Wall Art Ideas

One of the very first blogs I subscribed to was Rhoda from Southern Hospitality.  You can tell she just likes to have fun and enjoys life.  She comes up with the best design ideas and is a big time thrifty shopper!  (my kind of gal) Here is her wall with a bunch of collected thrifty items!

This picture below from Pottery Barn is lots of fun with the black and white on top of a light robins egg blue wall.  Also the three dimensional bird nest adds just a spark of texture to the wall.  Love it!

For those looking at the pictures saying,  I could never figure out how to put all my stuff together and make it look “right” Sarah from Thrifty Décor Chick (also one of my first blog subscriptions!) did a great post on How to Decorate Your mantle.  It will really help with understanding how to accomplish that “designer” look when you add framed prints to your wall or mantle.

Personally I ADORE doing a plate collage on my walls.  It is visually entertaining and can really be quite cheap!  Ross and other discount home décor stores sell gorgeous plates for $2-$4 each. 

You can check out the post on how to make a FREE plate hanger!!!

Green Door Design actually cut out a silhouette of each item she had to place on her wall  on paper first, then she tacked them up on the wall and arranged them  before she nailed anything up. VERY SMART! 

OR see my FAVORITE method for hanging up a wall gallery on this post!

Hope this has inspired your Creative Juices!  Mine are inspired and I wrote the post!  I need to go to the thrift store again 

Easy BLUEBERRY chia Pudding - SO HEALTHY

 This was so yummy so I decided to blog about it right away.  Once again this is QUICK and EASY but incredibly healthy and filling.



Blueberry Chia Pudding: (I made this up - aren't you proud of me!)

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk (you could experiment with other milk, but I LOVE coconut milk)
1/4 cup water (or regular milk)
1/4 c chia seeds
Stevia or agave to taste  (I used about 1/8 tsp liquid stevia, if using agave I'd use around 1Tbsp)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Stir all ingredients together.  (see, easy)

Refrigerate 60 minutes or till thickens (it wont hurt it to even stay overnight and you could eat it for breakfast!)  You can stir half way through just so all the seeds get mixed in.  Have fun experimenting with the amount of seeds also.

You could serve with some real whip cream if you like – it would look pretty and be a great addition to the flavor.

Serves 2.



I know some of you (like my wonderful grandpa – Opa) think my recipes are written in another language.  (Stevia, chia seeds, agave nectar,coconut oil, almond meal, GF flour, palm sugar – you get the picture)  But let me tell you a few healthy benefits from this lonely, not very well know thing called Chia Seeds!

Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

The main reason why Chia is considered to be a “superfood” is because it contains high amounts of many essential nutrients. They contain 20% protein, 37.7% soluble fiber, 43% carbohydrates, and 31% fats, making the seed a better source of protein than beans and other legumes, and a better source of dietary fiber than oats and other grains.  Right there I’m SOLD!

Almost all of the fats are the omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce levels of triglycerides in the body, blood pressure, and the risk of heart attacks. Additionally, for those wondering, they are also Gluten Free!

Chia has gel-forming property (they remind me of tapioca) that create a barrier between carbohydrates and digestive enzymes in the stomach. This is why chia slows down the conversation of carbs into sugar and can stabilize sugar blood levels. Folks, this is huge in keeping off the weight!

I found it amazing that chia contains:

Six times more protein than kidney beans,
Twice the amount of dietary fiber as bran flakes,
Three times the amount of iron in spinach,
Twice the amount of potassium in bananas,
Six times the amount of calcium in milk (Bourne, 2002).


HAVE I CONVINCED YOU YET?
 
Now I will leave you to be creative with all your chia seeds.  See my Health Food on a Budget – Tips and Secrets for the best prices I have found on all these "Foreign Language" foods!  Use my iherb coupon code for $5.00 off your order.  (see ad on the right, or just click link)

Fun Thrift Store SCORES!!! #2

Blog posts like this make me happy.   I can finally show people who might actually think it’s entertaining to see my thrift store finds!  Unfortunately my husband doesn’t get such a thrill out of seeing his garage fill up with all my amazing treasures.
But I know you guys will LOVE it! And that’s why I love blogging!



This beauty is a thick mounted canvas art piece (about 30”x24”.) 
Drum roll…….

10 BUCKAROONIES

It is so pretty!  I would love it more if it was on a painted wall to pick up those amazing moss greens or terra cotta orange colors.  I might give this to my brother who just bought a house.  He has a brick fireplace where those colors would just pop! 



These cuties (which I thought were sea shells until I brought them home and realized they were lettuce dishes!) were….

Drum roll………..

$1.00 a piece


I liked them better as sea shells and had planned to put them in a seascape mantel setting but it’s OK.  I love lettuce too.  Kind of.  Looking back I think I overpaid – yep that’s how cheap I am.