A New Kitchen Backsplash!

Tom, our tile guy, literally finished our kitchen backsplash moments ago!  I was so excited to share the new tile with all of you, that I immediately grabbed the camera!....

And here's another shot....

I was originally going to put a piece of stainless steel behind the stove, but now I am so glad I didn't.  Although I love stainless, I think it would have broken up that space too much.   Hope you like it!  Stay tuned...next comes the floor!! 

Would you like succulents with your turkey?

I've fallen in love with succulents.  I have been especially inspired by the succulent arrangements my very talented mother from la vie quotidienne has created.  Look at this beautiful succulent arrangement she made....

  I have this little funky cabinet in my kitchen which I store canned goods.  I needed to primp it up a bit, and I immediately thought "succulents"!   Lucky for me, I have a free source for succulents (thank you, my dear mumsie!), so all I needed now was a container.  I told the kids, "I'm off to the GoodWill!". 

It happen to be  50% off day for red tags, so I only spent $1.50 on this gravy boat.  Here it sits prettily filled with succulents in my little funky kitchen cabinet...

For those of you wondering what's happening with the kitchen remodel, all I can say is that it's been a very long process!  MacGyver husband has done a lot, but we still need to install the tile backsplash and new floor.  I am hoping by the end of summer, we'll be done.  But in the meantime, here's a sneak peek!....

Hello!  I am sorry for my long absence.  I really have no excuse, other than I just lost my blogging mojo.  As you may have guessed by looking at the photo above,  I recently hosted bunco!  When my bunco friend Patti came, she told me I had to take a  photo of this cake.  So, in honor of Patti, I am sharing my Bunco flag cake with you! 

This is a fantastic chocolate cake recipe, and leftovers freeze wonderfully.    After Bunco, I sliced up the rest and put it in the freezer.  Several days later, my mother wanted to know where her piece of cake was, and so I defrosted some, and  I have to say it was quite delicious!  You can find the recipe here.  Enjoy!  Warning, you may have to run a few extra laps after eating, but extra exercise is truly worth it for a piece of this! 

House Numbers

Well, hello!  It seems like forever since I've posted!  I'd like to say that I've been doing all sorts of wonderful, exciting things, but the truth is, everyday life at Love and Life at Leadora just got in the way!  Anyway, I did manage to come up with a new way to display our house numbers. 

This was a super easy project which only required a trip to the BadWon't (aka GoodWill) and a visit to the blog, Jones Design Company.   First, I found the frame for $3.99 at the BadWon't.   After  popping out the glass, I glued black cardstock on the cardboard backing that came with the 8x 10 frame.  Next, I  transferred the numbers from Jones Design Company onto the black cardstock and then colored them in with my chalkboard paint pen.  Finally, I hung the frame with wide white ribbon purchased at Joann's with a 40% off coupon.    In the end, my house numbers cost less than $10.  This is my kind of project...fast and cheap!

Spring Placemats

Well, my kids have started calling me "that crazy placemat lady".  Yes, I  made more placemats! 

During a trip to JoAnn's, I saw this gray and yellow cotton fabric.  As many of you know, gray is one of my favorite colors, and the yellow shapes reminded me of daffodils.  I thought to myself, "What can I make with this?".  Well, placemats, of course!

 Now I just couldn't show you a bare placemat without a little special treat, and a piece of glazed lemon cake looks fabulous on it!  But then, I realized a cup of my favorite iced coffee would be delicious too...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to eat!..

followed by a trip on the treadmill!

Easter Peat Pots

It's the day before Easter, and candy filled peat pots are waiting to decorate the Easter table here at Love and Life at Leadora...

You can see last year's Easter peat pots here.  I enjoy making these because they are easy and inexpensive.  I've even made decorated peat pots for Halloween bunco favors.

I am hoping all my little peat pots will look even prettier sitting next to a plate of Easter ham!

Have a wonderful Easter!!

Blackberry Cobbler

Yesterday, while shopping at the market,  I came across these beautiful blackberries.  They yelled at me, "Make us into a cobbler!", and so I did!

Fruit cobblers are so very easy to make!  If you're like me, you probably want an official recipe, which you can find here.

Now, for the rest of you, get a stick of butter and melt it in a 8x8 pyrex dish.  I use the microwave to melt the butter in the pyrex dish.  While that's going, mix 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 2/3 cup of milk.

Now, it's very important that after you take that pyrex dish of wonderful, melted butter out of the microwave, you simply plop on the batter.  Do not mix.  Do not stir.  Plop that batter onto the melted butter, and then throw those beautiful berries on top.

Bake this delicious goodness at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool slightly, and then top with a scoop of vanilla icecream....mmmm

Oh, and here's a little baker's secret...save those corners of the pan for you.  That's where all the butter is at, and after baking it turns into a delicious, buttery, and chewy treat!  Enjoy!