Thrift Store Thursday: Plate Wall

Plate walls seem to be all the rage.  And, every once in a while...I like to try out a trend.  And, some trends...like antlers on coffee tables & decapitated animal heads that sport antlers hanging on walls...I leave to the cool trendy people.  Thanks, but no thanks.  Not my thing.  But, if it is your thing...get on with your bad self & your creepy paper-mached carcass or half-a-carcass.  But, I digress.  And, probably just ticked a LOT of people off who love their Anthro or Anthro-inspired heads.

Back to plates...

 All the plates above my bed are thrifted.  Save one.  My mama gave it to me because it no longer went with her decor.  So, it was better than thrift...it was FREE. Plates at a retail store can be pretty pricey.  And, when you need quite a few...it can be quite a commitment.  So, if you are in love with one particular expensive plate...purchase it & supplement with thrift store finds.  Or, if you happen to have lots of endless cash & can purchase all your plates at retail (lucky you!), have at it! 

 I chose a blue & white plate wall because I had stumbled upon my duvet & shams at an outlet store for about $20.  I change my bedding often.  The master bedroom seems to be the one room in the house that is always evolving.  So, I didn't want to spend a lot on art work or decor if I was going to change it up again in a few months.  However, I really like it.  At least, for now.  I purchased my plate hangers at The Hobbying & The Lobbying (it's how The Gunny refers to Hobby Lobby & now I can't think of it any other way).  I even waited until "metals" were 50% off before purchasing the plate hangers.  Saved me some cash...at least enough to purchase a couple more plates.  

Arranging plates proved to be more difficult than I had imagined. I usually have a pretty good eye for placement. But, I'm still not sure I have the right configuration.  Or, maybe I just need to buy a couple of more plates to fill in.  (wink wink) The above was our old home & my old arrangement.  I spent hours arranging them on the bed to get them just right.  The top picture is how they are arranged in our new home.  The second time around...I just grabbed a hammer & some nails & went all willy nilly.

Many people deal with the arrangement issue by purchasing duplicate plates & creating a symmetrical layout...which appeals to the OCD side of me.  But, difficult to do when you are purchasing thrift store plates.

The four plates above are from Old Time Pottery & I purchased them at a church garage sale.  We are going to hang our TV (we just moved in a little over a month ago).  So, the plates are hung a bit higher to account for the placement of the TV & me reclaiming my dresser.

So, next time you are thrifting...think plates!  I have seen some fabulous plate walls on Instagram.  One of my favorites is an entire room filled with thrifted state plates!  And, I like state plates waaaaaay better than those creepy animal heads. (giggles)

Happy Thrifting!

What I Wore Wednesday

This grey sweater dress was a thrift store find this summer.  I'm glad I had the foresight to buy it despite the steamy July temps.  It was only $3.99.  I paired it with my Guess boots, a big chunky leather belt, an ancient (as in 18 years ancient...but, decidedly the best!) Old Navy denim jacket & a vintage necklace The Gunny gifted me on Valentine's Day in 2011. 

This necklace & sweater might be my fave fall items.  The sweater is a turtleneck/poncho hybrid...that I find utterly delightful & cozy.  I, of course, paired it with my Silver thrift store jeans because I can NOT get enough of them. I'm obsessed. I will be scouring Red Racks for more.  

Oh look...my Silver jeans...shocking!  I'm in a rut....admittedly.  It's also scarf season.  Holla! I'm a fan of the scarf.  My bags were packed with my "fancy" duds for our fundraiser in Wichita that evening, but we were so busy I didn't have the opportunity to SNAP a picture of my awesome Vera Wang dress from Kohls.  That strikes me as an oxymoron.  Vera Wang and Kohls.  Almost as odd as Martha Stewart & KMart. 

Ahh, and my Saturday "Don't mind me...I'm just cleaning the house" clothes.  Oh, and look at that...my Silver jeans.  I swear.  I do wash them.  Regularly.  

