Non-Stop Diva

Stepping up to the bar

2011-07-25T09:00:00.019-05:00

If you're a regular Non-Stop Diva reader, you well know my love affair with lemons. It's nearly impossible for me to see a lemon recipe and not want to try it. A few weeks ago, the always delicious finds at Beantown Baker turned up a recipe for Freezable Lemon Bars. Anything that I can make ahead of time has great appeal, especially since I already had all the ingredients stocked in my pantry AND I was getting ready for a party. The recipe sounded pretty darn good, but then I thought why not make these key lime bars! Key lime pie is my absolute favorite dessert. In fact, it's my birthday cake every year I love it so much. The recipe was really easy to make. I opted to use Reddi-wip as my topping, which turned out to be a little runny over the course of the party. Otherwise, they were an easy tasty treat!

Laundry Room Makeover: Part 3

2011-07-22T09:00:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time, we had a dingy laundry room with nasty stained walls and poorly hung wire shelves. I toyed around with the painting the room blue, but discovered that blue in a confined space, like a laundry room, can look a green and wreck havoc on finding stains. Thankfully, I already had a yellow on hand (Glidden: Jonquil Yellow), which works great in a room without windows. Now, we're the proud owners of a bright cleaning space with crisp white cabinets to hide all cleaning essentials!

How to Christening a Diva

2011-07-20T09:00:00.007-05:00

In June, we hosted a baptism brunch for Little Miss Diva. This girl already loves to party! We had lots of family and friends over to help celebrate the day. The menu included ham rolls, spanakopita, Carolina caviar (recipe below), pesto pasta salad, pimiento cheese, fruit, some tasty sweets and of course Baby Diva Champagne.

The Martha Stewart votives really helped to pull the various pink colors together as did the yummy M cookies that my cousin made!

Carolina Caviar(Makes about 6 cups)

2 (16 oz.) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained
1 (10 oz.) can white shoe peg corn, drained
1 large firm tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16 oz.) bottle Italian salad dressing

Laundry Room Makeover: Part 2

2011-07-18T09:00:00.017-05:00

Truth be told, I've been craving a laundry room makeover since last fall, but put it off because somewhere it says pregnant women aren't suppose to be lifting heavy objects. The nerve of some people! With little Miss Diva here and the sink removed, the laundry room was crying out for more help. The shelves above the washing machine could barely hold a penny and didn't have enough clearance to open and close the washer lid. I started pulling down the unsightly wire shelves with my resourceful drill. I really do heart me some demo! It really wasn't a tough process. I just took the screws out and then had to do a little finessing to get the grey plastic anchors out of the wall. (Helpful hint: Use the original screw to help shimmy the anchor out of the wall without much work. Don't worry if the you rip a little of the wall. You're going to have the patch the existing hole anyway.)

Once the shelves were out of my house, I surprised Mr. Diva with a trip to Home Depot. I'm pretty sure he had no idea that the girl he meet on Capitol Hill would turn into such a DIY-er. Thankfully, he puts up with me and my projects! We purchased 2 30" cabinets, some knobs and drywall screws before returning home. We also enlisted the help of my soon to be cousin-in-law, who is quite handy to have around.

The boys made pretty quick work of getting the first cabinet in place, securing with drywall screws into the wall studs. The 2nd cabinet required a little more work. Mr. Diva had to cut out holes in the 2nd cabinet to make way for an electrical outlet and the washing machine cord. Custom Cabinets by Mr. Diva!

What clean freak doesn't love cabinets! All the storage without any clutter staring you down.

Next up: The laundry room walls are stained and marked up from previous owners. With a a fresh coat of paint on the horizons, my inner Monk can rest quietly soon enough!

Laundry Room Makeover: Part 1

2011-07-15T09:00:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago, Mr. Diva noticed that we had a leak in the basement. Plumbing and electrical repairs are above our pay grade, which mean a plumber had to be called. Our house was built in the late 40's and we definitely still have some of the pipes to prove it. After about an hour, the plumbers found the leak right behind our large and in charge cast iron laundry room sink.

