Sunday, July 29, 2012

T-Shirt to Tank Top


Sneak Peek at my latest T-Shirt Makeover!  T-Shirt to Tank Top!

The summer heat just feels brutal this year.  I wanted something that was breezy and cool.

I paired it with amethyst jewelry, capris from Dress Barn and black ballet flats. 



Yes, this tutorial will join the other Men's T-Shirt Makeovers!  (As soon as I write it!)  Click on each below to check out the other ones.


Drop Shoulder T-Shirt Makeover

Ruffle V-Neck

Peasant Top

Thank you for visiting Stone Cottage Adventures!  ;-)  -Marci




Front Porch for Late Summer


The Independence Day Star has been put back on the shelf.  It may be used again in December though.  I have an idea that might work for a Christmas Star.  We'll see. 

In the meantime, I wanted something on the porch between now and the beginning of football season.  GO, HOGS!  It's been so hot and dry here, a watering can seemed like a nice option! 


(You might remember this watering can from the Guest Bedroom Makeover .  If not, just click  HERE .)

It hung on the porch alone for a few days.  I liked it, but it seemed a little quiet.  Some "zhuzh" would be nice. 


When I was cruising through our nearby Dollar Store, I noticed silk flowers on sale 70% off!!  Now that's my kind of sale! 


The chosen stems were completely different lengths, but that's nothing to cause worry.  I grabbed my purple wire cutters.  A few snips later and the arrangement was complete! 


Nice and cheery!   

Can you believe Back to School is just around the corner?  I hope your summer has been filled with joy!  ;-)  -Marci

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Strawberry Basil Smoothie

Smoothies...  Mmmm...  What a tasty summer breakfast!  There are so many options available, too!  Here's one of my faves! 


Strawberry Basil!


12 Ounces Silken Tofu or Yogurt



1 Dropper full of Sweet Leaf Liquid Stevia - today I used Valencia Orange, but Lemon Drop is great, too! 


2 Cups Frozen Strawberries, of course fresh would be lovely when they are in season


3 Leaves of Basil 


Basil?  Yes, basil.  It is delicious.  We were at Bentonville Farmers Market and stopped at the Pedal Pops stands.  Those popsicles are amazing!  One of the flavor choices is Strawberry Basil.  I had to give it a try and loved it!  So, Pedal Pops became inspiration for this smoothie! 


Toss all the ingredients in your food processor or blender.  Process until smoothie consistency. 


It's perfect for sipping in the Butterfly Garden!  ;-)  -Marci

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

DIRT + BOYS = FUN!

Mr. Big Stuff was invited to a wonderful birthday party!  The invitation mentioned the boys would  be getting dirty, so please wear something old or bring a change of clothes.  We were also asked to each bring a towel.   

When we arrived, there was a big mound of top soil in a shady spot of their yard.  The party favors were shovels, along with cars to push through the dirt.  The kids LOVED IT!! 



(Perhaps we try a little too hard to stay clean?)  Some of the kids enjoyed just scooping the dirt in their hands.  Others wiggled their toes down into it!  They played and played and laughed and laughed. 

Hot Dogs and Cheetos were the menu, another big hit with the young ones!  The cake was a big dump truck filled with oreo crumbs and gummy worms.  Yum!

I'm sorry I don't have many photos.  Here is Mr. Big Stuff in the dirt!  He hopped right on top! 


Great picture!  As the party wound down, kids were offed a dance through the sprinkler. 


It was a way cool party for boys!  After all the birthday cake was eaten and the kiddos went home, the hosts of this exciting event used the top soil for a landscaping project!  Aren't they just the clever-est of the clever?! 

The invitation was key to this being a successful party.  There were no surprises for the guests.  Each parent was prepared for dirt and water.  The children had a ball while the adults could just visit - even the hosts!  It was one of those wonderfully simple ideas!  Hey, why didn't I think of that?  ;-)   

I'm so glad you stopped by and shared DIRT + BOYS = FUN!!  ;-)  -Marci

Monday, July 23, 2012

I've Been Featured!!

The post I wrote about propogating basil has been featured at: 




Thank you, Amanda!  I am so honored to be featured on your gorgeous blog!  ;-)  -Marci

My Craft Room

Let me tell you about my Craft Room.

In our Stone Cottage you have to go through a room to get to a room.  There are no hallways.  One room in our home is completely surrounded by other rooms and has no outside windows.  Needless to say, it's kind of dark in there.  We decided to re-vamp it into a Craft Room for me!  WOO HOO!! 


