CHALKBOARD TALK:
Our family reminder for January!!..
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| xo, Mariaelena |
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Monday, January 12, 2015
Quick change paint technique...
Hi friends...
I'm finally finishing up our master bedroom. I wanted to keep a certain picture above one of the chests, but the wooden orangey frame wasn't working anymore...a quick coat of paint & glaze and it's now perfect on the new wall color...
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| before & after.... orangey wooden frame to a distressed creamy white.... |
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| Loved this wooden frame when I purchased it probably 15 years ago but now loving it all over again...the photograph has always remained a favorite of mine... |
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| Now back on the wall...we went from a sage green to Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige on the walls... I'll be posting the entire master makeover soon... xo, Mariaelena |
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
COMFORT FOOD: THE HEALTHY WAY!!
Happy New Year!!
And with that we all try to be a bit healthier (right??)
Here's my version of Shepard's Pie: a quick and easy dinner recipe that's warm and comforting with NO simple carbs!!...it's a huge hit in our house..I make one with meat and one with tofu for our vegetarian...both eaqually delish!!
Here's my version of Shepard's Pie: a quick and easy dinner recipe that's warm and comforting with NO simple carbs!!...it's a huge hit in our house..I make one with meat and one with tofu for our vegetarian...both eaqually delish!!
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| This is complete and ready to go into the oven!! |
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| RECIPE: HEALTHY SHEPARDS PIE brown either Tofu, ground chicken or ground turkey in pan add a package of frozen mixed vegetables add low sodium broth of your choice heat until veggies are warm (while this is heating up, bake sweet potatoes in the microwave) place the meat/veggie mixture into a pie plate mash the sweet potatoes and spread on top (see photo below) bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes ENJOY!! |
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| Warm, comforting, filling, healthy and delicious... Let me know what you think... xo, Mariaelena |
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY!!
Today my dear friend and neighbor organized a day of making bagged lunches to be donated to the local LUNCH BOX..a center that feeds the hungry of our area. The best part of this is that the neighborhood children were the ones who put over 350 bagged lunches together. We then drove with the kids to deliver them. Once there, the children were told by one of the volunteers who these meals would be going to. As we stood there listening, school aged children were eating at the facility. What a lesson for our very fortunate children to see firsthand...we are truly blessed in so many ways, but so honored to be friends with families who make doing things like this a priority!
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| PREPPING!! |
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| OVER 350 BAGGED LUNCHES WERE MADE BY THE KIDS!!! WOOHOO!!! |
Thanks once again to our friend Doris for coordinating this tradition now in its second year with many more to come....
xo, Mariaelena
Thursday, December 18, 2014
MAKING A GIANT CHALKBOARD...
THE MAKING OF A CHALKBOARD
Last week I painted and my husband trimmed out a giant chalkboard on our playroom wall for our youngest daughter...we waited for it to cure, seasoned it up and TADA....it's finished...below is a pictorial of how we did it!!
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| All done!! |
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| before |
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| We used painters tape to mark out the size.... |
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| We used Rustoleum Chalkboard paint... |
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| After 3 coats... |
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| All trimmed out.... |
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| Hannah Mae seasoning the board.... a very important step... |
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| Piles of chalk dust collected EVERYWHERE, LOL..... as you can see.... |
And that's how you do it!!
xo, Mariaelena
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Cookie time!!!
It's cookie time!!
Every year I host a big cookie swap...my cookie contribution to the party has been my almond/cranberry biscotti for the past few years...It's also a big hit with my family....had to whip up a double batch last night for my husbands work luncheon!!!....
HAPPY BAKING!!!
xo, Mariaelena
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
2014 Family tradition Christmas craft!!
Hi friends. Every year since the girls were little, we have a family tradition...as soon as Thanksgiving dinner and dessert are over and the kitchen is all cleaned up, we crank up the Christmas music and make a craft...it has evolved over the years....now the older girls are 21 & 19 and so it holds special meaning to me that we still so do this together after all of these years. Our 9 year old especially enjoys it!!
Take a look at what we made this year...
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| We used the clear glass Christmas balls from Michaels and got our craft on!! |
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| We spent Thanksgiving at the beach house this year but I brought these beauties back to the burbs to display... |
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| This is all we used.... |
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| They have found their place in this years Christmas decor & I'm thinking they'll be here for years to come!! |
Have a happy day!!
xo, Mariaelena
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Favorite home DIY yet...I'm obsessed!!!
Hi friends...this may be my FAVORITE home DIY yet...OUR NEW HALF WALL...besides the design, all of the credit this time goes to my husband...he did it all and I couldn't be happier with the result...we've been pondering the idea for years and finally took the plunge...what a difference it makes...take a look at the result...sorry for the pictorial overload...I told you I'm obsessed!!
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| these are pics of before from both sides... |
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| UH OH....LOTS of wires!!!!!! |
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| our friendly onlooker....Hudson |
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| WOOHOOT!!!!!!! |
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| the making of the faux column... |
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| all trim & first coat of paint complete |
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| LOVE the molding!!!! |
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| He did a great job tying it into the kitchen counter... |
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| almost 20 years in this 1963 ranch and all of the moldings my husband has added has made our house our home... |
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| So happy we finally did it!! xo, Mariaelena linking to these party people: |
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