Shabby To Cottage Chic

So my husband recently took out some garage windows and I decided to do a little craft project. All I did was clean them up and sand them down , that's it. Then I just attached some fun beachy pics and wired a hanger on the back. So simple and I love how it turned out! I just love giving something old new life. So next time you are thinking about getting rid of something consider recycling it into a fun craft project. I think it looks kind of cottagey, looks weathered and worn .
And the turquoise star was something I found at this awesome antique place called Green Oak Antiques . I just painted my favorite color Turquoise. Think it looks cute hanging in the flower garden. The Black eyed susans are in full bloom and are as happy as can be!

So go take a peek around your house and see what you can recycle into something new. I bet you will be surprised at what you find. Hope you have a good rest of the week. It's gonna be a hot one here today in the midwest 90 degrees. I love S*U*M*M*E*R bring on the sunshine! Have a happy day today !!!


S~

Photo Friday

TGIF!!! I have to say we have had a pretty nice summer here in the midwest. It's been one of the nicest summers I can remember in a very long time, lots of thunderstorms but we do need a little rain every now and then. So I L*O*V*E the ocean and dream of it daily so I came across this happy little starfish while looking through my vaca pics. And how cute are these little guys they were still alive when I found them which is kind of rare. You usually find these little guys already expired and washed up on the beach. These starfish were actually found at low tide clustered in the oyster beds.Too cute !!!
So it is going to be another hot day here and that makes me HAPPY!
I hope you do something fun and creative this weekend. I am off with some great friends of ours to stay on the boat this weekend. I am so excited to sleep on the boat. I have never slept on a boat but somehow I think it will be calm and soothing. I just love being on the water. I think we are going to have fantastic weather to be up at the beach this weekend!I will check back with you later and tell you all about our weekend at the BEACH.

CIAO ~
But before I go here is a little recipe I found in the July issue of Southern Living Magazine.

In Season : BLUEBERRIES

Blueberry Salsa

You can't get a much simpler summer salsa....

Toss together 2 cups chopped fresh blueberries
1 cup whole blueberries
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
3 tbs chopped cilantro
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 seeded and minced jalapeno
1/3 cup diced red peppers
pinch of sea salt

Chill and serve with blue corn chips or toasted pita chips

Enjoy Summer's bounty.

"Soak up the sun, and have some fun, Summer really is the happiest season"

2010 25 mile late ride Chicago

This is what 10,000 people on bikes looks like on the streets of Chicago! So we did the 25 mile late ride last night and it ROCKED! I did it last year but this year was such a better experience. We were in the first wave of people so we got to go first right behind the v.i.p. people. It was a beautiful summer night for a ride through the city. It is kind of crazy because you ride right along with traffic so you have to be on your toes. We went through all kinds of neighborhoods including Greek town, and let me tell you that is where it's at. A lot of the bars are open to the outside. It's really a neat way to see the city and a great way to find new places to eat and drink. Lots of really cool places to be discovered.
Riding through the city at night has a way of making you feel alive. The city has it's own vibe and a lot of great energy even at 2 am!!!! I was really surprised at all the people out at that hour who use the bike/running path along lakeshore Dr. The last part of the ride takes you along about 10 miles of the lakeshore bike/running path, very cool lots of sailboats in the harbor for the night. there are even a few cool little places to stop and have a cocktail along the path. All in all we had a fabulous night. I am surprised I have the energy I have today after being up all night, the adrenaline must still be running through my veins! I hope you got to get out this weekend and do something active. I really enjoying riding my bike and feeling the wind through my hair , riding gives you lots of time to think... So no matter how much you ride your bike just get out and do it and ENJOY every minute of it!!! My next big ride will be the 75 mile apple cider ride this fall, I have lots of long rides to get in wish me luck!
S~
"Ride to live, Live to ride"

Photo Friday

Happy Friday everyone!!! yippee I am so ready for the weekend, looks like it is going to be a gorgeous night tonight. Looking forward to date night with the hubby... It's been a long week and I am ready for some yummy vino! So I have been wanting to make stuffed portabella mushrooms and finally got around to it the other night. This is so easy it is ridiculous!



portabella mushroom with pesto & goat cheese

clean the gills from one large mushroom drizzle a little e.v.o.o on the bottom of the mushroom , fill the inside with pesto, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes,goat cheese, pine nuts and top with fresh chopped basil. this was AWESOME!!!! bake the mushroom at 375 for about 30 min or until goat cheese starts to melt.

Pour yourself a little summer white wine and enjoy~

Doesn't Mr. Seagull look happy as can be ???? I know I have said it a million times but I L.O.V.E the ocean I wish I was there now...

I hope you have a super weekend I am off for cocktails on the Urban Patio with my hubby !!!

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces- just good food from fresh ingredients" Julia Child

4 th of July and Sara's b-day

Well I hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th. I know I had a fabulous 4th of July weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect, finally a warm midwest 4th of July !!! I just love summer and everything summer means... friends, family ,grill outs, white wine, warm summer nights, the bats and night hawks. I could go on and on about summer. So my friend Sara's birthday just happens to be on the 4th how cool is that! She had everyone over for a b-day grill out/b-day party. Now all the girls had no idea the theme for her b-day was daisies, which by the way are my favorite! She is such the party planner, we always joke with each other and say it's all about the details and I think it really is!
So she made us these cute daisy flips flops...

She even made these adorable daisy cupcakes, too cute!!!! even the daisy candies were edible

And how cute is this flower box? she grew some grass and arranged the daisies in the box. I think that is so adorable....

And you can't really see them but if you look up a the ceiling she even made those adorable tissue paper daisies and hung them all from the ceiling of her back porch. Great job Sara everything was super cute! I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, I am off to the beach today to enjoy every last bit of the weekend... Have a fabulous day !
S~

There are friends who pass like ships in the night,
Who meet for a moment then sail out of sight,
With never a backwards glance of regret,
Friends we know briefly, then quickly forget.

Then there are friends that sail together,
Through quiet waters and stormy weather.
Helping each other through joy and strife,
These are the friends who bring meaning to life

A mid west girl who dreams of the ocean often...

HaPpY fRiDay!!! And happy 4TH of july weekend. So summer is in full swing here in the mid west and I find myself dreaming about the ocean. I say I am a mid west girl with a southern heart who was born in the wrong state. I can't explain it but there is something about the ocean that instantly calms my soul. Have you ever visited a place and instantly you knew that is where you had to live??? It happened to me when my husband first took me to South Carolina and we camped on the ocean at Edisto Beach State park. We also visit Charleston while we are there. I simply adore Charleston and all it's southern charm. Horse drawn carriages take people through the old historic town. As you pass by the old historic homes you can feel how old this town really is. This city is oozing with history , culture, good food and drink and lots of Art. There is something in Charleston for everyone. As you walk through all the old neighborhoods you can see the spanish moss blowing in the warm southern breeze, the trees are simply alive!! The trees are amazing you can feel the life in them.So enough talk of that ... enter Seaglass wine!!! My friend happened upon this fabulous wine at a lawn and garden center, which mind you this is no run of the mill garden center. This place is amazing they have a little bit of everything. So while I was vacationing on the ocean this past june I came across this very wine at the tiniest liquor store on the beach!!! I stopped dead in my tracks and said to my husband look they have seaglass wine. Now before this I have never even heard of seaglass wine until my friend found it.let me tell you it ROCKS!!! and isn't the bottle adorable? it's a keeper for sure. If you love white wine and ever come across this it is a must try.
Now check out this beach house. I simply LOVE~ LOVE ~ LOVE this beach house. I would live in this beach house in a heart beat and it is in my favorite color Turquoise!!!. Every time we drive past this house it puts a big smile on my face. How could you not be happy living there ???

So now we come to a healthy eats part of this post, all this blogging has made me hungry.

Let me introduce you to the mung bean noodle... My same friend who found the fabulous wine also found these awesome noodles. You can find these at your local health food store... usually. They are so healthy and a great alternative to traditional pasta noodles . The only ingredients in them are mung beans and water. kind of crazy. We have been eating them like mad. You can really add about anything to them and they are great. Oh and check out the place mats aren't they cute. All I did was buy the turquoise place mats and I just hot glued the star fish on them. I think they are super cute and they took all of about 10 min to make. So for this recipe ~


I just made the noodles and infused some olive oil with about 5 garlic gloves, snipped some basil,parsley, and mint from my garden and sauteed some shrimp with a little white wine, olive oil and crushed red pepper. I also added artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and topped it all off with some fresh grated parmesan YUMO-O !!!!


Every once in awhile, a casual stroll on the beach yields an unexpected treasure–an unbroken shell, an unusually shaped stone, a piece of sea glass. Occasionally, the same thing happens with wine