Memorial Day cooking and finishing another chalk paint project

So the Macaroni is boiling for Mom's macaroni salad and I've just finished sealing the last coat of chalk paint on this latest project so that I can start weaving a fabric seat.

I bought this at a consignment shop a few weeks back for about 6 dollars.

This little rocker is wider than the average  just under 2 feet tall.
Really it looks like a planter and not something that even a toddler could sit on.
The seat was crusted with years of dust and it was very brittle.

So after stripping and cleaning it, I painted it a pale sunny yellow like one of my earlier ladder back chairs.

Now that the paint and sealer have been applied, it is ready for the new fabric seat.
First however, the cooking must continue ;)

Thanks to all of those who serve and have served to keep our nation free.
Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day Cookout: Pulled Chicken

Memorial Day weekend and I'm preparing a few dishes with mothers in mind.
My mother: I'll be making her macaroni salad (recipe to come shortly)
Mother in law: I'll be making her slaw (recipe to come shortly)
and pulled chicken. That one's mine and I'm a mother who's sharing it with you right now.
  Wicked easy (yankee term)

In your crock pot place 2/3 to a whole bag (3lb bag) of frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
3 Tablespoons of Stubbs Hickory Liquid Smoke
2 heaping Tablespoons of minced garlic in olive oil
2 Tablespoons onion powder
2 chicken bullion cubes
and just enough water to cover the chicken.
Set on low and slow cook overnight or for at least 12 hours.
*(if using fresh or unfrozen chicken you can drop that cook time down as needed)

Drain and shred, store covered or serve while warm.
By itself or on a bun, with or without bbq or hot sauce.

If at first you don't succeed...

My first attempt at "Fake Bake" cupcakes further below were very messy (pretty) but messy and ultimately cracked failures when all was said and done.  So I honed my technique a bit and got it "nearly right" - then took a break from making them all together.

Now, as Fall and Winter come wandering up the path, my fancy has been gingerbread.
And I have perfected my techniques and ingredients.
     My first completed batch of scented gingerbread "fake bake" cupcake ornaments...

And below, a sampling of my second batch, with real cinnamon sticks.

Guess what I'll be doing from now until the first frost???

And yes, these are already available in my Etsy store =)

Chalk Painting and Wreaths... Love these Summer Projects

After the cupcake phase, I dabbled in a bit of chalk paint.   Wet my toes (so to speak) painting some bottles, dressed them up and put them on Etsy.
After that I went to making Summer wreaths which were really fun, very fulfilling - albeit extremely time consuming.

Something called me back to the chalk paint.
I don't want to start distressing anything just yet.
It's really that I love the matte finish and texture of chalk paint.

After wrestling with different types of paint and amounts of plaster and lots of experimenting with pastels and bold bright colors, I've finished two vintage ladder back chairs with chalk paint and fabrics...  One I painted a mint green and the other a pale yellow.

    

Before

Gearing up for the next outdoor show and fairs,
I have a pretty good bit of inventory.

The chairs (along with a child's vintage solid walnut school desk and chair set were added to my Square Market Place Store and are available for purchase with local pickup)


These are the bottles I finished.  Everyone picks them up and says "oh how pretty" and then puts them back down.   I don't think at $7.00 each I have them priced too high.  I might have to rethink that though.

And finally, a few of the wreaths - all large, all available through my Etsy store =)

 

 

 

P.S. ....  If you like what you see, put a pin on it ;)

 

 



Fake Cupcake Frenzy

Fake Bake Strawberry "cupcake" photo prop

My work area, usually neat with a few scraps here
and there, has been taken over with all sorts of mediums that I normally don't work with.

 Trial, error, eye-rolling, leaving and coming back to the task to try and tackle it again in the hopes of some form of success, this is what it has been like for the past 3 days and these are what I have to show for it.

Now, I don't care who you are, where you are from and what tutorials, videos or advice you use when starting an endeavor such as these faux sweets...  There is something left out from each one that leaves you scratching your head and bagging up some wasted materials and time.
 You still need to find your own way and I am still trying to find my road to near perfection.
   Pretty though - no?  (the smaller ones are ornaments with loops to hang from ribbon)




The pink ones have painted red wooden balls for cherries and a dusting of glitter...

faux strawberry cupcakes

The yellow ones have white plaster dogwood blossoms with yellow centers and glitter...

Fake Lemon Cupcakes and mini cupcake ornaments

And the very first ones I made, have pale blue "frosting" with a dusting of glitter and some clear snowflakes...

Frozen in time - Fake glittered snowflake cupcakes