A Simple Touch

Dressed Up Recycled Glasses: A Little Glitter Goes a Long Way!

2014-01-20T18:56:00.002-05:00

Hi again! I'm excited to share what turned out to be one of my favorite DIY projects so far!

Dress up any glass bottle, jar, etc. with a touch of glitter.

Photo Credit: David Caicedo

For this project I used several San Pellegrino glass bottles that I saved.

Materials:

glass bottle, or jar

masking tape

paint brush

Mod Podge

glitter

plastic bag/plastic wrap

spray sealant

1. Soak your glass bottles in warm water until the labels are easy to remove. Scrub bottle with the coarse part of a sponge to remove any left over adhesive.

2. Using masking tape, mark off where you want the glitter on the bottle.

3. Use a paint brush to apply the Mod Podge to the marked off area.

4. Sprinkle the glitter onto the Mod Podge. You will want to do this over cardboard or a paper bag to catch the excess glitter.

5. Allow the bottle to dry. Then, spray sealant onto the glittery parts. To avoid getting sealant on the other parts of the glass, tape on a plastic bag or plastic wrap.

And there you have it!

Photo Credit: David Caicedo

Bringing Nature Indoors II

2014-01-05T18:01:00.000-05:00

I like the rustic look that nature brings to decorating. Here are a few ways that I used nature to decorate this winter season.

(This tag is a Recycled Gift Tag)

Materials: Short pine branches, pine cone, bracelet, vase

Materials: small jar, Epson salt, ribbon, candle, short pine branch

Pine Cone Garland

Materials: Pine cones, string

I hope you're keeping warm! Thanks for stopping by!

Festive Wine Glasses

2014-01-03T17:02:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you enjoyed your NYE celebrations. I hosted a small last minute gathering at my place. I'm going to share an easy and inexpensive party decor tip that will add extra festiveness to any occasion! In just two steps you can add a special touch to your drink ware.

I took advantage of the post Christmas sales and bought these pompom bows at Target. (2 for $0.30!)

First: Punch a hole through the paper on the back, near the corner, and thread ribbon through it.

Lastly tie the ribbon around the wine glass stem and trim the excess.

And there you have it! Fun, festive wine glasses that can work for any occasion.

Cheers!

Holiday Mason Drink Jar Tutorial

2013-12-17T19:44:00.003-05:00

Together David and I made holiday mason jars for our Holiday Party last weekend. They gave the party an extra festive touch!

We gathered our saved mason jars from tomato sauces, and soaked them in hot water to remove the labels.

These tags are for guests to mark their jars with their names.

Cut strands of ribbon to wrap around the jar, and string the tags through the ribbon.

Hot glue the ribbon to secure it on the jar.

Finish it off with a striped straw and voila!

We served mango mojitos in our jars.

I recommend using plastic straw as these paper ones got too soft.

I hope you're enjoying you holiday festivities!

Decor Find! (Rocks&Mountains)

2013-12-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

How is your holiday shopping going? I'm just about done with mine. I have some fun DIY projects that I will share soon too. In the meantime...I want to share some beautiful décor that Rocks & Mountains is selling on Amazon.
Rocks & Mountains specializes in white bone china. (I wish I had a bigger apartment so that I could to get more of their décor!)

Here are some of my favorites. Check their website for more items.

http://www.amazon.com/Paisley-Decorative-Pitcher-White-Large/dp/B00GRKGO2U/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1386639043&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.com/12-5-inch-Bone-China-Platter-White/dp/B00DCG8ZNI/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1386640845&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Decorative-Vases-Diamond-Pattern-2-Pack/dp/B00DH50YQ0/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A29Z5KLHPDB50Q

http://www.amazon.com/Slate-Planter-Decorative-Vase-White/dp/B00GU7LOD4/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A29Z5KLHPDB50Q

Stay tuned for some simple holiday DIY projects!

