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  • Event Announcement: Thrifting in RVA THIS SATURDAY

    Hey all! Sydney, the blogger behind Chic Stripes is having another thrifting event! Be sure to check it out. I can say from expereince, it’s a great time! – Liz
    Like most of you all, I love thrifting and find it’s 10x better to do it with fellow thrifters! The Group Shop Events are simple: we have a set itinerary of a few different thrift or 2nd hand stores that are grouped relatively close together and are similar in the type of store they are (thrift, consignment, etc). We meet up at the first, shop, head to the next, and shop some more! As needed/wanted, I encourage carpooling as it’s not only eco-conscious, but you can get to know your fellow thrifters.
    This trip will feature 3 City Thrift Stores and I’ll be on hand to give style/consulting advice, as will all of the other fabulous fashion bloggers, of course. 😉 See below for all the details!
    Date: Saturday, May 11, 2013
    Time: 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
    Locations: City Trip – Fantastic Thrift, The Clothes Rack, Diversity Thrift
    Met Up Place: Fantastic Thrift, Richmond, VA @ 1:30 PM
    RSVP:  chicstripes@gmail.com
    Sydney @ Chic Stripes

  • DIY Olive Oil Vases

    Today’s post is from the bloggers over at CookingShorts, as husband and wife team “designed to bring short recipes and good food to your table.” We love that mission!

    DIY Olive Oil Vases

    Have you ever noticed how manufactures are making bottles of olive oil super sleek and eye popping? They’re really coming up with cleaver ways of making their product stand out besides the actual label. Looking at these bottles and then looking at the price that I pay for quality olive oil got me thinking – these bottles (labels removed) would make really simple but neat vases. After I finished my last bottle of olive oil, I saved it and made cute vase out of it. It was super easy to get more bang out of my buck and get a second use out of the bottle. Here’s how you can make a really pretty vase to add a pop of something different to your kitchen.Olive Oil Vase

    Materials:

    • 1 olive oil bottle
    • 1/2 cup glass beads (vase filler)
    • food coloring
    • long steamed flowers

    Directions:

    Soak olive oil bottle for a couple of hours in soapy water to remove label. Use a wire cutter to remove metal ring around the mouth of the bottle. Add glass beads and fill with water. Choose whatever color that goes well with your kitchen and add in a drop or two of food coloring. Stir with a straw to incorporate the coloring in with the water. Finish by adding your flowers and viola! You’ll have a gorgeous vase that will stand out and make you feel proud to display.

    I made my vase seasonal by snipping some long steams of my forsythia at the beginning of spring. I changed it up about a month later and replaced the steams with slightly bloomed red buds. There are a million and one uses for this simply project. Hosting a bridal shower? Use flowers that match the brides color theme to make a centerpiece that will really pop. Add drama to your Christmas buffet with holly or pine. These vases would also stand out as centerpieces for a wedding.

  • Guest Blogger: OMG Yum!

    I’m so excited about today’s guest blogger! Anna’s blog OMG Yum! is awesome, her pictures are gorgeous, and this girl is so sweet! I hope you enjoy her blog as much as I have! –Liz
    Hi! I am Anna Bruce, a Portrait Photographer in Northern Virginia with a passion for food and cooking!

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    As a matter of fact, I think I was destined to be a foodie/cook (ish). My mom loves to cook and so does my grandfather (her dad), so I guess it is in my genes.
    As far back as I can remember my mom would always make incredible meals. Then, whenever I got to go and visit my grandparents, I was equally spoiled with my granddad’s culinary goodness (especially his meat sauce pasta). I should probably tell you that I am half Italian 😀 When I met my hubby, I was yet again spoiled by his mother’s cooking! So I am grateful to say that my life has been filled with good eatin’ everywhere!

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    How This Blog Was Born:
    Ever since the dawn of smartphones meet social media, I have been pretty much sharing my life across the web. I never really realized how much I posted about food until my best friend said to me “yeah, your Instagram is nothing but food!” (She’s not huge on social media so I guess I made quite a delicious first impression to her via Instagram).
    As I think back, people have always had positive feedback towards my food posts and photos on Facebook and Twitter. They seem to all think that my cooking is delish. After so much positive feedback I threw it out there that I was thinking about starting a food blog. I think I got more likes from my photo fans on that post than any other status update to date. So here it is! OMG Yum! Anna’s food blog.

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    What this blog is:
    -Fun
    -Encouraging people to cook
    -Educating people about products I love
    -Sharing locally owned restaurants and food businesses
    -Sharing some of my favorite recipes or food experiments hehe
    -Sharing my Venezuelan-Italian background
    -Positive 🙂

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    Go say hello, and check out Anna’s blog OMG Yum! 

  • Bread Craft- A Roanoke Restaurant Review

    Hey Roanoke bloggers! Today’s guest post is from David who blogs at From Ballparks to BBQ. If you find yourself in Roanoke, be sure to check out this local bakery! If you’re interested in submitting a guest post, click here. 

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    When a place calls itself an “artisanal bakery,” I get skeptical. Everyone is now making sandwiches on artisan bread and I don’t even know what it means anymore. I think some restaurants take store bought bread and let it get stale and hard and then voila – “Artisan!” When I saw Bread Craft in Downtown Roanoke and the phrase “artisanal bakery” on the window, I figured “yeah right.” Well…I was wrong.

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    I have now been to Bread Craft on three different occasions, and the baking has been impressive each time. For my first visit, I had breakfast with a co-worker and tried the croissant with spinach, feta, and artichoke. The croissant was light, flaky, buttery and delicious. My previous two visits have been for lunch and I’ve ordered paninis both times, which were both very good. The Turkey Florentine Panini was my favorite of the two. It comes with turkey, bacon, spinach, artichokes, feta, and fresh mozzarella on flatbread. I don’t even like artichokes but I guess I do when I’m ordering them at Bread Craft. The other panini I’ve tried is the Roast Beef, which was also good, but I would recommend the Turkey Florentine if I had to choose between the two. It makes such a difference when the bread is one of the highlights of a sandwich, and that’s what you get at Bread Craft. Sandwiches are around $6.50 and are served with a side of a salad I don’t really know how to describe. I think it’s pickled cauliflower and mixed with a couple other vegetables.

    The atmosphere at Bread Craft is great because it feels like an authentic, European café. It reminds me of the cafes I’ve visited in France and Switzerland. The fresh pastries on display, baskets of fresh baguettes, unique loaves that are only made on certain days of the week, and a friendly staff that knows its customers by name all help create this unique vibe. Even the touch of having small, round tables that are designed for parties of two help create the European café ambiance. It’s something people probably would have laughed at in Downtown Roanoke 15 years ago, but it now appears to be thriving.

    Between On the Rise and Bread Craft, Downtown Roanoke has two great bakeries. And the fresh baked breads and pastries at Bread Craft help it meet the description of a true artisanal bakery.


    Bread Craft
    106 South Jefferson Street, Roanoke, VA 24011
    540.562.4112
    www.breadcraftbakery.com

  • Guest Post: The Doyle Dispatch- Chalk Paint

    Today’s guest post is from Dory @ The Doyle Dispatch. She’s a DIY crafter, and she’s got some great tips to share today on chalk paint! Enjoy!

    I am a DIY-er. A crafter. Someone who loves to get her hands dirty and be creative. But I also am impatient, and I don’t like to wait, prep, or bother with the steps that slow me down. I am a little like Veruca Salt: “I want it (done) now.”

    As I was making a post for Young House Love’s Pinterest Challenge for Winter 2013, I had my first experience with a crafter’s best friend: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

    What? Chalk paint? Do you mean chalkBOARD paint?

    Well… yes and no.

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    Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint is a decorative paint that has been around for years (according to her website, over 20). The idea is that it is a versatile paint that acts like a limewash to make an older look to freshly-painted furniture.

    Ok, but can’t I use paint from the hardware store for that?

    Sure, but not in the same way. The great thing about Chalk Paint is that it has no odor, and you don’t need to pre-treat the surface before using it. That means no sanding, no priming, just painting. It is simply heavenly for an impatient crafter like me.

    So colors?

    There are around 30 different colors to choose from, but there are endless ways to mix, match, and further treat the colors to get basically any look that you want. My first use of the Chalk Paint was for my new menu board, and I wanted a flat color. I am planning on using it in the future for the surface of my map table. I just need to have a top coat of the clear wax to make sure the paint surface stays scuff-free and a little shiny.

    The name says it’s “chalk paint.” Can I use it to make a chalkboard?

    YES! You can use any of the colors to make a chalkboard surface. Colorful and versatile!

    I want to learn more!

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    Yeah, after seeing my neighbor use this stuff, I was pretty convinced too. To find out more information, you can go to Annie Sloan’s page about using the Chalk Paint. You can find the American retailers here (I love that they also have store hours on that page).

    Here are some fellow bloggers and their take on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint:

    Have you ever tried chalk paint? For more DIY tips, head over to Dory’s blog!