Summer Mantel

 

When I looked up the word mantle, instead of mantel, one of the definitions was "a part of a bird's anatomy".  I found this interesting since I kind of went with a bird theme for our summer "mantel" (which is really not a mantle, but the top of our piano). 

The reason I went with the bird theme was because I have been intrigued with them lately.  My parents got the kids two bird feeders and a bird identifying book and it has been fun to see our new little friends in the backyard.

But, more than that birds have been a trigger of hope  The girl name we have picked out (for Baby #4) is a bird name, Larkin (Lark for short).  We liked the name, and then Hubby looked up the definition and it said larks are known for their melodious songs.  We were sold on the name then for sure; this time of waiting for Baby #4 (to adopt) has been marked by song.

I also love to get fresh bouquets from our yard; to bring the outside in.  For the two bouquets on the "mantel" I added some surprises; a flowering chive, a sprig of rosemary from the garden, and a few cuts of black raspberries.

I also redid the entertainment center "mantel" too.  I focused more on colors here; the bright yellow and turquoise.  "Give Thanks" is our family theme for this year, so I kept those pieces highlighted as well.  The piece of fabric wrapped around the plant also has birds on it.  As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my sis-in-laws gave me this cut of fabric to remind us to keep hoping and waiting for baby.

The best thing about the "mantels" is that I didn't spend any money, I used what I had or had been given to me (at one time I spent a few dollars between the two white containers and one of the birds).  It felt good to freshen things up without going shopping; just rearranging.

I have been drawn to these colors lately too, salmon, turquoise, red, chocolate brown, and bright yellow.  Reminds me of the bright colors of summer.

Hope you have a great one!

I am linking up with the The Lettered Cottage (see button below), for some reason I am having some trouble displaying the link, so just scroll below and click on their link.

First Pinterest Party

I put this photo first, because you need grace for a Pinterest Party, grace for yourself, that things are not going to turn out perfect with your recipes or crafts and it is okay.  The point is that you try and you do and have fun with friends.

I had only tried a few things from Pinterest, but knowing the party was coming up, I was inspired to try more things.  Below is a description of each item with credit given to those who came up with it.

This is my adaptation of:

Lemon Quinoa Avocado Cilantro Chickpea Salad

thediva-dish.com 
http://thediva-dish.com/uncategorized/healthy-living-class-green-drinks-sweet-eats-and-salads/

 

(I didn't have quinoa so I used rice, didn't have fresh tomatoes, so I used canned.   I went a little too heavy on the garlic cloves, I would use less next time.  It is really flavorful and yummy)!

 

 

 

Here is my adaptation of the Pina Colada pops from:


http://therealityofskinny.tumblr.com/foodrecipes

I added vanilla yogurt and fresh coconut to the recipe and then put it inside the scraped out coconut and froze it.

The guests arrive- Anna and Abby.  They introduced me to Pinterest so it was fitting that we had our Pinterest Party together. 

I made these Andes Mint Cookies from my Dessert Pinterest Board. 


http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/04/andes-mint-cookies.html?showComment=1323739192245#c8874412180426553846

I used chopped Andes Mints (instead of whole) and mixed them into the dough...these are SO good.  I had to make another batch, since my family and I had eaten most of the first batch the night before.   I will be taking these to gatherings, so easy and delicious.

Anna made these yummy pretzel bites and cheese sauce for dipping.

www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/hot-pretzel-bites/2690b027-f62d-426c-9777-fb69ec754b66

   Abby made these good granola bars- healthy and great tasting!
http://www.anjasfood4thought.com/2010/04/banana-pecan-granola-bars.html

    Enjoying the yummy goodies!

Anna made the canvases and taught us how to do this craft.  We arranged the fabric petals on our own canvases.  Theirs turned out much cuter than mine, but this is where the grace comes in right?  Proud I did it, instead of just leaving it unmade on my Craft Board (can't locate who did this originially, repinned it from a friend's board).

Darling daughter and I tried these out the day before the party.  We found that sticky, puffy letters work best...while not the cutest font they were easier to manage than other flat stickers.  We used a bit of tape on the bottom of the candle so it would stand upright and added rocks around it.  Wide-mouthed jars work best too.  This idea was adapted from:

http://radicalcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/02/baby-food-jar-recycling.html

So, there you have it; our first Pinterest Party!  Hope it is the first of many.  It was fun to provide a time and place to put feet to these projects.  None of us spent very much money and we enjoyed being together and getting creative.  I would love to hear and see what you have made from Pinterest! 

Check out "The Mom Creative" for a great blog article on using Pinterest.
 
www.themomcreative.com/2012/03/10-tips-for-using-pinterest-well.html