DIY Cooking at Home

Wellll...my post on faux milk glass was pretty well-received, so I thought, "Why not? I'll try mercury glass!" You may have seen some pins about this and been skeptical...as was I. So, my friends, I thought I'd take one for the team and find out if it truly is that easy to create your own mercury glass, and guess what? It is! So here's the deal. The pin I saw said to spray your glass with water, then use Krylon Looking Glass spray paint on top of it so that the paint wouldn't adhere properly. So I gathered my supplies, which included a spray bottle filled with water, the specified paint (which is a bit pricier than normal spray paint...I paid $11.99 at Hobby Lobby), and my guinea pigs (i.e. 2 silver-ish candlesticks and 3 glass votives). Then I did exactly what the pin said. And I've gotta tell ya, I was really happy with the results (see above)! I liked the candlesticks, but the effect was more realistic on the clear glass votives. They had ...

We got a little crazy with the s'more-makin' while on vacation this year. I packed up a variety of chocolates for a little experimentation, and wow, did we hit on a coupla winners. Of course, we had the good ol' fashioned kind, and then we made these... Cinnamon Toast S'mores Cinnamon graham crackers Marshmallows (I burnt mine a little which just added to the toast-y flavor, I think) White chocolate chips Butterscotch chips ...and these... Peanut Butter Cup S'mores Graham crackers Marshmallows Mini Reeces' Peanut Butter Cups Although school has started for most of the country, it's not too late for a campfire and some end-of-summer fun with the kiddos. Make sure you get the camera out...pictures of the kids eating s'mores are always keepers.

We were so very fortunate to receive new siding thanks to a couple of hail storms in our area. We had never been fond of our house's color...it was Harvest Gold circa 1978 with maroon shutters. Ugh. Last year, my husband painstainkingly painted the shutters black which helped enormously, and then installed a black front door as well. But we still planned on replacing or painting the siding some day. Surprisingly, we didn't have to wait that long. Now, our house has enjoyed a major facelift because we replaced the old driveway as well. We chose a sage-gray color called Quiet Willow, and we love it. We knocked around going with classic white with black shutters, or taupe. But in the end, we decided gray was a little bit different and the darker shade was more eye-catching from the street. As for the landscaping, we've added some yellow Knock-Out Roses in the front bed, but next year we're really gonna add more color and a couple of trees as well. I'm thin...

So, this picture has been pinned and re-pinned a gazillion times, but I still love it. I finally decided to look up the original source and found they were made by A Place For Us . I'm gonna try 'em out for a fall mantel...I'll let you know how they turn out! They only require paper lunch bags, glue and scissors...all things I have on hand. Yay! I've been thinking about hosting some linky parties, so here's my first excuse: What fall projects have you completed, or do you have planned? Link up and share your great ideas! I'd love it if you linked back to me, but since this is my first link party, I won't be too greedy...I'll just be happy if anyone attends! ;)

I had seen this idea in Family Circle , but thanks to Posed Perfection , I now have the confidence to try it. I'm thinking it might be great to use pictures of ferns or leaves and make a whole bunch of them to hang in a grid. You'll be the first to know how it turns out! But in the meantime, how would you use this technique? All it requires is a picture, a frame with glass, some colored paper and a paint pen. You could trace pictures of objects, like keys, cameras, or bikes...any kind of botanical of course...designs like paisley prints or fleur de lis...birds (like owls)...for a kids' room, you could trace pictures from a coloring book of animals, or cars and trucks. Hmmm...there are lots of possibilities. I love craft ideas that are so adaptable, don't you?

...We've been waiting for youuuu...Where the kisses are...Ok, I'll stop. It's late, and I just finished paying bills (oh joy), and now I'm scheduling one last post for the week we're on vacation. I must love blogging a lot, huh? Anyhoo, I'm introducing a HMM new series to you with this post. I couldn't resist naming it after one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. And it's gonna feature (what else?) what's hanging on our front door. I love decorating this spot because for some reason, I have 101 ideas for things to make for it, and they're all inexpensive and easy. I just took down this wreath, which I found at HomeGoods for $13. It's made of paper butterflies. Love! And now, I've got this up. Can I just say, I love a black door? It makes colors stand out really well. Anyway, I WISH I could take credit for this door hanging because it's brilliant, but I can't. I bought it at the Springfield (OH) Antique and Flea Market ...

Stop the presses, I've discovered another recipe our whole family loves! And this is the really amazing thing: it's vegetarian! I'm not kidding when I tell you that I could eat these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and not get sick of them... they're that good. I could continue extolling their virtues, but I think I'll just give you the recipe and let you decide for yourselves. Tasty Two-Cheese Tostadas Corn tortillas 1 can of refried beans (vegetarian or regular) 1 small to medium-sized zucchini, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 medium-sized onion, chopped 12 oz. small Portabella mushrooms, halved Sliced or shredded pepper jack cheese Shredded cheddar Taco sauce Cilantro Sour cream Preheat the oven to 400° Toss the zucchini, red pepper, onion, and mushrooms in 1 to 2 T. olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Roast the vegetables for about 15 minutes or until soft, stirring once. Meanwhile, spread as many corn tortillas as you want wi...

I'm obsessed with painting trays! So far, I've knocked off Z Gallerie's Eye Chart Tray and a long time ago, I made a psuedo French memo board . Trays are so cheap to snatch up at garage sales, and the possibilities are endless. So...here's my latest: I had been wanting to try Martha's line of all-purpose paint and one of her stencil kits, so after I posted about some lace-inspired projects last Monday, I determined how to paint the last tray I had in my basement. (Now I need some more!) Since we're on vacation, I'm totally gonna cheap-out and not give you a tutorial for this one. You're all smart people! I just sprayed the tray with gloss paint, waited for it to dry of course, then followed the directions in Martha's Fair Isle Dots stencil set , using her mother-of-pearl paint. And here are the results: Now, where to put it? Do you ever make something for the sake of making it, and then not have any idea where to use it? I think I nee...

We are on vacation at Lake Michigan this week, so I thought it only fitting that this week's craft be vacay-related. I posted about alternatives to scrapbooking and time capsules quite awhile ago, but stumbled upon this version of a vacation memory jar by Echoes of Laughter and thought the idea beared repeating. Creating one of these would give you and your family such a tangible memory of your time together, not to mention a grouping of them would look fab on display somewhere. We have our vacation pictures tucked away in albums or even (I should be ashamed) still on our camera; but, this idea would put happy reminders of our time away together right up front and center. This would be something our kids could enjoy helping with, too. Love it!

I was so inspired by last week's Craft of the Week ( Live Gorgeously and her dollar store vases), I just had to go buy some myself. So I took the girls to our local thrift store and paid about $2 total for FIVE of my own vases. Except...although I LOVED Ashleigh's colors and the way they still looked crystal-like because she painted the inside...I decided to play it safe with white and paint the outside so they'd (fingers crossed) look like milk glass. And guess what? They actually do! Here's the before and after for ya: Cool, right? I figure I won't ever get sick of 'em because they are, after all, just white, and I'll be able to use them in any room, alone or in a group. I can see them with greenery for Christmas, bittersweet berries for fall, or sunflowers in the summer. Or maybe if I ever get me some much-coveted built-ins, I'll paint the insides a cool color and let the white "ceramics" pop out like those in the pics below. Gosh,...

School starts for us in 2 weeks, which makes us feel like summer is really waning, even though the calendar says we have until September. As a result, we're trying to eke out as many alfresco meals as we can, which means we're using the heck out of our grill. The other night, after a trip to our favorite orchard where we bought a 1/4 peck of peaches, I asked my husband to throw a few of them on the grill for dessert. This was a first for us; we've grilled our share of veggies, but never fruit. It didn't really change the flavor of the peaches, but it did make them nice and soft and the grill marks added a little hint of smoke. I had seen a suggestion to add a sprig of mint along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but since I'm not the type of cook who regularly has mint lying around, I crumbled up some gingersnap cookies to go on top of the whole concoction. Oh, and grilling the peaches was really easy. We just halved them, pitted them, brushed them with a t...

Hello, lovely bloggy friends and readers! I don't know about where you are, but northern Ohio has a decidedly late-summer feel right now. The heat has been turned down a notch, and every once in awhile you get a breeze that reminds you of a blue-sky fall day. The cicadas are singing, and the sweet corn is in. I love summer's last gasp. Anyway, I've got a really simple idea for you today. You know those plain paper mache boxes you can get at craft stores? Well, ever since we've subbed out drawers in favor of a console-like shelf in our entryway, we've needed a place to stash our camera, iPod, phone chargers, and the like. I bought one of these boxes and spruced it up by spray painting the bottom a glossy brown. Then I just covered the top with Mod Podge, some fabric, and more Mod Podge. Easy-peasy, and just the thing to stuff our electronic gadgets in. I don't think you need a tutorial for this, do you? But if you have any questions, don't hesita...

I've been seeing a lot of uses for lace lately, and the projects are surprisingly modern, not dowdy or old-fashioned. While doilies are not normally my thing, this pillow by Family Circle is cute, don't you think? As are these lace-decoupaged vases, which I LOVE, from Urban Comfort . Or how about using lace as a stencil to make over a table top...like this one from A Beautiful Mess . ...or a chair? (Ethan Allen via Country Living) ...or even your floor? ( My Marrakesh )

Don't you just love the Maxx? Our local store was recently remodeled and it's so fabulous! More housewares, more furniture, and just an overall order and intention to the displays which used to look more like a thrift store than a retail store. (Not that that stopped me.) Last week, the girls indulged me and let me drag them shopping so I could spend my birthday money that was burning a hole in my pocket. (I may have had to bribe them with lunch at Chick-Fil-A but that's not bad parenting. Right?) Would you believe I got 3 shirts, 2 vases, a pillow, and a BENCH for 180 bucks? The bench was over $100, so I got all that other stuff for like, $65. Crazy cheap. Anyway...here were my favorite things from our excursion. First off, these vases wrapped in willow branches. The glass inside them is so thick and heavy. I loved them for their beach-y feel. Bought the square one you see up front there for $6.99. These were similar to the vases above, but they're cand...

Have you guys ever heard of Annie's Eats ? Well, if you haven't, and you like to eat AT ALL, you should look at her blog. The photography is gorgeous and her style is so personable. Anyway, I was inspired by her recipe for Strawberry Nutella Oatmeal , but just knew I wouldn't be patient enough to toast the oats in butter, and cook the oatmeal over the stove. I used to do that, but life with kids has made the microwave my best friend in the kitchen. So here's what I did, and lemme tell ya...my morning has never been sweeter. Oh, and by the way, if you like this recipe, check out my other ideas for oatmeal mix-ins . Quick Strawberry Nutella Oatmeal 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats 1/2 c. to 3/4 c. milk pinch salt 1 T. nutella sliced strawberries Pour the oats and milk into a bowl. My apologies, but I never measure the milk because I don't want an extra measuring cup to wash. I just pour it into the oats until they swim a little bit. Add a pinch of salt. Microw...