Foodies: Avocado & Tomato Salad

I don't post about food much, but maybe I should, it's delicious after all.  I cannot get this salad out of my head! I saw it on Pinterest, (click the pic for pinability) and my sister and I made it as one of the side dishes for the fathers day BBQ at her place.  I'd never had it before, so it was a risk, but the ingredients sounded delicious, how could it go wrong?

Source

Well it didn't, it went great! It was so simple, just a few fresh ingredients and you're done.  This is an easy make ahead dish, that stays fresh and cold in the fridge.  The lime keeps the avocado from turning that interesting brown. This was also my first time with Jicama, and we are in love.  It's Summer, we all need side dish ideas to bring to the many bbq's and parties, so pin this puppy and try it! It's amazing.  Head over to Kalyn's Kitchen for the full recipe.  Happy Weekend!


Psst... Update.. It's a year after this post as I write this, and I'm STILL making this and bringing it to parties. Total win.

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Sneak Peak: Color Wash

(Psst.....see the full tutorial here.)

I was lucky enough to have the day off yesterday, but lady luck decided to throw a wrench in my spokes. As I went out to the car to get the grocery shopping done bright & early, I noticed it was strange that my car didn't unlock when I hit the button.  Either I left it unlocked last night, or this is a very bad sign... sure enough, the door was open, and when I went to start the little guy, silence.  Dead battery!  Adding insult to injury was when I found out AAA's computer systems fouled up for the day, and there was no getting through.  Luckily the towing company was able to bill them, and they came right out (Thanks guys!). I didn't let this get to me, just rearranged my day a bit, which also meant the stores would be packed.  Plus I didn't' expect to go battery shopping yesterday, those things are pricy!  What's done is done, my baby has some new juice, and I was still home in time to keep working on the Armoire.

If you didn't know, I publish these tutorials called "School of Restoration" over at The Divine Minimalist once a month.  I have been meaning to tackle this armoire for a while:

DIY: Sculptural Paper Orb

One of the most versatile and affordable lighting options has been, and will always be, the rice ball lamp. I have seen so many different projects over the years, all with their own unique look.  Usually involving very affordable and available materials, these spheres always make such an impression when added to a room. The lamp itself can be found for under $10, many sizes, and is honestly a weekend project. It's been a while since I posted about the many wonders of the rice ball lamp, so here's some refresher links: The Paper Scrap light (a favorite!) & the Artichoke lamps from Zipper 8. So now, special thanks to another wonderful Design Sponge tutorial, we have another rice ball project to add to the ranks.  Behold the Sculptural Paper Orb:

 

And what are they made of?

Spotlight: ZNAK Tears Off Wallpaper

Hi everyone! Happy Tuesday, Monday was a real wash in my opinion - so I'm starting the week all over today.  Monday really should be just a lazy day, a warm up to the week ahead.  We can dream!  Anyway, down to business - today I want to show you this awesome wallpaper my sister showed me, it's called "tears off wallpaper" and she spotted over at apartment therapy.  Take a look, it will make sense in a moment:

How To: Log Slice Mirror

What is it about mirrors lately? They keep catching my attention, maybe it's a sign that I need to make one. Remember last week I showed you the Sunburst mirror and how easy it was? Well, I came across another great mirror tutorial the other day.  This one takes a bit more prep, but once you have everything set up it seems like a breeze.  I think I'll have to make time for two mirror projects now...

Gotta love that wood slice! This is still a favorite look of mine, if you remember my old post about doing an entire wall.  Maybe this would be a good in between, since a whole wall would be such a huge project!

Head over to "That's My Letter" for the full tutorial.  They've done a great job laying out every step - can't wait to try it.  What a great way to add some unique character to your wall, something no one else has. It would fit so many different room styles too, rustic, modern cabin, ranch... to name a few.

Have a great day, don't forget to connect with me on Facebook!

Before & After: Making Ikea Unique

I love Ikea. Everyone loves IKEA. I bet you even people who say they don't love Ikea now and then catch themselves liking something they didn't realize was from there.  Affordable and attractive? What a combo.  The only drawback with there being in Ikea in every town on the planet with a population over 50, is suddenly you start seeing your furniture everywhere.  I don't mind that too much, but I definitely get inspired when I see all the creative things people are doing with Ikea's mass produced wonderfulness.

I subscribe to Ikea Hackers, which is a fantastic blog, so every day an email with 4 or 5 "hacks" comes through, and it's awesome.  Normally it's taking the parts of furniture and making all new pieces with all new purposes, which is great.  But there's something to be said about a simple makeover, so when I saw this one come through, I had to appreciate it's simplicity.

I love them even like that! But that's not all, they took it to the next level with some nice paper:

A basic stool, and some fun colors & papers makes all the difference.  Just think how many different ikea pieces we all have could use a little creativity to make it all your own.  This just reminds me how I've been needing to make the trek and battle the crowds, for some fun (not to mention flat packed!) projects.  Head over to their blog to see more of these stools, it's not in English, but I don't think you really need it to be.  The pictures speak for themselves.  Enjoy!

New String Art Tablets

I've gotten a lot of string art orders lately, which leaves me with a lot of extra tablets of wood to play with.  I jotted down a few ideas, and started with my favorites.  I Just wanted to take a moment to introduce two new patterns: Sakura & Circular Geometric

There they are! Of course they can be customized to fit different rooms.  I think my favorite of the two is the yellow geometric, it gave me all kinds of ideas for other patterns I want to tackle.  The really rewarding part of making these is stringing them up. The nailing... WOW.. you just feel like it will never end!  But it's all worth it once I get to see the finished product.  I really think these would look great in a set, and in our next house (hopefully soon!) I plan on doing a really large installation of 9 square tablets.  I'm not sure what image to depict yet, but I'm thinking about one image that goes across them all - like a face, or a large scale pattern.  We'll see.  Well thanks for reading, have a great weekend! 

