Honeyed Elder

Recipes

Saturday
Sep / 5 / 2015
Comments 3

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you’re weren’t sure you were going to make it through? Where a random vein in your arm is twitching for no reason and interacting with other human beings is just not a good idea. Do you know what I mean? This was one of those weeks for me. It was jam packed with silly first world problems. Honestly, today I’m just glad it’s over so life can go back to normal. – “Fingers crossed.”

Out of consideration for your safety and sanity, I’m not going to get into the details of my week. However, you may have noticed that IBC was having some majorly weird issues this week. For some reason, users would be directed to a blank page, and trying to solve that mystery was just the worst. I don’t like it when things are out of my control, and I sincerely apologize for any trouble you experienced here on IBC. Thanks to the folks who sent kind emails and messages. Sometimes I’m late to the “Your-Website-Hates-Me-Party”, so polite heads ups are always appreciated.

Now for some exciting news: I’ve selected the homeowner whose room will get a Fall Makeover this month! Over 150 people applied, so narrowing it down to one was quite the challenge. I spent about six hours going through the applications and probably another six hours agonizing over the decision. I’m so excited to see this makeover come to life and will be sharing more details when I can.

I’m also gearing up for fall. I know it’s early, but it’s difficult to squeeze in all the recipes, projects, and decorating that I want to do this time of year. I’m starting early and hoping to have a lot of fun, beautiful, and delicious things to share with you. Stay tuned. (Oh, and if there are things you want to see, please let me know. Just leave a comment below or on social media.)

Since it’s Friday (and we survived the week), I think it’s time for a cocktail. Don’t you?

This drink was inspired by the trip I took last week (more on that soon). It’s the perfect beverage to toast the end of summer. There’s something bright and happy about it (like summer), but it’s also very soothing and comforting (like fall). If you’re not ready for hot toddies, apple cider, and pumpkin spiced lattes, give this lady a try.

What I love most about this cocktail is the use of St. Germain. As you may know, St. Germain is one of my favorites. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really should. The flavor is kind of like “honey-meets-pear-with-just-a-hint-of-lemon” or something like that. Anyway, it comes together with vodka and white wine to make a delicious flavor combination.

This cocktail also uses honey. if you ever tried using honey right out of the jar to add to a cold drink, you know it doesn’t work. It’s too thick and tends to harden up. To add the honey, you’ll need to create a honey syrup. Do this by heating together 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup honey. Once the two become one, you’re good to go. (Honey dispenser can be found HERE.)

So with that, here’s to a festive and fabulous weekend.

Honeyed Elder

2 ounces vodka
1 ounce St. Germain
2 ounces sauvignon blanc
1 ounce honey syrup*
1 quarter of an orange slice
Sliced pear to garnish

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine all ingredients. Shake and pour into a glass. Garnish with sliced pear.

*Honey Syrup: In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup water. Stir while heating until the honey and water combine to form a syrup. Cool before using.

Cheers!

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Lowe’s Fall Makeover with IBC

Interiors

Monday
Aug / 31 / 2015
Comments 15

A new season is upon us, and it’s time to get our homes ready for cooler temperatures and changing activities. With the holidays also just a few months away (I know, craziness.), it’s not too early to start planning.

I hope you’ve been following my progress in redecorating the guest bedroom at my house. I suspect many of us have that one room in our home that drives us bananas. Whether it’s because of a lack of time, money, or motivation, we just can’t seem to get the space looking its best.

Well, with the help of Lowe’s, I’m about to change all of that for one lucky Inspired by Charm reader!

Lowe's Fall Makeover | Inspired by Charm

This fall I’m teaming up with Lowe’s to rescue one homeowner who has the decorating blues. We want to bring a Fall Makeover to a deserving homeowner! Together we will create a design plan for a room in your home, then I’ll hop on a plane and bring that plan to life! Pretty awesome, right? Oh, did I mentioned, Lowe’s is provide the budget, materials, and a team to help bring the design plan to life!

And I’m not the only blogger participating in this Fall Makeover event with Lowe’s. There are four other bloggers who will be doing the same thing: Julie of Julie Blanner, Monica of East Coast Creative, Gwen of The Makerista, and Breanne of Rooms for Rent!

Now, here’s the deal. As much as I wish we could do some home renovations, we will only have about one day to work. That means no major construction projects. We’re talking paint, molding, lights, artwork, accessories – those sorts of things. Pretty awesome, right?

For example, we could take a bedroom from sad to glad…

Or we might turn a space from drab to fab…

Or we can make old look bold!

Okay, enough rhyming. You get the idea. If you have a room in your home that needs a refresh, if you want to hang out with me (or one of the other bloggers listed above) for a couple days, and if you want to be the celebrity of your neighborhood, this is your chance!

To be considered for a Fall Makeover with Lowe’s and IBC, you must submit an application between Monday, August 31 and Wednesday, September 2 (11:59pm EST).

I know, the deadline is tight, so there’s no messing around. Chop, chop!

To be eligible for the Lowe’s Fall Makeover, you must meet the following criteria:

Be looking to fix up a space within your residence.
Makeover project should be able to be completed within 24 hours.
Must be the owner of your home.
Be outgoing, energetic, and fun with unique stories to tell.
Be comfortable being on camera and/or interviewed by local media.
Be in need of expert design help from one participating blogger.
Be able to make quick decisions in order to keep tight timelines.
Be available for a 2 day period to complete the makeover (between September 14-October 19).
Allow photos of your home to be shared online.
Must be 21 years of age or older to apply.
Complete the online application form and agree to the Terms below.
To apply visit: lowesfallmakeover.castingcrane.com
We will only contact eligible participants.

I will personally choose the homeowner from the applications. The individual who is selected will be notified shortly after the application process ends.

Ready? Set. Go! To submit your space, please apply using this survey form.

Regardless of who is selected. I am thrilled to be working with Lowe’s to bring this Fall Makeover to you. I will be sharing the process here on IBC as things unfold.

This post was created as part of my collaboration with Lowe’s. I was compensated for my time. The opinions, thoughts and ideas are mine, #IBCforLowes

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Skillet Banana Cake

Recipes

Thursday
Aug / 27 / 2015
Comments 5

Banana Skillet Cake with Chocolate and Hazelnuts | Inspired by Charm

This week I had a bunch of bananas that seemed to go brown overnight.

I used to love bananas with lots of brown spots, but somewhere along the way my tastes changed. Now, I like bananas that still have just the tiniest bit of green on them. Once they get brown spots, they are a bit too squishy and sweet for my liking.

However, I try to not let “overripe” bananas go to waste. Sometimes I’ll peel them and freeze them for smoothies. Or, as I did today, I’ll make banana bread.

It had been a few years since I made banana bread (cake) so I figured this was the perfect excuse to do so. However, I wanted something a bit out of the ordinary. I love the combination of banana and Nutella, so decided to create something with those flavors. Instead of actually using Nutella, I used real hazelnuts which also gave the bread some crunch. Bringing in the chocolate element was easy: chocolate chips.

To make this whole thing even more interesting, I baked the cake in a skillet. Since I’m spending a year experimenting with skillet cooking (see more here), I thought it would be especially appropriate.

As you’ll see in the recipe, this cake also has an upside-down style topping. It begins with a layer of bananas and brown sugar. When you flip the cake out of the pan, you’re greeted with a beautiful display of caramel, bananas, and chopped hazelnuts.

Now be prepared: If you decide to flip this cake upside down (which isn’t required), some of the bananas may stick to your skillet. You can just pull them off and place them back on your cake. No harm done.

Serve this up warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you have a winning dessert on your hands and a great use for those brown bananas.

Let me walk you through the recipe.

Banana Skillet Cake with Chocolate and Hazelnuts

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus 3 tablespoons
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, plus 1/3 cup
1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped, plus 1/2 cup
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 bananas mashed, plus 2 bananas, sliced
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk
Powdered sugar for garnish
Ice cream, optional but highly recommended

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Then, in a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a 12-inch cast iron skill heat 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once the butter melts, whisk in 1/3 cup of brown sugar; then add the sliced banana in a single layer. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle with 1/4 cup hazelnuts and set to the side.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Once combined, whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until almost mixed. Then mix in the banana, chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup hazelnuts. Add milk and mix to combine.

Pour the batter over the bananas in the skillet and spread out evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden and set in the middle. (If the top is browning too quickly, place aluminum foil over the skillet.)

Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. At this point, serve it directly from the pan or flip it out onto a plate. (If flipping, you'll want to do this within 5-10 minutes of removing the cake from the oven. Be aware some of the banana pieces will stick to the skillet. Remove them from the skillet and reapply them to the cake if desired.)

Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

For more skillet recipes, be sure to visit the A Year of the Skillet series page. I hope you enjoyed this recipe. As always, happy baking!

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Emily’s Cheerio Treat Bars

Recipes

Wednesday
Aug / 26 / 2015
Comments 7

Emily's Cheerio Treat Bars | Inspired by Charm

If you’re looking for an easy and delicious cereal bar recipe, you’re going to love these Cheerio Treat Bars. They are made with chocolate, peanut butter, and Cheerios to create an irresistible treat.

We all have at least one guilty pleasure recipe, right? It’s the recipe that’s really simple to make. The one without any unique or trendy ingredients like kale or figs. The one that breaks every healthy rule in existence. The one that is so good, you honestly just don’t care and will happily sit down and eat half of them and not let yourself feel guilty about it.

Cheerio Treat Bars:

Well, to be honest, I have several of those recipes. Hence the reason my life is a constant struggle between “Treat yo’ self” and “I want to look good in a bathing suit.” “Treat yo’ self” is currently winning.

Anyway, today is the perfect day to share one of those recipes. Each month I team up with a group of talented blogger friends to share a 10 Minute idea. (You can follow the series HERE.) These ideas are usually related to decorating. This month, however, we’re breaking the rules and sharing a ten minute no-bake dessert. So, after you’re done here, be sure to check out a few more of the recipes below.

The recipe I’m sharing is for Emily’s Cheerio Treat Bars. I’m calling them Emily’s Cheerio Treat Bars because my friend Emily has become well known for whipping up these delicious bars for our group of friends. We only have them a couple times of year, but we love them and request them whenever possible. Last year we took them on our road trip to Vermont. It was hard not to eat them all at once.

Why are they so good? Well, they are kind of like a crispy rice treat that got in a fight with a peanut butter cup. Plus, you can make them in 10 minutes (or even less time, if you’re really good). Pretty magical, right?

How to Make Cheerio Treat Bars:

I did take an extra minute on mine to make them even more special. I put the melted chocolate in a plastic bag and cut a corner off cut off to pipe a cross-hatch pattern on the top of the bars. I just can’t help help myself.

Anyway, if you have never made them, treat yo’ self and take a few minutes to give them a try. Also, feel free to eat half the pan. It will be our little secret.

Emily, thanks for the recipe, gurl!

Pretty simple, right?

Now, be sure to check out a few more of the recipes below. Then, share your favorite guilty pleasure recipe in the comments.

10 Minute No-Bake Dessert Recipes | Inspired by Charm

Chocolate Pudding – Julie Blanner

White Chocolate Dipped Pretzels – Dream Green DIY

Chocolate Covered Banana – Four Generations One Roof

Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream – Miss Mustard Seed

Maple Fudge Graham Cracker Cookies – Finding Home Farms

Satled Caramel Iced Coffe – TidyMom

Ice Box Cake in a Jar – Thistlewood Farms

Cheerio Treat Bar Recipe:

Emily's Cheerio Treat Bars

1 1/2 cups (10 oz. bag) peanut butter chips
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
6 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Lightly spray a 9x13" cake pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave peanut butter chips, light corn syrup, butter, and mini marshmallows on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring after each minute, until smooth. Add the Cheerios and stir quickly until evenly coated.

Press the Cheerio mixture into your prepared pan. Press with a spoon (or your hands) that have been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. Heat at 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Heat until smooth. Then spread the chocolate evenly over the bars.

Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm. Slice and serve.

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My Kitchen

Interiors

Monday
Aug / 24 / 2015
Comments 61

Have you ever noticed I only show you select photos of my kitchen? Well, there’s a reason. I’ve always been a somewhat embarrassed to share the space.

Since I bought my house, I’ve only made minor changes, such as painting and decorating. My countertops and backsplash are pink laminate. My appliances are out of date. The room isn’t all that grand or big.

The other day when I was making my corn chowder, I spotted a somewhat picturesque moment so I snapped a few pictures on my phone and shared one via Instagram.

To my complete surprise, that photo garnered many kind and wonderful comments. I was shocked. Lots of comments included the words, “adorable” or “vintage love.” One person even wrote, “formica for the win” and “my dream kitchen.”

Now, to be honest with you, I’ve always liked this little kitchen. Even though there are things I want to change, it’s worked well for me since I moved in. But sharing it with the world was a different matter. After all that Instagram love, however, I’m feeling a little more inclined to give you more than a peak. So here we go. I’ll point out a few of the changes I’ve made, and little tweaks I’d still like to make.

As I said above, I painted the entire space. (You can find paint color details HERE.) The cabinet colors (gray and pink) were the same when I bought the house. I used custom color matched paint from Sherwin Williams if someone is interested. Let me know and I can add them in somewhere.

I also replaced the crown molding when I painted. There were four different styles of crown molding in the space before I replaced it. I kid you not.

You might also remember I installed a new exterior door and double-hung window.

Since I know someone will ask, the wine holder is from Pottery Barn. My mom bought it for me when I lived in Philadelphia about 10 years ago, so it might be difficult to find at this point. The white bench is from Target, and the cabinet to the left of the bench is from World Market.

Speaking of that cabinet, that’s where I keep my microwave. Previously, it was on the counter. As you can tell, I don’t have tons of counter space, so it’s nice to have the microwave tucked away.

Back in 2013, I also had a new floor installed. This made a huge difference in the look of the kitchen. You can check out some before pictures HERE.

I did remove a few of the upper cabinet doors near the sink to create some open shelving.

My oven is probably 60-years-old. (My guess is that it was new when the kitchen was renovated in the 50s.) Although it is a bit smaller than a standard oven, it still seems to work pretty well. The controls for the stove are located in the panel below the window.

Unfortunately, my stove top isn’t the best. Each burner has at least one temperature setting that no longer works. It makes cooking pretty interesting.

You might remember that above the stove is the pegboard storage I created last year. I still love it! It’s amazing how things can stay organized when they have a place.

While I have no plans to completely redo this kitchen, next year I would like to replace the stove, countertops, sink, and backsplash. This kitchen has so much character that I don’t think I could ever gut it. However, making those small changes would be a true upgrade. Of course, changing the stove will be bittersweet. My old stove has unique features and vintage charm, but I do need fully functioning burners.

I also hope some of the pictures gave you a sense of the layout of my house. The traffic pattern downstairs is just one big circle.

Well, friends, that’s my kitchen. Thanks for inspiring me to give you a tour of this space where I find so much pleasure baking, cooking, and creating the savory dishes and sweet treats I share on IBC.

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Corn and Bacon Chowder

Recipes

Thursday
Aug / 20 / 2015
Comments 14

Corn and Bacon Chowder | Inspired by Charm

It’s August, and here in Central PA, ’tis the season for all things corn! Everyone and their brother grows it and everyone and their brother sells it. I am certainly not complaining. Fresh corn right off the cob, served with a little butter and salt, is a magical thing. When it’s slightly sweet and tender, I could probably eat a dozen ears all by myself.

As much as I like corn au naturel, I also like cooking with it. You may remember my Out-of-this-World Corn Dip, Jalapeño Corn Dip, and even my White Chicken Chili.

Anywho, I just got a new KitchenAid blender and wanted to give it a whirl. Instead of whipping up a typical smoothie, I thought a soup would be a fun way to test out it’s capabilities. With lots of corn on hand, I decided to make corn chowder. And for something extra, I threw in some bacon. (Let’s be honest, bacon is always in season.)

Since I’m new to the chowder making business, I found this recipe from Cooking Classy to get me started. Thanks, Jaclyn!

I’ve already admitted here on IBC that I’m not a huge fan of soup. (Chicken noodle soup is probably one of my least favorite things.) However, if it’s a creamy soup, chowder, or chili, you can count me in. I’m happy to report this recipe did not disappoint my picky-soup-pallette.

Everything comes together pretty quickly in a large pot. The recipe starts with lots of bacon. This nicely balances the sweetness of the corn and the little squirt of honey at the end.

To make this soup extra thick and creamy, I pureed about three cups of the chowder and then added it back in. The blender went through it effortlessly, bacon and all.

Garnished with some cheddar cheese, chives, and more bacon, this chowder is a winner. Another delicious way for me to up my corn intake this summer. Yum!

Let me share the recipe with you.

Corn and Bacon Chowder

Here's what you will need:
8 ears of corn, husked, and kernels cut from the cob
3 tablespoons butter
6 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups chicken stock
1 pound yellow potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup half and half
1 tablespoon honey
Fresh chives, shredded cheddar cheese, and cooked chopped bacon for garnish

Begin by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Then, add the onion and bacon. Cook until the onion is soft, translucent, and beginning to brown around the edges, about 8 - 10 minutes.

Add the flour and garlic; then cook for an additional minute.

Next, slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil while continuing to stir. Then, add the potatoes and corn kernels. Season with thyme and bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a light boil; then reduce the heat and allow to summer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes).

Once the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf. Transfer about 3 cups of the chowder to a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir the pureed chowder back into the pot and add the half and half and the honey. Serve hot, garnished with chives, shredded cheddar cheese, and bacon.

The flavor of this chowder is brilliant. I love the sweetness from the corn and how it works with the savory bacon. I think you’re going to love it, too.

As always, I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Happy cooking!

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Habitat for Humanity House

Interiors

Tuesday
Aug / 18 / 2015
Comments 10

Habitat for Humanity House | Inspired by Charm #GMCHTA

Today I’m back for the final look at the completed Habitat for Humanity house.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can read the introduction here and see more of the space I decorated here.

However, let me catch you up quickly. The awesome folks at GMC invited me and seven other bloggers on a Hidden Treasure Adventure. We met in Detroit and were each assigned a room to decorate in a Habitat for Humanity house in Atlanta. Our mission was to drive from Detroit to Atlanta on the 127 Corridor, shopping the World’s Longest Yard Sale to find what we need to furnish our space. We were given a budget and a timeline to complete the mission.

Before I go any further, I want to thank GMC for making this possible. None of the bloggers who participated were compensated for this event. We all donated our time and service to this worthwhile cause. In addition to our budgets for decorating, we had beautiful 2015 Yukon XL Denalis to drive in yard sale-ing style, and accommodations throughout our adventure. Thank you so much, GMC!

Okay, back to the story.

Let me introduce you to the bloggers…

Ashley from Simply Designing, Rhoda from Southern Hospitality, Brooke from All Things Thrifty, Dusty from All Things G&D, Lucy* of Lucy’s Inspired, Sarah* from Nestrs, and Allison of Two Thirty-Five Designs.

*Lucy and Sarah might look familiar to you. They are currently on HGTV’s Beach Flip!

The bloggers split up into groups to travel the yard sale in two and a half days (Wednesday evening through Friday). The groups met up each evening for dinner and chit chat and, of course, to talk about our finds.

Side note: The Yard Sale was incredible. If you are into yard sale-ing, flea markets, or repurposing, you MUST shop it at some point in your life. Typically, it’s the first week in August.

On Saturday we arrived at the house and had the afternoon and early Sunday to decorate, paint furniture, create art, style, and whatever else we needed to do to design our rooms.

The home we decorated was for the Yaro Family: Moumini, Mireille, and their two children, Yassine and Elias. Mr. and Mrs. Yaro are refugees from the Ivory Coast. Mr. Yaro is currently enrolled in night classes with the goal of become a teacher. Mrs. Yaro is a stay at home Mom. They got this home in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity -DeKalb. Sunday was the dedication of the home. They had no idea we had decorated the entire space for them. They were some of the sweetest people I’ve ever meet. They were so pleased and grateful of our work. It was an honor to do this for them.

