TUESDAY'S JEWELRY SPOTLIGHT featuring "My Beach Store"

TUESDAY'S JEWELRY SPOTLIGHT featuring "My Beach Store"

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MyBeachStore

MyBeachStore

Caribbean Beach Findings, Larimar & Amber Supplier.

Discounts:

PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! Coupons on all items.
MYBEACHSTORE5025 - 25% off - min. $100 purchase
MYBEACHSTORE5015 - 15% off - min. $50 purchase
MBSALL5OFF - 5% off - all items up to $49.99

READY FOR THE WEEKEND RECIPE: BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

READY FOR THE WEEKEND RECIPE:  BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

http://deliciouslyyum.com/overnight-blueberry-french-toast-casserole/

Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole

A French Toast Casserole studded with fresh blueberries, which is super easy to prepare and topped with warm homemade Blueberry Syrup.

Hi! How was your weekend?

I thought I’d post this recipe today to savor the weekend a little bit longer. We had a jam-packed couple of days including tackling some projects around the house, squeezing in a couple of runs and going on a fun date together. Time sure seems to be flying by when the weather is improving and you can finally step outside without having to worry about frostbite or slipping on a piece of ice.

Late Friday night, I decided that we would be enjoying our much loved Blueberry French Toast the following morning. Never mind that it was getting kind of late since this breakfast casserole can be whipped up in mere minutes.

I didn’t really have any intentions of posting this recipe. Not because I didn’t want to share it, but this recipe has been around for so long now, that it simply didn’t occur to me to put it on the blog. Until I pulled out the recipe and realized that the original is nothing like the one I use now to make this casserole. It has undergone many changes over time, all of which were stashed in my memory. So I proceeded to write everything down step-by-step and was holding the perfect recipe to share with all of you!

This casserole definitely falls into the oldie but goodie category. There are many reasons why this is a family favorite, but the best part is that it requires almost no work the following day. I am all about spending as much time as possible with my loved ones instead of in the kitchen.

There is nothing like sitting down for a meal and enjoying every minute of good food, good conversation and perfect company. Sitting down for a meal is really important in our house. Both my husband and I eat supper together pretty much every night at our dinner table. It’s something we have done since day one of our marriage and still look forward to the most each and every day.

As soon as this dish comes out of the oven, the entire family will be able to enjoy a delicious meal together.

Not only does it make for a nice presentation with perfectly toasted French bread pieces and caramelized blueberries on top, but it tastes even better. This French toast casserole is crunchy, fruity, sweet and has a soft & creamy middle. It comes out just right every time.

I happen to think that this is the quintessential breakfast or brunch food or if you’re anything like me, this is more than appropriate for dinner as well :).

We top our French toast with a fabulous homemade Blueberry Syrup. Making the syrup is completely optional as you could totally serve this with regular syrup or even powdered sugar instead. But if you love blueberries or fruity syrups, this one is for you. And a must-try if you’ve never had it before.

Alright, friends. Hope you have a great start to your week!!

Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Yields 12

A super easy recipe for perfectly baked French Toast. This recipe is a family favorite and will be sure to please everyone around your breakfast table.

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For the Blueberry French Toast Casserole

1. 1 1/2 loaves French Bread, cut into cubes
2. 4 oz. cream cheese
3. 1 tablespoon milk
4. 1/2 cup powdered sugar
5. 1 cup blueberries
6. 1 cup milk
7. 5 eggs
8. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
9. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
10. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
11. 1/4 cup maple syrup

For the Blueberry Syrup

1. 1 cup cold water
2. 2 tablespoons corn starch
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. 1 cup blueberries

Instructions

1. 1. Spray an 8-x-8 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. 2. Spread half of the French Bread cubes in an even layer over the bottom of the casserole dish.
3. 3. Mix together cream cheese, milk, and powdered sugar until well combined. Mixture should be somewhat thick and not watery. Add more powdered sugar if mixture seems too thin. Pour over bread cubes and sprinkle with blueberries.
4. 4. Add remaining bread cubes over the top.
5. 5. Combine 1 cup milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and syrup. Pour mixture over bread cubes and sprinkle with additional blueberries. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
6. 6. Remove casserole from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until the center is set.
7. 7. During the last 10 minutes of baking time, prepare the blueberry syrup. In a small saucepan, combine cold water, corn starch and sugar. Heat mixture and bring to a simmer. Add blueberries and continue simmering for 10 minutes. Serve casserole with warm syrup immediately.

