Rattan Children's Chair for June!

You better believe I just about leapt over all the things in my way when I spotted this amazing children's sized rattan chair in the back corner of a thrift store a few weeks ago. I hadn't been having much luck all day and then bam!, there it was in all it's glory. And only $15 for that matter! I'm certain I would have paid twice as much, but obviously am thrilled that I didn't have to.

I love to thrift all sorts of things, but what I would call "secondary" furniture is always some of my favorite find! Things like end tables, chairs, shelves, plant stands, etc. (That's not to say that you can't thrift something like your couch or bed, but I simply haven't found those worth purchasing.)

I also love that thrifting items allows me to try out new styles and decades for our home. More than once I have thrifted an item that I wasn't totally sure about, ended up loving it, and then we upgraded to something very similar from a newer store - like Ikea, or West Elm or something!

Our front porch is pretty empty right now, minus the house plants I have moved outdoors for the summer, and June's new little chair. Furniture for the entire front porch is currently on my "things to thrift list" and the hunt is going well! Just need to find a few more items and then I'll be able to call it done! (At least for this season.😉 )

Chair - Vintage / June's Headband - Iris & Lark / Plant Stands - Vintage / Garden Boots - Target / Pacifier Clip - Ryan & Rose

3 Ways to Devil Your Eggs

I didn't always like deviled eggs. But at some point last year I gave them a try, under the reasoning that "Hey. If I can birth a child, I should be able to eat a hardboiled egg." The "if I can birth a child" path of reasoning has actually gotten me to try a lot of things in the last year - and not just food! So, way to go June!

I am not a picky eater by any means. But something about the assumed texture of a deviled egg always weirded me out. Anyway, fast forward to today and I make deviled eggs at least once a month. Every week I get a fresh dozen of eggs from my Mom's chickens and devil-em-up! 

EGG PEELING TIP: Use OLD eggs. I never use eggs that are less than a week old. They'll be impossible to peel if you just got them. So plan ahead with your purchases and give them a week or two in the fridge before you boil them. You'll thank yourself!

Today I'm sharing three different deviled recipes with you - the classic way my Grandma made them, the way I make them with a little hot sauce, and a healthier option with avocados.. and bacon. So, scratch that healthier idea.

I hope you'll give one, if not all, of these a try!

CLASSIC EGGS: Like my Grandma made them.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Hard boiled eggs
• 1/4 c. mayo
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Cracked pepper to taste
• Paprika for garnish
• Flowers for garnish ( *Do not eat the flowers unless you know they're edible!)

PICNIC EGGS: Like I make them, with little hot sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Hard boiled eggs
• 1/4 c. mayo
• 1-2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Dash of hot sauce (Texas Pete's if you got it!)
• Salt + Pepper to taste

AVOCADO EGGS: With bacon. because, why not?

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Hard boiled eggs
• Half of a ripe avocado
• 1/2 tsp Chili powder (or more, if you want!)
• Salt + Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: Hard boil your eggs. If you have a tried and true method - great! Use it! Otherwise, here is how I do mine. Place all eggs single layer on the bottom of a large pot. Fill pot with cool water one inch above your eggs. I always use my middle knuckle as a guide when filling my pot. This way, if I feel they're over or under cooked, I always know I've started with the same amount of water every time and can adjust elsewhere to make them better next time! // Also, note June being super cute... reading her books at the counter while I work - which lasted about 4 minutes.

Place pot onto the stove and bring to a rolling boil. Once your water is boiling, turn off the burner, cover with lid and set timer for 12 minutes. (If in the future you feel they were too soft or overcooked, adjust your timer by a minute or so until you get it just right!)

Just before you timer sounds, fill a large bowl with really cold water and ice. You'll place your eggs into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Remove your fully cooked eggs from the hot water and place them into the ice bath. Once you have all of them in the water, reach back in and, one at a time, crack them a little bit. Place back in ice water. The cold water will seep into the cracks and make your eggs even easier to peel! If the warm eggs melt all your ice, no worries. Just continue to run cold water into the bowl for a few minutes.

