Month: June 2014

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New Curtains Ordered From Wayfair

Happy Friday! Today, I would like to share some new curtains I ordered from wayfair.com. A home, just isn’t a home (to me) if it doesn’t have the warmth of curtains on the windows.
I purchased the Stripped Faux Silk Taffeta Curtains. I like my curtains to slightly puddle on the ground, so instead of the 84″ standard window length, I got the 50″X108″ length.  I am so pleased with the quality. These curtains are heavy and lined with white on the inside. I think they really look like silk, but without the price, faux is just fine with me. 😉
I had initially thought to use curtain clips, but decided that I liked the 
Pole Pocket with Hook Belt and Back Tabs just fine.
I purchased the curtain rod from Home Depot.
See, is this window calling for curtains, or
what?
I hung the curtains and then decided I needed to add a little Tuscan flair! 😉 So, up went a metal wall embellishment.
See, this window just needed a little drama. Boring to better, right?
I started to move my accessories around, brought in some black accents (like a bookcase) which I am using to showcase some cute kitchen/Tuscan-style decor.
I love the colors yellow, red, gold, brown, and green together.
I tried to find items in my storage area that would coordinate with my new curtains.
Does it look Tuscan-esque to you?
My chairs go well with the curtains, too!
To the far left, I removed the wall shelf and brought in the black bookcase. As cheap as the bookcase is, I still like seeing my nick-nacky things. I can’t help myself, lol! 
(a few pictures down, you’ll see the bookcase)
I added a lemon next to Mr. Roo for summer!
Here’s my old Walmart bookcase.
I love displaying this cookbook, Savoring Tuscany.
Adding little jugs and topiary plants here and there.
Placed a fork and spoon in this container….to add a little kitchen feel to it!
I like to add lots of garden balls into my summer decor, actually they are a staple in my everyday decor. Ha!
Here is the Rooster arrangement I just shared.  
Here sits another Roo right on top of the black bookcase.
 Adding lemons and oranges to my summer decor.
Lastly, and it’s so true…the kitchen is the heart of the home! 🙂
Isn’t is funny how changing one thing (in my case, the curtains) leads to more changes in accessorizing, or re-arranging furniture? Does that happen to you, too? 😉 
Cha-cha-changes! I liked these curtains so much, I ordered another set for my sliding glass door. I’ll share that soon!
Have a great weekend, everyone! 
XOXO, ~Liz
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Use What You Have

Hi there! Today, I would like to share a simple arrangement I created using items I had in my storage area. 
It’s no secret, I love Roosters! So, here is the breakdown on the items used. Simple, simple, simple! Below is an old pot that I was no longer using. I like the base of it and knew I could conceal the top portion at a later time, and now is the time! 🙂
 It’s all about layering items, so I sat this wreath right on top of the pot.
 Then came the Rooster.
And then a wire Cloche.
Then some floral picks.
 I pulled the ivy out of this arrangement to use for my new arrangement.
Base + wreath
+ Rooster
+ Wire Cloche
+ Ivy And Floral Picks
Ta Da…..DONE! 
No hot glue required, allowing me to re-purpose or use the items differently at a later date.
I sat this arrangement on a tray and placed some garden balls beside it!  
Thanks for stopping by, and have layering items you’re not using, you might just end up loving it! 🙂
XO, ~Liz
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Linking up with: Grace At Home Party
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Anniversary Island

Hello, friends! Today, I would like to share a special project with you, it’s called…
A N N I V E R S A R Y  *  I S L A N D
So, last Wednesday my husband and I celebrated our 20 year wedding anniversary. We wanted to do something special, so we decided to create a landscape island, a place for us to pick out some pretty shrubs and trees, and watch them grow and bloom, just as our relationship does each year.
 Let me start from the beginning…
We started clearing our land to make room for a trampoline for the kids. We had farm grass that we needed to scrape and have plans to hydroseed soon.
 After clearing the land, we had piles of dirt. Hmm, what to do with all that dirt? Well, we decided to berm it up to make a landscape island, especially for our anniversary.  We went to the nursery and got plants and shrubs, and good soil, and went to town creating our vision, even the kids chipped in to help. 
 Are you starting to see our vision? Please excuse the mess, landscaping is a messy, messy job!
 See, the picture below? Well, the builder did a french drain around our entire property using rocks.  DON’T EVER DO THAT….it’s a maintenance nightmare, trust me. It’s hard to mow, edge, and weeds begin to grow through, it’s horrible. So….we removed all the rock, initially, by hand. We hired three guys, in addition to the two of us, and barely made a dent. Our final solution, an excavator. What did we do with all that rock? We created a rock design on our island, and I LOVE IT!!
Doesn’t it look pretty?
 I’m in love…
 Keeping things minimalistic for now, who wants to be a water slave all summer to the plants?
 I will never forget all the labor that went into removing those rocks, lol!
The Arborvitae’s give it a little Tuscan feel. 
 We loved the island so much, we created another one. Here are the beginning stages.
So many projects, so little time! Our patio went in today, so excited about that! I’ll share more on that soon!
Hope y’all are having a fabulous week!
Tootles, ~Liz
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Linking up with: Grace At Home Party
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Edible Peanut Butter Playdough

Hi there! Remember being a kid and playing with Playdough? Well, I do, and I enjoyed being able to mold different ideas into shapes, can you say fun? My daughter recently did a science project and we tested the edibility of  Peanut Butter playdough vs. Nutella playdough.  We tested the mold-ability of both, as well as other properties, such as – taste, smell, and appearance. We then tested a large audience to get the results. Fun project!
For Peanut Butter Playdough: Mix…
1/2 Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Flour (or use powdered milk) – we actually preferred the taste of powdered milk over flour.
2 Tablespoons of Honey
Simple, Simple, Simple
The playdough tastes really good. 🙂
The kids had a ball making this on their own and they got a kick out of the fact that they could nibble on it, too! 
Moldability was pretty good, too!
Here is the Nutella Recipe:
1/2 cup Nutella
6 tbl confectioner’s sugar (approximate)
1 tbl cocoa powder (we used unsweetened)
You can double, or triple the batch depending on how many kids you’re making it for.
All and all…
Taste tested on well over 200+ kids, the Peanut Butter Playdough won in all tested areas.  Try it with your kids, or grandkids…they will have a blast!!
XOXO, Liz
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Linking up with: Grace At Home Party
Fabulously Creative Friday
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DIY ~ Chalkboard Door

Hi there, friends! Today, I’m going to share a simple DIY project using Chalkboard paint. I was missing my old Chalkboard Door in my last kitchen, so I decided to do one in my new kitchen.  Below is a simple tutorial of the process, it’s SUPER EASY & FAST!
Boring to better….;)
You can purchase Chalkboard paint just about anywhere. I got mine from ACE Hardware. You can also find it at Home Depot and Walmart just to name a few.
I didn’t prime my doors, I just rolled the paint right on. I did about 2-3 coats.
Priming will cut down on having to do more coats, so I do recommend it.  However, the paint dries so fast, it’s pretty easy and quick to throw a few additional coats on in no time.
In the photo above, you can see the paint is wet and in the drying process.
After the paint is dry, it’s time to season the door. Why is it important to season the door? Well, if you don’t, you will never be able to completely erase what yo have just written. Just take a piece of chalk and go vertical and then horizontal. After you complete this step, it’s time to wipe down the door.
Use a damp cloth or paper towel and completely clean the door, and now it’s time to write, or draw, with chalk! Let the fun the begin! 😉
This is our pantry door and I wrote….
THE TUSCAN KITCHEN!!
Super easy, right? I had so much fun, I decided to do the door across from the family room which leads to a secret room, more on that later, so stay tuned! 
Thanks for visiting! XO, Liz
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Linking up with: Wow Us Wednesday
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Tuscan Style – Entertainment Unit

Hi there! Today, I would like to share our Tuscan Style inspired Entertainment unit in the family room.
I am constantly changing up the family room. I need to find a pretty area rug to add warmth and color, and I also need to add a few other things before I am happy with it.
A flat screen used to sit in the space below, but I moved it.  I much prefer the ambiance of amber colored lighting to a shiny flat screen tv. Are any of you the same way?
I really like adding metal and wood to my tuscan vignettes. 
Pottery with greenery adds a softness to the space.
I like to find pots that are different, but alike in color and similar styles.
I adore topiaries and garden balls, I add them everywhere throughout the house. 🙂
I love the colors brown, green, rust, black, and beige together. 
Love these canisters from Hobby Lobby.
The metal and wood piece I found at Hobby Lobby.
I use these candle pillars year round and change out the candles from time to time. 
Greenery is great to use as space fillers.
 In the entertainment unit, I have used a few book boxes to add height.
Here I have used book boxes again! 😉
The center (top) part of the unit sits a pot with a garden ball, and two greenery sticks on either side.
So, there you have it….
The family room decorated Tuscan Style! Have a great day, everyone! I’m off to paint my pantry door with chalk paint….oh boy!! 
xoxo, Liz
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Linking up with:
Show and Share
Grace At Home Party
Fabulously Creative Friday
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Patio Expansion

Hi everyone! Today, I would like to share a project, our patio expansion project.
The builder put in a rather small patio, which is not big enough for our family, so we are literally….bursting at the seams! 
We have lots of projects going on right now. Our lot is just under 5 acres. When we purchased this house, our lot was pretty much being taken over by Blackberry bushes. We have cleared a good 3 acres of our property and are now trying to develop the land and grade it. It’s a huge undertaking and the more you clear, the more you have to maintain, it’s a tricky balance.
So, please excuse the dirt piles in the distance, lol! Hydroseeding is up next, too!
See, this patio barely fits our patio sets. We need lots of seating.
The patio installation begins in 3 weeks, and to save money, the concrete company told us if we could scrape the grass (with our tractor) and dig down about 5-6 inches that would mean huge savings for us since doing that it so labor intensive.
We mapped out the size of the patio we want and began digging with the tractor.
Here is the other side of the patio, it’s going to be HUGE!  The other outline you see is where I am going to have a raised flower bed.
Many people think you need to pull the grass up before you lay the dirt down, but it’s not necessary. The grass will die under the darkness of dirt. Occasionally, the grass will  grow through, if it does, just hit it with some weed spay….it will die!
Using yard marking spray paint to map out your ideas is a great way to get a visual of the space and surroundings. 
It’s fun seeing a plan come together.
Stay tuned….more to come on this project. 
Thanks for stopping by! xoxo, Liz