House in the Parish

More Butter, More Cream…A Different Type of Resolution

This year, I’ve decided to focus on my cooking game. I have a few go to dinner recipes and I think they can be considered decent at best, so when my Monster…I mean Mother-in-Law got me the Magnolia Table cookbook by the one and only Joanna Gaines, I was pretty excited.

Hold the Gluten

I was pleasantly surprised at how adaptable the cookbook was for my gluten free (gf) needs. I’ve simply substituted regular flour for gf flours like Pamela’s or King Arthur. And with a more gf friendly world, I’ve easily found rice pastas and gf substitutes for any needed ingredient.

The only thing better than butter is more butter…

The book has a few lighter options, but this is a cookbook written by a southerner, so butter, cream, and more butter are essential to most recipes-or maybe those are just the meals I’m attracted to.

You Don’t Need to be Martha Stuart

The best part of the cookbook is Joanna Gaines-aka the Beyonce of the homemaking world-uses quick and easy ingredients with the options to be more in depth. If you don’t want to bake a chicken, that’s what rotisseries are for! There was even a recipe with Velveeta. After reading some of these shortcuts, I felt like the little engine that could. So far, I’ve made at least two recipes a week and my cooking game is getting stronger.

So, here’s to 2019! A year full of cooking…and eventually running to burn off the most delicious year yet!

A Chalkboard So Hip, It Wears Plaid

Chalkboards are a cheap and easy DIY that can be used for all sorts of goodness. I like to use them as menu boards, welcome signs, and in this case, to add a little seasonal decor to our entryway.

I have a few other chalkboard signs, but I was on the lookout for something with a little more height to add to this shelf. So, I went to the best place to shop for frames…the local thrift store.

I found this frame for 2 dollars. Check out the list of other supplies below.

Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint
White Paint
A Brush
T Square (not needed for all chalkboard projects)
Chalk

You can get the spray paint for 4 dollars at Walmart or Michaels. This white paint comes from our local salvage yard, The Green Project. They accept recycled paint and repurpose it. It is both cheaper and environmentally friendlier than purchasing a new can. I use it for furniture and small projects. I wouldn’t recommend painting a wall with this stuff. The likelihood of finding the same hue is slim. You can use a t square for this project if you have it, but a ruler would also work.

Step 1: Remove the glass from the frame

Step 2: Spray and paint

Step 3: Let it dry for 15-20 minutes…just enough time for a coffee break!
Step 4: Create!

Here is the part where you choose your own adventure. You can now use your thrifty chalkboard to create whatever signage your heart desires. My heart was embracing the winter pattern of plaid.

I took my t square and got to work!

For the thinner lines, I used the the very edge of the chalk. I personally love the blur and variation traditional chalk gives. If you are someone who likes a sharper, more precise edge, I recommend using a chalk pen.

Today, I went simple with one word…joy. I am not someone who has the art of calligraphy down. I rely heavily on stenciling for the majority of my lettering projects. But today, I felt confident that I could make these 3 letters work in my own hand.

After I finished lettering-okay, it still took a few attempts, but that’s what the water and q tips are for- I put the glass/chalkboard back in it’s newly painted frame.

It took 2 dollars, a dive into my craft supplies, and an hour of my time, but I now have a fresh chalkboard ready for the winter season!

Chickmas…It’s a Thing

For the past three years, our group has gotten together for an all girls Christmas dinner and called it Chickmas. We thought we were really funny. Turns out it’s a real thing-just search the hashtag.

We’re always looking for excuses to hang out, but Chickmas has become a must holiday event in our group for 2 reasons.

We do a Secret Santa gift exchange using Elfster. This relieves the pressure of buying all your gal pals a gift for the holidays.
It’s a great excuse to get the fancy dinnerware out and sip wine that cost more than 8 dollars a bottle.

I get to host for the sole purpose of using my great grandmother’s china and red crystal. My great grandmother had some serious talent. She hand painted the china and won quite a few awards for her efforts. Since these items have been in my possession, they’ve served one purpose-to make Chickmas Fancy AF.

Because the crystal and china are staples at the event, I like to switch up the rest of the decor from year to year. Unlike my 30th birthday bash, I was way less prepared this time around. A few hours before everyone arrived, I ran to our local Walmart and was surprised to find some key items.