It was a no brainer to remove the sink to give us a little more room in the laundry. Some people really enjoy a utility sink, but ours took up too much room in a cramped space. So out dear sink out and in laundry room makeover!

Next up: Pulling out the ugly, poorly hung wire shelves and replacing with cabinets!

Color me pink!

2011-06-08T09:00:00.008-05:00

While I keep one binder just for food ideas, I also keep another one full of decorating, entertaining and garden ideas. What can I say, I have a problem with organizing! Since little Miss Diva's christening is coming up this Sunday, I pulled out the binder to see what party ideas I had to try. As luck would have it, Martha had a fun inexpensive idea that incorporated all the pink I was planning to use.

I picked up three pink streamers and double sided tape from the party store. Then, I pulled out all my cylinder candle holders and glasses in varying heights. All you have to do is cut the streamers and adhere with the tape. So easy, yet so festive!

Strawberry Fever!

2011-06-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

We ran through the fresh picked strawberries pretty quickly. These are just your typical store bought variety with a little lemon palm garnish.

A few weeks ago berry fever hit Casa Diva! Thanks to my crazy picking sister, we were blessed with a large batch of fresh juicy strawberries. Mr. Diva has been on the hunt for some good whole fruit popsicles, and since most of my recipes are the mother of necessity, I went to work. The first batch was too tart due to small doses of sugar and out of season berries. The 2nd attempt was far better and still oh so easy.

To start, I hulled about 1 ½ cups of strawberries, pureed and then added in a couple tablespoons of sugar.

Pureed berries

Next, I sliced up about ½ cups of strawberries because a whole fruit pop isn’t complete without some chunks! Finally, I poured the mixture in my newly acquired molds, plopped in a few slices of strawberries and froze.

Strawberry pop ready to go. Run these molds under hot water for a few seconds to loosen.

The FAC of the Matter

2011-06-03T09:00:00.005-05:00

Ahh Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer! I love the feel and smell of this season. It just puts me in a wonderful place. As I sat on our patio sipping a delicious summer white, I started thinking we really need to have more afternoons with friends enjoying this space, especially after all the hard work I’ve put into our yard. Why not show it off!

Back in college, we used to do the Friday Afternoon Club, affectionately known as the FAC. It would start whenever we rolled out of bed or class and last until the sun went down. It was a great excuse to hang out and get ready for the weekend ahead. Since old is always new, I’m bringing it back to Casa Diva! If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and have a drink or two.

Are you a diva follower? You should be! Click here to make it happen.

Gardening Diva: Summer 2011 Updates

2011-06-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Before: We inherited a backyard full of beds and weeds!

My gardening obsession started when we moved into Casa Diva, a little over 2 years ago. It really took me by surprise. I never thought I would care to dig into the sometimes tough ground and make room for pretty blooms. I didn’t see myself spending hours killing weeds and churning compost, but here I am. Mrs. Greenthumb I’m not, but I’m definitely learning.

After: It's still a work in progress with more sod and bushes to come, but a vast improvement.

I’ve been rewarded the past 2 springs with returning favorites


We have lots of shade, which means plenty of space for hostas! This hosta type (Hosta Olive Bailey Langdon) is my absolute favorite as it grows large with it's beautiful leaves!				.


Patriot Hosta is all over my yard and can really fill out. Believe it or not, some of my hostas were confined to a window box before we moved them to their new home!

My favorite garden bed! I've worked hard on the hosta and vinca border. It's really lush and beautiful right now.

and tempting the fates with new ones.

Astilbe: I've 4 of these shade lovers for background interest in the hosta bed.

Viburnum: I've planted this shrub in a bed next to my backdoor. I'm going to call it the godmother bed as she was the reason for all the plantings!

