A New Look for a Used Bistro Set

After our long, cold winter I decided I wanted lots of color on my deck this summer. I started by sewing bright, new cushions for our patio set. (I'll be posting simple directions for those later). I had some left over material and Mom graciously offered her vintage bistro set for my DIY project!

The seats and backs were attached with screws so I removed the screws and threw away top layer of the old fabric. I left the layer underneath that was previously on the cushions because it is easier to recover and I didn't need to replace the wood seats, backs or foam. I used the circles as my pattern for my new outdoor material.

I added 2 inches of material and cut out a circle for the seat pattern. I used a staple gun to attach them to the wood seats. I attached the covered seats to the chairs using new screws rather than the old rusty screws. I followed the same process for the backs of the chairs.

If you find a used bistro set and need a fresh look you can also spray paint the set before you recover the seats. I love how my recycled bistro set turned out and sometimes the older, vintage sets can be sturdier than some of the newer sets.

Enjoy a blessed day!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Chicken Satay

I am so excited to share this recipe! I have been recording past episodes of the Nate Berkus Show and I was so happy to find Jamie Oliver and one of his healthy chicken recipes. So I had to try it immediately and guess what? It was awesome! The ingredients are fresh and healthy, which I love! You probably know that I adapted the recipe with ingredients I had on hand. I also grilled my chicken instead of using the broiler. So get your food processor out of storage and try our new family favorite!
Satay:
1/2 - 3/4 bunch of cilantro, even the stalks
1 red chili pepper or 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 cup peanut butter, (homemade peanut butter is my favorite)
Soy sauce to taste
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peel and slice
1 small shallot or 1/2 medium red onion
1 lime, zest first then squeeze the juice into the mixture
Place all of these ingredients into the food processor and mix until they resemble a paste-like texture. Take about 1/2 of the sauce from the food processor and save to serve with the meal. The rest will be used to spread on the chicken.

Chicken:
8 chicken breast tenderloins or cut 4 chicken breasts into pieces, I use my hands and coat each chicken piece with the satay sauce and place them on the grill. I turn them several times but for the small pieces it only takes about 10-12 minutes.


Boil noodles according to package (I use organic lo mein noodles but you can use any pasta or rice). I rinse mine and toss with about a teaspoon of sesame oil. I serve mine chilled rather than hot.

Place 1 T honey in a small skillet and add 3/4 c unsalted raw cashews. Turn heat on low-medium and stir cashews and honey until the cashews are light brown in color. Remove from heat and let cool.

Garnishes:
Romaine lettuce leaves
Fresh lime, cut into slices
Satay sauce
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, rough chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Honey roasted cashews

garnishes

Can serve it with lettuce on the side

I serve my chicken satay in romaine lettuce leaves. I start with some satay sauce, noodles, soy sauce, cilantro, chicken and squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top. Then I add the roasted cashews. 

If you want to try something new and healthy, this is perfect!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love and peace,

~ Simply Tammi

DIY Fireplace and Mantel Project

After

I have a new face on my fireplace so I decided to change the whole look.

before

I have been planning to change my paint color too so I experimented with a new color, Pebble Gray, on the fireplace wall. I love the soft gray colors that are so popular now.

I put the finishing touches on the mantel and surround by rubbing (my favorite) Annie Sloan dark soft wax with a soft cloth over the wood. It turned out perfectly! I was hoping for a darker, vintage, oak color and that's exactly what I got! I especially the darker shades in the grain of the wood. 

I searched through my accessories but I didn't have anything that would complete my vision so I purchased a recycled glass vase and candle holders at World Market and a new mirror at Target. My sister and I sent numerous texts, pictures and talked several times about the placement of the new items. We didn't Skype this time, because I don't need any more mirrors falling off the mantel!
I wanted to keep the look simple and I simply love it!
Hope you like it!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

DIY Indoor Hallway Signs

 

 

I was inspired for my DIY indoor hallway sign project by Destiny at Just Destiny when I saw her on the Nate Berkus show a few years ago. I absolutely love her projects and decorating ideas and I think the indoor hallway signs are adorable. I had to adapt my signs a little because I don't have any long hallways. I decided to make my signs and rather than having them face sideways, I would hang them with the front side showing. They worked perfectly in my house of no halls! I also used smaller plant hangers due to the size of my space. I do have tall ceilings so it worked perfectly but if you are limited on the space above your doors, they look very cute mounted by the side of the door toward the top. Make sure you hang them on the side opposite the door opening or the door will hit the signs when you open it. I have one sign left to make for my pantry, then I have some orders to fill!

Materials:
wooden plaques (I bought mine at Micheal's)
cup hooks, one per sign
plant hangers, one per sign
acrylic paint, I used white but use your favorite color if you want
Annie Sloan dark wax

Instructions:
I began by painting my wood plaques with white paint. I applied 2 coats and waited for them to dry. I sanded around the edges when they were dry so my dark wax would make the wood look older. I also painted the backs of the signs.
The next step is the wording for your signs. You can order vinyl words for your signs (as Destiny did) but I'm too cheap frugal for that, so I selected my favorite computer program (Word) font and printed the words for my signs on plain white paper. I used an X-Acto knife and traced carefully around the letters, then placed the paper on the plaques and traced around the letters with a black Sharpie. After I had traced the letters, I used my Sharpie to enhance each letter. If you are facing your signs to the side, remember you'll need words on both sides. Since most of mine were facing the front, I painted the back of the signs, except the laundry sign.
Once the words were applied to the wood, I applied a small amount of Annie Sloan dark wax with a soft cloth to obtain a slightly aged look to the front and back of my signs. This is the back of my laundry sign that I will be hanging sideways (when my pantry sign is done) because I'd like to think I really do have one small hallway in my house.

My husband drilled the hole for each cup hanger, you will need one hanger per sign. Remember to center the hanger at the top of the sign so your sign will hang straight. The screws came with my plant hangers, so my husband hung the signs for me using a drill (I'm still banned from using the power tools).
I love this project, you can use any color of paint, choose your sign size and your plant hanger design. Make it your own and have some fun!

Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi