Modern Renaissance

Fri-DIY

2009-11-12T18:28:00.004-05:00

Freezer Paper Stencil Tutorial from How About Orange

This week's Fri-DIY is chock full of good ideas for crafty gifting, and one pretty gift to make for yourself. It's not too late to whip up some fantastic gifts for the holidays (at least that's what I am telling myself) so break out the fabric paint or sewing machine this weekend and make one of these great projects.

How about orange (great blog, please read her) put up a terrific tutorial for freezer paper stencils. It has been YEARS since I tried my hand at it, and her post was a great refresher. She did a cute tote bag, but how about using the technique on linen dish towels, baby onesies, or T-shirts?

How About Orange also led me to Sew Mama Sew, which led me to this great tutorial to make a scrap fabric tree pillow at Cluck Cluck Sew. It's time's like this that I love the internet. PS - Mom. I see that Cluck Cluck Sew was mentioned in that Quiltmaker you showed me during your visit, small world!!

Martha Stewart Tissue Case

The Martha has a tutorial showing how to make pocket tissue holders. These would make great stocking stuffers for everyone on your list.

DIY S'Mores Kit

Twig and Thistle made these adorable S'Mores kits. I love this project because it shows how something simple can be deconstructed, repackaged, and made into a great gift. Keep these in mind for any kiddies on your list this year.

Rose Petal Tee

Finally, inspired by yesterdays post about embellished shirts, Kayte Terry shared a great tutorial over at the Storque to make a pretty rose T-shirt. The rosettes would also be great sewn onto a scarf or cardigan.

Happy DIY-ing!

Dress Up - Embellished Tops from Anthropologie

2009-11-12T13:38:00.003-05:00

This seems to be the season for embellished tops. Everywhere I look there's another applique, a rosette, some funky ruffles. I love it all. These tops from Anthropologie make me want to start ripping seams and sewing on my own embellishments on some tired shirts way back in the closet. I especially love the appliqued top in the upper right corner. Looks simple enough to translate, I think I'll give it a shot!

Meatless Monday - Mushroom and Celery Salad

2009-11-08T09:06:00.004-05:00

My mother has been in town the past few days and I have over-indulged in her good cooking. I feel like I should pay penance and eat meatless all week, starting with this light, lovely salad.

Mushrooms and celery make a great combination, earthy and chewy versus fresh and crisp. This salad wouldn't say no to being served over a bed of freshly washed greens. Or serve it alongside a broth-based soup (like egg drop) for a light supper. If not eating meatless this is a great side to simply grilled chicken, steak, or fish.

1 pound fresh white mushrooms, cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 ribs celery, finely sliced
1 Tablespoon onion, minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Combine mushrooms and celery in a large bowl. Combine onion, lemon juice, and mustard in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil to make dressing. Add Parmesan to dressing and stir to combine. Toss with mushrooms and celery. Serve chilled or at room-temperature.

Fri-DIY

2009-11-06T07:07:00.010-05:00

Favor bag from sew4home

This week finds me thinking fondly of the upcoming holiday season. We're travelling every holiday this year, so no entertaining at my house. But I am still dreaming of setting a pretty table. This week's diy links are great inspirations! I love the favor bag / placecard pictured above. They look pretty straightforward to sew and could coordinate with the table linens! These would also be cute to make and leave on pillows for any overnight guests.

punched tin votives from project wedding

I love these punched tin votives because they are inexpensive and use recycled materials. These would be great punched with letters and lined up on a mantle or used as place cards on a set table. Painting them white is a nice touch, but they would be lovely and rustic just left silver, too.

A font of die-cut shapes from clever someday (image from iDiy)

This awesome dingbat font of die cut shapes would really be useful for making gift tags, name tags, cute ornamets, cards, etc. They are generously offered for free by clever someday, she only asks that you make a donation to the Ronald McDonald house, a very worthy organization.

Pretty paper wrapped vases from Natural Home

Another pretty use for paper wrapped around an inexpensive vase. Pretty paper is so easy to come by, and I love these projects that show how to incorporate it into decorating and entertaining. I snatch up paper I love and keep in on hand for projects just like this!

Dress Up - Luella

2009-11-03T07:15:00.000-05:00

Things are a little gloomy in my household recently. We have a malfunctioning toilet, a malfunctioning computer, a dog that has learned to climb fences, and no money to deal with any of them. However, looking at Luella's last two spring collections amused me. They are funny, madcap, ladylike collections that make me giggle. AND they wouldn't be too difficult to recreate with vintage finds and some creative embellishments if you're saving for external hard-drives, plumbing fixes, and electric fences.

