Inspired by Sunday

**I'm not sure if we'll change the name (can't decide if we like it.) But for now it'll have to do! Just a simple few ideas, recipes or pictures that will help get the those creative juices flowing and keep feeling inspired throughout the week!**


As the weather starts to cool and things slow down, our weekly-ish craft night will start back up!
Here are some autumn and ALMOST halloween ideas I've been wanting to try!

I really want to make a garland like this but with orange lights in the middle! Nothing screams fall like warm orange glow lights.

When it comes to Halloween I'm more a fan of simple, cute and fun decorations. Think more Hocus Pocus and less of Michael Myers Halloween. So I'm really loving this porch, because of how simple, inexpensive and adorable it looks! Can't wait to try it! Same goes for this it reminds me of something Tim Burton would use as a prop (I guess I have movies on the brain today!) I also really like all the painted and glitter pumpkins I've seen all over and the fact you can leave them up until thanksgiving makes them even better!

Lately, I've been rereading all of the Harry Potter books. I'm guilty of reading them every year or two even when I have a long list of other books I need to get too. I can only imagine what big glass of butter beer would taste like so I turned to Pinterest and found this recipe. If you'd prefer one without the alcohol I've also wanted to try this one.

Brisk fall evenings means soups of all kind! I've been dying to try this recipe.

And since no post is complete without a picture here is one of my pumpkins from the garden a few weeks ago!

xoxo

Molly

Black & White Word Painting

Hi guys!

          Lately I have been feeling super inspired by black and white word paintings. However, I am no painter nor have I claimed to be, so this type of project was right up my alley!  Between this and this   I knew I needed words on canvas in my life. I really liked the idea here of using lyrics to a song to make things more personal. Lately, I've been loving This Must be the Place (I prefer the Iron & Wine version Chance prefers the original Talking Heads...A house divided you could say.) Here is the final result!

Full disclaimer: I might have been drinking wine while painting and I might have repeated and skipped lyrics.

But it doesn't bother me so..... 

 All you need is a canvas or two and black craft paint.  I used a very small brush because I couldn't get the cursive to be legible with a bigger brush.  Eventually, I'd like to put a huge colorful painting right in the middle of the two but I haven't found the right one yet. I would also recommend using much bigger canvases but I had these on hand so they just kinda happened.

      This is a perfect rainy day project especially if you don't think you can paint. Hope you like it!

XOXO

Molly

Super Simple Cherry Filling

This cherry pie filling is #DELICIOUS, I would not dare to joke about something so amazing. It always seems that I think about canning cherries the day after the season ends and the stores stop selling them.... Not this year though! This recipe would be so good in a pie or as homemade pop tarts... Or to eat. 

 A few notes first:

• We ended up canning about 12-ish mason jars (we forgot to write down the exact amount that day!) and 2 smaller ones that would be good to use first! I have no idea how to make this recipe smaller to make it for just one pie. Maybe we will do that in the future! 
• The cherry juice we bought tasted like cough syrup and that is why we ended up using apple juice, so use it if you want or eyeball it and just use apple juice, you can't tell in the finished product either way. 
• BUY A CHERRY PITTER BEFORE PITTING 4 POUNDS OF CHERRIES! We used this video but honestly it's full of lies because this method doesn't work. It took an extra 2 hours of pitting. We could have gone back out and bought one but we had already gone to the store. However you do have to chug a beer or two because you need a glass bottle, so that's the upside. 
• This is a great crockpot recipe. It makes it really easy to have it simmering in the slow cooker while you can it! 

Anyways......

CHERRY PIE FILLING

4 lb pitted fresh cherries

2 1/4 c sugar

1 lemon (fresh squeezed juice)

1 pkg liquid pectin 

1 tbsp. almond extract 

(optional BUT if you do use it we used this one, seriously makes all the difference) 

1/2 c. cherry juice

1/2-3/4 c. apple juice apple juice

Pit the cherries 

Bring everything to boil for at least 5 minutes to make sure the sugar dissolves 

Turn down to simmer 

Add apple and or cherry juice as the liquid levels get low while canning

Can 

xoxo,

Molly & Cara

P.S. Thank you Mom for making up this recipe!! 