Check out this video created by Brooke of All Things Thrifty!!

Now, let me walk you through all of the rooms to show you what our Hidden Treasure Adventure team created. As my fellow bloggers start to create their own blog posts, I will link them up so you can check out the individual spaces in more detail.

Ashley was in charge of the living room. (Read her post here.)

Other than the couches, which were donated by John Miles Chevrolet, a local Atlanta GMC dealership, she completely furnished the space. The beds and frames for the master bedroom and children’s rooms were also donated by the same dealership.

I love the industrial style coffee table she refinished. She also painted a dresser to act as a TV stand and created lots of DIY artwork.

Lucy took on the kitchen.

She ran with a rustic theme for the space. She used a bead board wallpaper to create a backsplash, added unique art to the walls, and filled the cabinets with plates and kitchen tools for the family.

Rhoda designed the dining room. (Read her post here.)

She found a beautiful table with chairs which she reupholstered for a fresh and clean look. She also added lots of style and pattern with curtains.

In addition to the boy’s room, I gave the laundry room some style. I found an old wood shelf and laundry bin. With a few accessories for color, the space was looking much more like home.

Brooke and Allison acted as mentors on this particular trip. They were not assigned a room to decorate, but assisted the bloggers. They both were on this trip in the past and offered helpful tips and tricks. They used their budget to buy the family a few items from their Wish List, which included a new dryer, a lawnmower, and a food processor.

As I showed you in my previous post, I designed Elias’ room. My inspiration was soccer as you can tell from my DIY artwork. You can read more about my design HERE.

Dusty tackled Yassine’s room. (Read her post here.) Given Yassine’s love of pink and purple, Dusty hit the nail on the head.

She was extra ambitious with her design, taking on lots of DIY projects. She painted almost everything, including a feature wall. I totally loved her vision and completed space.

Dusty also decorated the guest bathroom.

Finally, Sarah furnished the master bedroom and bathroom. (Read her post here.) The Yaro Family mentioned they like blue, green, and orange, so Sarah used those colors as her inspiration.

She DIY’d several things in her space including artwork, lamps, and side tables.

What a beautiful transformation, right? I also thought it was very amazing how well the house looked as a whole. Although each room / blogger had his or her own individual style, the rooms were cohesive. We actually didn’t plan that. I think it happened thanks to the repurposing and a similar color palette.

As you can tell the Yaro Family, the bloggers, and the GMC team were super proud and happy with what we created in four-and-a-half days. I’m so excited for the Yaro Family and wish them much happiness and love in their new home.

Again, I will be adding links to the other bloggers’ spaces as soon as they are available. If you’re looking for more information on a particular room or detail, just keep checking back.

Thank you so much for following along on this fun journey. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

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The Bedroom is Painted

Interiors

Monday
Aug / 17 / 2015
Comments 32

The Bedroom is Painted | Inspired by Charm

I did it! I painted the guest bedroom!

I probably shouldn’t be too celebratory since it took me seven years accomplish this. However, I did reach the goal I set last week, so I’m feeling pretty good.

What an improvement, right? Remember the before …

Goodbye pink. Goodbye wallpaper. Hello bright, light-flooded space!

As I mentioned, I decided to go with Reserved White from Sherwin Williams. The color is so beautiful. I was hoping for something a bit more white, but I do love how it looks. I think the slightly darker hue helps the molding stand out.

The most time-consuming aspect of getting this space painted (which didn’t take all that long) was the prep work. Removing the wallpaper border, patching (and sanding holes), and filling in gaps around the molding always seems to require the most time. While it’s my least favorite part of any painting project, it makes such a difference in the end result. As you’ve probably also discovered, it’s essential for achieving a crisp, clean look.

In addition to painting, I changed the molding around the door to the bathroom. When the house was turned into a B&B, this doorway was created so guests could access this bathroom without leaving their room.

For some reason, the previous owners used standard molding to frame out the door instead of matching the door right next to it. Even though it took a little extra time, I decided that duplicating the original molding was pretty important. In the near future, I will switch out the door to match the other one.

You will also notice a lot less furniture in the room. I decided to remove it all from the space. I plan to sell most of the pieces which came with the purchase of the B&B seven years ago. Although many of them are nice, I just have no emotional attachment to them, and they aren’t what I envision for the space.

That’s about it. This week I want to get the chandelier hung, install new switch plate / outlet covers, and (weather permitting) paint the bed frame. I’ll try to pop in with updates as those progress.

What do you think of the new color? Isn’t paint amazing?

Have a fab week, everyone!

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Boy’s Bedroom Reveal #GMCHTA

Interiors

Wednesday
Aug / 12 / 2015
Comments 36

Boy's Bedroom Reveal | Inspired by Charm #GMCHTA

I’m going to do things backwards today. Let me explain.

As I mentioned in a post early last week, I teamed up with GMC to shop the World’s Longest Yard Sale in order to decorate a room in a Habitat for Humanity House. Along with 7 other bloggers, I traveled almost 1,000 miles to furnish and style a home for a deserving family.

I want to show you the room I designed and tell you a little about the experience. Since the other bloggers will be doing the same, I thought it would be fun to share my room first, then pop back in later this week to let you know more about the process and take a look at the rest of the house. Sound good?

I know this is out of order, but since this reveal is so exclusive, important, and highly anticipated (insert sarcasm here), I wanted my design to be seen here first.

As I mentioned, I was one of the eight bloggers on this adventure. When we arrived in Detroit last Wednesday, each of us was assigned a room to decorate in a Habitat for Humanity home in Atlanta.

This house is going to be the future home of the Yaro family: Moumini (Dad), Mireille (Mom), Yassine (Daughter – Age 10), and Elias (Son – Age 1). I was in charge of decorating Elias’ room. (I was also given the laundry room to decorate, so I’ll share more about that in a later post.)

Wednesday morning through Saturday afternoon, we shopped the yard sale (and a few of our favorite retail stores) to furnish our spaces. To make things more efficient, we bloggers spilt into three groups. I was teamed up with Brooke from All Things Thrifty and Dusty from All Things G&D. We were given GMC Yukon Denali’s to drive in comfortable style and to pack full (which we did) with our purchases.

We also received some information about the family to help us shop and inspire our designs. Mr. Yaro is a big fan of soccer, and Elias likes to play as well. The family prefers the colors blue, green, gray, and black.

I was a tad worried about decorating a child’s room since it was something I’d never done before. However, once I had my vision and started to find a few key pieces, my worries disappeared.

Let me show you the completed room, and then I’ll give you details about some of the pieces.

Pretty fabulous, right? I couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

Okay, let’s chat quickly about my finds and the design.

One of the first things I bought (Brooke actually found it.) was this large green marquee letter. At a nearby sale, I also purchased a wooden rocking horse that I thought would look great in the space.

A little farther down the road, I spotted what became my favorite piece in the room. It was a buffet that had been refinished with black and gray chalk paint and adorned with brass hardware. So perfect, so IBC, AND ideal for the space. Although not a traditional dresser, it provides lots of storage. It’s also low enough for Elias to access. Plus, I think it’s a piece that can grow with the family. Score!

The bed frame and mattress were donated by a local GMC dealer.

Shopping for accessories was so much fun.

For some wall art, I found these old cabinet door fronts that had been turned into mini chalkboards. Dusty (who decorated the little girl’s room) and I found matching piggy banks that we gave a coat of gold spray paint.

Above the dresser, I added a mirror which I painted green to tie into the space.

An adorable bedside table brought in even more color. I was lucky to find this piece pre-painted (again with chalk paint) in my color scheme.

I also incorporated this set of books into the space. I used the book cover colors that worked for my room, and some of the other books were used in the Master Bedroom. The set cost me $2. I saw this same set online for $200! Dusty also picked up a set for the little girl’s room. She paid $2 at the yard sale; online her set was priced at $300. Crazy.

Toys, more storage, and other accessories were added to the space to complete the design.

I should mention that some of the bloggers who had participated in previous years recommended not trying to DIY and paint everything. There just isn’t enough time. I was so fortunate to find pieces that were ready to place in the room.

As for the bed linens throughout the house, it was a consensus among the bloggers to buy new. We wouldn’t have time or the resources to properly clean or wash those items so we felt new was best. I found my bedding at HomeGoods.

With most of the items purchased, I was ready to decorate.

We weren’t given many photos of the home and only received rough estimates of room dimensions. This made shopping and space planning somewhat challenging. Thankfully, the pieces I chose filled my spaces perfectly. The only thing I was lacking was some wall art for a large feature wall in the Elias’ room. I did some quick thinking and decided to make something.

I got a small drop cloth, free-handed / painted on a soccer ball, and then stapled a strip of wood to bottom and top of the drop cloth. After securing it to the wall with some screws, I had instant art work, and that giant wall was looking a little less bare.

With that, Elias’ new soccer-inspired room was complete.

We were given a budget of $285 to shop for the room, plus a $50 Lowe’s Gift Card. I managed to spend all of my money and then some. The bedding and curtains were a donation from me to the family. This wasn’t necessary, but I wanted to make the space extra special for this lovely family.

As you can see, they LOVED the space.

What do you think of the design?

I’ll be back on Friday to talk a bit more about this adventure and reveal the other rooms in the home. Be sure to stop back then.

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Mason Jar Blueberry Pies

Recipes

Thursday
Aug / 6 / 2015
Comments 8

Blueberry Mason Jar Pies | Inspired by Charm

The other day when I posted a teaser on Instagram showing the Mason Jar Blueberry Pies I was baking, lots of folks went bananas. I wish I could say that I came up with the idea of baking things in mason jars, but I can’t. What I can do is show you what I make and then share as many recipes as possible.

For those of you who didn’t know, it is possible to bake in a mason jar. Please keep in mind this isn’t an “approved” use of a mason jar, so if a jar happens to blow up in your oven, I take no responsibility. However, I am on my third mason jar-inspired recipe, and thus far, I haven’t experienced any broken or cracked glass.

