Painted Animal Jars, Garlands, Boho and More........A Few of My Favorite Finds

Hello Lovelies!

Ever have those days where you stumble on a bunch of FABULOUS things?

I had one of those days........

and now I'm sharing my favorite finds with you!

First up, the talented and beautiful Heather from Bells in the Woods

 posted this last Thursday.

Painted Animal Jars!

Source: Woods of Bell Trees

Love, Love, Love! 

Can't you see them in a child's room, kitchen, bathroom

or anywhere?

Bunnies on top for Easter.  

Deer on top for a Rustic Christmas.

Roosters for a Kitchen........

So many uses:)

Thank you Heather!!!

Visit Bells in the Woods for directions.

Next, I stumbled on this doily garland.

Not sure where but it is pretty cool!

Holy Heck.......

Don't you just LOVE these 

OMBRE painted pine cones?    

Source: Whimzeecal

 They look complicated but after viewing the tutorial, not so bad. 

 I think:)

 

Okay, my daughter is a fan of a surf lifestyle blog called SWELL.

They have bunches of cool ideas, like this one!

A Scarf that is knotted in two places to form a Kimono shape wrap.

Check out swell for the instructions, but be warned.........

it's SUPER EASY!

                Source: DIY Scarf Kimono Wrap

Cute, Cute, CUTE!!!

This would totally make a baby's room perfect:)

Source: Bella Gray

You know those infinity scarves you see everywhere?

This one becomes a cowl scarf too!

Full instructions and pattern at Gleeful Things!

                       

 Source: Gleeful Things

What'd I tell you?  

Seriously cool stuff!!!!

Linking up with 

Katherine's Corner Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop!

Katherine's Corner

XOXOXO

Suzanne

Maybe This World Needs Prayer, a Group Hug, and a Milk and Cookies Party!

photo:www.adoreevents.biz

and you think i'm kidding, right?

nope!

really, after this week. . .

year. . .

decade. . .

there's a whole lot of sense to this.

to me anyways:)

prayer is a given.

number one on the list.

because nothings really gonna change without it.

prayer and love. . . . .and Faith in God.

and a moral wake up call.

and some good ol' simple, Christian values.

but at least, let's start with prayer.

a group hug. . . .

you know what i mean by this, right?

there's so much hate floating around out there,

and while we can't "hug" everyone,

we can care.

and love.

and pray for them.

which is kind of like a group hug:)

and when all else fails,

we can throw an awesome party for those we care about.

a comforting, reassuring, 

remind you of innocent days kind of party.

like maybe a 

milk and cookies party!

i told you i wasn't kidding:)

actually, Robert Fulghum said it best in his book

All I Really Need to Know

 I Learned in Kindergarten

(one of my favorite books EVER)

“Think what a better world it would be if we all. . . .the whole world. . . .had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are. . . .when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.” Robert Fulghum

LOVE THAT QUOTE!

some of the pictures i'm gonna show you are

from a child's birthday,

which, in my opinion, is genius!

i mean, what else does a 1 or 2 year old even need for their party?

it's brilliant and adorable...what more is there?

other pictures are from weddings.

oh yes, some people know how to do it.

a rustic wedding, with great decorations and themed dessert tables,

like a milk and cookies table, a cupcake and ice cream cone table. . . .

and instead of confetti or rice, they throw sprinkles.

(are you listening girls?  because i know one of you

will let me plan a wedding reception like this someday:)

anyway, i hope you like these ideas.

and what am i trying to say here. . . .

oh heck, how could you not like them:)

alrighty then, let's get started!

photo: www.occasionsonline.com

i mean, these babies in their rustic chic setting should convince you,

but if not. . . .

this bride and groom have milk and cookies for the ride home.

cute:)

and some awesome party favors. . . . .

photos: www.swankypear.com, 

am i convincing you yet that this is a great idea?

photo:www.greenweddingplannerblog.com

photos: www.libbyjamesblog.com, party-wagon.com
 no one says you can't have other stuff at your party,
personally i think whoopie pies would be a fabulous idea too:)
photo below:shop.andersruff.com

 photo: glitterweddings.com

and because i'm kinda nice,

most of the time(;)

i'll share a few recipes with you.

one is mine, and it is a repost from a few years back,

but it's been pinned a lot of times so i'll make it simple and share with you.

