WELCOME TO OUR FLORIDA HOUSE GUEST ROOM!

A sunny GOOD MORNING from Southwest Florida!

Yesterday, the day was beautiful. I spent it by finishing my errands, cleaning the house and doing laundry....then packed for the trip home. Our oldest daughter and I had a great time together, but I am ready to get back to NJ to see my hubby.He arrives home from Europe within an hour of my flight from Florida...good planning on his part!

In the past, I shared a few photos of the Florida house with you, but not the bedrooms. I thought as long as I was here I would snap a few pics of the guest bedroom to share.

Come take a peek.......WELCOME TO OUR FLORIDA HOUSE GUEST ROOM!

The wall color varies, it may look deep peach or pinky peach. It is one of those colors that changes with the light. A little out of the norm for my typical wall choices, but bright and cheery were my thoughts.  This is the one room that I used a real Florida wall color! Think of a Flamingo with a peach twist! And how about those lime pillows? Wait.......I think I hear Pharrell's "HAPPY" lyrics playing in the background!!

The twin bed coverlets are from LL Bean a few years ago.

I knew I wanted wicker chests and nightstands in the bedrooms. I love wicker in warmer climates, it adds a nice relaxing feel to the room. I  also fell in love with the shell-like cupped drawer handles on both pieces. We found these at Pier One Imports.

I love decorating with shells and things from the ocean.....like starfish! The plate resembled the ocean as you look through the beautiful blue water in to the pebbly sand beneath.

On one of our visits to Florida, my husband and I went to the Art Fair in Naples. We bought this great luggage rack. It was just what we needed to add to this room for our guests. It's bright orange color and fun print straps are a nice whimsy addition to the other furnishings.  Its' a subtle hint to our guests that they have arrived and it's relaxation and good times ahead. Now open that suitcase, grab your bathing suit and let's hit the beach!

Well that's our guest room.  Bright yet cozy,fun, and inviting for all of our family and friends! Hope you enjoyed taking a peek.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! See you on Monday!

Kathleen

****Thanks so much for stopping to visit The Lavender Bouquet! See you on Monday!

DIY---CRACKER BARREL RAIN BOOT PLANTER

I hope your week is going well so far. In Florida the predictable showers of May and June have visited us, but my daughter and I are not letting it dampen our spirits.

Before I left NJ I completed my "Pink Boots Planter" project and shared the final photo with you in the Blue Bench Vignette collage. I thought I would share how easy that DIY project really was.

Of course as I mentioned this particular planter I purchased in Cracker Barrel. They actually are made from a plastic molded material and can be easily painted the color of your choice. I used Valspar Pink Bubble Gum paint.

By adding a couple of colorful vining plants and a Dollar Tree sign, the boots were complete.
So easy!

Adding this bit of whimsy to my garden was just the touch I needed. How about you? What do you add for a bit of whimsy? Share with us.....let us know your ideas. By sharing we learn so much from others!

Happy painting!

Kathleen

CHANGING UP THE COFFEE TABLE FOR SPRING!

Spring and "springtime" to me are like the most exciting time of the year. I love as the trees unfold with their beautiful leaves, bulbs pop out of the ground, the birds are chirping and the smell of fresh mown grass permeates the air.

When the outside plantings are done it's time to move inside the house adding a bit of Spring here and there. With the dining room finished, the mantle and the entertainment center completed, I thought a fresh new coffee table vignette would be in order. 

I am slowly gravitating towards adding blue in phases into our family room. Making the change on the coffee table helps pull the entertainment center into the "blue" fold too.

I found this great blue leather tray at Homegoods. By adding my Orrefors crystal bowl (a gift from my sister and brother-in-law) filled with green apples for a nice contrast, a Galway crystal rose bowl filled with fresh flowers, a coordinating navy spined book and an Eiffel tower coaster the vignette was complete.  By using things that I had on hand, it was a very inexpensive change and really introduces another touch of blue into the room.

It's so easy to make impactful, subtle changes in your home. Sometimes it's as easy as opening drawers and exploring closets to find these great treasures.

Wishing you a wonderful day of exploring!

Kathleen

***Many thanks for sharing your day with us at The Lavender Bouquet. Stop back on Foodie Friday!!

SUCCULENTS IN THE DINING ROOM FOR SPRING!

I can't believe it's Monday! I'm not sure where the weekend went. I flew to Florida yesterday and am spending the week here. Our oldest daughter will be with me for a few days, so we will be busy!

I have been noticing a really big trend lately toward succulent plants. They are everywhere! I asked my husband if he liked them and he said, "yes." I thought maybe we should get on the bandwagon and decorate a bit with them. Of course, they also are great outside.

It was time for the Dining Room table to be brought into the Spring fold, so I thought this would be the perfect place to introduce them. The nice thing about these plants is that they take very little care. I noticed on Pinterest they are used everywhere, from wreaths and centerpieces, to hanging plants, and I even saw some in a birdcage!

Well, I have a birdcage.......and now I have succulents! It was a fun little vignette to put together. Of course, you all know me, I have to add just a touch of color to bring it all together.

SUCCULENTS IN THE DINING ROOM FOR SPRING

The runner on my table is from our trip to Portugal. I love using it, as it adds a bit of elegance to the table. It's all hand stitched and every time I look at it I am amazed at the detail.  Of course the Waterford crystal candlesticks and Galway crystal vases are all from hubby's travels abroad. 

Hope you enjoyed the pics today......now go grab some succulents and have some fun like I did.

Have a wonderful Monday! See you Wednesday from sunny Florida!

Kathleen

HEALTHY TWIST ON AN OLD SALAD & YUMMY SWEET KIWI BITES

Welcome to Healthy Foodie Friday!

I was thinking about what recipes to share today because I really wanted to keep with my theme of "healthy" summer salads. I think we should enjoy the fresh summer produce while it is in season. 

Today at my house we are having a quiet celebration. My husband is a guy that doesn't require a lot of attention.....fanfare is not his thing. But he has always told our daughters that we need to celebrate the "wins!" So today I made a special dinner for him.....celebrating his win. And what a wonderful "win" it is!

When I started planning dinner I started with a nice steak. We rarely have red meat so this would be the ultimate treat for him. Then I searched for a new salad recipe. I found a Cauliflower "Potato" Salad recipe that sounded kind of strange, but as I read the ingredients listed, they actually were quite an interesting combination. A cauliflower salad that looked like a potato salad? Hmmm........he loves cauliflower, but would he like it in a salad, with dill pickles?

He sure did like it! As you can see it looks like a potato salad. It was great with our steak. Although, he thought it was mayo on the salad when he tasted it, the actual ingredient is a much healthier sour cream base. Surprise!

There are 165.7 calories per serving, making this salad a great healthy choice and a wonderful side for those summer meals.

The original recipe may be found at:http://healthyrecipesblogs.com/2013/10/22/cauliflower-potato-salad/

 So---everyone needs a little something sweet when they celebrate. He's not a big cake guy (unless it's carrot cake), so I decided to try these KIWI BITES. It has always intrigued me to use chocolate and fruit together....how delicious!

Ingredients needed:

• Bar of 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate 
• Popsicle stick
• Kiwi slices

1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Timing it based on how much chocolate you require for your slices.

2. Slice the kiwi in a rather thick slices. (see above)

3. Thread the kiwi on to the popsicle stick.

4. Dip in melted chocolate.

**I propped my sticks so that they leaned against the side of a small jar. You can use anything, they just need to be stored upright and placed in the frig to chill once dipped.

KIDS would LOVE these too! 

Hope you enjoyed this segment on Summer Salads and Sweet Treats keeping an eye towards the healthier side of eating.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kathleen

****Do you have a favorite summer salad you would like to share with us? 
Thanks so much for stopping by The Lavender Bouquet. See you on Monday!

CREATING A NATURESCAPE MANTEL & DIY VASE

Since I started blogging nearly a year ago, I have noticed an interesting change in how homeowners discuss how much they are spending on decorating. It used to be we didn't discuss prices, but that has certainly changed. Today, with so many DIYers, vintage thrift shoppers, and stores like IKEA, we all feel proud what we have done on so little! I like this new trend.....its fun, rewarding and let's face it, we all love to save money!

On the heels of saving money.......I have been laboring with how to decorate my fireplace mantel for Spring, quite honestly, by not spending a lot of money. I am all about recycling and reusing items by changing up their location.

I tossed around the ideas of colorful twigs, big urns to anchor and loads of other things. Of course I went to Pinterest and perused their pages of ideas, but nothing hit me. Then I was in JoAnn Fabric the other day and I found a small print that was very simple. It had ferns, a butterfly and some lettering painted on it. That was all I needed. I bought the print and built the mantel starting with my new little fern print. It reminded me of the woods when I was a kid where the ferns grew wild......hence my mantel theme was born.

I decided to make vases to incorporate into the theme using jars. Since I have already mod-podged and sprayed jars, I needed to try something else. I headed to Dollar Tree and found this cool lime green and white stripe clothesline and decided to wrap each jar with it. The color was great and would blend in nicely with the existing greens I was using.

Materials needed:

•  Thin clothesline or twine (Dollar Tree) (My 3 jars took one spool of clothesline.)
•  Elmers or Fabric glue
•  Glue gun
•  Old jars of various sizes

Instructions:

• Unwind clothesline
• Dab one spot on the very top of the jar edge with hot glue
• Start applying the clothesline by pushing the end of the clothesline into the hot glue (Make sure it is secure before moving on.)
• Apply Elmers or Fabric glue around each line pushing together the clothesline tightly so that there is no gap between rows. It is necessary to make sure you have enough glue on each line to keep things secure. The glue dries clear, so no worries about getting spots.
• At the bottom of the jar as you near the end, dot it with the hot glue just as you did in the beginning.

It's that easy.......aren't they the cutest? 

  NATURESCAPE MANTEL

To complete the mantel I needed something a little larger on both ends to anchor the vignette. I brought out 2 of my Ethan Allen pieces from years ago, filled them with moss from the Dollar Tree and ivory flameless candles that I had in my entertainment stash. I love the way they flicker in the evening light. 

I also needed some flowing fern like vine that I found in JoAnn Fabrics to ground the picture.

At first I wasn't sure I would like all different shades of green on the mantel, so I added just a bit of color by using fresh flowers in the color of purple and white and that was just enough for me.

I'm really happy with the final results. It's quite simple and was so inexpensive. Why not look around your house to see what you have, re-purposing is so much fun. I love new perspectives on old objects. Is it time for you to freshen something in your home?

I hope you have enjoyed watching me build my new Naturescape Mantel. Well see you Foodie Friday for some heavenly deliciousness!

Until then--Happy Creating!

Kathleen

***Thanks so much for stopping by The Lavender Bouquet. We'd love to hear from you. Feel free to leave us a comment.

                                             

THE BURGER OF ALL BURGERS!

Get your grills ready for the best burger treat you have ever had! These mini cheeseburgers will delight even those with the fussiest palates. Yes, they contain THREE types of cheese and other delicious ingredients...........

MINI BURGERS AND CHEESE

SPECIAL SAUCE

MINI THREE CHEESE BURGERS

Look at how beautiful they are. And remember they are MINI because we have to leave room for dessert!

The recipe was a huge hit at one of our Dinner Club parties. I just had to share the recipe with you, since it's time for many of us to use that grill for the first time since last Fall. What a wonderful smell permeating the party. YUM!

MINI THREE CHEESE BURGERS

• 2 lbs. ground round
• 4 Tbsp. minced onion
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. Italian seasonings
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 6 oz. Brie chees (roll into 14 tsp. balls)
• 8 slices cheddar cheese
• 8 slices Gruyere cheese

Prepare mini burgers and put thumbprint in center. Grill. Add Brie ball, cheddar and Gruyere.

SPECIAL SAUCE

• 1 cup mayo
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3 cloves smashed garlic
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. paprika

Mix in food processor.

That's it-----you can make the burgers ahead and freeze them. Just add the cheese at

grilling time. The special sauce stays good in the frig just like mayo. DON'T FORGET TO PICK UP YOUR FAVORITE MINI BUNS!

I hope you enjoy these burgers as much as we do. Have a wonderful weekend!

                                                        Kathleen