All Posts - A Beautiful Mess

4/17

Poppy Seed Dressing

One of my favorite throw-together-quickly lunches involves topping a bed of greens with whatever fruit I have (berries, grapes, mandarin slices, etc.), a big handful of cooked pasta, and drizzle of dressing. That’s it. Super simple, super filling, and overall pretty dang healthy. And one of my very favorite (and easy to make at home) dressings is poppy seed dressing. It’s bright and flavorful and I love it on almost any random salad ingredients I end up using.

Personally, my favorite poppy seed dressing is similar to Caesar dressing in that it involves egg yolks. However, if raw egg yolks freak you out, I get it! I have an alternative option for you that is very similar and it can easily became a vegan option, so that’s pretty cool. But, I must admit that I do love the richness that egg yolks bring to this poppy seed dressing.

I’d love to hear what your favorite quick and easy lunch recipes are! I am always looking for something delicious but won’t take much time to make during the work week. xo. Emma

5 from 2 votes

Poppy Seed Dressing

Servings 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 egg yolks*
2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Instructions

In a food processor, combine the sugar, yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, mustard, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Give that a pulse so everything is combined. Then while the processor is running slowly, drizzle in the oil. Last, add the poppy seeds and give that just one more pulse to combine.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If the poppy seeds settle, just give the dressing a good shake before using.

Recipe Notes

*If you're not feeling the egg yolks, you can substitute 2 tablespoons mayo (even a vegan mayo if you prefer). If you do, you can just combine all the ingredients in a jar, add a lid, and shake until well combined. Without the yolks, there isn't as much need to slowly drizzle in the oil.

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

6 Comments | leave a comment

4/16

Kiddo Guest + Playroom Update

Home Decor, Home Tour: Elsie, Kiddo, Kids Room, Room Tour

By Elsie Larson

I mentioned a while back that we had to reconfigure a couple of our bedrooms to make space for Marigold’s room. This was always a part of our plan—well, loose plan since, but I still spent several weeks trying to envision how to best combine rooms and not lose any function.

We moved the playroom stuff out of this room to give Marigold a space and we combined it with our kiddo guest room. So now we have a playroom/guest room! The majority of the playroom stuff that we were using was our art stuff. So we did a big toy clean out and donated anything we weren’t using. We moved the dolls into this room and stored some of the other toys (like blocks and dolls) in Marigold’s bedroom.

We added the shelves from our previous playroom as well as this built-in desk to use as an art space. Making art is one of my biggest priorities. And even though I could 100% do it in the dining room or in other rooms, I like having a devoted space for it and wanted to keep that as the main function of this space. At 3 years old, Nova is still much more interested in art than toys.

We also painted the bunk beds green. I was enjoying a chance to switch things up. The new color is Fresh Balsam by Sherwin Williams.

We squeezed as much function into this room as possible. Our little IKEA chalkboard sits in the corner, our costume collection and more art supplies are hidden in the closet, and we added under-the-bed toy storage.

Making art is our happy place!

These Calico Critters are our main toy collection. Nova has been very slow to get interested in toys. At first, it was just blocks and puzzles, then the pig phase. And just recently she became obsessed with the little animals and it is the CUTEST thing ever. We spend hours on the bunk beds where she thinks of names for every single animal. Some of their names are Coco, Taco, Butterfly, Sun Sun, Pineapple and the baby animals are all called “baby” … ugh—so so cute.

Love her and love this season of life!

The trundle drawers store so much STUFF. We have some more calico critters stuff (a bus and a car), another dollhouse, a bunch of Blythe dolls and clothes for them. And they still have a lot of space to go, so I’m really happy we added them. We painted them to match the bunk beds so they’d all family together.

Other Sources: Bunk Bed/Amazon, Light Fixture/Sazerac Stitches, Curtains/Anthropologie, Clear Plastic Jars/Amazon, Table (similar) and Chairs/Target.

Let me know if you have any questions about this room! 🙂 xx – Elsie

Credits//Author: Elsie Larson. Photography: Amber Ulmer. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

32 Comments | leave a comment

4/15

Bunny Pom Pom Wreath DIY

Celebrate, Crafts, D.I.Y. Project, DIY, Easter, Home Decor, Outdoor Spaces

By Laura Gummerman

I thought I had my stash of Easter decorations all set for the year until I was browsing around a craft store and saw a little pom pom bunny ear wreath and thought, “Uh oh … that’s pretty cute!” The one I saw at the store was rather small and I like to do bigger wreaths on my front door, so I decided to DIY my own version to add a little more Easter flair to the front porch. Here’s what I did!
Supplies:
–wire wreath frame (in whatever size you want!)
–thicker white or cream yarn (I used 3 packs to make mine)
–large pom pom maker
-white scrap fabric
–hot glue gun
–pink and white felt
–floral wire (or other thin wire)

