Moroccan Tile Picture Frame

Happy Hump Day Everyone! Gosh, is it just me or has this week FLOWN by?

Here’s my picture frame post I’ve been talking about in my other “crafty” posts this past week.

I’ve wanted to paint a picture frame for quiet some time now for our kitchen counter. Back in March, I came across this adorable website: Haymarket Designs. They have so many cute things to choose from so I decided to try and make some of my own. I got the idea from their Moroccan Tile design.

What do you think? I think it turned out pretty good for my first time trying it. It wasn’t that hard either. I just bought the frame for about $1 at Michael's and had black and white paint at my house.

Here’s how I made it:

I painted the entire picture frame white and let it dry.
Made a stencil of the Moroccan Tie shape I wanted to use.
After making sure the picture frame was dry, I traced the stencil on the picture frame and then filled it in with black paint.

I put a couple of black coats on it and WALAAH!

You have an adorable picture frame for yourself…or for someone else. You could also give these as gifts and add a bow to it or someone’s monogram, etc. There’s SO many options you can do.

Hope yall are having a fantastic week.

RGL

My desktop wallpaper...

I hope you all are having a great week so far. I saw this picture the other day and thought it would make a perfect wallpaper for my desktop at work. This quote is so true...just enjoy life for what it is, live and cherish the moment you are given.

Garrett's Dad plants a garden every year. Right now he's waiting on his tomatoes to ripen He already has fresh squash and red cabbage, but still waiting on the tomatoes. I can't imagine the kind of satisfaction that arises from having your fresh batch of tomatoes ripen to a glorious red sheen and how little you think of all the work necessary to make that moment possible. It's a lot like this quote...you dig and enjoy digging, that is how you garden....work...and live. I hope you all have a wonderful week.

RGL

Summer Ribbon Wreath

As you know, I’m been on a little craft kick for a while now. This was craft project #2 of this past week/weekend. A Summer Ribbon Wreath for our front door. I had so much fun doing this. I made this along with my Felt Topiary and Painted Picture Frame (I’ll blog about that later this week).

By looking at this finished project, you will never believe how easy it is! Here’s how I made it.

Supplies:

Before you start any project it is easiest to gather together all of the supplies. For this project you will need:

Styrofoam Wreath – (Mine is 10-inches across)
Wreath Hanger
21 Yards of ribbon- (I used 3 yards of 7 different ribbons. You can use more or less ribbon depending on how full you want your wreath to be and what size styrofoam wreath you buy.)

Straight Pins – (I just bought a little box of 350 pins and still had a lot left over when I was finished.)
Ruler- (not pictured)
Scissors

Instructions:

Cut the ribbon into 3 ½-inch long pieces. I don’t remember how many pieces of ribbon I actually used….probably around 175-200. You can use more or less ribbon depending on how full you want the wreath to look.

Form a loopy circle with each piece of ribbon. For example, click here. Your ends should overlap. Poke a straight pin centered through the ribbon to hold the ends together. Continue doing this with all of your ribbon pieces.

Attach your ribbons to the wreath by pushing the pins into the Styrofoam. Push them in all the way. Make sure to place your loops close together so that no Styrofoam shows through. Continue until your wreath is full. And TAADAAAA!!!!

You’ve got your ribbon wreath for the summer! To hang the wreath, I simply just hung it on the door. If you like, you can attach another loop of ribbon to the back of the wreath and use it for hanging. Make sure you secure the ribbon and pin in place using a strong glue!

Have you ever made a ribbon wreath before? I'd love to hear how yours turned out.

RGL

Felt Topiary

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope yall had a great weekend. I’ve been in such a crafty mood lately. I have Painted a Picture Frame for the kitchen counter, a Summer Ribbon Wreath for our front door and this cute little felt topiary for our apartment.

I typically don’t like to “toot my own horn”….but I must say, this is simply adorable. It’s super cheap and easy to make too. I’m thinking about selling them on etsy.com. What do you think?

