Who says wreaths are just for the winter holidays? Here are 15 wreaths sure to inspire your creativity as you look for ways to decorate your home for autumn. Acorn Wreath This acorn wreath is gorgeous and takes advantage of something so simple, you may even find them in your yard. For a full tutorial visit Acorn Wreath Tutorial. Felted Flower Wreath How gorgeous do these fall colors look against the blue door? Source: Little Things Bring Big Smiles Glitter Leaf Wreath Perhaps you need some sparkle this fall. This glitter leaf wreath will add some shine to your entryway. Find the tutorial at Homemade by Jill Corn Wreath Indian corn is appearing at craft stores and farmers markets. This gorgeous wreath should come together quickly. Source: Midwest Living Corn Husk … [Read more...]
How to Clean Throw Pillows
Photo Credit: M.Markus How do you clean throw pillows for the couch without turning them into a lumpy, misshapen mess? Throw pillows covered in silk or wool must be dry cleaned, as should* throw pillows filled with down. Hopefully, if you have down filled throw pillows, they have a zippered cover that can be washed separately. *It is possible to wash down pillows on the delicate or hand-washing cycle of your washing machine, but this is a choice you must make as a consumer, knowing that your pillows may be damaged. Keep in mind that front loading washing machines tend to yield better results than top loading. Check the tag of the pillow, you know the "to be removed only by the consumer under penalty of law tag?" This should give proper care advice, but as most of us find these tags … [Read more...]
Furniture Painting Tips from Angela Statzer
"The feeling of satisfaction from taking something ugly and making it usable has never left me. To find, create, and redo is my passion." Angela Statzer. This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the Becoming Conference on behalf of One2One Network. Angela Statzer of Button Bird Design presented Find, Create, Redo a session on repainting wooden furniture. Angela opened the session saying she wasn't a professional speaker. She can claim not to be a speaker, but she has the heart of a teacher that shone as she described her craft to the Becoming Conference attendees. Angela walked the session through the entire process. Finding a piece to refinish. According to Angela, yardsaling is by far the most cost effective method of sourcing wooden furniture for repainting. She … [Read more...]
Top Fantastic Recipes for Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are a budget lifesaver for busy families. However certain people, and I'm looking straight into the mirror on this one, don't care for dark meat. What do you do when you have white meat tastes and a dark meat budget? That's easy. You find recipes that dial the flavor up. Way up... 1. Caramelized Garlic and Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs 2. Easy Chili Honey Chicken Thigh Recipe The next one is written for chicken pieces, but it's a simple swap to use only chicken thighs. 3. Chicken Thighs Marinated in Balsamic and Roasted - Alternatively try this Peach and Basil Chicken Recipe for a fruit-wine flavor! 4. Fried Chicken Thighs Marinated in Homemade Italian Dressing (this has a bonus recipe for Italian Dressing) 5. Boneless Chicken Thighs with Shallots and Garlic 6. … [Read more...]
Basic Buttermilk Biscuits
I used to say who needs a biscuit cutter? Then a good friend sent me one she picked up for pennies in a thrift store and ok, fine I'm sold. You were all right all along. I always used a juice glass or the band from a mason jar in the past to cut biscuits, but there was fiddling involved: pulling the dough out of the glass or trying to pick up the band with doughy fingers. Now I don't think I'll ever go back to my foolish ways. These biscuits don't use a classic knead and as a bonus the folding creates layers that make the biscuits split in half for better butter and honey application. Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe Ingredients 1/2 cup vegetable shortening OR preferably 1/2 cup coconut oil 2 cups all-purpose flour + extra for dusting 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 … [Read more...]
White Chicken Chili, A Classic Recipe and a New Twist
White chicken chili is not an unusual recipe, but as with anything on the Internet, it can be a little intimidating trying to find a version that looks promising. After a while a cook develops a sense of who they can trust as a resource. One of my favorite recipe resources is Jo-Lynne, author of Musings of Housewife. I tried her white chicken chili recipe and because I am who I am, I made a few changes. Her recipe calls for soaked Northern beans, I didn't have any ready and substituted canned, hers called for two 4oz cans of chopped green chilies, I roasted two poblano peppers, since they were on sale. If you have never roasted your own peppers, it's a very simple process and Rachel of A Southern Fairytale has an excellent tutorial for roasting peppers. Additionally, I reduced the … [Read more...]