DIY Winter Decorative Bottle

2013-11-24T20:59:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to try this beautiful DIY winter decorative bottle by Sweet Something Design since last year! I finally followed through. This is a great project for winter decorating! The bottle would look great on a mantle. See the Sweet Something Design link (above) for the tutorial.

(I copied piano sheet music. Snowflake decoration is from AC Moore.)

Thanks David for taking the pictures! Find David's beautiful bone china decor here: Rocks&Mountains

Stay warm!

Christmas Wreaths (Hi again!)

2013-11-12T19:42:00.001-05:00

Now that the warm weather is gone, I have turned my focus to back inside projects. (I guess I'm a seasonal blogger.) The holidays are approaching, and I've been feeling crafty! I'm not skipping over Thanksgiving, but is the Christmas Wreath I made for this year. (I still have my Autumn Wreath hanging.)

Christmas Wreath

I made a mini version with a cute owl decoration for my boyfriend!

Mini Christmas Wreath

I purchased all the materials at AC Moore.

For the large and mini wreath I simply tucked each piece between the vine branches. I hot glued the owl.

Tip: Always check Retailmenot.com before checking out. I scored a 25% off coupon!

Healthy dinner: Kale and White Bean Couscous Recipe

2013-05-21T20:20:00.001-04:00

Hi! I have neglected my blog for far too long. Last night I tried a new recipe that inspired me to share it on here. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com. I love the earthy flavors that the whole wheat couscous and toasted almonds give to this dish. It makes a perfect fast and healthy meal for the summer.

Kale and White Bean Couscous

Ingredients:

1 cup water

2 tbsp butter

1 cup whole wheat couscous

2 tbsp olive oil

1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (alternative white beans can be used)

1 cup chopped kale

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup whole almonds, halved (toast first at 350 degrees until you smell the almonds)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and back pepper to taste

Method: (Makes 4 servings)

1. Bring water and butter to a boil in a saucepan; remove from heat. Add couscous and stir well. Cover saucepan and let couscous sit until water absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir cannellini beans, kale, and garlic in the hot oil until kale is wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. mix kale mixture into couscous; fold in almonds.

3. When serving, top with Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you try it, let me know how you like it!

Vegetarian Stew Recipe

2013-01-07T19:54:00.001-05:00

Friday was cold and windy. It was the perfect night to make my mom's beef stew recipe. Only I had one dilemma...my boyfriend is vegetarian. I took a risk and modified the beef stew to be vegetarian friendly. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he loved it and I still got my comfort food fix!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 medium onion chopped

1 garlic glove minced

2 rosemary sprigs

2 "Not-Beef" Bouillon Cubes

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 medium potatoes chopped in cubes

4 or 5 carrots chopped

1 16 oz. can white Cannellini beans rinsed

1 box of Lightlife's Smart Strips Seasoned Veggie Strips (or your preferred soy "meat")

(**If soy "meat" is not your thing, double up on the beans)

1 tbsp Worcester sauce

1/3 cup red wine (optional)

Method:

In large pot heat the vegetable oil on medium heat. Add the soy "meat", chopped onion, garlic, and rosemary to the oil; cook until tender and light in color.

Stir in red wine to loosen the ingredients.

Add the flour; stir to a paste.

Gradually stir in 3 cups of water on medium heat, until mixture is slightly thickened.

Add 2 "No Meat" bouillon cubes and Worcester.

Add chopped vegetables.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer . Cover with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Tip* You may want to add more flour or more liquid depending on how thick you want the stew to be.

Tip* The stew tastes even better the second day!

Enjoy!

DIY Gift Tags (From Recycled Holiday Cards)

2013-01-03T21:01:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the holidays! I had a great time hibernating at my grandmother's house in Canada, eating lots, and relaxing with my family.

I like to keep my Christmas decorations up for a least a week or so after the New Year. I don't like how my apartment feels empty when they're gone. I guess that I can use it as motivation to try new projects!

