Confetti Chili

This is my absolute favorite Chili recipe! It has a ton of colorful veggies in it that makes it look just as good as it tastes. It is super healthy and best of all it is very easy and quick to throw together. This recipe can be made in a large stock pot on the stove or thrown in a slow cooker and left to simmer all day. Just keep in mind that the longer it simmers the better it will get as the sauce thickens and the flavors intensify.

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 -1.25 lb ground turkey
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken broth
1 can petite diced tomatoes - drained
1 cans tomato soup
1 can tomato paste
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 medium red onion - chopped
3 bell peppers (1 of each - green, yellow, red) - chopped
2 cups celery - chopped
1 can diced green chilis
3 cloves garlic - minced

In a large stock pot over medium-high heat whisk together broth, diced tomatoes, tomato soup, tomato paste and spices. Add the beans and bring to a simmer.
Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Saute onion, bell peppers and celery until they start to get tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and green chilis and saute 1-2 more minutes. Add softened vegetables to stock pot.
Add a splash of fresh olive oil to the saute pan. Crumble the turkey and season with a dash of cumin, salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink, then add to stock pot.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 30-45 minutes.
(Slow cooker variation - Just replace the stock pot with a slow cooker and don't worry about sauteing the vegetables before you throw them in. Everything else stays the same. Cook on high for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally.)
Serving suggestion - Top with avocado, sour cream and cilantro.

Hutch-Desk Re-Do

When I found out I was pregnant and immediately started making plans for decorating an adorable nursery I knew I had to first figure out how in the world I was going to clear out the room that we had been using as our home office/craft room/junk room/"I don't know where to put this so I'll just throw it in here" room.
I had the idea of some kind of hutch I could put in our living room that I could close up the doors and hide the ugly mess inside. I had seen them before at furniture stores but I really didn't want to spend an arm and a leg just for a piece of furniture to hide my junk.
Then one fateful day I was out shopping with my sister and we stopped at a new thrift store in town and low and behold I found exactly what I had been dreaming of! It was a pretty awful orangey fake wood color and the price tag said $65. It was perfect but I still didn't want to shell out that much cash. The shop owner saw me eyeing it and told me if I would buy it that day he would give it to me for $25. I didn't even have to think twice! SOLD! (I got a little ahead of myself and took all the doors off before I got a "Before" picture)

After my amazing Dad hauled it to my house for me it sat in my garage for a while so I could procrastinate what to do with it. I eventually settled on a light green color and my awesome Husband and I set to work. We primed...

we painted...

We painted again. It took soooo much paint to cover this beast! But I absolutely LOVE the final product!
I decided to cover the insides of the doors with cork to create a message board area. I purchased cork tiles that came in a package of four and included the adhesive. Lucky for me they were the perfect width so I didn't even have to do any trimming!

To make the fancy push pins I just hot glued buttons onto regular pushpins. So easy and I absolutely love the way it turned out! Now to fill it! And the best part is the whole project only cost a total of about $50!

Wooden Sign

I started with a 12x8 piece of wood. I  like buying my wood from the shelving section at Lowe's instead of the regular lumber section because it tends to be cheaper. Just make sure to check that your board is not warped before you buy it.

I cut the wood down to 44 inches long, but you can cut it whatever length you need to fit your vinyl.

Then, before I sanded or painted, I used a pocket knife to take random chunks out of the wood all around the edges to give it an aged look. Then I sanded it down and painted it my favorite color - Wilderness Adventure- a bright olive green.

Once the paint dried, I sanded down all the edges to add to that aged look. I was then able to apply my vinyl lettering and add the knobs. I found the knobs on clearance at Lowe's and my intention was to spray paint them an oil rubbed bronze finish, but once I saw them against the green I loved them just the way they were. After all was said and done the green was still a bit too bright so I rubbed a rich mahogany stain over the entire thing and it was just the finishing touch it needed!

I hung the finished sign above our headboard to add some much needed color to our bedroom. I found these clear plastic photo sleeves at Walmart and my plan was to put different pictures of my husband and I in them and hang them from ribbons like this but I just haven't found the right pictures yet. I'm kind of loving it even without them though!

Wooden Candle Sticks

These little goodies are super easy to make and are the perfect addition to any room. I got my inspiration from the sisters at Drab to Fab. All you will need is a 4x4 wooden post, 6 wooden fence post toppers, wood glue, sandpaper, nails & paint.
 I started by cutting down the post to 3 different sizes. These are 19, 23 & 29 inches high but I have made smaller ones too and they are just as cute. It just depends on where you want to put them.

Next you will glue and nail the fence post toppers to the top and bottom of each cut post.

Then all thats left to do is sand and paint! I chose black because it goes with everything in my house and well, it's my safety color. :)

After the paint dried I sanded down all the edges to let the wood show through a bit and give it an aged look. Then just accessorize  with with candles and wreaths to match your decor! Easy Peasy!

Welcome to Simply Savvy!

Welcome to my new website! I am really excited to be able to share my creative side with all of you! Over the last few years with help and inspiration from some of my amazing friends and family I have discovered my love for all things crafty. I am really excited to be able to share my ideas with as many people as possible and hopefully inspire others to get creative too. My goal with this website is to be able to share my crafting adventures, thrifty shopping, recipes, etc. I don't know how often I will be able to post, however I promise to keep you updated as often as possible so you will keep coming back for more.
I love decorating my house and bringing my personality out in everything around me, however while I know that can get a bit costly, it doesn't have to. I absolutely love making things from scratch, but one of my favorite things is when I can find a wretched goodie for dirt cheap at the thrift store or dollar store and I can transform it into something wonderful that will beautify my home. It's amazing the difference a coat of spray paint can make!
I am really excited to share all of my ideas with you and I hope that this blog will inspire everyone who reads it!