French Inspired

French inspired…

I often find myself scouring Craig’s List for treasures that need a little lovin’. Sometimes there is nothing and then some days there is something special that really gets me excited….excited enough to tear up my hands pulling staples! Ouch!

Most recently, I found a little setee that I thought needed me!  I forgot to take a before pic, which I now realize would make things a whole lot more interesting for you…but I’ll just tell you that she wasn’t looking good.  The fabric was drab and dirty.  The stain was kind of meh.  So I got to work.

First, the hard work…stripping the fabric. This gets a zero on the fun and creative scale…ZEE-RO!  But it must be done!  So I got all that icky fabric off in preparation for the transformation! 

With the frame bare I got to sanding and then painting it a taupe-y neutral paint.  Then I distressed the piece to highlight her pretty details. Next, I applied a dry brush glaze and finished it all off with furniture wax for a silky furniture sheen. 

Once I had the frame painted I knew exactly which fabric I wanted to use.  I had fallen in love and purchased couple yards of this wonderful fabric a while back not knowing exactly how to use it.  I believe it was meant for this setee!  The fabric is chocolate and cream with a touch of purple. It has a wonderful linen-y texture and the print is a French script {so I don’t know what it says…} but it is gorgeous and so different!   The purple is an image of a wax seal...so much beautiful detail!

 I also have it in gray and white and I’m planning on using it on a wing back that is laying in waiting in the basement!

So, I will admit that the act of upholstering furniture is not really “fun”, but when it’s done…oh my!  So satisfying to see something transformed from yuck to wow!

…Voila! 

And just as in the grand circle of life…she’s back on Craig’s 2 just weeks later! I can't keep all these projects, you know.  My house would be like an episode of hoarders! So, I fix them up and sell them.  It's fun.

 I wonder if her original owner would recognize her now? 

X0,

Shan

Arugula & Orzo Summer Salad

Hey, I’ve got a special treat for you! 

I first had this salad a couple of years ago at a friend's house and it wow'd me!  So simple and yet I couldn't get enough! I've shared it with my family and now, I want to share it with you!  

.   .   .   .   .   .   . 

 This Arugula & Orzo Summer Salad is one of my all time favorites! The combination of crisp, spicy arugula with chilled orzo pasta, {I love cold pasta!} tangy feta and sweet cranberries is a perfect combination of flavors!  This salad is light and refreshing and if you throw in a few strips of grilled chicken, you would be set for dinner! 

So, let’s get started!

Here’s the line up…

1/2 package Orzo pasta-prepared  and chilled 

{I find that  1/2” the package a makes a good family size salad}

1 package of dried cranberries or dried cherries

1 bag of baby arugula lettuce

1-6oz.  container of crumbled Feta 

{if you’re crazy about Feta you might want break into a second container!}

1 Lemon for zest and juice

Olive Oil—You’re going to be drizzling.  

It’s completely up to you how much you use! 

Salt and Pepper-to taste

.   .   .   .   .   .   . 

Like most salads, the instructions are pretty basic….combine and toss! 

Start with the orzo and arugula in a large bowl.  

Next give it a drizzle with the olive oil 

{just do it like you would dress any salad—

you can always add a little more to moisten it up later}

Next squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon 

{If you really love  citrus , I’d zest the peel before squeezing the juice. }  

How about a little salt and pepper to taste?  Yes!

Give that a toss and then throw in the feta and cranberries. 

One final toss and then give it a taste!  

{Mmmm…Delish!}

You might want to season it a little more or if you feel so inclined, add another drizzle of the olive oil. 

That's it!  Ready to serve!

.   .   .   .   .   .   . 

One thing I love about this salad is how great it tastes the next day!  The arugula really stays crisp!  So, don’t worry if you have some left over and definitely do not throw it out!!! 

Summer is officially here! 

 I hope you are having a great one!

-S

Hello Stranger...

hello, stranger!

Oh wait, I guess I’ve been the stranger.  Sorry!  Recently a friend of mine said that she missed “the Nook”.  I took this as challenge to post more than 1x per year.  Is that so hard???  Sometimes, yes.  

The truth is I do really enjoy blogging, but time just gets away from me.  Doesn’t it do that to you too?

Confession: If I borrowed a fraction of the time I spend scrolling and “pinning” I could probably turn out a post or two....or a hundred. 

Anyhow, today I have something to share.  Something good, and I mean something that TASTES good.  And anything that tastes good is worth sharing, right? 

During all the aforementioned scrolling and pinning I found an interesting recipe pin and wouldn’t you know?  I actually made it!  What???  Yes, I actually made something I pinned and I liked it!  No Joke!

SO, The pin that inspired me was for Greek Yogurt Pancakes. 

(You can feel free to go over there for the recipe if you want.  I’m not trying to say that I INVENTED Greek yogurt pancakes, but I am going to give you my play-by-play right here at the nook.)

