Comfy, Outdoor Pallet Bed - DIY

I am super excited about this project!  Last fall, I started to see outdoor pallet beds FLOOD Pinterest! And like most things on Pinterest, I wanted one for myself.  So I stacked 2 pallets twice (2 pallets stacked, side by side), and put a twin mattress on top and called it a day.......well, it was ok, put totally thrown together. So a few weeks ago, I got tired of looking at the "eyesore" as I had begun to think of it.  I decided to do something to make this junk look AMAZING....and that I did!

First, I cut some length off one of the pallets so that the mattress would fit perfectly on it, with no excess hanging out.  

 

Next, I had some old baseboards that came out of the Old Feed Store & Antiques in Woodbury, TN.  They redid part of the building, and I lucked into being in the right place at the right time.  All I did was used some wood screws to attach the boards to the pallets. Easy-peesy.

Although I loved the mint green color of the old trim, there were several spots that were unpainted so I couldn't leave it so unfinished looking.  I used a thin layer of Blackberry House Paint in Fresh Eggs to give it the finished look.  Last I put my mattress back on the pallets (already covered in a waterproof mattress cover), and simply a twin sheet.  Decorative outdoor pillow give it a finished look.  

And let me tell you, this is the most popular seat in the house when I have company!

Shopping Your Home (FOR FREE) - DIY

I have so many comments on my Facebook and Instagram accounts when I post pictures of my home decor asking "where'd you get that" or "how'd you come up with that idea".  Well...I will say that Pinterest has a lot to do with a lot of these ideas, BUT you can make your home look put together and "gathered" (the term for a space that looks like it has been collected over time).

What's the BIG secret?

SHOP YOUR HOUSE!

Yes, that's right!  Go shopping right in your very own home!  Hmmm...that might seem strange to some, but for me this is a monthly, if not weekly occurrence in my house.  I am constantly moving items and rearranging to get a look that I love.  And if I get tired of an item, I don't necessarily go buy something else to fill the space (although I do at times), I shop my house.

Follow these simple steps to shop your house:

1. Find a large space that you aren't using where items won't be in the way like your kitchen table (unless you actually eat at it), your bed, the floor, etc.

2. Collect items all over your house and put in the designated spot.  You can start with knick knacks if you are uncertain about this process, but I go all out.  I'm talking wall hangings, knick knacks, throw pillows, handmade items, etc.

3. Next, group like items together.  I like to group items by their color palette, but that is totally up to you.  Some people like to group according to theme, like birds, pictures, etc.  I don't find that this works well for me because I like to throw all sorts of items into a vignette, but I like them to be in the same color palette.  Take for example the mantle that I recently put together for spring.

All the items are in the same color palette with pops of green throughout.

4.  After you have grouped your items to your liking find a place to display.  Now this is the fun part...let your creativity flow friends!  

Some people like to create a decor closet or shelf in their home where they stash items that they aren't using at the time and rotate these items in their home.  Personally, I would love to do this, but I don't have the space for it right now so my items are spread throughout several of my closets and my shed.

Ultimately, this is about making your home beautiful and expressing your creativity.  So have fun with it and get "shopping".

Sprucing Up for Spring - Livingroom Revamp

Sunday, I spent the day spring cleaning my living room - and when I say "spring clean", I mean baseboards, walls, scrubbing floors, the whole nine yards.  To get myself motivated (because my favorite part is not the cleaning, but the redecorating that I allow myself to do when I clean), I started with the mantle.  I had found several different ideas on Pinterest that I wanted to use on my mantle.  The window stays and changes with the seasons; the "X" and "O" I got from High Cotton Vintage Home Furnishings in Manchester, TN.  They are covered in moss - to find a tutorial to do this yourself from the girls at 11 Magnolia Lane, click here.  I am in love with everything on my mantle...in fact, these are some of my favorite decor items.  I collect owls, so that is the reasoning behind all of those.  And everything else is vintage, and collected over the years.

My boyfriend, Drew, will tell you that I love to rearrange furniture (and I think it secretly drives him crazy).  But it makes me so happy and makes everything feel so fresh and new.  I am a believer in "shopping my house"; yes, I love new decor items, but I am also a big fan of taking things out of a room, making a pile, and grouping like items together.  So after the mantle, I cleaned this corner of the room.  I turned the chair a different way and had it face the couch instead of the TV.  This living room has been a pet peeve of mine since moving into this house.  It's small, shaped weird, has 3 doorways, and 2 windows....oh, and there's only one cable wire hookup....so there's only so many ways that it can be functionally arranged. I change it slightly every once in awhile, but there's not much I can do with it.

Next, I updated my gallery wall...well, really the only thing to update was the chalkboard to a more springy theme.

Last, in the living room revamp, was the shining of the floors and putting down my new rug.  You can buy it online here at Rugs USA.  You can see the tail end of my puppy, Rossi, checking out the new rug. ;)

Let me know what you think!  Hope ya'll have a great week! :)

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell / Book Review

This girl is officially the newest and biggest Rainbow Rowell fan!  If you haven't read any of her books, I would highly recommend her!  Fangirl was my first taste, but Attachments didn't disappoint.  The book's narrator, Lincoln, has a job with a newspaper working nights as an internet security officer.  His job is to read flagged emails and send warning messages if needed.