Another godmother bed plant: Caladium

Salvia: I've planted 2 different types of Salvia in the yard. Hopefully, I can keep it alive!

I’m learning so much about what plants work where and readjusting when Mother Nature has a new plan for my yard. This year I’m also working on a color scheme for the yard instead of willy-nilly picking out plants that I read about or just fall in love with the moment I see them. Back in 2009, I wouldn’t have given any thought to garden symmetry, but here I am with a hot pink and purple garden oasis…or at least an oasis in the making.

The beverage cart is decked out with purple verbena and hot pink geraniums!

The ivy is a constant in my window boxes throughout the year. I love how it cascades over to create more interest. This season I've placed verbena in between for the color pop!

I picked up some pillows to spruce up the patio table. These pillows were made by the fabulous Paula and Erika at Etsy! Be sure to check them out.

I'm off to enjoy the patio until my next post!

Are you a diva follower? You should be! Click here to make it happen.

Lemony Balm: A Series with Questionable Results

2011-05-31T15:50:00.000-05:00

Freshly planted herbs!

As you might have noticed, I have a huge mess of lemon balm in my herb garden.

Lemon Balm

I’ve made it a summer goal to use it more often. First up, I made a simple lemon cheesecake and chopped up the lemon balm to give it a little zing. Sadly, I’ve learned that while this herb smells oh so good it doesn’t pack a huge flavor punch. Even worse, Mr. Diva thought I was trying to sneak in a veggie to his sweets. First mission: Fail!

Since I needed to trim back this ever plentiful perennial anyway, I plopped a bunch into a mission jar adorned with a raffia bow. Viola an instant flower arrangement without touching the wallet! 2^nd mission: Success

If you have any other lemon balm uses, be sure to let me know!

Diva Delight: Big booty hose come with it!

2011-05-07T18:06:00.001-05:00

You know you're a homeowner when...

This spring Mr. Diva and I have been hard at work trying to grow some grass before the heat waves set in, which means lots of watering. We have 2 sets of hose with wranglers that always seem to get knotted or kinked up. It's a real pain when you have lots to water and even worse when the hose sits in a mud pit.

Enter Frontgate. Mr. Diva discovered their retractable hose a few weeks ago while reading the WSJ. From the way we talk about it you would think we had struck gold...garden gold! This gadget is well worth the expense and is the perfect present for any gardener or perhaps a little Father's Day treat.

Fit for a pansy or two

2011-04-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was busy tinkering with my dining room centerpiece, which meant that my old one was left just hanging out. It's easy to get inspired from other bloggers who re-purpose old, unwanted items in creative ways. I had wanting to spruce up my patio a bit for an upcoming party and thought a new little planter would help the cause. I picked up a natural liner from Big Lots, some violas and pansies from Home Depot (I really can't resist blooms in spring) and had some leftover dirt from another project. After a quick assembly, here's the end result!

More pictures to come of the patio update!

Feeling Arty

2011-04-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Before the baby arrived, I took nesting to another level. It is one thing to clean out the closets and freeze casseroles, but my need for projects to occupy my pregnant time really took over. You'll remember the topiary project, new drop cloth curtains, and dining room mini makeover to name a few. Well believe it or not, there were a few more that I didn't get a chance to write up before the little diva arrived. One such project was the art wall in my living room.

Gallery/Art walls are the latest must do project in the blog world. To be honest, I really thought this project was just too much work and was on the way back burner. Since the little miss decided to wait a few extra days, I was left with no choice, but tackle the wall or face pregnancy frustration. The picture above is what our living room looked like when we first saw the house. You'll notice the mirror on the left wall, which is covering a high electrical outlet.

Since I already had a mirror above the fireplace, I rematted and framed a Charleston print to cover up the offending outlet. Over the next few months, I could never shake the feeling that the wall wasn't complete. Enter the art inspiration.

I gathered a bevy of random photos, memorabilia and wall accessories to try out. As with any wall placement, I tinkered around with the placement a good bit and above is where I landed.

I used newspaper templates to space out on the wall and then set to hammering. I futzed a little more with frame options and placement before I was really happy with the end result.


Gallery Wall Art

Lemon Obsession

2011-03-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

I love lemons. In fact, I love them so much I bought a lemon tree! It's growing in my sunroom and has 4 little blossoms on it. Who knows if I'll actually get fruit from it, but I'll take the delicious aroma in the meantime. While I was out in blogosphere the other day, I found a recipe for lemon cupcakes with lemon icing. Mmmm lemony icing! After a few weeks of home projects, it was time to get back to trying out some recipes. I followed this one to the T up until the garnish part. In honor of St. Patrick's Day and simplicity, I decided to forgo the Glazed Lemon Peel and just garnish with some green sprinkles.

Along side a glass of cold milk, they were delicious and are happily at home in The Binder. Side note: While I was letting the butter come to room temperature, one stick mysteriously disappeared. I'll give you one guess who the culprit was.

Happy Birthday Manning!

2011-03-15T16:57:00.000-05:00

Monday was Manning's 1st birthday. I'm not one to let any birthday slide, human or pet, so in honor of the big occasion, I headed over to See Spot Eat. They have a wide array of treats and toys. Their treats are very reasonably priced and you can even custom order a cake if time & budget allow. I opted for just a few dog friendly sweets.

Manning was happy to scarf down his treats before playing a few rounds of tug-o-war with Mr. Diva.

Drop Everything

2011-03-14T09:00:00.017-05:00

I promised more crazy projects and I hope this one delivers! With all these home improvement blogs out there, you really have no excuse for boredom and a major one for procrastination. Enter A Soft Place to Land. I'm really not sure how I discovered this one, but loved the drop cloth curtains. The no-sew aspect put me over the edge since I don't have a sewing machine. I hit up Lowe's and picked up a few drop clothes to try. At $8 a pop, I figured this project was an inexpensive adventure.

After pulling them out of the bag, I tossed them in the washing machine to pull out any potential shrinkage, tossed them in the dryer and finally pulled them out a tad damp to iron. Then, I folded over part of the top portion so a) I wouldn't have to hem and b) I could have a nice edge for my ribbon (acquired from Joann's).


I guess this is ribbon or perhaps a notion whatever that means.

After all the panels were painstakingly ironed, I used some fabric glue to adhere the navy blue notion.

It didn't take long to dry, which meant my before and after was nearing completion. I futzed with the curtains to make them lay just so and tada here's my after!

At about $10-11 per panel, I'm definitely pleased with the finished result. You can't find curtains that cheap at Target!

Next up: I hear Martha calling and it's time for another recipe or two.

Curtain Call

2011-03-09T15:44:00.000-06:00

Third times the charm for my dining room centerpiece update. A few days ago, I made the trek out to Home Goods (my favorite) in search of a long bin and a few other project materials (more on that in future posts). As usual HG didn't disappoint, I found a planter in just the right size, but not the right color, which isn't a problem if you can spray some paint.

I still had some black paint leftover from the topiary project. So I did a quick sand over the bin to rough it up and followed that step with 2 coats of black spray paint. After a quick trip to the greenhouse, here's our new centerpiece and the plants can be easily adjusted to the season or holiday should the mood strike.

Since I was finally on a roll, I decided to tackle window treatments as well. Ever since we took down the front magnolia, I've noticed a lot more light in the dining room hence the new need for curtains. My first inspiration came from The Yellow Cape Cod blog, but all that non-sewing sounded like a lot of work. I really love the stripes and thought certainly I can find them somewhere online. Big wrong! After searching high and low, I went to plan B: Damask.

