How To Accessorize With Scarves

Scarves make great accessories. They can be worn as headwraps, shawls, beach cover-ups, or for a little extra warmth on a chilly day.

A scarf can provide great cover for a low-cut top or dress. You know when you really love the top, but you're just a tad uncomfortable having a little cleavage showing at the office, church or dinner party.

I have worn a vibrant scarf to add a pop of color to a really conservative business suit. I remember when scarves were my signature accessory. So much so, that my co-workers would wait to see what kind of scarf I would be wearing on any given day. 

Here's a video of my take on styling a scarf:

There were times that I would stop at a street vendor (in NYC) on my way into the office, just to buy a little scarf to set off my suit or dress. I would wear it tied loosely at my left or right shoulder. 

Sometimes I would fold the scarf into a triangle, drape it over my chest and tie it behind my neck. I also used to wear my scarf rolled up around my neck, and tucked inside my collar or neckline. This look worked well when I didn't want the scarf to be the focal point of my outfit. 

People at work used to comment that I had so many clothes. Little did they know that it wasn't that I had a lot of clothes, I just used accessories like scarves, brooches and pearls to change the look of my outfits.

I strongly believe that a pretty scarf can change the look of any outfit. It's so versatile!

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How to Cook Grits

 

Do you know what grits are? I mean, what is a grit? I googled grits and my search came back as  "a porridge made from boiled cornmeal." 

Okay. So made from corn!

Growing up, I ate grits at least twice a week. It was a staple for breakfast. I knew it was some kind of grain, but I didn't know which. Honestly, I didn't care. I knew I liked grits and that's all that mattered to me.

How My Mother Served Grits

My mother cooked grits on the stove--no microwaves in those days. You boiled grits in water, added a little salt and stirred to prevent lumps. Yes, the key was to get them as smooth as possible and avoid lumps.

 

We also added butter to our grits. Mom served grits with a side of eggs, bacon, sausage or scrapple. Scrapple. That brings back memories, but that's a story for another time.

My mother also use to drizzle drippings from cooked bacon or sausage all over her grits. Not healthy for you, but tastes oh so good!

Occasionally, Mom would make fish and grits. This was special! Sometimes it was trout or porgy. She would also serve salmon patties with grits. So good!

Funny story: one of my brothers would break his bacon into little pieces and line them up in his bowl of grits like little soldiers. He would then spoon a section of grits and bacon into his mouth, one little section at a time.  This was amusing to watch!

So, how do I eat my grits?  Similar to my brother, but not as strategic. I mash up scrambled eggs, chop up crisp bacon or sausage, and mixed everything into my big bowl of grits. Then I dig in!

Since college I have taken to occasionally adding a little sharp or Parmesan cheese to my grits. Cheese adds a level of smoothness that is indescribable! That's taking grits to another level!

 Other Ways to Eat Grits

I have heard that people actually add sugar and milk to their grits. What?! I would never! But when I asked during a recent post, I was not surprised to find that there are still folks who prefer their grits in this manner. It really becomes like a sweetened cereal, in my opinion. Can you relate?

When Can You Eat Grits

I eat grits primarily for breakfast, but I also like to eat grits for lunch or dinner.

How I Cook Grits

So, here is how I make my quick grits:

1 cups water

1/4 cup Quaker quick grits

dash of salt

dash of black pepper

teaspoon of garlic powder

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Pop in the microwave for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir. Break up any lumps. Pop back in the microwave for 2 more minutes. Remove from microwave. Stir. 

Enjoy solo or serve with bacon, eggs, sausage, fish or any other side dish for a delicious meal!

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Farmhouse Wooden Table Riser DIY

 

I wanted to do a diy farmhouse table riser. 

I have seen wooden risers used on counter tops and dining room tables, and I knew that I wanted one. People use them to give height to a centerpiece. I’ve seen them used to add levels to a food buffet. I’ve even seen smaller wooden risers used on kitchen counters to hold dish soap and lotion.

Looking in my garage, I found some scrap lumber that I thought I could use.  I dropped by Lowe's and bought two packages of finials, pre-fitted with screws. They're the same kind of finials that I used for my diy lanterns. I think the finials were $2.98 for a pack of two. 

Materials

So, my main materials are a piece of scrap wood as my base and the finials, which will be the legs of this table riser.

Besides that, you'll need sandpaper if you want to kind of rough up or distress the riser once you're finished painting.   

Easiest DIY Farmhouse Table Riser Video

https://youtu.be/cDigz4APw4c

I found my inspiration table top riser on Pinterest. If you don’t already know, Pinterest is a great resource for home décor ideas. I constantly refer to it when I’m looking for inspiration.

I'd wanted to make a wooden table riser for a long time. I was thinking that it had to be a simple diy, right? I mean, the parts are just a piece of wood and four legs. Not a problem at all!

Prep

My base had a few splinters and some of the edges were a little scraggly, so I needed to take care of that.  I gave the base a light sanding to make sure I got rid of all the splinters. Next, I drilled four shallow starter holes in the bottom of the wood.  This made it easy to screw in the finials.

Once you do that you're pretty much on your way home.  I painted everything in Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint Ultra Matte Finish in white. To add a little interest, I made a single 3-inch wide stripe down the middle of the riser using Rust-oleum Chalked Paint in chiffon cream.  

I have been using Waverly for so many of my projects. It’s a great buy! I am so glad I found this chalk paint!  Don't sleep on Waverly guys! I tell you, once I discovered it, I find myself reaching for it more and more. I'm going to link a video where I compare Waverly to a couple of other chalk paints that I've used.

