Vermont Antique Expo and Sale

I am so excited for the Vermont Antique Expo and Sale & The Spring Craft and Fine Art Show. The 2 events will be at the Champlain Valley Expo this Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6, and I snagged some tickets from Vermont Public Television!

As I have bragged about mentioned before, I am now the Web & Social Media Specialist at Vermont Public Television, so I recently had the pleasure of posting this GIVEAWAY on our Facebook page!

"We're giving away pairs of tickets to The Vermont Antique Expo and Sale & The Spring Craft and Fine Art Show coming to the Champlain Valley Expo this weekend!

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below our Facebook note telling us why you want tickets to The Vermont Antique Expo and Sale & The Spring Craft and Fine Art Show!"

So this weekend, between coaching AAU basketball games at UVM and refinishing the 2 Craiglist nightstands I bought this weekend (pics to come), I plan on stopping by the expo to check out some of the super sweet goodies!

More good news coming out of my new job... I am going to be recording a few voice overs for some Vermont Public Television promo spots this afternoon to run during our upcoming pledge drive... which also happens to be taking plave on my 24th birthday (May 16, 2012).

So that's what's going on up here in Vermont! I hope everyone is having a happy Monday!

My Go-To Dairy-Free Smoothies

Every once in a while I go on a crazy smoothie kick. Right now is not one of those times, but I just wanted to review my collection of tried and true favorites, just in case the eventual warm summer weather turns me back on to the icy fruity deliciousness in a glass :) Here is my mini collection:

Smooth Blue 1 cup blueberries 1/2 cup strawberries 1/2 cup almond milk The Kelley Moran 1 cup mangoes 1 cup strawberries 1/2 apple juice 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger 3-4 ice cubes

Red Rocket Extreme 1 cup mango 1/2 cup blueberries 1/2 cup raspberries 1/2 apple juice 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger 3-4 ice cubes

[The Kelley Moran]

And here are a few smoothies I want to try:

No Clever Name Yet (Jamie Oliver) 1 banana 2 mangoes 1/2 cup coconut milk zest and juice of 1 lime 3-4 ice cubes Spinach Fruit Smoothie (Cooking Gluten Free) 1/2 cup baby spinach, stems removed 1/2 cup coconut milk 2 cup frozen berries 1 tbsp honey 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Spring Green Smoothie (Nourishing Meals) 2 pears 2 apples 2 kiwis 1 large chunk of fresh ginger 2 lemons, juiced 1 cup spinach + kale + mint water

Do you know of any easy, dairy free smoothies recipes I should try? Have a good Thursday :)

House Obsession in Ferrisburgh, VT

This weekend Mike and I drove over 150 miles around Vermont, just for the heck of it. We stopped at every thrift store, garage sale and furniture hut that we passed looking for night stands for the master bedroom, and other miscellaneous items.

We had originally planned to go to the movies on Saturday afternoon, but as usual we bailed on our big date plans. Instead, we ended up doing something much more fun... We went house stalking! We both spend a lot of times on real estate sites, checking out the local housing market, drooling over the massive homes for sale in Fairfax and the vast acreage available in Charlotte.

We recently came across a sweet wooded bungalow located at 1052 Greenbush Road in Ferrisburgh, VT on Catamount Realty Group so we decided to go look at it like a couple of creeps.

Here are the detes...

Price: $259,900
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Size: 1,450 sqft
Lot: 213,880 sqft (4.9 acres)

That's the house. We totally creeped on it. We drove up the driveway and everything. Hehe. Happy Hump Day everyone! Follow me on Twitter @TheresaMcCabe for randomness throughout the day.

Before & After: Fancy File Cabinet

I finally got the chance to revamp a file cabinet! This project was so quick and easy, I want to do this to every file cabinet I see from now on!

I found the brown 2-drawer file cabinet in the Craigslist free listings and picked it up on Sunday night. I stopped at Home Depot and grabbed a can of spray paint and some vinyl adhesive shelf liner.

