Bright and Graphic Porch Decorating: Welcome Home Summer Tour

Today, I'm sharing summer on the screened porch.  Creating this warm and welcoming look is easy. The graphic black and white with pops of bright colors make this porch a perfect place for summer entertaining. I love porches....all of them...especially in the summer!

I grew up in a big old white house.  Well, "big" is probably a bit of a stretch but it seemed big at the time.  It had three bedrooms, only one bathroom and no air conditioning...

but none of that mattered because we had two porches. Those porches that shaped my childhood.

Fresh Peach Galette (Rustic Peach Tart)

I love French food.  There's something about the sound of the words that makes everything sound fancy...and delicious. Take for example, today's recipe: Peach Galette. It's made with Pate Brisee. Yep...it's French.  Doesn't it sound fancy and like it would take some special culinary skill to make it?

                                                                                                                     Well, it 's not...and it doesn't.

How to Make Lavender-Infused Lemonade

I'm celebrating the first few real days of summer by making lemonade. You won't find me selling this lemonade at a roadside stand, however. This lemonade is a little different that lemonade stand lemonade;  a little more "grown up". It's a mix of lemons and limes and it's infused with (what else?)
                                     
                                                                                                                                               ...lavender.
 (if you know me, this really comes as no surprise..does it!?)

Summer Store Window with Giant Paper Flowers

I did some restyling at the shop over the holiday weekend (Vintage Fresh in Downers Grove, IL).    I installed a new summer-themed display for the shop window which includes a newsprint banner and GIANT free-standing newsprint flowers with tissue paper centers that I created.  I wanted the window to feel fresh and happy and to focus not only on summer but also on the shop's specialty: painted furniture.

Vintage 4th of July: Red White and Blue Table Decor

 Today, I finally got a couple of bins of 4th of July decorations out of the attic and decided to put a few vintage red white and blue things on the kitchen table. I really didn't plan on doing too much decorating this year.

Blue and White Outdoor Summer Urn Patio Planters

 
 Summer has finally arrived in the Midwest and after a cold and seemingly endless winter it has been so much fun to be able to fill my urns and planters with colorful annuals and not have to worry (too much) that I'll be running out every night to cover them to protect them from frost.  This year, my color scheme consists of cool colors: blue, purple and white.

How To Make An Easy DIY Tea Towel Pillow

Looking for a last minute DIY Mother's Day gift or a quick pick me up for your porch or patio that's both cheap and easy? Well, you're in luck! I made these pillows from two cotton tea towels that I purchased at Ikea for $4.99 for the pair. I've also seen them at Target, JoAnn Fabrics and just about any store that carries kitchen items. Making the two of them took ten minutes....literally.

Grilled Summer Peaches With Toasted Pecans and Maple Syrup Glaze

Michigan peaches are in season at my local farmer's market and let me just say that, this year, they're amazing! Oh My Gosh! Have you tasted this summer's peaches!? Today, I'm grilling some summer peaches with a little maple syrup glaze...and serving them with toasted pecans.

Easy Summertime Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe

Aren't summer berries amazing right now!?  They're fabulous in Illinois where I live!  From the local grocer to the farmer's markets, strawberries, raspberries and blue berries are in season and in demand... at least at my home. And what better way to enjoy them than in a fresh strawberry pie with home made glaze and a little whipped cream!

Summer Urns and Container Gardens: Tips and Tricks

I've been designing and planting gardens, urns and planters for over thirty years and my favorites are still  That sounds like a really long time, doesn't it?  

Yarn Wrapped, "Let's Go Fly A Kite" Wreath

Have you ever flown a kite?  I have. Lots of them. I think that I started when I was six or seven years old. I think that this is largely due to the fact that I was raised during the "go outside and play" years.  Yes, it's true, I was an often unwilling member of the "fresh air generation".

Lovin' These "Summertime Blues" - Blueberry Muffin Recipe

In the words of  the band, The Who, (to whom I may or may not have listened at some point in my lifetime),
"...There ain't no cure for the summertime blues." They were talking about working during the summer, trying to afford gasoline and only having two weeks vacation. Yeah, I've got those summertime blues, too. But today, I've got these blues:

Monday Morning Farmer's Market

It's July 2nd and I'm finally able to come up for a breath of air, albeit hot, humid, Midwestern air! I'm thankful for the opportunity to return to the simple things that I enjoy, like visiting a local farmers market on Monday morning. It's been a couple of weeks but this morning, at 7 a.m., I grabbed my bags (probably should have grabbed the camera too...sorry about that) and headed over to peruse the produce and pick up strawberries for jam.

 I needed beans and lettuce as we're "between crops" in our potager. New red potatoes with fresh dill and lemon are a staple in our summer menu and bi-color sweet corn is amazing right now!  As I made my way through the market to my favorite purveyor of berries I began to notice the absence of strawberries at virtually all of the vendors.


I finally made my way to the last vendor from Michigan and, thankfully, she had strawberries!  Imagine my surprise when she told me that this would likely be the last week of Michigan strawberries!  WHAT?!? No kidding! According to my "berry lady", summer berries are coming into season about five or six weeks ahead of schedule in Illinois and Michigan this year due to the unseasonably warm winter and spring that we had.  This means that strawberries are finished this week, blueberries and raspberries are at their peak, sour cherries are ripe. It also means that I'll be busy tonight canning strawberry and sour cherry preserves! 

Thankfully, I was able to grab enough strawberries and sour cherries to make preserves! She also told me that free stone Michigan peaches could be ready as early as next week!  This means that I'll be making peach preserves and peaches sometime in July instead of August! Wow, am I glad that I went to the market today!

