~montaulieu....get your "pin it" button ready!~

Good morning!

I'm so excited ~ we're off to Seattle

in a couple hours....

just a couple nights away but

a getaway nonetheless...:)

I am anxious for a couple days of downtime....

I've been working 12-14 hour days this

week so I can go!

Just finished a slipcover project (sofa) for

a great friend....and they are *#^!&%= a lot

of work!

if you'd like a play by play

on making one....

you can read about another slipcover

project here

it's been almost 3 years since I've made

one & there is definitely a reason for that!

kinda like having a baby...you need time to forget

about the delivery....& then you're like ahhhh

that wasn't so bad...let's have another!  hehehe ;)

I was searching through my pictures

looking for something inspiring to share

with you~

& found this amazing french

farmhouse....of course it's in france..

where all the good stuff is..!

it's supposed to be over 100 here for the next

couple days!

but only 90 in Seattle...woo-hoo!!

ok...are you loving this kitchen????

I love how each cabinet is stenciled!

how cute is that???

I'm thinking that would be a fairly easy

thing to do with my cabinets....

hmmmm......idea brewing......

I'll file that somewhere in the back of my mind

& maybe it'll resurface someday soon! ;)

beautiful setting for breakfast huh?

well I'm off to pack & do a couple last minute

things.....

Hope your day is amazing!

xoxoxo,

Shellagh

{images via}

~what I'm eating these days~

Good Morning!

It's our first overcast day 

in many.....

feels kinda like the beach 

around here...misty & dewy...

feels kinda nice....I must admit!

Thought I'd share with you what I'm 

eating these days.....

don't know about you...but I really do not

like preparing/cooking/fixing food to

eat in the middle of the day......that goes 

for me or anyone around me....;)

{kids definitely know they are in charge of their own breakfast & lunch...

ok they are older ages 12-16 so they can totally handle it!}

one meal a day (dinner for the family)

is about all I can take! haha....

For years Mr. T & T and I have eaten protein

shakes blended with fruit each morning...

fast & easy & yummmmmmy too!

this summer in the middle of everything else

I managed to freeze some yummy raspberries

and blackberries

peaches

and nectarines...

I was in a m.a.j.o.r. hurry to get it done...

was leaving town in approx. 6 minutes...

with a full box of nectarines & peaches sitting

in my garage....argh!!!!!

so I thought here goes....hope it works....

and it did!  thank goodness!

I just sliced 'em up

didn't bother peeling them...(no time for that!)

and laid them out flat on several cookie sheets

& literally threw them in the freezer!

came home & bagged them in freezer ziplock 

baggies....

I freeze berries the same way....don't wash them

or they'll get mushy & squishy!

just lay them out flat & freeze....run water over them

prior to using....

~*~

so here's my favorite protein shake recipe....

first gotta get a good protein powder...

not too many carbs/sugars..

this is one of my favorites...

but I always buy vanilla...

because I always mix mine w/ fruit...

but chocolate is also good...

it can be mixed with a tablespoon of natural

peanut butter (yumm-o!)

or a frozen banana...seriously yummy...

ok...the recipe...all in a blender

8 oz. water

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

handful of frozen raspberris

couple slices of frozen peaches or nectarines

blend on high until thick

drink up!!

I usually drink one for breakfast &

 a lot of the time lunch

{cuz remember I'm exceedingly lazy

with mid-day food prep}

lately I've been wanting to add flax seed

to my shakes as well....supposed to be very

good for us ya know! :)

but in a nutshell....

you're getting 24 grams of protein

lots of antioxidants & vitamins from the fruit

and don't forget the fiber! gotta have that too!

oh and approx. 150-175 calories

depending on how much fruit etc....

and I'm perfectly content for a 2-3 hours

do you drink protein shakes?

smoothies?

got a favorite?

I swear I couldn't live without them!

Have a great day!!

xoxoxo,

Shellagh

{all images from here}

~tutorial tuesday~

Hello everyone!!!

I know....I know...

what has gotten into me posting

so many times in one week??? :)

It's Tuesday & I thought it would

be fun to share a fun tutorial with you

each Tuesday.....

