Simple Rope Wedding Decor

Recently a friend at work asked if I would make pew decorations for her wedding. Of course, I'm happy to!

 She didn't have anything specific in mind but her theme was nautical and featured navy blue, cream, and gold. We brainstormed a bit and decided some cleverly tied rope could be a perfect church decoration that would be easily shipped in advance to her wedding location in NY. She also decided to include one simple flower. We used a faux calla lily for the mock up.

They're relatively inexpensive in the world of wedding decorations. The rope, the primary element, was $.35 a foot at Ace and the ribbon wasn't bad either. They are also highly adjustable. The texture of the rope means they didn't need any glue to get them to stay in place. They can be untied or loosened to add extra embellishments as desired or adjusted slightly for size and fit the day of the event if needed.  

You Will Need: 

2 pieces of hemp rope, 44" and 28"

1 piece of ribbon,  28"

flower or other embellishment

*I used the diagonal pliers pictured to easily cut the rope and flower stem to size. The scissors were for the ribbon.

*You can use any rope but hemp rope is great not only for the look but also because you don't need to treat the ends to keep it from unraveling. 

*These were made to fit a pew approx 1 ft wide. 

To make these, start with the shorter piece of rope and the ribbon. Fold them in half together.

Loop it so the ends over lap, the cut side and loop side being the ends at this point. 

Pull the loop side through the center and tighten just enough so that it stays together. 

Pull both cut ends of the longer piece of rope through the knot, adjusting where the pieces fall to your preference.

Add your flower or other embellishment.

Adjust for looks and finish tightening the knotted ends. 

That's it! After a few, you'll get a system down. You'll be able to make at least 3 or 4 in an hour. 

Simple, elegant, and inexpensive. How often does that all happen at once?

Speaking of weddings, so happy for Emma from A Beautiful Mess and her new husband Trey! Are you preparing for any upcoming weddings? Can you think of something besides a flower to use as the embellishment? I'd love to know!

Sheila :)

Lazy Breakfast Mocha

Breakfast is the best meal, ever.

Whenever I'm back home, my Dad always makes a big breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, and my particular favorite, breakfast potatoes. I have it on good authority that Dad makes this feast for Mom every Sunday morning before church. It's pretty adorable. Whenever I've had a particularly long week, or feel that twinge of homesickness, I make a big weekend breakfast.

But during the week I don't have time for such a breakfasty, nostalgic smorgasbord. I'm usually running out the door grabbing whatever is easy and filling. And this delicious breakfast mocha is both easy AND filling. Having it with a "Dad breakfast" is the perfect way to bring together an old tradition and a new one.

You will need:

1/4 cup milk, way less than pictured here... I got overzealous.

1/3 cup, or 1 packet, Chocolate Carnation Breakfast Essentials

Enough coffee to fill the rest of the cup, I used cold but it's just as good hot

Mix it all together.

Enjoy it knowing that using Breakfast Essentials instead of cocoa mix means it contains protein, and essential vitamins and minerals instead of just empty calories. But it's every bit as delicious. I'm ravenous in the morning and could eat a dinner portion for breakfast if I had time. Instead, a normal weekday breakfast might be one of these with an english muffin and a hard-boiled egg. Perfect.

Isn't it funny how the smallest traditions can remind us of home and loved ones.

Do you have any meals that always take your heart home? I'd love to know.

Sheila :)

PS. I had already eaten half of the breakfast before I thought to take a picture.

Cereal Box File Folders

Being a grown up is hard. There are bills to be paid, responsibilities to remember, and important documents to keep track of. When you move across the country a few times it becomes even more challenging. I had to take organizing matters into my own hands. 

File folders are expensive y'all. Especially when you don't need a million at a time. And the cute ones are even more expensive. However, reusing boxes you already have is free, eco-friendly, and in my opinion, adorable. 

You can use just about any thin cardboard box. Cereal boxes are usually about the perfect size so they don't require much trimming, but you could also use smaller boxes combined or frozen pizza boxes.

You will need:

•  
• a cereal box or other thin box
• an old file to use as a template (I'm pretty sure judging by previous content, condition, and hand writing on the label, I've probably had this one since 4th grade.)
• scissors
• writing utensil
• masking tape, optional
• label maker, optional

Start by cutting down the long seam of your box and laying it flat. Lay your template file over top and find the best fit. Don't worry if you need to include the tabbed edge to get the right size. We can fix that later. It's also a good idea to find a seam already made in the box to serve as the folder seam. It's a lot easier and looks cleaner than folding a new one.