Through the emails, Lincoln finds that maybe attraction could come through words before you ever meet the person.  Beth and Jennifer are two work friends that have very personal conversations through email - actually, I loved the email parts of the book.  The book will leave you wanting more.....more emails, more Lincoln.  

Panko Crusted Stuffed Chicken Breast

Saturday night I made a delicious Panko Crusted Stuffed Chicken Breast.

Ingredients:
Kroger Brand Herb & Garlic marinade
Panko seasoned bread crumbs
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
A few leaves of spinach
Tbsp petite diced tomatoes
Real bacon bits
Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper, to taste

1. Butterfly cut your chicken breast.  To learn how to butterfly cut, click here.  Flatten your chicken with a meat tenderizing hammer.
2. Marinate the chicken breast for 30 minutes with the herb and garlic marinade - this will serve as your base for the Panko, so no need for eggs.  Also, go ahead and preheat your oven to 450.

2. Make your stuffing - I stuffed mine with finely chopped spinach, petite diced tomatoes, real bacon bits, and Parmesan cheese.  I also added salt and pepper to taste.

3. Stuff your chicken.
4. Batter your chicken with the Panko bread crumbs.
5. Use baker's twine to secure your stuffing inside your chicken (Note: some would rather use toothpicks, but I didn't find this convenient for the next step).
6. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet and brown your chicken breasts for 3 minutes on both side.
7. Place skillet in your warmed oven and bake for 20 minutes.

The layers of flavor in this dish will definitely satisfy your tastebuds!

My Weekend In Review...

Yes...I may be a little late with the blog post about last weekend, but...better late than never right?!?!  That's what I always say.  So Friday night started with a little craft project to get ready for my sewing class.  I made a mason jar sewing kit to impress the teachers (yes, I still like to be the teacher's pet ;) ).  I didn't take pictures because I was so excited about making it, I completely forgot.  But, you can find a tutorial like the one I made here.  I'm going to make another one for Nannie Allene, so I will take pictures when I make that one. Second on the agenda for my Friday night, was "to-go" dinner from the Readyville Mill.  If you are local and haven't eaten at the mill, you are missing out...MAJORLY! I am so excited about this place cause A) It's part of my history (more on that later), B) It is seriously within walking distance from my house, and C) The food is A-MAZ-ING (with all caps, and 3 syllables).

Can't you just see yourself strolling the grounds?  So homey and cute!  And this was my amazingly (is that even a word), awesome food - Stuffed Pork Tenderloin (with cheese, mushrooms, and bacon) scalloped potatoes, mac & cheese, green beans, and a corn bread muffin, made with cornmeal that's actually ground at the mill.

And while we ate, Drew and I watched a movie featuring one of my favorite actresses, Jennifer Lawrence. After watching The Hunger Games, I have become obsessed with this fabulous actress.  Although American Hustle left me a little dissappointed with Lawrence's part (I'm accustomed to her playing the courageous, renegade card). Still, the movie wasn't bad, just didn't live up to The Hunger Games.

Saturday brought about something that I've been looking forward to for several, several weeks!  The sewing class at the Blackberry House.  I have been trying to learn to sew for years - Nannie Allene, Mama, and Karen have all tried to teach me to no avail.  I decided that my best method for learning would be to learn from someone that I didn't know so that I wouldn't show my frustrations and get mad.  In other words, I'm gonna put up a good front in front of someone I don't know.  Well, needless to say, it went AWESOME!  I had NO trouble and didn't get frustrated and made....wait for it....a pillowcase!

YAY ME!!!! :)

After my sewing class, I came home and cooked a really good dinner.  Panko Stuffed Chicken Breast (stuffed with cheese, bacon, tomatoes, and spinach); homemade creamed corn, and smashed red potatoes.  You can find the recipe for my Pankfo Crusted Stuffed Chicken Breast here.

And then....I played with my sewing machine - I did a really crappy "L" applique and a really crappy buttonhole - but hey, at least I figured it out! :)

  

Hope you all had a great weekend! :)

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell / Book Review

     If you are a "book nerd" like myself, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, will for sure appeal to you.  Cather and Wren are twins (get it..."Cather - rine") who are starting their freshman year of college and are huge fans of the Simon Snow series.  Simon Snow reminds me a lot of the Harry Potter series with it's magic and wizardry. The book details the sisters' first year of college, their interactions with friends/roommates, boys, and their father and their struggle to transition from childhood to adulthood. Throughout the book Rowell gives you excerpts from the Simon Snow series as told by it's actual author GTL and excerpts from fanfic written by "Magicath" and Wrenigade". The plot of the book centers around the girls' love of Simon Snow and how their lives seemingly revolve around the books.   As told from the POV of Cath, book lovers can relate to the powerful world of fiction, and how it can pull you into it's magical arms and make you forget the world you're living in. 

     Up next on my reading list is Attachments, also by Rainbow Rowell.