Rust-Oleum Spray Paint in Summer Squash: $3.98
Con-Tact Creative Covering Waterdance Shelf Liner: $3.48

File Cabinet: Free

Project Cost Total: $7.46

Awesome! The directions for this little project are pretty self explanatory... But I'll explain nonetheless. I took out the drawers and spray painted the exterior shell. While that dried I stuck the adhesive paper on the front of the shelves and cut out the spots for the handles. I let it dry overnight and then brought it into work with me the next day to add a pop of color to my office arrangement!

If you like this project, don't forget to pin it! --->  
Inspiration for this project via House of Sarager

I've added this project to a few link ups to some crafty linky parties out in the blogosphere.. so find me here:

          

Check a few of my popular DIY projects:

Freebie Revamp: White Dresser	File Cabinet Revamp: Snazzy Sister State Storage	Cool Blue Paint Chip Art	Refreshed White Night Stands

Sunny Sweet Lemon Bars

Good morning and happy Monday. This weekend was cruddy and rainy and cold here in Vermont. I really wish it had been nice enough to get my garden started before my first AAU tournament next weekend, but no such luck.

Mike and I took the chance to cross a few indoor projects off our long to-do list at 32 Discovery. By Sunday afternoon I was craving some sunshine, which I whipped up in the form of delicious tangy and sweet lemon bars. These are amazing. Enjoy.

Lemon Bars (adapted from Kristin Ann)

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour

Filling:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
8 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest from 1 lemon
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9-inch pan with baking spray, then line the pan with aluminum foil (this will make it easier to remove the lemon bars in one piece so you can cut them properly on a cutting board). Spray the aluminum foil with baking spray as well.

Crust: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add flour. Press the dough into the prepared pan,  then bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden, not brown

Filling: Beat eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest completely; gradually add in flour and baking powder. Pour over pre-baked crust, bake at 350 for about 20 minutes; the edges should be golden not brown. Let the bars sit for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut once cool. Enjoy!

Going Green for Earth Day

Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22, 2012. There are so many great things going on this weekend, so get out there and get involved! The Internet is all abuzz with how people across the country and world can help our environment remains healthy for this and future generations.

Meanwhile I will continue to choose refurbishing over buying brand new. I hate stuff, and I hate that more and more STUFF is made everyday! I wish we would stop mass producing so much sh!t, and make do with what we have.

This weekend I hope it's nice enough to get my garden going in the backyard, and fix up this awesome dresser I found for free!

I hope everyone enjoys this spring weekend! Follow me on Instagram @Tcbasket22 for photo updates of my life.

Trading Words for Phrases

Mike used to say "Jeezum Crow" a lot. Urban Dictionary explains this phrase is "a polite way to take the Lord's name in vein popular in rural Vermont." So it's really just a "benign alternative to the pejorative "Jesus Christ," as this random web site states.

Well this phrase annoys me for some reason. I don't know why, but I begged Mike to stop using it, or at least not everyday.

(Could he have been responsible for creating this actual Facebook group called I use the expression "Jeezum Crow!" on a daily basis? Maybe.)

Now Mike has started saying "Yut" instead of "Yup" when he responds to me. Of the several definitions of "yut" listed on Urban Dictionary, this one seems to apply the best to the context he uses it: "YUT = Yelling Useless Things. Marine corps term derived in order to make fun of officers and the stupid things they say. Also used when agreeing to something when you have no idea what was said."

So I have asked him to please take the word "Yut" out of his vocabulary and as a consolation he can use the phrase "Jeezum Crow" as often as he likes. Are there any phrases that totally irk you????

I am busy Tweeting and Facebooking and LinkedIning and Google+ing for Vermont Public Television now. I am enjoying my new gig, in fact, I just made a Vermont Public Television Pinterest! So check us out :)

Happy Birthday Katie

Happy Birthday to my sister Katie! Instead of buying you a present I am putting this Happy Birthday post on my blog. I'm the worst ever.

Here is a picture of me and Katie and ALL my siblings. 

Seriously, Happy Birthday Katie. You're the best oldest sister to all of us, ever.

