So, Friday night we got to go hang out at a friend's parents' anniversary party. It was so awesome. I hope when I celebrate my 32nd wedding anniversary I get to do it like they did. The food was my favorite kind of food. Maybe it's because I'm a southern girl, but I love the heck out of some casseroles, brisket, and anything you can throw in a bowl to make a dessert. I just LOVE southern food. It reminds me of those pot lucks my granny used to take me to at church. I wish I could have gone around and asked for recipes so I could share them with all of you, but I was about a bottle of wine in before I came up with that idea. (All of my best ideas come when I've been drinking! Ha!) Seriously though, if you wanna have a great party in the south, get some good food.
No only was the food great, but they also had live music. And it wasn't like a cover band playing all the greatest hits from the 70s, 80, and 90s. They were singer/songwriters. One sure way to get the Butterfields to a party is to have live music. We are suckers for live music. So, there were 3 artists: Michael Padgett, who is one of my absolute favorites right now; Dusty Deaton, who not only writes and sings his own stuff, he's very happy to take requests and pretty much knows every song ever written, haha; and last, but certainly not least, Derek Larson, who had a very different voice...almost like Neil Young, but not entirely like Neil Young, I liked it nonetheless. (You can click on their names and it'll take you to their websites!) Here's what the backyard looked like for the party:
No only was the food great, but they also had live music. And it wasn't like a cover band playing all the greatest hits from the 70s, 80, and 90s. They were singer/songwriters. One sure way to get the Butterfields to a party is to have live music. We are suckers for live music. So, there were 3 artists: Michael Padgett, who is one of my absolute favorites right now; Dusty Deaton, who not only writes and sings his own stuff, he's very happy to take requests and pretty much knows every song ever written, haha; and last, but certainly not least, Derek Larson, who had a very different voice...almost like Neil Young, but not entirely like Neil Young, I liked it nonetheless. (You can click on their names and it'll take you to their websites!) Here's what the backyard looked like for the party:
Here's the happy couple!! Photo op with Lance! And photo op with Lance AND meeeeee!
They are so cute. And happy. And Tammie loves dogs. Seriously, she rescues any dog that needs rescuing, and it's awesome. I think they had 5 dogs last time we were over there, and they were all over the place. So fun! They just needed to be loved on and they go PLENTY of lovin'. Any who, it was a great time...and they are such an inspiration to us young folks.
Next, I needed some wall art for my guest room. I've recently started to become serious about this room and it's currently my little project. I showed you guys the bed I risked my life over (there were wasps and crazy dangerous looking bugs all over the place, plus it was like 8,000 degrees outside). First I made the "B" canvas thing...
Next, I needed some wall art for my guest room. I've recently started to become serious about this room and it's currently my little project. I showed you guys the bed I risked my life over (there were wasps and crazy dangerous looking bugs all over the place, plus it was like 8,000 degrees outside). First I made the "B" canvas thing...
I realize this is a VERY simple craft, but I also made some else and it was an epic fail. Warning: not everything on Pinterest works! So, I took a canvas (any size you wish). And marked some lines using a ruler and masking tape. And spray painted it. Let's face it, spraying paint is a lot easier than painting paint and plus, you don't get all of those crazy brush strokes.
Next, I found a "B" and spray painted that as well.
After I spray painted it, I used silver leaf to kinda add some mixed metal feel to it. First, you find the silver leaf (it's just sheets of VERY thin metal) and the adhesive. The adhesive comes in a little container about the size of a rubber cement jar. When you open it, it looks milky. I just use my fingers and randomly rub it on the surface I want to put the silver leaf. Beware: literally every little place you put that adhesive, silver leaf will end up there, so be pretty careful of that. Next, you let the adhesive completely dry (it turns clear and sticky). Next, peel a sheet of the silver leaf off and place it over the random adhesive spots over and over again until you get the effect you like. This step can be pretty messy.
Next, I found some old buttons laying around the house, so I hot glued those on and glued the "B" on the canvas. Like I said, totally easy craft, but cheap as well, I had all of this stuff as left overs from other projects, so it worked out. And, at this point, I'm just trying to cover some wall space. I think it looks good (refer to first photo!)
Next craft is something people ask me about all of the time, don't worry, it's easy as well. I wanted some big photos in our living room, but I didn't necessarily want the fancy prints done. Especially if I'm going to change them out every now and again...and then what was I going to do with a print we spent hundreds of dollars on! Solution: Engineering prints.
Next craft is something people ask me about all of the time, don't worry, it's easy as well. I wanted some big photos in our living room, but I didn't necessarily want the fancy prints done. Especially if I'm going to change them out every now and again...and then what was I going to do with a print we spent hundreds of dollars on! Solution: Engineering prints.
So, engineering prints are generally done on a printer used to make engineering prints (DUH!), but the method that is uses to print is different than a normal printer. This method uses dots to make a print, so it doesn't use very much ink at all, and the print is made a lot faster. It's also done in black and white usually. So, I know most printers use dots to make prints, but this one is more like newspaper print, where you can actually see the dots if you hold the print up to your face. But nobody is going to be looking at it THAT closely, so you're good.
I just took this photo (on a thumb drive) up to the neighborhood print shop (in my case, Staples) and asked for an engineering print. I don't remember if they asked what size I needed, but this one is a littler smaller than 24"X36", I may have cut a little off when I got home.
Next, I went to the antique store and found an old barn window ($25). I actually bought two, so they would match in the living room. After I got my print made (I think it was $3.50), I made sure it fit in the window and just taped it in to the frame of the window, so no one could see the tape. Literally, VERY easy, huge impact, and cheap! Total cost for this project was under $30 per print/window!!
And that's all I have for y'all today!
I just took this photo (on a thumb drive) up to the neighborhood print shop (in my case, Staples) and asked for an engineering print. I don't remember if they asked what size I needed, but this one is a littler smaller than 24"X36", I may have cut a little off when I got home.
Next, I went to the antique store and found an old barn window ($25). I actually bought two, so they would match in the living room. After I got my print made (I think it was $3.50), I made sure it fit in the window and just taped it in to the frame of the window, so no one could see the tape. Literally, VERY easy, huge impact, and cheap! Total cost for this project was under $30 per print/window!!
And that's all I have for y'all today!
Wine A Bit, You'll Feel Better...
My wine a bit wine this week is Freakshow by Michael David Winery. No shock to those who know me. This wine is a Cab Sauvignon (and I think blended with Petit Sirah) but the percentage is so small, it's not usually mentioned. It's out of Lodi, which is why I was very leery to jump on the Freakshow train. We make a Cab at the winery I work at and it's from Lodi as well, and I know what ours tastes like and it's not something I typically go for. This cab is everything I never knew a cab could be. In my mind, it's so not like a cab. It's not overly dry, there are still berry notes to it, as well as being full bodied and dark. It's also not overly oaked. It's a great wine, if you guys see it out there in the world, grab it! Michael David Winery only makes it once in a while and when it's gone, it's gone until the next batch is done (I think it's done annually). For those of you that live in Grapevine, I sweet talked Chill into carrying it and selling it by the bottle only, because I was tired of drinking wine with a late dinner with friends and the only place worth going to was Chill and I would either have to drink crappy wine or switch to liquor (which isn't helping anyone!! LOL). So, go buy a bottle, it's so worth it! It usually retails for $20 in the stores and about $30-$40 in restaurants.