Now, know this…I am a pancake-traditionalist (butter and maple syrup and occasionally a few blueberries. That is it for me.) and I have a pretty slam-dunk recipe that I got from my grandma, so I’m not saying that this is “my pancake recipe” but this recipe is truly awesome because it’s way healthier than my grandma’s pancakes and I feel pretty good about eating these cakes….ALL DAY LONG.

This recipe is also simple…as in EASY.  The ingredient list is inexpensive too.  There is no reason not to try this.  

I’m calling mine Protein Packed Greek Yogurt Pancakes

PPGYP??? Ok, Maybe not.

Let’s just get started…

Buy this:

1 container (6oz) Greek yogurt (any variety-you really don’t taste the flavor much…at least I didn’t)

1 egg 

1/2 cup flour (whole wheat if you like)

1 tisp baking soda

A splash of milk or Light Vanilla silk milk (could be up to 1/4c.)

Do this….

Start by getting your griddle goin’.  Medium heat and give it a little spray of the cooking spray.

Now, In a bowl, mix up your egg and your yogurt until it’s nice and creamy. 

Next add the flour and baking soda and mix ‘er up.

You’re going to notice that this batter is THICK!  That’s okay because we’re going to use the milk to thin it out.  That’s why I say “up to” 1/4 cup.  Just get it to the consistency that you like.

Hopefully by now your skillet is nice and hot and you can get started cooking these babies.

SO, I don’t know if grandma taught me this or what, but I always make a “test pancake”.  It’s the first one and it’s tiny  and it tells me if my griddle is ready for the real thing.  Plus I like to use it to kind of sop up that cooking spray that is now kind of brown and yucky and doesn’t seem like anything I want to eat on my pancakes.  So if you want to, make a test pancake and if it’s a success move on to the real deal.

Using a largish spoon, spread out some batter on the skillet.  I like to make about 6 pancakes that are about 4 1/2 inches in diameter.  You can make em bigger or smaller.  If you are counting calories just keep track of how many you make and if they are all pretty close in size you can just do a little division to get the right caloric value per cake…make sense??

When the cake starts to bubble, go ahead and give it a flip.  And then cook it on the other side.  Don’t overcook it, but you do want it to have time to cook through.

Note: maybe it’s my cheep-o stove, but I find that any time I’m cooking pancakes, I have to keep turning my heat down a bit because the cakes are cooking too fast!  Do this if you think yours are getting overdone on the outside before the inside has a chance to set up.

When you’re done it’s time to dress these babies up! Like I said, I’m a traditional girl.  I love butter and maple syrup.  But in the spirit of these cakes being a “healthier” option I chose to dress them with a couple of spoonfuls of mixed berries that I had previously macerated with a little honey.  Mmmm….honey.

And, because I simply cannot do pancakes without maple syrupy goodness, I gave em a little drizzle of that too. 

(Love you, Mrs. B.)

IN the end they looked like this…. 

You want to know the kicker??  This whole bowl of pancake batter only has 330 calories…TOTAL! 

(in case you need proof….yogurt 120+flour 120+egg 70+silk milk 20=330!)

Here is my estimation of the caloric value of this scrumptious little meal…

3 pancakes  165 cal.

Berries (1/4 cup) 50 cal.

2 Tbs. Mrs B’s syrup  50 cal.

Total: 265 Calories

Protein: 10 Grams!!

So, now you see why I’d eat these ALL DAY LONG!

Quick Confession: I did. I made a batch for breakfast and then finished them off at lunch.   Guilty….or am I??  Please tell me that you're going to give these a try.

Love,

S

PS: This post was fun.  Maybe I won’t wait a year before posting again!

So Pretty.

Okay, friends.  This is a benchmark moment for me.  My first blog giveaway!  My palms are sweaty, I want this to go well.. . . 

I’ve recently had the opportunity to learn about a great company making beautiful hand-made jewelry and giving back for a great cause. It's called Jewel Kade! (Have you heard of it?  Maybe you saw it on Ellen or The Today Show?)

Well, It’s a wonderful company started by a creative gal in Alpine, Utah.  The jewelry is adorably vintage and it's all hand made right there in the Utah studio! (a.k.a Not China!)

 I mentioned they give back for a good cause…it’s true!  Five percent of sales from the JK Cares Line goes directly to the National Breast Cancer Foundation or the American Heart Association.  No kidding!  I love a company who is about doing good, don’t you? 

So, my friend Holly has so generously offered to provide a Jewel Kade piece for my first ever blog giveaway!!! 

(I know!  it’s very exciting for me too!)

Take a look at this adorable St. Patty’s Day Charm…

(Swarovski crystals, ladies, .bling! bling!)

This beautiful charm comes with a lead-free pewter ball chain and a sweet crepe ribbon necklace.  Two ways to wear! 

So Listen up, this part is really important. . .

what to do to enter to win. . . 

1.  Follow The Nook. There are 3 ways to follow. up at the top of the side bar.   Leave me a comment and let me know that you are following.

2. Visit Holly's Jewel Kade page here. Leave me a comment and tell me what item(s) you just love!

3. "LIke" Jewel Kade's facebook page and leave me a comment so I know you did!  

There you go! Get to it! I'll be randomly picking a winner soon so that "lucky" person will have their charm to wear on St. Patty's!  No pinching!

xx

Shan

ps: if you're an out of town reader...I'll happily ship to you for free.

A Little Before and After and After

The urge to be crafty really comes and goes. . . 

Recently it came, so I took advantage and got some stuff done! 

Have a look at this... I found a pair of vintage Flex Steel club chairs on Craig's last spring.  They are super cute and retro "as-is". . . 

...

. . .but the fabric is pretty dirty and gross.  Plus, I wanted them for projects. So it was out with the old and in with the new. . . Charcoal Gray. . . 

This was my first ever "chair-with-a-cushion" project.  By the way, cushions are the devil when it comes to upholstering.  Cushions and staples....THE DEVIL.   But in the end the chair turned out pretty good and it sold in a flash on Craig's.   

(Maybe I underpriced?  No worries, I have another one.  Won't make that mistake twice.)

Wondering what I should do with chair #2...I'm taking suggestions...and orders.

*   *   *   *

This one is just an After.  

I didn't get a before shot. sorry.  

My friend, Jess is having a baby girl. (awww.) She had one of those gliding rockers. . . you know the ones that are super practical, but kind of a dud for the eyes?  Well, there is something you (or I) can do about it. 

Have a look....

Just a couple of yards of cute fabric and voila!  Just a touch of pink.  So sweet! 

xx

Shan

Ps..  Can't wait to show you what I'm working on right now. . . 2 words: Orange Velvet.

PPS.  My first Blog Giveaway is on deck!  Stay tuned!

Coffee Table Styling

So, for the past several years I've had this big beautiful coffee table that was so graciously given  to us by Ryan's parents.  I've always loved it.  However, for the past couple of years that we've lived in our house I've felt like the table was just too big for our living room...it sort of was the living room.  So, I posted it on Craig's. 

 Today I said my goodbye and sent it to it's happy new home in...wait for it....Dallas.  Weird, I know.

  {I've done a lot of dealings with Craig's List, but never had anyone 1000+ miles away want my stuff.  it's a crazy story...maybe worthy of it's own post some day}

Anyway, also through the magic that is Craig's List I have acquired my dream coffee table which has been sitting in my basement for no less than 2 months waiting for me to sell the monster.  

Well, this exciting transition  has got me thinking about coffee table styling.  It's a tricky thing, no?  Especially when you've got kids.  There are a lot of different ways you can go...

Organized Clutter

Bookworm's Paradise

Less is More...aka Minimalist Paradise.

The truth..the sad reality, is that I really only have 1 choice:

Unorganized Clutter and Tiny Fingerprints...otherwise known as "I Have Kids, Therefore, I Only Get To Enjoy a Styled Coffee Table after 8pm."

But, I will share with you some of my favorite inspirations for coffee table styling...

I love this rustic industrial cart...The aqua tray add great accent color. The vintage typewriter is whimsical.  And I love succulents...living things that require virtually no maintenance from me.  

Again...industrial meets rustic.  I'm always a fan of glass jars filled with pretty things.

This one' from Pottery Barn (PB can do no wrong in my book.)

Everything in this next one is perfect.  The tidy piles of books say, "I read and I'm organized."  

PS.  That chair is killing me. 

Love....

...just kidding. But don't you feel bad for the fish in the end table?  Like they weren't good enough for the coffee table....always dreaming of making to the Big Time...poor things.

I have always admired a deep tufted, upholstered ottoman-style coffee table..but there is no way I can pull this off right now. I would like to make one for someone else though.

Ah. This one actually looks a lot like my new table....again, rustic. industrial.  wonderful.  and I love the forsythia branches!  

Again...a lot like mine, but square.  Perfect for a larger room.  I like the bowl of mossy stuff.

This last one is very pretty.  A group of nesting tables.  Looks like bamboo, but painted in a silver metallic.  Very simply styled.  I love the burst of color from the flowers.

Now, if Ryan would just get home and help me carry her up from the basement, I could get started on my After-8pm coffee table styling...

Love,

S

PS:  Love one of the coffee tables above?  You can find all the links to the original sources here...on my For the Home board over at Pinterest!  

Peek-A-Boo!

Hey friend, there’s a fox in your pocket!

Just made a little something for my nephew…he’s almost one!