Tea Tin Organizer

Last week, while wandering around the flea market, I spotted a table of vintage tea tins.  The $3 price tag on this Richelieu Green Tea container, convinced me it needed to come home with me and be transformed into an organizer for the refrigerator.

To make one of your own, gather the following supplies:  tin tea container, heavy duty magnet and J B Weld (or E-6000).

Use your adhesive and secure the magnet to the back of the tea tin. 

Stick it to your refrigerator.

Then, get organized!

*Notice the fortune cookie fortune on the fridge?  Apparently, someone with blue eyes admires me...which is a good thing because both Grace and Mr. While Wearing Heels have blue eyes.  It's a good reminder that I am admired and that they should continue to admire me :).

Oh Christmas Tree

I promise, this post isn't just about how we bought our Christmas tree this past weekend.

Which we did do. 

But this post is more about sharing a few Christmas decorating tips...

like using Christmas tree clippings to fill empty flower boxes.  Add pine cones or some non-breakable red ornaments for a pop of color.  It's an easy way to dress up your flower boxes and decorate for the holiday.

And about hanging Christmas lights.

This year, we decided to try Martha Stewart's tip and string our lights up and down the tree instead of stringing them moving around the tree.  Hopefully this will make taking them off much easier than it has in years past. 

And, of course, these tips were inspired because we bought our Christmas tree this weekend.

I am going to enjoy experiencing Christmas through Grace's eyes this year.


And be sure to check out my other Christmas inspired posts:

Star Wars Ornaments	DIY Pottery Barn Candle	DIY Advent Calendar
DIY Santa Beard

Banana Bread

My bananas are fully ripe, which sounds so much nicer than they actually appear, so it's time to make some banana bread!

The tried and true banana bread recipe I use originated from Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter Cookbook.

I recently started to modify this banana bread recipe. I like to add 3/4 a cup of blueberries {I've used 3/4 a cup of dried cranberries instead of blueberries and that is equally as yummy}. I also like to add the juice of half a lemon to provide a brighter flavor.

In the past I had prepared my loaf pan with Pam non stick spray, but now I butter my pan and...

coat it with powdered sugar {I see the irony, since I am using a dieter's recipe and adding things that are obviously not low cal}. When I make brownies or chocolate cake, I butter my pan and coat it with cocoa powder.

Then, in goes my banana bread batter and the waiting begins.

45 minutes later, golden and delicious, my banana bread is ready. For a family of only 3, you'd be surprised how quickly this disappears!

I love when the house smells like banana bread. It's one of the rare June Clever moments I have in life.

I do love to shop

Like most women, I like to shop but it isn't traditional stores that intrigue me. I love wandering around flea markets and thrift stores. I think it brings out the hunter in me. I love scouring through boxes of stuff, unearthing a hidden gem, finding a bargain or revealing in the history of the piece. You never know what you'll find and I think that is part of the appeal.

When I first started going to flea markets, and thrift stores for that matter, it was a little overwhelming. There is so much to look at and I had an uneducated eye. Some tables have nice arrangements and are visually appealing, immediately drawing you in. Other tables may have a junk yard feel to them with have boxes on top of boxes. If you take the time to look around you never know what you'll stumble across.

There are so many wonderful blogs out there that have taught me how to hone in on what could be a 'gem' just by having an open mind, thinking outside of the box and having a little bit of a vision.

You may even be surprised to find something from your own childhood that might bring a smile to your face.

When going to flea markets or thrift stores, go with an open mind. There is no rhyme or reason to what you'll find from visit to visit. You might find something that just needs a good cleaning or maybe needs a fresh coat of paint to take on a completely different look.

The more you go, the more you'll hone in on things that interest you. After watching the Novogratz and their eclectic design style, I am drawn to letters big or small. I love to look through prints of vintage maps or botanical prints. I have recently been drawn to kitchen scales and vintage fans.

This past visit, having gone with an open mind, my purchases surprised even me. I found a botanical print for $1, which I can't wait to hang in my kitchen. I bought a vintage handkerchief. I love giving these as bridal shower gifts, embroidering the bride's new initials and wedding date onto the handkerchief. It can be the something old or even something new. I also stumbled across full skeins of yarn for .50 cents. My favorite find was a set of 1950s children's ice cream chairs for $30.

The chairs needed a good scrubbing and a new coat of white paint on the metal frames. They were just too cute to pass up. I can't wait to set up an ice cream shoppe for Grace.

I hope you feel inspired to head to a thrift store or check out flea markets in your area. You never know what one of kind thing you might find. Happy shopping!