The Ampersand and Free Printable

Hi friends! My name is Patti Wunder and I'm usually found over at Easton Place. I'm filling in for the day. (Thank you, Heidi, for allowing me to join the bloggy goodness here at Row House 14)

Today I offer you a fun printable and a tiny little history lesson.

The Ampersand!

Did you know...

• Its original form was based on the Latin word “et”, meaning, logic will tell you, “and”.
• As it was used in manuscripts in the following centuries, the shorthand form for writing it developed into what we see today.
• At one point it was incorporated into the English alphabet (unofficially, as always with English) as “and”, making 27 letters.
• When reciting the alphabet, it was correct to say “and per se and” (and for itself, i.e. not introducing another item to the list).
• This cumbersome “and per se and” got truncated into “ampersand”, which is its official name as of today. (thank you Trusted Translations for this info)

Today, the ampersand is loved by people from all walks of life, and has become an unofficial mascot of designers world wide.

Take a look at this sampling of Pinterest boards devoted to the love of the ampersand:

In honor of The Ampersand, I offer you this free printable.

I hope it inspires you as it has inspired me.

To download a PDF of the printable, simply click on the image.

Thanks for reading!

Wishing you all a day filled with inspiration.

xoxo

Patti

Easton Place

Soup and Beans and Low-Meat Meals

Today we begin the long trek home from Grand Teton National Park. It is so sad to say goodbye to these beautiful mountains, but it will be wonderful to get back home. My bloggy friend Kristen from milo and molly is taking over the blog today while we make our way back home. And to you, dear friends, I will see you sometime next week after our three day driving fest comes to an end.

--------------------

Hello, lovely Row House 14 readers!  I'm Kristen and I am a stay-at-home mom of two and owner of the Etsy shop milo and molly, where I sell paper goods and sewn gifts, and I also keep a blog by the same name where I chronicle our never-ending house projects, shop stuff, recipes, sewing projects and the like.

 
On my blog recently I posted a plea for low-on-meat or meatless recipes.  You see, we are a meat-loving family, but in an effort to trim the fat (ha ha) from the budget and eat a little lighter, I'm trying to gather recipes using more beans, lentils, pasta, and so on.  I had some wonderful comments left, recipe links tweeted to me, and one lone soul used my link-up (thanks, everyone!).

I decided I wanted to update my readers on some of the recipes I tried, and then I got a really great idea, and then Heidi said she was going on vacation and would I like to guest-post, to which of course I said yes, and so I thought that this might be just the right place to share my idea while also begging for more recipes.

So, first an update on what I've made:

One recipe suggested by Paige was Ham and White Beans done in the slow cooker.  I have grown to love my slow cooker.  We are on the type of schedule where we decide to run to Home Depot or some other house-related errand at four o'clock in the afternoon, getting us home right when we should be eating.  With the slow cooker, dinner is pretty much made and I can just serve it up.  Time saver, sanity saver.  This meal was delicious and I highly recommend it.  Notes: I did not have a ham bone.  I used a half a pound of cut up deli-sliced ham instead and it was just fine.  I also added asparagus so vegetables would already be included, and because I'm not great with cooking asparagus so I figured the slow cooker would take care of that (it did).

I've decided I'm not cooking beans any other way.  My hubs loves real beans, as in a bag of dried ones and not the already cooked ones in a can.  I actually like them better too, and they're better for you, but you have to plan ahead for them by soaking them overnight and then they need to cook the day of generally between 1-2 hours.  Since dinner planning around here often occurs at dinnertime, real beans doesn't always work.  I'm telling you, all you do is put your beans in the slow cooker, cover them with 4-6 cups of water and let them go for 8 hours on low.  Talk about set it and forget it.

I also made this Food Network favorite, which yields plenty of leftovers.  I always serve it with prosciutto bread, which is probably the reason we like the soup so much in the first place.  The photo below is from the reboot lunch the next day because I totally forgot to snap a shot that evening.  As you can see, no bread in sight.  They're both so easy and so good, and this soup is packed with veggies.

I saved all the recipe suggestions plus some others I've found on two new Pinterest boards: Slow Cooker and Soup and Beans, which is actually more than just soup and beans but I liked how it matched the name of the original post.  This is when I got my great idea.  I would love to make those two Pinterest boards collective boards, shared by us all to pin for the common good of busy people who want to slow cook their beans or eat a lot of soup.  If you make something, you can leave a comment on the pin and tell us all how it went.  Fun, right?