First, I needed to replace my table chargers. During Chickmas prep, I found 5 of my 6 and that wasn’t going to cut it. Luckily, Walmart had these gold placemats for a steal of 2 dollars a piece. While aimlessly wandering the Christmas section, I came across those cute little snowcapped trees for 1 dollar! I got 3 because it was all I could find. The other greenery was 4 bucks each. I used 4 of the 6 that I bought.

The long wooden candle holder was a silent auction win from an American Cancer Society fundraising event, Real Men Wear Pink. The candlesticks were an impulse buy from TJ Maxx. They sat around for a couple of years, and I’m glad to see they finally found a purpose. The napkins, also from TJ’s, have been well used and loved. I received the table runner as gift a couple years ago, but this was its first Chickmas debut.

I’m learning that setting up a table is a combination of using what you’ve got and giving into purchasing a few items to make it feel new.

Lets talk food.

I must admit, Chickmas would not be possible without my partner-who I fondly refer to as the Chickmas Elf. Not only did he buy the photogenic loaf of bread above, but he made some delicious salmon and steak on the Traeger. For sides, I used a premix kale salad bag-still avoiding romaine over here-and popped some baby potatoes in the oven with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper. I relied on the girls for everything else. They brought red wine, a cheese plate, steamed cauliflower with tahini, and some kickass vegan/GF cookies.

We ate. We Drank. We opened Gifts. You can call it another successful Chickmas!

Birthday Brunch: The New Mom/Introvert’s Go-To Party Time

Did somebody say “Avocado Toast Bar?” Be still my millennial heart!

By nature, I’m an introvert, so having a birthday party isn’t usually my thing. Add being a new mom on top, and well, the idea of a shindig was a little overwhelming…however, this last birthday was a big one. The Three Oh, Thirty, 3-0….so I succumbed to the pressure and threw a 30th Birthday Brunch!

Brunch is the perfect time for an introvert birthday party for a few reasons…

You only need to wear your hostess cap for a few hours.
It’s a meal, so you’re probably inviting close friends, meaning there isn’t a lot of room for random people.
People are focused on the food, mimosas, and treats, leaving you without the pressure of being the constant center of attention.

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Brunch is also perfect for the new mom!

Throwing together an avocado toast bar is easy.
You’ll have no problem meeting your 9 o’clock bedtime.
Your little one fits right in!

So lets talk logistics!

The Food:

My friend group has food allergy galore (including myself). I needed something that could be vegetarian, dairy free, and gluten free. Cue the avocado toast! I got a loaf of gf bread for myself and 2 other bread options for my guests. There were some soft cheese options in the spread, but plenty of other yummy topping like cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggs, bacon-for the meat eaters, and balsamic vinegar (if you haven’t put bv on your avocado toast, you’re really missing out!) Throw all that on some white platters and you look way more put together than you really are.

Also, I didn’t bake anything myself. That’s right, I put the baking burden on the pros. I went to my go-to gluten free bakery and had them make my favorite german chocolate cake. Having one less thing to worry about was awesome and also way more delicious/aesthetically pleasing than anything I could have created.

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The Decor:

I love decorating my house, so when I do host, I enjoy paying attention to all the small details. This is where I wanted to focus my energy.

One thing I had to have was a mimosa bar. I made use of my Amazon Prime membership and ordered reusable plastic champagne flutes, some fun 30th birthday straws, and a copper pail to put the bottles in (though it did leak and we had to do some creative problem solving). I already had the juice carafes, but I’m sure I Primed those too!

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All the little chalkboard tags and signs are things I keep around. They are easy to make with a spray can of chalkboard paint, but that’s for a separate post. The golden confetti was an accidental touch after we over extended a few of these balloons with helium.

The other thing I knew I wanted was a photo backdrop. I’m not great at taking pictures of myself, friends, and family, but I knew wanted to capture my 30th. My husband and I went to our local salvage shop for some doors. I lucked out by finding these beautiful shutters for $25 each. The center door was a steal at $6. All these needed were a quick power wash and some shelf brackets added to the bottom to make a stand. I once again headed to my computer and Primed this greenery for the top. I loved the result! I’m already lending these lovelies out for friends’ events.

And that was it! With the help of a friend and my husband, we were able to throw it together in just a couple of hours (cooking and all).

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the next event coming up, Chickmas!