DIY Paint Night at SweetGrass: Bird on a Wire

Elizabeth and I love participating in craft nights at our local home decor store, SweetGrass. Owner, Michelle Harris, and her staff always put on such a lovely evening filled with food, wine, and awesome DIY crafts at such a reasonable price! The most recent session Elizabeth and I joined was titled "Canvas Bird on a Wire", and we came out with some really cool paintings that we cannot wait to display. Nothing beats the satisfaction of creating something yourself and being able to show it off in your home! Please visit SweetGrass' Facebook page facebook.com/sweetgrass/ to get store hours, workshop dates and times, and to view their new and current merchandise!

Check out our paintings and step by step on how we created them!

Step 1: Get a blank canvas, any size will do!

Step 2: Paint the background and sides a base color for your design.

Step 3: Michelle had us use wax paper and sponges to add color. These added awesome textures and make each picture so different!

Step 4: We used stencils of the bird outline to paint the birds on the canvas. After you have put your birds side by side, you have you actually add the wire that they "sit" on. We did this with twine. Soak the twine in black paint and hold it on either side, while someone pops it onto the canvas. You can also just paint on a thin black line if you do not have any twine available. Add you own final touches and then show off your creative piece of artwork!!

Again, HUGE thanks to Michelle and the SweetGrass crew!! We had a blast and cannot wait for the next workshop!

Spicy Baked Chickpeas

Ever in need of that small afternoon snack that won't spoil your dinner? Or a zesty finger food thats not the usual chips and salsa or wings? Well I have found just the right thing that will keep you feeling full, PLUS does not ruin that pre-summer diet you have going on! Baked chickpeas...great for you, your health, and your waistline!

Ingredients:

2 cans of garbanzo beans

1/2 tsp of chili powder

1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

1 tbls of olive oil

1/2 tsp of paprika to garnish before serving

To make:

Preheat oven at 400 degrees.

Drain and rinse both cans of garbanzo beans and put on a paper towel to air dry (you can pat them dry if you like, I have just found that doing this breaks them up a bit).

In a side bowl, mix together all of your spices, except the paprika.

Once beans are dry put them in a bowl and pour olive oil and spices over them, mix well.

Put chickpeas in a baking pan that has edges and bake for 45-50 minutes, flipping every 15 or so minutes.

Take them out and let them cool before serving!

Now I spiced up these little beans with a few of my favor spices, but experiment with whatever sounds good to you, or pair them with what spices you are having in your main meal! Have fun with it, thats what cooking is all about!!

                                         xxxx, A

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

This recipe is A-mazing! Jason and I worked hard in the kitchen together and we had a blast putting together these masterpieces! Here is what you need...

Ingredients:

3 green bell peppers

cheesesteak (which you can buy frozen at the store)

mozzarella cheese ball

monterey jack cheese slices

1/2 red onion

1 small pack of sliced mushrooms

To Make:

Start by hollowing out the green peppers. There are many different methods to do this, but my way is super simple. Turn the pepper on its side, cut a nice even line close as you can to the top (save the good pieces to eat as a snack the next day), and with you hand just pinch out the core and seeds.

Go ahead and pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and pop the peppers in on a pan...this allows them to get warm and cook a bit on the inside.

Get out two sauce pans and toss the onions and mushrooms in one with a seasoning of your choice...we used worcestershire, cayenne pepper, and a tbls of butter. In the other saucepan, start to cook the thin pieces of cheesesteak. They do not take long so put your man on this job! While things are cooking, slice up your mozz and set it near your pepper prep station.

Once everything is cooked through, pull those HOT, tender peppers out of the oven and lets begin putting them together!

Put down a layer of cheesesteak, top with a heaping spoonful of onions and mushrooms, and finally add 2 slices of mozzarella cheese...repeat this until your pepper is full. All the ingredients are hot and cooked, so you can put your slice of monterey jack on top now, or you can cook the peppers for a bit first, allowing the mozz to melt, and then for the last 5 minutes put monterey jack on. Either way, after you stuff the peppers, place them back on the baking sheet an cook for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them! Check out the end result and best of all...they are bread (guilt) free! Enjoy y'all!! xxxx's

Ask Me If They're Real

If you haven't already tried lash extensions, you should at least once in your life! Whether you have a special event coming up or just want to try them for everyday wear lavish lashes are an excellent accessory. I speak from experience when I say they are amazing! I recently tried lash extensions by a good friend of mine who is a Lavish Lash Certified technician and I could not be happier with the results. Check out my before & after pictures below!

So, if you're still thinking about trying lash extensions I say just go for it. It has saved me from having to apply mascara every morning (and from being late for work). Eyelash extensions are a little pricey but definitely worth every penny (I mean, did you see my before & after pictures?). If you do decide to spend the extra money on them you want to make sure they last so just keep these tips in mind:

Do some research. Make sure you choose a lash artist who is a licensed esthetician or cosmetologist. Ask what type adhesive is used (it should be non-formaldehyde), and if they have a variety of lashes for customizing. Always make sure they are not applying cluster lashes as lash extensions are one single lash applied to each one of your own.

Don't get your extensions wet for 24-48 hours after application. Also avoid working out and steam rooms. The adhesive will reactivate and may cause the lashes to stick together.

Reshape your lashes. After you shower or wash your face gently comb your lashes to fan them back in place.

Don't Pull. Resist the urge to excessively touch, pick or tug your extensions. It could damage your natural lashes. Always have them professionally removed if you no longer wish to have them on.

Don't use oil based products. Anything oil based will eventually loosen the bond. Keep this in mind when using shampoo or conditioner while washing your hair. Tilt your head back to avoid getting them wet.

If you live in the Lake Norman area & are considering trying out lash extensions I highly recommend using Lindsey! Her business card is below.

 

Repurpose old glass vases and brighten up a room

I always seem to have several glass vases lying around the house just collecting dust so when I came across this idea on Pinterest I decided to give it a shot. If you love to paint & have a few glass vases then you will definitely enjoy this project!

Supplies:

 

Glass vases (as many as you would like to paint)

Dishwasher safe Enamel Paint (whatever color you prefer - I used FolkArt)

Paint Brush

Paper Towels

Mixing Bowl

 

Directions:

 

1. Clean the vases with hot, soapy water.

2. Mix your Enamel paints in a mixing bowl to get the exact color you want then pour the paint into the glass vase.

3. Paint the glass using the paint brush to cover the inside of the vase.

4. Once you have finished painting the inside of the vase lay it upside down on a paper towl to let any excess paint drip off.

5. Turn the vase back over after several minutes to touch up any paint drips.

6. Place the vase on a cookie sheet inside a cool oven.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

9. Turn off the oven and let it cool completely before removing the vase.

 

I picked up the paint brush & paint from Michael's and only spent about $12.00 - I mixed each color with FolkArt White Frost to get the exact color that I wanted. If you use a different brand of paint just make sure you follow the directions on the back of the bottle!

 

Syrup Glazed Smoked Sausage

I have to start this entry out by giving all these props to Paula Dean! I did make this dish my own way, but she definitely gave me the inspiration!

Ingredients:

Jenni-O Turkey Sausage- Ring Smoked Lean $3.29

Mrs. Butterworth's Maple Syrup $3.89

(You can use any kind of smoked sausage and syrup you like)

Total: $7.18

Jason and I only used half the sausage and half a cup syrup, but if you prepared the whole syrup ring and used 1 cup of syrup if would easily feed 4/5 people...so I am rounding this dish to $1.80 a person.

To Make:

Cut sausage at a slant to give it the "Paula D" look while you are heating the pan over medium heat. Let the sausage brown just for a minute or two and then pour the syrup right over top! After about 5 minutes I flipped the sausage over and let it cook for a few more minutes. The syrup becomes VERY sticky and gooey--but I promise it is not a nightmare to clean. Once the sausage is browned to your liking, plate and serve immediately! Tell me this is not the best, finger lickin' smoked sausage you've ever had!!