The V Spot

No Sew Project: How to recover your outdoor cushions using fabric and a glue gun.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

I recently was fortunate enough to get to play around with some beautiful fabrics from Riley Blake Designs. There is lots to choose from, and whenever you want to inject some color into a room, paint and fabric are always sure things. I recently shared this quick tutorial over on Mom It Forward, but thought I'd share it over here, in case you missed it.

We do a lot of entertaining and much of it is on our patio. Because we are in Southern California, we're able to change up the look of our patio furniture pretty regularly with just a little fabric and a glue gun.
If you can wrap a present, you can re-cover a cushion.

Riley Blake Designs has some amazing fabrics and I knew this fun paisley inspired print was just the thing to bring a shot of color to my patio.

We recover our cushions regularly because they were looking a bit worn, but are still perfectly comfortable. Because we use a glue gun we can change the fabric as often as we like. The last fabric we had on our cushions was a black and white combo for a Halloween Party.

Start by measuring the widest part of the cushion and the sides. The width of the cushion was 25" and the sides were about 3" high. 25+3+3 = 31" then I add another 6" to ensure it will wrap around to the back. I cut a total length of 37 inches.

The next step is to pull the old fabric off of the cushion. The fabric always pulls off and the old glue sticks to the cushion. This allows me to toss the fabric into the washing machine and save it for future projects. I love that I am able to use these materials over and over again.

Take the cushion and center it on the new fabric.

See? The old hot glue sticks to the cushion, not the fabric so you can reuse the fabric over again.

This is just like wrapping a present, but instead of paper it's fabric and instead of tape, you're using hot glue.

Just like a present... fold up the sides and glue. Then fold the "ends" and secure them as well.

The fact that this "seam" is present doesn't matter on most furniture. No one sees the bottom of the seat cushion, and most chairs have a back support that hides the seam on the back cushion.

Is it going to last forever? No... but then again, I don't want it to.

I love being able to change up my patio, depending on the event. These chairs were perfect for the Mother's Day Brunch we recently hosted.

Colorful cushions and a Mother's Day Mimosa... Nice!

So remember: It's OK to recover old cushions. It's OK to use a glue gun to do it. It's your patio... do what you want!

When's the last time you appreciated the town you live in...?

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Tue, 29 May 2012 22:56:00 +0000

Last May I flew to Austin, TX and met up with 5 other bloggers I had never met in person, but felt like I had "known" them for years. We had a blast and it was decided then and there that we were going to make this an annual event, with each blogger taking over "hosting" duties for the next few years.

Becca lives near Austin, so last year she did the ground work to ensure we had a great time and sort of served as tour guide. This year it was my turn and they came to Southern California from Virginia, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Florida.

L-R: Becca from The Texas Darlings (and also R We There Yet Mom?); Jen from Harried Mom of Four;
me; Connie from The Young and The Relentless; Jenny Kate from Jenny Kate's Spot;
IA from Impulsive Addict; and Shawn from Seriously

I felt a bit like I wasn't doing the best job at creating a great experience for them because we were doing the things I normally do in the places that I normally do them. (Including going to my grocery store!!) But they were so enthusiastic that I started to realize I had been taking for granted the beaches, the restaurants... all that Southern California has to offer. Looking at it through fresh sets of eyes, I have a renewed appreciation for where I live.

I was going to try and cram our whole 5 days, 4 nights into one post, but I think instead I will break this down into some individual posts about where we went, what we did, and what we had to eat. Basically a field trip in my own back yard.

Last year, Becca put together a fabulous video of our attempt to help keep Austin weird and she did it again for this trip.

I've watched this thing at least 5 times and it makes me smile each time. Thanks for a great weekend Ladies! Next year we head to Tulsa.

Thank you... for all that we have.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Mon, 28 May 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Thank you to all who serve, and for the sacrifices that they and their families have made for our country.

My amazing dad served in the Marine Corps for 22 years, retiring as an E9 Master Gunnery Sargent. He did two tours of Vietnam, among other things. I might be the only one who finds this interesting, but my dad was interviewed about his experiences flying helicopters. He did not share much of his experiences with his daughters, so I found his interview fascinating.

You just can't make this stuff up. More of life with Grant.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Sat, 26 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Scene: Yesterday morning, Grant and I were about to walk out the door to head for school. We notice it is drizzling and a bit chilly.

Me: "Grant, run and grab your jacket, it's kind of cold."
Grant: "I'll be OK Mom."
Me: "It's wet. Grab your jacket."
Grant: "I can't...."
Me: "What do you mean 'You can't'...? Go grab your jacket."
Grant: "There's a knot in it."
Me: "A knot...?(stumped, thinking there aren't any ties or buckles, etc on his jacket.) What do you mean a knot? Go get it please."