Peel your eggs. (Save the eggshells for your compost pile!) Carefully, with one smooth and slow motion, slice your eggs in half. Dump the yolks into a separate bowl. Now you're ready for the fun part!

You won't necessarily be making three batches like I did. Instead, choose your recipe from above and make one large batch! Smash and mix and smash and mix! Now you're ready to fill them. I normally just use a spoon, but if you'd like to transfer your filling to a ziplock back (and cut off the corner), or into a piping bag - go ahead!

Top with appropriate garnish and eat up! If you won't be eating them right away, place into a container lined with folded paper towels and refrigerate. It's common for deviled eggs to "sweat" in the fridge, which can make them kinda soggy in a day or two. The paper towels will absorb the extra moisture and keep them fresh much longer! Change the paper towels every other day if you haven't already devoured them by then. Enjoy!

10 TIPS TO THRIFT

I get a lot of comments, mostly on Instagram, about how, and where, and when and how often I thrift. So I figured I would write a post with my Top 10 tips to thrift by! So, here goes, in no particular order.

1. KNOW YOUR STYLE. OR FIND IT.

This is something that took me awhile to figure out. It took me while to realize what decades I am drawn to most, what colors and finishes work best in my house and that I often buy things simply because I find them funny. Several weeks ago I bought a planter that is a white pig wearing red suspenders. I actually laughed out loud when I saw it. I had no reason to buy it, but I did. And now it’s sitting on a shelf in my Dad’s recording studio… and it looks awesome. Before I really knew my style I would have hesitated to buy something so silly.

My style is modern-vintage with a dash of whimsy and mid-century. Brass and anything animal shaped catches my eye. Lately I gravitate towards items from the 70′s, for their use of natural colors and textures, and items from the 60′s due to the patterns and clean lines in the furniture. I love anything that’s heavily typography based. I have a thing for thin gold frames and Fire King coffee mugs. And like I said above, before I learned these things about myself from shopping at thrift stores for a few months, I would go into every store and feel like it was all junk. I couldn’t see past the ugly items and certainly didn’t know what I was looking for. But it was worth the time to figure out my style!! Keep track of all of the things you buy at first. Be selective with your first handful of purchases. Then, when you get home, Google them. Read about them. Analyze why you bought what you bought. Learn what you like – so when you see that amazing, vintage, in perfect condition chair of your dreams for a high price, you’re not afraid to pull the trigger.

2. LOOK AT SHAPE, NOT COLOR.

Many of the awesome things I find while thrifting are usually a terrible color when I buy them. Lamps, frames, animal figurines, side tables… anything! If it’s a decent price, but ugly color, consider spray painting it. Probably gold. (Lamp above was a terrible shade of mauve and grass green - clearly I spray painted it white and left the gold and wood sections as they were.)

3. WALK THROUGH THE STORE MORE THAN ONCE.

It never fails I find lots of great items my second or third lap around store. It takes my brain awhile to really see everything on the shelves. Especially in the stores that aren’t organized or clean.

4. HAVE A RUNNING LIST OF TOP THINGS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

While every thrifting trip ends with a few odd-ball items that I just couldn’t leave on the shelves, most of my purchases were “planned.” My current list consists of outdoor furniture, children's books, larger frames, monochromatic linens, and plant stands. Knowing what’s on my “I actually need this for something” list helps me decide whether to buy an entire vintage wooden ship collection or the handful of frames and linens I could actually use.

5. SHOP AT THE SAME PLACE AGAIN AND AGAIN.

(Unless it really sucks the first time you go.) One of my favorite places to shop is the little thrift place right down the street from me. I have shopped there probably 50 times in the last few years. I know when they get new things. I know their price ranges. I know their sales. It’s just nice to know several of your favorite stores really well. It helps me compare one store to the next.

