Weekend Bloggy Reading :: Link Up!

Hi there! Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Fridays are fun because this is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week here at Serenity Now, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects!

*Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link--I've had to bypass so many great projects lately because they didn't include a link back to my blog in the post!

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Time to link up your best post of the week!

Inspiring Project Ideas {link party features}

Good morning! Is your week off to a good start? My girls are off to VBS this week, so Harris and I have some fun plans for the two of us that may or may not involve antiquing tomorrow (he is thrilled, obviously). I've got some creative inspiration for you, and today I'll be sharing some Features from the weekend link party. If you're new to the blog, I take a couple of days each week to let other bloggers showcase their project ideas here, and I take a day to feature a few of my faves. We have crafts, home decor, DIY, recipes, party ideas, organizing, tips and tricks, seasonal projects, and more!

Here are some projects that caught my eye this week:

~Outdoor Chandelier via Little Brags

~Orange Ginger Mint Frosty via Living the Gourmet

~Easy Pallet Art via The Scrap Shoppe

Weekend Bloggy Reading :: Link Up!

Hi there! Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Fridays are fun because this is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week here at Serenity Now, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects!

*Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link--I've had to bypass so many great projects lately because they didn't include a link back to my blog in the post!

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Did you miss any of this week's posts? Features went up on Monday, and I also shared my Summer Reading List for 2014--lots of great reads!

**Also, the Best of the Blogosphere will be up at Centsational Girl some time today! Kate and I have rounded up some fab DIY to share with you. Head over to see the BOTB after you link up here!**

Time to link up your best post of the week!

Summer Reading List, 2014

Who's ready for summer reading? I have a reader's dream in my library book basket right now: a stack of really good books, and a kindle paperwhite loaded with 4 or 5 more new books, waiting to be read.

The only catch is that babies don't often grant you leave to read. While I had hours to read at the pool last year while the girls played tea party in the shallow end or risked their lives on the high dive, this year will be spent keeping the little guy from overheating and catering to his every whim and demand. However, babycakes goes to bed at a reasonable hour these days, and since there is no good TV during the summer months, I might just get through this list. At any rate, I thought I'd share some of the books on my Summer Reading List for 2014...maybe you'll find a few good reads to try!

Save the Date- Mary Kay Andrews

Andrews is the queen of the beach read. Easy-to-love characters, funny, great design thrown in...she's my fave! This one is saved on my paperwhite.

The Nesting Place- Myquillyn Smith ("The Nester" from The Nesting Place blog)

A long-time reader, I was so over the moon excited about this book that I managed to purchase a copy at my local bookstore the day before it released. I've been saving it for an afternoon where I can sit with a Coke and a highlighter and just breathe this book in, because I think her message of "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" resonates with my soul. It has a prominent spot on my coffee table...I truly can't wait to be able to read this one.

The Fault in Our Stars- John Green

We're doing this one for book club this month, so I better get started. I'm pretty nervous about reading it...my ugly cry leaves something to be desired. I hope it's better than A Walk to Remember. 

How to Control Your Emotions So They Don't Control You- Brooke McGlothlin

I may or may not fly off the handle from time to time. Excitable personality? Yep, that's me. Looking forward to be inspired by this one. 

The Baker's Daughter- Sarah McCoy

A novel set mostly in the World War 2 era. I like historical fiction.

Wedding Night- Sophie Kinsella

I'm late to the game on this one. I used to love Kinsella's books, but the last few fell flat with me. Going to try this one out.

Written in My Own Heart's Blood- Diana Gabaldon

I read the other books in the Outlander series a few years back and enjoyed them, for the most part. The plot line is really interesting, but I felt like Gabaldon went off on long, long, looong (novel length) tangents that didn't really add much to the story. It felt like a lot to keep up with, and I have a degree in English, Speech, and Linguistics. I'm honestly not even sure about the plot at this point, it's been so long...but I'm gonna read this one, maybe after checking the other books' plots on Wikipedia.

Family Pictures- Jane Green

I read Green's Jemima J. some time ago and really liked it. Hopefully this one is just as good!

The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane- Kelly Harms

Spotted this one at our local library and thought the cover looked fun. Didn't have a chance to read it before it was due and couldn't renew because someone else requested it. Drat! Guess I'm on the request list!

The Accidental Book Club- Jennifer Scott

Saw it in Costco and haven't checked it out from the library yet. Honesty...I liked the cover. And I like my Book Club. Put the two together, and it could be a recipe for a good read. {wink}

Death Comes to Pemberley- P.D. James

Fellow literary nuts might enjoy this one. A murder mystery that draws Jane Austin's famous characters into the story!

A Hundred Summers- Beatriz Williams

Another historical fiction piece. Set during the 1938 hurricane in Rhode Island.

So, what about you? Do you have any good reads on your summer book list? I'd love some more title recommendations...please feel free to share in the comments section!

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments.

Inspiring Project Ideas {link party features}

Hello, hello! Is your week off to a good start? I've got some creative inspiration for you, and today I'll be sharing some Features from the weekend link party. If you're new to the blog, I take a couple of days each week to let other bloggers showcase their project ideas here, and I take a day to feature a few of my faves. We have crafts, home decor, DIY, recipes, party ideas, organizing, tips and tricks, seasonal projects, and more!

Here are some projects that caught my eye this week:

~Poolside Outdoor Living Space via Life and Home at 2102

~Chocolate Pancakes via A Bountiful Love

~DIY Sea Shell Wreath via Miss Kopy Kat

Weekend Bloggy Reading :: Link Up!

Happy Friday! Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Fridays are fun because this is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week here at Serenity Now, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects!

*Please be sure to read my guidelines below before you add a link--I've had to bypass so many great projects lately because they didn't include a link back to my blog in the post!

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there. Features will be up next week!

I did have a post with a "Quick Fix" tip or two. I'd love for you to check it out!

Time to link up your best post of the week!

Fixing a Broken Cake Stand and a Sandal {Quick Fix: Best Glue!}

Before I even tell you what this post is about, I will be sure to say that this write-up is not sponsored in any way! When I get really excited about a product that works well for us, I just have to share it. I found that one of the Elmer's glue bottles I had in my stash is a real workhorse...it worked a miracle with my broken cake stand and a girls' sandal!

Once upon a time, I had a beautiful set of two cake stands from Blessings Unlimited (now Mary and Martha). Because our storage space in this 1970s Colonial is limited, I stored/displayed them in front of the matching platter...way up high above my kitchen cabinets.

A few weeks ago, the platter must have slipped a bit and pushed the smaller, top cake stand right off the cabinets. It fell to the floor with a very loud crash, even scaring our German Shepherd into the other room. The damage looked pretty bad at first glance, and T wanted to dump it in the trash immediately. I held him off, telling him I wanted to try to salvage the cake stand with some glue.

Enter Elmer's Glue All Max...the bottle said it would work on stone, ceramic, metal, wood, foam, and more. I figured why not give it a shot? Because I figured the ceramic was porous, I followed the instructions to wet both side of the broken area before adding glue. I glued the fragments of the pedestal first and let them dry for 24 hours to see how it did. Then I did the same with the top of the stand.

I was 100% impressed with the results! Because I was missing tiny pieces of the pedestal, I wasn't sure that it would even hold the weight of the stand, but this glue foams up to fill in those blank spaces. I let the entire thing dry for another 24 hours before touching it. Still good to go. I doubt I'll use this piece for food again, unless I have a doily on top, but up in its display area, you can't tell that it was broken!

To keep the platter from going anywhere, I stole two bricks from our backyard stash, wrapped them in paper towels, and placed them in front of the platter so it won't slide around and knock the stand off again.

Now for the shoe. Natalie ripped part of the sole of her brand-new (?!) sandals off after just one wear. I added more Glue All Max, held the soles down with clothespins, and let them sit for a few days. Like magic! She's worn the sandals several times since, and those soles haven't budged!

I've always been a fan of Elmer's products (I use their wood glue for home improvement projects), but it was great to see it work in a pinch!

Have you had any quick fixes lately?

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments.

Inspiring Project Ideas {link party features}

Hi there! Is your week off to a good start? I've got some creative inspiration for you, and today I'll be sharing some Features from the weekend link party. If you're new to the blog, I take a couple of days each week to let other bloggers showcase their project ideas here, and I take a day to feature a few of my faves. We have crafts, home decor, DIY, recipes, party ideas, organizing, tips and tricks, seasonal projects, and more!

Here are some projects that caught my eye this week:

~Potting Bench Outdoor Serving Station via Little Brags

~Restoration Hardware Inspired Orb Chandelier via The Honeycomb Home

~Vanilla Pineapple Cake via Living the Gourmet

Weekend Bloggy Reading :: Link Up!

Hi there! Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Fridays are fun because this is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week here at Serenity Now, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects!

*Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link--I've had to bypass so many great projects lately because they didn't include a link back to my blog in the post!

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Did you miss any of this week's posts? Features went up on Monday, and I also shared some vintage and antiquey fun with A Morning at Snow Creek Farm {Farmhouse Boutique}  on Tuesday!

**Also, the Best of the Blogosphere will be up at Centsational Girl some time today! Kate and I have rounded up some fab DIY to share with you. Head over to see the BOTB after you link up here!**

Time to link up your best post of the week!

A Morning at Snow Creek Farm {Farmhouse Boutique}

It's been a few years since I visited Snow Creek Farm. Located in Woodford, Virginia, the homeowner transforms her Victorian farmhouse and barnyard into a fun shop filled with antiques, collectibles, and handmade items a couple of times a year. The kids and I shopped one Saturday a month or so ago, and there were too many neat things for me to not share 'em on the blog! Come shopping with me?

Please forgive the iPhone photos. I had Harris in the baby bjorn and was also carrying a purse...I didn't want to give myself a hernia by adding the Nikon into the mix!

We were greeted on the front porch by one of the family chickens. The girls were thrilled.

Each room of the farmhouse was filled to the brim with collected vintage and antique finds. Many of them have been refurbished, refinished, distressed, or embellished. The prices are jaw-droppingly affordable. I always appreciate that Donna doesn't mark her items up the way the antique shops in the Old Town area of my town does.

Loooove the old silver and serving ware!

The back porch displayed vintage aprons, quilts, artwork, and a lovely old cabinet.

The backyard and barnyard areas were transformed into an outdoor boutique. There was a refreshments area that my girls promptly found, some covered tents with vintage finds, and some other outdoor spots filled with garden decor. The kiddos followed the peacocks, geese, and chickens around...and went crazy on the tire swing.

 What did we bring home? 

The girls wanted a peacock, but I bought some homemade soap made by the owner's daughter. The tea tree oil is T's favorite, and it lasts forever. I haven't had a chance to try my lavender and oatmeal yet. Her granddaughter also makes the most delicious, amazing caramels, and I may or may not have purchased a few of those too. I went back a few days later to pick up something for my family room that she pulled from her workshop. I'll be sure to share it on the blog soon...it's a fantastic storage option for me!

If you live in the DC/Richmond area and want to find out more about the shows (she does them a couple of times a year--Christmas is amazing!), you can connect with Snow Creek Farm on Facebook. This is not a sponsored post, just a fun PSA. {wink}


If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments.