Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint

I am still drooling over my most recent splurge, Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint! Not to be confused with chalkboard paint, Chalk Paint is a quick and simple way to give your furniture an “antique look” in just two coats! Chalk paint is a water-based, low odor paint that bonds to any (interior or exterior) surface so well that it doesn't require sanding or primer. The finish is flat and chalky, but shine and protection can be added by applying a coat of wax. 

 Matt's Grandad made these pieces of furniture for Matt when he was 12 years old!

One of my other favorite things about this paint is how well it distresses.  When you distress latex paint, it rolls and peels off unless it has cured for over a month. I sanded all my furniture just hours after I painted it and the chalk paint comes off in a fine powder, so it looks natural. 

{Note: You may experience a little sticker shock when you see that the paint is over $30/quart, but it goes a long way, no primer is required and you'll love the results.}

Off to paint another piece!...xoxo

There’s Muffin To It!

Break out your muffin pan for treats beyond cupcakes! My favorite domestic diva, Martha Stewart, proves that great things really do come in small packages. Here are a handful of delicious “mini dish recipes” for you!

Bacon, Egg, & Toast Cups

You Will Need:

{3} tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

{8} slices white or whole-wheat sandwich bread

{6} slices bacon

{6} large eggs

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds. Cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps. Brush bread with remaining butter.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp, 4 minutes, flipping once. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. Serve immediately.

Mini deep-dish pizzas

You Will Need:

Olive oil, for muffin pan

All-purpose flour, for rolling

{1/2} pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, in 6 pieces

Coarse salt and ground pepper

{1/2} cup shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)

{1} large tomato, coarsely chopped

Desired toppings, such as cooked vegetables, pineapple and ham, or pepperoni

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush 6 standard muffin cups with oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece to a 6-inch round. Fill each cup with 1 round, gently pressing dough into bottom and sides of cup. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle each dough cup with 1 tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Add desired toppings and another tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Bake until dough is golden brown and crisp, 12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from cups.

Upside-Down Mushroom Tartlets 

You Will Need:

{1} sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and cut into six 3-inch rounds

{1} tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for muffin pan

{1} large shallot, diced small

{1} pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

{2} teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving

{3/4} cup grated Gruyere cheese (2 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place puff pastry rounds in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while mushrooms cook. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft and browned, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in thyme and remove skillet from heat.

Make Be-Leaves

Although a “green thumb” may not rank amongst my top talents, my successes for growing plants do outweigh my failures {recently anyway}! I take pride in my lush jungle of a backyard, from the hydrangeas to the peonies.

HOWEVER, there is ONE place in my home that I just can’t seem to keep anything alive…my front window box! For 3 seasons now I have failed miserably. No matter how well I care for my plants, within weeks my window box looks like the cast of Jersey Shore {withered and all snookered out}. 

So I am letting you in on my dirty little secret…I switched to FAUX PLANTS in my window boxes! I flirted with the idea for quite awhile after losing beaucoup dollars on flowers. Boy am I glad I switched! Completely maintenance free, you would certainly mistake my window box for real flowers! In fact, I have been fooling my neighbors for over a year with my rotation of impressive seasonal flowers.  Right now, lilac pansies and may night salvia are taking center stage.

Fakin’ it and proud of it. J

{Note: If you decide to switch to faux flowers, make sure you change them throughout the season! It could be quite bewildering to see bright blooming flowers “growing” up through the snow in winter!}