4th of July Treats - My Pinterest Favorites

 

 

If you ask me, it doesn't get much better than homemade sweets in the summer time. There's something so heartening about holiday treats; just the smell of a home made cake baking in the oven takes me back to my mother's kitchen when I was a little girl. I get somewhat nostalgic looking back on those summer days when I could barely see over the kitchen counter, but I'd still spend the whole day in the kitchen with my mom "helping" her bake, stealing a bit of the batter while she wasn't looking, wearing my favorite apron, and getting to lick the spoon when everything was done. (I'll admit, I still lick the spoon before I put it in the sink.) There's just something so good about eating homemade treats outdoors surrounded by sunshine and loved ones; it somehow makes everything taste a little sweeter.

 

 So, in the spirit of the 4th of July, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite festive, not to mention delicious, Pinterest finds. These recipes are sure to dazzle everyone's taste buds and are perfect for any All-American fun you might be planning this year.

 

I have linked all the recipes below. These treats are almost as delightful as the blogs they are posted on, so if you have a bit of time, after you've checked out the recipe, I'd definitely check out each one of this awesome blogs; especially if you love great recipes and a good time.

 

 

Skinny Chocolate Chip Fro-Yo Sandwiches from Skinnytaste.com

 

Fourth of July Meringue Cookies from shugarysweets.com

 

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Muddie Buddies from Sixsistersstuff.com 

 

Red, White, & Blue Cake in a Jar from Babble.com

 

Fourth of July Rice Krispie Treats from Lilluna.com

 

 

I hope you have an absolutely delightful & delicious Independence Day.

 

Lots of Hugs,

Brittney

 



Summertime Living: Brightening Up My Living Room

 

When it comes to interior design, as the seasons change my taste changes, which can get quite expensive ; so, when it came to decorating our new home, I decided to start with a neutral pallet and work my way through design and décor from there. This allows me to change up the simple things like pillows, picture frames, and throw blankets when I'm ready for a new color scheme without deconstructing the room or my bank account.

The Sofa and Chairs (they are actually chair and 1/2, meaning they can supposedly seat two,) are from Dillards. I bought the set last year during their Memorial day sale so I got a great deal. The nice thing about Dillard's furniture department is that they usually put things on sale rather quickly and their in-home delivery is full white glove service for a flat $50.

The neutral rug is from HomeGoods.

My Coffee table is from Rooms-To-Go. It's a semi-traditional piece that's the perfect size for this space. It's mirrored top gives a softer finish to it's wooden base which adds a hint of understated glam.

Florals can really brighten up a room and make it feel more lived-in; even if they are faux. These bright pink buds are from Hobby Lobby. The metal and wooden lanterns are from Four Chicks in the Park, a local boutique with adorable items. 

The picture frames in this room (with the exception of those in a neutral tone) are also changed out seasonally. I find most of my picture frames at HomeGoods.

Adding mirrored furniture to a smaller room is a great way to visually expand the space. This buffet is part of the Hayworth collection at Pier 1. You can find it HERE.

I always like to keep a few seasonal home décor magazines laying around. The covers add to the seasonal look and it gives the room a warm appeal. Plus, these usually come in the mail free since they are retail magazines so its basically free decoration.

If you visit my home you will quickly notice that just about every sofa, chair, or bed has a throw blanket on it. I love throws and I think everyone needs a blanket when they come to my house to cozy up in so I have them everywhere. These two coral blankets are from HomeGoods (of course.)

The floral pillow in this picture is extra special to me because it is actually a vintage hand sewn pillow from my Great Grandmother's house. I just love incorporating items that have meaning into my home. Every day when I  walk into my living room and see this I think of her.

I'm a bit of a pillow junkie.

If you could peek inside my guest bedroom closet, you would probably tell me I need an intervention of some kind, because it is filled with throw pillows in all shapes and colors, (but for some reason, I just don't think you could ever have enough.)

ALL of the pillows in this room are from HomeGoods and Marshall's. Those two stores are my go-to when it comes to seasonal home design, and they are the best places to look if you are trying to find adorable throw pillows without breaking the bank.

 

{Just a little quick FYi: If you are looking for solid pillows both Marshall's and HomeGoods usually sell the ones shown in the picture above in sets of 2 for around $24...That's a really great deal!}

Thank you so much for stopping by my home today! I hope you enjoyed taking a little peek inside my living room.

 Come back soon!

 

Lots of Hugs,

Brittney

 



Linen Closet Organization

There are two key factors to keeping your house clutter free and efficiently organized:

1. Have a place for everything 

and

2.Start from the inside, then move outward

 

 Although having a place for everything is pretty self-explanatory, it can be tricky actually finding a place for all our little daily necessities and odds and ends.

 

When I say to start from the inside, I mean the inner most corners of your house that usually go un-seen by guests and visitors, but make a big difference in keeping our home organized. The "inside" of the interior of you home not only includes cabinets and drawers, but also your closets.

So, today I thought I would take a little time to talk about the Linen Closet. If you are like me, my linen closet always seems to get stuffed full of any and everything I want to just pick up in a jiff. This seems like a great idea when we have very short notice before guest arrive but overtime, stuffing random items into a closet can really snowball into a monster mess. Doing this is an easy way to lose much needed items and cheat yourself out of precious storage space.

 

Here are a few tips and ideas on ways to keep your linen closet functional and visually appealing too!

Linen Closet Organization by brittneyblane on Polyvore

 

 

Linen Closet Door Organization by brittneyblane on Polyvore

I hope these little tips have been helpful! If you have any space saving linen closet tips or organizational tricks please share them with me in the comments below!

Lots of Hugs!
Brittney

Summer Time on the Patio

Hey Y'all, Welcome to my home.

One of my favorite places to be in the summer time is on my back patio. Our house sits on a small man-made lake that is just so scenic and peaceful, I love spending my time out there.

The outside of my home is very neutral so when it came to decorating the patio, I used vibrant colors to brighten up the exterior a bit. I am just loving the geometric orange rug I picked up at target for only $60 (Find it HERE.) If you've shopped for outdoor rugs lately, then you know how pricey they can be, so I feel like I definitely got a great deal on this one.



The fun yellow planter and the woven tray that add a little something to my coffee table are two outdoor gems I found at Home Goods.

Summertime wouldn't be complete without fresh lemonade, and if you're at my house, there's never a shortage of chocolate chip cookies to go right along with it.

 
I just love curling up in one of my Swingasans from Pier 1 Imports with a cozy blanket and a good magazine.

These candle holders from target give an understated nautical vibe. I like using scented candles outdoors because every time a slight breeze blows by it picks up the scent and fill the patio with a great aroma.

I hope you enjoyed spending a little time with me on my patio. Come back soon!

 

 

Lots of Hugs,

Brittney