This past weekend was one bargain-finding weekend. My favorite kind! I spent the weekend just outside Meta, Missouri (population: 230) visiting my boyfriend’s parents. Mixed in with the tiny towns, cows and rolling hills, the drive there also featured loads of antique malls and flea markets. I was itching to stop at every single one, but we didn’t stop at any. Not even one. Not to worry though, the best finds were later.

While my boyfriend and his dad split wood (you read that right) and dug up gravel, his mom and I visited her booth at Old Towne Antiques, an antique mall in Doolittle, Missouri. The antique mall is where we found these goodies:

This metal stovetop ring cost $1.50. Here I  used it to frame a mason jar filled with flowers, but it could also be used as a picture frame….or…or…ideas anyone? I picked the flowers on the side of the road during a pit stop on the drive home. (They might be weeds, but I don’t know the difference.)

This ladybug necklace, which I’m only using for the chain, cost $0.25. I’ve been looking for a longer necklace chain for a while. I think I’ll use it to make a key necklace using this old key.

And…for the freebie of the weekend. I found this white mirror on the curb by the trashcans my neighbors and I share. It’s not vintage or anything. It also sat through a rain storm, but, hey, it’s huge. And free! I’ll probably repaint it to cover the slightly peeling paint.

Did you have any good yard sale, thrift store or antique mall finds this weekend? I’d love to hear all about them or see a picture in the comments…

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Do you have a box of baking soda in your cupboard? Lucky you. You won’t ever need to spend money on chemical-filled cleaning products again. That humble little box holds the ingredient to clean, refresh and deodorize your entire home—and it’s completely natural. Conventional cleaning products on the market today expose us to a lot of scary ingredients, including toxins linked to asthma, allergies, cancer and a slew of other health issues. For a healthier home, use baking soda to clean, well, pretty much everything. Here are just fifteen uses.

1. Scrub stainless steel

Once I discovered this easy method to clean my stainless steel sink, I’ve never used anything else. All I do is shake a layer of baking soda onto the bottom of the sink. Then, I turn on the faucet for about one second, or just long enough to make the baking soda slightly damp. The water and baking soda mix together to form a paste, which I scrub into the sink using a rag. Every time I do this, I’m amazed by the shiny transformation pulled off by just a little baking soda and water. You have to try it!

2. Absorb odors

Plain ol’ baking soda can remove funky odors from just about anywhere. Stash a box in the refrigerator, the laundry room, and behind the toilet. You can also sprinkle a layer of baking soda onto the bottom of trashcans to keep those stinky boys smelling fresh.

3. Refresh carpet or rugs

To clean and deodorize your carpets or rugs, shake baking soda over them until they look like it snowed inside. Let the baking soda settle for 30 minutes and then vacuum it up.

4. Remove gunk from cast iron pans

Scrubbing a cast iron pan with soap will strip away the coating you created when you seasoned the pan. So, how do you get cast iron pans clean after a hard night of cooking? Use baking soda! After the pan has cooled, sprinkle a layer of baking soda along the bottom of the pan and add a tiny amount of water. When the baking soda and water combine, they will form an abrasive paste that you can use to scrub away caked-on bits. (P.S. This works on all kinds of pans, not just cast iron.)

5. Cut grease naturally

A little baking soda; a little white vinegar; and you’ve got one powerful concoction to get rid of grease splatters and stuck-on crud from your stovetop.

6. Clean your oven

You only need one product to clean your oven. You guessed it, baking soda. Simply spread a thick layer of baking soda onto the bottom of your oven. Make the layer at least ¼ inch thick. Then, dampen the baking soda with a spray bottle of water. Leave it for a few hours and then spray the baking soda with water again. Let the mixture soak overnight. In the morning, you’ll be able to easily sponge away grime, food buildup, baking soda and all.

7. Say goodbye to soap scum

With the combined cleaning power of baking soda and white vinegar, you can make your shower or tub sparkle. The fizzy action that occurs when you combine the two creates the perfect cleaner to remove soap scum and grime.

8. Unclog drains

Forget the Drano. You can remove clogged drains naturally with baking soda and vinegar. Pour ½ cup baking soda down the blocked drain followed by ½ cup white vinegar. Finish by pouring an entire kettle (or pot) full of boiling water down the drain.

9. Boost your laundry detergent

Add ½ cup baking soda to the wash cycle when doing laundry to enhance the power of your laundry detergent and to remove odors. Baking soda can also help remove stains, especially from white clothes.

10. Polish silverware

Want to make your silverware shine? Mix a few tablespoons of baking soda with just enough water to form a paste. Scrub your flatware down with the paste and then rinse. Enjoy the sparkle!

11. Deodorize cutting boards

The smell of those onions and garlic you chopped last night can linger for days on your cutting boards. Remove odors by sprinkling the boards with baking soda and then giving them a good scrub.

12. Remove stains on cups

You know those annoying coffee or tea lines and stains that linger on mugs? When they won’t come off in the dishwasher, give the mug a good scrub with a bit of baking soda and water. The abrasive action of the baking soda will take the stains right off.