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The color scheme is Bright White, Black and CRAZY orange.  These pictures were taken about 5 minutes after completion.  The room has never been tidy again.  Multiple projects are always in full swing! 


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First we painted the walls bright white in an effort to make it seem less dark.  Then Handsome Husband installed 24 feet of shelving. 


I happily drug craft supply bins and scissors and wreaths from various closets and hiding places. 

My craft supplies scoffed at 24 feet of adjustable shelving!


Poor Handsome Husband!  He installed 24 more feet of adjustable shelving.  Fabric and equipment came out of hiding.  Furniture was moved into the room.  Here it is before it got all messy.


I wouldn't dream of showing you a photo of it now.  Talk about a total creative explosion.  I love having my own room where I can be messy.  Even though it used to be a dark room in the middle of the house, it is now my favorite place. 


My craft room filled with creative joy!  Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing it with me!  ;-) 
 
;-)  -Marci

Sunday, July 22, 2012

My Second Gourd Project - So Exciting!

It's so exciting to share my second gourd project with you! 



This time, I really wanted to practice with the wood burner and build confidence there. 




Three pin oak leaves were the inspiration.



I placed them around the gourd and used a penciel to draw their outline.  Then the wood burner was used to outline the leaves as well as some of the veins. 



The pin oak leaves were then painted green and the entire gourd was covered with Dark Brown Antique.




Thanks so much for letting me share it with you! 

'Sending a special wink to  Linda  and Ozark Folkways !  *wink* ;-)  and *wink* ;-)  -Marci

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Summer Squash Casserole


It really is true.  You reap what you sow.  Ask any gardener!  ;-)  We have gobs of summer squash right now.  While we do batter dip and deep fry it quite a bit, this is another recipe we enjoy! 

Summer Squash Casserole

3 - 4 medium squash
1 medium tomato
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup grits or corn meal
3 eggs
2 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1- 2 inch sprig of thyme (just strip the leaves and toss the stem)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Place the water, butter and grits in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for one minute.  Stir, then let rest while prepping everything else.   

Either grate or finely chop the squash.  I use the smaller grate on my Vidalia Chop Wizard.  Coarsely chop the tomato.  I use the larger grate on the Chop Wizard.




Stir all ingredients in a bowl then pour into a greased casserole dish. 




Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. 




Mmmm...  Summer vegetables!  ;-)  -Marci

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Hanging Baskets

There is a sidewalk from our driveway to the front door.  Between this sidewalk and the fence is a small, quiet garden.  This particular garden has a water feature and a park bench, where I love to read.  There are several tube style bird feeders tucked into the trees.  After being still and reading for a while, I look up and am surrounded by finches! 
 




I like to add a little privacy from the street by using a couple of shephard's hooks and hanging baskets.




It doesn't block the view, but certainly softens it. 




This year, Mr. Big Stuff chose only purple flowers for the hanging baskets:  calibrachoa (my favorite), wave petunias and verbena.  All in purple. 



Good choice!  ;-)  -Marci

Sunday, July 15, 2012

More Basil!!

Is it possible to have too much basil?  Nope!!  Propogating basil is very easy.  Let me show you how!  You might remember in the  EZ Pizza  as well as the  Tomato + Basil Recipe , I mentioned leaving the top two basil leaves on the stem.  Here's why!



All you have to do is place that stem is a glass of water.  I like to put it in a north facing window, where the basil gets lots of light, but not direct sun.  Just let the basil hang out in its glass of water. 




Change the water every other day or so to keep the water clean.




You'll see roots in about one week. 



After a couple of weeks or so, the basil usually has enough roots to place in soil or in a pot. 



Mmmm...  More basil!!  Please visit my Stone Cottage often! 
 
;-)  -Marci

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

BCMG Garden Speaker

'Sending a special wink to John and Beth!  *wink*  ;-)  and  *wink*  ;-) 


The Benton County Master Gardeners have a wonderful annual pot luck in the gorgeous gardens of John and Beth Strickland.  Being in John and Beth's garden is such a treat! 

This year, I was honored beyond belief when I was asked to present a program.  My presentation was located in their lovely Kitchen Garden. 


A couple of other guys totally stole the show!  ;-)  This dancing dragonfly kept landing on my tent.



A black swallowtail caterpillar was munching on a nearby fennel plant. 



This is the view from my tent.  Don't you love their rustic fencing around the Kitchen Garden? 







They have five acres and all of it is landscaped beautifully.  Strolling around their spectacular property... 













Their home is absolutely stunning! 

Thank you, John and Beth, for being such lovely hosts for the annual BCMG pot luck!  What a special treat! 

;-)  -Marci