Waverly Chalk Paint vs. Rust-oleum Chalked Paint Video

https://youtu.be/XN9htn6yq3Q

In my video, you will see how Waverly stacks up against some of the more popular chalk paints out there. I think it's a good product for the price.

I hope this inspires you to try this simple diy.

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Decorating a Table With Blue and White Porcelain / Blue Willow Tea Party

 

I accepted a challenge from a fellow YouTuber who asked that I pull out some of my blue and white chinoiserie and decorate a tablescape.

I'm a big collector of blue and white porcelain, so I was definitely up for this challenge!

What Is A Vignette?

I decided to create a vignette on my kitchen counter. What's a vignette? 

In home decor, a vignette refers to a small area staged to create a theme. That's the best way I can describe it. It could be in the corner of a room, in the entryway, on a table. You get the picture.

I knew exactly which blue and white pieces I was going to use. Well, I knew that I was going to incorporate one piece in particular--my Blue Willow teapot. From there, I would have to search my stash to see what I could find.

I envisioned a Blue Willow tea party theme.

What You Need For A Blue Willow Tea Party

Here's what I used:

Blue Willow tea pot - thrifted

Blue Willow mug - thrifted

Blue Willow saucers - thrifted

White wooden tray - thrifted and upcycled

Pink and white gingham napkins

Faux tulips and bud vase

The tray that I used had previously been brown. I painted it white and spray painted the handles gold. Made a world of difference!

The Blue Willow teapot is so adorable!  I thrifted it a couple of weeks ago for four bucks. It's electric, but the detachable cord is missing. I gave it a really good scrubbing with a soapy steel wool pad because it had a lot of caffeine stains. But it's so cute! I absolutely love it!

Here is a similar teapot (not electric) that I found online:

I found a mug from the Blue Willow family that I forgot I had thrifted. This was a nice surprise!

Then I remembered that I had a few Blue Willow saucers from a previous thrift haul. Bonus!  

I threw in some pink and white gingham napkins that I used for my Easter table. There is

little bunny on one side, so I just flipped them over to hide the bunny.

A few pink tulips in a bud vase, and that's that!

Tea is served!

I love that I was able to use so many of my thrifted Blue Willow pieces!

 

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Why Goodwill Prices Vary From Store to Store

 

Thrifting tip: Goodwill Industries was founded in Boston, MA in 1902. I love the stores, but did you know that prices vary significantly from store to store?

I went to two different Goodwill stores within 15 miles of each other and I certainly noticed the pricing was different.

Each store offered the usual "color of the week" discount, but when picking through the merchandise, I quickly determined that glassware and clothing was a tad more expensive one from store to the other. I'm talking like regular glassware costing $1 more! Sweaters and blouses were $1 higher. Significant!

According to its website, each Goodwill store is autonomous, thus allowing it to set prices based on its local community.  I guess that explains it!

Overall, the finds at Goodwill are still worth checking out.

Pre-pandemic, you could find me at Goodwill at least once a week. It's a great place for unique one-of-a-kind finds, like home decor and clothing. Vintage fashion from the 80's is very popular and you'll find racks and racks at Goodwill.

Are the 80's vintage? Geez, I'm getting old!

Necklace: Thrifted

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$5 Thrift Chair Makeover

 

Welcome back to Life on Greenwood.  I found a really sturdy-looking chair at the thrift store that I thought would be perfect for a makeover.

So, this is a five dollar thrift makeover on a chair that I got from Goodwill. This was my first thrift purchase and my first makeover for 2021. I was so excited!  This chair had great bones, so I thought, you know what, I’m gonna see if I can freshen her up a little bit!

My plan was to do a replacement chair cover. I set out to replace the cover to the cushion without removing the existing cover. I do this sometimes when I’m not sure what’s going on under all the layers of fabric or when I just want to get the project over and done with.  Seriously!

Clean and Prep

Before I started painting, I noticed that the chair had a stale odor. You know that smell that some old furniture has?  Yeah.  I must say that I gave the chair a thorough cleaning with mild soap and water. When I first brought it into the house, hubby was really going crazy, so I sprayed it with Lysol and then left it in the garage for a few weeks. I also sprayed it with insect repellent.  I can't take any chances!

How to Upholster a Chair Cushion

I had several pieces of fabric in my stash so I chose a piece that I thrifted a couple years ago.  If you have never upholstered a chair before, it's quite easy.  

Here's how to do it! Cut a piece of fabric that's at least 3 inches wider than needed on each side. You can cut away the excess later if necessary. Lay the fabric on the floor (right side down).  Place the cushion face down on the fabric.  Pulling the fabric up over the cushion, put a few staples on one side. 

Pull the fabric very taut and staple the fabric on the opposite side.  Repeat the process on the remaining sides. It’s important to remember to pull the fabric tight so that there is no sagging. And that’s it!

A Little Paint

I used Americana Decor chalky finish paint in white to finish the chair frame. No sanding required!  This is some great chalk paint!  Last year I did a few paint comparison videos and included a sample of Americana Decor. I was quite pleased with the coverage. I ended up using three coats of paint for this project.

Conclusion

This was so easy! Like I say, don't sleep on the thrift store!  You never know what you will find.  I knew I liked the bones of this chair. It was made of really sturdy stuff.  All I needed to do was remove six screws to get the cushion off.  Once I figured out how to put it back on, everything came together so nicely. I love it!

So, that’s my five dollar chair makeover! I hope that you find something that you can take away from this project.

Disclosure: Links may contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Life on Greenwood and allowing me to continue to bring you valuable content.