He brings me the jacket.
....Oh.

Yep... that's the sleeve. Tied in a knot. TGIF.

It was actually in a double knot and we were almost late to school.
I don't even want to know.

nRelate. oooh! Mommy like!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Hey, this one is for you bloggers out there.
I am pretty creative, but by no means am I a technical person. (In fact, I become a dumb person the moment I pick up my smart phone, and I often have trouble navigating my own blog...) There are all sorts of gadgets that you can add to your blog to help increase page views, but I am usually only willing to try it if it is easy (what, with me being a tech-tard and all.)

I'd heard people talking about nRelate, but hadn't signed up until recently. nRelate is the plug-in that creates those little thumbnails at the bottom of blog posts that suggest other posts that might be of interest to our readers. (Go ahead and look to the bottom of this post. I'll wait...)

I had previously been using LinkWithin, and it was fine and all, but nRelate has some added features that are pretty cool. The process of setting it up was pretty easy. I also got to customize the look of the thumbnails and was able to add the plug-in to my other blog (My Favorite Hate Mail) at the same time. I loved not having to create two different accounts to handle the two blogs.

In addition to directing readers to other posts, I can also monetize the thumbnails. The number of ads is up to you. (I chose to only monetize one.) It's potential revenue without clubbing readers over the head with another ad.

Something else that's cool? You can promote content that is on another site. Cross promote other blogs that you write for, but you could also just flat out share the love and promote another blog that you like... just because you like it. I love that idea! Since blogging is a community, it is great to be able to support each other in that manner.

Oh! Did I mention it is a free plug-in?! Additionally, nRelate is SEO friendly, because it doesn't redirect through its own site like some similar plug-ins do.

So all of these cool features and the fact that even a lame-o like me can figure it out, I have to give nRelate two snaps up in a circle! I tried it out specifically for this review, but I am definitely going to keep using it.

Have you tried it? What do you think?

Pinterest's new auto-descriptions (What I've learned about my photos and some unsolicited advice.)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:16:00 +0000

Pinterest. We all love it, right? OK, most of us love it.
Some of us....?
No matter what your opinion of Pinterest might be, if you have a website or blog with pictures on it chances are good that someone has pinned your photos.

Here's how to have a little more control over what gets pinned and how it is described.

A caveat: Pinterest seems to be constantly tweaking their site. This post reflects my most current experiences and what I have figured out through trial and error. Someone else might have a better system than me (and if so, I would love to know about it) but this is what I am needing to do at the moment for my photos at the moment.

For a long time Pinterest didn't have any character limits on their descriptions, so basically people could pin a photo and then copy and paste an entire blog post into the "comment" area. Bloggers like me, who rely on Pinterst for a huge chunk of their traffic, were not happy. (I mean, why should people come to our blogs to read about a photo on Pinterest when they could read the whole thing in a Pinterest description...?)

Pinterest finally implemented a character limit a few months ago. YAY! But now they are going so far as to have descriptions of the pin automatically upload when someone pins your photo... if you aren't careful, that could be a big BOO!

Here are a few examples from photos of mine that others have pinned.

1. DSCN4220 This doesn't tell anyone about this photo, other than the fact that the blogger (that would be me) was lazy and opted not to rename it. I should have named it "soaking burner in ammonia" or something like that.

2. How to store fresh produce - From A to Zucchini (And a handy printable.) This is the title of the blog post itself. This is an older post, so I am not sure how it shows up like this... did the pinner copy and paste it into the description? Did Pinterest do it automatically? (click HERE to read original post)

3. cleaning stove burners, grates This is how I saved the photo. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I should have named it "How to easily clean your stove burners" or something that is easily searchable. (click HERE to read original post)

4. The V Spot: Make ahead, stuffed French Toast This is the new thing that Pinterest seems to be doing, at least for me. It adds the name of my blog and whatever the title of the post is. It's cool for this particular post, but I don't always name my posts something so clear and concise. (click HERE to read original post)

This is what I have found to be the safest route:
First, try to create a "beauty shot" and put text onto the photo (without obscuring the subject). Explain what it is and show it first in your post. It is the photo that people are most likely to pin.
Here's an example of one I did for a recent project:

To read about this project click HERE

Don't laugh, but I saved this photo as unique, easy, DIY, wedding gift, anniversary gift, cheap, inexpensive I wanted to have key words that someone might be searching for. But remember photo #3 above..? I didn't want that coming up as the description, so I did the only thing I have found that ensures the description says what I want it to say... I went into Pinterst and did it myself.

Publish your post and copy the link, then go into Pinterest. Go either to Goodies or About and then Pin It Button. Scroll down until you find Pin It Button For Websites.

