Vintage Fabric

This weekend Hubby and I went shopping at antique stores and I found this cute vintage fabric.  I love the bright colors and the fun floral pattern!  I'm not sure what I will do with it yet, but I couldn't resist :)  What do you think?

• Red Paint by Gidden-Candy Apple
• Maroon Paint by Gidden-Deep Garnet
• Pink Paint by Gidden-Watermelon Smoothie
• Blue Paint by Gidden-Steel Blue
• Grey Paint by Martha Stewart-Pewter

-Forever lovely

*Photo by Forever Lovely

Hanging Pictures Without Damaging Walls

When Hubby and I first moved in to our apartment I immediately got to work decorating and making our place a home.  After all the furniture and decorations were in place, I realized that our walls were staring back at me, blank and boring.  I wanted to hang picture frames, but I didn't want to damage the walls with nail holes because after all, we are renters.  Then I saw a commercial for Command Picture Hanging Strips and my mind went crazy with all the possibilities these little things could create!  I headed down to Walgreens, picked up a few packages of the strips and got to work.  Now I have pictures hanging in almost every room of our house all thanks to this wonderful invention!

*Just follow the directions on the package carefully and you will get a beautiful result! (I used extra strips on the frames in the photo because they hang over our bed and I didn't want them to become a safety issue).  Also, larger frames may need extra strips as well.  Good luck! :)

- Forever Lovely

*Photo by Forever Lovely

Wedding Colors- Robin's Egg Blue & Gold

I think that these colors would look beautiful with a vintage style wedding.  Vintage gold touches combined with the dusty blue-green shade of thistles and succulent plants blend perfectly.  I made a collage of wedding photos that follow this color inspiration beautifully.

Happy wedding planning! 

- Forever Lovely

*Jewelry and Shoes by J.Crew

*Wedding photos by The Knot

Bring Spring Inside

Spring has arrived and blooms are popping up everywhere!  Spring is one of my favorite seasons because after a cold, dry winter it is so refreshing to see beautiful blooms and sprouting green grass.  I decided to collect a few branches from flowering trees and display them in recycled bottles to bring a touch of spring into my home.  Grouping different varieties of blooms in different recycled jars or bottles creates an interesting look.  I found these blooms around my community and as for the bottles, the center one is a Barefoot Wine bottle(I love the blueish tint in the glass) and the two opposite the wine bottle are Starbucks Frappuccino bottles.

Happy Spring!

- Forever Lovely

*All photos by Forever Lovely

French Style Nightstand Makeover

I found this French-style nightstand at a thrift store in California for $5!! I didn't like the yellow paint color, but I knew that this piece had potential and I couldnt beat the price!  A new paint job was all it took to brighten it up and to give it new life.  A simple and very inexpensive way to add a beautiful new piece of furniture to your home!

Before

After

Helpful Hints:

• When buying furniture the most important thing to look for is the quality of construction of the piece.  Some furniture is so poorly made that it won't last for more than a few years.  The great thing about buying furniture at a thrift store is that older pieces are usually made of solid wood where as newer pieces of furniture are often made of particle board and other less durable materials.  Buying a new piece of hardwood furniture at a store today will cost you BIG bucks, but buying a hardwood piece at a thrift store can be very cost effective!
• One good way you can tell if a piece of furniture is well made is if it is made with "dove tail" corners.  This provides a much stronger seam where the wood is connected.  Find an example of what it looks like below.
• Whenever you are painting an older piece of furniture it is important to wear protective gear, like gloves and a mask, while sanding the old paint off because old paint can often contain harmful lead.

Dove Tail Drawer

Happy shopping and renovating!

-Forever Lovely

*All photos by Forever Lovely

Chile Rubbed Tilapia with Mango Salsa

Last night I made chile rubbed tilapia with mango salsa for dinner and it turned out to be delicious!  The great thing about this recipe is that you can add or leave out certain ingredients according to your taste.  It is a very simple recipe and Hubby loved it so I thought I would share!

The finished product!

Chile Rubbed Tilapia Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Teaspoons chili powder
• 1 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 Teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 skinless tilapia fillets (4 oz. each)*
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Mix dry seasonings in a small bowl
• Rub both sides of the fish with the seasoning mixture making sure to get all areas
• In a large non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium to high heat*
• Cook two of the fillets until lightly brown- about 2 minutes per side
• Keep the cooked fillets warm in a 175-200 degree oven while cooking the other fillets

Mango Salsa Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 Mango- Peeled, pitted and cubed (about 1-1/2 cups)*
• 1/4 red onion- diced*
• 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh lime juice (the juice of half a lime)
• 1 Jalapeno (optional)*

Notes

* I bought my tilapia frozen at Trader Joe's, but you can also buy it fresh at most grocery stores, just remember to use it the same day or the next!

*Be careful when heating the canola oil as it can begin to pop and burn you and it can also catch on fire. Don't be afraid though! Just watch it carefully and when it starts to look "shimmery" or like it might start bubbling then its ready.  Another trick is to stick the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and if it starts bubbling around the spoon, then its ready.

*I actually forgot to buy a jalapeno while I was shopping, but the mango salsa still turned out deliciously as the red onion adds a small amount of heat.

*Instead of buying fresh mangos, I bought cubed frozen mango at Trader Joe's, much easier! :)

*You can add more red onion to the mango salsa if you choose

*Be careful when adding salt as this recipe can turn too salty very quickly!

Special thanks to my mom who taught me almost everything I know about cooking ;)

Happy Cooking!

-Forever Lovely