Memorial Day Party Decor

Yesterday, I shared some dessert ideas and today I have rounded up some 

decorating ideas for your Memorial Day picnic.

They are projecting temps near 90 degrees for our Memorial Day, so I am sure

our day will revolve in some way around water!

What are your plans?

{Memorial Day Mason Jars}

{Red, White and Blue Sand Votives}

{Repurposed Cans}

{FREE party printables}

{Flag Blocks}

And to wear to your party....

{Flag Shirt}

{Patriotic Flip Flops}

Happy Picnicking!

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Memorial Day Dessert Ideas

Are you like me?  I wait until the last minute to plan parties and picnics....I

wish I were more organized in this department, but this is just the reality of my life!

Here are some last minute Memorial Day dessert ideas....for you and me!

{Patriotic Parfaits}

{Chocolate Covered Strawberries}

{Mini Fruit Pizzas}

{Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle}

{Sprinkled Ice Cream Sandwiches}

{Star Spangled Trifle}

{Easy Black Forest Cake}

Check back tomorrow for some Memorial Day party decor ideas!

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Thrifty Thursday #61

What a difference a week makes!  

My hubby is doing great!  His getting so ill with Lyme's Disease was a true blessing

in disguise!  If he had not gotten so ill, it is possible that we would not have caught

the disease so early.  Because we caught it so early, he has 100% chance of a full

recovery and NO SIDE EFFECTS!!  Yeah!

I have also been doing projects like C-RAZY!  I've decided to complete all the uncompleted

projects....hopefully, I will have some pictures for you all soon!

As I was looking through your projects, I was just blown away by your creativity this week.....such fabulous ideas!

Here are just some of your great links....

Kim at Too Much Time turned her dresser into a garden!!!  What an awesome idea!

Strawberries are in season and this recipe from The Real Thing 
for strawberry sorbet looks delicious!

Dixie Delights shared this incredibly elegant guest room makeover.

Country Mama Cooks whipped up a recipe for homemade herbal shampoo.

Creatively Living found an old shelf at the Goodwill and turned it into a beautiful TV 

console to organize all of her wires and cables.

Vintage Finds restored an old cabinet to this beauty....

I've never heard of quinoa, but these chicken kabobs from Cheap Crafty Mama

make me want to try it!

Thank you to everyone for linking!  You all had FABULOUS project!

If you were featured this week, feel free to grab one of my buttons!

Here are some very simple suggestions for the party:

1. Please become a follower of Thrifty Decorating.

2. Be sure to link to your POST and not your blog.

3. Please copy and paste my link button somewhere in 

your post or blog so that others can link back.

You can also party with Johnnie 

at Saved by Love Creations!

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Dining Room Peek...

The saga of the dining room may be coming to a close....

I have been pinning like crazy to my Dining Room Pinterest board and
one picture in particular has been providing inspiration...

{Source}

Have you discovered The 36th AVENUE?  I LOVE this blog.  
Her rooms are simple, bright and beautiful!


So...I have been painting, Craig's-listing, dreaming and pinning!


The first thing that I did was list this hutch on Craig's list...

As much as I liked it, it was just not working in the space.  I had painted it a pale
blue and found that I was planning the whole room around a color that I just didn't love.


I flipped that piece of furniture for this piece of furniture....

Can you see the potential with me??? {as well as my vacuum cleaner in the reflection..oops!}


I have never bought anything at an auction before and I saw this at a
youth mission trip fundraising auction....talk about stressful!


If was me verses a 75 year old man for this piece.....UGH!  But, I won!!

A lot of people gave me that raised eyebrow..."What are you thinking" look, as 
I hauled away my loot, but here is a sneak peek of what I've been doing with it....

I am just GIDDY with how it is looking!

As for wall paint...I have my color picked and am waiting for 9 AM tomorrow when

True Value paint goes on sale...Buy One Get One FREE!!!!  I have a 

whole LIST of paint that I am planning to buy this week!

My goal this summer is to finish all my half-completed projects with the dining 

room taking priority.

I finished painting and distressing my Craig's List Dining Room chairs today.

It has only taken me, what...six months???

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Cranberry-Apple Spinach Salad

We celebrated Mother's Day a week late with my Mom and I wanted to make a

special salad to go with her meal.  My friend, Cheryl, makes the best food and this

salad is one of her recipes.

It is SO good!

You will need the following ingredients....

I love these types of recipes....no measuring involved for the salad part!!

To make the sugared walnuts:

Beat 1 egg white until stiff

Add 1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

Fold in:

3 cups nuts 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and melt 1/4 cup butter in the pan.

Add your nuts and stir.

Bake for 30 minutes and stir every 10 minutes.

Cool and store in an airtight container.

