Projects and Outstanding Summer Style from Blogging Friends: Friday Finds

Yesterday I sprained my ankle – just slightly – while running. I told myself I wasn’t going to run anymore because I always seem to get injured. But I saw other people running and I was tempted and now here I sit with my leg up on a chair. LOL. Sometimes I think God has a way of slowing me down – either that or he’s testing me to see how patient I can be while recuperating. So I’ll spend this holiday weekend digging through magazines and reading my John Grisham novel. Sometimes it’s therapeutic to slow down.

For this week’s Friday Finds, I want to revisit some of my blogging pals and share their inspiration and ideas. Blogging has changed over the past few years and a lot of my friends don’t publish as much or they’ve dropped out altogether. I miss their creativity.

FIrst up is a beautiful peach harvest tablescape from Kristin at Ella Claire. Everything she does is so beautiful. Peaches are my favorite summer fruit and they’re now available at the farmer’s stands. I might have to make some peach muffins.

Annie at Zevy Joy shares a recent addition to her kitchen – a DIY countertop cabinet. She found the perfect piece to add a little bit of storage space to her kitchen and it looks amazing! It’s surprising how much impact a simple change make.

Are there any crafters out there? Jennifer Rizzo shares a wonderful decoupage orange still life on canvas that makes a great addition to a kitchen or dining space. I’ve always loved decoupage and have several decoupage crafting projects on my own blog. But I think the next rainy day weekend I’m going to try Jennifer’s still life. She provides templates and all the instructions you need.

Miss Mustard Seed is one of the most popular home decor bloggers out there and reading her blog, it’s easy to see why. She’s creative and resourceful and has a wonderful eye for design and decorating. Today I’m sharing her Pennsylvania home from 10 years ago – she currently lives in Maryland and of course, that house is gorgeous too. But there’s something so quaint, timeless, and enduring about her brick Cape Cod.

Our Midwest area is having a summer heat wave so I was happy to find tips for better summer sleep from Leslie who blogs at My 100 Year Old Home. Who knew to put your sheet in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes before going to bed? This would be helpful for those who don’t have air conditioning. Check out her other ideas along with photos of her beautiful bedrooms.

And finally, one of my favorite summer dinner recipes – Cappellini with Tomato Cold Sauce. It’s easy to prepare, doesn’t overheat the kitchen, and you can use any pasta you have on hand. I like to use a mix of tomato colors for the best visual appeal!