I have a little tip to share with you that's economically and environmentally friendly! Last year I cut up the Christmas cards I received and saved them to make gift tags for this year. I saw the idea on Pinterest (as usual). Holiday cards are always so pretty, and I was happy to put them into use instead of throwing them away. (Plus they came in handy since I didn't need to buy tags from the store!)

Creating these tags were effortless!

1. After cutting your cards, punch a hole.

2. Tie on a piece of ribbon.

3. Write your message on the back and tie the tag onto the gift!

I hope you found this little tip useful for next year's gifting!

Stay warm!

Holiday Party Recap

2012-12-10T15:51:00.000-05:00

Hello! Over the weekend my boyfriend and I hosted a holiday party for our friends. The party was a blast, and I enjoyed baking and decorating! I found this cute Christmas tree brownie idea here and attempted to do it myself. I'm not the best froster, but this was a fun way to make the brownies festive!

Photo credit: David Santiago

I bought the pearl sprinkles and the decorating icing at AC Moore. I kept mine simple, but you can go all out with the decorating!

**Tip: If you want to use a candy cane for the trunk of the tree, make sure you make thick brownies. My brownies were on the thinner side, so the candy cane didn't fit.

We also bought these awesome photo props from Party Goodies on Etsy. She can customize your order.

The theme of the party was Eat, Drink, & Be Merry! We used this print out as part of the table centerpiece.

Hope you're enjoying the holiday hustle bustle! Have a great week!

Christmas Molasses Cookies

2012-12-09T20:57:00.001-05:00

For me, molasses cookies taste like Christmas...must be all my wonderful memories of eating molasses cookies in my Sitty's kitchen while spending the week at her house with all the family over the holidays. (Sitty is grandma in Arabic.) While I can never replicate my Sitty's molasses cookies, I am excited to say that I finally got them right this year! The touch of cinnamon, gloves, and ginger make this cookie a rich, but not overly sweet cookie for the holidays!

Check out the recipe from my last year's post around this time....Molasses Cookies Recipe.

Pine Cone Frenzy

2012-12-04T19:15:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been a little pine cone happy (as strange as that may sound)! It all started with using pine cones as place holders in my previous Thanksgiving post. Now I'm using pine cones to compliment my holiday decorating! I found my inspiration on pinterest.

DIY Pine Cone Door Hanging:

This is a easy and fast project. I finished it in about 10 minutes!

Materials:

Ribbon

Pine cones

Hot glue gun

Scissors

Method:

1. Cut ribbon to desired length. (Hold the ribbon from the door hook to see how low you want the pine cones to hang.) Tie a knot where you want the pine cone positioned.

2. Tie a bow at the knot.

3. Hot glue the bow to bottom of pine cone.

4. Trim the excess ribbon on the side not for hanging.

5. Tie all the ribbons you have together and hang. I used 3 pine cones but you can use more or less.

More pine cone decorating:

Coffee table center piece:

(pine cones, mason jar, epsom, salt, candle)

Mixing glam with rustic:

(vase, costume jewelry bracelet, pine cone)

What are your favorite holiday decorating tips?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2012-11-22T23:13:00.001-05:00

I am so happy that I was able to share my Thanksgiving with my family, boyfriend, and especially with my happy 2 month old nephew! I hope you all had a special day wherever you are!

I'm going to share this year's table setting. I kept the table simple since the food is the main attraction (and major space taker.) I found the pine cone place holder idea here. You can use names or write something related to the day! (The little walnut is for my nephew.)

Thanks for taking a look! Until next time,

DIY Autumn Placemat Pillow

2012-11-11T19:54:00.002-05:00

Before I begin sharing my latest project, I want to announce that at the end of September I became a proud new Aunt! (This is also the reason I have been MIA from my blog.)

I'm stopping by tonight to share another placemat pillow that I created for Autumn. (You can find my past placemat pillow tutorial here.)