DIY Chalk Paint

Quick note: Since it's now September (original post was in February) I've used this recipe a few times now and I have some notes! So anything in italics is new or  I' have since learned since this first post. 

Hello!

    How is your new year going? Over here it's been good and busy!

       I have been seeing chalk paint everything all over Pinterest and Cara had told me about a chalk paint she had used for her craft room cabinet. We went and got some from a local store but HOLY CRAP that stuff is expensive for the amount you actually get. I know, I know quality over quantity is important and I did buy a little sample size but I knew there had to be a cheaper way.

     I found the perfect chalk paint recipe after a few different attempts and looking at tons of different DIY recipes off of Pinterest! One such fail was that sanded grout that seems to have worked for others but it did not work for me. It kept feeling sandy and  wasn't smooth enough of me. So then I tried plaster and through trial and error I found a constancy I liked.  

A few things first:

           -I would buy a sample size of the higher end "real" chalk paint. You'll be able to see the consistency you want and it goes a long way. I used it on the shelves of the cabinet and still have a little bit left for another small project. Or if you don't want to buy any and go straight to the homemade stuff the DIY paint/plaster mixture should be the  constancy of a thickish cake batter. 

   

          -DON'T use hot water to mix the plaster. I read on a different site to use really hot water, when you pour it into your paint it will turn it into a ball of thick mush that looks like butter frosting. I used cool water and that turned out.
I don't know why all my analogies are cake related.

          -I used two coats on mine letting it dry completely in between. Then sealed it with wax paste from Lowes.  This still seems to be true. Two coats then the wax, the hutch and now side table are still holding up great!

           -To get the blue that is shockingly similar to the expensive paint I used "Trade Secret" in a Valspar sample. The white was Valspar's "Ultra White" (mainly because I had a quart of that on hand haha)

        

          

CHALK PAINT RECIPE

       -4 tablespoons Plaster of Paris

 -3* tablespoons cool water 

-2 or more cups of paint 
2ish cups seems to be about the amount in a Valspar sample. 

*You can use more water to thin out your paint as needed

Mix the water and plaster together until smooth.

Pour in the paint and stir together until the water/plaster doesn't sit on top.  

It'l thicken up as the the three ingredients sit together so don't worry if it looks a bit thin

After I was finished painting the hutch I sealed it with wax paste. I just rubbed it on with a cloth and so far it's holding up! Have you used a chalk paint recipe or have tips that you have tried and have worked out? 

Heres one of the new projects I've done using this same recipe! To get the turquoise color I used for the side table is Valspar Pantone Cockatoo and I love it! I forgot a completely before picture.

xoxo,

Molly

New Year//New Goals

So in typical New Year fashion it's the time to reflect on the year past and decide where this year will take us!

An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great.

Check out the photo app by A Beautiful Mess

One of my biggest resolutions will be at least one post a week here on the blog! I've been failing miserably and that ends now! It will also keep our creative juices flowing because we will have to plan fun crafts, DIYs, and recipes to share.

As always getting fit is next on the list. Cara is starting the gallon challenge on Monday and I will be joining her! You drink 1 gallon of water a day. Everyday. And also pee every 15 minutes haha ;)


2014 was a big year for Cara and I which might explain our lack of blogging. But that will change!
What are some of your new year resolutions you plan on keeping past January?

Cheers to 2015! 

Molly & Cara

Eat Drink and Be Married

After realizing what a terrible job of blogging we have been doing.. Here is Cara & Tyler's elopement and reception. Better late than never (and trust me you will want to see how cute it all turned out!)

They eloped in April then they had their reception in August and it was oh so amazing and fun fun fun! 

Ain't she a doll!

Antique window pane, engagement and elopement photos, high school love notes

Need I say more

Perfectly country, shabby, and chic 

A trail mix bar! The lacey garland was a D.I.Y.

Perfectly country, shabby and chic!!

xoxo

Cara & Molly