Notes

1. Syrup can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed. Simply reheat in a microwave until warm.
2. Casserole is best enjoyed served immediately, but can be stored in the fridge for 2 days.
3. You can substitute frozen berries. Also, you can use any type of berry you prefer.

CRAFT WEDNESDAY: RECYCLE OLD BROKEN JEWELRY INTO NEW BRACELET

CRAFTY WEDNESDAY:  RECYCLE OLD BROKEN JEWELRY INTO NEW BRACELET

http://www.hellohydrangea.com/2012/03/inspired-by-doloris-petunia.html

INSPIRED BY DOLORIS PETUNIA

I think I woke up too early this morning. I am in a mood where I can't go back to sleep, but I don't want to fully get up. So I'm compromising with this post in bed. It makes both of my consciouses happy.
By the way - I hope you are prepared for some amazing jewelry in this post!

I know that my last post was a bracelet tutorial, but the two inspirations are on such different levels, I am going ahead and doing another. Do you see the intricate craziness above and below? These pieces are by the designer, Courtney Prince. I have been watching her work for a while and she has awed me again.
Her studio, Doloris Petunia is full of wearable statements that border on beautiful, and slightly tacky. She combines the embroidered friendship bracelets that I used to make when I was ten with Swarovski crystals, broaches and beads. For the full inspiration effect you have to visit her shop or read an interview here.

I can tell by the detailing in each of her pieces that they must take hours to make. Yet, there is too much inspiration here not to try! Good thing I have buckets of disassembled and broken jewelry lying around my house. If you want to give it a try and don't have old bobbles sitting on a shelf, check your nearest thrift store for used costume jewelry.

Also, Courtney uses a patent pending construction technique for her cuff base which molds your wrist. You will notice below that I used a simpler method. I also didn't use as much 'bling' as she did. The whole piece is actually pretty different from hers - but still inspired by her incredible skills.

1. First, lay out your chosen jewels to play around with the form and color.

2. Begin arranging the bottom layer of yarn, braids, fabric... whatever you can find, on a sheet of felt. I used stiffer felt, but any type should work because it is flexible, yet strong.

3. Jump in. You have to start somewhere and adhere the jewels around your base. One thing I've learned is that small items don't stay in place on their own for long. You have to trust yourself and start.

4. Cut the form out of the sheet of felt. 

5. Put a pretty ribbon on the back. You can discover your own closure technique... I used a ribbon.

6. Slowly and carefully bend the form into a concave shape. I didn't notice while I was working flat, but when the item is bent back, there are nooks and crannies that get opened up. Now is your time to fill them with more jewels!

TUESDAY'S JEWELRY SPOTLIGHT is featuring "Rag'Ay Jewelry by Tammy & Rachel

TUESDAY'S JEWELRY SPOTLIGHT is featuring "Rag'Ay Jewelry" by Tammy & Rachel

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RagayJewelry

Welcome to Rag'Ay! Jewelry!

My daughter and I love sitting across "Granny's" dining room table from each other making jewelry. Bouncing ideas off each other. Digging through drawers, tubs and bags of beads. We come from a long line of jewelry lovin' women. And yes, we like it BIG!!! My grandmother, Granny's mother, used to say, "If you can't see it from across the room, why wear it." We love "Statement" jewelry!!! LOL

It never ceases to amaze me what beautiful things come out of the ground. I first fell in love with Turquoise when I was a young girl. On a family vacation to New Mexico, my father bought me my first Turquoise & Silver ring. Then there is RED! Red Coral is also a favorite! Sparkle is a MUST!!! Whether it's a crystal or a rhinestone, better yet both! Then there is the intricate work of a lamp work bead or the beautiful color in a glass bead. The fun part is putting a variety of things together for a unique, one-of-a-kind necklace. No two necklaces are exactly alike!!! And in our opinion, what's a necklace without earrings?!!! All of our necklaces come with matching earrings.

