Category Archives: Uncategorized

Our invitation combines vintage patterns and prints to evoke a casual elegance, perfect for our picnic wedding!

If you make your own wedding invitations, you can save truck loads of cash, but it can be pretty disappointing to send out a chintzy pre-packaged invite when you really wanted the finest letterpress on that thick velvety paper you loved so much.  Postage costs enough already, so don’t feel like you have to spend a ton of money on your invitations and get crafty instead!  These are a few ways that we got around the usual invite expenses without sacrificing quality.  Continue reading →

2 people, 5 days, 70 bucks or less

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THIS WEEK’S MENU

We typically only eat meat with one meal a day, but this week, Jeff suggested an “all vegetarian” menu to save even more money than we usually do.  Here it is…and it is SUPER delicious!

Breakfast

• Grapefruit and Hard Boiled Egg with Horseradish

Lunch

• Lentil Bulgur Salad with Pita and Grapes

Dinner

• Mushroom Thyme Lasagna

Snack

• Celery with Walnut Feta Dip

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2 people, 5 days, 70 bucks or less

For more info on this series of posts, click here!

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Chili Egg Breakfast Tacos

Lunch

• Escarole, Fennel and Chicken Sausage Stew

Dinner

• Chicken Piccata with Roasted Veggie Pasta

Snack

• Brie and Pears on Crackers

Continue reading →

Collect your used scented candles when you spring clean and put the extra wax to good use!

This is the perfect thing to do after you’ve spring cleaned and have a collection of used up candles and candle containers.   Scented candles are being sold in more and more beautiful jars every year and I hate getting to bottom of those candles, realizing that there is perfumed wax left, but no wick!    The Frankenstein candle recycles the pretty containers and the bottoms of all the scented candles into a brand new candle!

Make this from that!

This project works best with heavily scented candle wax because it is usually quite soft and easy to harvest from the bottoms of all the jars.   You can collect the scented wax throughout the year and store it in a mason jar until you have enough to melt down.   Don’t sweat the burnt up bits you’ll probably get into the wax, this isn’t meant to be clean and perfect, just a way to save some money and pretty things!

You will need:

• 1 or 2 really special candle containers that you want to re-use
• pre-waxed wire wicks (available at most craft stores)
• mason jar
• heavy bottomed saucepan or pot
• collection of old scented candles you can no longer light Continue reading →

I’m observing the blogger day of silence today.   Click the image below for more information or to donate.   Even a little bit will help!

For the scoop on this series of posts, click here!

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Pesto Egg McMuffins

Lunch

• Beef, Blue Cheese and Orange Sandwiches

Dinner

• Provençale Chicken

Dessert

• Puffy Cinnamon Orange Oven Pancake

Continue reading →

I found some awesome DIY plant hangers in a craft book my mom gave from the early 70’s.   I thought this one in particular was the best design, because its super easy to do and holds many different planter sizes and shapes.   It can even be used to hold a vase of flowers!   I’m leaving the measurements open on this project because you can make yours any size, to hold anything from a tiny succulent to a big hanging fern.   Just make sure you cut your hanging straps wider if your plant is particularly heavy.

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THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Banana Pudding Yogurt Parfaits

Lunch

• Minestrone Salad with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Bruschetta

Dinner

• Pork Tenderloin with Green Beans and Artichoke and Goat Cheese Strata

Snack

• Carrot and Lentil Dip with Pita Wedges

Continue reading →

For the scoop on this series of posts, click here!

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Quiche Muffins with Apple and Pear Salad

Lunch

• Mediterranean Chicken Pitas

Dinner

• Veggie Pot Pie

Snack

• Guilt-Free Chocolate Shake

Continue reading →

We decided to make colorful vintage style pennant bunting for our outdoor picnic wedding because it fits the playful mood of our big day and it’s super cheap!   This is the perfect DIY party decoration for any event!    For about 13 8 ft. garlands,  you will need a TOTAL of 2 1/2 yards of fabric in your party colors or patterns and one spool of cotton kite string.  We mixed things up a bit for ours, using 5 different fabrics and patterns, but still tied in the colors of our pompoms and picnic blankets.   Continue reading →