Here's how I made the felt topiary:

You will need:

(2) 3” styrofoam balls
wooden dowel
a pot or metal container of your choice
½ yard felt
approximately 80 straight pins
Spanish moss
good scissors
hot glue
black and white craft paint and brush (if you want to paint your wooden dowel and your pot…I just got the regular clay pot from Michael’s and painted it black)

1. Insert the wooden dowel into a Styrofoam ball and secure it with hot glue.

2. If you desire, paint the wooden dowel with white craft paint and let it dry.

3. Also, if need to paint your pot, go ahead and do that now too so it can be drying while you make the topiary.

4. Cut approximately 70-80 3”-diameter circles out of felt. (Hint: Trace and cut one 3” circle, then use that as a template to cut out the remaining circles. These do not need to be perfect. Also, if you cut multiple layers of felt together you will save time.)

5. Fold each felt circle in half, and then fold it in half again.

6. Put a pin through the bottom tip of the felt circle and pin it into the Styrofoam ball. Continue inserting the felt circles in this manner until the entire Styrofoam ball is covered.

7. Trim the second Styrofoam ball until it fits securely into your pot or metal container. Insert the other end of the wooden dowel into the foam and secure it with hot glue. Cover the Styrofoam with Spanish moss. Add WALLAH!!!

And you're done! Enjoy!

I decided to put mine on a bookshelf in the living room.

Have you ever made one of these? I still can’t get over how cheap and easy this was. I love finding home décor items that are simple to make and look fabulous.

RGL

4th of July Craft Ideas

TGIF everyone! I’ve been in a real crafty mood lately…I’ve made an adorable picture frame for our kitchen counter and in the middle of making a Summer Wreath for our front door (which I’ll blog about next week sometime when they are finished).

Anyway…in the middle of me “googling” to get ideas for some of my crafts, I’ve found some of the most adorable 4^th of July decorations I’ve ever seen…that are super cheap and easy to make. The 4^th is right around the corner, so if you want to show your patriotism, here are some good ideas.

Patriotic Polka Dots & Ribbon Topiary

Ribbon Wreaths

Patriotic Paper Lollies

Memorial Day Stars and Stripes Wreath

Rag Wreath

Ribbon Flag Wreath

Fabric Wreath

Ruffle Wreath

Yarn Wreath

After seeing these, I will def. be on the lookout for after 4^th of July sales so I can make some for next year.

Which one of these are your favorites? Have any of you made 4th of July decorations this year? What have they been?

RGL

Ice Cream Recipes

Churn up these ice-cold, creamy treats to cool you off on a hot summer’s day.

Ahhh, I love ice-cream…ESPECIALLY homemade ice cream!!! I saw this on the Southern Living website and just HAD to share!!!!

Here are their 14 of their BEST Ice Cream Recipes:

Peach-and-Toasted Pecan Ice Cream

This summertime treat is packed with two Southern favorites: refreshing peaches and nutty pecans. The sweet peaches add great texture, and the pecans pack in a crunchy bite.

No-Cook Strawberry Ice Cream

Velvety ice cream meets the sweet, juiciness of strawberries in this frozen summer treat. Serve it in ice cream sundae glasses for a parlor-perfect presentation.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

No fancy flavors can beat the ultimate creamy classic: vanilla ice cream. Eat it pure and simple, mix in chocolate or fruit, or add your favorite toppings.

Raspberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Creamy buttermilk pairs perfectly with juicy summer raspberries in this fruit-filled sherbet.

Banana-Coconut Ice Cream

The tropical flair of this ice cream will make you think you’re in the islands. Readers tell us the flavors are more intense and better tasting the next day—if it lasts that long. Use ripe bananas for the boldest flavor.

Refreshing Lime Sherbet

Zesty lime makes this a refreshing citrus treat. Garnish with fresh mint springs and thinly sliced lime wedges.

Mocha Latte Ice Cream

Mix coffee and semisweet chocolate into this dense ice cream. Add sliced almonds if you want to break up the richness of the mocha. Serve Pirouette Rolled Wafers as a cookie complement.

Pecan-Caramel Crunch Ice Cream

Praline lovers: This is your ice cream. Packed with crunchy bits of a homemade caramel crisp, this cream mixture has a caramel flavor and caramel topping.

Blueberry Sherbet

You don’t have to use an ice-cream maker for this flavorful dessert. It only calls for five simple ingredients, a standard freezer, and a blender.

Vanilla Ice Cream With Fruit Blend

Summer strawberries and raspberries are too succulent not to mix into your pure vanilla cream. Serve with fresh berries in a waffle bowl.

No-Cook Chocolate-Almond Ice Cream

Chocolate milk and chocolate syrup create the chocolaty taste you’ve loved since you were a kid. Almonds add a nutty crunch to this super-simple recipe.

Watermelon Sorbet

Making refreshing sorbet takes just fruit, water, and sugar. Use the simple syrup base to make the flavor combination of your choice— grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, orange, strawberry, cantaloupe, cherry, or raspberry.

Summertime Peach Ice Cream

Your family will ask for this creamy ice cream over and over again. Best of all, the 6-ingredient mixture requires no cooking, just stirring.

Blackberry Wine Sorbet

Sweet frozen blackberry wine is perfectly paired with summer berries at the end of a summer meal.

Doesn’t it make your mouth water just looking at these delicious recipes??? Which ones are you favorites????

RGL

Did you know?

The Bachelorette's Chris Lambton Engaged to Bachelor's Peyton Wright!!!

When I heard back in August, 2010 that they were dating, I was so excited. I became a huge fan of Chris on Ali Fedotowsky’s season of The Bachelorette, and I fell in love with Peyton on The Bachelor Pad because she was just so darn cute.

If you don’t watch these shows, then excuse this post because you’ll be as lost as last years Easter Egg. And if you DO watch these shows, then I hope you’re just as happy as I am about this news. Haha.

Peyton originally appeared on season 10 of The Bachelor where she vied for the love of Andy Baldwin, and Chris was sent home from The Bachelorette last year while trying to win over Ali Fedotowsky's heart…so they both tried to find Mr. and Ms. Right by appearing on TV, but didn't quite get what they had hoped.

Until they found each other (so cute!), and now they're engaged!

Chris said that he knew it the first day he met her. He told that she walked in and exclaimed that she was like ‘gorgeous’. Jesse Beck, the fellow contestant of the ‘Bachelorette’ introduced the couple. Lambton said that everything happens for a reason.

Chris made sure to go about things the right way. Before even hinting at any sort of proposal, he made sure to get her father's blessing. He popped the question to Peyton this past Saturday night as they cuddled by a fire pit he constructed in his backyard just for the Big Moment. After the romantic proposal, the entire family came over and joined the lovebirds for a celebration at his house. HOW SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!

From what I’ve read, it looks like Peyton will be moving from Dallas to Cape Cod. No wedding date has been set yet….I actually heard they are putting a two-week hold on “wedding talk” so they could both just enjoy it. However, Chris said they have thought about doing the deed on the Cape or in the Carolinas, a half-way point between the two.

Chris was right when he mentioned "everything happens for a reason!" Chris said that he loves her and he is so happy to be with her. He said that there were two things came from this show that has been good. One of them was meeting Peyton and the other was the strong friendship he has made. He concluded that he has no regrets about doing the show. (Another AWWWW MOMENT!)

I’m so happy for this couple. They seem to be truly great people.

Is anyone else as exciting as I am about these two love birds???

RGL

It’s Officially Summer!!!

What makes me feel like summer is here is not necessarily today’s day (the first official day of summer) it’s the little things that summer represents.

It’s being able to sit outside at 8pm with the sun barely setting. It’s that one song that’s playing everywhere which will symbolize the summer for years to come. It’s going out for dinner and a drink to a restaurant with an outdoor patio. Smelling the fresh cut grass, eating homemade ice cream, fresh watermelon, peaches, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. It’s going out on the boat at the lake, laying out by the pool, planning trips to the beach with family and friends.