I bought this placemat at Pier 1 Imports for a little less than $4. (I love the gold trim detail!) Remember to look for double lined placemats if you want to do this project. This time around I used stuffing to fill the pillow. I cut the stitching of the placemat to make a small hole (but big enough to fit my hand.) Then I stuff the pillow and simply hand stitched the hole closed.

The holidays are coming and I am excitedly gathering ideas. I'm looking forward to sharing more projects in the near future!

Thanks for coming by,

Brookies

2012-09-25T21:49:00.002-04:00

If you like chocolate...and if you like cookies and brownies then you will love this simple and delicious recipe by the Clinton St. Baking Company! "A Brookie is a cross between a brownie and a cookie."

Ingredients:

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp unsalted butter

2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

2 large eggs

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking power

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Melt the oil, butter, and 1 cup of the chocolate together in the microwave or on the stove using a double boiler. Let cool.

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla together.

4. Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

5. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients (flour & baking powder). Add the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, mix until combined, and then add in the remaining chocolate chunks.

6. Freeze the batter in a shallow pan for 6 to 8 minutes (until the batter sets and hardens slightly.)

7. Coat 2 cookie sheets with nonstick coking spray or line with parchment paper. Scoop about 10 tbsp-size Brookies onto each sheet. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until the tops look dry and cracked (insides will still be moist.) Cool completely.

Makes 10 to 20 Brookies

Enjoy!

DIY Autumn Wreath

2012-09-10T21:22:00.001-04:00

Hello!! To help myself get over the end of the summer I put together a project to make an autumn wreath. My inspiration came from this wreath from pinterest. I'm proud of this wreath because figuring out how to weave the ribbon through the metal frame was difficult! Let the Fall decorating begin!!

Materials used:

1 16 in. metal wreath form

2 rolls of wired burlap ribbon (2 1/2 in. x 5 yrds)

decorative ribbon (for bow)

faux flowers embellishments

scissors

needle and thread

Method:

1. Starting with the outer two wires weave the ribbon back and forth to make 6 loops. Keep the ribbon loose to create a puffy loop. You may need to adjust as you go by scrunching the loops together to make room for all 6. At the 7th loop, straddle the ribbon from one side of the vertical wire divider to the next. Then continue to make 6 more loops.

2. After you make your way around the outer circle, cut off any excess ribbon and tuck in the end. Begin to make your loops on the inner circle just like the outer. This time create 4 loops per section and straddle the 5th.

3. Decorate your wreath to your taste. First I create a bow at the bottom.

(I tied a piece of ribbon vertically, and knotted it on the back. Then I slid a longer piece of ribbon under the loop and tied a bow. I'm not the best bow maker...took several tries!)

After arranging the faux flowers, I wrapped them together in left over ribbon. I secured the wrap by hand sewing the end. Then I attached the flowers onto the wreath by sewing the wrap onto the loops.

More fall decorating DIY to come!!

Thanks for coming by!

Pompom Tutorial

2012-08-07T20:53:00.000-04:00

While looking for decoration ideas for my sister's baby shower I came across these pictures on Pinterest

These soft and festive pompoms make great decorations for any type of celebration! They're easy to make and have a great effect!

Materials:

tissue paper

garbage bag ties

scissors

Method:

1. Layer 8 pieces of tissue paper on top of one another.

2. Fold the tissue paper back and forth like an accordion. (About an inch wide.)

3. Fold in half to mark the center.

4. Unfold and tightly tie a garbage bag tie in the center. (Use scissors to help tighten twist.)

5. At each end, round the edges with scissors to create a half circle shape.

6. Open the pleats.

7. Gently separate each layer of tissue by pulling it towards the center.

(If you want to make a flower, stop here.)

By separating all layers of tissue you'll end up with this type of pompom.

Create another pompom and tie two together (back to back) to create a round pompom.

See more pictures from the baby shower here!