First, I cut several long 3″ wide strips of white scrap fabric and wrapped my wreath frame with the fabric to give me a base to glue my pom poms onto (just use the hot glue to attach strips of fabric together).
Then, I cut two long white ears out of felt and two smaller pink centers. It’s basically a daisy-petal shape with the bottom cut off—no need to be perfect! I glued some wire to the pink centers so the ears would stand up and then glued the centers to the white ears, sandwiching the wire between them.Next, I glued the ears to the top of the frame.
I made a punch of pom poms with my pom pom maker (totally worth having those makers if you like to make pom poms for things) in two shades of white for a little visual variety.

Once I had a pile of poms, I glued them onto my frame until the wreath and the base of my bunny ears were covered. For hanging (if you don’t already have a wreath hanger on your door), you can simply tie a string or wire around the wreath between the two ears and make a loop to hang—the pom poms will hide the yarn/wire beneath them.

Just the cutest! I love things that are fun and whimsical that grownups and little ones can enjoy without it feeling too childish, and this project totally fits the bill for me. Now, I just have to finish Lola’s Easter basket haul and I guess we’ll be all set! xo. Laura

Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

8 Comments | leave a comment

4/14

10 Things I Love Sunday

Window Shopping

By Laura Gummerman

Starting to do some spring cleaning projects around the house now that it’s April! Our master bedroom closets are up first and I’m pretty sure we haven’t gone through Todd’s stuff in like for-ever, so it will feel good to clean all that out and only keep the good stuff to organize a bit. Organizing is always a bit of a chore that I secretly like (especially when the end result is neat and pretty!). But it’s just hard to find the time these days, so I’m always happy when it actually gets done. Here’s what else I’m loving this week:

1. Definitely going to try this for a make-ahead morning breakfast! Sounds so good!

2. Summer pjs for Lola.

3. Love this for a kid’s art station.

4. I would literally build a porch around this patio umbrella—it’s amazing!!!

5. These for summer.

6. Cutest. Jumpsuit. Ever.

7. My healthy guilty pleasure lately is eating frozen sweet cherries at night when I’m craving something sweet. I just cut them in half and wait for them to melt a bit before diving in and sometimes (OK, a lot of the time) I add mini chocolate chips to the bowl. So yummy!

8. Going on a few early summer trips soon and this is a cute and easy-to-wear outfit.

9. I want to go to there!

10. Been making a lot of healthy (and budget friendly!) meals from this book lately—it’s great!

I had those snakeskin pants in a 10 Things list recently, but I wasn’t sure if I should go for them or not—they are so fun to wear so I’m glad I did! xo. Laura

9 Comments | leave a comment

4/13

Sidecar Cocktail

Classic Cocktails, Cocktails, Food, Sweet

By Emma Chapman

I can’t drink (or really even think) about a sidecar cocktail without being transported back to 2011. For me, that was the year of the sidecar. That was very much my go-to order that year, and I still bust out this order from time to time. I tend to have a certain cocktail that I order endlessly for a year or two and then I switch to something else. Is anyone else like that? And the year I started dating my now husband, I was on a sidecar kick. 🙂

And just in case you’re curious, my current obsession is a Negroni.

Here’s a few things I love about a sidecar. First, it’s a classic cocktail, so it’s something you can order at pretty much any bar that does cocktails well (meaning, not just mixed drinks). It’s incredibly refreshing and just the right amount of sweet. An excellent spring/summer cocktail for sure. Plus, it’s SUPER easy to make. It’s only three ingredients but still manages to feel really special.

When I make this at home, I usually keep it classic (simply follow the recipe below). But you can also change it up with just a dash of bitters or garnishing with a Luxardo cherry. And if you thought you had lemons but find you only have limes, oranges, or grapefruit, that can work well in a pinch, although the final flavor will be different.

In short, if you need a cocktail recipe that is easy to make but will impress an impromptu guest this season, shake up a couple sidecars. You’ll look like a total pro—plus I really don’t know anyone who doesn’t like lemon. 😉

We have also decided to add these adorable AND informative illustrations of some of our classic cocktails to our posts.

Feel free to check the archives for many of these, but I’ll also highlight them on IG soon too. We are thinking about putting them all together for a PDF file you could print and hang in your home. Would you like that? Even if you say no, we might anyway because I want one to hang above my bar cart. 🙂 xo. Emma

4.5 from 4 votes

Sidecar Cocktail

Servings 1

Ingredients

1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce triple sec
2 ounces cognac

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add these ingredients. Shake well, until your hand begins to freeze to the shaker. Strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge, twist, or Luxardo cherry.