Anywho, when I was growing up, pies were synonymous with celebrations. Whether it was a holiday, someone’s birthday, or a big Sunday dinner, it seemed like a homemade pie was always there to finish off a yummy meal.

Today, I wanted to share a few of my tips and help you create some adorable pies that are worthy of a birthday celebration. (I figured it was only approbate as I just celebrated my 32nd birthday yesterday.)

Instead of creating a traditional pie, I thought it would be fun to mix it up. Here, I’m going to show you how to make these cute and delicious Mason Jar Blueberry Pies.

To keep things simple, I decided to use a store-bought crust for this particular recipe. I wouldn’t recommend this for a more traditional pie, but it works well for this version. Plus, it will save you some time.

I think we’re ready to start baking. Let’s take a look at the recipe.

Mason Jar Blueberry Pies

make 4 pies

Here's what you will need:
1 package (2 rolls) refrigerated pie dough
3 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon water
1 egg, lightly beaten
Coarse sugar for dustingDirections:
In a large bowl, mix together the blueberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon and water. When stirring, break up a few of the berries to release some juice. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, unroll your pie dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to increase its size by 15%. Next, cut three circles out of one of the pieces of pie dough and another circle out of the second piece of dough. Each dough circle should be about 1 1/2 inches larger than the rim of your mason jar. With the remaining dough, use a star cookie cutter to cut out four stars. These stars will be the tops for your pies.

Place a cut dough circle into each mason jar, being careful not to stretch the dough.

Next, evenly divide the blueberry mixture among the dough-lined mason jars. Place a star cut from the dough on top of each pie. Trim off any access dough from the rim.

Lightly brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Place the mason jars on a cookie sheet for baking.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.

I made four of these and ate them all by myself (not in one sitting!), and I didn’t even have them with ice cream. They were THAT good.

Give these a try and let me know what you think.

For more mason jar baking ideas, check out my recipes for Strawberry Rhubarb Cobblers and Mini Mason Jar Cheesecakes. They are too cute and so delicious.

Once you give one of these recipes a try, stop back and let me know what you think. Would you like to see more mason jar baking here on IBC?

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Guest Bedroom Plan

Interiors

Monday
Aug / 3 / 2015
Comments 5

I need to be honest with you about my guest bedroom. I haven’t made much progress on it. I know you’re super surprised, right? #sarcasm I did manage to clear most of the things out of the room, remove the wallpaper border, patch and sand some holes, and patch around the molding. Then life intervened: I had the chance to go swimming with my family. My mom needed my help. The sun finally came out. And so on.

Although I have made some progress, I expected to have the room completely painted and the chandelier hung by today. No harm done, though. Thankfully, there’s no rush to complete the space.

I did have a chance, however, to think a bit more about the design and direction for the space. That’s what I want to share with you today.

As I mentioned in the “Before Post,” I’ve decided to use a white for the walls. After testing a few colors from Sherwin Williams, I selected Reserved White. The color on their website seems very misleading. (Or at least I hope so.) I tested it on my walls, and it’s white with just a touch of gray. I think I’m going to like it a lot.

My plan is to use this ceiling light that I bought it several years ago from ZGallerie. (I’m not sure they still sell it.) I wasn’t convinced I could make it work, but now I’m feeling excited about it. I think every room needs a little glam / bling / quirkiness. This should do the trick.

In the comments on the “Before Post,” a few of you asked about the bed. My intent was to replace it, but you may have made me change my mind. After a quick Pinterest search, I stumbled upon this photo via Country Living.

source: Country LivingIt’s essentially the same bed, and I am digging it. Even though I don’t often use black as an accent color in my home, I’ve decided to give it a try because it can add a modern classic dimension. I’m going black black, not oil-rubbed bronze black.

One of my goals in making over this room is to use a lot of pieces I already have. I also want to DIY / refurbish some of them. Although DIY takes a little more time, I think it can enhance the character of a space.

source: Young House LoveIn terms of accent colors, I was inspired by this image from the video trailer for Young House Love’s new book. (Does anyone else miss YHL?)

source: Homelife

I want to keep things light and bright in the guest room. There’s obviously going to to be touches of aqua from the chandelier. From there I’d like to incorporate more greens, black, wood tones, and possibly a touch of orange / terra cotta.

I also want to get my hands on a Turkish style rug.

source: Young House Love

Another thought: Putting together some sort of photo wall above the bed. I really love this one from Emily Henderson.

source: Style by Emily Henderson

And this example from House Seven.

source: House Seven Blog

That’s about it for now. What do you think?

I’ll be traveling the rest of this week. (Details on that will be coming soon. It’s pretty exciting!) Once I return, I’ll be pushing myself hard to finish up the painting. Ideally, I’d like to have it wrapped up by August 16. That’s my goal, people. Give me a quick slap in the face if I’m falling behind.

I’ve been using Pinterest to document my ideas for this space. If you want to follow along, you can do so here.

What projects are you working on around your home?

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Skillet Lasagna

Recipes

Thursday
Jul / 30 / 2015
Comments 12

Yesterday I decided to make a big ol’ skillet of lasagna as part of The Year of the Skillet. I’ve baked a lot of sweet skillet dishes, so it was time for something savory.

I spent the afternoon cooking, taking pictures, taste testing, and cleaning up. When I sat down to edit the photos, my phone beeped with a notification from Twitter telling me a few of the people I follow were tweeting about #nationallasagnaday. Seriously? How weird is that?

Maybe it’s because I’m so deep in the blogging world, but lately everyone seems to be celebrating “National ‘Something’ Day.” It’s a lot of pressure to keep up. Can’t Thursday just be Thursday and not National Donut Day? (Although National Donut Day is an important holiday and should be taken very seriously. I kid.)

Anyway, I just thought it was a humorous coincidence. Had I been one day earlier I would have hit the nail on the head in sharing this recipe with you. Oh well, lasagna is great any day, not just on National Lasagna Day.

So where did this idea come from? Well, this past Monday, I had lasagna with my mom. It was amazing, and since I couldn’t get it out of my head, I had to make some for myself. I purchased a large 12-inch skillet a few months ago, and it was time to put it to use.

I’ve always thought that it’s a bit of fuss to make lasagna. However, using oven-ready noodles and puting it together in one pan (in this case, a skillet) is super easy. Plus, you only have to clean up one pan and one bowl (and maybe a measuring cup or two).

I know you might not want to turn on your oven in the middle of summer, but this recipe is totally worth it. So simple and delicious. Or just save it for fall; I’m cool with that, too.

Skillet Lasagna

Here's what you will need:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound oven-ready lasagna noodles
6 cups pasta sauce
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese ball, sliced
1 cup ricotta cheese
Fresh parsley and basil for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 12-inch skillet, add the extra virgin olive oil and sauté your onions over medium-high heat until translucent. This will take about five minutes. Then, add the garlic and sauté it for a minute. Finally, add the ground beef, breaking it into small chunks. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

After cooking the beef for 8 - 10 minutes or until all the pink has disappeared, remove it from the skillet, place it in a bowl, and set it aside.

Take the skillet off the burner so that it can cool slightly. Then, add 1 1/2 cups of pasta sauce to the bottom, spreading it into a thin later.

Lay the noodle strips across the sauce, overlapping them slightly to create one layer. Spoon half of the beef on top of the noodle layer. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese. Top this with 1 1/2 cups of sauce.

Next, add another layer of noodles. Spread the remaining beef across this layer. Top with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella cheese. Again, top with 1 1/2 cups of sauce.

Add a final layer of noodles. Top with 1 1/2 cups of sauce.

Then, using a tablespoon, spread dollops of ricotta cheese evenly across the top of the lasagna. Garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Allow the pan to cool slightly and garnish with the fresh herbs.

Dinner is served.

Now, I know it seems like a lot of steps, but it’s really not. It’s just layering.

Also, if your favorite lasagna recipe is a bit different, just make it your way. Add mushrooms or leave out the ricotta. Do whatever works for you.

What I love about this skillet lasagna is that it’s super casual. I don’t even like to cut it like traditional lasagna. Just serve it with a big spoon and you’re good to go. Whip up a garden salad, get a loaf of crusty bread, and set dinner on the table.

Happy Belated National Lasagna Day!

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10-Minute DIY Artwork

DIY

Wednesday
Jul / 29 / 2015
Comments 11

10-Minute DIY Artwork | Inspired by Charm

As you probably know, when it comes to artwork for walls, I’m always up for a DIY. Not only do I love that it’s usually less expensive to make something, it’s also a great way to have a one-of-a-kind piece that you created.

Each month I team up with a half dozen of my blogger friends to share a quick 10-minute decorating idea, DIY, or project for your home. (Check out the full series here.) I thought that this super simple 10-Minute DIY Artwork would be perfect for this month.

I was inspired to create this artwork after doing some unsuccessful print shopping online. (Please tell me I’m not the only one who finds shopping for prints / artwork intimidating.) I saw a similar piece, that I believe was just painted (or a print of a painting). To me, though, it looked like little circles cut from a photo. So instead of buying the print (which I really liked), I decided to try making it.

With nearly all of the supplies on hand, it cost me practically nothing to make. Let me show you how it’s done.

Here’s what you will need:
photo(s)
1-inch circle punch
white cardstock
frame (for 8×10″ photo)
scissors
glue stick
ruler and pencil (optional)

The first step is to find a photo that you like. You can have a new photo printed, use a leftover vacation shot, etc. If desired, you could even cut out a picture you like from a magazine or the newpaper. Just find something that suits your style and space.

Next, use a circle cutter to cut circles from the photo(s). For this particular piece, you’ll need 16 circles. However, you can make the artwork as big or as small as you’d like.

Then, start arranging your circles on a piece of letter-sized white cardstock. Again, you can make this any size. However, using a letter-sized piece of cardstock works perfectly with an 8×10″ frame.

Once you have a pattern you like, start gluing the circles to the cardstock. I just used my eye to line everything up. If you don’t trust your eye, before gluing, use a ruler and pencil to mark where each circle should be placed.