Add your link into the "URL of the page the pin is on" then type in your description. As you type, the code below is automatically updated with your description. Copy the code, then go back and edit your post by inserting the code directly under your Beauty Shot.

Now when my photo is pinned using the "Pin it" button next to the photo, it automatically has this description:

You can add your blog name, instructions to click for tutorial or recipe... whatever.
All of the other photos on the page are automatically pinning with the title of the post, but that's OK, because the shot most likely to get pinned is set up.

(Does this work every time? No. If someone is pinning from the "Pin It" tool on their browsers tool bar they will probably get the title of your post.)

Can pinners change the description to whatever they want? Of course they can. But you should try to make it as easy as possible for them to pin it, remember why they pinned it, and hopefully find their way to your blog or website.

If you don't know how to find out what you have had pinned on Pinterest, it's very easy:

Just type in /source/ followed by the URL of your website.

How are you doing with all of these Pinterest changes? Love them or hate them? Am I doing this the hard way? Let me know!

Bird Watching

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

I love it when my kids take an interest in nature.
This month, Grant has decided that he is interested in birds.

I took all of these shots stealth-like, through the window. That which you study, you also change... so I didn't want him to see me.

He is so patient, sitting there with his bird-watching "gear".

We have a hummingbird feeder that is quite the birdy hot-spot, and we have a pair of Finches (?) that have a spring/summer home above one of our outdoor speakers and they return to it each year and obligingly fill it with baby birds.

He is very careful to sketch and categorize his observations:

The Finches, feeding the babies.

He started a little book of birds he has observed in our backyard. For some of them, I think he's mistaken.

1. Just in case you thought it might be yours...
2. Can you read the description of the Humming Bird...? The humming bird is the fastest flapping bird that ever lived. It has no legs. (No, it is not mutated.)

Also, it appears we have a wayward Siki Bird. We are a long way from Japan. I did not know they had an official bird, but I guess that makes sense.

3. I am sorry I missed the day when a peacock came into our yard....
4. This bird is either a Robin, or is very embarrassed.

He is such a crack up. My very favorite though? This way he came up with to categorize the birds he saw in the yard.

Small, Medium and Big

Do your kids do things like this?

Make ahead, stuffed French Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

One of my favorite breakfast/brunch recipes is for Stuffed French Toast with Pears and Cream Cheese. I serve it every Mother's Day and have made it for Christmas morning on several occasions.

It is delicious, but what I like best about it is that you can put it all together the night before and simply pop it into the oven the next morning. (That way you aren't missing any of the fun because you're stuck in the kitchen!)

Stuffed French Toast with Pears & Cream Cheese

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

2 medium pears, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp light brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp fresh, chopped rosemary
1 large loaf of French bread, cut into thick slices (about 14)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp orange extract (or 2 Tbsp Grand Marnier)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups milk
3 large eggs
1Tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

In a large skillet, saute pears and brown sugar in butter over a medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the rosemary. Cook about 2 more minutes. You want the pears tender, but not over-cooked.

Place a single layer of bread in a greased rectangular baking dish. Spoon the pear mixture evenly over the layer of bread.

Mix the cream cheese and orange extract (or liqueur) until totally combined and smooth.

Spread on the remaining slices of bread, then place cream cheese side down on first layer of bread and the pears. (You will have a pan full of pear and cream cheese sandwiches....)

Melt the other 2 Tbsp of butter and brush over the tops of the bread. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients, and pour slowly over the bread slices. You want to do this slowly so that the milk and egg mixture can really soak into the top slices of bread as you pour.

Cover and refrigerate over night (or up to 24 hours.)

Bake, uncovered at 375degrees for about 40 minutes. The toast should look puffy and golden brown around the edges. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Serve with warm syrup, or berries, or powdered sugar (or all of them...)

Enjoy!

A DIY, personalized wedding or anniversary gift for less than $20

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:15:00 +0000

This might be a little silly (or a bit TMI) for some folks, but I think it's cute.

Today I'm going to show you how to make an easy piece of "couples" artwork for less than $20 and in under an hour (not counting drying time.)

I think this "Spooning" artwork would be very cute for a wedding gift or for an anniversary gift. (Or in my case, just because.)

When I was at SNAP! I saw spoons that had been hammered flat and had text hammered into them. (I cannot remember the vendor that had them, so sorry.) I think they were designed to be little plant or garden markers. Anyhow, a few weeks later I saw a big bin of spoons at my local Goodwill and found two that I thought had a kind of cool design on them. And for .29 cents a piece, why not?

Supplies needed:

Old frame and glass
1 can silver and 1 can black spray paint (I used Krylon)
adhesive letters (I used my Cricut and Contact paper)
acrylic paint (I used Martha Stewart's Sea Lavender and Blue Sky)
strong adhesive (I like Amazing Goop)
2 spoons (best if one is a little bigger than the other)

The colors I used match our bedroom, but obviously, you could choose whatever like. If you wanted to, you could also make this work for the kitchen.
I took an old frame that I had laying around and spray painted it silver.