Don't forget to save your Labels for Education or Boxtops! You're welcome, Mom.

If you care, now is a good time to check which image will be on the front of the folder. I usually like to go with the box cover. 

Once you're happy with the positioning, outline it. 

Cut it out. Said while making the Joey Gladstone gestures. 

Remember when I said we'd take care of the tab part later? The time has come. It's not necessary, but it adds a fun detail and a little stability. Use packing tape to cover the tabbed edge. Mine just happened to be decorative because that's how I roll. Half the tape should hang over the edge so it can be folded over and reinforced.

Now all you have to do is label it. It's easy enough to grab a pen or Sharpie but my favorite is a simple label maker. It looks nice, and it also easier to change if the content of the folder changes.

Voila! Grown up organizing materials. Kinda.

This may also encourage you to vary your cereal choices, which may or may not be a good thing.

What's your favorite organizing trick? I'd love to know.

Sheila  :) 

Zesty Chickpea and Tuna Wrap

Today was a perfect South Carolina day. Warm, but not too hot. Breezy, but not too windy. And just sunny enough to be bright, but not blaring. It was the kind of day that makes you wish there was a pause button for the weather. The kind of day that calls for an easy, but delicious and healthy meal so you can get back out there and enjoy it. Also, mood music.

This little dish was super easy to put together and required no cooking because I roast chickpeas in batches to keep on hand whenever a nutritional, texture, or flavor boost is needed. Or even just a snack.  

Let's start with how to make the best roasted zesty chickpeas. The original recipe is from Steamy Kitchen.

You will need:

• chickpeas (garbanzo beans), canned or dried
• 1 olive oil
• creole seasoning like Tony Chachere's

If using dried beans, which are WAY cheaper in the long run, use about 2 cups of water for each 1/2 cup of chickpeas. Bring water and chickpeas to a raging boil for about 5-6 minutes. Then cover, remove from heat, and let soak for an hour.

Once they've soaked, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Canned beans should also be rinsed and dried before roasting. The original recipe says to remove the skins while drying but I haven't found that to be necessary.

Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle or spray chickpeas with a tiny bit of olive oil, rubbing over the beans with your hands to make sure the oil is evenly distributed. Sprinkle creole seasoning over chickpeas as desired, but a little goes a long way. 

Pop them in to the oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. They should be slightly browned with a little crunch when ready. 

Now on to the wraps!

To make 2 wraps you will need

• handful of roasted zesty chickpeas (don't be jealous of that fancy "Tupperware")
• 1 can of tuna
• heaping handful of fresh spinach 
• 2 wraps of choice (Habanero and Lime added a serious kick)
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumbers
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

Pile half of each ingredient in order of spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, tuna, then chickpeas slightly off to the side of one wrap. Roll it up tightly and enjoy your zesty and healthy wrap. It also keeps well for lunchs when wrapped in foil. 

And I bet it would be good with a light tzatziki sauce...

Hope your weather was as perfect as ours!

Sheila :)

Homemade Fruit Bouquet

It's time to get down to serious Mother's day business. This year my Mom actually made a request, which is unusual for her: a mixed CD and a scarf. Isn't it funny how something so simple can be so appreciated? I love making playlists for family members with songs connected to special memories or meaningful words. This has always been the song Mom and I share. How could one refuse this simple request? But also, how could one not add a little something extra? ;) 

I love giving things that are useful, and don't have to be stored long term. I also try to avoid loading people with sugar as a gift: Thanks for being awesome Mom. Please accept this gift of high blood pressure and an unhealthy dose of bad cholesterol. Love you! Yeah, not so much. But there is an alternative! A fruit bouquet is the perfect blend of all things healthy, useful, and beautiful. It can be expensive to buy one pre-made, but not expensive at all to make yourself. Plus, it's great semi-last minute idea. Not that anyone ever does that...

PS. I made a (questionable) photo back drop! ^^ Look at that effort.

The secret is:

A metal cookie cutter. This one was 99 cents at Joann's. 

Besides the fruit and the cookie cutter, you'll also need:

• bamboo skewers (I liked the natural look, but soak them in water with a little green food coloring if you want them to look more like stems)
• medium sized jar (A cleaned Starbucks frappuccino bottle worked perfectly) 
• a little ribbon or rafia (to make it fancy)
• melon baller (or small paring knife and mad sculpting skills)

The fresh fruit recommended for this simple arrangement:

• whole pineapple
• strawberries 
• green grapes
• cantaloupe

The first and hardest step is preparing the pineapple.



Cut off the top of your pineapple but don't throw it away just yet. Flip the rest of the pineapple upside-down on the flat, cut side. Carefully remove the rind in segments saving the bottom section to cut off last. You don't need to worry about removing the center. Slice your pineapple into sections anywhere from 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Use your secret weapon (cookie cutter) to push into the slices and create the flower shapes. Push a bamboo skewer through the tough center at a slight angle until it pokes through about 1/2".  You can add a little variety by cutting the skewers to different lengths and arranging the other fruit around them. Add the fruit to the jar as it's prepared so you can tell how much more you're going to need. Four pineapple flowers was perfect for a jar this size.

Next, put grapes and strawberries on skewers. Couldn't be easier. This jar held  4 grape skewers and 3 strawberry skewers.

Cut the cantaloupe using the larger side of a melon baller to create the center of the flowers. It works best if one side is flat. Use the tiny bit of skewer poking through the top center of the pineapple flowers to keep the cantaloupe in place.

Now it's time to get fancy.

Arrange your flowers how you like them. I'm not particularly good at this, so I'm sure your's will look a lot cuter. After you're satisfied with the arrangement, carefully pull out the longest leaves from the top of the pineapple. Slide one leaf at a time inside the jar, staying outside of the skewers until they are all the way around the inside, which took about 6 or 7 leaves. Add a ribbon or rafia bow and you're finished!

A different challenge in making your own fruit arrangement verses buying it is wrapping it up. If possible, just put it in the fridge how it is to keep until you present it. If you need to cover it up for any reason, it's easy enough to use a plastic grocery bag carefully tied around the top and remove it before gifting. Or go all out and get a cellophane bag with some extra rafia.

Do you have a special song with your Mom? What other fruit would you want to incorporate? I'd love to know.

Sheila :)

Suitcase Coffee Table

Sometimes the best things in life truly are free, or at least close to it. This coffee table adds so much charm and whimsy but it cost a grand total of $4. Yup. And that was technically a donation. To make this adorable and cheap table, you need very few things:

1. A hard shell suitcase (thrift stores, garage sales, and estate sales are the best) 

2. Table leg top plates - 4 (like these)

3. Table legs - 4 of your choice (these are super cheap and could easily be dressed up or left plain)

4. Screwdriver

5. Very short screws - I needed 16 but it depends on your top plates. The length also depends on your suitcase. Don't rely on any that come with the top plates because they are made for much thicker bases. If you're a really cool kid, just take your suitcase to the store with you and hold screws up to the edge to test it. I'm sure the people at the hardware store have seen crazier things. I speak from experience when I warn that getting screws that are even just a little too long means they will poke through the top which can scratch you, ruin the suitcase, or at the very least make it super wobbly. It's a small, but important detail.

Make sure the suitcase opens to be a flat surface before you try to use it as a table. Once you have all the materials, the first thing you need to do is the use the screwdriver to attach the top plates in the corner of the suitcase. If yours has a rounded edge like mine, the plate should go just before it starts to curve and instead of flush against the outside edge. Its' a good idea to keep your other hand, or at least a finger, or the outside of the suitcase so you can feel if the screw starts to poke through. No bueno.

After your top plate is secure, screw in the table legs. Flip the table over and you're done! It should take you a grand total of 20 minutes to make.

My suitcase was from an estate sale on the side of the interstate (the $4 donation) and the table legs/hardware were generously provided by friends who collect antiques  some of which are not always in the best of shapes and can be used for parts. The moral of the story is: always ask around. Who knows what you might find!

The best thing about this table is that when I moved, it was easy to unscrew that table legs but leave the top plates on, then shove curtains, pictures, and anything else that belonged in the living room inside. It was like creating a living room decorating kit, contained in a pop up coffee table. Cheap and functional. Who could ask for anything more?

In the Montana Apartment:

In the South Carolina apartment: 

If you decide to make one, let me know how it turns out! It could also be a fun idea for a nightstand or anywhere else you need some extra, but removable, surface space.

PS. My favorite part is that the address label of the last (maybe original?) owner is still taped on it. It adds so much character. I've been tempted to write a letter to that address before but that seems borderline creepy...

PSS. I'm struggling with blog worthy photos! Any advice is greatly appreciated!