After the glue has set, your custom artwork is ready to be framed. I used an inexpensive white frame from Target with a white mat that I already had in my closet. I think a frame with a mat gives this piece an expensive look.

Voila!

Not bad, right?

What I especially love about this idea is that it can be customized to match any space, decor, or color scheme. You can also change the style by arranging the cut circles in different patterns and shapes.

It’s also a great way to use extra travel photos or create a memory of a trip without being so literal. And, if you’re anything like me, it will save you HOURS trying to find the perfect print among the thousands that exist online. That my friends, might be my favorite part.

Will you give this quick and easy DIY a try? If you do, please post a picture on Instagram and tag it with #myIBC. I love seeing your projects.

Ten Minute Decorating Ideas | Inspired by Charm

Before you click away, don’t forget to check out more 10-minute decorating ideas below.

Julie Blanner

Dream Green DIY

Four Generations, One Roof

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Good Morning, Baltimore!

Travel

Tuesday
Jul / 21 / 2015
Comments 13

Good Morning, Baltimore! | Inspired by Charm

Last week I had the exciting opportunity to spend a couple days exploring Baltimore. (If you follow me @inspiredbycharm on Instagram or Snapchat, you probably already know this.) Baltimore is about four hours by car from my home in Central PA, so I was excited to get away for a few days and enjoy some of the sights and delights of this major American city.

I vaguely remember being in Baltimore once many years ago. I think it was when I was a tween, so my appreciation for certain things wasn’t quite developed. I was excited to go back and experience the city as an adult.

Since this is an urban center, there are myriad things to do and see. Even though I tried to cover a lot of ground in two days, I clearly didn’t get to everything, nor did I want to. However, I thought it would be fun to recap my trip and offer some recommendations based on my experiences.. Hopefully, if you find yourself in Baltimore, or decide to make a trip, you’ll be able to check out a few of my favorites. Good Morning, Baltimore!

STAY

Baltimore Marriott Waterfront – I recommend staying near the harbor, and the Marriott is a top choice. The views from the hotel are fabulous, and it is within walking distance of many of Baltimore’s well-known attractions, including the Inner Harbor, National Aquarium, Fells Point, and some cool shopping spots, such as Anthropologie, J. Crew, and Lush. Since it’s next to the harbor, the Marriott is also a great place to sit and people watch after dinner.

VISIT

Fells Point – This is probably my favorite area of Baltimore. It’s a historic section of the city with homes and storefronts from the 18th and 19th centuries. It reminded me of a little waterfront neighborhood in the midst of a metropolis. It’s bursting with cute shops, restaurants, bars, and activities. It’s ideal to visit this area in the evening since many of the local restaurants and bars offer live entertainment. The evening I was there, they were even showing a free movie on the pier. Check out: Thames Street Oyster House, Rye, and Pitango

Federal Hill – This area of the city has a great view of the Inner Harbor and the Baltimore skyline. There are beautiful brick houses, cobblestone sidewalks, and quaint storefronts. You’ll also find a great public market and many small shops tucked in along the streets. Check out Cross Street Market, American Visionary Art Museum, and Midnite Confection’s Cupcakery.

Hampden – This is a very quirky neighborhood, but it’s the place that felt most like home to me. You’ll need to drive or cab it to get there, but it’s well worth the trip. There are many places to eat and shop, including my favorite shop, Trohv and my favorite eatery, Woodberry Kitchen. So much variety is packed into this small neighborhood. I only spent an evening here, but wish I had have planned more time. Check out: Woodberry Kitchen, Trohv, Artifact Coffee, and Union Craft Brewing

DO

National Aquarium – When exploring the Inner Harbor, this is one “tourist attraction” you don’t want to miss. This beautifully maintained aquarium is packed with interesting and beautiful sea life – a must visit.

American Visionary Art Museum – I usually don’t love museums; I find them kind of boring. However, this one caught and kept my attention. Three buildings feature non-traditional artists in beautiful and unique ways.

SHOP

Su Casa – A contemporary furniture / gift store located in Fells Point. You will love their beautiful furniture, wall decor, gifts and accessories. I especially liked their selection of tabletop items.

Trohv – This is one of my favorite spots in Baltimore! It’s a home goods store featuring furniture, gifts, books, stationary, vintage pieces, and so much more. If I was a shop, I would be Trohv. It’s a “must-visit” for any home decor lover. I seriously wanted to buy everything in the store.

Curiosity – Another visual treat is this boutique shop with its unique collection of home accessories, furnishing, apothecary, and gifts. It is bursting with beautiful merchandise. I recommend it for gift shopping.

EAT*

Thames Street Oyster House – This kicked off my culinary experience in Baltimore. If you like oysters, this is the place to go. Dozens of fresh oyster varieties are available to taste. I wasn’t brave enough (and didn’t know what to order), so I stuck with the crab cake, which didn’t disappoint.

Woodberry Kitchen – Oh, Woodberry Kitchen … I think I’m in love. I could write an entire post about this experience alone. The list of restaurants I MUST return to isn’t very long, but this is at the top of my list. It’s sort of a farm-to-table-inspired restaurant where the focus is on using the freshest ingredients. Go early and enjoy a drink outside near the huge fire pit. Also go hungry and order as much as you can.

La Scala – Located in Little Italy, this place came highly recommended. It is exactly what you expect in a traditional Italian restaurant. The olive oil is ridiculously good. I ordered penne with vodka sauce, and it was probably the best I’ve ever eaten. Delizioso!

Family Meal – I stopped here for lunch, and it was just what I needed. It’s a modern take on a classic dinner and was created by Bryan Voltaggio. Definitely try the deviled eggs.

Midnite Confection’s Cupcakery – No IBC food guide would be complete without a place to get cupcakes, right? This place did not disappoint. The cupcakes were piled high with creamy frosting and the cake was wonderfully moist. If Sinnamon is on the menu, don’t think twice. Order it.

*Dinner reservations for all of these places are highly recommended.

DRINK

Rye – You can’t go wrong with a sophisticated bar that offers a menu of unique, classic, and creative cocktails. It’s a great spot for before or after dinner drinks.

Artifact Coffee – Locally owned coffee shops are my jam, and this one didn’t disappoint. (It’s owned by the chef who runs Woodberry Kitchen, so naturally I’d love it.) I just got a coffee to go, but wish I could have stayed for a snack on a seat inside. The atmosphere alone is worth a visit.

Union Craft Brewing – This brewery is only open Thursday through Saturday. However, if you’re a fan of craft beer, you’ll want to visit. Situated behind an office building, this place was packed, and I quickly found out why: delicious brews and friendly service. It’s a winner.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experiences in Baltimore. Again, this is far from a complete list of all the great things to do in Baltimore. Have you visited Bmore? Add to this guide by sharing some of your favorite spots in the comments.

I’d also like to thank the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront for inviting me to stay with them during my visit to the city. The service and accommodations were exceptional!

This post was created as part of my collaboration with Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Inspired by Charm. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Mason Jar Cobbler

Recipes

Friday
Jul / 17 / 2015
Comments 9

Strawberry Rhubarb Mason Jar Cobblers | Inspired by Charm

My grandparents have grown rhubarb at their house for as long as I can remember. Rhubarb is a perennial so it comes back every year. Growing up, my grandma would make plain rhubarb and strawberry rhubarb pies all summer long. Since my family loved them so much, she’d even freeze a bunch of the rhubarb so she would have enough to make pies during the holidays. These pies were little slices of heaven and are one of my best childhood memories.

Unfortunately, my grandma is no longer able to make the pies, so my mom is carrying on the tradition. Even I made an attempt at making at one last year. It turned out pretty darn good! However, each year I like to bake with that rhubarb and come up with some new strawberry rhubarb concoction to carry on the tradition. After all, the two flavors work so deliciously together.

This year, since I’ve been itching to bake something up in a mason jar, I thought I would combine the two ideas and create these Strawberry Rhubarb Mason Jar Cobblers – sometimes I get the best ideas.

So that’s exactly what I did.

I picked up some pint-sized wide mouth mason jars and they worked out perfectly. The recipe below yields about six servings/cobblers. It’s a pretty good-sized portion. You could easily stretch this recipe to serve eight or bake them up in half pint jars and probably get ten servings – just some options for you to consider. As you know, I love desserts, so I went with the largest portion size possible!

Keep in mind though, which ever option you use, only fill the jars about 2/3rds of the way full because the cobbler will expand while it is baking. Cobbler dough is biscuit-like and this causes most of the expansion.

You’ll notice that when it bakes, the juices from the berries and rhubarb wrap around the dough and envelop it in the most delicious way. That’s one of the benefits of baking these cobblers in mason jars.

Once out of the oven and after the cobbler has cooled slightly, these little guys are impressive. I highly recommend serving them up with a big scoop of ice cream. While they are delicious on their own, there’s something about the creamy ice cream that works so deliciously with the tartness of the rhubarb. It’s a flavor party in your mouth!

Let me walk you through the process. It’s super simple.

Strawberry Rhubarb Mason Jar Cobblers

serves 6 - 8

You will need:
4 cups rhubarb, chopped
2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the dough:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable shorting (Crisco)
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg

extra sugar for garnish
vanilla ice cream for serving

With cooking spray, grease 6 (or 8) pint-sized wide mouth mason jars. Set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, corn starch, and lemon juice. Set aside.

In another larger bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using a pastry blender (or your fingers) cut the butter and vegetable shorting into the dry ingredients until crumbly.

Beat the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Pour this into the flour mixture and stir with a fork until just combined.

Evenly divide the strawberry rhubarb mixture into the mason jars. Then, tear off pieces of the dough and drop them onto each portion of the fruit. Sprinkle the dough lightly with sugar.

Place filled jars onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbly. Carefully remove from the oven. Allow to cool. Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I’m telling you, you’re going to love this recipe. I really recommend trying the strawberry rhubarb combination. However, you can substitute your favorite cobbler fruit if you wish.

While it’s not grandma’s pie, I’m so happy I get to carry on the strawberry rhubarb tradition. Here’s to many more recipes!

