Saturday Snapshot: Winter Bird Bath

You Rock! Valentines

I tried to save my Valentine posts for February... but I just couldn't resist!  This is beyond easy to make, and I think it happens to be pretty darn cute :)

You will need:

• River rocks (I get mine at the dollar store!)
• Metallic Sharpies
• Heart shaped cards (available at Michael's)
• Glue dots

This is really as simple as drawing a heart on the rocks and sticking them on the card with a glue dot or two.  Add a "You rock!" message, and you're done!

I think this might win the prize for easiest DIY I've ever posted...

Are you in the Valentine mood yet?

Polka Dotted Monogram Canvas

I have a super cute, super simple DIY for you to try today.  All you need is:

• Small canvas (5 x 7) 
• Printer paper
• Black paint
• Gold paint
• A brand new pencil eraser (if you don't have one, slice an old eraser down so the tip is flat again)

First, you're going to make a stencil.  Trace your canvas and cut out a piece of printer paper to be the same size as your canvas.

Draw your monogram and cut it out, being careful to only make one cut through the stencil to the letter- you want the stencil to be in one piece!

Next, place your letter and stencil on the canvas.  Remove the stencil and make sure your letter stays put- I used a glue dot to accomplish this.

Then, stamp the black in lines of dots all around and over the letter.  Try to keep the dots evenly spaced (but it's okay if you muck it up- I did!).

Remove the letter and let the black paint dry.

Finally, place the stencil over the canvas and use your eraser to do gold dots inside the letter.  Make sure these line up with the black dots!

If you have any spots where the paint smooshed through, simply use a small paint brush to touch them up.

Ta da!  I really like how this turned out, and I love the irregularities in the stamping.  What do you think?  Leave your comments below! :)

Saturday Snapshot: Wrought Iron

Avocado with Salmon

I originally posted this dish on Instagram.  I hadn't planned on sharing the recipe because I thought it was too simple, but let's be honest: the simpler, the better some nights!

For two servings, you will need:

• 1 avocado, halved
• 1 can of salmon
• 2-4 radishes
• 2 teaspoons mayo (more or less to taste)

Cut the tops and bottoms of your radishes off; it makes slicing them on a mandolin so much easier! Use a mandolin to thinly slice the radishes, then cut them in halves or quarters.

Drain the salmon and combine in a bowl with the sliced radish and mayonnaise. Remove the pit from your avocado and fill each half with the salmon mixture.  I sliced up extra radishes to crunch on as a side, but if you're feeling less healthy, it would be SO good with potato chips! :)

Enjoy!

Home Tour: Part III

The third and final installment of my home tour photos.  I hope you've enjoyed seeing our new home!  Today: the upstairs.  We have a closet I love, a large master bedroom, and a master bathroom that I still kind of can't believe belongs to us.

As far as changes to the upstairs, art (like everywhere else in our home) is on the to-do list.  Also included is a headboard and dust ruffle.  I just don't like the look of an exposed box spring ;)

A little elephant ring holder, a small dish for regularly worn jewelry, and assorted perfumes have a home on our dresser

This shower!  I always feel like I'm at a hotel :)

And, of course, the closet.  This is only my side- John has a healthy portion of the space as well!

Plenty of room for shoes...

What's on your home to-do list?

Check out Part II and Part I of the home tour, too!

Saturday Snapshot: Hydrangea

Home Tour: Part II

More of our home!  I've got the kitchen and dining room today.  I absolutely love our kitchen!  Our old kitchen was teeny tiny, so the counter space in this kitchen is enough to make me fall in love all on its own.  Fortunately for us, there's more than just space to love in our kitchen.  One of my favorite things are the glass cabinets; they let me show off my Fiestaware dishes!

In the dining room, we have some terrific French doors that let in a ton of light.  The downside?  It makes pictures a little harder! :)  I hope you enjoy!

Safety first!  Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home?

This is a Norwegian plate that hung in my grandparents' kitchen for years.  I'm so happy to have it in ours now.

On the left, there is a built in hutch for china and serving ware!

I'll have one more set of pictures for you next week!

Home Tour: Part I

The house was finally clean enough for me to take some pictures to share with you all!  We still have lots of small projects to work on, one being to hang some art!  But, I figured I would go ahead and show you our place anyway :)

Today, I'm sharing our living room and the office/craft room with you.  In the living room, I'm really wanting to hang some art work, but I can't decide where or how to arrange it.  John and I share the office, and it's usually got a lot more going on.  So, it was a rare day to have it so tidy :)

Inga wanted to help with the tour :)

I'm excited to share more photos with you later this week!