Is there a farmer's market near where you live and if so, do you take advantage of it for fresh produce?

xo,
 

Triple Berry Pie with Crumb Topping

 When summer berries look like this right now, how could I possibly not bake some type of berry pie tonight?! As I was running through the market at 5:15 tonight, picking up a gallon of milk and some hamburger buns, my heart skipped a beat when I saw that berries were on sale!!! I stopped, dead in my tracks, grabbed a basket and filled it with a couple of containers of each.  I couldn't help myself. There's nothing quite as sweet as summer berries and absolutely  nothing better than berry pie. After all, when it's over 85 degrees outside anyway, why not turn on the oven?! What's a few more degrees among friends?!

Hand Painted Canvas Pillows for the Barn Sale

Completed  pillows for the Barn Sale this weekend.  Natural cotton canvas with block printed letters and hand painted images.

Painted with acrylic paint which is mixed 2 parts paint to 1 part fabric medium (purchased at Michaels) which renders the paint permanent and machine washable when heat set.

In the studio today: Table Runners and more reclaimed wood signs. 

xo,

S

Linking to:

DIY By Design
Embracing Change
Freckled Laundry
French Country Cottage
I Gotta Create
I Gotta Try That!
Itsy Bitsy Paper
It's so very Cheri
It All Started with Paint - Pillowpalooza
Savvy Southern Style
The Brassy Apple
The Crafty Blog Stalker
Under the Table and Dreaming
You are talking too much

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Potato Mashers and Paint - My Evening with Martha

My copy of Martha Stewart Living came in the mail today.

I've saved them all. From the very first issue. In a time back before "the scandal" and her time in "yale", but that's not the point. The point is that I was quickly flipping through it like I usually do, ready to put it in the pile of "magazines to read when I have time" (right, like THAT's gonna happen). I almost made it.  But then I turned to Page 111.

Image Credit: Martha Stewart Living - July, 2012

Image Credit: Martha Stewart Living - July, 2012

Image Credit: Martha Stewart Living - July, 2012

And I said to myself (not out loud because it scares the dog and makes the men in my house look at me funny), "Those wash cloths that we've been using as napkins are looking pretty gross.  I should probably buy make some new ones. I mean, after all, I have several potato mashers and some paint and I can run to Hobby Lobby for fabric. Why not just print some napkins before dinner tonight!? (Is it unusual that I think this way?..I'm told that it might be.)

 

 

 

 

 

Materials:

• 20x20 inch squares of 100% cotton broadcloth torn into squares, laundered (to remove the sizing) and ironed (you could also use pre-made napkins, just make sure that they are 100% cotton to ensure that the ink or paint will best adhere to the fibers).
• Silk screen ink or fabric paint.
• Objects to print with: rubber stamps, potato mashers, wicker coasters, the bottom of a 2 liter bottle or water bottle, rope, mesh bags...the sky's the limit! 
• Paper towel and waxed paper to protect your work surface.
• Small paint brush or foam brush.

Directions:

• Place waxed paper on work surface,  place 3-4 sheets of folded paper towel on top and lay fabric over it.
• Apply ink to stamp or object
• Press firmly into cloth and lift straight up to remove
• Allow to dry for 24 hours
• Heat set ink with a warm iron. (follow directions for your print medium).

 I tore these napkins and didn't hem or stitch them. They are meant for everyday use in our home.  I've found that the less "formal" (and more closely resembling a shirt sleeve) the napkins are, the more likely they are to use them.  It also helps if I leave a stack of them on the counter, next to the silverware. I've found that little "visual aids" like these seem to work on even the most tired of adolescent males.

I also found that 20x20 is a good size for my family. It's large enough to cover a lap, use for a lobster bib, or to fashion into any number of different types of head and neck wear for spontaneous dinnertime re-enactments of such classics as: Fiddler on the Roof, Pirates of the Caribbean, Showdown at the OK Corral  and even (when I'm in the mood), The Sound of Music!

So, if you plan on joining us for dinner this summer, bring you appetite, your imagination, and your best falsetto!  Have some fun! You  Only Live Once!

xo,

S

Linking to:
Chic on a Shoestring
Days of Chalk and Chocolate
Freckled Laundry
Funky Junk
House of Hepworths
My Repurposed Life
Tatertots and Jello
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Vintage Wanna Be

Beach boys (and girls) - Creating Summer

I like to "pare down" our decor for the summer. Not minimalist. Not completely barren (like my lawn in August). Not "Call the police!  The decor thieves have stolen ALL of our accessories! " Something a little more along the lines of  "Hey look, we can have all of our windows open for an entire week and I won't have to spend six hours dusting! Yay, me!" Something a little more casual, laid back, "beachy" (but without the sand, because I live 40 minutes from the nearest beach and people around here just wouldn't understand).

Bits of sea glass from my favorite beach.

Vintage pails filled with shells collected over the years.

You know, the type of decor that elicits a response from the male populous of my household.
The conversation goes something like this: Them: "Hey, is that a new table?" Me: No, I just removed the "often elaborate, seasonally appropriate vignettes in favor of something a little more understated for the summer."  Them: "Oh. Okay. Real nice Mom. Can you move, please? The Cubs are on."

Made by my youngest in grade school Art Class

Results of a rainy day project with my sons from long ago.

"Summer" will continue to be created at my house over the next week or so. I've got two mantels, the shelf above the cook top and a few other vignettes left to create but,  it's going to be a crazy week at work and I should probably make a few things for the Barn Sale that I'm a vendor at on June 15th and 16th.  I'll share as I can.

Happy Monday!

xo,

S