While I love the look, the pattern competed with my swirly chairs, so back to the drawing board. I decided all black might just work. Plus, I was ever so tired of looking for the illusive stripe. I picked up a few panels from Target (much cheaper than the Pier 1 option), ironed and hung. I quickly noticed that they were a tad short, so I pulled out the hem, re-ironed and viola! Dining room complete! (Diva note: I seriously have a new appreciate for my iron. It's amazing what a piece of metal can do with some steam!)

Next up: DIY Living Room curtains (or so I hope)!

There's always a silver lining!

2011-03-08T04:32:00.000-06:00

I've been keeping myself pretty busy pursuing home blogs and becoming obsessed with all these seemingly easy projects out there. Seriously, you're going to think I'm crazy with some of these projects I have lined up for the coming weeks! Thankfully, these projects can easily be pushed to the back burner when little Miss Diva arrives. But back to the tasks at hand! While I was shopping for topiary pots, I stumbled upon this cute bowl at a thrift store.

Immediately, I liked the fun shape and thought it might be the perfect start for this silver leaf project. Again another potential for my dining room table. With bowl acquired, I made the sabbatical out to Joann's in search of a nice W stencil.

The etching process was pretty simple. I used some painter's tape I had on hand to secure the stencil and then painted on the etching cream.

Wait 30 minutes and then wash off. I love the ease of using etching cream, and definitely plan to try it again; however, I've learned that I need a more straight cut stencil with no room for the etching cream to get between. Perhaps something like this one. You live and you learn, right?

Next, I taped off a 1" section around the bowl's rim for the silver leaf. Apply the silver leaf glue. Wait 30 minutes and start applying the silver leaf. I smoothed with my finger, but will definitely use a small sponge brush next time.

As they say in Clueless, it's a total Monet. Good from far, but far from good. I've hidden it in my china hutch, where the imperfections blend in with my silver rimmed crystal and china.

Next up: The continued hunt for a dining room centerpiece.

Greens to Envy

2011-03-04T09:00:00.020-06:00

A few weeks ago, I was flipping through the Memphis Junior League Cookbook...always on the prowl for tasty new recipes. I stumbled upon a Caesar salad like recipe, Salade Parmesan. Since my energy level is hard to predict these days, this seemingly easy recipe seemed like a great way to start my king cake dinner. It's simple to prepare and can be assembled ahead of time. All you need to do right before serving time is toss. Who doesn't love an irresistible salad! Eater beware: This salad might be in your future next time you dine at Chez Diva!

Salade Parmesan

from Heart & Soul by the Memphis Junior League

5 T Parmesan cheese, grated and divded

¼ c Olive oil

2 T lemon juice

1 t dry mustard

1/2 t pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

Dash salt

10-12 c torn salad greens

In a large salad bowl, combine 3 T Parmesan cheese through salt. Top with salad greens. If desired add croutons, walnuts,etc. Toss well. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 8-10.

DIY: Diva Style

2011-03-03T09:00:00.001-06:00

I've gotten tired of my dining room centerpiece and have been on the prowl for an update. I've had my eye on this project for awhile as a possible replacement. I hit up Tuesday Morning, TJ Maxx and Michaels in search of a pot that fit my color scheme and style, but came up empty. After a few inspirational posts about thrift store finds, I decided to check out a few local stores myself. I always forget that you can turn a cheapo find into a treasure with a little wisp of spray paint. As luck would have it, I found 2 pots at Goodwill. Big win!

With the pots acquired, I could finally pick up all the items: 6" floral dome (2) and faux boxwood stems (4). I already had the black spray paint leftover from another project. Be sure to get green floral foam and not white Styrofoam. As you'll see below, it's nice to have a background that blends with the foliage.

Though very popular in most current home design, I'm not one for a lot of white, so I decided these guys could use a new color. I did 2 quick coats of spray paint and then set to work on the boxwood. For each 6" dome, it took nearly 2 stems of the faux boxwood to create a full look.

The Mardis Gras blooms are still sitting pretty on my dining room table, so I opted for alternate placement of my new topiary displays.

