Tag: create

adventure

Our DIY Key Lime Crawl

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A recent friend adventure was my 50th birthday trip to the Florida Keys. It was a grand time with some amazing gal pals. We did so much, it’s hard to know how to slice and dice and share it all. With that in mind, here’s the first of what’s likely to be several posts about our extravaganza.

When you think of the Florida Keys, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Jimmy Buffett? Kokomo? Well for some of us in our little group, our eyes lit up at the prospect of all the key lime pies we could try.

As I got further and further into my research, I learned that pie is only the start of the key lime culinary culture of the Florida Keys. Key lime cocktails, taffy, ice cream, soap, lotion, and more could be a part of our key lime caper.

We knew it would be a trip with indulgences. But I didn’t want to go overboard. So, before we boarded the plane, I asked my fellow key lime lovers if we could share the first slice of any pie we tried. If one of us found one we truly loved, we could go back and have a second slice. It was a deal.

Even though I had done my research in advance, I was surprised at how varied the different pies could be. The first one we tried, at the Blonde Giraffe, was extremely tart. This version had a few fat squiggles of whipped cream on top. Not much of a crust. You could also try their dark chocolate drizzled version. Gotta say I felt like an amateur when the extreme tart made me wince. We got two slices and neither were finished between three of us sampling.

Thankfully, things improved from there. Each slice was different. We worked to become key lime connoisseurs. How tart? How sweet? What about the crust? Whipped cream or meringue on top? A couple of slices almost had the consistency of ice cream.

Which brings to mind the many other key lime items we tried. Key lime ice cream. Key lime taffy. Key lime cocktails for the drinkers, complete with a graham cracker crust rim. I read about key lime french toast but we didn’t make it to that place. Key lime pastries. Each unique.

We didn’t settle on a clear winner. But we all had fun sampling along the way and weighing out our choices. As for me, I favor somewhat tart custard (and don’t mind if it’s almost like a frozen pie.) I am a sucker for a thick graham cracker crust. And whipped cream beats meringue, but not by much.

Funny side note…when we first made the plan to go to the keys, my key lime-loving friends and I looked for a key lime crawl. Even with all the bar tours and tiki boats, we couldn’t find one. So, of course, we made our own unofficial one. Next time you’re traveling, make your own unofficial tour of a local food, drink, or whatever you all enjoy! New Orleans? Gumbo (or Po’ Boy, or beignet, or hurricane, or so many other things) crawl. Philadelphia? Cheesesteak crawl. The only limit is your imagination. Share ’em, score ’em, debate the merits and pick your faves. A great way to dive in to local culture, cuisine, and add a bit of fun to your next adventure.

challenges

Another Day to Build

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I am back at my construction project. That 120 square feet that I am updating for my current needs. The bandaid is on my annoying blister as a cushion.  As a bonus, I will probably have a little scar from that stupid blister. Lucky me. A badge of honor I suppose. The grungy clothes are back on. This time I will be actually wearing my gloves to avoid more bandaids. It took a good week to get rid of the ouch of the blister.

Insulation is wrapping up and the planning of the metal has begun. And maybe begun again more than once. I also scrapped the wood I was going to use and decided to use some accented bead board. A cheap alternative and easy to work with. I’m obviously not building a house thus I can use the more flimsy materials. I am calling this my lipstick renovation, Somewhat of a little puzzle to put together. I have a vision but I have to figure out how to make it look just the way I want it. Piece by piece. Brick by brick or makeshift brick. Sneak peek below.

As a pause button is hit on the faux brick the shift is made to focus on the metal. Cutting. Measuring. Assembling. Aligning the trim to cover rough edges. Let the drum roll begin. A cleaning process. Then the final touch was some sealant to keep the vintage metal from rubbing its age off on passers by. Not sure if it will work, but I guess in time I will find out. A decent stink of aerosol was in my small space just lingering in the air. Thank goodness for window ventilation and air flow. At the end of this session I was definitely happy with the assembly of the recycled metal. About 50 percent more to go. 

A level. A power saw. Screws. Snips. Elbow grease. Patience. Measuring tape. These are the ingredients for today’s progress. Maybe not as much progress as I wanted but it’s forward progress. Another half metal wall to knock out. The top half of each small wall over the metal still needs to be crafted fully but a sneak peek is below. Another puzzle of sorts now that I am on window height. A few tricky spots will be the final stages to conquer.