If you'd like access to the board, please comment with your Pinterest user name and I'll add you on as a pinner!  (I think that's how it goes.  I haven't made a collective board yet.)  The only rule is no deleting a recipe that's been posted.  If you're more comfortable, feel free to e-mail me at milomollyshop (at) gmail (dot) com.  If you have a recipe to share, please post a link in the comments, or tell me what it's made of, or come by my post and comment or link-up.

Thanks for hanging out with me today, and I hope you'll come by and visit!

Etsy // Blog // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest

Travel the World Wednesday: National Parks

Hello Row House readers! This is Rachel from rwkrafts and I am very excited to share a travel post with you all. Heidi is going on a very long road trip across the country to visit some of our nation’s most famous National Parks. Here are some beautiful photographs of my favorite places I had the opportunity to go to (usually hiking and camping style!) when I was younger…

So pack your bags, we’re going to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park!

It’s only natural that I start with the pride of my home state, Grand Canyon National Park.  Countless camping trips, with family or with high school friends, were spent at this fabulous spot.

 Photograph by George Stocking for Arizona Highways magazine

A favorite hiking spot in the canyon is the gorgeous Havasu Falls…

Photograph by Paul Gill for Arizona Highways magazine

Let’s continue the travel to a park I know Heidi is headed toward… Yellowstone!

 This is the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. It is stunning to look at, but disgusting to smell! I hope Heidi has packed some little face masks, because the sulfur that makes these hot springs gorgeous also smells like the world’s largest rotten egg. It’s definitely an experience I will never ever forget!

I have no doubt Heidi will see a TON of these…

Photograph by Terry Donnelly for National Geographic

… a good amount of these…

Photograph by C. Judson

… and maybe one or two of these…

Photograph by Miller

I hope Heidi is enjoying her epic road trip, and I just know she will have some gorgeous photos to share with us when she returns.

Thanks for traveling with me today, and thanks to Heidi for having me along for the ride :)

-Rachel w k

Make It ::: Two-Toned Wooden Studs

Hello Monday and week two of our grand adventure out west! We've made it to the Tetons in Wyoming and they are ever so gorgeous! I wouldn't want to leave you all hanging so I have something extra special for you today. Stela from Stelabird is sharing one of her fabulous Make It posts that she has created just for you fabulous readers (and I'm pretty sure I need to make these. I actually have the supplies written down on a list at the moment!). Stela is one of my favorite bloggers and is pretty much all around fabulous, and most of the time I drool over her little shop in Oklahoma. Please do go visit her blog! So without further ado...

Hi Row House 14 readers! 

I'm Stela from the blog Stelabird and I'm so happy to be visiting here and sharing a DIY project with you! 

Today I'm sharing with you how to make these two-toned wooden stud earrings! These were inspired by Kate Spade's Rosewood Dot earrings. They are simple and fun to make. Plus, they are super cool.
Let's get started!

You will need:

acrylic paint 

paint brush

glue 

masking tape

wood dowel caps

earring posts

   Put your masking tape on the dowel cap where one half is completely covered and the other half is exposed. Paint the exposed piece of wood. 

Let it dry and paint a second or third coat if needed. 

Peel off the tape carefully once the paint has dried. 

Now it's time to add the earring posts! Add a dab of glue to your post and attach to the bottom of your dowel cap. If you're using E-6000 glue let it dry for 24 hours for maximum hold. 

Ta daaa!! You're done and now you have some sweet earrings to sport! 

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial! To see more of my Make It post, click HERE. Thank you so much for having me Heidi! 

♥

Repurposed Wine Bottle Tutorial

It's Friday! We're one week into our road trip and we've made it the whole way to Yellowstone National Park. Tonight we're staying in Grant Village which is in the southern end of the park near Yellowstone Lake and some fantastic geyser basins. While I enjoy the beauty around me, Julie from Julie Ann Art has been kind enough to step in and share one of my favorite tutorials of hers. Be sure to stop by Julie's blog to say hi-- it is one of my favorites and you won't be disappointed!

 ---------------------

Hi guys! I'm Julie, from Julie Ann Art and since Heidi is off on a vacation (jealous!) I'm here to share this Repurposed Wine Bottle Tutorial with you! When I came across this tutorial on Pinterest I got excited because I love DIY projects when I already have all the materials I need in my house! What 20-something girl doesn't have an empty wine bottle or two laying around? With a touch of spray paint, these bottles that are collecting dust can be turned into creative vases or candle holders. What a perfect idea for wedding table centerpieces or table numbers!