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Berry Banana Smoothie Bowl

Recipes

Wednesday
Jul / 15 / 2015
Comments 13

Berry Banana Smoothie Bowl | Inspired by Charm

This Banana Berry Smoothie Bowl recipe is a delicious breakfast treat or healthy afternoon pick-me-up. This smoothie bowl is easy to make and delicious too!

You seriously can’t go anywhere without hearing someone talk about a smoothie, smoothie bowl, or seeing one listed on a restaurant menu. Over the years I’ve tried my share of smoothies. While I certainly enjoy them and totally understand and appreciate the health benefits, I sometimes just miss actually eating something. Do you know what I mean? I realize it’s all in my head, but there’s something about sitting down and eating that’s much more appealing to me than drinking out of a glass.

Thankfully, I’m not the only one with this issue. Some smarty-pants decided to serve a smoothie in a bowl and top it with yummy little bits. (Thank you, Smarty-pants!) With just a few simple changes, a drink becomes a meal and I’m not mad about it.

Berry Banana Smoothie Bowl:

Naturally I had to give it a try and share my results here.

How to Make a Smoothie Bowl:

Obviously, you can use your favorite smoothie recipe and top it with whatever complementary yummy little bits you love best. However, maybe you don’t have a favorite smoothie recipe, so I thought I’d share mine with you.

I’m making a Berry Banana Smootie Bowl. For this recipe it’s best to use frozen fruit to give your smoothie a thicker texture. It’s just easier to eat that way and it makes it a bit colder – which I like. I would even say you might want to freeze the banana (peel it before freezing) to make the smoothie even thicker.

Also, you’ll notice there is spinach in this recipe. I really like to add spinach to any smoothie I make. It just makes the whole thing healthier and you can’t even taste it.

What do you put on top of a Smoothie Bowl:

Once your smoothie is blended, just pour it into a bowl and garnish. I created little lines of toppings on my smoothie to make it look pretty. It takes a little extra time, but it makes eating it so much more special.

If you like this smoothie bowl recipe, you’ll also love:

Again, use whatever you like to top the smoothie. I chose some healthier options. Other ideas could be coconut flakes, pineapple, any kind of nut, honey, etc.

Let’s blend one up.

Pretty simple! The options are endless so get creative with your flavor combinations. Enjoy!

Banana Berry Smoothie Bowl Recipe:

Banana Berry Smoothie Bowl

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: berries, breakfast, smoothie, smoothie bowl, yogurt

Prep Time 10 mins

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This smoothie bowl recipe is a delicious breakfast treat or healthy afternoon pick-me-up.

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Ingredients

3/4 cup yogurt - I used Greek Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 cup spinach
1 cup mixed berries - frozen
1/2 banana

Toppings:

sliced banana, chia seeds, chopped walnuts, fresh berries, granola

Instructions

Add the yogurt, spinach, berries and banana to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour the smoothie mixture into a bowl. Top with desired toppings. The toppings I used are listed above. However, feel free to use whatever you like.

Made it? Share it!Tag @inspiredbycharm on Instagram and use the tag #myIBC so we can see what you're cooking in the kitchen!

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Party in Paradise

Entertaining

Tuesday
Jul / 14 / 2015
Comments 23

Anytime I’m hosting a party or get-together, I always find it helpful to start with a theme. Since I find inspiration everywhere, my brain goes a little bit wacky when I start to plan. Having a theme or direction allows me to focus. It helps in choosing colors, flavors, foods, decor, cocktails, etc.

Given that it’s the summer, plus the fact that one of my favorite places in the world is the Caribbean, I thought I would throw a tiny tropical-inspired celebration. As you know, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Carnival Cruise Line over the past year. They have been so good to me and IBC. I felt that having a little party inspired by the Caribbean paradise and my time at sea couldn’t be more appropriate. After all, I’m constantly planning my next cruise in my brain so the two go hand-in-hand!

Hopefully this post will give you a few ideas for hosting a paradise-inspired party of your own.

On my last cruise, one of the ports of call was Aruba. As Aruba is known for its flamingos, I decided that I needed a few flamingos at my party. Palm trees were also a must. As you can see, my theme began to come together pretty quickly. Greens and pinks would be my colors; flamingos and palm trees would be my inspiration.

To get started with decor, I felt a homemade garland was in order. I wanted to keep things simple and easy so I decided to make a palm tree garland out of green card stock and pink string. It was a breeze to make and it turned out so perfect for the party.

Here’s how I made it.

You will need:
palm tree template (free download here)
green card stock
string
tape
scissors

Begin by printing out the palm tree template onto a piece of green card stock. (A free download of the template can be downloaded here.)

Next, cut out the palm tree – I found that I was able to stack three pieces of paper together when cutting out the pattern which was a real time saver.

Then, using some tape (I opted for a pink washi tape.), tape the palm trees to the string. I went with a coordinating tape so that if my garland got turned around during the party, it would still look nice.

Finally, just hang it up.

Cute, right? Really inexpensive, quick, and adds a great pop of color.

Okay, let’s talk cocktails.

I thought it was only appropriate to serve my Spicy Chipotle Pineapple Martini. I shared this recipe with you a few weeks ago here on IBC. You can find the recipe here.

However, to make this cocktail fit in a bit better with the party, I decided to add a bit of interest and color to the garnish. I sliced up some fresh pineapple, added a slice to the side of the glass, and poked in a fun sunglasses pick.

It was the perfect touch to make these martinis extra cool. Cheers!

Now, no party of mine is complete without a sweet treat. After finding adorable flamingo picks I knew I needed some tropical cupcakes. And what’s more tropical than pineapple and coconut?

Thus these Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Icing were born. Get the recipe HERE.

I love this flavor combination so I’m pretty much obsessed with these cupcakes. I also got the idea to dip the frosted cupcakes into graham cracker crumbs to look like sand – the perfect resting place for my flamingos. Plus, the graham cracker crumbs added awesome crunch and flavor.

Want to know the best part? I used a box cake mix so the cupcakes were super simple to make. You can get the full recipe HERE.

With all of that complete, I added in some pink flowers, some mini beach balls, and my Party in Paradise was complete.

Party decor sources: pink flamingo picks / sunglasses toothpicks / mini beach balls

With a little focus and a theme (pink flamingos and palm trees help too), it’s really simple to pull together a party plan that’s a treat for all the senses.

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over. Thank you for supporting the brands that support IBC. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.

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DIY Succulent Wall Planter

DIY

Wednesday
Jul / 8 / 2015
Comments 12

DIY Succulent Wall Planter | Inspired by Charm

I don’t know how things are in your neck of the woods, but this has been such a rainy summer. I’m officially over it.

In between the raindrops, I’ve been busy coming up with plans for styling my deck. In fact, I’ve made a lot of progress. However, I just haven’t had a moment to bring it all together. Plus, I’m still waiting for a couple more accessories to arrive. (If you want a little sneak peek of one completed project, check out this post on Instagram.)

In the meantime though, I wanted to pop in and share a super simple DIY project. (I’m using the term “DIY” loosely here, but I did it myself, so let’s just go with it.)

Last week I was doing some shopping and came across these really cute wall hanging baskets with succulents planted in them. I was half tempted to put one of them in my cart when I remembered I had a very similar basket sitting in my basement. (It was one of those projects that never came to life and the poor basket sat abandoned for years.) Instead, I picked up a few succulents on the clearance rack and decided to put together the project myself – as any good blogger should. Let me show you.

So, for this DIY Succulent Wall Planter you’re going to need a hanging wall basket (this is the one I’m using), cactus/palm soil, and succulents. That’s it!

Basically you’re just going to add in some dirt and plant your succulents. (I told you, calling this a DIY is a stretch.) However before you get started, make sure you create a small hole in the plastic lining of your basket. This will allow the water to drain. Succulents like dry soil. The drainage hole will keep them happy.

Once the hole is cut, add in your soil and then pop in your plants.

I chose a variety of succulents in different colors, shapes, and sizes to give the basket some interest. However, you can totally opt for one variety, one color, etc.

After everything is planted, give the wall planter a quick watering and then it’s ready to hang.

Pretty simple, right?

For my deck, I’m trying to achieve a folk/Scandinavian, modern style. I think this little addition is the perfect blend. Don’t you?

Another one of the deck projects completed. Now please keep your fingers crossed for some rain-free weather so I can finish the entire project and start to enjoy it!

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Blueberry Yogurt Parfait Pops

Recipes

Tuesday
Jun / 30 / 2015
Comments 7

Blueberry Yogurt Parfait Pops | Inspired by Charm

As in home decor and fashion, there are also trends in food. Right now, things with kale, donuts, or cold-brewed coffee seem to be everywhere. (Hmm, maybe I should make a cold-brewed coffee kale donut. No, never mind, that would be terrible.)

Another food I’m seeing a lot lately is popsicles. So when my friends over at Yulu hooked me up with a dozen of their delicious blueberry yogurts, I thought it would be the perfect thing to stuff inside a popsicle. (Side note: You really need to try this yogurt. I’m not just saying this. It is the creamiest yogurt I’ve ever eaten. Move over Greek yogurt, there’s a new guy in town, and it’s riding in on a kangaroo. Or maybe a dingo. Or a koala. Who knows.)

Now, you could just scoop the yogurt into a popsicle mold, freeze it, and you’d be set. Delicious yogurt popsicles with little effort. (This is the popsicle mold I’m using by the way. Highly recommended.)

However, I wanted to turn up the volume on my pops. I decided to make them yogurt parfait-inspired popsicles. Fresh berries, a little granola, some honey. Delicious.

These extra ingredients add color, crunch, and bursts of flavor. Plus, since this is technically a parfait, it’s perfect for breakfast. – Who wouldn’t want to start off a hot summer day with a cool popsicle?

Let me show you how to make them.

Blueberry Yogurt Parfait Pops

makes 10 popsicles

Here's what you will need:
3 cups Yulu Blueberry Aussie Style Yogurt
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup granola
Popsicle mold and popsicle sticks

Place the blueberries and honey in a blender or food processor. Blend until pureed.

Fill your popsicle mold by layering in the yogurt, pureed blueberries, and granola until full.

Insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for about 4 hours or until completely frozen.

How easy was that?

Yulu has a variety of flavors, so if blueberries aren’t your thing, you can give these a try with another flavor combo.

And dare I say that these are a much better choice when you’re craving something sweet. (Probably healthier than a Cold-Pressed Coffee Kale Donut.)

Give these a go and let me know what you think. Are you ready to hop on the popsicle bandwagon? What food trends are you loving these days?
This post was created as part of my collaboration with Yulu. Thank you for supporting the brands that support IBC. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.

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How I Pretend to be Organized

Interiors

Wednesday
Jun / 24 / 2015
Comments 14

How I Pretend to be Organized | Inspired by Charm

I’m not proud to admit this, but I’m not very organized. If you look in my garage, basement, attic, closets, or almost ANY drawer in my house, you might think I should be on an episode of Hoarders. Okay, okay, maybe it’s not that severe, but it’s still pretty bad.

I guess we all have weaknesses. Getting and staying organized is one of mine. Mostly it’s the latter half of that phrase, the STAYING organized part. I actually enjoy cleaning out drawers and throwing things away. It’s keeping things neat and orderly that I struggle with.

As you might recall, I teamed up with some blogger friends to share 10 Minute Decorating ideas. (You can find more posts in this series here.) The theme for this month is organization. I have been in a bit of panic the past few days trying to come up with an idea (Yes, I’m really good at procrastinating, too.), and I’m still drawing a blank. Organization just isn’t my game, and I’m totally owning that.

It is, however, something I’d like to get better at. I even went so far as to download the trendy new book on the subject: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. (Oh, and if you’ve read it, please share your thoughts about the book in the comments.) I’m convinced that being organized and tidy can make a huge difference in increasing happiness and decreasing stress.

So, with all of that being said, I’d like to share a few quick tricks that I use in my ongoing efforts to stay organized. Even though I’m not a super organized person, I thought they might help you, too

Pegboards for the win

One of my favorite organizing tools is the pegboard I installed in my kitchen last year. While hanging a pegboard may take a little longer than 10 minutes, I promise it won’t take more than a half hour.

Whether you install something a pegboard in your kitchen, garage, or closet, it’s an ingenious way to store tools. Why? Because when you give something a specific place, putting it back where it belongs is really easy (no mental energy required).

I kid you not, my pegboard organizer always looks perfect since everything has a place.

Managed Magazines

Another area of my home that stays fairly organized is the shelving unit in my living room – more specifically, the shelves where I have my magazines.

Like many people, I have a hard time discarding magazines. I had boxes of them in the basement, plus others scattered around the house. Now, other than the newest magazines I’m reading, I have shelves in my living room set aside for each magazine I read regularly. I allow myself seven different subscriptions. The magazines are organized by title (with one stack for other magazines that I buy on occasion or randomly receive). I only keep 12 issues (one year) of each. When a new one goes on the stack, an old one gets tossed.

Don’t get me wrong, my magazine-loving heart still struggles to throw one away, but this system makes it much easier. No excuses.

Clever Clipboards

While I haven’t nailed down the art of organizing bills and paperwork, I really do love the clipboard wall in my office. It’s my go-to storage for important paperwork, lists, and other documents.

Anything I need to access quickly goes up there. I also like making lists, so I have plenty of notepads full of ideas, project deadlines, etc. If you have the room, I highly recommend something like this for your office area. Hanging the clipboards up with just a nail is a breeze and will take mere minutes. Once, they are hung, you’re ready to go. Of course, you can make this more organized by assigning different clipboards to different family members, activities, or whatever. Use a system that works for you and gives things a place.

Hide It

As you can tell by the ideas above, my organization solutions typically stem from aesthetic considerations first and organization needs second. While this may sound backwards, it works for me and how I want my spaces to look. What I have found over the years, though, is that having some hidden storage is just as important as displaying things. Some things just aren’t pretty and need to be tucked in a drawer.

While I realize my style isn’t minimal, I prefer having certain things out of sight. That’s why my office contains a mix of open storage (my shelves) and closed storage (dresser and filling cabinet). Just be careful here. (Note to self.) I tend to go through my closed storage pieces at least twice a year to clean up and clear out. As I confessed earlier, they can quickly become junk collections.

I think that’s about all the organization I can handle for one day. Ha!

I hope these four ideas inspire your organizing efforts. What’s your best home organization tip or trick? Let me know in the comments. I need your suggestions.

For more in the 10 Minute Decorating series check out the links below:

Four Generation, One Roof – Jewelry Organization

Julie Blanner – Simple Organization Ideas

Dream Green DIY – How to Tidy Your Sock Drawer

Thistlewood Farms – Stylish Organizing Ideas

Finding Home – Pool Organization

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Spicy Chipotle Pineapple Martini

Recipes

Tuesday
Jun / 23 / 2015
Comments 13

Spicy Chiptole Pineapple Martini | Inspired by Charm

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for creative cocktail ideas. While the standards are amazing and often my go-tos, I do like to mix things up a bit. If I see something new and different on the menu when I’m traveling, I’ll likely give it a try. I just may want to duplicate it when I get home.

As you know, I got the opportunity to set sail with Carnival a few weeks ago. While on the ship, there were myriad things to do. Usually, around 4 or 5 o’clock in the afternoon (after a day of sun and relaxation), I would make my way back to my room and get changed for the evening, Then I would take my sun-burnt, um, I mean beautifully tanned, self to one of the bars on the ship for a pre-dinner cocktail. While the ship has lots of bars to suit various tastes and personalities, I usually find one and stick with it. On this particular vacation, I fell in love with the Alchemy Bar.

The Alchemy Bar isn’t your average bar. As the name suggests, it has sort of a pharmacy theme and offers “relief for what ails” you. Specialty cocktails are their forte; no beer or soda in sight. What I loved most about the bar, however, was the unique flourishes they add to their cocktails. While I was there, I saw rosemary and cinnamon sticks lit on fire, the oils from an orange peel burnt over a cocktail, and smacked mint (We will get to that one in a second.)

Cocktails as an art form! Color me impressed. This quickly became the place for me. And my drink of choice? The Spicy Chipotle Pineapple Martini.

After just one sip, I was hooked. The combination of spicy heat, sweet pineapple, and fresh mint was Flavortown Heaven!

I asked the bartender how the cocktail came together. A couple key ingredients are jalapeño pepper infused vodka and chipotle pineapple syrup. Mixed with a few other flavorful ingredients, this cocktail was born.

A few weeks following my trip, I was eager to try my hand at making this drink. I made the spicy vodka using jalapeños. (I believe Alchemy Bar used habaneros.) I found that adding three jalapeños with the seeds removed to one bottle of vodka produced plenty of spicy kick. You can certainly add more peppers if you like things extra hot or just use traditional vodka to cut back on the heat. I let my vodka sit for a few days to soak in the jalapeño flavor.

I also found this Chipotle Pineapple syrup from Monin, which I later learned is the syrup that Carnival uses.

Let’s not forget about the garnish. As I mentioned, Alchemy Bar seems to be famous for their flourishes. For this particular cocktail, a leaf of mint is placed on the palm of one hand and is smacked with the palm of the other hand. It might seem a little silly, but it makes for an audible and memorable presentation. Plus, smacking the mint leaf releases oils which help to flavor the cocktail.

Now, with all my ingredients assembled, I was ready to shake up my own Spicy Chipotle Pineapple Martini!

Spicy Chipotle Pineapple Martini

2 ounces vodka, flavored with jalapeños
1 ounce chipotle pineapple syrup
1 ounce pineapple juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
6-8 mint leaves

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the vodka, chipotle pineapple syrup, pineapple juice, simple syrup, and mint leaves (Reserve one leaf for garnish.). Shake vigorously.

Strain into a martini glass. To garnish, smack the reserved mint leaf between your palms, and float it on top of the cocktail.

I highly recommend giving this cocktail a try. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do. In fact, I convinced quite a few people to try it while on the ship, and they were equally impressed.

Now, I’m off to sip my martini and pretend I’m sailing on the Caribbean again. Cheers!

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over. Thank you for supporting the brands that support IBC. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.

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DIY Gold-Leafed Citronella Candles

DIY

Monday
Jun / 22 / 2015
Comments 13

DIY Gold-Leaf Citronella Candles | Inspired by Charm

Add a little sparkle and flare to basic candles with this tutorial for DIY Gold-Leafed Citronella Candles!

Before we get into today’s post, you should know a few things:

1. I don’t like mosquitoes and other bugs ruining my parties.
2. Insect pests love to ruin my parties. (And my legs. Apparently I have sweet blood.)
3. Most citronella candles aren’t very attractive.
4. Candlelight is almost a must for outdoor entertaining on a summer evening.
5. Gold is my favorite metal of the moment. (Oh that’s right. You already knew this.)

With all of those things in mind, I was bound and determined to find beautiful citronella candles to save my parties (and my legs) and add a little bling-inspired style to my outdoor decor.

Mission accomplished! Let me introduce you to my DIY Gold-Leafed Citronella Candles.

DIY Gold-Leafed Citronella Candles

Just the thing, right? Well, with the recent makeover of my porch, the upcoming styling of my deck, and the urge to DIY, these citronella candles couldn’t have come at a better time.

Goodbye ugly citronella candles. Hello gilded mosquito-repelling beauties. And don’t worry, these bad boys are a breeze to make. Let me show you!

How to: DIY Gold-Leafed Citronella Candles

Here’s what you will need:
Citronella candles in glass jars ( I found mine at Walmart for about $2 each. They are Cutter Citro Guard.)
Gold leaf sheets
Gilding adhesive
Paint brush
Painter’s tape (optional)

Begin by removing the label from each candle and then giving them a good cleaning.

The next step is optional. If you’d like to create a design / pattern on your candle, apply painter’s tape to any area you do not want covered with gold leaf.

Once your candle is prepared, you’re ready to apply the gilding adhesive. Using a paint brush, cover any areas where you want the gold leaf sheets to stick.