And then there are the memories of summers past. Going to Folly Beach every year with my family. All of the “get togethers” we would have at my house growing up. I lived on a huge pond so we would have family and friends come over for fish fries and cookouts all the time. In the summer time, my house was the place to be. If we weren’t swimming, we would be playing homerun derby or horseshoes in our back yard….then at night we would sometimes sing a little karaoke, listen to some beach music and do a little shagging (the SC state dance), or just sit out on the dock and watch fireflies. Our house was always full of people and I absolutely loved it.

What represents summer to you? What is your cherished summer memory?

RGL

Weekend at Kentucky Lake

Happy Monday Guys and Gals. I hope you all had as fabulous of a weekend as I did. I went with Claudia to her family’s lake house on Kentucky Lake and we had an absolute blast. It rained pretty much the entire day on Saturday, so we had a cookout at her house and had some people over. Going to the lake with Claudia’s family is like going to one of their family reunions….seriously, everyone is related to each other someway or another. The rain started clearing up around 4ish so we started getting ready for the concert they were having that night at Breakers Marina.

The main performers were Charlie McCoy, John Austin and Wayne Moss.

Just to give you some background on the performers: John Austin (center) is one of Claudia’s family friends. He is extremely talented and an amazing artist. Wayne Moss (right) is an innovative guitarist and has played on sessions with Kris Kristofferson, Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Porter Wagoner and much more. Charlie McCoy (left)….well, I can’t just describe him in just one sentence….he needs his own paragraph.

Charlie McCoy is known as the best harmonica player in the world. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009 with Roy Clark and Barbara Mandrell….so he’s kind of a big deal. Apparently any musician in Nashville has heard of him. He’s been a mainstay in Music City since the 60’s and has played on dozens of hit records. I kid you not when I say this…I almost had tears in my eyes when he was playing “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. It was absolutely breathtaking. I never in my life thought I’d enjoy listening to someone play the harmonica so much. I’ve listed below some of the harmonica sessions he has been apart of:

Elvis Presley: 7 movie soundtracks. Single records; “Big Boss Man”, “High Heel Sneakers"
Bob Dylan; “Obviously Five Believers”
Simon and Garfunkle; “The Boxer”

Johnny Cash; “Orange Blossom Special”, “It Ain’t Me Babe”

Waylon Jennings; “Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line”, “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”

Roy Orbison; “Candy Man”, “Blue Bayou”

Barbara Mandrell; “I Was Country, When Country Wasn’t Cool”
George Jones; “He Stopped Loving Her Today”
Loretta Lynn; “When The Tingle Becomes A Chill”
Dolly Parton; “My Tennessee Mountain Home”, “Joshua”
Conway Twitty; “Play, Guitar Play”

Willie Nelson; “Songs Of Cindy Walker”
Vince Gill; “Christmas Won’t Be The Same This Year”
Ronnie Milsap; “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It For The World”
Tanya Tucker; “Delta Dawn”, “Blood Red And Going Down”, “What’s Your Mama’s Name”
Jerry Lee Lewis; “What Made Milwaukee Famous”
Blake Shelton; “The Baby”
Josh Turner; “Jacksonville”
Marie Osmond; “Paper Roses”
Chet Atkins; “Chet Atkins Picks On The Beatles”, “Superpickers”
Ray Stevens; “The Streak”
Willie Nelson, Ray Price and Merle Haggard; “Last Of A Breed”
Sammy Kershaw; “Tattoo”

AND we were able to take a picture with him!!!

This is the 1^st time I’ve ever met or had the opportunity to take a picture with a member in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Isn’t he precious?

The night was full of amazing music all around. We had so much fun. Here are some pictures throughout the night:

Me, David (Claudia's brother), John Austin and Claudia.

Claudia's family with their adopted "Carolina Girl"...ME!

Claudia's parents dancing..how sweet!

Sunday morning, we took the pontoon out on the lake and soaked up as much sun as we could. It was just the perfect way to end the weekend. Here are some pictures from the lake: