A Childs Gift from the Heart

I know we all have that person that has everything and its so hard to find something that won't just be more clutter around the house. I always like to give gifts from the heart.  This idea is a super simple idea to say I love you to that special someone. All you need is are fabric markers and a canvas tote bag and a cute kid :)  Let your little artist have carte blanche and your gift recipient is sure to treasure it.

Healthy and Delicious Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad, but most of the recipes are so bad for you. Over the years I've combined several of my favorite recipes to come up with a healthy chicken salad recipe.  It is so so good! I could sit there and eat it right out of the bowl. Not that I ever have... :)

What you need:

• 
  
  1 or 2 cooked chicken breasts
• 
  
  start with 2 Tablespoons olive oil mayo (full of the healthy fats that are good for you) ,but adjust to your tastes
• 
  
  spoonful of sweet pickle relish
• 
  
  an apple
• 
  
  2/3 cup of your favorite nuts ( I like walnuts, pecans or almonds)
• 
  
  1/2 stalk of celery
• 
  
  2/3 cup grapes or raisins

This time of year there are so many delicious apples to use, just pick your favorite variety for your salad.

Dice and chop up the apples, chicken, celery, nuts and grapes. Mix everything together and chill for a few hours before serving. You can serve it right after making it but it just tastes a little better chilled. Enjoy!! Do you have any yummy and nutritious recipes to share? I am always looking for new recipes.

Linking to:

http://beautyandbedlam.com/

Blue Cricket Design

Prairie Story Recipe Swap

Food Trip Friday

Mom Trends

My Halloween Luminaries Featured!

My Pottery Barn Inspired Luminaries were featured on the awesome blog called Under the Table and Dreaming- what a cute blog name! 

Go check out Stephanie's blog here and there are lots of amazing fall decorating ideas.

Pottery Barn Inspired Halloween Luminaries

I was thumbing through a magazine the other day when I saw these cute little Pottery Barn  battery operated luminaries from Pottery Barn Kids. I can't find them on line, but let me tell you that they are caautte! But, they start at $8 each!!! So, I decided to make my own. And, here they are! I am so pleased with how they turned out!

All I used were old food jars from peanut butter, jelly or canning, tiny tea candles (or your could even use those little battery operated luminaries that are like 2 or 3 for a dollar at $ Tree). Then, I made and found some images and printed them out and cut them to fit my glass jars. Then tape or glue it in place on the back and enjoy your FREE luminaries. If anyone wants them I will try to see if I can upload the images I made for you all to print and use. Or, I'm sure you could easily find your own too.

Here are the images:

Parties I'm linking to:
Today's Creative Blog
DIY Showoff
I Heart Naptime
Under the Table Dreaming
Its So Very Cheri

Thrifty Find...Love @First sight

Today I headed out to a regular thrifty corner store chock full of antiques, yard sale rejects and miscellaneous junk spot that I love to visit, and then I spotted this beautiful tabletop greenhouse terrarium.  Score! I was able to get it for only $5!!!! Now my mind is just spinning thinking of what I will put in here. What would you put in there? Also please share links to your thrifty finds. I love seeing everyone's finds!

Have a great weekend!

Anthropologie Inspired Headband Tutorial

Katie over at Bower Power made this awesome flower headband. It is so cute and so simple to make.

So head over and check out her tutorial and make on for yourself!

Simple, Chic Upholstered Headboard

We all have a budget these days and our old 80's headboard had to go. So I didnt' have much to spend decided to get creative and upholster a headboard. I don't have a before picture since I try to block out the memory of that ugly headboard, but just imagine the ugliest most 80's black metal headboard with an odd shape ever and you pretty much see what we had.

Ahhh. The bed feels like a much more welcoming place now!

If you're interested in making your own headboard it is so simple. There are lots of links out there to show you how. Centsational Girl has a great tutorial to show you how. Go check it out!

Sweet Little Bird Craft

Have a wreath you want to dress up, a cat you want to make a toy for? This cute bird pattern from Spool.

All you need is some fabric scraps, a needle and thread scissors and some batting to fill it.

Next cut out the patterns and pin them to your fabrics and cut them out.

Once you have your pieces cut out make sure that you mark the dots for sewing.

Now pin the pieces (right sides facing each other) and sew between the dots leaving the tail open.

Sew together the top part of the head, turn the bird inside out and stuff it to suit. Once you have turned the bird inside out turn the raw edges to the inside, pin it and stitch the opening shut.

Ta da! You now have a cute bird that you can attach to a wreath or let you imagination go wild with what you can use it for :)

The Way to a Man's Heart aka Waffles

They say the way to a man's heart is through is stomach. I am not sure if this is true but I do know that the boys in my house ask for these waffles every single time we are going to have a family breakfast.
These are so easy to make and they are so delicious to eat- definitely a LOT different than a toaster waffle.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

First, mix your dry ingredients and turn your waffle iron on high to preheat it.

Next melt your butter and heat up the milk. Mix all the wet ingredients.



Next, mix the wet and dry ingredients together until smooth.

Now scoop the batter by the ladlefull into your preheated waffle iron and get ready to enjoy that heavenly aroma :)

Cook until the waffles are golden brown.

Top with maple syrup and enjoy.



Thrifty DIY Menu Board

It all started with a trip to Habitat for Humanity Restore...

After several visits, I found the perfectly aged window for only $5!!! Score! This is 40" by 40" to fill a huge empty wall in the kitchen.

And here she is after: Total project cost for this awesome art was only $10!

Window: $5

Picture Hangers: $2.25

Scrapbook paper and hangers: $3

Just wanted to show the detail of the paper. Its those little details that make a girl happy :)

Linking to :Between Naps on the Porch

Chocolate Cake to Die for

This is the very best chocolate cake EVER! I love chocolate and everywhere I've ever taken this cake it has been eaten up and people have even asked me to leave the cake for them! Its a recipe from Allrecipes and it is so easy to make. The photo also comes from Allrecipes.com

Chocoholics Dream Cake

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, water, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool.

You can top this with powdered sugar, chocolate dipped strawberries or just leave it plain. I'm a simple kinda gal so I usually leave it plain or sprinkle some sugar and call it a day.