These are so good, so white and sugary and look pretty wrapped in a

clear cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon.

Oh my gosh, I'm making myself hungry for sugar cookies at 9:30 in the morning!

*note. . . .these are not cut-out sugar cookies to decorate, but more like a classic

sugar cookie you would buy in a bakery.

you know, back in the day:)

AMISH SUGAR COOKIES:

Beat Well:

1 C Sugar

1 C Powder Sugar

1 C Butter

1 C Corn Oil (We used Canola Oil)

~~~ Beat the above ingredients, then add in:

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Cream of Tarter

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

4 1/2 C Flour

mix thoroughly

Baking Directions:

Drop a heaping tsp on greased or parchment lined cookie sheet.

Flatten with a glass bottom dipped in sugar.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 min. or till edges are golden.

(we add a sprinkle of sugar when they come out too. . . what can i say:)

not in the mood for sugar cookies?

how about some big, soft, ginger cookies!

 go to allrecipes for the yummy recipe:)

 that's it for today.

i hope you have a milk and cookies kind of day:)

xoxo

Suzanne

Pretty (if i say so myself:) Burlap Bag AND Slow Cooker Oatmeal

well hello there!

today i am joining in on Katherine's 

Favorite Things Thursday. . . . .

and i'm gonna show you one of my favorite things, 

as well as a recipe i've been trying

to make forever!!!

first up, the bag.

i found this burlap bag with a flower on the front

for my friend who owns the shop here in Naples where we sell

our Beach Gypsy stuff.

i think it was literally the last Christmas gift i bought,

and i found it at another friend's shop downtown

 a few nights before Christmas.

i wish i could find more,

cause i would make them for everyone i know:)

like it?

i didn't do much, but i think it's pretty cute.

it was already pretty, but i added pieces of cut-up doilies,

as well as pearls and crystals.

oh, and i used fabric no sew glue.

EASY!!!

  

okay, it seems as if i have been trying to find a recipe for

slow cooker overnight oatmeal forever!

seriously, we try various recipes,

 and it either turns out like gross looking runny mush,

or it's burnt and stuck to the slow cooker soooooo badly,

i want to throw the whole thing away.

that's how it is.

but on Pinterest, i found one and we decided to give it a try.

mainly because Jenn from Frugal Upstate Living knew what i was going through. . . . .

and because she tried it various ways with a number of testers, like in a test kitchen.

She posts the recipes for each way but i chose the one she made first. . . . .

variation #1.

now, it would have helped if we remembered to turn the crock pot on

before going to bed.
duh. . . . . . 

oh yes. . . . . . we are THAT flaky! haha

but when we eventually did make it, it was amazing!
here is the recipe, or you can visit Jenn to see more. . . . .
and p.s.; we added chopped apples and they were SUPER!!!

Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut or regular oats (NOT Quick Oats!)

4 cups water

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1  TBS butter

1/2  tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine all in crockpot and cook on low for 8hrs.  Serve with milk & cinnamon sugar.

Variations:

Add up to 1 C raisins/dried fruit before cooking.

Add 1 chopped fresh apple before cooking.

Top with fresh fruit (in season) or canned fruit (drained).

Add a pat of butter or a dollop of jam/preserves.

Drizzle with honey.

talk about a yummy breakfast!

next time i'll make more, for sure:)

joining in with this fun blog hop.

and just a question for others out there. . . .
i would LOVE to join more during the week,
but forget or don't know of them.
any tips for keeping things straight,
or do you have any favorites I should check out?
please help this terribly disorganized aka flaky person out:)
xoxo
Suzanne 

20 days till Christmas......

does that make you smile or scream?  haha

here is how i look at it this year.......

i'd rather enjoy the moments more and worry less about details and things

we "always" do or "used" to do.

every year and every Christmas is special for 2 reasons......

we are celebrating Christ's birth and we are able to do special things for

those we love.

right?