6. ALWAYS FIND MORE PLACES TO SHOP.

While it’s best to visit the same shops more than once, it’s also great to constantly be on the look out for new ones. I have found quite a few new stores by asking the person at the register “Are there any other thrift stores in this area?” More than once they’ve told me about one that my iPhone doesn’t know about!

7. SHOP OFTEN!

This is kind of common sense. The more you shop, the more you’ll find. DUH!

8. DON’T GIVE UP.

While I haven’t been doing as much thrifting lately, the little bit I have found lately has been preeeeettty lame. But that just happens sometimes. People aren’t donating. Others beat me to the purchase. I’m not taking enough time to actually dig around and find the best items. But, never give up! Try and try again. You will find that brass unicorn you’ve been searching for.

9. IF YOU LOVE IT, BUT HAVE NO USE FOR IT, BUY IT AND GIVE IT AWAY.

Thrifting has allowed me to give my loved ones small but thoughtful gifts. I found a cooking utensil for $2.00 that was exactly like the one my Mom had, but lost awhile back. She never stopped talking about “that brownie fork”. So when I found it, I bought it. I mean, it was only $2.00! There are things I’ve snagged for friends and family like books and plates and records. I love giving them items that mean a lot and bring back memories. And better yet when I can find them for only dollars!!

10. RESEARCH AND COMPARE PRICES ONLINE.

And this is where my iPhone saves the day again. More than once I’ve been in the back corner of a semi-creepy thrift store, with what I think is an overpriced yet amazing item in hand, and I’ll look it up online. Usually I realize that the price is actually not that bad, and that if I was to order it online and pay for shipping and handling, it would be the same price. Or, I realize that it’s over priced and not that “one of a kind” after all, seeing that dozens and dozens of listings are popping up.

Hope those tips are helpful and that you enjoyed the random photos of my house. Happy Thrifting!

xox

Our Garden / Before Photos

I have always wanted a garden. Like, for yearssss. But every Spring, I forget to plant the things I want, or if I do remember to plant a few things, I've completely forgotten about them come mid-summer and they're all scraggly and literally laying down on the ground like we can't even. To give myself some credit though, I have transplanted quite a few ferns, hostas and other shade-loving perennials from my parent's house to our yard, and those do awesome every year! But our actual food garden has always been lacking one thing - my time. Seriously, if you want to learn a few lessons on patience and "good things come to those who wait", plant a garden. Have you ever seen how tiny carrot seeds are!?!?! They're practically invisible! So you just gotta dump out the package into the dirt and hope that in 3 months time they've turned into beautiful, Martha-Stewart-cover-worthy rainbow carrots. Things I planted in April are only now starting to show up. Geeesh!

Months ago, when we were having an unusually warm spring day, I was in the backyard with my friend/neighbor Kim, when she pointed to the (what I would call terribly embarrassing) overgrown area at the back of our yard and said "Oh, is that your garden?" 😂 Obviously that's why I keep someone like Kim around, because she believes that even the worst sections of my yard will somehow bloom into something amazing and edible, which is excellent for my self esteem, but alas, I had to laugh and say "No! Ha ha! That's our 'parking area'". However, it got me thinking. We NEVER park back there. Like, ever. So why not make it into a garden area? That would allow us to keep more of our grass/yard and give us space to plant stuff! Win, win! When we first moved into our house, the previous owners had installed six square garden beds right in the middle of the whole yard, which was not very functional. We tore those out almost immediately and the grass has grown back in quite nicely giving us a cute little spot of grass for June to play in.

Here is what that back area looked like before T.J. got started clearing an area for the garden beds. As you can see, our backyard backs up against the local lumber yard, which was really convenient when we needed to get stuff for our garden boxes!

It took us only a few hours to dig up the front portion of the parking area and prep it for the beds to be installed. And T.J. was looking pretty, pretty, cool in a tank top -- just saying.

About a week after we prepped the beds, we built the super easy garden boxes and filled them with dirt from our compost pile! Unfortunately I forget to take pictures of the actual boxes being built and filled. Oh well! But now that a few things are starting to pop up you can see the garden bed layout! We took some of the extra gravel from the parking area and moved it up in between the boxes to help control the weeds and mud.