Then I took the glass from the frame and I spray painted it black. (Yes, you can spray paint anything, including glass.)

I played around with the placement of the spoons and the contact paper letters.

At the end of the day, I thought our names made it too busy and opted to leave them off of the project.

I figured out where the spoons would go and adhered the letters accordingly. Once the letters were pressed on, I added the two blue paint colors I wanted. (Just squirt the paint directly onto the glass.)

Apply the paint, making sure your brush strokes go in one direction only. (I chose side to side, horizontally.) When the paint is set (but not totally dry) go ahead and carefully start peeling up the letters. I used the tip of an exacto knife and tweezers to pull them off.

When all of the letters have been peeled away and the paint is dry, apply the adhesive to the lowest part of the back of the spoon (basically where the bowl of the spoon rests when you set it on the table) and also on the back of the handle where it hits the table.

Once the glue is applied to the spoons, carefully position them where you want them and let them sit. I let mine cure overnight, just to be sure it was nice and secure.

I love how it turned out. I think it's fun and whimsical, and it is certainly unique.

What do you think? Happy crafting!

Check the bottom of the blog to see where I link up.

Also linking up at Today's Creative Blog and Home Stories A2Z

Field Trip: Newport Beach, California

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Sat, 19 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Newport Beach for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I know that Southern California is a vacation destination for a lot of people, but because I live here, I frequently find myself taking it for granted.
I recently had several out-of-state girlfriends come to visit me. I played tour guide and we had a great time, but one of the things I really wish I had done was to get them down to Newport Beach. It really is one of the best beach towns in SoCal. When I was in high school, it was the beach of choice. We even rented a beach house there to celebrate our graduation.
If you go the Newport Beach visitor's site, you can get information about the city, the activities and great places to stay. With summer coming up soon, there are lots of hotel packages too. (For example, The Hyatt Regency has a promotion where Mom and Dad can book a room and get an adjoing room for the kiddos at half price if they mention The Family Plan)
The visitor's site can help you plan all sorts of activities and recommend places to go as well.

There are just tons of things to do and see in Newport Beach, and a lot of it is very kid friendly. I think I'll be taking Grant over to the tidepools this summer.
One of my favorite places to visit is Balboa Island. There is a restaurant there called The Village Inn that used to have a great piano player/singer there on the weekends and it was one of our favorite places to go. This reminds me that I need to go back for a visit.
So often if there is something great in our own backyard, we make the mistake of assuming that there is nothing new to discover there. I am going to have to make a point to rediscover one of my favorite places. It's only 20 minutes or so from the house... I can't believe we don't get over there more often.
Have you been to Newport Beach before? What was your favorite thing?

Lady killer.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Scene: Dinner time. We are all gathered around the table and Conner's phone keeps buzzing in the next room. He must have gotten 15 text notifications during dinner. (Note: Phones are not allowed at the table... it was in another room and I could hear it.) About a half an hour later there was another long series of text notifications.

Me: "Geez! Conner! Just who is it that wants you so much??!!"

Conner: (totally deadpan) "Girls, mom... Girls."

Careful, there... With much power, comes much responsibility.

Epic Fail: Terrariums

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:40:00 +0000

I am keeping it real here today.
When I was at the SNAP! Conference, I sat in on a session about adding texture, color and design to rooms. One of the speakers was Cynthia Bee from Utah Garden Blogs (Doesn't she have the best name ever for a gardener?! Love it!) She showed us all that we could do with plants, specifically, terrariums. She has a "how-to" post on her blog.

I came home from the conference determined to plant some terrariums. I ran to Lowe's to buy some moss.

(there was only 1 container of it, and it was damaged, so I got it 50% off)

I bought some activated carbon and aquarium gravel at the pet store, I gathered my glass containers, apothecary jars and cloches.... and went on a terrarium planting spree.

I was going to take photos of my beeeeeeee-you-tiful terrariums, and do a post about them, but I was out of town for a few days and figured I do it when I returned.

Um, it was NOT pretty.

And even worse...

So what did I do wrong? I have a few ideas...

Cynthia Bee told us to use activated carbon and hers was in powder form, but the guys at the pet store told me pellets would work. I think I should try powder.
I also wonder if the Irish moss that I snapped up at a bargain had the gnats already in there and then I brought it into my house.
My containers might have been a bit too small.

I must not have followed the directions well enough, (I sometimes just skim them and jump in) so I'll be giving this another try. I really think they look cool, and I love the idea of only watering it every once in a while. Here's another link that inspired me over at Miss Kopy Kat.

