Super Simple Summertime Mantel Decor

Who says mantel decorating is just for the cozy winter months? If you have a mantel, it typically takes center stage of the room. In the warmer months we tend to focus on perfecting our porches and outdoor spaces, but there’s something about a summertime mantel that makes the sofa feel extra inviting for movie, or game night to beat the heat. Follow these steps for an easy, bold and beautiful mantel that will last throughout the summer months until you’re ready to decorate for fall. 

To make your space feel spacious or more open, you can put a large mirror on the mantel. The mirror will reflect any windows nearby to bring some outdoor color in and brighten up the space. You can play around with different shapes and sizes and choose a bold neutral color such as black or navy to make the mirror the centerpiece of the mantel. 

What says summer more than floral and greenery? The mantel is a fabulous place to display some pops of color for the summer months, especially if you’ve chosen a neutral centerpiece such as a large mirror. To add interest, try using vases and greenery of varying height and width. Two taller vases with some faux branches or stems on either side of your mirror, paired with several smaller vases or containers holding more colorful flowers or leafy plants match up well together. Choose an odd number of vases to add interest and avoid making the mantel completely symmetrical. As a bonus, find different materials such as galvanized pots, wire baskets, or repurpose a glass pitcher to hold flowers. 

Adding smaller details will bring your mantel together cohesively. You can drape wooden beaded garland over and between vases. Candles or fairy lights are a great way to warm up your space and create a glow, especially when it’s like that you won’t be using the fireplace for any actual fires in the summertime. Don’t forget a few cozy pillows propped up and a cozy throw draped over the hearth!

The summer months aren’t the mantel’s time to shine, but that doesn’t mean we should leave it bare!  A few simple touches will leave your mantel looking dignified and ready for a rare night indoors to beat the summer heat!

Summer’s Best BLT Dip

Growing up in the summer my mom would always make bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches (BLT’s) for my dad as a quick and easy, mostly grown from the garden, dinner that he loved. Now, I feel nostalgic for the smell of bacon on summer evenings. This spin on the classic BLT sandwich is sure to have your bacon loving friends begging for more!

Prep: 20 mins | Total Time: 25 mins | Servings: 6-8 People

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese

1 C sour cream OR plain greek yogurt

2 tbsp ranch seasoning powder

½ tsp garlic powder

1 diced tomato

1 C shredded cheddar 

½ C shredded iceberg lettuce

6 slices bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled

Begin by cooking bacon according to the directions on the package. There are many different ways to cook bacon, including my favorite, in the oven! Place a layer or foil or parchment paper on a baking sheet and you’ll have a relatively mess-free way to make crispy bacon. Once the bacon is cooled, crumble it up and set aside. 

Next, in a medium sized bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream or greek yogurt, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and half of your bacon. Stir to combine. Then, spread the cream cheese mixture into a shallow bowl or pie pan. Sprinkle tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, and crumbled bacon to the top. Serve right away for best flavor. 

If you want to make this ahead of time, simply leave out the tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and bacon. When you’re ready to serve, combine half of the bacon with your already prepared mixture, and sprinkle the rest of your ingredients on top. 

This dip pairs well with a variety of options. Salty options that taste delicious are potato chips, tortilla chips, or pita chips. You can also treat this as a veggie dip and use baby carrots, sliced cucumbers or bell peppers, or even cherry tomatoes. You can also use dipping bread such as naan bread or even breadsticks. 

Whether you’re having a party, meeting at a friend’s for appetizers, or you simply want to treat your family, the best version of a summer BLT is dippable! 

Four Inspiring Ways to Decorate Open Shelves in the Kitchen

When you're in your kitchen you’re likely cooking or socializing. A kitchen can be a place where you feel inspired, motivated, and creative, but it can quickly become cluttered and overrun with items that get left behind during the everyday hustle and bustle of life. Don’t let your open shelving be a place for additional clutter! We’ve got four inspiring ways you can decorate open shelves in your kitchen for a clean, put together look!