Recipe Notes

If you want to jazz this up a little, add a dash of bitter before shaking. You can also substitute the cognac for brandy or even bourbon if that's more your speed (aka what you have on hand).

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Illustration: Mara Dockery. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

17 Comments | leave a comment

4/12

Elsie’s Guide to Painting with Kiddos

Crafts, Kiddo, Paper Crafts, Tips

By Elsie Larson

I receive a lot of questions about painting with Nova. I hear so many moms say they “feel bad” for not doing more art with their kids or that they want to learn how to do it with zero mess. I’m here today to share my tips, but also some tough love about that zero mess part!

Tip 1: Let it be messy

You wouldn’t tell your kiddos they can’t play soccer or go in a swimming pool just because they’ll need a bath after each time, right? Don’t let the mess of painting keep you from doing it! Painting is messy, but do it anyway.

We’ve had days where Nova makes barely any mess and all we need is a quick wipe down with a wet cloth, but we’ve also had days where I carry her straight to the bathtub, and you know what? I regret zero of these “extra” baths. It’s more than worth it!

As the parent, it’s your job to constantly decide what’s worth it and not worth it. Going out to eat at 8 p.m. on a Saturday night … maybe not worth it. Dealing with six straight weeks of crying before ballet class … maybe worth it. But art? Art is always worth it. Tattoo those words in your brain. The difference between your child having an extra artistic childhood, or not, is in your hands.

When I get messages about how to paint with a toddler without the mess, I laugh. Honestly. Do you think I have some magic secret that you don’t have? Toddlers are really messy and so is paint. But the experience, the outcome and the memories make it so worth your investment of time and energy!

Tip 2: Just use what you have

I let Nova paint with my own craft paints 90% of the time. I’ve gotten some shaming comments for it, but I stand by my choices. Here’s why! Acrylic paint is prettier than kids “washable” paint, but the ingredients are not that different. And washable paint doesn’t always wash out either. For this reason, we just use painting clothes so we don’t have to worry about getting paint on the clothes.

All paint is at least somewhat toxic and should not be eaten. It also should not be left on the skin. So as long as you are fully supervising your child and cleaning them up when you are done, I don’t see an issue with letting them use “adult” paint.

I love the lifestyle of sharing what’s mine with Nova. We do this in so many areas of our lives. We share our food with her at every meal, which I believe has expanded her palate. I let her play with all my things within reason. Jeremy lets her play with his instruments in his studio (supervised, of course). Overall, I guess I am one of those parents who believes kids don’t need a kid “version” of every single thing in your home. A lot of the time they can just use the same things as adults.

I grew up using my mom’s paints. Besides watercolors, I don’t remember her having separate stuff for us. I remember the feeling well. It felt so cool to me that she would let me use her grown up things. I want my children to have that same experience.

If you’re an avid crafter like me, sharing your “stash” will cut down on things you need to buy and at times save waste because you can use leftover supplies for kids crafts. You really don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of stuff just to paint with your kids!

I do let Nova paint on my old canvases. I do sometimes let her paint the same one over and over. We also paint on scrap paper (things like old notebooks I find in my office.) Kids aren’t picky, they just want to paint. 🙂

Tip 3: Customize your routine to your child.

Our routine was completely different when Nova had a shorter attention span than it is now. Now the most important thing to her is the quantity. She wants to paint and paint and paint. So I prep a bunch of papers of canvases or greeting cards for her to paint.

As she gets older, we’ll change up our routine countless times, I’m sure!

When I first start with Marigold, we’ll probably just do handprints and things like Play-Doh. Then work our way up from there!

I’ve learned that at every age it’s important to keep retrying things. Just because your child didn’t like art six months ago does NOT mean they don’t now. Kids change so fast. So if you have a discouraging art experience, just throw your supplies in a box in a closet and try again in six months. Don’t give up!

I hope these tips have been helpful. My mom was an incredible inspiration to me. As we were growing up, she had endless art projects for us to try. I truly believe I owe the creative part of my brain to my mom and that’s the number one motivator for me as I attempt to give my own kids a creative childhood.

Don’t overthink it. This isn’t supposed to be complicated. I know that cleaning up paint isn’t “fun,” but neither is cleaning up poop and we all do that every day, right? 🙂 You can do this! xx. Elsie

Credits//Author: Elsie Larson. Photography: Amber Ulmer. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

33 Comments | leave a comment

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