Thursday, May 21, 2020

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A chair planter makeover!

Can you believe I got this chair planter out of the burn pile?!

Of course, it didn't look so great when I got it.

The thing about chair planters is that they're exposed to the elements, so they fall apart rather quickly.  

I've had to repair a couple chair planters this year after a windy day sent them across the yard at a rapid pace!

As for this chair planter, I got it from my mom.  She had several chairs that had seen better days, so to the burn pile they went.  

I saw some potential in this planter chair, so I dug it out of the pile & got to work on restoring it!

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

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Image of homemade banana bread loaves fresh from the oven, showcasing a golden-brown crust and a moist, fluffy texture, set against the cozy backdrop of Tiff's kitchen. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com

Hey Besties! 🌟 Guess what? I've stumbled upon the holy grail of banana bread recipes, and I've been obsessed for months! 🍞✨


A few days back, I found myself with a bunch of super-ripe bananas (you know, the perfect banana bread kind!). So, what did I do? I whipped up not one but several loaves of this heavenly bread!

Here's a funny twist: the original recipe was just a screenshot on my tablet, with no website or author's name. Wanting to give a shout-out to the genius behind this yumminess, I turned into a detective on Google. 🕵️‍♀️ Believe me, finding this needle in the haystack of a million banana bread recipes was no small feat!


I'm such a repeat offender with this recipe that I finally wrote it down. No more squinting at a flour-smudged tablet screen for me! 📱💁‍♀️

Image of homemade banana bread loaves fresh from the oven, showcasing a golden-brown crust and a moist, fluffy texture, set against the cozy backdrop of Tiff's kitchen. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com


The other day, I decided to double the recipe while in my baking frenzy. Picture this: my KitchenAid mixer practically doing acrobatics to mix all those bananas! 🍌🎪 A word of advice? Stick to single batches, folks!


I usually jazz up my banana bread with walnuts and chocolate chips. But, surprise! I was out of walnuts and didn't dare overload my already overworked mixer. So, I went old school and baked it plain. And guess what? It was a smash hit, even without the frills! 🎉


I made so much I thought I'd freeze some for later. Who was I kidding? In our house, banana bread vanishes faster than a magician's rabbit! 🐰✨ It's just that delicious!

Image of homemade banana bread loaves fresh from the oven, showcasing a golden-brown crust and a moist, fluffy texture, set against the cozy backdrop of Tiff's kitchen. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com


Want in on this banana bread magic? Head over to the blog for the recipe! It's a game-changer! 🍌🌟

[Link to the recipe]


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Tuesday, May 19, 2020

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Transplanting small, leggy tomaotes into larger containers | On The Creek Blog
Transplanting tomatoes into larger cups!

Over the weekend, we transplanted our tomatoes into cups!

As I said in my seedling update post, my tomatoes were getting super leggy. They needed transplanted ASAP!  I wasn't quite ready to put them in the garden just yet, so we transplanted them into bigger containers.

This proved to be an enormous task!

My husband & I worked for HOURS getting these little tomatoes transplanted! 

It was quite the task but I'm so happy with the results!






Monday, May 18, 2020

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Planting Roma VF Seedlings | On The Creek Blog
Starting Roma VF tomatoes from seeds!

I was going through my pictures for another post & I realized I never told you about our Roma VF seed starting!

We planted our old seeds on April 15th & a week later, nothing was happening.

I figured our seeds weren't going to produce anything of value, so I wanted a back up plan. But, as I posted last week, those seeds ended up sprouting!  They were just super late coming.

While we were at Home Depot getting a few supplies for our pergola, I browsed the seed area.  I'm a huge fan of Roma tomatoes & I came across the Roma VF variety.  I decided to give it a try!

When I was planting these Roma tomatoes, I decided to do something a little different.  I planted them in cups!

Friday, May 15, 2020

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White lilac // spring yard walk | On The Creek Blog
Come with me as I look over the various plants in our yard & see how they're doing after the winter!

It's time for my annual spring yard walk!

Come along with me as we tour my yard & see how the perennial plants are doing this spring!

This spring has been weird.  There were a couple late frosts & overall, everything was super late coming over here.

I've said this in my last yard walk, but I'm certain everything comes up just a little bit slower over here.  My lilacs haven't even flowered yet!

Here are the plants & how they're doing this year:



Thursday, May 14, 2020

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Leggy tomato seedlings | On The Creek Blog
An update on our seedling adventure!

I'm back with a seedling update!

Our various tomato seedlings have been growing for about a month now.

Most of the old seeds we planted actually came up!  I was so excited to see the different varieties coming up!  Some varieties definitely did better than others, but everything produced at least a few seedlings!

But, here's the bad news...

The tomato seedlings are super leggy!





Wednesday, May 13, 2020

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gardentitleBreaking ground in our new garden area!

We tilled our new garden area last week!

But, first, a little garden backstory:

For the past 2 years, we’ve used our railroad tie raised garden bed.

That raised bed was kind of a garden disaster. 

We put plastic in the bottom as a weed barrier & I’m almost certain it fried our plants the first year. 

Last year was more promising, but I don’t think the soil was quite right.  The plants did better, but they were nothing compared to the very first year we had a garden.

This year, I decided to go back to the basics.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

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breadtitleI made the famous Reddit Peanut Butter Bread!

I enjoy browsing Reddit & love finding new subreddits to look through.

One of my latest finds has been the Old_Recipes subreddit.

When I first started looking at the subreddit, I kept seeing the same recipe made by different users over & over:

Peanut Butter Bread.

It looked easy enough to make so I thought I’d try it.

Here are my thoughts:



Monday, May 11, 2020

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A free primitive table gets a cute & updated makeover! | On The Creek BlogA primitive table gets a cute & updated makeover!

We completed this project last year, but I’m just getting around to posting it today!

I actually gave this table a little refresh over the weekend which inspired me to share it!

The table is far from perfect, but I love the primitive vibes it has!

I’m all about trash to treasure makeovers & this table is a true reflection of that!

Can you believe we picked this table up for free in front of someone’s house?!  We were driving by & saw this falling apart table with a ‘free’ sign next to it & immediately turned around to take a look!

The table was in rough shape, but it was free so I wasn’t afraid to take a chance on it.


Friday, May 08, 2020

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peartitleBeautiful to pear blossoms!

I’ve shared some pictures of my parents’ pear tree in the past.  I thought I’d take you along this year from the beginning:  the blossoms!

The pear tree always does extremely well & produces a ton of pears, but it has really shown up this year!

There are blossoms everywhere!

This is a Bartlett pear tree & full pears should be ready by the end of August or early September.

When it’s harvest time, there will be plenty of pears to eat & make things from!  I’ve gathered some recipes that would be perfect for these Bartlett pears!








Tuesday, May 05, 2020

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Building a small DIY pergola | On The Creek Blog
We built a (small) pergola!

This was one of those projects that I’ve been wanting to do forever & it finally happened!

Last year, we acquired some old posts & they just sat outside in the yard, waiting for something to be done with them.  Because of bugs, I didn’t want to bring them into the house, so an outdoor eyesore they became!

One day, I decided that they would make a good pergola.  There was a spot in our yard between our water well & our lilac tree that I thought would be perfect for a pergola.  I also hated mowing that tiny area so I wanted to get rid of it!

Finally, after months & months of wanting to build it, we finally did it! 

Monday, May 04, 2020

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Step-by-step transformation of an upcycled dining bench, showcasing the process from applying crackle glaze to the final custom-stained piece. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com

Hey, Besties! 

Guess what? I'm back with a fab update on our DIY upcycled dining bench

The Bench's First Fitting 

Before diving into the paint pots, we took the bench upstairs for a little fitting session with our dining table. Oops! The legs were sky-high! A quick trim and some sanding later, they were runway ready.
Step-by-step transformation of an upcycled dining bench, showcasing the process from applying crackle glaze to the final custom-stained piece. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com
Step-by-step transformation of an upcycled dining bench, showcasing the process from applying crackle glaze to the final custom-stained piece. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com

The Color Palette 

Inspired by Charlotte's post on aging cabinet legs, I gave our bench a vintage vibe. I reached for my go-to Project Perfect paint, which I snagged on clearance. It's the only brown paint I own, but it's a gem! It gave the bench frame a uniform, rich hue. 
Step-by-step transformation of an upcycled dining bench, showcasing the process from applying crackle glaze to the final custom-stained piece. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com


Crackle, Pop, Wow! 

Next up was the crackle glaze, a first for me! It's like applying invisible ink—you can't see it, but you know it's there. I slathered it on and waited for the magic to happen. And voila! The crackle effect was born. 

Antique or Not? 

I then experimented with antiquing glaze, and let's say it was a learning curve. It went from "vintage chic" to "dungeon grim" real quick. Hubby stepped in to finish the application while I played damage control with a light coat of white paint. Crisis averted! 
Step-by-step transformation of an upcycled dining bench, showcasing the process from applying crackle glaze to the final custom-stained piece. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com

The Grand Finale 

Finally, it was time to crown our bench with its top. I roughed up the seat pieces for an aged look before staining them with a custom mix of Special Walnut and Jacobean. A few coats of sealer later, and our bench was ready for its close-up! 
Step-by-step transformation of an upcycled dining bench, showcasing the process from applying crackle glaze to the final custom-stained piece. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com

Step-by-step transformation of an upcycled dining bench, showcasing the process from applying crackle glaze to the final custom-stained piece. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com
Step-by-step transformation of an upcycled dining bench, showcasing the process from applying crackle glaze to the final custom-stained piece. | on the creek blog // www.onthecreekblog.com


The Final Reveal 

I'm head over heels for how it turned out! It's a blend of old and new, chippy yet chic, and it's hands-down my favorite furniture piece to date. 

Final Thoughts

Sending you all the creative vibes! If you're feeling inspired, why not try upcycling a piece of furniture? Share your projects with me by tagging @OnTheCreekBlog on social media. I can't wait to see your creations! 🎨👀

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