Worst case scenario...? As much as I would hate to, I might have to buy one.

Mother's Day: The food, the family, and the funny.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:13:00 +0000

Our annual Mother's Day Brunch was a bit smaller than usual, but it was still filled with love, laughter and some really good food. I know some people think it's a bit unusual that I (a mom) want to have hostessing/cooking duties on Mother's Day, but I enjoy it.

Me and my beautiful mom. Love her!!

It is so fun to have friends and family join us for a few hours and kick back, relax with a glass of champagne or a Bloody Mary and just enjoy each other.

And did I mention...? Food.

My Aunt Angie and... 1.) Baked Eggs in a Bacon-wrapped Polenta Crust (recipe HERE) 2.) Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy; 3.) fresh fruit; 4.) Fresh Baked Scones using these mixes; 5.) Pear & Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

The food is always so yummy! Handsome Hubby will be sharing the recipe and tutorial for making his fabulous Chicken Fried Steak very soon. My dad is a good 'ole boy from Texas and he loves HH's version.

Family is important too.

HH and the boys put a lot of thought and effort into cards and gifts.
Grant made a special art project with a lovely note and a key chain.

He worked hard on the project and was very excited to give it to me. He even helped me open it. I love that kid!
(I am special because I am "the only girl in the house"...)

HH cracked me up, getting me a card where he underlined my attributes and questioned the areas where I am, um, lacking a bit.

Conner gave me one of his fabulous homemade cards, where he called me valiant, imaginative and a Grammar Nazi all in one card, and Devin wrote a very touching note. Everything was so very sweet.

I love my kids so much!

Mitchell is always with his mom on Mother's Day, but I love him as one of my own too!

It was just a great, relaxing day.

I shared how I made my hanging photo centerpiece here.

Hope everyone had a lovely day and loved on the Moms in your life. How did you celebrate mom?

By the way, I am sharing how I recovered my patio chairs for this brunch over at Mom It Forward. Please stop by and check out the tutorial.

Baked Eggs in a Polenta Crust

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:58:00 +0000

My Mother's Day Brunch was smaller than usual, but was still filled with lots of yummy food. I am going to be sharing a few of those recipes over the next few days.

One of our favorite brunch dishes are these little baked eggs in a polenta and bacon crust. They are easy to make ahead of time and are a really pretty presentation on a buffet table.

Baked Eggs in a Bacon-Wrapped Polenta Crust

adapted from Brian Leatart, Bon Appetit via Epicurious.com

Polenta:
4 Tbsp of butter
1/2 cup of chopped green onions
2 tsp salt
6 cups water
2 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (not the grated kind in the canister)
1-2 Tbsp minced, fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme

Baked eggs:
about 20 slices of bacon
1/3 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1/3 cup grayed Gruyere cheese (if I can't get for a good price, I double the cheddar instead.)
2 dozen small to medium eggs
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 tsp minced, fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme
sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish

For Polenta:
Melt butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan or small stock pot. Add green onions and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil. Gradually add in polenta, whisking as you do so. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool to lukewarm.***

For baked eggs:
Par-fry bacon until slightly browned, but still pliable. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Line the edges of each muffin tin with a piece of bacon, forming a little ring. Place a small piece of bacon in the bottom of each cup.

Take about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cooled polenta and press into each muffin cup, up the sides and on the bottom of the cup, creating a little crust. The bacon should be in between the tin and the polenta. Sprinkle a bit of the cheeses on the bottom of each little crust of polenta. (This step can be done up to 2 hours ahead of time. Let stand at room temperature prior to baking.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Crack an egg into each cup. Top with more cheese, green onion, thyme and a bit of cracked pepper. Bake until egg whites are almost set... 16 to 20 minutes. Let eggs stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. They will continue to cook.

Run a small, sharp knife around the edges of the cups and slide the eggs onto a serving platter. Garnish with the sprigs of fresh thyme. Enjoy!
Makes 2 dozen eggs.
*** The polenta can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate. The polenta will be very firm. I have found it is harder to shape into the cups when it is cold....)

This dish is always a hit. Handsome Hubby forgot to spray the muffin tins this year so they were a bit difficult to remove. Next year we are going to try using muffin liners and see what happens.

Yum!

Click here to see what our brunch table centerpiece looked like...

A hanging centerpiece using photos and branches.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:29:00 +0000

Just the other day I wrote about how I needed to come up with a centerpiece for our annual Mother's Day Brunch. I didn't have a lot of time, and I never want to spend a lot of money, so here's what I came up with...

This book page chandelier and the photos of this beautiful tree served as my inspiration.