Before and After: New Mailbox

Mike and I put in the new mailbox this weekend. Proof in the pictures:

Good work Mike :)

A House

Last weekend when Mike and I visited New York, his family was anxious to hear about our home renovation progress. I promised that I would start posting more images of the house, both inside and out.

So this is for you Laura, Auntie Jeanie and Aunt Nancy! I created this awesome panorama picture of our house using Dermandar.com, so click on the picture below to check it out! Once you click through to where it's hosted, you can click and drag to move around and get the full view. I'll definitely be using this application a lot more to show off our indoor projects!

Well it's 85 degrees outside, so I'm heading outside to watch Mike chainsaw some trees, and hopefully designate some branches as garden fence posts! Happy Monday!

My Design Style

I just took this Better Homes and Gardens quiz to find out what I already know...

What's your style?

Cool Summer Knapsacks

Today is my last day at Wyatt Investment Research. I started as the marketing coordinator here when I moved here to Vermont from Boston last year.

Now I am excited to start as the new Web & Social Media Specialist at Vermont Public Television on Monday. So meet me for Happy Hour at Ri Ra's on Church Street in Burlington if you're around!!

Meanwhile, the weather is warming up, it's gorgeous outside! It makes me want to pack a picnic and head to the park. Here are some links to some fun summer time bags I'd love to throw a couple books in (or a Kindle) and venture into the woods, find a nice spot to sit and read.

1. Vera Bradley: Backpack in Summer Cottage

2. Etsy: Durable Vintage Tan/Brown Leather Backpack

3. Forever 21: Chevron Stripe Drawstring

4. Olsenboye Ditsy Floral Backpack

5. ROXY Drifter Backpack 

6. Dakine Sophia Backpack

7. ROXY Drifter Casual Backpack

I hope everyone has a happy and LUCKY Friday the 13th!

Leftover Easter Candy: Rice Krispie Peep Treats

This year I had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy a love & chocolate filled Easter with Mike in New York. We drove down on Friday night for the whirl wind weekend, and returned to Vermont on Sunday night in my car, which we had packed with lots of edible goodies from our family.

Easter Candy Overload!

So this week we have been eating our way through the pile of treats, but it looks like we haven't even made a dent! (it didn't help that I couldn't resist the 50% Easter candy sale at CVS) So I decided to whip up a batch of my (not yet) famous Rice Krispie Peep Treats! These sugarloaded pink fluffy clouds of cocoa-coated rice krispie yum yums are unbelievable. I don't particularly enjoy the taste of Peeps alone, but these sweets are great in a candy bar.



Here's how it went down:

And there you have it! Deliciousness... and remember, these sweet n' crispy treats are made out of cereal, so it's perfectly acceptable to eat these for breakfast.

Here's the recipe:

---

Ingredients

6 Cups rice crispy cereal
24 Peeps
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Cup M&Ms

Directions

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add Peeps and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.  Add rice crispy cereal. Stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cover with M&Ms. DEVOUR.

Happy Birthday Kelley!

Happy Easter from Rye, NY

Easter Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone... and Happy Easter weekend!

[my favorite: Just the way you are Font]

Hopefully I will have time to do some random posting this weekend, but who knows?! Mike and I are on our way down to New York after he gets out of work... I can't wait to see my sibs! I've ben trying to be super quiet so Mike can prep for major loud gab-fest, which always happens when my family reunites. He says he doesn't understand how we hear what the others are saying, since to him it just sounds like we are all yelling at once. Hehe, it's true.

2 Sewing Projects Completed

This week I completed 2 fun sewing projects.

1. Zip-Up Cushioned Fabric Laptop Sleeve via Design Sponge Tute.

2. Zip-Up Boxy Bag via Three Bears Tute.

CUTE!

I'm so proud of myself! I can't wait to brag about this to Mike, he always makes me feel so excited and accomplished when I show him my finished craft projects. He is the best!

Reading Nook in Bay Window

Mike and I have been working hard to decorate the master bedroom. Our most recent project was making some DIY customized curtain rods for the bay window.

This weekend we are heading down to New York to visit my family for Easter, but our decorating efforts will not be suspended due to travels. In fact, we intend to cram the huge dresser that's sitting in my mom's basement into my car and haul it back up to Vermont when we return.

Meanwhile, I want to get an idea for what kind of chair would look nice in the bay window area as a reading nook. This seating area has to look nice, but also be comfortable enough to lounge in, otherwise I know Mike will not be happy.

So I present the Albert Chair from Hickory Chair Furniture. I love this chair, and it looks comfortable enough to sit back and read a book in.

I intend to go comfy chair shopping eventually, and I will definitely keep this chair in mind. I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

Teaching Myself How to Sew

This weekend the Universe handed me a free, working sewing machine. Technically I found it in someone's garbage... but hey I'm a dumpster diver! Where do you think I got my fully functioning Keurig K cup brewer? hehe. I love trash!

Anyways, here it is in its instagrammed glory:

[via instagram]

So I spent the majority of Saturday night on Pinterest looking for some cool beginner sewing tutorials, or tutes, and created a new Sewing Projects Pin Board. YAY!

The first thing I attempted to create was this Cute Summery Scarf from The Pursuit of Happiness Blog. I bought some flowery fabric at Goodwill, and used some lace trim I found lying around the house to use for the ends. I also snagged a simple starter kit from Jo-Anns Fabric Store, which came with some pink sewing stuff. Totes cute!

I made a few typical beginner errors, but it's okay, I'll just put the emphasis on "shabby" when I describe this pattern as shabby chic.

And there you have it! My first anything!

I'm totally proud of it... But I am looking forward to honing my sewing skills and hopefully creating a few tutes of my own to feature here on QuarDecor, or in my QuarDecor Etsy shop. Soon!

Mastered DIY Curtains

First of all, I want to share some really exciting news! Yesterday I formally announced that I will be the new Web & Social Media Specialist at Vermont Public Television! My primary responsibility in this position will be to develop engaging content online and through social media. I can't wait! My first day in April 16, which means my last day at Wyatt Investment Research is Friday the 13th. Meet me for happy hour in Burlington if you're around!!

Anyways, onto my regularly scheduled content... This weekend Mike and I hung up the curtains in the master bedroom. The bay window caused quite a challenge for us.

Mike picked up some curtain hardware intended for bay windows, like this one from Macy's, which has bendy joint pieces that screw onto the rods, but the rods were too short. So we ended up going out and buying a wooden rod, which I spray painted black, and drilled holes in, myself! I also had to spray paint the actual rods black as well, because as Mike pointed out, they were the color of "brushed bronze."

So we put them together, and drilled them into the freshly painted walls in the master bedroom. Voila!

We ran out to the Christmas Tree Shoppe and snagged a few ties for the curtains to class it up... Here is a picture I snapped this morning before heading out the door:

Well we love it so far! The room is coming together slowly but surely. Hopefully it will be all ready to sleep in by the time I move in at the end of May! Happy Tuesday everyone :)

Thank You Universe!

Just last week I was going on and on to Mike about how I need to learn how to sew and get going with my Etsy shop. The only problem was, I didn't have a sewing machine and I certainly didn't have the extra cash needed to buy one.

I woke up early on Saturday, and immediately looked through the free and garage sale listings on Craigslist... one of my weekend morning rituals. I mapped out a tag sale/free stuff route and Mike and I hopped in the car and drove around Northern Vermont for the morning, looking for free piles and garage sales.

By the time we returned home at 2 pm my car was packed with goodies, and I had only spent $5! I call this a big success.

I snagged a cute little love bench for $5 at the Goodwill, and found an amazing wooden dresser and some other trinkets in a "free pile" in Colchester.

But my favorite FREE find of the weekend was this fully functioning sewing machine...




So I just want to say a big thank you to the universe for bestowing upon me this sewing machine, I already taught myself how to sew! (Check my first shabby chic scarf)

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. This week I'll be packing up a bunch of things in my apartment to bring home with me when I head down to Rye for Easter. I am giving some of my things to my cousin KK who just moved to the Westchester area from Florida, and I have the perfect desk for her to furnish her new apartment!

Happy Monday!