German Glass glitter eggs

Using this:

I made these eggs with German Glass Glitter:

I am all about Spring. And Easter { + Easter candy}. I have 2 more colors to do for the eggs. I bought the German Glass Glitter on etsy. I heart etsy.

"Poor Man's Tripod"

Thought I'd hand out a free tip that virtually costs nothing! I love to take pics at Longwood but really can't cart a tripod around {unless I go by myself ~ but why would I do that?}. So my cousin Jake {see below} gave me a fantastic tip for a DIY tripod that takes up no space and provides stability on one of the camera's axis:

Supplies: string, screw & washer.

Use a 1/4-20 (1/4" diameter, 20 threads per inch) machine screw that will fit into the bottom of your camera. You should be able to find this at any hardware store. Attach a string to it the length of your eye to the ground.

Tie a large washer or other weight to the other end.

When you need to use it, screw it in and step on the washer and pull the line taught.


Thanks Jake!

Healthy, yummy, super easy granola!

This post comes compliments of my new neighbor & friend Sarah! We had this delicious granola at our post holiday brunch and I needed to try out this new recipe. It was so easy & yummy I am sharing it with everyone {pics included for you visual learners ~ you know who you are}.

Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
6 tbl honey
6 tbl vegetable oil
1 tsp of any "spicey" spice {cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice}
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup each of any two dried fruits
parchment paper


Mix together the oats & almonds; set aside.

In a small saucepan mix & heat {until through; just a few min} the honey, oil, spice & vanilla.

Mix the wet & dry mixtures together and spread on a rimmed sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10min; stir; return to the oven another 10min {more or less depending on the temp in your stove}. You want it golden brown but not burned. Mine was done in 17.5 min and my stove runs warmer. Cool on the cookie sheet completely!

When granola is cool, transfer to a bowl & mix with the dried fruits. Stores 1 month in the freezer or 1 week in a sealed container countertop. As most of you know, food doesn't stick around long in this house; I think there is enough for one serving left!

Thanks SBP so much for the recipe and the chance to feature on my blog! My readers will probably hope you start blogging soon so you can have more food & entertaining tips!

DIY Color Pop

I found this Color Pop tutorial on a flicker group. I haven't been able to figure out who to give credit to so if you know - give me some friendly flutter! Here it is:

1. Duplicate your background layer (ctrl-j).
2. Go to Filter - - Other - - High Pass. Give it a radius between 20 and 40.
3. Invert it (control-i).
4. Change the Blending Mode to Color Dodge. Reduce the Opacity to about 50%. Merge Down. * This is found on the right side of your screen (PSE 7.0 users) under "layers."
5. Maybe up the Saturation to taste (5 is good).
6. Adjust your Levels. Go to Enhance section.
7. Sharpen with your preferred method (unsharp mask, high pass, etc)

Here is my before pic (summer 2007 NYC):

Here is my after pic:

I think you have the find the right pics for this process. Not all colors pop out! Some colors you just don't want to pop out either!! Good Luck & Have fun!!!

Restoration Style

2009 is the year we are tying up loose ends as far as home improvement projects. 2010 we need to seriously consider new doors/windows . . . For a creative project, my husband and I decided to restore a cabinet we found in my old playroom. Here it is without it's drawers, in it's old green glory. This pic is taken in my husband's workshop area.

Before:

After:

Nope - it's not from the pottery barn catalog but it looks just like it! A can of French Bulldog Black by Valspar and some nickel finished knobs. Still figuring out what to put on top, maybe our new digital photo frame?! Next up, the desk from my childhood bedroom.