pretty plain janes

mod podge vases and flower pots

July 11, 2013

I love mod podge. Love, love, love. Somehow, my entire life has gone by and I have walked right past it at Hobby Lobby. Now I know that it is a craft staple! Seriously, the possibilities are endless. Being that our venue is in the woods, I have been trying to stay away from it feeling “rustic” and going more for a woodland whimsical vibe. Searching for a way to tie in flower pots, this simple trick has them looking like a million bucks. (Not to mention the wine bottles I have stashed under my sink…)

What you need:

Terracotta flower pots
Empty wine bottles
Mod Podge
Brush, Sponge, Applicator of your choice

To Create:

Fold fabric around flower pot to get a basic idea of how much fabric to cut out. I know that sounds vague, but these are darn near impossible to mess up- it doesn’t need to be perfect! Using scissors cut a few slits in the top so that when you fold it down into the pot it is not as bunchy. Next, cover a section of your pot in mod podge and begin pressing your fabric to the surface. Continue your way around the pot, being sure to press out air bubbles and creases as you go- and folding the extra around the top into the pot. You can also cut excess fabric if needed. Once you have the pot (or vase) completely wrapped, coat the entire thing in mod podge again, and set on wax paper to dry. Wine bottles are a bit more tricky around the bottle neck- I found that using small scraps of fabric worked best, and that small scale fabric worked best at hiding the seams. How easy was that!

I’m not exactly sure what their purpose will be in my wedding decor- my wheels are still turning. Regardless, they are so fun! I’m anxious to get more fabric and try out different prints!

*These pots are not recommended for outdoor use.

Happy crafting!

Posted in diy | Tagged Post by Shan | Leave a comment

peach mango pie

July 10, 2013

One of my very favorite things about the house that we live in is the back yard. An asparagus patch, two cherry trees, an apple, pear and a peach tree. There is nothing better than walking out your back door and filling a bowl with fresh fruit. Last summer was our first summer here and the view from the road of me on Josh’s shoulders filling bowls with peaches had to be pretty entertaining for our neighbors. (We didn’t have a ladder, but we didn’t care. We still laugh thinking about how crazy we must have looked.) Whoever planted those trees years ago knew what they were doing, and when we buy a house some day we will most definitely fill our back yard with some of those same trees if we can. The stores right now are filled with peaches, although our tree will not bloom for another month or so- just in time for our wedding.

peach mango pie

Ingredients

Crust:
2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 stick unsalted butter, room temp and cut into pieces
½ cup water, ice cold
Filling:
6 large peaches
2 mangos
the juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of salt
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons cornstarch
**I added ¼ cup MessMakerBaker Peach Bourbon jam, but this ingredient is completely optional.
Topping:
almond milk for brushing over crust (or water or regular milk)
sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Crust: Whisk together flour, salt and sugar. Using your fingers, work in cold butter until largest lumps are pea size. Add ice water and stir together with spatula until just combined, and then kneed the dough two or three times to form ball. Split the ball into two even pieces and wrap them individually in plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to two days.
While dough is refrigerating, prepare pie filling. Peel peach and mango skin, and slice them into whatever size pieces you prefer in your pie. Cover & toss in lemon juice. (I usually squeeze the lemon over a sieve so that no seeds sneak in.) *Also add jam here if you choose to. In a separate bowl, mix together sugars, nutmeg, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over fruit and toss to combine.
Once your dough is refrigerated, prepare a well-floured surface for rolling it out. Roll dough out into 12/13 inch circle and place in pie pan. There should be about an inch of overhang around the sides, the rest can be trimmed. Roll out second dough disk. You can give your pie a complete lid (Just be sure to create air holes for ventilation.) or you can cut dough into slices as I did and layer them onto your pie. It tastes great regardless so don't stress yourself out over making it look fancy, pie is pie. Brush milk onto pie-top and sprinkle with sugar before baking.
Bake for 20 minutes at 425F, then reduce heat to 375F for about 30 more minutes. Pie is done when the crust is browned and juices are bubbling over. Let pie cool completely before serving for juices to completely thicken, or eat warm if you are okay with slightly runny pie!

MessMakerBaker Jam is available here.

Pie can seem intimidating (and reserved for your grandmother) but its not! Fruit and crust go together in any form, so even if you “mess it up”, it will most likely still be yummy! Give it a go..

Posted in recipes, something sweet, Uncategorized | Tagged Post by Shan | 7 Comments

one month out beauty regime

July 9, 2013

Today marks one month from Josh and I’s August 9th wedding! I knew it would sneak up on us but it is so hard to believe that it will be here and gone before we know it. “Crunch time” has set in, and we are in overhaul crafting, making final plans and prepping for the big day. It is advisable to start a beauty regime three months out, but due to our speedy engagement I am for the most part just starting one. (Jillian has been in my dvd player a few times over the past month, that counts for something…right? ) Here are some products not only for brides-to-be, but for anyone who loves a bit of pampering!

1. For a brighter smile- Crest Advanced Seal White Strips. 2. Fake Bake Flawless– We posted about Fake Bake here, but I still can’t stop raving about it. It will be perfect for my wedding day tan! 3. The Lip Scrub – Since having Adelynn, I have been cursed with dry lips. I hate the way flaky lips look and feel, so they definitely need some attention! 4. Neutrogena Sugar Scrub– for softness all over and even color when applying Fake Bake. 5. It’s A 10 is an awesome hair mask to give hair that extra boost of shine and luster. 6. Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred– because we all know I am a slacker in the work-out department and hey, I’ve only got 30 days! On top of these products, I have also been getting plenty of rest, keeping my face clean of makeup as much as possible and keeping blow-dries to a minimum.

We are so excited to only have one month to go! Trying to wrap my mind around my never-ending to-do list and still enjoy this stressful but exciting time! Hoping to share fun bits and pieces as we go- like a fun mod podge project I have been working on this Thursday! Stay tuned…

Posted in beauty, product love | Tagged Post by Shan | Leave a comment

her style | johanna

July 8, 2013

Meet Johanna – gorgeous wife, mommy of three, successful Advocare advisor and one of my dearest friends. Her and her family were recently in town visiting and I just had to have her model for me. Johanna has always had great style (even though she will tell you otherwise). She is the queen of casual sexy by taking basics and accessories and making them look fabulous. This girl can also wear a pair of jeans like it’s no one’s business (I can see her rolling her eyes right now but it’s true!). Love this girl to death and will always admire the head turning looks she puts together.

|WEARING| Forever 21 destroyed white denim/faded denim shirt similar/Target wedges/layered box necklace similar/hammered silver bracelet similar/hoop earrings similar/bronze clutch similar/watch similar

Posted in outfits, style | Tagged Post by Brandy J | 1 Comment

sales, sales, sales

July 5, 2013

July 4th signifies a lot of wonderful things – celebration of our independence, fireworks, long weekends and SUMMER SALES. This is the time to stock up on apparel for next year, patio furniture and many other warm weather items that retailers need to get rid of in order the make room for fall. Here are a few of our online favorites: anthrosale Anthropoligie