What you'll need: Wine bottle(s) Spray paint primer Spray paint (colored or chalkboard) Embellishments of your choice Cloth to spray paint on

To remove the labels on the wine bottles, first soak them in warm soapy water for about 15 minutes. This will soften the labels and make them easier to peel off. If you have tougher labels you can run the bottle under warm water while scrubbing the label with a rough sponge. This is what I did and I was able to get all the labels off without the use of Goo Gone or rubbing alcohol.

Once the labels are removed make sure to thoroughly dry the bottles before spray painting. To start, evenly coat the bottle with primer. Be sure to check the directions on the paint can for drying times. Once completely try, follow up with the color of your choice. Let the painted bottles stand for 24 hours and then add any embellishments you'd like, such as ribbon or bows.

I put flowers in mine but wouldn't they also look pretty with candle sticks in them? That would set quite the romantic ambience on a wedding table! Enjoy!

Five Ingredient Summer Pasta Salad

We're well into our trip by now spending tonight in Custer State Park in South Dakota after a day of hiking and visiting Mount Rushmore. Today I'm excited to have one of my fabulous bloggy friends Paige filling in for me. You all know how much I love food, so Paige volunteered to share a recipe with you all while I'm gone.

---------------

Greetings! I'm Paige from Little Nostalgia, filling in for Heidi while she's enjoying some R&R out west. Today I'm bringing you one of my favorite (read: easiest) new recipes for summer.

I'm a lazy cook. I'll readily admit that. I love to eat, and I've been watching the Food Network for years, but the actual cooking process still leaves me kind of cold. (I'd like the food to just magically appear before me, but that never seems to happen.) So when I do find myself faced with the task, I like to keep things as simple as possible.

Enter the Five Ingredient Summer Pasta Salad!

You'll need:
--8 oz. shell pasta (half a box)
--2 cans of tuna
--1 small to medium onion
--a few stems of parsley
--Italian dressing

The great thing about this recipe is that it's easy to double or triple if you're having a party. I only made this for the two people, so I kept the batch small.

What to do:
1. Cook the pasta. My only real cooking tip is to add a little salt to your water. Not only will it boil faster, but the pasta will taste better.

2. Drain the pasta and let it cool off for a while. Chop the onion and parsley if you haven't yet.

3. Mix together the pasta, tuna, onion, and parsley.

4. Add the Italian dressing (I did around 2 oz. but you can add more or less to taste) and stir again.

5. Let the salad chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. Then wolf it down.

See, easiest thing ever right? Now go on and make yourself some.

What's your favorite dish to have in the summer? Any other pasta salad recipes to share? Maybe you have another fun use for a plain ol' can of tuna?

Refurbished Chair DIY from Janee of Yellow Bird Yellow Beard

Hi friends! In case you didn't already know, I am officially on vacation! Woohoo! As you're reading this I'm in the car somewhere between Indiana and Iowa. Tomorrow we'll be making our way to South Dakota to the Badlands. And let me tell you, the Badlands are most certainly bad. They didn't earn that name for nothing! Today also kicks off the first of many guest posts from some fabulous ladies. the first is from Janee of Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard. I'm so excited to have Janee here today so I hope you'll also head on over to her blog to say hi! She's sharing a DIY tutorial for a refurbished chair. Take it away Janee!

----------------------------

The other night The Beard and I were walking down the street when we came across this sweet old chair by a dumpster. I'm sure it must've been a funny sight for anyone who might have seen what happened. There we were going to grab a bite to eat when simultaneously we noticed the chair, stopped in front of it, stood there staring at it, looked at each other, picked up the chair, turned around and started carrying it back towards our apartment. All without saying a word. Hahahaha. I did need a chair for my new sewing desk {don't worry I'll have photos of our apartment set up soon} so it was perfect. And I even managed to turn it into a fun DIY project to share with you guys!

What you'll need:::

A chair

Sandpaper

Paint

Wood sealer {water based}

Upholstery

Scissors

Staple gun

1::: Acquire a chair. You could find one by a dumpster on trash day like I did, or you could just pick one up at your local thrift store like a normal person.

2::: Remove the seat cushion from your chair and sand the wood frame.