Contrast

If you want your open shelves to look more interesting and less uniform, try to introduce some contrast. You can contrast size, height, texture, shape, and colors to give an engaging look. You might try a tall vase with some faux greenery next to a few shorter planters with succulents in different shapes and colors. Maybe some flow out of the sides of the planters while others grow out of the top. On a nearby shelf add some of your favorite ceramic mugs next to a beautiful piece of pottery. Glassware looks amazing on display next to something with some pops of color, or in front of a vibrant backsplash. The key to contrast is “just enough.” It can be easy to overdo it in this area, so don’t be afraid to arrange, and rearrange until it looks just right. 

Practical and Meaningful

Kitchen shelving is a sacred space in many kitchens. If you don’t have much of it, you might be less excited to decorate it, and more eager to make practical use of your space. Using your shelving in a functional way doesn’t mean that it can’t be beautiful. Begin by displaying items that are used frequently on the lower, easy to reach shelves. Plates, bowls, and glasses are prime items for these spaces. If your plates are of different colors or patterns, just make sure to display them in an organized way so it looks thought out. Glasses and bowls can be carefully stacked and displayed in a pattern of bowls, glasses, bowls, glasses, in an eye-catching arrangement. 

If your space needs to be functional but you still want to display some decorative items, make sure the items that win the space are meaningful. Maybe it’s a family cookbook, ceramic mugs from a vacation collection, and your favorite greenery in a vase. If it brings you joy, it deserves a place! By keeping it meaningful you’ll be less likely to add too much decor which could leave your kitchen feeling cluttered. 

Color Scheme

While contrast is good, it can be helpful to stick with a general color scheme to avoid an overdone, cluttered look. Different hues of a general theme can be a unique way to keep your shelves feeling organized and planned out versus thrown together and cluttered. If you’re going with blues for example, try some navy and seafoam mixed with some natural wood or bamboo materials. Adding in some white dishes or vases can add to a clean design among pops of color. 

Don’t Fill Every Space

It can be tempting to fill every inch of space on your shelves, but in this case, less is more. In order to keep your open shelves looking clean and feeling functional, leave some room to breathe. You definitely don’t want to be moving things around each time you reach for your favorite mug, or to be rearranging bunches of small figurines in order to dust and clean your shelves. You can have beautiful open shelving by simply organizing your dishes, glasses, and bowls and adding a few statement pieces. 

The best way to organize open shelves is to be strategic. Whether you focus on colors, textures, practicality, or all of the above, the key is to keep your space looking put together, clean, and functional. Your kitchen is a place of gathering, so make sure whatever is on display brings you joy and inspiration! 

Whimsical Summer Tablescape Ideas

Summertime should be easy and breezy. To elevate your summer dining experience, create a whimsical, effortless vibe by designing a beautiful tablescape for your family or guests to enjoy.

One of the most effortless ways to create a tablescape that looks well planned is to have items that match. A summer inspired table setting will have a color scheme that goes along with the season. Beachy colors such as shades of blue, turquoise, or yellow are great choices. You might even choose a theme such as floral, beach, or patriotic. In your chosen color scheme or theme, choose tableware and linens. For an outdoor table, you may want to consider unbreakable plates, bowls, and cups. Start with a table runner, and then layer with placemats, plates, bowls, silverware and cloth napkins. 

Next, you’ll want to incorporate a centerpiece. Consider the time of day of your gathering or when guests will be sitting down to eat. Do you need lighting at the table, or just something fresh and pretty to look at? For brunch, lunch, or early dinners, a seasonal floral arrangement is the perfect centerpiece. You can find florals that fit with your color scheme or theme and place one large arrangement in the center, or if you have a longer table you can use small vases and place several throughout the length of your table. If your dining experience is in the evening, a lantern centerpiece will set the mood. Along the table runner, try fairy lights for an extra glow. 

Not technically part of the tablescape, but equally as important for style and comfort, is how you decorate your seating area. If you’re designing a tablescape for a dinner party, you likely have more formal seating. You can experiment with chair cushions in your chosen colors to add an extra layer of comfort. If you have lounging patio seating nearby, elevate it by adding a few pillows and throws in your colors or theme to bring it all together. 

With the weather turning favorable, us Wisconsinites love to take advantage of our limited outdoor time. Make the most of your experience by creating a beautiful summer tablescape for friends and family to enjoy food and drinks, and make lasting memories!