I chose 3 images from one flowering tree:

A big branch fell in our yard during the last storm. Handsome Hubby had put it by our woodpile, but fortunately he had not yet cut it up. (Hooray for free sticks and branches!) I had my local FedEx-Kinkos print up about 20 copies of each image. (Much easier and cheaper than using my own ink cartridges and printing them at home.)

I wanted them to have the image on both sides. I took some fishing line and taped it to the back of the paper, then added double-stick tape and sandwiched the line in-between the two images.

Handsome Hubby hung the branch from the top of our patio cover and then simply looped the photos over the branch. I had the photos with the most sky near the top, only a little sky in the middle and just a close up of the blossoms near the bottom.

My tablecloth this year was literally a drop cloth and I added a champagne bucket filled with Bougainvillea clippings from my yard. The photo printing cost about $25 but I already had everything else. Pretty affordable. I don't know that I loved the end result, but I liked it well enough.
My guests thought it was great... and in the end, isn't that what matters the most?

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day.

linking this to Today's Creative Blog

Mother's Day prep and a trip to Cost Plus World Market.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:45:00 +0000

I host a Mother's Day Brunch every year. Usually it's a pretty large gathering but this year, for a variety of reasons, it is going to be much smaller. I've been crazy busy, but I still want it to be special. So when I got an opportunity to check out my local Cost Plus World Market, I was not only excited, I was relieved I could "spruce up" my space a bit and prepare for the brunch. One stop shopping!

There is a little bit of everything in Cost Plus World Market.

They have all sorts of home accessories...

I got some new shades for the lamps on my buffet in the dining room and picked up a few new rugs to spruce up the bathroom. They have a huge supply of colorful dishes, but I always go for white. White dishes can go with anything... just change the accent colors!

I was also able to pick up yummy goodies for our brunch, and they are things that you can't always easily find at a common grocery store.

They also had great gifts.

There were soaps and lotions and candy and jewelry and candles and.... so many things to choose from. My mom says she's "at that age" and that she only wants consumables like candles and candy. However, she took an amazing trip to Sicily last year and I could not pass up this set of bath products. (And two giant, amazing looking chocolate bars.) I put it all in a gorgeous gift bag made out of handmade paper.

So! With a little gift, new rugs in the bathrooms and new shades on my buffet, I feel more ready to bake up some scones, warm up the real maple syrup and pop the champagne.

If you need some last minute help with Mother's Day, Cost Plus is some quick and easy one stop shopping.

Right now,Cost Plus World Market will giveaway two $50 gift cards once they reach 500,000 followers on Facebook. While you're over there checking out their page, be sure to enter their Rio de Janeiro Sweepstakes! The grand prize is a trip for 2 to Rio de Janeiro and they are giving away a $100 gift card to CPWM to a Facebook fan everyday! You can also follow them on Twitter.

Happy Mother's Day!

Life turns on a dime...

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:23:00 +0000

The loss of a loved one is a strange surreal reality. Life is completely normal except for one large, gaping hole. Each day the pain seems to become more real and defined as the reality of what has happened sinks in.

Heidi of Honeybear Lane, lost her sister-in-law, Alice Hansen, this week to complications following the birth of her third baby. She fought a hard fight to stay on this earth with her husband and three little children who love her dearly. But God wanted her with Him and there is none who can stop Him.

Her husband, Heidi's brother, was left behind to take care of their two little boys and newborn daughter.

Heidi's family opened a donation account for Alice and her family. This money will go towards funeral costs, residual medical expenses, and the costs of raising children without a mother or a job. Her brother is going through a very difficult thing and while nothing can replace the ache of losing his sweetheart, any sort of donation will help to ease the burdens a little.

If you would like to donate money directly, please visit Heidi's blog Honeybear Lane. You can donate easily by clicking the "Donate" button on the right sidebar. You can donate through Paypal, credit card, or e-check (a check directly from your bank account.) Any and all donations are appreciated.

Please also spread the word by sharing any posts you see about it. Share it on Facebook, tweet and re-tweet, whatever you feel comfortable with. You may use any of these beautiful printables that the talented Lara made for Alice. These printables represent the music that Alice made in her life--being a PhD in music. In addition to being a wonderful wife and mother, she was a very gifted pianist who traveled the world before getting married and having children. She shared that passion with her husband, also a pianist. Music brought them together.

Music was her passion. But her family was her life. She figuratively and literally gave her life for her children. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Message from Heidi: From the bottom of our grief-stricken hearts: Thank you.

I had the pleasure of meeting Heidi at the SNAP! Conference and my heart just aches for my friend and her whole family. I can't imagine the pain they are going through but am definitely keeping them in my prayers and hope that you will too.

Plant Food that won't hurt my dog...

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:52:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Last year we planted tomatoes, but none of them did terribly well. We had 3 or 4 different varieties, and we probably only got 3 or 4 tomatoes off each plant. Not too impressive.
I was wondering if the fact that we didn't give them any plant food could be the difference... so when Whitney Farms® asked me to try their plant food, I jumped at chance.