i realized last night i haven't "decorated" my blog for the Holidays,

so when i have time today, that's what i'll be doing.

please check it out tomorrow:)

for today, a quick peek at a few of my favorite things.......

and goodness knows i have a lot of those!

first of all, we all know i love ballerinas!!!!!

so imagine how excited i was to find these snowflake ballerinas.

to make, you simply cut out paper snowflakes and insert 

a ballerina into the center.

if you need to learn how to make the snowflakes,

the simplest thing is to google that.  

MANY templates will come up and you can pick the style you like.

click HERE to go to the site where you can get a template for the ballerina.

a few wreaths i love this season........

this wreath (boxwood?) with an oversize initial.

LOVE IT!

i might make one of these ornament wreaths........they are so easy,

and i really like it in all whites/champagne tones.

i am CRAZY about my new RED slipcover!

i have an IKEA sectional and can't recommend it enough,

 mainly because the slip covers are so cheap and you can change things up for a new look!

I will always love my WHITE slipcover,

 but living in Florida, this red makes it all a bit more festive.  

i'll probably keep it on through February:)

bucket list, bucket list.....

forget about making one for your life.......

maybe just make one for your Holiday season:)

are you a CRAZY mom?

well, don't sweat it.......

take the "crazy mom" challenge from iMom 

(one of my favorite sites ever!)

do you tend to panic and forget what you have to do on Christmas Eve,

besides get ready for Jesus' birthday?:)

well here you go........

well, enough for now.

need to do a blog makeover and...........

surf's up!

xoxoxo

Suzanne

Friday Favorites......Beauty Tips and Favorite Looks

happy friday!

(actually, i thought it was Thursday when i woke up)

i was so convinced that when i saw "Friday" on the morning paper,

i thought they made a mistake!

duh......

i'm just a little freaked out cause

that means it's LESS than a week till Miss Taylor Ballerina

heads to Boston Ballet for 5 weeks.

YIKES!

i can't think about that right now.

because.......

i have to show you a few of my favorites!

beauty tips:

i love when i see something demonstrated so simply,

 like these eyes...

~simply natural eye shadow

light shadow on the lid, light/med brown in the crease,

touch of black eyeliner on top lid and smudged brown shadow liner lightly under the eye, followed by black mascara.

 talk about timeless.

(one make up artist says lining the top with black and the bottom with brown creates a soft, sexy eye.  so there you go:)

~this next eye is obviously more dramatic but the step by step photos are so clear,

no need for words:)

~layer your eyeliner

liquid eyeliners are popular,

but this pro says they are too hard for the average user to apply accurately.

ahem.....she must mean me:)

anyway, she suggests layering eyeliner to get a precise look and stay put wear.

start with an eye pencil and apply to eyelid.  

then put liquid eyeliner on top, following the line you

already drew.

supposedly it's perfect and lasts! 

~make-up brushes

according to total beauty,

we only need basic makeup brushes.

1.  Foundation Brush (?)

2.  Concealer Brush

3.  Fluffy Powder Brush

4.  Blush Brush

5.  Small Blending Brush

6.  Flat eye brush

7.  Precision angle brush

8.  Lip Brush

i guess you could say that means i don't need the other 10

 i must have floating around:)

~get rid of blemishes with vinegar?

that's what they say!

apparently you mix one part apple cider vinegar with

10 parts water. 

put it in a clean glass container and after washing your face.

dab the solution on your blemishes with a cotton ball.

you can apply it several time/day without drying  out your skin.

vinegar helps adjust the PH balance in your skin, treating and preventing blemishes.

go figure!

worth a try:) 

~toe nails

How to get white nails -- make a paste using 1 tbsp peroxide

 and 2 1/4 tbsp baking soda. 

Let this paste sit on your nails for 5 minutes and voila!

 White nails! Totally works!

moving on to my favorite looks.......

i love her hair.

so pretty!

the hair i would have if i could.

but mine is too short.

not straight at all.

and my husband would probably ask me what's wrong with my hair.

but i love it:)

