Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Bicycle Wheels

Recently I scored an old bicycle wheel like the one I found above on Etsy. I have yet to decide what I want to do with it; but after doing a little online research I've discovered that this spoked circle can do  more than get you from point A to point B.

clock via east coast creative

wedding backdrop via ruffled blog

bicycle chandelier via pinterest (similar found here)

ferris wheel via tumblr

"rolling rack" via rue vintage 74

and this dream catcher for all you hippies out there via one part gypsy

Honestly, I'll probably go the simple inspiration board route, but at least I have options!

Speaking of bikes, how many of you had a banana-seat-schwinn when you were little? I did - tassels on the handlebars too! xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Painted Rocks {again}

let him who is without sin cast the first stone - John 8:7

Sometimes I see something on Pinterest that is so gorgeous it stops me in my tracks. That happened with this diy from giochi di carta. I couldn't stop staring at the images and since it seemed to be a quick and easy diy, I thought, "I can totally do this." Hello - painting rocks is NOT quick or easy. Since my SIL was here last week, I asked if she wanted to paint some rocks with me (we have about 2 billion in our backyard) while my little rocked naptime in her hammock. "Sure" was her simple and prompt response. I'm guessing she too thought, "how hard can it be?" Ha!  Getting those straight lines and an even texture is not for the faint of heart. We painted all afternoon. Not. Kidding. But, I love how they turned out...

What's the latest DIY you tackled? Or are you one of those who pins and pins but never seems to execute? (you are not alone friend - not alone) xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Potatoes

I've been called a lot of things in my days, but sucker isn't generally one of them. That is until a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful day, the hubs and I were working outside and up comes a lady with a load of fruit... apples, oranges, grapefruit and tomatoes. They were super delicious and juicier than anything I've ever tasted - no lie. Fifteen minutes later we had two uber expensive cases of fruits and vegetables that were said to be organic from a farm nearby. Now that was a lie. When we came inside to eat some of our bounty we found grocery store stickers and a ton of stuff we didn't want and don't normally eat. One of those veggies just happened to be potatoes. Loads of potatoes.

What in the world was I going to do with all these over-priced starch? Mid-way through the week I realized that many of the potatoes (not to mention tomatoes) were already going bad. Mad was an understatement. To prevent being screwed over twice, I was going to have to use up the potatoes STAT. Pinterest and potato soup to the rescue! I followed some pretty generic crock pot recipes with minor modifications. (I added a cup of milk to the chicken stock, replaced

 cream of chicken with cream of mushroom and used chive and onion cream cheese instead of plain.) Oh and I added a half a stick of butter, because everything tastes better with butter. YUM!

Because a lot of the potatoes were half rotten, I decided to do some potato stamping instead of tossing them in the trash! Using a paring knife, I cut out two simple triangles to make a tepee and began stamping my little heart out... unbleached heavyweight canvas and pillowcases.

I added the little twigs at the top with a black fabric marker and filled in the tepee with a paintbrush where the paint hadn't transferred well. I absolutely love how it turned out. I plan on putting the pillowcases in the boys room. TIP: make sure you dry the potato off before you add ink and begin stamping; otherwise it bleeds a bit.

So simple. So easy. That's my favorite kind of craft. PS - did you know March is national craft month? Over the next few weeks I hope to tap heavily into my crafty side and bring you lots of fun stuff. 

Do you prefer regular potatoes or sweet potatoes? I'm a sweet potato gal. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Kitchen Tools

If you're anything like me, the kitchen is the hub of your home. It also seems to produce the most waste. From food containers and food scraps to trash bags and kitchen "tools" there is an endless supply of waste.  Because of all this waste, I am loving the new eco friendly (and quite lovely) return of wood and natural bristles in the kitchen. Mercantiles and General Stores are the latest in a stream of simplistic living trends and I hope they are here to stay. They woo me with their beautiful, yet simple, design.

Kaufmann Mercantile favorites:

mineral oil for all those stunning cutting boards

bottle brush - for all my hard to clean water bottles

wool hand duster - goodbye swiffer

Terrain favorites:

pinch & dash - because all of mother's recipes seem to call for them

veggie scrubber

Brook Farm General Store:

straw handbroom

 horsehair handbroom

 metal straws

enamelware lunch box

West Elm Market:

bubble up dish brush

goodbye detergent cleaning scrubs

tie string holder - for all those sandwiches wrapped in butcher paper

I mean... These products are so pretty I almost want to be in my kitchen 24 hours a day. But for now, I'll stick to the 5-7 hours I feel I'm in there right now! 

Am I the only one in the world that feels like they're in the kitchen ALL the time? xo

*kitchen image here

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Pillowcases

I blame my over-abundance of time spent in bed sick for today's post. I can't stop thinking about sleep. Here are a few ways to take your slumber out of the bedroom...

pillowcase top (I plan on making a few of these for the summer)

no sew laundry hamper

a banner fit for a queen

dresses for the littles

grocery bags/totes

And then there's this lovely little no sew tote from creme de la craft that is perfect for the beach this summer. There are endless options for all those vintage lovelies we score at the thrift stores for $0.99. For now though, I'm going back to bed. zzz...

*amazing confetti pillowcases via you are my fave

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Butcher Block

Earlier in the week I revealed our new kitchen and today I wanted to share a probably well know secret with you... Ikea butcher block counter tops. They're awesome and affordable. We purchased one countertop and were able to cover the top and sides of our island as well as use left over scrap pieces for our open shelving and cutting board gifts (4) for family over the holidays. Only the mitered edge scraps were tossed. How awesome is that?

After trimming and sanding, we used a clear Minwax finish to allow the wood's natural beauty to shine through. (For the cutting boards mineral oil or beeswax polish is recommended.)

Now that is a budget friendly, eco friendly house reno right there my friends!

Do you use beeswax on your cutting boards and wooden kitchen utensils? If so, where do you get yours? (Did you know you're supposed to oil/wax your wooden spoons, etc. to keep them from getting dry and splitting? I just found this out.) xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Wire Hangers

Wire hangers have received a bad rap. Why the haters I ask you? Did Joan Crawford ruin it for all of us? These littles ditties can be quite useful... from drain clogs to cookouts, the world needs a good wire hanger every now and then.

Can we show a little love for this unsung hero? xo

* heart image

*wall image

*scarf image

*wrapped image

*planter image (source unknown)

*magazine holder image

*art image