Meatless Monday - Smoked Paprika & Garlic Shrimp

2009-11-02T07:15:00.000-05:00

The husband and I sometimes argue about Meatless Monday. He says that it's cheating to eat fish and eggs on Meatless Monday. I disagree, however, and since this is my blog, I can get my own way.

This recipe is ridiculously good. Also, ridiculously easy. Do make a lot of it - I promise it will all get eaten. Also make sure to have plenty of crusty bread on hand for sopping up the delicious sauce.

This recipe includes two very Spanish ingredients - smoked paprika and sherry. Smoked paprika can be a smidge hard to find. I've used regular paprika in its place and it was still very good. The sherry needs to be a good quality dry sherry. It's flavor is pretty pronounced in the dish so do NOT under any circumstances use cream sherry or cooking sherry. Any good wine shop should have a selection of dry sherry. Unlike most wines, it keeps indefinitely in the fridge.

Serve small glasses of sherry over ice with this dish and reserve the rest for another application. I have a great recipe for sherry applesauce which I hope to have up here soon.

3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (can substitute regular paprika)
2-3 Tablespoons sherry (NOT cooking sherry or cream sherry)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and pepper to taste

Combine garlic, pepper flakes, paprika, sherry, and oil in a small bowl. Mix well to combine. Place shrimp in a shallow dish and cover with marinade. Let sit in fridge at least 20-30 minutes.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add shrimp and marinade and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp curl and change colors. Serve immediately.

Fri-DIY - Final Halloween Installment

2009-10-30T07:03:00.008-04:00

Nailhead pumpkins from myhomeideas

It's the day before Halloween! Here are a few last great DIY ideas that you could still get done in time for tomorrow!

I love the nailhead pumpkins above. They are super stylish. They may not glow like a regular carved pumpkin, but I bet when surrounded by votive candles the metal reflects light interestingly.

Spooky candied apples from mattbites

I am totally in love with these apple. Which now that I write it, sounds pretty weird. Anyway, what's not to love about these super glossy bewitching apples?

The most awesome meat hand from Not Martha

Two words - meat hand. What else is there to say?

Templates from ehow

Ehow has a slew of downloadable pumpkin templates. I think one of the three above will be gracing my pumpkin this year.

Happy Halloween!!

Gifts - Handmade Baby Bunny & Blanket

2009-10-29T06:58:00.002-04:00

I am one of 'those' people. I like to make things for people. When everyone else is flocking to some store to buy mass-produced gifts, I am toiling away in my workroom. I am sure I have frustrated/confused recipients of some of my gifts. Like the bunny and blanket combo I made for my cousin's baby shower. I think its adorable and hope she will like it, but who's to say she wouldn't have preferred something from her registry at babies r us?

The softie is inspired by mini moopy. You can buy the original pattern here. I must have downloaded it ages ago, though, because it was free then! My softie is bigger than moopy and no felt face, just a cute little felt nose.

The blanket was super easy, just a piece of super soft bumpy fabric and a piece of vintage linen sewn together. I found a great tutorial for baby blankets over at sew4home. Next time I will be more ambitious in the blanket department.

Meatless Monday - Couscous with Roasted Squash and Preserved Lemons

2009-10-26T19:28:00.003-04:00

The husband and I set out to make preserved lemons a few weeks ago. Then we realized we had a whole jar of preserved lemons and nothing to do with them. A quick search turned up this recipe, which I adapted slightly based on what we had in the pantry. While a little labor intensive, the dish turned out very tasty, one of those terrific recipes where everything is represented - tart, savory, sweet, salty. Delicious. We ate it as a main course for meatless Monday, but it would be great served with any kind of roasted meat, too.

1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
10 ounces dry couscous
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice (are you seeing a pattern here?)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 preserved lemon, flesh removed, peel cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss butternut squash with 1 Tablespoon oil and spread in even layer on baking sheet. Roast in oven for 15 minutes, or until squash is tender. Dump squash into a large bowl.

Cook couscous according to manufacturer's directions. Toss with a fork and add to bowl with squash.

Meanwhile, heat remaining Tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until it begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add onion to couscous mixture.

Return skillet to stove top and toast pine nuts over low heat until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Add to bowl with couscous mixture.

Add all remaining ingredients to couscous and toss well to combine. Serve either hot, room temperature, or cold.

For anyone interested, we got the recipe for preserved lemons from this book. All I can attest is we made them, ate them, and didn't die. They were actually very tasty, though felt disgustingly slimy. I think Sunday Supper's recipe looks much prettier, though. I will be trying their way next.

Fri-DIY

2009-10-23T07:18:00.005-04:00

Fun homemade curtains from mypapercrane. These would be easy to recreate or just cut out paper silhouettes and tape them up for a similar look.

Pretty cool skull necklace from Craft Stylish

The Swell Life put together 24 Halloween crafts in 24 hours. Some of them are really fun, I especially like the veggie head for a party.

How To - Write a Thank You Note

2009-10-20T07:16:00.002-04:00

Floating Dandelions Note Card from etsy seller pinklilypress

With the holiday season nearly upon us, again, I thought a refresher in the art of writing a thank you note might be timely.

Thank you notes are dear to my heart. Growing up in my family, every gift received required a written thank you. Nothing else was done until the note was written, addressed, stamped, and mailed. Christmas mornings found my siblings and I crowded around the kitchen table scribbling out our thanks. Our poor toys spilled half opened from their boxes, just waiting for us to play...after the notes, of course.

Hummingbird thank you note via Kate's Paperie

I have proudly carried the tradition into adulthood. However, among the 30 and under age group, I have found proper thank you notes are not always a given. With the popularity of email and text messaging, it's easy to zip out a quick 'Thx 4 gift.' I am firmly of the opinion that taking the time and effort to write a real note is the only polite way to respond to a gift. Anything less, even if more convenient, is frankly rude.

The great thing is, writing a thank you note is EASY! A few quick lines, a stamp, and all done, politeness upheld. Plus, the amount of really beautiful, charming, even amusing note cards available is staggering. So grab a stack and a nice pen and let's get started.

Green Hummingbird notecards from etsy seller enfinlavoila

First, when is a written thank you necessary? A thousand etiquette books will yield a thousand different answers. This is the rule I personally adhere to: If someone has gone out of their way to do something specifically for ME and spent time or money, I write a thank you note.

Now, there are a few exceptions. Thank you notes to significant others are not always required. I am not advocating taking gifts from husbands, wives, or boyfriends for granted, but those relationships are very intimate and I assume thanks are being given in different ways.

Tree Swing notecard from etsy seller sweetbellacards

Host or hostess gifts do not require a thank you note. Every bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers received in exchange for a meal or party can be properly accepted and thanks given verbally on the spot. However, a guest at a party or meal should send a thank you to the host afterwards IF no small gift was brought to the gathering for the host. Or, just send one anyway because every host would love getting a note after a party expressing thanks. It's a nice thing to do.

At work, yearly bonuses do not require thank you notes. Tins of cookies or popcorn, especially if everyone gets one, do not require thank you notes. Gift cards, personal checks, tickets to a show or dinner out DO require a written thank you.

Dear Friend blank card from etsy seller farouche

A thank you note should be written in ink, preferably in cursive, on a new card. A 'new' card may seem like a given, but I once received a thank you written on the back of another card that had been torn in half. Seriously. And don't use pencil, it shows a weakness of will.

Keep it short and sweet. I usually stick to the following template:

That's it! Here's a sample thank you for a gift of a scarf from a friend.

So now you are prepared to go forth and protect one bastion of politeness from being overrun and forgotten in our technology driven society. Pens and note cards at the ready!

Meatless Monday - Green Beans with Marinated Goat Cheese

2009-10-19T07:14:00.003-04:00

Summer is sadly over. No more tomatoes, no more fresh summer squash. Green beans, though, seem to be one of those crops that doesn't suffer too much through the seasons. Even in the dead of winter, the green beans at the local grocery will still be crisp and tasty. I have no idea where they are coming from and it doesn't go well with the philosophy of eating seasonally and locally, but sometimes a blanched green bean is just the fresh vegetable to remind me that summer is coming back some day.

This recipe is an interesting mixture of flavors and textures. It wouldn't say no to the addition of a little lemon zest to the marinade. We ate very hearty portions as a main dish, but it would pair well with most any chicken or pork main dish.

3-4 ounces chevre (fresh goat cheese) cut into 4, 1/2 inch thick rounds
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted

Place cheese rounds in a shallow dish. Combine oil, fennel and thyme in a small bowl. Pour over cheese and let marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes until tender and crisp. You may either dip them in a ice bath and have a cold salad, or just drain and serve warm.

Place 1/2 green beans in a layer on each plate. Top with two rounds of goat cheese and drizzle marinade over cheese and beans.

Top each plate with toasted walnuts and serve. These proportions served 2. To serve four, use only 1 round of goat cheese per serving.

Fri-DIY

2009-10-16T06:58:00.008-04:00

I have heard that Halloween is Martha Stewart's favorite holiday. Her website certainly reflects it with the sheer volume of great Halloween ideas posted there! Here are a couple that would be fun to try out this year.

The floating treats above make me giggle. Not the easiest of all projects, but I think worth the effort.

Scary message luminaries. Quick and easy, these would create a big impact lining the walk to the front door for a party.

Creepy Candy Jars. Download the templates, print on to sticker paper, and label away!

This one made the husband and I laugh out loud. Nothing says Happy Halloween like a pumpkin puking candy into a child's hand.

Meatless Monday - Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and basil

2009-10-12T07:11:00.005-04:00

This recipe is a study in frugality. The smoked salmon it calls for IS expensive. However, it needs such a small amount for a big payoff in flavor. The eggs and basil star in supporting roles to the salmon and really let the smokey, delicate fish shine through.

Somehow, this tastes more decadent than the combination of ingredients suggests. The basil makes it incredibly fragrant, the fish heady and salty, but the cream cheese is the secret to the texture of this dish. The addition of the cream cheese makes the eggs so velvety and, frankly, creamy. The first bite lets you know this dish is in a totally different league than the eggs that come with pancakes at the local breakfast joint.

We've eaten this for a special breakfast, but it would also be great for a brunch, or light dinner. Next time you have overnight guests, save some pennies and serve this dish instead of bagels and lox. I don't think there will be any complaints.

Ingredients given PER PORTION. Increase as necessary.

1/2 Tablespoon butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon cream cheese, cut into small squares
2 Tablespoons chopped smoked salmon
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add eggs and let cook until bottom of eggs just begins to set.

Sprinkle cream cheese over eggs and stir to combine. Allow to cook until eggs are almost done, then sprinkle salmon and basil over skillet, folding into the eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Fri-DIY

2009-10-09T07:07:00.009-04:00

This week's Fri-DIY is chock full of great (and easy!) Halloween ideas. I am totally in love with the Halloween garland from paper crave. She has generously provided the illustrations to print at home so we can each make our very own!

I think these graveyard pots de creme are adorable. I don't usually advocate cheating, but those little pre-made chocolate pudding cups would be great spruced up like this.

Very cute pumpkin ornaments from Hostess with the Mostess.

Better Homes and Gardens has instructions to make these cute mummy heads. Obviously this project would not be safe with real candles, but pick up a few of those inexpensive battery powered votives for the same effect.

Great tutorial for packing tape transfers over at How About Orange. She made these spooky votives, but they would be great on glasses for a party or decorating a tray or mirror.

Dress Up - Vintage Style Dresses

2009-10-06T07:32:00.003-04:00

I am loving the vintage style dresses over at Vintage Dress Outlet. Great prices, too! Too bad I didn't find them a few weeks ago before I got myself knee-deep in a sewing project to make a vintage style full skirt! (PS - Tutorial I am following to make the skirt is here.)

Recipe - Meatless Monday - Recipes from around the web

2009-10-05T07:20:00.005-04:00

Crispy polenta with morels and broccoli from Veggie Belly

I have a major backlog of pictures stuck in limbo on my camera, including some of recent successful recipes. So until I make myself upload, here are a few recipes for Meatless Monday from around the web.

Tomato soup with crispy capers and oregano from Donna Hay

Spiced pumpkins, lentil and goat cheese salad from epicurious.

Fri-DIY

2009-10-01T18:04:00.012-04:00

I have to admit, I love Halloween. So all of October's Fri-DIY's will lean heavily towards the most bewitching of holidays.

The pic above is from a girl's night Halloween party, which frankly sounds pretty cool. Better Homes and Gardens's slide show is chock full of great DIY ideas, from the hot pink pumpkins and skulls (break out that spraypaint!) to using cheap-o plastic skull rings as wine charms.

Green and creepy! Spooky terrariums made from old jars. These would be great grouped together on a mantel or entry table with some flickering votive candles.

Super awesome cobweb placemats and doilies! From Eddie Ross. Yes, he's obnoxious, but I give him his due for coming up with some great Halloween ideas.

And on just a fall note, here's a pretty rustic centerpieces from Once Wed. Perfect for a fall table.

Parties - Easy Ideas from Real Simple

2009-10-01T07:18:00.004-04:00

Real Simple has an informative slideshow about using 50 ordinary items in new ways. Normally I skip right over things like that, but this one is beautifully photographed and actually has some original tips. Some of them are kind of dumb (plastic bags around the knees while gardening?), but there were several helpful ideas for entertaining and decorating.

Pictured above it a 6-pack holder transformed into a picnic caddy for utensils and napkins. Cute idea for a picnic or barbecue. I could see taking this one step farther and gluing pretty paper to the sides and top.

Another great idea for a drink station at a party or barbecue. Put a colander filled with ice over a bowl to catch the water as the ice melts. I would probably use a wider more shallow bowl than pictured above as it looks a little precarious to have the colander floating mid-air.

This tip was to use rubber bands to keep cold glasses with condensation slipping out of your hand. Is this really a big enough problem that a helpful hint needed to be thought up? I like this idea for marking glasses at a party. A big bag of colored rubber bands would last a few parties at least!

I really liked this idea of using window clings for marking glasses as well. Normally, I tie pretty ribbons or paper cut outs to glasses to mark them, but what to do when using glasses without stems? One of these two tips will be put to good use at my next party!

Dress Up - Red Shoes for Fall

2009-09-29T07:24:00.005-04:00

Scoping out some new red shoes for this fall season. Here are a few that caught my eye.

Stitch Detail Heels from Go Jane
CL from Chinese Laundry
Toulouse Lau-Wedges from ModCloth

Meatless Monday - Sweet Potato and White Bean Soup

2009-09-28T07:29:00.004-04:00

Fall is nearly upon us here in the South and what is better in the fall than a warm, filling soup? This one is hearty, thick, easily adaptable, and delicious. I've made it with butternut squash in place of the sweet potatoes, topped it with whatever is on hand - yogurt, feta, sour cream, crunchy edamame, tossed in some sliced onions. It's pretty much no-fail. This serves 2 well with leftovers for lunch the next day.

2 large sweet potatoes, or 3 medium, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 Tablespoon curry powder

2 - 15 ounce cans cannelini beans, drained

salt and pepper to taste

Add sweet potatoes and stock to a large pan. Heat to boiling, then simmer until potatoes are soft, about 25 minutes. Add curry powder and one can of the beans. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Add remaining beans and salt and pepper, and heat through. Serve piping hot with a loaf of chewy bread and a salad of field greens, blue cheese, and toasted walnuts.

Fri-DIY

2009-09-25T07:22:00.009-04:00

More links from around the internet of great DIY projects!

Chalk board glasses. Perfectly clever and perfect for upcoming party season.

Adorable pom pom balls. I made a ton of these for a party a few months ago, so fun and easy. Start making a ton now and come Christmas use them on the tree, string together as garland, or use to decorate packages.

Awesome felt rosette pillow. Minimal sewing required.

Cool, easy pelmet boxes...made with foam core!! No jigsaw required.

Recipe - Meatless Monday - Pasta with greens and sharp cheese

2009-09-21T07:26:00.004-04:00

We've been doing Meatless Mondays for awhile now, and the husband isn't hating it too bad, yet! This recipe was a keeper and a great example of something else to do with greens than boil for hours and douse in vinegar. Greens can be scary at the grocery or farmer's market, big piles with huge sandy leaves and thick veins. They promise lots of work washing and removing the veins. However, a lot of groceries now offer bags of prewashed, pre-chopped assorted greens, which is just right for a quick weeknight dinner.

1/2 lb. shaped pasta (I used medium shells)

1 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
1 lb. assorted greens such as tunip, mustard, or collard

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 15 ounce can vegetable or chicken broth

zest and juice from 1 lemon

1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese or crumbled feta

Go through greens and remove any large pieces of stem or vein that remain. Make sure the greens are spotlessly clean, if not, run through the salad spinner a few times. Chop into 1 inch pieces.

Cook pasta according to directions. While the pasta boils, heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and saute until it just starts to turn golden. Add all of the greens and stir until most of the greens have withered down. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cook 10-15 minutes uncovered until greens are very soft. Add lemon zest and juice with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.

Toss greens with hot cooked pasta and top with the cheese.

Travel - Stylish Camping

2009-09-17T07:23:00.007-04:00

image from raina kattelson

I am camping with friends this weekend. Desperately hoping it will turn out like these lovely images and not something more like this.

above two images from country living

image from wickse, eric, & sharon

Food - Rev up the freezer!

2009-09-15T13:09:00.002-04:00

Great article over at Serious Eats on freezing the last bits of summer's bounty. Make the most of the last few weeks of the farmer's markets and stock up!