Cleverly Simple® : Recipes & DIY From Our Farmhouse

I love, love jewelry, but most often, I find that jewelry is one of those things that can be expensive to buy, but inexpensive to create. And that got me thinking. Why not revitalize or recycle some of my old, tired pieces?  Earrings that have lost their partner or unused chain necklaces with nothing to shine on them. Perhaps I’ll even create new pieces along the way. Off to the craft store I went. I sought out the clearance section for jewelry overstock and gathered inspiration. I bought beads, crystal pendants, sliders and stretch cord all on clearance. I also […]

Last week we took off for a day of fun at Put-in-Bay.  Put-in-Bay is an island in Lake Erie that’s only a couple of hours drive from Central Ohio where I live.  I’ve been there many times in my life, but this time I took the day away with the boys and my parents since my husband had to work.  My mom says that when you board the Miller Ferry to head to Put-In-Bay, your blood pressure goes down about 10 points.  I agree with her.  You feel like you’re a world away – but lucky for us it’s only […]

With the summer winding down (can it really be?) I’ve been trying to pack in everything we thought we would be doing all summer. Funny how summer goes like that. I had my list of staycation day dates I was going to take the boys on – one a week. Ha! I laugh as we squeezed two of them in this week, and they were the first of the summer. #momfail? That being said, we started out right.  My hubby took the day off of work and we headed to Kings Island.  It never ceases to amaze me that in […]

Lemon and blueberries make a beautiful pair and with both fruits in abundance this season, I want to share my mouthwatering lemon and blueberry poppy seed bread with a simple lemon glaze. There is no shortage of lemon recipes out there, but when you add in the sweet and sour pop of fresh blueberries, you are on to something really special.  It is both sweet and lemon tart and it’s perfect for summer breakfast on the porch or a light dessert after an evening barbecue. The origins of this recipe come from my vegan friend so there are no eggs […]