Here's the Dish: Ain't Your Mama's Slaw

Nothing says "Summer" more than coleslaw.  I'll be honest ~ I hate the stuff.  Don't know why, but I am not a fan.  Since it makes a great sidekick to most bbq'd meats, this is not a good thing for me.  When I found this recipe, I decided to give it a try.  It doesn't have that creamy/sweet dressing like most coleslaws, which is typically my most unfavorite part.  I made this over Memorial Day weekend and it was well received by all.  Best of all, it's quick, easy and relatively good for you, too.  We love that!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (12 oz.) broccoli slaw

1 cup red pepper strips

1 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped red onions

1/3 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

1 tsp.brown sugar

1/3 cup Sliced Almonds, toasted

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl.
Mix dressing and sugar. Add to salad; toss to coat.
Refrigerate 1 hour. Add nuts; mix lightly.

A Purposeful Repurpose

I've been hearing the word "Repurpose" quite a bit lately.  It seems to be the trendy thing to take an item and give it new life, or "purpose".  Well, here's my own re-purposing story.  This was a fun little diy project that I completed in a weekend, and with a relatively small monetary investment.

I found this adoreable little chair at an estate sale.  Isn't it cute??  Looks like it might have been used as a naughty chair at one time :)  I knew I had to have it, but didn't quite know for what.  There's not much free space in my house, and we don't have any little people, either.  Then it hit me ~ I'll use it to display a pot of flowers on my front porch!

Step 1:  I sanded the laquered finish off the wood.  This would help the paint to adhere better.

Here is the chair after one coat of paint applied.  I used a quart of exterior paint with primer that I found on the "OOPS" rack at my local paint store.  Luckily I was open to the paint color.  I think the light shade of green is very nice, don't you?  It took 3 coats of paint to cover everything completely.  Since it was a warm day with low humidity, the coats took barely any time to dry.  Bonus!

 Here is the completed chair!   I think it holds my vintage bucket filled with wave petunias rather nicely :)    Total cost for the chair and half a quart of paint = $10.  Priceless!

What a Lovely Idea!

I really love the idea of re-using materials, especially in unique and non-traditional ways.   Here is a lovely idea from none other but Martha Stewart herself.   These are tea tins (both new and vintage) used as vases to hold beautiful flowers ~ I really thought this was a novel and inexpensive way to decorate a table for a party or wedding.   Like it?  Click here for more clever centerpiece ideas :)

One of My Favorite Things ~ Vintage Brooches!

I'm coming clean ~ I am a hoarder of vintage brooches!   They are so fun to accessorize with, in so many different ways.  You can add them to a hat, purse, scarf, or whatever outfit you happen to be wearing.   Brooches were once the "must have" accessory for women, but sadly they don't seem to be as popular these days.  I really love treasure hunting for them ~ in fact, it's rare that I ever see the same brooch twice in my travels.   

The above photo shows a few favorites from my private collection.  I get many compliments whenever I wear them.  Although it's not always easy, I don't keep all of the pieces that I find.  That is where my vintage shop comes into play ;)   I have many gorgeous brooches listed, and am adding more all the time.  Take a look at the Jewelry section of my shop to see these and many other interesting pieces.