We do custom work too. Some of our local customers give us a blouse or dress to take home. We dive into our collection of beads and crystals for a set made to match! One friend gave me crystals from a chandelier that used to hang in her mothers house. And Granny gave me a fan pull, in the shape of a fish, that she had had for years. It's a lot of fun to use things like that.

We're excited to be on Etsy and will be adding new items to our shop every week. We hope you have fun browsing through!!!

Tammy & Rachel
Granny too!!!

Favorite materials

Natural stones, Turquoise, Coral, Jade, Jasper, Quartz,Crystal, Rhinestones, Lamp work beads, Glass beads, Clay roses, Unique pendants

MONDAY SOLUTIONS: Kitchen Organizing Ideas That Will Change Your Life

MONDAY SOLUTIONS:  Kitchen Organizing Ideas

http://www.jennaburger.com/2015/01/kitchen-organizing-ideas/

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Jenna Burger

Layers of Inspired Style

20+ KITCHEN ORGANIZING IDEAS: TIPS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

January 20, 2015

123K+

This post is more for me than for you… hehe.  After reading it from the first word to the last, you will never have to go anywhere else for more kitchen organizational ideas & tips. I HAVE YOU COVERED – I promise!

Interesting enough, this post started off as a round up of organization inspiration for the ENTIRE HOME, but after scouring the web for tips & tricks to organize every nook & cranny for the house, the post was getting way too long because of the incredible amount of smart solutions & ideas out there…

The result of my plethora of finds is going to be a week of inspirational organizational ideas from the kitchen to the bathroom, from the closets to the garage.  I have found so many creative ideas that will truly change your life.  Most are super inexpensive and can easily be implemented today.

Let’s start with the kitchen…

Here are 20+ ideas for organizing the…

Kitchen / Pantry

Tips & tricks for keeping your kitchen organized… (links to the original source, creation, and/or tutorial are BELOW the picture)

Pantry organization by Design, Dining + Diapers

Wood Tilt-Out Trash Can by Dawn Nicole

Plastic wrap & tin foil holders by Ask Anna

Fridge & Freezer organization by Clean and Scentsible

Ideas for organizing your spices via The Blessed Life

Dollar Store organization by Ashley Ella Design

Pots & Pans organization by Organizing Home Life

Drawer dividers using inexpensive wood scraps by The Organized Mom

DIY Kitchen utensil dividers by Kevin and Amanda

Hanger turned clip by Craftster

Tupperware organization by Eating Rich

Inside the refrigerator organization by Fridge Butler

Under-the-sink cleaning supplies organization by Jen Thousand Words

Olive Oil bottles are the perfect solution to ditch the ugly soap bottles. Idea by The Craft Pitch

Measurement conversion chart on the inside of the kitchen cabinet by Infarrantly Creative

Over-the-door shoe organizer for snacks, coupons, small items by Money Saving Queen

Organization ideas for the inside of the kitchen cabinets by Jenna Burger

Wood Spice Rack by Jenna Burger

A central command center in the hub of the home is one of the most important ways to keep a family on schedule…

Central Command Center in the kitchen by Jenna Burger

Countertop command center by Lovely Crafty Home

Dry erase to-do or menu board by Make and Takes

I so need this… a charging station instead of all those wires and plugs!

DIY Charging station created by Lil’ Luna

I am still on a mission to clean this place up, bag it up – send it out, & get organized in 2015!  For me, it’ll never be 100% picture perfect, but this is a home of 5 not a museum.  As I’m working on purging + organizing + renewing my home this year, I am also striving to focus on what’s most important to me and living with intention!  Admittedly, it’s not easy, but with often reminders (to myself) I am working towards being more mindful and living with purpose.

Here is a recap of the week so far (click on the image to bring you to the original post)

Ridding the stuff that isn’t needed and organizing what we want to keep has really made a difference!  Tomorrow’s space of focus… THE BATHROOM.