diy painted billy ball flowers & gift wrap

Billy balls. What a strange name for such cheerful little flowers. I could call them by their real name [I googled it for all you wanna-be-botanists], but craspedia doesn't sound any better to me than billy balls. How 'bout yellow pom pom flowers? Too long. Billy buttons? Too much like belly buttons. Billy bobs. Nope, that's just what the hubster calls them.

The original inspiration for the project came from my current love of polka dots, pom pom flowers and sunny spring colors. I considered making some of these dandelions pom poms to decorate our kitchen table. Then I saw this compilation of gorgeous flower arrangements and somehow my need to decorate morphed into a need to paint yellow billy balls. Makes perfect sense, right? Right??

grapefruit buttermilk sorbet

Our mini space heater is on full blast. I'm typing with one hand while holding a cup of tea in the other for warmth. It's supposed to snow tonight. And yet, I made us sorbet! Because spring fever + a $1.99 5 lb bag of grapefruit = grapefruit buttermilk sorbet. It's the only logically choice.

The original sorbet recipe is a crowd favorite from Bon Appétit featuring lemons. My mom routinely makes the sorbet as an easy, but elegant dessert. It even made a glowing appearance at my bridal shower. But today [because I now have grapefruit coming out my ears], we're zesting and juicing grapefruit, mixing it with some sugar and buttermilk, and making something absolutely wonderful. Just three ingredients mingled together in frozen citrusy, creamy perfection. This sorbet is light with undertones of grapefruit without being overpowering. It's excellent following a "heavy" main course or bookmark this recipe for the dog days of summer when nothing but a cool, refreshing dessert will do.

The only catch is you need some sort of ice cream maker [I used my KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment ]. Besides that minor detail, the recipe is incredibly simple: measure, stir, chill, churn, freeze, savor...repeat. Now go dust off those ice cream maker's and let's get churning!

diy natural spring mantle and paper flower wreath

Can you believe it?? We've been waiting and waiting. And enduring snowstorm after snowstorm and polar vortex after polar vortex. But it's SPRING!! Let's ignore the possibility of more snow next week and a wind that still blows a cold chill from the north. Nothing is going to dampen my spirits - spring has finally sprung!

In honor of this lovely season and all the beauty it brings, I'm sprinkling glimpses of spring throughout the lake house. First up, our little upstairs office/crafty space. This has officially become my favorite room in our place. Why? It's a quaint cottage-like room with cream walls that are not wallpapered [thank goodness] and exposed beams painted white. It also features hardwood floors that have seen better days. Plus the golden light that filters in through the windows every morning is simply enchanting. Oh and it has a fireplace! It doesn't actually work, but that won't stop me from putting the mantle to good use. It's the perfect blank canvas for all my decorating desires.

P.S. If it looks like some of the pictures are slightly tilted, my apologies. I literally had to hold my camera slightly angled to make the photos not looks so tilted. Everything, and I do mean everything, is sloped or warped in this 1800s house. Now let's talk decorating details!

Ma's buttermilk biscuits

Not many things speak the language of comfort and childhood for me quite like a warm buttermilk biscuit slathered in a bit of butter and a homemade jam. Oh sweet goodness. These are the kind of biscuits that are perfectly at home on a brunch menu for a crowd, but equally wonderful as the stars of a humble and quick breakfast (or dinner).

Today I'm sharing my mom's recipe for buttermilk biscuits over on Lemon Jelly Cake. Claire, the blogger behind Lemon Jelly Cake, just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last week. While she snuggles that precious little one, a few of us are sharing our favorite recipes to take to a new mom. Ma's buttermilk biscuits are the kind of food that a new momma craves. Comforting. Easy. Warm. And capable of being popped into the oven straight from the freezer! Click on over to check out the biscuit recipe and don't forget to follow Claire's blog for more recipe inspiration!

a recap of life lately

Hey strangers! I'm backkkk! And ready to get cooking, crafting, and blogging again. But before I jump back into normal posts, let's recap life lately.

I'm home from the land of big sky. If you missed the reason for my trip to Montana, you can read my quick note about it here. This is the view my brother and sister-in-law have from their backyard. It's mind-blowing. every. single. time. I've also learned that it makes the chore of washing the dishes a whole lot more exciting.