Notice the "snakey" hair.  (my mama calls it that)  I have found out that molding paste is most excellent for the chunky waves I want.  Mousse & gel just don't do it for me.  But, I am really digging the molding paste.  It feels a bit like smooshing toothpaste in your hair.  And, don't even think you're going two days without washing your tresses.  Still, I like it.  And, I get my mop styled (I use that term loosely...styled NOT mop) in less than 10 minutes.  

Well, that wraps it up for What I Wore Wednesday.

You can check out my #ootd (outfit of the day) most days on Instagram.

jillywilliams

Tablecloths...Beyond the Table

I have always been a fan of tablecloths.  Just not for tables.  I'm more of a table runner kind of gal.  

Tablecloths are wonderfully relatively inexpensive large pieces of fabric in awesome prints & colors.  I find that using tablecloths is cheaper than purchasing fabric or curtains.  

I found the blue & white beauty below at Target on clearance for around $7.

I cut it in half lengthwise.  Hemmed the cut edges.  Gathered it slightly and attached velcro.  Then attached velcro to my box spring...and TA-DA!  A custom bed-skirt for around $10!

 

I also used tablecloths from Target for curtains for my living room & dining room.  I bought two tablecloths.  Attached curtain rings to them.  And, the simplest curtains ever!  Funny enough...there were curtains in this fabric.  They were $5 more a panel!  Plus, they gathered due to running the curtain rod through them.  I prefer the cleaner lines of the curtain rings.

 

My dining room has a wall of windows looking out onto our backyard.  I didn't want to impede the view. But, I did want to soften the look.  

I found a tablecloth once again on clearance at Target (are you seeing a trend?) for $5.48.  I split it lengthwise like I did the bed skirt.  Hemmed the cut edges.  And, once again. attached curtain rings.  

 

 Here they are on the other side.  The panel of fabric just softens the windows, but still lets in all the glorious sunlight.  With the rods & rings, I spent under $30 for the entire project.

Needless to say, I purchase a lot of tablecloths on clearance from Target.  I have used them to make pillow & cover chairs.  Cover canvases for cheap wall art.  And, I am getting ready to use some to line the backs of bookshelves in our home.

So, next time take a second look at those tablecloths...and take them from the table and BEYOND! 

 

Easy Slow-Cooker Jambalaya

Let's talk recipes that promise one thing & deliver another....

LIKE. THIS. ONE.

The first time is was neither EASY or Jambalaya.  It was a HOT MESS.

The second time was a charm...
The first time I made it, I had crunchy rice in goop.  But, it had great flavor.  So, I gave it a second chance & "tweaked" the recipe.  (I love the word "tweak".  It reminds me of You've Got Mail. You probably love the movie too if you know what part of the movie I'm talking about.)

Shopping List:

2 lbs of cooked chicken (I used breasts/diced)

1 lb of smoked sausage (cut into 2 inch slices)

1 large onion (chopped)

1 large red bell pepper (seeded & chopped)

3 stalks of celery (chopped)

1 28 oz can of tomatoes with juice

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

4 cups of chicken broth

1 tablespoon Cajun/Creole seasoning (I used two!)

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 lb of shrimp (peeled & deveined)

The shrimp is OPTIONAL...it's optional...because I forgot it when I was grocery shopping.  However, it is fantastic in the dish.  But, omitting it does cut down on the cost.  

2 cups long-grain rice

 

Chop your veggies & sausage.  

While you are dicing, cook your chicken breasts.  I seasoned mine with garlic, onion, & creole seasoning.

First time, I made the recipe.  I didn't cook the chicken before or saute my veggies & sausage.  B.I.G. mistake.  Trust me on this.

 

A little side note...I keep my spices on a Lazy Susan next to the stove that I made from thrift store finds.  So convenient!

 

Once you have sauteed your veggies to your preference, add the canned tomatoes & seasonings.  Stir.

 

Remove your chicken breasts from broth.

Save your broth!

 

Add 2 cups of broth (what you just used to cook your chicken) to your pan.  Let simmer.  

Dice chicken.

 

Add diced chicken to pan.

 

Transfer ingredients from the pan into your crock pot.  Now, I made this the evening before.  So, I refrigerated my pot overnight.  Either way, set your crock pot to "warm" and let "cook" for 8 hours or so.

 

Take your leftover broth and store in containers & freeze for future use.  

Now, this is where I had to vary the recipe again.  The original called for the crock pot to be raised to high heat & add the rice (& shrimp) 30 minutes before serving.  However, my rice NEVER cooked & stayed crunchy & then thickened to goop despite adding more & more broth.

The second time I made it, I cooked the 2 cups of rice in 4 cups of the broth I had stored.  Then I served the mixture OVER the rice.  It created the perfect consistency & no more crunchy rice.  If I were serving it with shrimp, I would add the shrimp 30 minutes before serving, but keep the crock pot on low or warm.

Above, you can see that the mixture got too thick when adding the rice.  And, by the next day...GOOP!

Store the leftover rice & mixture in separate containers.

This is some good Southern eats, y'all.  Give it a try.  And, be glad my family got to be the guinea pigs the first go round!

Best of the Bake Sale

I have three kiddos.  I've done my share of bake sales.  And, I have slaved in the kitchen baking up delicious delicacies...only to have them sit untouched at the sale.

Then I stumbled upon this little gem when I combined two of my kiddos favorite things:

CHOCOLATE

AND

MARSHMALLOWS

And, I became "that mom".  

You can be that mom too...

Shopping List:

Chocolate Almond Bark 

(these kids are connoisseurs...skip the "good" chocolate &

 go with what melts the easiest, is cheapest & makes your life simpler!) 

Marshmallows

(I used the HUGE ones for this batch)

Sprinkles

(cuz everything is better with sprinkles)

Lollipop sticks

Cellophane bags

Ribbon

 

 Melt the Almond Bark in the microwave.

Dip the marshmallows in the chocolate.

Take off the excess with a spoon...smoothing it.

Dip in sprinkles.

Set on tray with parchment or wax paper.

Let harden.

The refrigerator makes this go so much faster.

 

 Tie up your little beauties.

 

ROCK STAR MAMA!

And, adults seem to love them as much as the kiddos.

One other hint...it's all in the packaging!  Cello bags & ribbon make everything look gourmet.

When I use regular size marshmallow, I put three to a skewer & dip them in chocolate.  It makes for a pretty impressive presentation as well.

So, there ya have it...

Best of the Bake Sale!

I'll be share more of my faves to secure your status as "that mom" in the coming weeks!

 

Thrift Shop Thursday

I love to thrift.  And, I most certainly did not get it from my mama.  She swears it comes from my great-grandpa who owned a second-hand furniture store (I swoon) & my grandma who loved to garage sale.  And, gave me my first taste of a good deal.  

The lovely above is a planter I picked up at the Salvation Army Thrift Store on Saturday.  I filled it with mini pumpkins & it is now gracing my bookshelves.  

I also picked up this darling vase.  For $1.99...hello!?!?!  I gave it a good wash.  And, I can guarantee you that NO ONE would walk in my house & say "Hey, you pick that up at the thrift store?"  Unless they know me really well OR I volunteered the information...which I always do.  

The thing I hear most is...how do you find things???

So, here is my first lesson in "thrifting".  

You gotta go slow & look past all the C.R.A.P. because there is a L.O.T. of crap out there.  You have to be willing to dig.  And, if you think you want it...PUT IT IN YOUR CART!

I learned this lesson again the hard way last Saturday & missed out on the most beautiful landscape in oil with a frame to. die. for. because I waffled on a $7.99 price tag. Went back to get it five minutes later.  And, it was gone.  

To add insult to injury, I had to watch the silvered-hair fox purchase it because she happened to be ahead of me in the check out line. Gah! Go ahead and pour some salt in that BIG. GAPING. WOUND.  And, now I walk past the perfect spot for that picture each day.  

So, I guess that is your first FOUR lessons in "thrifting"...

1.) Go slow.

2.) Look past the C.R.A.P.

