay. So here you have my solution to wanting to be able to look at my many pretty-colored thread spools. There are just so many fun colors - bright pink, magenta, silver, and lime green - that, I wanted a funky way to display. But, I wanted it to be fast and easy to make. I brainstormed several ideas but they all either required me to purchase something or were going to be too time consuming. As you may have gleaned from earlier posts, I often work with wood. So, I grabbed one of the logs that was sitting in my garage, hammered several nails into it, and presto, change-o, I had my solution.
I'm not a huge sewer (sp?). I have a machine but pretty much every time I use it I have to re-read the instruction manual to remember how to thread the bobbin and all that good stuff. I still like to have it but, more often than not, I use thread for mending or making a piece of jewelry or something…
I think, maybe I won't delete this blog but, I can't make any promises. It may be okay to keep it and just let it be lost to the vastness of Internet space but… I guess, only time will tell.
XO,
RB
I think, maybe I won't delete this blog but, I can't make any promises. It may be okay to keep it and just let it be lost to the vastness of Internet space but… I guess, only time will tell.
XO,
RB
Bad Blogger! Bad Blogger! 10/26/2010
In the timeless words of Squints Palledorous, I know it's been, "FOR-EH-VER" since my last post… Bad Blogger! Bad Blogger! But, sometimes the "Doing" takes precedence over the "Posting" and I end up having to apologize for an embarrassing, long absence. So, I am sorry it's been so long since I've managed to update. I still have many a project in the works and many fun things to share.
Much of this month was dedicated to prepping my home trying to create, slash, complete projects prior to The Pumpkin Party which was Saturday.
If I may say so myself, The Pumpkin Party was a SMASHING success! With tons of great food and wonderful friends, how could it not be an outstanding good time.
There was one project featured at the Pumpkin Party that I was particularly excited about. I'm calling it the "candlelogra."
Essentially, I found a large log, cut it to the size I wanted, drilled out holes with a 3/4 inch drill bit, sanded down the ends, and placed candle sticks into the holes.
If I may say so myself, The Pumpkin Party was a SMASHING success! With tons of great food and wonderful friends, how could it not be an outstanding good time.
There was one project featured at the Pumpkin Party that I was particularly excited about. I'm calling it the "candlelogra."
Essentially, I found a large log, cut it to the size I wanted, drilled out holes with a 3/4 inch drill bit, sanded down the ends, and placed candle sticks into the holes.
The result was a one of a kind candle display that worked well with the rest of my fall inspired decor and illuminated the dinner table with, my favorite, twinkling candlelight.
Stay "tuned" for more autumn projects - some from the the pumpkin party and others, just for the fun of it all!
XO,
Rachel
XO,
Rachel
Green Scene 09/24/2010
Meet the not-so-understated, green star of my food blog, Mangiez Vos Verts.
This table was originally sold as a "work table" intended for use in say, a garage or workshop of some kind. It was unfinished wood, came with five wooden slats attached across the bottom instead of the one you see here, and it cost me about 100 bucks.
Now, you have to understand, our home has a rather peculiar layout. The kitchen doesn't really have enough space for a regular sized dining table but there really isn't any other "dining room" in our home either. So, I was keeping my eyes peeled for something that might fit our needs, when I found this table and thought, "I can slap a few coats of paint on that kid and we'll have ourselves a perfect fit and a fun one-of-a-kind!"
What I used:
- paint and paint brushes
- painter's tape
- one box, pour on polyurethane
What I Did:
I removed 4 of the 5 slats that ran across the bottom leaving only the center slat. With the help of my husband, we applied two coats of Valspar's "Temptation" (a rather apropos name if you ask me for a table where many a tantalizing, taste bud temptress will undoubtedly grace the surface). After the paint was thoroughly dry, we assembled the table, taped around the edge of the table top, and then applied a coat of pour on polyurethane according to the package instructions. My intention was to use this as our main, daily dining table so, I new we needed the poly for protection and easy cleanup.
I absolutely LOVE my table. As I've mentioned before, I am such a huge fan of color that, when I shuffle downstairs for my morning brew, it brings joy to my heart to have this bright POP of green waiting to welcome me.
Now, you have to understand, our home has a rather peculiar layout. The kitchen doesn't really have enough space for a regular sized dining table but there really isn't any other "dining room" in our home either. So, I was keeping my eyes peeled for something that might fit our needs, when I found this table and thought, "I can slap a few coats of paint on that kid and we'll have ourselves a perfect fit and a fun one-of-a-kind!"
