Bougainvillea - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! 



Last week I went to Costco just to buy some groceries until I saw this gorgeous bougainvillea out in front of the store. I couldn't resist!  Costco always seems to get me with something I want but don't really need!







Luckily I already had a pot to transplant it into. 



 



I'm really loving the colors of this bougainvillea.  They grow like weeds

Barstool Covers - Show and Tell Friday

UPDATE: Sorry this post somehow got published before I intended. I must have hit "publish" instead of "save" last night! Now I've updated it with Inlinkz so you can add links to your posts.





Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  Last week I shared my barstools that I painted and last weekend I sewed some little ruffle covers to add a little cottage charm.



I figured I could whip these

Who knew I'd like plain popcorn? Nordic Ware Microwave Popcorn Popper Review

We haven't bought microwave bagged popcorn in a long time because I live with someone who can't have all the oils and other GMOs that the individual microwave bags of popcorn contain. So, I figured I'd search for an air popper.

I considered buying a Presto PopLite Hot Air Popper, but after reading this detailed review by Bob Tobias (which was still a positive 5-star review), I figured I'd get the Nordic Ware Microwave Popcorn Popper instead.

Since I couldn't wait, even for 2-day Amazon Prime delivery, I headed off to Target to see if they had it in stock. There was only one on the shelf and it happened to be the red version of the product, which for some reason sells for $2.95 more on Amazon. It was $8.99 in store at Target. I also got a 50 oz package of Pop Secret Jumbo Popping Corn kernels for $5.99 - I'm not sure if that's the best price for it, but I didn't feel like going to another store just to get kernels. In the future, when I empty out this jar, I'll probably try to get bulk kernels from a store like Sprouts or Trader Joes - I'm not sure how much that costs, but probably a lot less per ounce.

After cleaning and drying it initially, I gave it a go. The video above says to use 1/2 cup of kernels, but that seems like waaaay too much. You'd probably end up with more burnt popcorn while waiting for all of it to pop. For my first try, I figured I'd pop it without any oil. The directions that come with it say to use 1/3 cup of kernels. So, that's how much I used. And per Bob's review on Amazon, I made sure to stop it early so that nothing would burn.

My first try, I let it pop for about 2 minutes and 40 seconds before I stopped it. That left about half of the kernels unpopped though. Nothing burned, so better safe than sorry. And despite the warning not to put the unpopped kernels back into the microwave, I did so anyway... and they popped! I still had some unpopped kernels left after waiting for the 1-2 seconds between pops. I did try to pop those as well, but ended up burning them that they left some scorch marks in the bottom of the bowl. Those marks are now permanently there since there doesn't seem to be any way to get them out.

For my next batch, I used about a teaspoon of canola oil and mixed 1/3 cup of kernels until they were all covered. I really didn't notice a difference in taste between oil and no oil. I guess the only difference with using oil is that salt will stick better to it, so I did add a little bit of salt to it.

The next few days that I used the popcorn popper, I decided to experiment with seasonings and also different amounts of kernels. It seems around 1/4 cup or less is a good amount and I'll repop the unpopped kernels if there are more than 10 left in the bowl. Some things I've tried to use to add flavor:

• BBQ spice rub - this probably works best on meats that are going to be cooked, but still tasted alright on my popcorn
• peanut butter & Nutella - this mixture didn't melt how I hoped it would, so it was more in clumps than something I was just able to drizzle onto my popcorn, but omfg, it was still soooo good. I couldn't even wait for it to harden/set before eating it
• canned grated parmesan cheese - I didn't use any butter or oil, so the cheese didn't really stick, so it mostly tasted plain with hints of cheese
• after the pb & Nutella didn't turn out how I'd like it, I thought I'd try something that I use with oatmeal - a mixture of cocoa powder and sugar. I added a tiny bit of milk so that maybe it would help it stick to the popcorn, but it just made everything soggy
• a mix of Sriracha and salsa verde & melted butter - the taste was great, but again... soggy popcorn

I still pretty much fail at seasoning it well. I might have to invest in a spritzer to spray oil onto it so that my popped popcorn doesn't get soggy. I hate soggy popcorn, so I've just gone on eating it plain after failed attempts at seasoning. It's really not so bad when it's plain either.