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How To: Sunburst Mirror

Get ready to be amazed! A little while ago I bookmarked a fantastic tutorial from the blog Decorating Cents.  The sunburst style has made a huge comeback over the past few years, and people are getting really clever about making their own.  This mirror really makes a big impact on a wall, and it's amazingly easy. You'll never believe what it's made of either:

Isn't that awesome? I love the wood!  Think of all the different colors you could do. I can't wait to try this.  Here's the big reveal of what it's made of, if you haven't guessed yet..I didn't have a clue!

Another Cut Canvas

I'm just wrapping up a custom order for my Aunt & Uncle, and thought I'd share the results.  It's a larger version of the tree silhouette, sitting at an impressive 18 x 24.  I'm really happy with the results.  Here it is in white, though I'm about to paint it black as they requested:

What do you think? Each tree is unique, since I hand draw & cut them. No computers!  It's a heavy weight canvas, wrapped with the staples on the back.  I can do this in whatever color you need, just keep in mind that each tree will come out different but very similar.  If you are interested in pre-ordering, here's the link to my etsy.  Thanks!

Spotlight: Articipe

I came across this Etsy shop the other morning and quickly fell in love. Art + Recipes = Articipes by Erin on Etsy.  Clever! I love the fonts, the colors, and the usefulness!  These would look great on wall and come in really handy.  The best part, Erin will do custom orders, you pick your favorite recipes & colors to match your home. Take a look:

 

These would make a great gift for anyone who loves to cook - or for yourself! Why not? I'm planning on it. The day we decide on the colors for the next kitchen, is the day the order will be placed.  Here's the link to Articipe's shop, go explore.  Enjoy!

Pinterest Picks: DIY Wall Art

It's Friday, finally! I thought another round of Pinterest picks would be fun today, so here we go. I love wall art, and I love to change it up.  I also love instant gratification, which means most of my wall art is home-made.  When I've finished re-doing a room, I want to see it finished ASAP - so if I haven't collected enough art for the walls, I break out the paints.  For today's Pinterest Picks, I've found a TON of really great ideas for fast, pretty and impressive wall art that anyone can do.  Let's get started:

First up - have I posted this before? Who cares, I still love it! This is simple shapes cut from pieces of paper or fabric, decoupaged onto a solid colored Canvas. Delightful! Don't forget, if you are ever bored or your canvas - grab some cute fabric, wrap it around, and staple to the back. You're original art will hide behind your fresh new design.

Source: itsdoable.squarespace.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Next up, more easy canvas art. This can be done with any background, and I always love silhouettes. Would you believe that is sharpie?! Check it:

Source: bluecricketdesign.net via Jesse on Pinterest

I think this next one is my favorite!  I love nature prints, and combine that with silhouettes and color? I'm sold.  Look how easy and fun this is, the pictures pretty much lay out the steps.

Source: pinme.ru via Jesse on Pinterest

Speaking of nature, how about sunprints? I love 'em!  I haven't done these in so long, it's on my to-do list. I would love to have a set of four framed sunprints from the local shrubs and trees. I love this blue:

Source: google.com via Jesse on Pinterest

On that sunprint note, this person printed out their photos onto transparency sheets and then did the print. Came out awesome:

Source: boomslice.com via Jesse on Pinterest

Amazing! Alright, last but not least, a wonderful gallery of DIY wall art the wonderful people at Design Sponge gathered up - of course! The link in the pin will take you to a full gallery of greatness.

Source: designsponge.com via Jesse on Pinterest

There you have it, some great ideas that will change up your walls this weekend. Get to pinning, you need to remember these! Have a wonderful weekend everyone, the weather is spectacular, and the bbq is a-waiting. . .

Spotlight: Painted Glass Tabletop

I have been SO into geometrics lately, I just can't get enough.  So when this DIY project came through on design sponge, I immediately wanted to share it! I can't wait to try this out, take a look:

What makes the project spectacular, in my opinion, is painting on the back of the glass. Painting triangles this close together has always seemed like a taping nightmare to me.  However, by painting on the back of the glass, the layers work in your favor and give you clean & crisp lines.  Plus, you end up with this almost enameled tabletop look, and no need for a coaster! Head over to Design*Sponge for the full tutorial, and if you try this out (think of all those old glass tables in need of some love!) send pictures and tips for the rest of us.  Enjoy!

String Art Tablets

Just a quick post today, I've been getting more & more requests for custom string art tablets - which is great! Since they are custom orders, people have been requesting many new design & color combos, one in particular really stood out for me.  They asked for light grey, weathered wood, and this was a first for me.  I tried the steel wool and vinegar trick from this post, and it worked like a dream. Then I did a grey color wash over the whole piece of wood. And here it is:

 They chose all the colors, and requested copper nails. I think the navy blue string looks really nice on the grey, I'll definitely be doing this combo again.  It's leaving today for it's new home, and I hope they like it!

 I also finished up this bright bird tablet for my mom, in her requested colors teal & purple:

 It's been fun, I'm glad people like them as much as I like making them! Have a great day everyone.

How To: Industrial Side Table

I don't know who the big stores have writing for them lately, but they are sure coming up with some good tutorials for us! Remember the vertical garden from Home Depot?  Well, The other day I was browsing around the internet for ideas on alternative table legs.  I love hairpin legs but they are not always so easy to get ahold of.  Then I saw it, this adorable, industrial, cube style side table.  Before I ramble on, let me show you what caught my eye: