jars&bottles.

okay, so i'm obsessed with jars&bottles. if you've followed this blog for any amount of time, or if you know me at all, then you know this. i love decorating with them, using them for candy or flowers or just lining a shelf with them.

and you know what? they can be free. you can wash out jars?&bottles from drinks, spaghetti sauce, salsa or pickles. with a little elbow grease, soapy water or some goo-be-gone, you can work off the label, or simply cover it with some fabric, twine or lace, or scrapbook paper.

voila.

it's true. think twice before you throw away that empty wine bottle or applesauce jar. here are a few things i've done with jars&bottles:

i had this shelf on the wall of our last home, lined with bottles and accented with a cherry blossom branch. i got most of these bottles at goodwill or already had them on hand.

i made these wall vases for bella's nursery when i was pregnant with her. i wanted wall vases, but didn't want to pay fifty bucks for them at potterybarn. so... i figured out how to make my own (find a tutorial here). very easy and very inexpensive!

i used lots of jars&bottles when decorating for bella's first birthday party. these were spaghetti sauce jars i washed out and filled with candy. i decorated them with scrapbook paper and flowers i made out of felt&fabric. super duper easy. and pretty much free.

i loooove having fresh flowers around the house. i bought a big bouquet of these pretty white flowers, separated them and put them in various places. a vase on the kitchen table, one on the counter and this sweet little flower on our endtable. i love how flowers look in jars... very simple and oh-so-cute.

some more decorations i made for bella's first birthday party were these blossom branches (see how to make them here). i washed out these cute mini-wine bottles and placed each on a paper doily, filled with the decorative branches.

and finally... some inspiration from martha (stewart, that is). i loooove these painted bottles and must try this project soon! turquoise&pink, bottles and peonies... some of my absolute favorite things. yes, i need to try this asap.

have i convinced you to fall in love with jars&bottles too???

refreshing words {walking this path}.

read this devotional this morning and it just encouraged and blessed my heart and i wanted to share:

"keep walking with me along the path i have chosen for you. your desire to live close to me is a delight to my heart. i could instantly grant you the spiritual riches you desire, but that is not my way for you. together we will forge a pathway up the high mountain the journey is arduous at times, and you are weak. someday you will dance lightfooted on the high peaks; but for now, your walk is often plodding and heavy. all i require of you is to take the next step, clinging to my hand for strength and direction. though the path is difficult and the scenery dull at the moment, there are sparkling surprises just around the bend. stay on the path i have selected for you. it is truly the path of life."

(psalm 37:23-24: the steps of a man are established by the lord, and he delights in his way. when he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the lord is the one who holds his hand.

psalm 16:11: you will make known to me the path of life; in your presence is the fullness of joy; in your right hand there are pleasures forever.)

our little family is in a place of waiting right now. waiting for god's plan for us to continue to unfold; waiting and trusting his provision for us. he is always faithful! he is never late. he holds us in the palm of his almighty hand and will continue to bring about the *beautiful* plan he has for us.

what are you waiting for today? what path does god have you on? wherever life may find us, what a blessed reminder it is: "in HIS presence is the fullness of JOY."

what's for dinner tonight {bean&corn salad}.

this is the *perfect* summer salad. it makes a huuuuge batch and is a healthy source of veggies and fiber. nick&i love it with fish, sandwiches, barbeque chicken... and honestly, on a day i've made it, we usually get in bed at night to watch "friends", each with bowls of this yummy salad :)

some of our best friends' mom makes this amaaaazing bean salad that i decided one day i needed to try to recreate. with a couple of attempts, i was able to make something that suited my fancy. this really is super delish.

i'll stop talking about it and just give you the recipe:

bean&corn salad

* 1 can dark red kidney beans

* 1 can light red kidney beans

* 2 cans cannellini beans (you could add a can of garbanzo beans instead of a second can of cannellini, but i prefer the cannellini; they are super creamy and just really yummy!)

* 1 can black beans

* 1 can corn

* 1 green pepper, diced

* 1/2 large red onion, diced

* 1/3 c. fresh cilantro, chopped finely

dressing:

* 1/2 c. white vinegar

* 1/2 c. canola oil

* 1/2 c. white sugar

* 1/2 T. garlic salt

* 1/2 T. salt

* 1/2 T. black pepper

* 1/2 T. ground cumin

- rinse and drain beans and corn. place in a large bowl (we use a huge tupperware bowl with a cover to keep right in the fridge!)

- prepare veggies and cilantro, add to bean&corn mixture. set aside.

- mix dressing ingredients, whisk well (i know it sounds like a lot of salt and other seasonings, but trust me... you're flavoring a whole lotta beans, and i like things well seasoned!). pour dressing over beans, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to marinate.

serve, enjoy, and bring to your next bbq :)

burlap,lace&flowered wreath.

i've been wanting to make a wreath for a while. my grandparents just moved into a new home, so i decided this would be the perfect opportunity. they needed something pretty to spice up their front door.

i toted bella off to joanns today (i love how i say that like it's a good friend's house or something) with a full package of graham crackers to boot. they are the only thing that gets us through errands these days. and no, i didn't actually give her the whole package. just enough to keep her happy :)

i picked up a wreath, some lovely lace, a few martha stewart flowers that were on MAJOR clearance (like a dollar, thanks martha!) and some pretty purple-y fabric.

my original plan was to wrap the entire wreath with the lace, but it was surprisingly sparce for the $5 spool... thankfully i had some burlap on hand which i completely *love*. and i especially like the contrast against the elegant lace.

so with some wrapping and the help of my ever-so-trusty glue gun, this was the final product:

tomorrow bel&i are taking a trip to the retirement community my grandparents just moved into and i can't wait to hang up their wreath! hope they like it... i kinda wanted to keep it for our front door ;)

has anyone else made any wreaths lately?? such great ideas out there!!

this post was linked to the following *amazing* blogs:

homemaker in heels

faith, trust & a little pixie dust

mod vintage life

newlyweds on a budget

tatertots and jello

the shabby nest

diy by design

multitude monday.

210. rocking chairs. front porch. summer evenings. my two loves.

211. pink peonies.

212. the anticipation and excitement of making a new home.

213. the nostalgia of moving into my grandparents house.

214. hot dogs on the grill.

215. fresh strawberry pie&vanilla ice cream.

216. bella's arms around my neck and her head on my shoulder.

217. long, leisurely talks with nick after bella goes to bed.

218. hearing my husband pray.

219. jesus's heart for me. ahhhh. amazing.

what's for dinner tonight {sausage&pepper sandwiches}.

my husband pretty much loves everything i cook. i mean, seriously. i could put a piece of cardboard infront of him on a plate and he would say he liked it. he's just not picky and so easy to please.

this is wonderful... and also tricky at the same time. because how do i know what he really wants for dinner? or which dishes are his favorites? such a quandary.

until these sandwiches. this is one of his frequently-requested-recipes. and not just because he's easy to please. but because they're really, really good.

we adapted this recipe from the neely's on the food network (how cute are they!?). when i was pregnant with bella this was one of my frequent cravings... which works out well because nick learned to make them on the nights that i was too tired and swollen to cook dinner after work. which makes them especially delish.

sausage&pepper sandwiches

* 1-2 T. olive oil

* 1-2 lbs of smoked turkey sausage or kielbasa (when we want lots of meat, aaaand lots of leftovers we go with 2... but you be the judge of what you want!)

* 1 red bell pepper, sliced

* 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

* 1 orange bell pepper, sliced

* 1 yellow onion, sliced

* 3 garlic cloves, minced

* 2 T. tomato paste

* 1 c. beer

* 1/2 c. your fav bbq sauce

* 4 whole wheat hoagie rolls

- preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- over medium heat, warm olive oil in a large pot. add sausages and brown on all sides and remove from the pot.

- add peppers&onions and saute until soft. add garlic. stir in tomato paste, beer and bbq sauce and cook for a few minutes. return sausage back to the pot. reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened.

- slice rolls and bake in oven until toasted. fill with sausage mixture and enjoy!

deeeeelish.

fireworks, watermelon&strawberry shortcake.

when i think of the fourth of july, these are the things i typically think about. along with sparklers, parades and that sheet-cake-thingy that everyone makes, decorated like a flag with whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries.

anyone else, anyone else?

this year was the first fourth of july i've been in my home state since college. yiiiiikes. that's a long time. and i had missed it. nick always has one request on the fourth-of-july: to go swimming. i love that he is like a little kid at heart. so this year we spent most of the day at the pool. which was *glorious*. my husband was in heaven.

here is a quick run down of our fourth-of-july festivities:

pool time. housesitting with my sis and bro-in-law for his parents who were out of town. this included spending most of the afternoon in their pool. which also worked out well since it was during bella and jude's naptimes. double bonus. but here are some shots with our munchkins. bella was not feeling the pool so much that day...

cookout with the fam. my parents, sis and bro-in-law and nephew, my aunt and uncle and cousins. holidays work out well when you think your family is cool.

cousin time. jude and bella are four months apart. not too long ago, we didn't hold much hope for them to be buds. bel would get right in judes face and poke at him, touch him incessantly and shriek her ear-piercing-screams-of-delight. this would make jude cry and pound his head multiple times on the floor. quite hilarious. now, they are such cute little buddies.

band concert. when gret&i were little we used to love it when my parents would take us to these old fashioned band concerts in the park. it really is just so cute and nostalgic. we used to pack popcorn and snacks and run around the park, climb on trees and play with whatever friends we could find there. so we packed up the kiddos and headed there after dinner. jude&bella loved it. they ran and ran, danced and clapped to the music, and bella sufficiently visited everyone around us, waving and saying "hiiiiii" with her big, cheesy grin :)

fireworks and smores. we ended the night with a fire and smores in my brother-in-law's parents backyard and the fireworks. bella was more captivated by the campfire then she was the fireworks, and fell asleep in the car on the way home.

so so thankful for the freedom we have in this country and the service men&women and their families that sacrifice SO much for us to have it. i am in awe of you, respect you and am beyond grateful for you.

thank you.