Some of the plants I started myself from seeds months ago, and others I purchased at our local greenhouse just before planting.

In just the few weeks that have passed, you can see that the GIANT tree in the backyard has leaves now, and many of the other things around our yard are loving all the rain. In the words of Phyllis (Lapin) Vance, "The plants are gonna love this."

Just this past Friday, I planted a handful of flowers and herbs in the box closest to our back deck. I am really looking forward to having fresh herbs right beside our grill, and colorful flowers to look at while we sit out back and enjoy our summer watermelon and iced coffees. C'moooonnn summer!

I apologize for the glommy photos, it was literally raining while I planted these and took the pictures.

I am so excited to watch everything grow over the next few months and continue to clean up our yard and outdoor living areas so we can enjoy them more of the year. I really, really believe that living in a home you're proud of, in a home that brings you joy deep in your being, is so valuable to our lives and families - and your yard is a beautiful, living extension of that. I hope you'll take a little bit of time to plant a few things for yourself, too! If you have any questions you think I could answer, please leave a comment! I'd love to know what you're planting or hoping to grow!

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”

— Luther Burbank

Good Day Sunshine

GUYS. The sun actually came out the other day and it was warm enough to put little June in shorts and it was basically the cutest thing of all time. June was thrilled to be outside, picking dandelions and finding rocks.

How To Make Sweet Potato Fries In The Oven!

I could eat sweet potato fries several times a week and never complain about it. They're just so dang delicious. And when homemade in the oven (no deep fryer! = less calories!), they're the perfect addition to your meal. Who am I kidding, they're the perfect meal. Our little June (currently 14 months) loves them and slurps them down like they're noodles. 😂 It's so cute.

And since these fries are baked in the oven... that means dipping them in Sweet Sriracha Fry Sauce is okay, right? Yea, I thought so too.

Oh, and here is a super official chart to show you how much I eat these fries now.

INCREASE IN FRY CONSUMPTION

HOMEMADE SWEET POTATO FRIES & SWEET SRIRACHA FRY SAUCE

• 2-3 sweet potatoes (or Yams, like I use all the time!)
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• Mayo
• Ketchup
• Sriracha
• Dried Oregano
• Black Pepper
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

Start by slicing your potatoes or yams into thin fries. Use a sharp, heavy duty knife, as they can often be very hard to slice. Once you've cut up all your fries, place them in a clean bowl.

Rinse the sliced fries in cold water to remove any dirt, and then let the fries soak in the cold water for at least 10 minutes, or up to a few hours. Soaking them in cold water will remove some of the starch, allowing for a crispier fry in the end! Change the water occasionally, if you decide to soak them for longer than 10 minutes, to remove the cloudiness of the water and starch at the bottom of the bowl. Once you're finished soaking them, rinse them one last time and do your best to get as much water out of the bowl as you can.

Now to make them extra delicious! Coat fries well in olive oil. Then add spices -- there is no exact measurement for the spices, because it depends how many fries you're making and how strong you'd like the flavor to be! For the three large yams I used here, I would guess I was around 2 teaspoons of the garlic powder, paprika, chili powder and dried oregano. (Feel free to use more or less once you've figured out what you like best!) What I normally do is sprinkle all a little bit of all four of those ingredients on the fries, give them a good shake/mix, and then sprinkle the same stuff on them again - repeating this maybe four times. It seems easy to add the spices to the fries in several rounds, instead of just dumping it all in there and hoping they all get well coated.

Once spices are added, salt and pepper to taste.

Dump the fries out onto a baking sheet and arrange them into a flat layer. The less they overlap the crispier they will get! As you can see, I was really excited about the fries for lunch the other day, and packed my pan pretty full.

Place into a 425° oven for 20-30 minutes. If you have a convection oven, use it! That will help them cook faster and get a little crispier, too!

While your fries are cooking, start mixing your sauce.

Combine equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup. Add a much smaller amount of Sriracha sauce. (The sauce can get spicy fast! So keep in mind that you can always add more if you feel it needs more heat, but you can never take it away! Start small.) Add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and dried oregano. Mix until well combined!

I never make my fry sauce exactly the same every time. Sometimes it has way more heat than others, sometimes it's more peppery, or sometimes it's sweeter with ketchup, but it is without a doubt delicious every time. Don't over think it! Give it a shot and change what you want to next time. Cooking for yourself, or your family, should be fun, not science. 👍🏼

Before I remove the entire tray of fries from the oven, I always poke one of the larger ones with a fork and test it out, just to make sure they're cooked all the way through. Once cooked, remove them from the oven, and if you can wait, give them a few minutes to cool on the tray before you start eating them! Also, resist the urge to dump the entire tray onto a large plate, causing them to pile one on top of another. This will make the fries get soggy really fast, from the heat and steam they release. Serve them directly onto your plate, and enjoy!

If you make these fries, be sure to tag me in a photo of them on Instagram (@brookecourtney) or send me a Snapchat (@brookemousetis) - I'd love to see 'em!

Easter Egg Tree / DIY

Ever since getting married, and especially since having June, I've loved the idea of starting traditions that are specific to our little family. When it comes to Easter, my side of extended family has the tradition of our Easter Egg Roll, where we all gather at the top of my Grandpa's long and steep driveway and literally roll our eggs down the hill. We have winners for furthest overall and yoke only. It's pretty awesome!

But leading up to Easter, I don't really have any decorations or anything special that we do. UNTIL NOW! I've wanted to make this Easter Egg tree for two years, and I finally have!

As far as DIYs go, it's pretty easy. Below are the instructions and supplies needed, as well as what I chose for each egg to represent so it can help teach June, and our future kids, the story of Easter.

* This post was originally created for walk in love.'s blog - Check it out HERE! *

SUPPLIES:

• Eggs (paper mache, wooden or hollowed real ones)
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Paint Pen
• Scissors
• Hot Glue
• String
• Branch
• Vase/Jar
• Paper to protect your table while you paint

INSTRUCTIONS:

Find your vase and branch and set aside. Trim down the end of the stick to fit into your jar or vase if needed. I chose to stick with white, black, gold, mint and pink for my colors. I wanted it to be simple and spring-ish! You may choose any colors you'd like. Paint eggs your desired colors. My eggs took two coats of every color, except black, for them to look well painted. If however you like the single-coat-brushed-on look, stick with it! Both are good options! 

Once your second coat of paint has dried completely, you're ready to start decorating them. I used a combination of my black Sharpie paint pen and actual paint for my decorating. You can decorate yours however you'd like! If you want your tree to have "tradition and storytelling" to it, you can follow my suggestions below - or find your own!

Here is what I decided on:

• Egg with Crown - To represent Jesus as Messiah, the Holy King.
• Egg with Eyes - To represent Jesus' miracles - Giving sight to the blind.
• Egg with Palm Leaves - To represent Palm Sunday.
• Egg with Paint Strokes - To represent the breaking of bread at the last supper.
• Egg with 30 black dots - To represent the 30 silver coins that were offered in exchange for Jesus.
• Egg with X's - To represent Judas's betrayal and kiss.
• Egg with Slashes - To represent Jesus being beaten sentenced to death on a cross.
• Egg with Crosses - To represent the cross.
• Egg that is solid black - To represent the darkness of the tomb.
• Egg that is solid gold - To represent Jesus rising FROM. THE. DEAD!
• Egg that is half white, half black - To represent life over death.
• Egg that is all white - To represent our sins being washed white as snow. A clean slate.
• Egg with Hearts - To represent accepting Jesus into your heart.
• Egg with Gold Dots - To represent our charge as Christians to be the light in a dark world.

