Creative Home Office Organization Idea

 

Have you ever considered using a garment rack as the focal point in one of your rooms?  I had been staring into a blank uninspiring corner of my home office every day. It didn't bother me too much because I'm not a fan of clutter or filling a space just for the sake of saying it's decorated. But when I came across the Instagram post below with a garment rack and neutrals as the base, I wanted to see if I could recreate a similar vignette. 

What appealed to me most about the inspiration post was the sense of calmness that I got from the neutral palate. Several articles of white clothing hung from a garment rack surrounded by a white backdrop. 

White shoes lined the bottom of the garment rack, adding to the crispness. An oversized vase of pampas and candles complimented the scenario. Matching hangers also added to the cohesive look.

Time to make this happen!

PREPPING 

Step One: To get started with my recreation, I needed to clear my garment rack. I had several resale clothing items that needed to be addressed ... sell, donate or discard. Done!

Step Two: Find neutral-colored clothing.  I used a mixture of whites, creams and beige sweaters, blouses and pants for my vignette.  Instead of white shoes, I used a pair of taupe high heel pumps, camel-colored  kitten-heel sling backs and a pair of taupe flat pumps. 

FINISHING

My new palm plant added an organic feel and softened the vignette even more.  I balanced the garment rack on the other side with a mannequin, which just happened to be covered in white fabric. It turned out great! 

I found my mannequin (dress form) at a thrift store for $20, but I'll provide a link to a similar product here which might interest you:

You can also shop my garment rack with this link:

I love looking across the room and seeing this calming vignette! It so organized! 

Here's a short video of  how I completed my office refresh:

I reached out to the Instagram blogger @kyesssentials to thank her for providing such an inspiring photograph.  I also tagged her in my social media posts. I think it's important to give credit where credit is due.

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Cuisinart Coffee Center Product Review

 

I replaced my Keurig coffee maker with a Cuisinart Coffee Center. Great decision! My old coffee maker was on its last legs, so we really needed something...fast!

We are big coffee drinkers. We liked the simplicity of the single-serve feature, but we also wanted an option to make a pot of brewed coffee.

Two things that were important in our search for a new coffee maker were 1)we needed something reliable that would make a good cup of coffee; and 2) we didn't want to spend 30-minutes each morning brewing a pot of coffee.

I researched the internet and found several coffee makers with dual systems. We chose the Cuisinart Coffee Center. Cuisinart has a reputation for making quality products, so we felt comfortable with our decision. Link to the Cuisinart product site is here: 

Product Features

The new coffee maker is beautiful! The black and stainless steel design compliments my kitchen decor. Large water reservoirs. Control panel with buttons for single-serve 6 oz, 8 oz and 10 oz cups. Digital clock. Eazy pour 12-cup carafe for a pot of ground coffee. Perfect!

The best of both worlds! 

Video Review

A video of my review of the Cuisinart Coffee Center SS-15Series is attached.

 

Disclosure: Links 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.

Mother's Day Traditions and Customs

Several years ago, I participated in a Youtube collaboration to talk about some of the Mother's Day traditions and customs shared by my family and friends. It took me some time to come up with something, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

And then, I was sad. Sad that I had totally forgotten all about a very important tradition.

OUR TRADITION

It was the tradition in my town to wear a flower corsage or boutonniere on Mother's Day. Everyone wore a small carnation in honor of their mother. We wore either a pink, red, white or yellow carnation and everyone knew the significance of each color.

My Mother's Day video is below:

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CARNATION

For example, you would wear either a red or pink carnation if your mother was still living. If your mother was deceased, you honored her by wearing a white or yellow carnation. 

As a child, I remember my mother would run from store to store to make sure we had a carnation to wear to church on Mother's Day. It was critical that we wore a flower! 

I was so sad when I realized that I had somehow gotten away from this tradition. I don't even know when I stopped. Had I taught my son about this practice? What happened?

All I know is that if we don't share our stories and customs, we are bound to forget their significance and lose them forever.

I want to go back to this tradition. I don't ever want to forget...again.

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.

How To Whitewash a Brick Fireplace

 

We had an old red brick fireplace that really made our family room look dated. No matter what kind of decor I put on the mantel, the red brick stood out like a sore thumb. I hated it! 

I did so much research on different brick treatments that would brighten my room.  I was torn between painting the bricks or  going with a white-wash treatment.

For those of you who don't know, the process of white-washing is like painting, but the paint is watered down first, applied to the brick and then wiped off.  

White-washing seemed like a good option for me because, truth be told, I was afraid to paint the fireplace a solid white color.  The thought of going from dark red brick to stark white was a little frightening, but I really wanted to do something with the brick that would brighten the room.

I watched a ton of how-to videos before I picked up my paint brush. I ended up with a limewash product from Romabio in the color Bianco. It's a really white color lime wash paint. I'll link the product here:

The instruction calls for you to wash the bricks or wet them down first.  I did that first.  Then the instructions call for the paint to be mixed with water. The amount of water depends on how deep or thick you want the lime wash to be. I wasn't sure how much of the red brick I wanted to show through, so, it was a little wait and see with the first few bricks. As I went along, I was better able to gauge how much limewash to apply. 

Here's a video of fireplace before and after:

Whitewash Process

Ok, so here's the process:

1. Dilute your paint with water

2. Use a separate bucket of water and rags to wipe down/clean the bricks

3. With a wide brush, apply paint to small sections of the brick fireplace

4. With a spray bottle of water, go back and gently spray the painted brick in small sections, and wipe with a rag to get the desired depth of color.

What's great about this process is that you can wipe away as much of the limewash as you like with just a little squirt of water, or add another coat of paint for deeper coverage. The paint dries in about 30 minutes.

It was easier than I thought.  Now the white fireplace is bright and the entire room looks amazing!

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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!

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.

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!

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.