I really liked the fact that it's organic plant food, because of this creature...

She is so nosey! I don't want her poking around in anything that might hurt her. ( Whitney Farms® has organic soil too. ) My kids are old enough that I don't worry about them "getting into things" but honestly, if you can use a product that is organic, why on earth wouldn't you?

I had an already established tomato plant, so I followed the directions and added the Tomato and Vegetable food.

We have lots of flowers that could do a little bit better too, so I gave them a little of the Plant Food.

The instructions for application are really easy. I don't exactly have a Brown Thumb, but I am not what you'd call a super successful gardener either. I am looking forward to an improvement in our yard and garden. (I, for one, am going to start looking up recipes that call for tomatoes. Lots and lots of tomatoes.)
If you'd like to try Whitney Farms® there is a $3 coupon available on their website. Just click on the link. Happy Gardening!

I'm inspired by 2 objects. What will happen if I try to combine them?

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Mother's Day is fast approaching and I am wracking my brain to come up with something fabulous for my annual Mother's Day Brunch. (See previous years here, here or here)

It will be a smaller group this year, and I have less prep time since I was gone at the SNAP! Conference and then had a fabulous 5 days with my blogger friends. (More to come on that...) I want to have a fab centerpiece/focal point, but I don't want to spend a lot of time or ~~any~~ a lot of money.

Here's what I am thinking of trying to combine... This amazing looking book page chandelier that I saw in a shop called the Emporium at SNAP! and several of these beautiful floral photos that I took on the grounds where the conference was held.

Can you see where I'm going to try to go with this...? Do you think it'll work...? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Field Trip: The Orange County Swap Meet

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Do you have a swap meet near you? We have one near us and we forget how much fun it is to go there, so a few weeks ago that's how we decided to spend a Saturday morning.

I decided to take my camera so that I could blog about our little excursion...

There is all sorts of weirdness to be found at swap meets...
Are you in the market for a backyard water feature? How about a skull waterfall (with optional steam)?

Once your lovely water feature is installed, you can kick back and relax with your hookah pipe (with convenient travel case). (I'll say it again: there really should be a Sarcasm Font...)

There's also plenty of crap for sale...

But there are pretty cool things too. Like furniture.
I like the rusticity of this table...

and I really think this is so cool (albeit totally impractical since I feed 4 boys...)

It's just kind of cool to check things out.

There is fresh produce...

This is usually where I buy the sweet onions for my homemade onion rings.

There's fun stuff like shoes...

...and the Churro Guy...

...and fun, inexpensive costume jewelry...

Each of these pieces was only $5. I got this fun owl necklace... cuz it was silly and only $5.

And even with all of the shopping and food and great deals to be had, my very favorite thing is People Watching.

Beauty products, hats, food, clothes, bags, toys, art, flowers... I love that there is so much to see and so much of it is an awesome deal.

Do you have a swap meet near you?

A boy and his box... a love story.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Through blogging, I sometimes have the good fortune of receiving a box of craft supplies or other goodies. They are sent to me so that I can play around with them and try them out.
I get excited about the goodies, but Grant gets excited because there is A Box.

What is it about little boys and boxes? He will play with them for hours...

I just received a box from Plaid Crafts. I am always eager to see the fun items and craft supplies that are available.

I am really looking forward to playing around with the Mod Podge Dimensional Magic. I know it's been out for a while, but I haven't tried it yet. (Grant found this particular box to be of little interest, since it was not big enough for him to sit in.)

And back to Grant... he knows that boxes addressed to me usually contain crafty stuff.

Clearly, I am supposed to guess whether this box contains Crafts, a Baby, or Spray Paint. (The kid knows me SO well!)

Oh! It contained a baby after all. (A baby who is now 8 years old and is looking more and more like his dad with every passing day. Where does the time go...?)

Is there a craft supply or a technique you want to try out?

Free FTD Flowers for Mom...? Sure!

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:51:00 +0000

The other day I posted about the gorgeous flowers that Better Homes and Gardens and FTD teamed up to make some fabulous flower arrangements.

Want $50 worth of this floral goodness to send to your Mom on Mother's Day? (Which is May 13th, by the way.) The nice people and BHG and FTD are providing a $50 online credit to one of my readers. Want to win?

Here's what you do:

Leave me a comment about what you love best about your mom. Simple.

For an extra entry:

Share this giveaway on facebook or tweet about it and come back and leave me a comment.

That's it.

Easy Peasy.

Please make sure you have enabled your email so that I can find you if you win.

Giveaway ends Monday 5/7/12 at noon PST.