Frosted Lemonade

School’s out for summer…almost! If your kids, grandkids, neighbor kids, or any other kinds of kids in your life will be around a little more in the next few months, it’s good to have a few fun tricks up your sleeve! One tried and true way to a kid's heart is to make them something they love. This twist on the classic summer glass of lemonade will have all the kids on the block begging for more!

Prep: 5 mins | Total Time: 5 mins | Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 Cup Lemonade

2 Cups Vanilla Ice Cream

1 Lemon

Blend It Up

This is the easiest thing you’ll make all summer long! In a blender, add lemonade and ice cream. Blend on low to start, after about 15 seconds switch to medium. Blend until smooth. Pour into plastic cups, add a straw and a slice of lemon for garnish. That’s it - seriously!

The perfect mix of sweet and tart, this refreshing frozen treat is easy enough to become a summer staple!

Why you Need Swivel Chairs in your Home

A modern spin on a vintage staple, swivel chairs are gaining popularity in home decor. There are so many reasons that you need swivel chairs in your home, so we’ve rounded up the top three. Now’s the time to jump on the trend, it’s here to stay!

1 - You Love a Good Conversation

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with a group of people at a party and one or more of the people you’re talking to is just out of your sight? Or maybe you’re relaxing but then a family member asks you a question from another part of your home. If you’re chatting with someone, it almost feels rude to not be looking at them, so you crane your neck to keep the conversation going. This can be straining, awkward, and make conversations die quickly, but not if you have swivel chairs! You can seamlessly have conversations with people all around you by turning your chair effortlessly. You and your guests will love having swivel chairs to keep the conversations going. This same idea can be applied to an office space, where you might be working or studying alone sometimes, and hosting meetings where you want to be able to make good eye contact for important conversations at other times. 

2 - You Love a Good Book

Think about the place in your home where you sit down to cozy up with a good book. Now think of that spot as a swivel chair, designed beautifully with a soft, plush throw and a couple of cloudlike pillows. Some people just need to keep moving, even while relaxing. If this is you, a swivel chair is the perfect addition to a reading nook in your home. 

3 - You’re in the Market for a New Focal Point

Oversized, curvy furniture is trending. Swivel chairs can be an effortless way to add an extra pop of style to your living space, while keeping your existing furniture. Choosing chairs with bold colors and patterns can add a unique twist to your current living space, that is both fun and functional. Curved boucle chairs that contrast rectangular shaped sofas and coffee tables are a stylish way to add modern design elements into your home. Swivel chairs can also be a great way to add a focal point in a space that isn’t being utilized naturally, such as the space leading between the kitchen and living room of your home, or other transitional spaces. 

Whether you’re interested in swivel chairs for their style factor, or their versatility and functionality, you won’t be disappointed! With so many different styles and fabrics to choose from you’ll be sure to find something that you love and that fits perfectly in your home.

Easy No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Cups

Perfect for an outdoor gathering, these cheesecake cups can be served chilled in individual cups for a quick grab and go treat that gives off an effortless yet elegant vibe. Sure to be a crowd pleaser, these delightful desserts are freezer friendly and refreshing!

Prep: 5 mins | Assembly Time: 5 mins | Total Time: 10 mins | Servings: 20 small cups

Ingredients

Cheesecake Cups

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Cup Lemon Pie Filling

12 Oz Cream Cheese

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

Graham Cracker Crumbs

½ Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

2 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Melted Butter

Whip It Up

Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff. Add the lemon pie filling and cream cheese and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat just until ingredients are combined. Next, fold in the whipped cream slowly until it is all combined and set aside. 

Next, make the crumb topping by combining graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. 

When you’re ready to assemble the cups, you’ll need a small amount of graham cracker crumb topping on the bottom of each cup. You can scoop the cheesecake filling into each cup, or for a more elaborate look, pipe it in a swirling motion into each cup, filling just over the top. The final touch is a little more of the graham cracker topping in each cup. 

These light, refreshing desserts are a great addition to any outdoor party. They get bonus points for being make ahead, and freezer friendly, so that you can concentrate on all of the other fine details you’ll be fretting over as you welcome the first patio guests of the summer!