Make Today Amazing!

Today is going to be AMAZING. And it's going to be amazing because I want it to be. I'm tired of having bad days all the time, and today WILL be different! I've already washed three vintage items and hung them to dry, had my coffee, opened the windows to let in this beautiful summer day, and played on the back porch with little J. Now we are off to the City to visit the local gardens and take some photographs of the flowers. I just know today is going to be 

great!   

I hope you all have a good day, as well. What do you do to make your days better? What do you do to turn a bad day into a good day?

Just Another Monday...

Wow, I am having some major writer's block. Sorry for the lack of posts...

So this Monday has been going well so far. I went thrifting this morning with little J, since big sis is staying at Grandma and Grandpa's for the week.  We found two very cute vintage dresses while perusing the shop, one a lovely bright green Hawaiian sundress with tiny white and blue iris all over, and a very interesting dress with a pleated skirt and flowing lace top. I'm excited to get them washed up nice and photographed for your enjoyment! I love finding vintage clothes but they are never quite my size. Though these dresses are a larger than most, the bust size on both is too snug for me.

I have also been working on my Instagram account, and I would LOVE if you would follow me! I update it more often than the blog with pictures throughout the week. You can find me at @theretrodaisy

Well that's all for now... Stay tuned for photos of the vintage dresses and a new simple recipe for easy pizza appetizer rolls this week!

Quick BBQ Corn

Looking for some oh-so-good corn on the cob without a lot of work? Be sure to try this at your next BBQ or on your next camping trip!

I think the reason this recipe is so easy is that you can do it in advance, just keeping all your foil-wrapped corn packets in the fridge or cooler, and putting them on the grill when you're ready. And once you put them on the grill, they don't need any more work than turning them once. No making sure they don't burn, or boiling them in a big pot of water. Just give a cob to each person, in the foil, and it's already buttered and ready to eat. 

You need one piece of foil big enough to wrap a corn cob for each cob.  And you'll need some butter and your choice of seasoning. I used "Organic No-Salt Seasoning" from Costco, which is nearly identical to Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute." You could also use lemon pepper, your favorite curry, or any other combination you have a taste for.

If you're using a charcoal grill, get it ready. If you're using a gas grill, you can turn it on right before you start grilling the corn.

After shucking your corn, lay out a piece of foil. Put some butter pats in the middle, sprinkle seasoning of choice on top, and put a corn cob on top of that. Wrap into a packet and set aside. Do the same for all corn cobs.

(I used salted butter, and my seasoning was salt-free, but feel free to add salt to your liking or have some ready at the table after they're cooked)

Wrap in a packet by holding long edges together and folding down like you would a paper bag, one or two times, so butter stays inside the packet. Do the same on the ends.

Put on upper rack of heated grill, or out of direct heat. I let them cook on the top rack for about five minutes and then put my meat on the grill. I turned them after ten minutes and they were ready within 20 minutes. They probably would have been ready sooner but the meat wasn't ready yet so I kept them on the grill so they stayed hot.

The foil will be hot hot hot! Let sit for several minutes before unwrapping and be sure to use potholders.

The corn is beautiful, buttery, and delicious.  The moisture stays in the foil packet rather than cooking out, so it stays sweet and juicy. 

I hope you enjoy this easy corn recipe this summer! It would be great to make these ahead to take to a picnic, on a camping trip, or any other outdoor eating event!

Old to Awesome!

I have had this old patio chair and table set on my porch for years.  We rescued them from the trash, and at the time they didn't look too rough. Several harsh winters later, the paint was faded and rust was showing. 

So today,  with a bit of elbow grease and some Rustoleum, I made my old set look new again!

Before. Faded and rusty, just needing an update.

After using a wire brush, I used Rust-Oleum Rusty Metal Primer and then Gloss Enamel in 'Sunrise Red.'

After using the wire brush for a while on some of the rusty spots.

With one coat of the Rusty Metal Primer. It went on nicely and dried very fast. Coverage was good. I ran out at the end but I did do a nice coat on all three pieces.

Once I put on the red it really made a difference! The red took longer to dry but it has a great shine to it and it looks great next to the red and green on the house. It really stands out!

Spray-paint tan lines... After scrubbing in the shower it's still there! I'm wearing closed shoes to work tomorrow!

Might I recommend you wear gloves not only while using the wire brush but also while spray-painting? This is my kitchen scrubber and the bristles are now permanently red. But for how nice the patio set looks now, the loss of a potato scrubber was worth it.

Please be sure to follow all directions on your pain cans if you decide to take on this project, and follow other safety measures to avoid injury.