What I used:
- paint and paint brushes
- painter's tape
- one box, pour on polyurethane
What I Did:
I removed 4 of the 5 slats that ran across the bottom leaving only the center slat. With the help of my husband, we applied two coats of Valspar's "Temptation" (a rather apropos name if you ask me for a table where many a tantalizing, taste bud temptress will undoubtedly grace the surface). After the paint was thoroughly dry, we assembled the table, taped around the edge of the table top, and then applied a coat of pour on polyurethane according to the package instructions. My intention was to use this as our main, daily dining table so, I new we needed the poly for protection and easy cleanup.
I absolutely LOVE my table. As I've mentioned before, I am such a huge fan of color that, when I shuffle downstairs for my morning brew, it brings joy to my heart to have this bright POP of green waiting to welcome me.
The only downside to this vert-beauty as it relates to photographs is, it can appear to be many different shades of green depending on lighting. As I am not working in a professional, controlled studio, the sun is usually the source of light in every photo which means, on any given day, the greens can be as varied as the clouds in the sky. Though, this might have the potential to erk me, as I am a bit of a perfectionist, I have come to appreciate this quality - in my table and also in the other painted walls of my home… huhhhhh… sigh… You gotta love the simple things in life like the way color and light effect one another playfully and beautifully.
The poly is reflective which makes it a little bit of a fussy model when it comes to getting the perfect shot for my food pics. In these pictures, you can see my magnetic, chalkboard, message board reflected in the table top. Click here to see pictures and learn more about that project.
G-D-B-C,
Rachel
From side of the Road Find to One of a Kind 09/21/2010
I found this baby out with the trash in front of one of my neighbors houses… yes. I'm totally the crazy, creeper, neighbor-girl who everybody sees perusing their garbage come trash day but, I digress…
I saw this planter out with the trash. Granted it was pretty beat up. The paint was chipping and at this point is was a bit of an eye sore but, I thought, "I bet I could strip the paint and give this kid a fresh coat and it would look just fine in my patio garden." So, that's just what I did.
I saw this planter out with the trash. Granted it was pretty beat up. The paint was chipping and at this point is was a bit of an eye sore but, I thought, "I bet I could strip the paint and give this kid a fresh coat and it would look just fine in my patio garden." So, that's just what I did.
Unfortunately, I don't have a great before picture. Suffice it to say, it was an old, gray, I-wish-I-was-an-antique-but-I'm-sooo-not looking color that was chippy all over.
I used a spray can stripping agent, gave this planter a good once over, and let it dry up.
I used a spray can stripping agent, gave this planter a good once over, and let it dry up.
After the stripping agent was dry (you can tell because it goes from bright orange to a milky orange), and wearing a pair of gloves for protection, I removed as much paint with my hands and then used a hose set on "jet" to get any remaining paint out of tiny crevices.
Here she is stripped down to her skivvies.
Here she is stripped down to her skivvies.
Next, I gave this planter a slick new coat of flat, black paint. Now, this was no easy decision. I thought about possibily going with Robin's Egg Blue, a nice bright Magenta, and even entertained the idea of a poppy Yellow for a minute. Ultimately though, I thought the black would be nice because it would relate to other elements I already have on my patio… and I could highlight all the pretty swirls and curves with chalk, which I'm always trying to find ways to play with. :)
In the background you can see one of my other chalk, pot ideas which can be seen in greater detail by clicking here.
(For your viewing pleasure, I've thrown in a view pics of my succulents just because I think they're cool)
Now, sometimes, one man's trash really is just another man's trash. It's just a matter of maybe a few days, weeks, months, or, if you're lucky, maybe years before you realize you just picked up another piece of junk you don't really want or need but, happily, in this case, one neighbors trash was another girls project.
Happy Projecting!
Rachel
Happy Projecting!
Rachel
Touches of Fall - Day Seven: Hunt and Hang 09/19/2010
This is the final in a week long series of quick and easy ideas that can help infuse the feel of Fall into your home this year.
This project may require you spend a few bucks, but you'll be able to take this idea and run with it all year long so hopefully, you'll find it a worth while investment.