Cut string to desired lengths and with a tiny dot of hot glue, attach string to top of your egg. Knowing what my branch looked like, I made my string lengths vary in size, so the eggs could hang at different heights! If needed, weight the bottom of your jar/vase with sand or small stones. Since the branch I found grew heavily to one side, the added weight of the eggs was causing it to tip over. So make sure you test it out before you load up your branch with all the eggs.

I hope that this little project serves as a reminder in your daily life of the great story of Jesus and his love for us. I pray it allows you to teach your family about Christ conquering death, or that it starts an otherwise un-had conversation around your dinner this Easter! (Side note: You could also totally make one of these and give it to someone as a gift for their home and table!)

Storytime / February 26

Dark Chocolate Almond Bark

Last fall I made my first ever batch of chocolate almond bark, and honestly didn't really know what I was doing. I used cheaper chocolate and didn't chop the almonds before I roasted them -- but even so, friends were texting me going "You made this?!?! I ate it before I even got home from your house. Hopefully my husband didn't want any." So I took that as a good sign and made it again, this time keeping track of what I used and how it tasted better. Which brings me to today's post - Dark Chocolate Almond Bark, with sea salt. Obviously.

If you follow T.J. or I on Snapchat, you may have seen that we went to our local Farmer's Market on Tuesday, which is where I normally buy my favorite chocolates. They're incredibly well made and local and delicious! But at $10/lb its hard to justify buying, like, seven pounds every week. 😂

I hope you'll take the time to try this recipe for yourself! It's so good. And makes enough that you can give some away to your neighbors. (Yes, Kim, I have a bag set aside for you already. Fear not.)

Be sure to tag me in your Instagrams or send me a Snap if you make your own dark chocolate almond bark!! 

DARK CHOCOLATE ALMOND BARK

• 2 cups whole, raw almonds
• Oil (I used Olive Oil.)
• 4 cups Dark Chocolate / Measured unmelted / I used a combination of Nestle Toll House Dark Chocolate Morsels and Wilbur's Dark Chocolate melting wafers. I like the way the melting chocolate sets up quickly, but the real flavor comes from the Nestle chocolate. Whatever combination you have of various chocolate will do!
• Sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Measure out 2 cups of raw almonds and chop into smaller pieces. Drizzle almond pieces with oil. Stir until coated well. Dump almonds onto a cookie sheet and roast at 325° for 20 minutes... maybe. Honestly, I don't know the exact time. Keep an eye on them. For the longest time it will look like nothing is happening. But all of a sudden they'll look dark and golden and then you'll start to smell the deliciousness of roasted almonds and THAT'S when they are done. Take them out of the oven and lightly sprinkle them with salt. Sometimes I let them cool on the counter for an hour or so while I go do something else. Other times I cool them in the freezer because I am too excited to eat the finished product.

Once your almonds have cooled, start melting your chocolate. I used my own "fake" double broiler set-up. You can also melt chocolate in the microwave. It *can* be tricky if you've never done it before. THIS is kind of how I melt mine - with a saucepan and glass mixing bowl.  In between stiring your melting chocolate, line a rimmed cookie sheet foil. (If you want to. I've done it with and without foil.) Once your chocolate is full melted, scrape all the chocolate out of the mixing bowl and into the bowl with your cooled almonds. Mix well.

Spread chocolate mixture onto your cookie sheet quickly - not because it'll cool too fast, but because you've already spent like a hour waiting for those dang nuts to cool, so the faster you spread the sooner you'll get to eat the final product!! If you want your bark to be super thin, maybe line and fill two pans instead of one. If you want it to be super thick, to maybe cut into little cute squares, use a smaller brownie pan instead of a cookie sheet. Its really up to you. Feel free to adjust your almond/chocolate ratio the next time you make it depending on the size of the pan you want to fill every time. This recipe is what works best for my cookie sheet!

Top if all off with sea salt! Place in your refrigerator to cool! Once totally chilled, take it out of the pan and break it up into small pieces! If the chocolate feels like its bending instead of snapping into pieces, it's probably not completely chilled, so just give it a few more minutes. Break it up and enjoy. Yum!