~boho purse/handbag

by the way, which is it?  purse or handbag?)

i grew up calling it a purse.

my grandma called it a pocketbook.

and it seems most people i know down here call it a handbag.

whatever, i LOVE this boho/gypsyish

 purse/handbag/pocketbook!

can't you just see it with jeans, sandals and a white tank top?

(my favorite look:)

speaking of favorite looks,

i am such a casual person.

i would wear jeans everyday of the week.

(and pretty much do:)

so it's no surprise that these 4 looks have a pair of jeans.

starting with my favorite look right now.......

cute, cute, CUTE!

and what do i love about the second one?

jeans, of course.

paired with a dressy/glitzy tank top in cream.

all the gold (i'm into gold or rose gold these days)

basically just all the natural colors mixed with denim!

the one above is a great go to a movie or shopping outfit.

the jeans are the PERFECT shade of faded denim 

and the natural tan sandals and purse are

perfectly.....NATURAL:)

this last one i must have "pinned" 10 times.

every time i see it i love it more!

if i can't wear cream/white with my denim,

give me soft grey!

 but the shoes are not me.

cute, but not me:)

and LASTLY, the most perfect beauty tips of all time......

 CIAO!

Suzanne

eye candy...

definition:   something that is INCREDIBLY pleasing to the eye.

something you just can't stop staring at.

now, i THINK the term "eye candy" came about to describe a VERY

attractive person...girl OR guy.

so for those of you who want THAT kind of eye candy,

i give you Mr. Phantom of the Opera himself...

Gerard Butler.

i know...SERIOUS eye candy:)

actually, i have a board on pinterest that is just for eye candy...

STUFF that is so amazing, so beautiful, I don't know where else to file it.

my vintage glam, shabby chic, dreamy creams and whites and stuff i love boards have 

lots of eye candy too:)

so i thought i'd share some of my favorite eye candy with you.

ENJOY:)

(all photos with links can be found on my pinterest boards)

shades of sea glass eye candy

for the bride...LOTS of eye candy:)

vintage "brooch bouquet

shabby chic wedding...sigh:)

oh yes...definitely eye candy!

cinderella shoes

cake plus cake pops...sweet eye candy!

no way...we EAT these gorgeous things? 

BEAUTIFUL!!!

 true eye candy;)

 feathers never looked so lovely! (feather tutu)

 i might seriously think about another baby after seeing this...

shhh...don't tell my husband!

hahaha

 okay, okay...i'll settle for another puppy:)

talk about adorable eye candy!

shades of shabby chic...perfectly shabby eye candy:)

holy guacamole...cool cake pops!

okay...look closely at these.

can you BELIEVE they are made from watercolor paint and coffee filters?????

EYE CANDY!

STUNNING!

 vintage jewelry

pretty and pastel...for spring!

LOVE the pillows!

more cake...

can you call this cake?  or are these works of art?

one thing for sure...they are EYE CANDY!!

and one of my favorite eye candy photos...of course...

those cheeks!:)

personally, i think even food is eye candy sometimes.

TOO MANY times:)

white chocolate lemon truffles.

(from kitchensimplicity)

White Chocolate Lemon Truffles

• 1 cup white chocolate
• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. heavy cream
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp. lemon extract
• icing sugar, for dusting

1. Melt chocolate, butter and cream over a double boiler or in a microwave. Stir until smooth.
2. Stir in salt and extract. Allow to cool slightly before covering with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm enough to handle.
3. With a melon baller or small spoon scoop out mixture and form into 1 inch balls. Toss with icing sugar to coat.
4. Store covered in the fridge for up to one week. Freeze for longer storage.

Makes: 24

* Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salty flavour of these truffles. The pinch of salt helps to cut through the sweetness of the white chocolate. If you decide to use salted butter make sure to omit the pinch of salt called for in the recipe or they will be far too salty.

* If you want to amp up the yellow color, stir in some yellow food coloring along with the extract and salt.

lastly, if you notice, i have a new "print this" button at the bottom of my posts.  

just trying to make life easy for ya:)

CIAO...

Suzanne