3.) Dig

4.) Put it in your cart now.  Put it back later. 

Now, for those of you "non-thrifters" out there.  It's okay with us "thrifters".  Cuz we don't want you pawing through our junk anyway. (wink wink)

What I Wore Wednesday

I love clothes.  I'm not gonna lie.  But, at 42..I'm not going to be a slave to fashion & wear things that I don't like just because they're in style.  

I've been on a jeans kick.  Our event season at the non-profit I work for is over & our office is more laid back.  It's a nice change of pace & with the cooler temps...I won't complain.

I have fallen in love with a pair of Silver jeans I got at Red Racks.  My friend, Rachel, swore up & down that I would love them.  And, I do.  Most. Comfortable. Jeans. Ever.  

 Do you have a favorite brand?  Tell me.  I'm always looking for a good pair of jeans.  Oh, I don't do skinny jeans.  Not my thing.  Love them on other people.  They just don't work with my curves. The jeans below are as skinny as I go.

I love this dress.  Just wash & wear.  No wrinkles.  And, super comfy.  Thank you, Target.

I do love the denim on denim trend.  Because, I have NEVER stopped wearing denim shirts since the early 90s. My heart sang when denim & chambray came back en vogue.  And, I still love my bracelet with my kiddos' names on it.  They used to be all the rage.  I still wear mine daily with my Pandora.  It makes me feel like they're close & it's a reminder to pray for them when I look at it during the day.

Like I said, I'm no fashion expert. I wear what I like & what's comfortable.  

And, those are my two fashion rules. 

Grilled Chile Lime Flank Steak with Fresh Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Grilled Chile Lime Flank Steak

with

Fresh Black Bean Corn Salsa

Shopping List

Frozen Corn (2 cups)

Black Beans (1 can drained & rinsed) 

Red Bell Pepper (diced)

Jalapeno Pepper (seeded & diced)

Garlic (5 cloves minced.divided)

Cilantro (4 teaspoons chopped)

black pepper (2 1/4 teaspoons/divided)

Flank steak (2 pounds)

Lemon (squeezed)

 Lime (squeezed)

Onion (chunked)

Worcestershire sauce (2 tablespoons)

Chili Powder (4 tablespoons)

Olive Oil (1/4 cup)

Optional Side Dish:

Brown rice

Lime

Cilantro

Tortillas

 Combine corn, beans, jalapeno, 1 clove garlic minced, 1 lime squeezed, cliantro, 1/4 tsp of black pepper.  Cover and chill...overnight is optimal! 8 hours is necessary.

In a gallon bag, combine lemon juice (throw the peels in the bag too), chunked (yes, I made up that word) onion, 3 garlic cloves minced, Worcestershire, chili powder, and olive oil.  Seal bag & smoosh around. (really, that's the correct cooking terminology). Open bag, drop steaks into the bag.  Seal it back up & marinate overnight.

Prepare grill. Cook steaks to your preference.  Serve with the corn salsa.

I served my salsa over "Chipotle" rice.  Cook rice (I used brown) as package directs.  For 2 cups of uncooked rice, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil, 1/4 cup of lime juice & 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, and salt to preference.  

The last 5 to 7 minutes while my steaks were cooking...I put tortillas wrapped in foil on the top rack to warm.  

Absolutely delicious!

Credit:  The "base" of this recipe came from "my recipes"  Oxmoor House March 2006

Though I eliminated several ingredients & added a few of my own.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

This isn't my normal kind of recipe.

But, every once in a while...you gotta step out.

And, I did.

And, it was yummy.

And, it was even better the SECOND day!

That being said...throw this thing together the night before & let it get down...

May I present...

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

or, as I like to call it

"Take a Chance on this Chick" Casserole

Shopping List

9 oz of Spaghetti 

(I used Angel Hair...because I prefer it)

 Onion (1 cup diced)

Garlic (3 cloves minced or 1 tablespoon)

2 cans of tomatoes

(I used the fire-roasted)

Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon)

dried Italian Seasoning (2 teaspoons)

Salt (1/4 teaspoon)

Cheddar Cheese (2cups grated)

Chicken (3 cups cooked & diced)

Dice 1 cup of onion & mince 3 cloves of garlic.