Now that they have found a new home, I'm not sure I'll move them. I like them right where they are. I might just have to find another project for my table centerpiece. Any suggestions?

Herb Garden Prep

2011-03-01T09:00:00.014-06:00

Last year, Mr Diva and I trimmed back some very large laurel bushes along our patio (sadly those photos were recently lost in a computer crash). It made a huge improvement to our backyard, so I've been contemplating the same fate for the holly bushes.

They had become too leggy from years of neglect and were in major need of some pruning. Winter is a good time to tackle this task before any spring growth begins. Plus, this bed is going to be home to my new herb garden, so we had even more of a reason to prep this bed. After about 45 minutes of trimming, here's what we have.

It's like looking at pale white legs before the tan, but it's worth it. Come summer time these guys will be looking as good as new. Next up: Weeding and Mulching!

Mardis Gras Time

2011-02-28T08:06:00.018-06:00

Lent starts exceptionally late this year, which means I have had lots of time to ponder King Cake! Not that I need an excuse, but I like to whip up a shrimp and grits dinner in honor of this tasty confection. You're welcome to try to find a quality cake in your neighborhood, but the folks down in the Delta get it right every time & are truly the best. Paul's Pastry ships them overnight delivery in a festive box filled with cake, beads, coins and toppings. You dress the cake when you are ready to serve. I always leave the bag of almonds off and simply top with icing and sprinkles. (Note: I typically use the sliced almonds in a salad. I just don't like them with my sweets!)

Fat Tuesday is the last official day in Mardis Gras, which means you have 8 more days to order your king or get invited to party!

Sundays with Manning: Pet Agree

2011-02-27T10:00:00.009-06:00

Manning is mostly a good a puppy, but he has his challenges: eating toilet paper, digging in my garden and jumping on new friends. A few weeks ago I couldn't take it any more and decided to do some research. I read Cesar's book, but it said pretty much what I already knew. Our dog needs at least 1 1-hour walk per day. Well in these temps that's just not going to happen. So I kept checking out other options on Amazon, a truly great resource/time waster. After just a little bit of searching, I found the Pet Agree Ultrasonic Trainer. It's reasonably priced and wouldn't interfere with the Invisible Fence.

You simply press the button for 1-2 seconds and it emits a high pitch noise that dogs hate. Over the last few weeks, I've had lots of workers around the house and Manning has mostly resisted the temptation to jump on them. Huge accomplishment! He's still tempted to eat TP on a day where he doesn't get enough attention, but Manning's Charmin appetite seems to have diminished ever so slightly. Now I just need to curtail the digging and I'll be a pseudo happy dog owner.

Howling in the Wind

2011-02-26T12:10:00.000-06:00

Backyard Pine Tree

We had a terrible storm sweep through Nashville on Thursday night. Even after a night of high winds and jarring cracks of lighting, Mr. Diva, Manning and I were still surprised to wake up to the potential loss of 2 trees. Poteet Tree Service has already been out to inspect and has said the backyard pine needs to go. I won't miss their endless pine needles come this fall, but I started to really worry about our magnolia's prognosis.


Beloved 'Grisham' Magnolia

Mr. Poteet mentioned removal as an option, but I'm going to see what just removing the damaged branch will do. I hate to loose the beautiful tree as well as the curb appeal. Definitely more updates to come!

Diva Makeover

2011-02-22T19:54:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if it was the cold weather, my need to nest or a just other blog envy, but I decided that Non-Stop Diva needed a little makeover. There are so many great blog designs out there for inspiration that it was hard to decide where to start. Two column vs Three Column? Buttons or No Buttons? What to do with the header...

http://www.beantownbaker.com/


http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/

The options are endless. Thankfully, I found Shelia, who helped me clear the clutter of yore. Yay for another fabulous Etsy find! If you're reading this on Google reader, you'll need to click over to the actually site to see the transformation.