Overall, I'll definitely be getting a lot of use out of this microwave popcorn popper. I'm glad I spent the 9 bucks plus tax for it. I've read about the paper bag method and thought about trying that, but didn't want to have to keep rebuying paper lunch bags (since we don't buy them anymore anyway). I figured $9 one time instead of buying paper bags every time would save me more money in the long run, assuming this popper lasts for a long time.

If anyone has any tips for seasoning without popcorn getting soggy, or if you have anything that you absolutely love seasoning your popcorn with, leave a comment and I'll definitely give your suggestions a try!

Kitchen Bar Stools Chalk Painted - Show and Tell Friday

 

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! 

 

Our apartment kitchen is so tiny and when friends are over everyone is always standing around the kitchen and there is nowhere to sit.  I've wanted to get some barstools and Target had them 20% off and I got another 5% off by using my Target Red Card. They were only $30-somthing for both! I couldn't resist! The problem was, they weren't white...they

Beautiful Homes In "Nashville"..

I was able to go with my husband to Nashville, Tennessee a few weeks ago.  

We had such a great time visiting all of the sites!

Brad Paisley was even playing at the Grand Ole Opry when we were there!

I love my country music, but I also loved seeing all of the beautiful homes there!

On our first day, we actually went on the ABC "NASHVILLE" tour.  

Does anyone else love that tv show?  

It's one of my favorites! 

 Here are the homes of two of my favorite characters in the show:

Here is the character Deacon's home.  

It looks like the roof might of had a leak, but it's definitely the house you see on tv!

 Here is the character Rayna James' home in the show:

I can't imagine how gorgeous it would look when all of the trees have their leaves.

 The lady who owns the home, actually lives there even when they are taping the show.

Here are some of the other homes we happened to see.

These neighborhoods are so gorgeous...

I loved the pillars on the front of this house!

Here is one more view a little closer...

I love how it has a side porch!

 This home definitely has charm and the yard was beautiful too!  

In fact, I noticed most of the homes have a lot of land.  

The yards are also full of gorgeous trees!

Here are a few homes that are very traditional...

I love a white house with black shutters!

I think the black and white looks really classic and clean!

I love all of the windows too!

 This home was made of a beautiful stone. 

 I like the planters in the entrance too!

This porch was adorable!

 I love the arched wood detail!

This was actually a historical home.  

It has a cute fence around it too...CHARMING!

Here is one more of my favorite homes...

I thought of my grandma when I saw this home...RED was her favorite color!

On our last day, we visited the McGavock Confederate Cemetery in Franklin, Tennessee.

The land for the cemetery was donated by the McGavock Planter family.

This is the historical plantation. 

 It was gorgeous and it had an amazingly huge porch!

 Look at those columns!  

I love the detail that they put into building older homes.

There isn't anything more charming than a home with columns, a porch and shutters!  

I have to say, Nashville has charm!!

 

Sharing with these blogs:
Home Stories A to Z
Savvy Southern Style
Just a Girl & Her Blog
Cherished Bliss
11 Magnolia Lane
The Best Blog Recipes
Domestically Speaking
Chic On A Shoestring
Thrifty Decor Chick

The freshly painted coffee table - Show and Tell Friday

 

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! 

 

I finally repainted my coffee table! I've been talking about it for years but after all the furniture I painted in the past I was dreading it! 




 

This time it was a breeze because I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!  Now I know why everyone raves about this paint! It is AMAZING!  I didn't have to strip or sand I just painted it and then used the

10 Ways to Make Your Laundry Room Look Amazing

Laundry seems to be one of those never ending chores. Since we spend so much time in the laundry room there is no reason not to make it as beautiful as any other room in the house. Here are 10 great ideas to transform your laundry room into a room that you'll actually want to spend time in. 









Add more storage by building a custom

Office Organization with Labels

I just wanted to share a quick post about how I have organized my office using my label maker.

Keep a small file box on your desk with items that you use most often.
I have a file box that sits on my desk and holds some of my most used craft items such as patterns, stickers, and cardboard. (Please tell me that I'm not the only one who cuts the sides off of the cereal boxes and saves them! You

Happy Easter - Show and Tell Friday

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! 







This week I'm sharing the last of my Easter décor!    Easter really snuck up on me this year (although I think I say that every year)!







I decorated the dresser I have in my living room with some Easter décor I've had for years.  I bought the tulips at the grocery store.







I hope you all have a wonderful Easter (for those that celebrate it)