Baby Shower Decorations

2012-08-07T20:13:00.000-04:00

After a little hiatus I'm back to share pictures from the baby shower my family and I had for my sister and her husband! The shower was a relaxed BBQ/pool party with a touch of "baby".

Many of these ideas came from Pinterest.

Food highlights:

fruit salad-watermelon baby carriage carved by a family friend

plum tomato and mozzarella appetizer

falafel baby rattle appetizer

crab cake baby rattle appetizer

Decorations:

baby blue pompom

"advice for the parents-to-be board"

onesie display

"it's a boy!" napkin/utensils

cabana decorations

See how to make pom poms here.

centerpiece/wall art

baby books/ old school pictures of the parents

We had a fun time! Now we're waiting for the little guy to arrive!

Thanks for stopping by,

DIY coasters

2012-05-25T16:54:00.000-04:00

Hi!! It has been a while! I unexpectedly had today off (yay!) so I finally had the time to try out this DIY coaster project that I've been wanting to do.

I ordered free wallpaper samples from Anthropologie.com, bought plain white tiles from Home Depot, and picked up the rest of the materials at A C More.

I used this great tutorial as a guide.

I plan on making more of these for gifts! Have a great weekend!

Creamy Leek Gratin

2012-04-29T21:03:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I tried a new recipe, Creamy Leek Gratin. This was my first time cooking with leeks and it came out delicious! If you haven't tried leeks before, their flavor tastes like a mixture of onion and garlic. This is a must try!

Photo Credit: Real Simple

Ingredients:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk (I used skim)

salt and pepper

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

3 slices sandwich bread, torn into small pieces

3 tbsp olive oil

6 leeks (about 3 lbs)- white and light green parts only. Halved lengthwise and rood ends left intact.

Method:

1. Heat oven to 375F. melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour and cook, whisking, for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the milk, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar until melted.

2. In a small bowl, combine the bread pieces, oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

3. Place the leeks in a single layer in the bottom of a baking dish. Cover with the milk mixture and sprinkle with the breath mixture. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the leeks are tender and the filling in bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is golden brown, 8-10 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Wine Bottle Centerpiece

2012-04-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

This weather is gorgeous! Today I'm going to share a summery wine bottle center piece I created last week. You may remember this past blog post about cutting wine glasses.

Photo credit: David Santiago Caicedo

I love the way the candles glow through the bottles!

Photo credit: David Santiago Caicedo

Check out David's beautiful bone china décor here: Rocks&Mountains
Have a great week!

Under the sink organizing tip

2012-04-12T16:29:00.002-04:00

Hi! I'm stopping by to share an organizing tip for under the sink. This idea comes from Real Simple (my favorite magazine!)

I bought this tabletop organizer from Target.

It's the perfect size to fit your detergent, cleaning bottles, sponges, etc etc! I feel so much better when my place is organized!

Thanks for stopping by,

Yarn Wrapped Vases

2012-04-10T16:54:00.000-04:00

Hello!! It has been a while! Now that I am working full time, I haven't been able to post as frequently. I'm happy to share a quick Yarn Wrapped Vase project that I completed today. (It took less than an hour...all while watching Ellen!) My inspiration came from here.

What you'll need:

glass bottles (I used a teriyaki bottle and a balsamic vinaigrette bottle)

colored yarn

hot glue

Method:

Simply wrap the yarn around the bottle. (I started from top to bottom.) Use a dot of hot glue to secure the yarn when you find the yarn begins to slip.

I put these vases in my bathroom to give it a touch of Spring.

Have a great week everyone!

DIY Spring Door Decor

2012-03-18T20:47:00.002-04:00

Hi again! I'm going to share a DIY Spring door decor project I recently made for my boyfriend, David. My biggest challenge for this project was giving it a masculine feel. Whether or not I succeeded...you be the judge!

Materials:

End result:

Those are fresh branches from a bush. You can use faux ones as well.

Have a good night!