My next update in this series will hopefully be the final project. Progress not perfection for this project. 

celebrations, dare to be different

1 Down 4 to Go

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I started with the number five. A group of gal pals each assigned a task that would involve me doing an activity they plan that is new, has a new twist, and is just plain fun. Why? Because it’s my 50th year on this earth and I thought it would be fun to spice things up and encourage my friends to get creative.

So far so good. What am I?

I am nothing more than a piece of art in the making. My first adventure was a paint class in a group of about 8 crazy ladies.

We had snacks. We had drinks. We had conversations. We giggled. We concentrated. Some cussed, a lot. One painted hidden objects in their masterpiece. One flipped the finger while painting. Somebody stole somebody’s crackers while they were so focused on painting. Oh,\ the faces that were captured that night on camera.

And then there was the instructor of the class. A little fruity for me, but it’s who we had for the evening. Our diverse group flustered her for sure. We tested her knowledge. We asked for help but then said no thanks. We took our time when she wanted to stay on task. The list could go on and on for this lady, but I will spare you the touchy freely details. 

Now we all had the same instructions but we ended up with totally different variations of the image. This was probably my most favorite part of the night. The finish line. The interpretation of each masterpiece. For example mine had a heart stamp added to keep mine unique. Another had their hidden objects. Some chose to blend colors more than others. In the end they were all amazing.

If you don’t currently have a friends group, I suggest you find one. Expand it when you can and welcome friends vs. limiting your friends. The more the merrier. More friends, more adventures always equals fun memories.

For this post I will toast my gal pal Kim who helped make this event a success. From start to finish no detail was left unturned. It is my hope that somebody reading this will join a new friend group, start a new friend group or just get out with friends and do fun things. We all learn by doing.

Painting was fun but frustrating. The time went by fast and the masterpiece is perfect for a white elephant gift with a gift card taped to the back of it. My friend Sarah gave me that genius idea and I can’t wait to regift my painting over and over again.

dare to be different

Junk or Treasures

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In the last 30 days I have had a slight obsession with Facebook marketplace.

I haven’t really been big on posting items online for sale however I heard it was a good outlet to find what you need at a discounted rate. I gave it a whirl or two.

When it came time for me looking for specific pieces for my upcoming project I decided to see if it had any items I truly needed to keep my budget low. From casual browser to waking to see what had dropped in the night before. Off I went. By phone or by computer. Click click click. Wait. Deal or no deal. Sometimes getting a good item requires you to be the first hit. I got lucky sometimes but not other times.

Here are a few of my finds:

The barn door. A little bit of an odd size but it’s perfect for the spot I need to add some flair to. This is a PVC-type version and again it totally suited my immediate need. What this person bought in error was just what I needed. A win for both parties.

The odd red barrels. The soon-to-be base of a massive outdoor table. Inspiration was a cool table at an outdoor seating area of a restaurant I visited. More photos to come of the completed project. This was just somebody’s trash from a recent project that they made a few bucks on. A little elbow grease on my end and they look as good as new.

The church pew. Yes you read that right. I bought a church pew! A few pillows for flair and I will have a great pew for many to congregate at in my special entertainment space. I couldn’t be more excited about this piece. Who would have thought you could buy a church pew? Heaven knows I didn’t until I stumbled across it. Restoring these old pews is definitely a trend. Should I paint it or keep it natural? Let me know what you think.

The brand-new pillow -op mattress. This was a steal and I may have bought more than one. Overstock sales are in abundance online. If you happen to fall upon a good one, you can save big.

Stools for a steal. These brand-new-out-of-the-box stools retail for around $50. I was able to pick up 10 at $20 each. Great addition to go with the table I mentioned above and I saved a bundle.

Look for the finished project of my outdoor space in the coming weeks. Be sure to see if Facebook marketplace has any items you are looking for before you pay full retail. You can get new, gently used and hard-to-find antique items online. One of the benefits of online selling and buying is access to the inventory at your finger tips.

If you are willing to do the work, the bargains are out there. Picking, sourcing and putting together some handmade crafts has been a fun learning experience.

Signing off, a thrifty girl.