Creative Juices Decor

Linking up to Simply Sugar and Gluten Free ! Pumpkin Tart with Greek yogurt topping Before you make this let me explain that this does not taste like your traditional pumpkin PIE.  The overall flavor of this pumpkin desert has a tarter flavor. So for those that enjoy playing around with flavors and really love creating healthier, yummy sugar free desserts – THIS IS FOR YOU ! After you make your crust ( Gluten Free or Regular) below is the filling.  I also would play around with putting this in a 8x8 square pan and cutting it into bars. For the topping I used stevia sweetened (honey and vanilla would also be great!)  Greek Yogurt .  It just went so well with the tart flavor the pie had. I had the opportunity to sample Olympus Greek Yogurt (imported from Greece!) and it was soooo creamy and delicious. FILLING: (cooks.com) 1 c. thawed frozen apple juice concentrate (sugarless) 1 c. (16 oz.) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie f...

It’s actually been quite a while since I have gone to a thrift store but now with the kids in school it looks like I can get back to business ! I had been looking for a nightstand for my sons room because the plastic box next to his bed just wasn’t cutting it anymore. I spotted a great nightstand at the Goodwill but it was $35.00.  I mean for Craigslist that is a good price but the Goodwill I felt it should have been less. (I’m a hard sell!) Oh well, I bought it anyway. (and happy I did!)  One thing I did was take the handles off and gave it an updated look by spraying them Oil Rubbed Bronze.  Steps to do that are: 1.) Rub them down with sandpaper 2.) Get all the dust off and spray them with a metal primer. 2.) Spray them with your color of choice.  Optional: spray a clear top coat over it. Doing things like this is exactly like painting finger nails – seriously.  I am so impatient that I like to rush stuff and it always backfires.  Just ...

As promised, here is the post dedicated just to the artwork from the room below: It cost Kaylene around $140.00 but it made such a statement and was over 5’ long! Here is how she did it. 1. Figure out how large you want the piece to be 2. Go search on art.com or a similar poster site for extra large pics - of whatever you want (this is where most the cost comes in) 3. Once you have the large piece, tape it to a flat surface, like the kitchen floor. The piece will be a mosaic, so you have to consider, when trimming down, that whatever is under the frame surround will be slightly altered when moved to the next frame - faces: HARD, landscape, EASY, anything with lots of movement: REALLY EASY. 4. Purchase a series of frames (dollar store, Ikea, Walmart) that represent your style and arrange only the outside frame part on the picture. (take them entirely apart) 5. Once the pattern you want is on the large poster, carefully place a "tick" mark on the corners of ...

I’m so excited!!!! Thank you SO much for those that voted for me on the American Clay FB page (or even had the thought of voting for me) because I WON!!!  I really appreciate it and I promise to do something really cool with the clay so I can inspire some new home décor ideas for you. Talking about HOME……..today they put in the windows!  (insert the hallelujah chorus ) The pole barn also started but I’m not as excited about that, it’s like a glorified garage and I really will have nothing to do with it other then, well, really I don’t think I’ll have anything to do with the pole barn???  As you saw with the windows, we chose a dark brown exterior.  Usually you will see a white or an off white exterior but since we wanted to do a light paint on the body of the house, and dark trim, it made sense to do the frame and grid dark too (so you don’t have white window, dark trim, and light again)  It’s all these little things that can drive you bonkers...

I found these strange iron balls at a thrift store for $1.00 a piece.  When I took them up to the registrar I asked what they were and she said they were some sort of sweater loom so I am guessing you could probably buy them at a quilt shop or something. After I looked at them for a while (wondering what I could do with them!) I thought turning them into topiary balls might look really cool.  I bought a pack of those punch balloons at the dollar store and some moss at Michael’s craft store for $9.00 (used 40% off coupon) and went home and started to work. HERE’S HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN.   First put the balloon IN the iron and blow them up almost to full capacity (leave a little room for moss).  Tape down the ends that stick out. Next tear up some newspaper and make a solution of 70% glue 20% water and 10% flour.  (this does not have to be exact!)  Dip in the strips of newspaper and layer them on the balloon.  Let them dry COMPLETELY. This shou...

Remember the crazy painting post I did of my friends work ?  Well now we get to check out her amazing skills at turning a blah room into something great. OK, we’ve all had this room one time in our lives…..the room where we just move in or we are newly married and don't have money for anything.  It usually stays that way for a while because we think, “shoot, what would we do with it anyway”? BEFORE: This particular couple was away celebrating their 10-year anniversary in Hawaii. The husband surprised his wife by hiring Kaylene (while they were away) and getting to come home to this room! How about coming home to a room looking like THIS! She made a simple headboard, put some art together, hung glass candle balls,added hand sewn fabric pillows and used the same fabric to make the ottoman at the end of the bed!  Yep, my friend just whipped up that ottoman herself. Here is an up-close of the art, in a post or two, I’ll give you...

A few years ago, on one of my favorite fun adventures, I flew with a friend to Albuquerque, New Mexico to pursue a product called American Clay .  I instantly fell in love and had them train me how to apply the natural clay product on walls.  This clay will be on the entire main level of my own home. Isn't it just so natural and pretty!  Anyway, on the American Clay Facebook page they said whomever’s entry (or posting) gets the most “ likes ” will win a $250.00 credit towards clay products!  That would make my day if I won that because, well, I’m building a house and I’d just put it towards making an entry or bathroom look spectacular.  (And then I’d get to show you guys) Will  you go over there for me and hit the “LIKE” button on my entry?  It will be under CreativeJuicesDecor. I think I’ll enter this project: Ya, I suppose the amazing stain glass from Europe and the old world vanity helps make the bathroom brea...