Saute for about 5 minutes in a non-stick pan sprayed with cooking spray. 

At this point, you should cook your pasta as well.

 Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning & salt. 

Reduce your heat & let simmer for 10 minutes.

While the mixture was simmering, I grated my Cheddar cheese.  You'll need 2 cups.  

You can buy it shredded.  I'm just weird & think it tastes better if I grate it myself.

Add 1 cup of the cheese, your spaghetti & 3 cups of cooked diced chicken.  

Stir until cheese is melted.

Spoon into a 9X13 casserole dish.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese.

If you are making this the night before, do NOT top with cheese.  

Just simply wrap the dish & refrigerate.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes if serving immediately

Or, for 25-30 minutes if you made the casserole the evening before.

"Tweaks"

For those blessed with non-picky eaters, I would consider the following:

chopped black olives

mushrooms

green peppers

However, it's delicious just the way it is!

Recipe Credit:  my recipes//Oxmoor House 2003

Oscar & Felix: The Odd Couple of Fall Wreaths

Meet Felix.  My classic, understated front door wreath.

We just moved the last week of September.  And, I needed a little something "fall"ish for our front door.  Our home is a cross between a California ranch & a Mid-Century Modern.  It's a new feel for me.  A bit more streamline than I'm used to...

But, I love the open floor plan.  So, I'll more than happily adjust my seasonal decor.

I wanted a more classic feel.  Tasteful.  Reserved.  Not "too-too" much.  And, this, my friends, is what the Dollar Tree & I whipped up.  Not too shabby for under $10!  And, so...Felix was born.

Meet Oscar.  My soul mate.  My easy-going everything goes garage door wreath.
 
This is last year's wreath. (Not a Dollar Tree creation, but a 90% Clearance Fall Decor from Hobby Lobby lovely.  We'll discuss my Dollar Tree/Hobby Lobby Clearance issues later. Suffice to say, I need a 12 Step Program.) 
It's hanging on the door to the garage.  I love it because I tend toward the "more is MORE" school.  

They're the odd couple of wreaths, but I love them both & I think they'll co-exist quite well.  

P.S.  I'm not a professional photographer.  Nor do I play one on this blog.  

I'm an iPhone kinda gal. Snap & shoot!  

 

Come on in, y'all.  Hot cider & snickerdoodles aplenty.

"Shrimp"ly Lovely Pasta

The Gunny, my honey, is from "The South".  Before we married, I rarely cooked with seafood, sausage, and Cajun spices.  I am now a Cajun convert.  And, I "wow"ed my Mississippi Man with this shrimp pasta recipe I created.  It's a great introduction into some Southern cookin'.  

"Shrimp"ly Lovely Pasta

Begin with a bag of medium-sized frozen shrimp.

Thaw & take the tails off those suckers.

You will need a jar of Alfredo sauce, a can of "Rotel"-style tomatos, & Cajun seasoning.  The Gunny & I had just taken a little trip to Penzey's Spices & decided to try out their Cajun seasoning.  But, I usually use my stand by Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.  

Slice smoked sausage into bite-size pieces and saute in olive oil with minced garlic (3 cloves) & half a diced onion in a large non-stick skillet.

Once your sausage is browned & heated through, add the canned tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, a pinch of salt, a dash of pepper, a cup (or more) of grape tomatoes, and some chopped green onion.  

Heat until simmering.  And, add your shrimp

Stir.  Then add your cooked penne pasta (I use a full bag).  

Once the pasta is completely covered in the sauce,

 I add a couple of handfuls of Parmesan cheese.

 Stir in the cheese.  And, ENJOY!

 I like to serve this with a loaf of crusty bread.

"Shrimp"ly Lovely...

Or, as The Gunny likes to say..."You may be a Yankee, but you sure can cook like a Southerner."  That's high compliments, y'all.