What you need:
- a grouping of frames
- fabric cut to size
- a few pins
- picture hanging kit
What to do:
Get outside and let nature surprise you. I saw this beautiful leaf and determined it was too pretty to just let tires and time shred it to pieces. No, no, no… especially not when it could become a free piece of art in my home. The second item, the… puff, really just reminded me of the children's story "Horton Hears a Who." You know the one, "We are here! We are here! We are here!!!" Anyways, I don't know what it is, errrr, what it was originally but, I saw it and thought it would make a visually and texturally interesting display. I used a pin to hold it in place.
So there you have it. Just hunt for something that strikes you as particularly unique. Display it in a frame or shadow box with some beautiful fabric behind it (I used burlap here. It comes in many different colors and is extremely inexpensive). Hang your items and then voila! You're home is quite literally one step closer to inviting the outdoors in, bringing with it that most wonderful of Fall feelings - a sensation that says, "Welcome."
G-D-B-C,
Rachel
Touches of Fall - Day Six: Simply Sticks 09/18/2010
Be ye not afraid of this twiggy propostition.
If you're lucky this project's as easy as an excursion + grap & place equalling a woodsy addition.
What you need:
- a large vase or container of some kind
- sticks or branches (Maybe you, like me, live in an area where you can step outside and scavenge for something like this. I literally found these on the hillside behind my house. If not, craft stores, or places like IKEA and Pottery Barn, are all places where you can find something like this.)
What to do:
Because I had a lot of visual space I wanted to fill, I set my branches up on the shelf behind my sofa and allowed them to naturally splay out inside the large glass container. You could group yours with twine or if you're working with a store bought bunch, maybe combine two or three of four different kinds of branches for a custom display that will work for you throughout the Fall and Winter seasons.
If you're lucky this project's as easy as an excursion + grap & place equalling a woodsy addition.
What you need:
- a large vase or container of some kind
- sticks or branches (Maybe you, like me, live in an area where you can step outside and scavenge for something like this. I literally found these on the hillside behind my house. If not, craft stores, or places like IKEA and Pottery Barn, are all places where you can find something like this.)
What to do:
Because I had a lot of visual space I wanted to fill, I set my branches up on the shelf behind my sofa and allowed them to naturally splay out inside the large glass container. You could group yours with twine or if you're working with a store bought bunch, maybe combine two or three of four different kinds of branches for a custom display that will work for you throughout the Fall and Winter seasons.
To learn how I made this seating/ coffee table/ footrest, see my previous post under "Furniture" entitled, "Kick Back."
Simple shots of simple things upon which time has simply taken it's toll.
Click on images to enlarge and scroll through.
Click on images to enlarge and scroll through.
Touches of Fall - Day Five: Chug-a-lug 09/17/2010
Ahhhhhh the powder room… a splendid little spot to visually delight while your guests do what they do.
My powder room is right off the main living area so, it gets updated as the seasons change a little more readily than any other. I thought it would be fun to use a couple of jugs I had laying around to display, yet, contain a few fall goodies (for some reason there's something gross to me about the idea of things being splayed out in a dish on a counter in the bathroom… don't judge… I can't really explain why). The larger jar was apple cider and the smaller one, maple syrup. Once I used up the contents I thought, "This is cute. I'll just keep it around and see if I can't do something fun later."
That was last year. Now, here they are, in all their juggy splendor! Acorns work great because they fit easily through the openings of the jars.
Just think - what's a fun filler that's fast and free?! I'd love to hear and see pictures of some of the things you come up with this Fall.
G-D-B-C,
Rachel
My powder room is right off the main living area so, it gets updated as the seasons change a little more readily than any other. I thought it would be fun to use a couple of jugs I had laying around to display, yet, contain a few fall goodies (for some reason there's something gross to me about the idea of things being splayed out in a dish on a counter in the bathroom… don't judge… I can't really explain why). The larger jar was apple cider and the smaller one, maple syrup. Once I used up the contents I thought, "This is cute. I'll just keep it around and see if I can't do something fun later."
That was last year. Now, here they are, in all their juggy splendor! Acorns work great because they fit easily through the openings of the jars.
Just think - what's a fun filler that's fast and free?! I'd love to hear and see pictures of some of the things you come up with this Fall.
G-D-B-C,
Rachel
By the way… that little wooden piece is a disk I cut off of a larger branch and sanded down on both side. Check back throughout the season as I'll have more wooden projects you won't want to miss.