3::: Paint your chair in your desired color. After the paint dries give it a good coat of wood sealer. Make sure it's water based sealer! If you use oil based sealer it will ruin your paint.

4::: Now you're going to reupholster the seat cushion. There are several ways you can go about this step. Because the leather that was already on my seat was in really great condition I decided to leave it and just put the new upholstery over the top of it. Especially since I didn't know what the stuffing underneath was going to be like this was the easier route for me. If you've got a seat cushion that's all torn up and nasty, or if you want to go all out and redo the padding as well, then you'll want to completely remove your upholstery at this point.

5::: Set your seat on the ground with your upholstery underneath for measuring. Cut your fabric leaving about 6 inches or so on each side for folding and stapling.

6::: If your seat has a rounded side like mine did start with the flat side. Fold your upholstery over the edge of the seat, I also folded my upholstery over on itself before I stapled it for extra security. Now go to town with your staple gun. Don't be shy with those staples. You wanna make sure this fabric isn't going anywhere. After you finish your first side turn the seat around and do the opposite side. It's really important that you do the opposite side next. Pull you upholstery really really tight {you might need to get someone else to help hold the fabric or do the stapling} and staple away. Now the opposite side of my seat was rounded so I had to do pleat like folds every once in a while to keep the upholstery looking neat on the top side.

7::: Now come the corners. The way I did this was sort of like wrapping a Christmas present. I folded the very corners up so they made a point, stapled, then folded the rest on top of it and stapled. I tucked the point part into the fold too so it wasn't loose and flapping around.

8::: After I finished the corners I pulled the two remaining sides really tight as I stapled between the corners. Be sure you're checking how the top side of your seat is looking as you go along. You don't want to get finished and realize the top is all messed up. Remember the under side doesn't need to win any beauty contests, it's the other side that counts.

9::: Once your finished with your seat cushion reattach it to your wood frame and voilá you've got a brand new chair! Who says you can't have a chair that looks exactly how you want it to?

This whole process took me about three hours. Perfect for a weekend project. Looking for something less time intensive? Check out my other tutorials HERE.

xoxo
Janee

Summer Fashion Faves from Lena of Mom2MemphisAndRuby

Today I'm taking a little break. Now that the ridiculous summer heat wave is gone (for now) I thought it'd be a good day to maximize my tanning time on the roof deck. My blog friend Lena is going to take the wheel for the day and share some super cute fashion items. Now, off to work on those tan lines...

 
Hey everyone!

My name is Lena and I blog over at Mom2MemphisAndRuby... yes, I'm a mommy-blogger and although my kids make a lot of appearances on the blog... so does fashion!  And that's why I'm here today!

I ADORE fashion... and I've been hosting an amazing series on the blog this Summer... you can find all the info here!  Basically, I have some amazing fashionable bloggers lined up to share some fashion tips & posts that I think my readers will enjoy.  Just because I'm a mom doesn't mean I can't take a little pride in what I wear, right?

Anyhooo...

source

Today I'm sharing a few of MY summer faves that are sure to take you through this season!

1. Floral

Who doesn't love a fun print. Floral is perfect for the summer... whether it be a blouse, skirt or dress.. we all need a pretty print!  I aboslutely love the vintage look of this particular blouse, and I'd probably pair it with a pair of wide-legged denim trousers and a cute pair of wedges!

2. Tie-dyed denim

I'm smitten with this trend! I actually have a little tie-dye DIY planned for this summer similar to the pair above.  I'll be sure to let you know if this works out or not! Ha!

3. A striped dress

Again, a fun pattern... and I've been drawn to striped dresses for awhile now.  The dress above could easily with paired with a cute cardigan for work!  So chic!

You can see me in my new favorite dress below!

4. Neon accessories

Another trend I'm excited & nervous about is neon.  I'm not quite ready to take the plunge into anything too overwhelming, so for now pairing the right neon accessories with a simple outfit is what I do!  How do you style this trend?

5. Wedges

I'm shoe girl, through & through, and I own at least 6 or 7 pair of fun wedges! Simple way to spruce up your outfit & gain a little height without being uncomfortable!

dress: James & Leigh

So, these are 5 trends I'm loving this Summer... what are your biggest go-to styles!?

A big thank you to Heidi for letting me invade her space for a little while! Mwah!

I'd love for you to visit me on Facebook & Twitter too!