Blog - Decor Fix

Last Minute Pea Salad

I cannot eat pea salad without thinking of my Mawmaw. Every Texas woman worth her salt has her own version of this cold salad. The last time I made it was years ago in her kitchen. Usually it was forgotten until about 5 minutes before we were supposed to eat. “Oh darlin’, we forgot the pea salad!” she would announce as she made haste to throw everything together. When I say throw, I’m not speaking figuratively. Peas were frantically poured into a bowl, some spilling onto the floor. Cheese was blocked at top speed, and onions were rough chopped by knives that had been washed by hand for twenty years. If there was ham in the fridge, it got thrown in. Measure the mayo? Oh no, a very liberal dollop was plopped on top.

A quick stir and it landed on the table just seconds before somebody said the blessing. It only made it around the table once before it was gone, so you wanted to be one of the first ones to pass it. So many recipes from my childhood come with memories in tow, and this “last minute salad” has a special place in my heart for just that reason.

Traditionally, Longhorn cheddar is used. (Yes, we even like our cheese to be Texan in the Lone Star State.) I made my version with salami, smoked Gouda, and fresh dill. It’s a great way to get some green on your plate if you need a change from leafy greens. It has the comfort food appeal of a potato or pasta salad with a little more antioxidants to go around. Makes you feel better about all that mayo.

Assembling the salad:
1. Rinse and drain about 3 cups of fresh or frozen (thawed) peas.
2. Cube one cup each: onion, hard salami, and Gouda.
3. Finely mince several sprigs of fresh dill. (You could substitute another fresh herb you had on hand if you like. I would then add a tablespoon of vinegar to give it a little kick though.)
4. Add 1/2 cup of mayo and 1/3 cup of cream.
5. Add sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Combine and chill in the fridge before serving…or rush it to the table at the very last minute.

When I realize how emotionally attached I am to food, it’s no wonder why I’ve had trouble dieting most of my adult life… Eating feels like part of my heritage. That might sound crazy to some, but I think a lot of you can relate. Sometimes the recipes passed down from our mothers and grandmothers are the most sensory packed stories of our families’ history. Cooking and serving these for the first time becomes a precious rite of passage and a way to keep memories alive. So, what’s that dish in your family?

Olive’s Hot Air Balloon Nursery

| by Heather Freeman

My sweet friend Laura just had her second, a precious baby girl named Olive. If you saw Laura’s adorable camping themed birthday party for her son, then you probably could have guessed how amazing her nursery would be.

We’ve been talking and emailing about a plan for this room since before Christmas, and it turned out to have all the color and little touches of whimsy that she had hoped. There’s so much to love in this room, so prepare yourself.

The rug and curtains are from Urban Outfitters. The dresser was a vintage find. Remember the fabric banner that I made for my 30th birthday brunch? Well, it has found its permanent home…

[Read more…]

DIY: Spring Table Runner

| by Heather Freeman

Let me start by saying I am not one of those people who has a stockpile of seasonal decor to display around my house. As wonderfully “Martha” as that sounds, the logistics of having decor for Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s, and Halloween is just too much for me. Just getting Christmas stuff up wears me out. I do like easy, low commitment crafts that might use seasonal colors however. This table runner was a quick and inexpensive way for me feel a little “Springy”.

I love the colors in our kitchen rug and decided to use the teal and lime combo for my table runner. Our trip to IKEA not only outfitted our new office and a paint project, it also supplied the basic runner for this project. I picked up ribbon and buttons at Hobby Lobby.

In theory I liked the idea of using a lot of buttons. After seeing it all laid out, it looked a little too kitchy for our formal dining room. I decided to stick with just the ribbon and the two ornate green buttons. They were my favorites anyway.

1. Lay out your design.
2. Using a low temp gun, hot glue ribbon using small amounts of glue to secure to the runner.
3. Wrap ribbon around the edges and glue down.
4. Hot glue buttons….AND done! Easy enough, right?

On the topic of seasonal decor… Are you a “Martha” (or related to one)?

Linked up with…
http://www.funonadime.net/
http://diyshowoff.com/
http://www.firefliesandjellybeans.com/
http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/
http://lovingthiscrazylife-melissa.blogspot.com/

Fruit Filled Shortbread Cookies

| by Heather Freeman

Remember my new cookie press? Well, I think I’m in love with it. I found a simple shortbread recipe that calls for only four ingredients. (via the Joy of Baking.) The fun part was finding fillings to make little shortbread sandwiches. I tried three different fillings and am so excited to share them with you.

This was my very favorite. Lemon curd has to be the closest thing on earth to sunshine in a jar. If you love lemon, you might become addicted. It’s such an intensely flavored combination of tart and sweet. (I stirred some of the left over curd into my yogurt. Oh my word, it was to die for.)

The second filling is a pistachio cream. A little brown sugar, cream, and chopped pistachios make for a cookie filling that’s not too sweet. The last filling was strawberries and cream. This was Stu’s favorite. He thought it tasted like a strawberry cheesecake. I mixed half a stick of cream cheese with some powdered sugar and then layered thinly sliced strawberries on top.

The basic shortbread recipe was so quick and easy. I’m definitely using it again. These are the perfect treats to enjoy while relaxing with a cup of Bones Coffee Company’s premium coffee, or you could dip the cookies in chocolate or just spread your favorite jam between them.

Baking Instructions:

1. Whisk 2 cups of flour and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a bowl.

2. Beat 2 sticks of butter until creamy.

3. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and beat for about two minutes.

4. Beat in one teaspoon of vanilla extract. (I added food coloring and a squeeze of lemon juice to the lemon cookies during this step.)

5. Stir in flour mixture until combined.

6. Flatten the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour.

7. Preheat oven to 350.

8. Roll dough on a floured board. You can stamp and cut or just use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies.

9. Lay on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. (This helps them keep their shape while baking.)

10. Bake for 8-10 minutes and then cool before filling.

You can actually turn any stamp into a cookie press. Make sure you either use clean stamps or thoroughly clean and dry the stamp pad if it’s been used with ink before. If the stamp sticks to the cookie, use a little cooking spray to help.Wouldn’t these be great for Easter?

I’d love to hear some more ideas for fillings. What would you suggest?

Linked up with…
http://www.centsationalgirl.com/
http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/
http://www.blessedwithgrace.net/
http://nap-timecreations.blogspot.com/
http://mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/
http://permanentposies.com/
http://www.messhalltobistro.blogspot.com/
http://www.33shadesofgreen.blogspot.com/
http://raegunwear.blogspot.com/
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/
http://www.jaqsstudio.com/
http://www.733blog.com/
http://www.creationsbykara.com/
http://www.oopseydaisyblog.com/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
http://savedbylovecreations.com/
http://www.katiesnestingspot.com/

Our Ikea Office Makeover

| by Heather Freeman

TADA! Yes, I typed “tada”. I wish I could stand next to these pictures with my hands spread wide and yell it. I’ve been impatiently waiting to share our IKEA office makeover with you all, so here it is! Our office is my new favorite room in the house; I’d sleep here if the floors weren’t so hard. Obviously it’s much easier on the eyes now. The main reason it stole my heart? It is FUNCTIONAL!

(Warning: My use of capital letters and exclamation points in this post is borderline obnoxious. I typically talk with my hands when excited, and since I can’t do that through type I’ve resorted to overusing punctuation.)

With Stu often working from home and me spending quite a bit of time online, having an office in disarray was affecting both of us. Work and personal things were getting jumbled, documents misplaced, and a really nice printer was sadly stacked on the box it came in rather than a real piece of furniture. (I’m a bit embarrassed about that one.) Our office felt like a dorm room. Then came IKEA! (See-caps and exclamation point in one sentence. I know…I know.) We spent sixteen hours on the road, and our tax return barely hit the bank before it quickly vanished. BUT it was all worth it.

There is a SHE work space…

…And a HE work space.

Can I just tell you how much I love having a desk all to MYSELF?!?! I realize this makes me sound like and indulgent office diva. I’m fully aware and care not. It. is. glorious.

This “eye chart” is actually a wall light fixture. Stu picked it out, jokingly at first. It ended up being the one thing we both loved and decided on without hesitation. Now that we have two desks, I’m using my antique drop-leaf table as catch-all spot. (Do you recognize the little dipped ceramic pot? Also from IKEA. I should really get some compensation for this post.) The metal crate was another flea market find. We filled it with empty milk jugs from our local creamery.

The prints are from Winterberry Cottage on Etsy. This shop’s prints are great and most are under $10. I had been wanting to frame pictures of our parents when they were in their 20’s for some time and finally got that done. Stu just added a frame on his desk with a favorite picture of his dad, who passed away several years ago…I just felt I needed to mention that.

I found the red chairs several years ago at a local flea market for $20 and recovered them with some of my favorite Amy Butler fabric. They’re not ideal office chairs, but they’ll do for now. (Plus, I’m too emotionally attached to them since they were one of my first DIY projects, so they’re staying.)

Do you see the delightful white lantern? I got it at a locally owned discount store for $3. Buy of the YEAR. It is terribly beat up at the top but still worth the price of a latte. Several items on the shelves were pulled from other rooms in the house.

I typically get emails about where items were purchased, so I went ahead and listed where you can grab our office finds.

Product Sources:
Black and white striped tote bag: Hobby Lobby
Bulletin boards & magnetic dry erase board: Target

All items below from IKEA
Desks: Numerar counter tops and Vika Alex drawer units
Shelving: Ekby Jarpen
Desk lamp: Arod
Eye Chart Light Fixture: Gyllen
Black frames: Ribba
Storage boxes: Kvarnvik

We’re still looking for a rug, but I’m having trouble finding one in budget. I might end up spray painting one from Wal Mart. If I do, you all will be the first to know about it.

OK…I’m dying to hear what you think!

Curate

| by Heather Freeman

Curate…This word has been bouncing around in my head for weeks, and I’m not sure why…I’ve always loved the idea of being a curator. What a luxury to carefully select the most treasured pieces to display in a collection. In the definition of curate, “elect” is the first synonym listed. “I elect you, ceramic bowl, to grace my breakfast table.” A bit dramatic maybe, but sometimes I feel this way. Do you?

When you take it out of the context of a museum or gallery, we’re all “curators” of our surroundings. We obsess over gorgeous rugs, stalk the latest pillows on Etsy, and bring home far too many paint samples as we agonize over the perfect shade of gray. One small piece from a flea market can complete a book case that we’ve been working on for years.

At times I’ve wished that I didn’t care so much about how my surroundings looked. It can feel a bit like a compulsion. I’ve even tried to suppress it at certain periods of my life, equating it with vanity. But I have always been this way. My parents used to chuckle and encourage me when I drew up “floor plans” for my next bedroom arrangement at age 9. I took it very seriously and discovered at a young age that all you need to move a chest of drawers across the room is determination and your body weight.

I’ve realized that I don’t feel at rest until the aesthetic of a space has been tended to. This realization does make me feel a little like a weirdo, but blog land has let me know that there are many “weirdos” like me. Sadly, it also makes me look back on my 20’s with a bit of regret, wishing I had pursued what I love and done more to cultivate my ability to create inviting spaces as a career.

Some brightly colored poster with modern font on Pinterest would probably have a quippy saying that glosses over regrets and attempts to make readers feel better about their situation. I’m all for words’ power to inspire us in a low moment, but sometimes I don’t think those catch phrases are always a good thing. I think that being honest about how we’ve “curated” our lives is good, even if it means you face hard truths of some “elections” you now regret.

When I sat down to type this, I had no idea where it was going and wasn’t even sure if I’d publish it. I hope it’s made some sense. If it did and you can relate, I would love to hear your thoughts…just to reassure me that indeed I am not the only “weirdo” out there.

DIY: Paint Dipped Ceramic Pots

| by Heather Freeman

I envy anyone who lives in the same city as Ikea. Heck, I’d settle for having one in my own state. Our trip to Ikea last week was driven by the desperate need for an office redo, which is in progress now. (Lots of pictures coming soon!)

While I was there I found some very inexpensive ceramic pots and remembered this post that I had seen a few weeks earlier. Knowing that I had a graveyard of paint samples in my basement, the pots were just asking to become a project. They cost a mere $2 and $3. (Ikea, will you marry me??)

This project could also be done with clear glass votive candle holders. That would be a different effect but the same style.

**TIP**

Do NOT lay them on anything paper to dry. The paper stuck to the dried paint and was a big pain to deal with. Next time I’d try foil or anything plastic as a drying surface.

I just love how these little pots turned out… I pray that the plants inhabiting them stick around longer that the last ones did. Seriously, I can kill anything with leaves. I am not even attempting actual gardening this year without a plant mentor. House plants are the only kind that even have a chance of survival under my not-so watchful eye.

You’ve probably seen one of the paint dipped projects that have been popping up all over the place lately. I’m planning on trying these dipped utensils from House of Earnest soon.

It’s been a rainy, gloomy Spring Break week here in the Midwest. I was hoping for a bit of sun, but the rain has made for several epic naps. What are some of your favorites for a rainy day?

Room Tour: Dana’s Feminine Rustic Space

| by Heather Freeman

I ‘m excited to share a gorgeous home with you today that belongs to my sweet friend, Dana. She enlisted me to help with a little styling on her mantel. The amazing ceramic moose from Z Gallerie was Dana’s splurge and focal point for the whole room. His name is Francis…He has quite a presence, doesn’t he? We didn’t want anything that might distract from his glorious presence in the room, so mantel decor needed to be picked with intention.

I suggested that she use several different hurricane globes with white candles with a variety of twigs and pussy willows mixed in. This is neutral enough that she could change it seasonally, but it won’t take away from the moose head.

A seasoned DIYer, Dana refinished the console table and also created white “book jackets” on her shelves. She grouped the books by tying them together with twine. Dana’s style is a great blend of feminine and rustic. She carries the same color scheme throughout the formal living room and dining room, which are attached.

The dining table is from Pier 1. That amazing buffet cart below is from a shop called Loft in her hometown of Austin. (All the cool kids come from Austin. This is true.)

Remember the book of botanicals I tore pages from and framed? Dana was the one who discovered it. Below is her botanical gallery hanging created from the pages. She found the little “coffee table” at a garage sale we went to together; it cost a whopping $2. Can you believe that?

Here’s Dana with Sara Lee. If you’ve seen some of my other posts (with Tanya, or Molly, or Stacie), you may be asking the question, “Are all of your friends gorgeous?”. Yes. Yes they are. Sometimes I have to stop myself from staring. At least they love me and aren’t creeped out when I gush over their amazing hair and poreless skin. OK, stopping now. Isn’t that stonework in the entry just beautiful too?

I wanted to throw in another view of Francis. Such a handsome fella’.

Vanilla Bean Pots de Creme

| by Heather Freeman

I have to admit, I’ve never actually cooked with real vanilla beans before. They’re one of those gourmet Martha-like items. At market this weekend I tried to hide my “I’m actually taking these puppies home with me!” excitement with an “Oh, yes. I buy these all the time” vibe.

Don’t let the fancy French name fool you; this is not a complicated dessert. Vanilla bean pots de creme is a delightful custard made up of only four ingredients. I found the recipe via the New York Times, but adjusted some of the cooking instructions a bit. Here’s what you’ll need to pick up if you want to give it a try:

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to 320 degrees. Then split each vanilla bean down the center lengthwise.

2. Add cream to a saucepan and scrape seeds into the pan.

3. Add bean pods to the pan as well. Heat until steam rises from the cream and them remove from heat. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Remove pods from the pan.

4. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to 6 egg yolks. Beat until light. (I’d say this was around 3 minutes for me.)

5. Place 4 ramekins in a baking dish. Add water until the ramekins are half way covered.

6. Add one fourth of the cream mixture to eggs and sugar. Stir until combined.

7. Add egg mixture to the cream mixture and combine.

8. Pour into ramekins and cover with foil.

9. Bake 30-40 minutes until the center is just slightly jiggly. The baking time could vary depending on your oven. I’d say check it after 30 minutes. If the majority of custard still jiggles, keep it in 5 more minutes. (Let’s see how many times I can use any form of the word jiggle in this post…jiggle. jiggly. jigglified. Too much?)

10. Chill for 2 hours and then serve. These store fine overnight as well, so you could easily make them a day ahead. You’ll need to be very disciplined for them to make it that long without being consumed.

If you like creme brulee and vanilla bean ice cream, then you’ll love these little “pots of cream”. I added some organic mint and strawberries. You could pair them with almost anything but don’t really need to. They put on quite the show without a supporting cast. Personally I think adding a little vegetation to my cream and sugar takes an edge off the guilt…

DIY: Make A Fabric Banner

| by Heather Freeman

Remember my 30th birthday brunch? I got an email asking about the fabric banner used for decoration, and I thought it would be a good idea to show you how to make a fabric banner like mine. I’m not saying it was quick. Cheap and easy? Oh yes. (Poor girl, I’m gonna’ get her bad a reputation on Pinterest if I keep talking like that.)

I purchased this piping/chord (don’t really know what it is?) at the fabric store for under $2 a yard. Luckily, the fabric was on sale for $3.99 a yard. I chose fabrics that looked the same on both sides. This is key for this project. I got 1/2 yard of each color.

1. To begin, cut the strips about one and a half inches wide. This was the most time-consuming part. (I suggest watching an episode of Mad Men or two episodes of Modern Family to help pass the time.) The width of each strip will vary some, especially if you plan to later incorporate software machine embroidery into the project. Several of mine were crooked, but this doesn’t really matter in the long run. Don’t get hung up on making it perfect—you’ll drive yourself crazy, and this cheap project will end up costing you your sanity.

2. After you’ve cut all the strips, I laid them in piles by color. I wish I had taken a picture of all the little piles; they looked like pastel “hay” stacks across my living room.

3. Next, tie a knot connecting the fabric strip to the chord starting in the center of the chord. Continue adding and knotting fabric strips to each side. You could go for a pattern, but I kind of picked from each stack randomly. I wanted it to feel a bit whimsical.

I had to show you guys the following pics…I asked Stu to pose while I took test shots for the banner pic. Consider this the gag reel.