I don't have what it takes to home school my kids.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:00:00 +0000

I have a lot of respect for people who are able to home school their kids. Personally, I would never be able to do it.

I don't have enough patience, that's for sure. And while I would certainly be able to help with the Language Arts portion of their schooling,

...Math would be a problem for me. Oh! And I need them to be out of the house for a few hours each day.

Handsome Hubby and I were talking about this the other night and he agreed with me...
"Yep, instead of home schooled, our kids would be home screwed..."

That's my man... keeping it real since 2002. Some of us are born teachers, and some of us, um, are not.

What about you? Do you home school your kids?

Please vote for my story in KFC's So Good So Sweet contest.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I shared with you that one of my favorite memories with our family was when Handsome Hubby was teaching the boys how to cast with their fishing poles... in our driveway.

That post was sponsored by KFC's So Good So Sweet contest and there are 50 bloggers who were chosen to write about their favorite unexpected meaningful moment. Spontaneity can be such a good thing when it comes to spending time with loved ones. Sometimes it seems we spend all sorts of time trying to plan and it just doesn't come together, you know?

Anyhow, the 50 posts in the contest can be found here, and you can vote for your favorite story. The blogger with the most votes wins a brand new iPad! (I don't have an iPad... just sayin'...) Do you know what happens to you if you go over and vote? You'll be entered to win one of five great prizes, such as; chef services, a personal organizer, a digital camera, house cleaning or an American Express gift card! You'll also be able to gain an additional entry by pinning your favorite stories to your boards on Pinterest.

Pretty cool, yes?

When Online friends become Real Life friends... (And when renting a house makes more sense than staying in a hotel.)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

I love bloggy friends. I love it even more when they become friends in "real life".
Last week I went to Salt Lake City for the SNAP! Conference. My flight got in at 11:00 and I was going to be sharing a ride to the conference with my friend Bev from Flamingo Toes... but her flight didn't get in until 1:15. I was not looking forward to figuring out what to do with myself for 2+ hours in an airport

Do you know what happened? One of the bloggy "friends" whom I had "known" for years lives right outside of Salt Lake City... Xazmin from This Is The Year drove to the airport and kept me company in the baggage claim area for 2 hours while I waited for Bev.

I am sure we kept the people around us very entertained while we tried to take a self-portrait with a phone.
It must have been like watching monkeys try and figure out a computer.

I think that one's assessment of a person they know only through an online relationship is usually
pretty accurate. From knowing Xazmin online my impression was that she was funny, warm, friendly, loved her family and friends, and often put others before herself. Guess what? I was pretty much spot on.

After sitting with me in the airport, she was even so kind as to ride around with us and serve as a tour guide while we did some quick "drive by" site-seeing. After the conference I had a good 6 hours before my flight, so she and her husband drove out to pick me up at my hotel and brought me back to their home for a visit with their family. We had an awesome pizza lunch (I was super excited, because Papa Murphy's isn't readily available in Southern California) and then the whole family took me on a tour of Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

I am not a Mormon, but I was interested in the architecture of the Temple, the history of what they believe and why they believe it, and I also wanted to be able to see the things that are important to them. Sundays are Family Days for them, so I was so honored and grateful that they let me be a part of their Sunday. (And after that? They even drove me to the airport!! Couldn't be nicer.)

I am very excited because tomorrow 6 of my blog friends (turned real life friends) are flying in for a long Girls' Weekend. I "met" these women in 2009, around the time I was "meeting" Xazmin. Last May we all met up in Austin, Texas and had such a great time together that I think we're going to make this an annual get-together. This time they're coming to my neck of the woods. I can't wait to see them!

Bottom right corner, L-R Jen from Harried Mom of Four; Becca from The Texas Darlings (and also R We There Yet Mom?);
me; Jenny Kate from Jenny Kate's Spot; IA from Impulsive Addict; and Shawn from Seriously
{also, she wasn't able to join us last year, but this year Connie from The Young and The Relentless will be with us too!}

We have rented a beach house about 20 minutes from where I live. If you have never looked into renting a house instead of a hotel room when on vacation, I suggest you check it out. Through airbnb.com we found a big house, 2 blocks from the beach and big enough to sleep 10 people. Do you know what the breakdown was for each of us for 5 days, 4 nights? $270 per person. Such a great deal! Want to see our house?

Yep. The whole house... three floors with a view of the ocean from the top.

Think about what a hotel would cost each night... and that you'd pretty much have to eat all of your meals out. We have a kitchen, we'll be able to hang out and just visit without the need to "go somewhere" in order to do it. (Of course, we'll be going places too. I don't think they don't believe me that the best part of Hollywood is in the movies.) I can't wait to see them!

I'm sure we'll be tweeting, facebooking and instagram-ing the whole time. I'm looking forward to this soooo much!