~island time!~

ta-da!

Here is the before pic. River rock and logs and square granite tiles. and after!

Much bigger, slab is black absolute honed granite.
Added a beverage fridge at one end.

The new bar stools!

My husband and I did all the trim work.

I painted it "oatmeal" by Ralph Lauren in a satin finish and then glazed it.

It suits our house much better than the river rock.

Much, much more counter space now!

what do you think?

~skip to the loo~

If I had any one of these bathrooms, trust me, I would be skipping too!

~s'more smore's~

Yummy! I am really into s'mores right now.

Sitting around the campfire at night with the family, eating sugar, ahh!

This is a great smore cookie recipe:

S’Mores Cookies
3/4 cup butter — softened1/2 cup white sugar1/2 cup packed brown sugar1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 cup graham cracker crumbs1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate1 cup (more or less) of marshmallows (not large style)2 Hershey Bars, broken into pieces
Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Add combined flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and (if using) other stuff.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.
Bake in pre-heated oven 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8 minutes. Remove and quickly press marshmallows and chocolate into cookies. Return to oven and cook until done (about 3 or 4 more minutes)
Makes about 3 dozen

Here are some darling little tags from etsy seller misspicklepress

And i just came up with this so we are always ready when the campfire goes down. I just took 3 glass jars and filled one with marshmallows, one with Hershey bars, and one with graham crackers.
Then I just printed out a little tag to hang from it!

~teacher appreciation gift idea~

With the last day of school just a few bell rings away, it’s time to start thinking about how you want to say thank you to Timmy’s teacher. It’s always difficult to decide what to give your son or daughter’s teacher. The question of how much or how little is up to you. Every family budget is different, as well as many school policies. Some schools have a dollar amount limit you can spend, while other schools have a free reign policy. Whatever your price range, the most important aspect of a teacher’s gift is sincere gratitude for a job well done. This week we are going to feature a variety of ideas for your disposal. Take them, leave them, share your own ideas!
This teacher gift was inspired by a favorite summer American pastime - roasting marshmallows! Simply stop by your local grocer, pick up a box of graham crackers, a package of Hershey chocolate bars, a bag of marshmallows, a set of cooking sticks, and a bowl of your choice. I purchased all my items at Wal-mart today. The s’more items are all on sale and right next to each other in their summer section.Here was my cost breakdown:Graham Crackers $1Hershey Bars $1Marshmallows $1Cooking Sticks $2.88Red bowl $1.88Under ten dollars! (If you wanted to spend more you could easily throw in a fun gift certificate, book, candle, or gourmet lemonade mix.)
Fill the bowl with pinecones and your grocery items. Arrange them in a way that is appealing to the eye. I suggest wrapping the bowl with cellophane for easy decor, as well as transport. Attache our matching printable tag below (download by clicking here) or make your own tag declaring your love.
find the adorable matching label here
idea from no fuss fabulous!

~fabric inspiration~

Fabric, like paint, can magically transform a room.

There are so many different patterns, textures, prints.

Oh, how I wish there were more hours in the day!

all photos: Country Living

~plate rack love~

They don't have to be just for plates.

Here Martha Stewart has used them in a kids room for holding books! They come in all different shapes and sizes....
and different patinas...

some old and rusty....

and not just for the kitchen...

beautiful!

they also work great in craft rooms holding papers, folders, files, etc.

display your collection of dishes.

It's a great way to add interest to any wall,

and a great small space storage solution!

~she's done it again~

She's done it again.

My friend Lisa, who you can find here,

has really outdone herself this time! I am so envious of her talent!
You must stop making such cute things or I am going to go broke!

All kidding aside though, craft away Lisa, we all like looking at your new creations!

You have some serious talent girl!

~farm chicks~

~watery inspiration~

I am literally craving these colors after my post yesterday on the vintage kitchen space! They are so scrumptious, relaxing, and summery!

I am off to a neighborhood that claims to have 100 + garage sales, so I just may find something in these hues!

Wish me luck!