For the candle without the painter’s tape, I just spread the adhesive around the candle, purposefully skipping spots every now and then to create a mercury glass effect. If you use painter’s tape, remove it immediately after the gilding adhesive is applied.

Allow the adhesive to dry. The surface will be tacky when dry.

Next, apply the gold leaf sheets to the tacky dried adhesive. Apply as many sheets as needed.

Remove the sheets.

Then using your fingers, gently rub the gold leaf with your hands to ensure it sticks and to remove any access. If you rub a bit harder, you’ll be able to remove some of the gold leaf in areas where you may not want it.

Keep in mind that doing this treatment to glass is a bit trickier than on a more porous surface. You won’t end up with a solid gold covering, but I prefer this more chippy rustic look. However, if you want a more solid gold treatment, go over any areas where the glass shows with more adhesive. Wait for the adhesive to dry and add more gold leaf.

After that, your Gold-Leafed Citronella Candles are complete.

Pretty Citronella Candles:

As you can see, this is a really quick DIY.

You can have fun creating different designs and patterns with painter’s tape to find a look to suit your space and taste.

As I mentioned above, this treatment isn’t perfect on glass, but in this case, I love the imperfections.

It’s a great way to add style to your outdoor spaces while keeping some of those pesky bugs away. Plus, who doesn’t love a good outdoor DIY?

Okay, I’m off to gold-leaf anything else I can find. Well, not really. Maybe.

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Summer Home Tour 2015

Interiors

Friday
Jun / 19 / 2015
Comments 84

Well friends, it’s summer and time for another home tour here on IBC. It’s hard to believe that for the first few years of blogging I never did a home tour. Now, I have a full year of home tours under my belt.

I was looking through several of them recently and couldn’t help noticing how things change with the season and how much my style has evolved since last year’s Summer Home Tour. I think it’s also interesting to see the changes in my photography skills and editing style.

The other thing I really love about these tours is that they are usually done in conjunction with a group of really talented bloggers. While I’ve seen a few of the homes already, I usually wait until Saturday morning to dive into them all. Even though some aren’t my style, I have so much appreciation for the talent and hard work that goes into creating a home. They are truly beautiful spaces, so I encourage you to check them out. I promise tons of inspiration. All 30+ homes are linked up at the end of this post.

For this year’s tour, I’m teaming up with the group of bloggers who are a part of an app called bHome. I haven’t talked about it here on IBC yet, but the bHome app is an online community of people who are passionate about home. It’s bloggers like me, brands like BHG and Domino, and readers like you! It’s free to join and download. It’s available in the AppStore and coming soon to Android. Feel free to check it out and see if you like it.

Summer Home Tour 2015 | Inspired by Charm

Okay, on with the tour! Not too much has changed since spring, but I figured you still might enjoy a look around. Plus, I’m hoping for new folks popping in, I hope this little tour will help you get acquainted and feel at home. As always, all of my paint colors can be found here.

Okay, grab your drink of choice and let’s do this!

As most of you know, my favorite space is my living room. (And, since someone will probably ask, I bought the rug from CB2 a few years ago. I don’t think it’s available any longer.)

One thing you’ll notice on this tour is the plethora of green leaves in my spaces. The foliage is from right outside my door so it’s free! I love the life, movement, and texture it adds to any interior.

Again, there aren’t loads of new things on this tour. To freshen things up for summer, I just moved around a few accessories, switched up the mantle, and added fresh greenery and flowers.

Same thing for my office space.

You can’t see the large, dark worktable / island that’s in the office, but I’ve been considering swapping it out for a white dining table. I love this wood piece, but I think a table would function better. Plus, it would be great to have a white surface for photography. What do you think?

Again, in the dining room, I just switched up the centerpiece with some more free foliage from my yard. One thing I love about the warmer days is opening all the doors and windows. The breeze that bows through this house feels incredible. I’m blessed with lots of doors and windows, so I let the sun and breeze in every way possible.

Just off my dining room is my side porch. It recently got a colorful and cozy makeover. In case you missed it, check out more of that space here.

Heading through the kitchen and out the back door, you see the new deck! This is probably the biggest change since spring. You can read more about it here.

Since I first shared the new deck, I have hung up patio lights, purchased a fireplace, and made plans for furniture. I’ll be sharing more on that soon.

Oh, and before we head back inside, I replanted my DIY hen and chick wall planter. It’s finally starting to fill in, and should look much better toward the end of the summer. You can read how I made it here.

Okay, back inside.

Over in the guest room, things are pretty much the same. This space has been driving me bananas lately because it’s not yet finished. I’m hoping to get in there soon and make some changes.

I also have another guest room which has been untouched since I bought this house seven years ago. The goal is to get these two spaces looking on point before the next house tour. Think I can do it?

Over in my bedroom, I changed out a couple things since spring. I thrifted this amazing vintage dresser, and I seriously can’t stop staring at it. It’s the first thing I see in the morning and as odd at it may seem, it almost makes me giddy with happiness.

Over in my closet area, I finally paid some attention to the walls and hung a gallery wall of sorts above my dresser. I still need to switch out a few of the prints and pictures, but I’m pleased with the way it turned out.

Beyond that, I’ve been busy planting flowers outside, brainstorming ideas, and doing all those boring household tasks like cleaning, paperwork, etc. Oh, and for those of you who are new to IBC, I’m a big fan of baking and cocktail making, so be sure to check out some of my recipes here.

That’s about it, friends. What do you think?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE ON IBC?

Before you go, I need a HUGE favor from you. If you have few extra minutes, could you please leave me a quick comment below with some things you’d like to see in the coming months on IBC. I know that everyone is going to have a different opinion, but I’d love to hear what you think. Do you want more home decor? DIY? Crafts? More recipes? Baking? Cooking? More entertaining ideas? Party tips? More personal / life-related posts? Stick with a balance of everything? I know this is ultimately my space, but I am curious about what you like best. Any comments below would be so appreciated.

Again, all of the bHome bloggers’ beautiful spaces are below. Be sure to check them out and give them some love. Have a fabulous weekend and thanks for joining me for another home tour!

Monday
My Soulful Home
Home Made by Carmona
AKA Design
On Sutton Place

Tuesday
Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Garden Therapy
At The Picket Fence
Unskinny Boppy
Miss Mustard Seed
French Country Cottage
Shabbyfufu

Wednesday
StoneGable
Housepitality Designs
Craftberry Bush
Cupcakes and Crinoline
Shabby Art Boutique
Setting For Four
A Healthy Life For Me

Thursday
Southern Hospitality
Top This Top That
Rooms FOR Rent
Savvy Southern Style
Lilacs & Longhorns
Eclectically Vintage
Cynthia Weber Design

Friday
Maison de Pax
Buckets of Burlap
Love of Home
Debbiedoo’s
Edith & Evelyn
Inspired By Charm

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Progress on the Porch

Interiors

Wednesday
Jun / 17 / 2015
Comments 27

Progress on the Porch | Inspired by Charm

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been working on getting my porch all dolled up for summer. I know some of you are saying, “It’s about time, Michael. We’re already halfway through June!” Yes, I’ve been taking things slowly and enjoying the process. If you follow me on Snapchat (@inspiredbycharm), you’ve gotten a sneak peek and seen me lounging several times.

At this point, I thought it’d be fun to share more of my progress. Before we get to the after photos, here’s a reminder of where things started this spring.

Yikes, right? If you’ve been following along, you also know that I had a new roof put on this porch (and my front porch). You really can’t see the roof from the porch, but there were issues with rust from the old roof. The rust had run down on the molding around the roof, and it just didn’t help with Operation Porch Beautification.

For the past seven years, an old metal table (that came with my purchase of this house) occupied the space. It totally served its purpose, but wasn’t ideal for this porch. Plus, I wanted something a bit more lounge-worthy and comfortable. You can only sit on a metal chair for so long; yet for the past seven years I just dealt with it. Why buy something new when you have something that works?

That all changed when the summer Birch Lane catalog came and I saw their Summerton Teak Wood collection. Immediately, I thought: “Omg. This is beautiful and perfect, and it’s totally what this porch (and I) need!”

So, with a click on my computer, it was in my shopping cart and soon delivered to my door. When it arrived all I had to do was assemble it (It was super easy.), and I was ready to go!

While there are many outdoor furniture collections to choose from, I opted for the Summerton Collection for a couple reasons. First, I wanted something light and neutral in color. For some reason, this porch is a bit hard to work with, and I always struggle styling and photographing it. (Hence, the reason for the word “progress in the title of this post.) Secondly, I wanted something super cozy and comfortable. Whenever my schedule allows, I like to sit for hours or have a spot to chill with friends.

Goals achieved, right? I decided on the loveseat, chair, and ottoman.

Once I had the main pieces in place. I was ready to add accessories. I opted for corals, pinks, and oranges. After many attempts at finding colors that work with this house, I feel these are best.

I’ve tried every color under the sun – blues, purples, greens, etc. and nothing is quite right. I seem to find that a lot with this house, both on the outside and inside. For an inanimate object, it’s very opinionated about which colors it will wear. So I’ve learned to work with it, rather than against it. (Even though Emily Henderson has me dreaming of a blue and white color palette.)

Okay, I’m totally getting off topic.

I did purchase a few new throw pillows and a side table. Other than that, I used things I already owned.

A few colorful and quirky details were added, including these DIY clay herb markers that I showed you how to make yesterday.

As you can see from the picture below, there is one corner of the porch that’s still bare. I’m actually waiting for the Summerton Rocking Chair to arrive. (It’s currently on backorder.) I’m also hoping to DIY some art for the wall.

Beyond that, I want to make a few tweaks here and there. I’m thinking about painting both the bench / coffee table and the wall shelf. Maybe white. Maybe black. I’m still undecided. I think the addition of some black in the space will help tie in the light fixture. Or maybe I’ll just get a new light? Or paint the light?

I know. I know. Too many options. Too many decisions. Not enough lounging time.

Well, that’s the progress report on the porch. I’m happy it’s moving along. Now, grab a bottle of wine and meet me over here ASAP. I have snacks.

This post was created as part of my collaboration with Birch Lane. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Inspired by Charm. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.

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