I originally found this on facebook

& thought it was just adorable!!

"totes adorbs" as my 15 year old 

would say! ;)

it's fun finding so many bloggers &

facebookers out there!  

Karen from the Art of Doing Stuff

posted a great tutorial on this...

she is just awesome & super funny!

her blog covers just about every subject

decor, food, workouts, remodeling & tons more!

so hop on over & take a look... as she

takes you step by step on how to make

this super cute little basket!!

Isn't it just darling for holding magazines,

or whatever else you can dream up????

ok....one more....

have you come across

Rosemary of Villa Barnes??

ok...this gal is nothing short of a creative

genius....s.e.r.i.o.u.s.l.y.!!

{you all know if I type out a word like that it is serious!! hehehe!}

she is just so over the moon talented!

the things she creates are so gorgeous~

it's just mind blowing!

on this little frame (that was missing some trim)

she hot glued silk flowers to it...

painted it, added white gesso

& voila! masterpiece!! 

so another great place to go for

ideas & learning new techniques!

so click here to visit Rosemary

and click here to visit her Etsy shop

and btw....she is also an absolute

sweetheart & spreads sunshine wherever

she goes!! 

well I gotta get to the gym now!

45 minutes of cardio....here I come!

Hope your day is perfect!

xoxoxo,

Shellagh

~not ready for fall~

Happy Monday!

We have had some beautiful

days here in the NW.....

we suffer through months and 

months of rain to finally get

our gorgeous summers....

 {source}

I am n.e.v.e.r. ready for and/or anxious

for fall....n.e.v.e.r. one time.....

but I can feel it creepin' in...

the morning air is just starting to change...

{source}

My mom passed away in the fall ~

{it's been almost 13 years now....}

Just as fall was in full swing...

so the smell of the air & the general "feel" of Autumn

brings back all those memories....

so I'm still thinkin' of summer here!

not ready for pumpkins....

not ready for apple cider...

{source}

still soaking up the sun...

and cherishing everyday with my kiddos

home!

{source}

what are your thoughts on the changing

of the season?

are you chomping at the bit for 

cooler days?

ready to snuggle up indoors w/ a fire?

or are you fighting it every step of the way??

{source}

ahhhh doesn't this picture just wanna

make you go for a swim in a lake

somewhere???

looks divine.....

Hope your day is amazing!

xoxo,

Shellagh

~wash day~

Happy Saturday!

Today is wash day....

I have several bolts of yummy linen

that will be washed & dried 

with my favorite lavender fabric softener....

I wish wish wish

I had a clothesline to hang them on.....

such a feeling of nostalgia....

....linens on a clothesline...

although it might be kinda hard

to hang 30 yards of fabric....

what a tangled mess it becomes in the dryer!

nothing that a bunch of fluffing & hot iron won't

take care of.....

{good arm workout too...}

I woke up early today....

mind racing...

thinking about all I need to do....

it's kinda nice to be the only one up...

while the family snoozes away..

even Mr. T & T is still in bed!

aren't these throws gorgeous??

would love to add something like

these to the shop......

What are your plans for the weekend?

Hope you have a great one!!

xoxoxo,

Shellagh

{all images via found here}

~lavender harvest~

hello friends!

Yes, I know now you must surely be

flat out flabbergasted that I'm back....

{via fleaing france}

well like I said....I'm trying

to change my wayward ways....

trying to get my brain to think of things

I can talk to you about....

one such "thing" was right outside my kitchen

window....

my lavender plants....

which I do believe need to be harvested....

now.

believe it or not...I haven't wanted

to cut them down because they've been

covered with bees....

yes I'm a softy like that.

don't wanna take away their pollen ya know?

{if it helps you understand me...I once saved a slug after covering

it in salt....oh bother!}

but I think I better hurry up

or I'm afraid I might miss out...

this picture is from a lavender festival in France...

wouldn't that be amazing???

just to stroll through the fields?

anyone else have lavender to harvest??

when do you cut them?

I found instructions on Pinterest (where else??)

here's the link in case you're

interested!

Have a great weekend!!!

xoxo,

Shellagh

{all images from here}