To make the homemade dressing:

In a blender or food processor, mix:

1 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/3 cup vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

With the blender still running, slowly add 1 cup of oil.

Blend until thickened.

You can add the dressing directly to the salad or serve it on the side.  Either

way the result is amazing!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

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Thrifty Thursday #60

Oh my gracious.....life has been a little c-razy!!  Why do I feel like I

say that every week???

About a week or so ago, my hubby had to officiate a wedding in the Pocono Mountains.

An hour before we were to leave, we realized that his car had been broken into the night before.

All that had been taken was....our garage door opener.  They passed over the checkbook, 

gift cards, a passport and some loose change to grab access into our home....lovely!

We resolved that....changed codes, locked down our house only to realize Tuesday

night that at some point over that same weekend, my hubby got bit by a tick...

and not just your average, ordinary tick...it had to be one carrying Lyme's Disease.

And that tick couldn't just bite him and be done with it, but had to cause a serious infection

in his skin.  So....hubby is currently in the hospital getting dosed up with

IV antibiotics and I am on "worry" duty!

Joking.....I am on prayer duty....I've been just praying that God would give me peace of mind

and peace of heart and He has....with only a few moments of panic-striken anxiety!

Needless to say....I haven't had a whole lot of time to look through your projects from last week, so this week's features are going to be on the slim side!

The Hell on Heels Housewife made these awesome chevron window boxes 

out of yard stakes. Aren't they beautiful?!

Cookin' Up Good Times shared these sinfully good chocolate cupcakes...yum!

Your pictures make me want to lick the spoon!!

Cherished Bliss made these mason jar party cups using ribbon and lace....

I'd love to sip some pink lemonade in these cups!

Saving 4 Six painted her Grandma's hope chest and recovered the top....I always

love to see the transformation that paint can make!

Finally, Design Dreams by Anne painted an old children's wardrobe and 

transformed it into her kitchen pantry.....love the aqua!

Thank you to everyone for linking!

If you were featured this week, feel free to grab one of my buttons!

Here are some very simple suggestions for the party:

1. Please become a follower of Thrifty Decorating.

2. Be sure to link to your POST and not your blog.

3. Please copy and paste my link button somewhere in 

your post or blog so that others can link back.

You can also party with Johnnie 

at Saved by Love Creations!

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Slowing Down....

I've been feeling the need recently to just S-L-O-W down...

It seems that each week my kids grow another inch....tackle a new task

and edge just a little bit older....

In the midst of all this, I am realizing even more that these moments are 

precious and few and will be gone in the blink of an eye...

It seems that only yesterday, I was measuring my son's life here under our

roof as "halfway" to eighteen....have almost 4 years slipped away since then?

This summer, I want to enjoy each and every moment with them....

I desire to have "free time".......

So what that means is that I'll be stepping away from frequent and regular posts here.

At this point, I still plan to host my weekly party....it's a chance to spotlight projects 

that may not get the exposure elsewhere....but, I am not tied to it.

As I continue to do projects here at home, I will share them with you....and

I will continue to do projects....that's just who I am!

But, instead of doing projects for you....I'll be doing projects for me...

Instead of worrying about taking perfectly staged pictures and rushing

to make sure there's a project (or two) to post a week, I'm going to live

life first and share projects...second.

I'll miss seeing you all on a "regular" basis, but I'd regret even more, my 

kiddo's seeing their mama on a regular basis...

So I'll be back occasionally....maybe even in a week or so because I've been 

inspired to FINISH MY DINING ROOM!!!

Yes...it's really happening and you've all patiently watched me paint....repaint...repaint...whine and complain...and paint!

I also have a few giveaways that I have sitting in my queue that I

still want to share with you!

But, if you see long breaks between posts, just know it's because.... 

I snuggled on the couch watching National Treasure instead of editing photos....

I was picking strawberries and planting beans with my daughter instead of editing posts....

I am sitting by the pool watching my boys perfect their dives instead of

trolling Pinterest for my next project idea....

....and you know what....it feels GREAT!

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Rosemary Ranch Chicken for the Grill

Last summer, when chicken went on sale, I stocked up and did my own mini-version of freezer meals.  I marinated the chicken tenders, threw them into reusable bags and froze them.

My hands-down favorite was this ranch chicken recipe by my friend Cheryl.

Rosemary Ranch Chicken

1 1/2 .b chicken tenders

Marinade:

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. ranch dressing

3 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. minced fresh rosemary

2 t. salt

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. white vinegar

1/4 t. black pepper

1 T. sugar

*Marinate chicken over night (or freeze until ready to use, thaw) and gill.

 It is just yummy goodness!!!

As a side dish, you can try another one of Cheryl's recipes....sesame green beans!

Happy Mother's Day!

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