13. Freshen toilets

When your toilet starts to smell less-than-fresh, sprinkle baking soda in the bowl and give it a good scrub. The baking soda will clean and remove odors. No need to ever use toilet cleaners filled with toxic chemicals again.

14. Cleanse tile floors

Mix ½ cup baking soda with a bucket of warm water and get mopping. The baking soda will help cut through any stuck on messes on your floors.

15. De-funk your garbage disposal

After a while, all garbage disposals start to stink. Refresh yours when it starts smelling by pouring baking soda down the drain. Finish by flushing it with water as you run the disposal.

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As you can see from my mantle display today, I’m in the rustic kind of mood. Springtime makes me dream about country cottages, gardens with hedge mazes and weathered statues, and lazy outdoor dinners with  fresh food. My reality (an urban apartment) is thousands of acres away from that dream. Still, I can at least make my mantle look all “rustic garden”. That’s something, right?

I’m digging the combination of flowers, mason jars, wooden elements and potted plants in terracotta containers on my mantle display. What do you think? Let me know in the comments…

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When traveling, it’s always good to have a basic plan ahead of time. Then, you can fill in the other bits with exploring and adventure!

Very soon I leave for a backpacking trip through Sweden, Norway and Denmark. And, I wanted to show you the handy way my travel buddies and I planned for the trip. We taped a sheet of blank brown paper to the wall and then used post-its to mark the dates and other important info. The removable post-its were quite helpful when we had to change around the dates of the trip several times.

I like the way the board looks so much, I might leave it up even after I return.

How do you plan for your trips? Let me know in the comments…

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Sorry for my absence. I’ve been outside enjoying the weather and doing lots of spring activities…planting a garden, hunting for morel mushrooms, walking my doggie, planting more plants.

Well, see for yourself…

When I spotted this chocolate mint plant at the farmer’s market (top photo), I knew I had to have it. I’m already dreaming about baking scrumptious desserts and sipping on chocolate mint mojitos. I didn’t realize I was going to make a chocolate-themed garden, but that’s kind of what happened. The second photo is a sweet potato vine surrounded by cocoa shell mulch. Yes, cocoa shells! I found the mulch at my local gardening store.

This is what my garden looked like before. This plot of dirt covered in weeds sits in the back area of my rental apartment, which is a converted old house. The plot was clearly once a garden because it’s the only strip of dirt in a large area of concrete pavement. Plus, it’s lined with, now crumbling, bricks. It’s an extremely odd setup, which is fitting for the area I live in. It’s not really a patio; it’s not really a backyard; it’s just a random plot of dirt surrounded by concrete. I’ll take it.

And, take it I did. But it was a lot of work. Lots of weeds and lots of trash. Now it looks like this…

On to other spring enjoyables…

My pup and I enjoying the spring weather. Side note: I love dandelions, even though they’re technically weeds. I used to pick them and make “flower arrangements” as a kid.

Ever heard of morels? They’re super tasty mushrooms that only grow during the spring time. You can’t cultivate them. They only grow in the wild. My boyfriend and I have gone morel hunting several times this season and found bunches. This spring was the first time I’ve ever found any!

And…that’s what I’ve been up to this spring. Tell me about your favorite springtime activities in the comments!

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The other day my sister and I received these happy postcards from a friend. (Thanks Caitlin!) Notice how the yellow one with the tree is extremely similar to the print hanging on the wall to the far left. This girl knows my style well!

I just wanted to share them because they make me smile. I’m definitely ready for some actual springtime here in the chilly Midwest. These postcards make me think about all of the things I want to accomplish around my home this spring. Here’s my list:

To Do This Spring:

1. Be super planty. Start more seeds in eggshells. Plant flowers from seeds in containers. Make my porch basically a container garden oasis. Maybe create a raised garden bed in my teeny backyard.

2. Repaint living room furniture. So many of the pieces in my living room are painted black. They all need a revamp. I’ve been all about the light and bright lately, so the black furniture is bringing me down. (Look for a future blog post on this.)

3. More do-it-yourself. I’m loving DIY home projects. I have a few in the works, but I want to come up with some on my own, instead of just copying Pinterest.

What’s on your to do list for spring? Let me know in the comments…

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Displaying snacks on a tiered tray immediately transforms a bunch of ordinary crackers or cookies into something much more elegant. After years of working for a catering company, I know that how you present food affects how tasty it appears. Simple additions to how you place the food can make all the difference, like using a tiered tray.

Tiered trays create levels, which makes a display of food more interesting and fun. Unfortunately, plate stands or tiered trays can sometimes be pricey—but not for the do-it-yourselfer. Here’s how to make a tiered tray using just a couple of plates and a candlestick holder.

First, find a few plates in varying sizes. I was planning to make a three-level tray, so I found small, medium and large-sized plates at a local Goodwill. (I later decided to make a two-level tray because three levels seemed too tall.) Each plate was $0.69! Can’t beat that!

Then, find a candlestick holder. (Again, I had two candlestick holders because I was going to make three tiers, but decided against it.) Any candlestick holder will do. You can always paint it to get the look you want. A lot of blogs out there create this same project, but spray paint everything—plates, candlestick holders and all. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to put food on spray painted plates. That’s why I loved the look of these glass candlestick holders with the white plates. I got my candlestick holders for free from my grandma (Thanks Mimi!)

Next, spread a thin layer of glue over the bottom of your candlestick holder and adhere it to your big plate. I used Amazing Goop, which was $2.27 from JoAnn’s after a 40 percent off coupon. Then, spread a thin layer over the top of your candlestick holder and place your smaller plate on top of it. That’s it! It will take about 24 hours for the glue to fully seal.

I couldn’t be happier with my tiered tray. It’s so pretty with such little effort, and the grand total? $4.34! (I’m missing tax on the plates, but you get the idea.) I can’t wait to break out this tiered tray the next time I host a get together or a party, or maybe I’ll use it just for fun by myself, because I think things like that are fun. Ha! Enjoy!

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If you’ve read my blog before, you might have been wondering why I never show pictures of my mantle. When I do include pictures of my fireplace, they’re always of the hearth, not the mantle. (See…)

Well, I’ve been hiding it from you, but the reason for that is because up until now the T.V. sat on the mantle. It was not cute. I loathed it. Serious loathing. I hated all of the awful cords hanging down the sides of the fireplace that I tried to cover up (impossible). I hated that I finally had a home with a built-in vintage fireplace and it couldn’t even look cute because an electronic monstrosity was taking over the focal point of the living room.

I tried to convince my twin sister (and roommate) that we didn’t need a T.V.  I tried to convince myself. (I currently have an addiction to Netflix that needs to stop.) I tried to think of other places to put the T.V. At the time it seemed like there were no other options. The cable line was right by the fireplace. How would I move it? Every wall in my living room either has a door or a window on it, and the living room is super tiny overall. How could I possibly add another piece of furniture to hold the T.V. and also position the couch in front of it without taking up the entire living room? So, I gave up and just let the cords and T.V. drive me batty for almost two years.

Until now! I brought out an old dresser that was being used as storage in a closet and set the T.V. on it, managed to move the cable cord (that was a saga in itself), and with some clever rearranging made the furniture work. (More on the new arrangement in a future post.) My mantle is free! And, I have no idea why I didn’t do it before.

I need to make up for lost mantle-decorating time. Yes, I’m a decorating nerd. So, I decided to create a blog series called “Today’s Mantle Display is…” where I’ll show off different ideas for decorating your mantle. I’ll only use stuff I already own to do it, so it’ll be a creativity challenge! Here’s the first one! Today’s mantle display is…free.

What do you think of today’s mantle? How do you decorate your mantle? Let me know in the comments…

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Choosing items to decorate your home seems easy enough. Pick furniture, lamps and accessories you like. Aaannnd…done. While it’s true that you should pick items you like, you also don’t want your home to be filled with stuff just for the sake of having stuff either. So, how do you know what stuff to choose and what to pass on? With these three accessorizing tips, you can never go wrong.

Choose comfort

When it comes to accessorizing your home, don’t overlook comfort. (This is one I have to remind myself of a lot when shopping.) The prettiest pillows will just annoy you if they’re not snuggle-able when watching a movie. And, who wants a couch that you can’t lounge on? Or, a scratchy blanket? Pick comfortable accessories and you’ll be happy every time.

Also, don’t forget about good light. Light affects your mood, and therefore your comfort! If you don’t get a lot of natural light in your home, use sheer curtains on your windows and keep your color scheme light and bright. I also can’t talk enough about the greatness of lamps. Lamplight is far better than overhead light. Fill your home with lamps to create cozy light at nighttime.

Add natural elements

Plants make a room feel more alive. They add freshness and color to a room. (Take a look at my five favorite houseplants for ideas.) Vases filled with flowers or a bowl of fresh fruit can also do the trick. Want something a little more lasting? Incorporate items like wooden picture frames or a bamboo basket into a room for a natural look that’s more permanent.

Pick meaningful accessories

The best accessories are the ones that are unique to you! I love how a home can evolve over time, slowly picking up items that show off your life. When you surround yourself with items that truly matter to you, it makes your home a home.

I have many favorite items in my home. One is this painting I bought from a local artist at the base of the Great Wall of China. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m so happy I have this painting to remember it by. Another favorite is this box that looks like three books on the outside, but opens up and is hollow on the inside. (To store all of my secret treasures!) I’ve had it since I was about six. It was one of my first flea market purchases ever!

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Mason jars just have a certain charm. You can fill them with just about anything—flowers, candles, candy, drinks—and they look good. Yet, I’m also drawn to their simplicity. I like them just as they are. That’s why I decided to decorate the front of my fireplace for spring with just a simple row of Bell mason jars.

There’s nothing to it. You can create this simple display yourself in just about any area of your home. Line a few mason jars along a shelf, on a windowsill, along the middle of your dining room table. It’s simple perfection. You could also drop a tea light in each one and light them at night for a pretty glow.

Who loves mason jars? Let me know about your favorite ways to use them in the comments…

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