Around the same time last year I posted about a particular bike I had my eye on. Well, I didn’t get that bike for my birthday last year, but my boy didn’t forget how much I wanted a vintage one. This year he totally surprised me on Mother’s Day and picked up a 1975 vintage Schwinn Breeze off of a Craigslist seller for $60 bucks! After researching the serial number, I also found out this particular bike was made not only in the year I was born, but the same month as well…July! I just dated myself, but I don’t care. So cool!
*sorry for the blurry Instagram pic!*
She looks pretty good in this picture, but the paint is dull and chipped, she’s missing her pedals, the tires need to be replaced, and the chrome is all rusted and pitted. My hubby use to do triathlons in his teens and early 20s, so he’s pretty good at taking apart and fixing up bikes.
I decided to try and make this bike as New England-y as possible and go with a navy, white and tan color combo. Here is what I’m doing to fix her up… Thank you hubby!!
She’s getting a new powder coat paint job in Sapphire Blue (my fav color). We’re replacing the grips with some cool cork ones and staining them a darker color to match the seat. The old leather seat is coming off and I found a vintage style quilted one that will feel nice on the tush. The old black tires are also coming off and being replaced with a set of fresh, white ones. And the final accessories are a large wicker basket just perfect for carrying groceries or a picnic in and a cute little brass bell! I’m excited can you tell?
I’m sure you are wondering if I’m really going to spend a ton of time on it. Well, already Ellie and I take quite a few bike rides throughout the week! Our neighborhood is also filled with lots of summertime activities…concerts and movies in the park, etc. Parking a car can get pretty crazy, so it will be nice to have a bike to avoid all that. The vintage bike thing has definitely caught hold in our household and now the hubby is looking for a Schwinn of his own and I’m looking for the kid version of my Breeze for Ellie. They made a smaller girl bike version of the same bike!
I’ll leave you on this beautiful Friday with some pretty bike images that I’ve found to inspire me!
Hope you all have a great weekend!
1. begbicycles.com 2. lovelybike.blogspot.com 3. modern-sophisticate.blogspot.com 4. unknown 5. weheartit
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Hi all! Today my buddy Andrea over at For The Love Of is showing her readers how I helped her create an orchid and fern centerpiece for her dining room table. Please stop over and say hi and learn how to make this easy and quick arrangement for your home!
It’s no secret that I LOVE summer! My little girl and I share a July birthday and combined with all the beach days, bicycle rides, bbqs, ice cream cones and outdoor concerts…well it pretty much encompasses all the things I love in life.
As far as our dinners around here, I have definitely been switching things up and making my menus a bit more light and grill friendly. This yummy recipe was an older one I stumbled across in my recipe folder filled with lots of handwritten recipes and torn out pages from magazines. You will NOT be disappointed! The hubby and I SCARFED up our food, it was that good.
To make it a little kid friendly I just sliced up the steak, made her a simple salad of lettuce, carrots and garbanzo beans on the side and added a slice of the DELICIOUS grilled ciabatta . She was happy!
So get all the ingredients before this weekend and make sure you don’t forget a nice bottle of wine to go with! This is perfect for a relaxing dinner on the patio.
Makes 4-6 Servings
40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound hanger, skirt, or flank steak
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato (about 6 ounces) halved
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 5 teaspoons of olive oil, divided
4 spring onions or 6 scallions, bulbs halved, dark-green parts discarded
5 1/2- inch thick slices ciabatta
8 cups mixed summer lettuces (such as mizuna, baby mustard greens, and tatsoi) *I just used baby herb greens and it was great!*
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into 1/2 inch strips
Preparation:
Season steaks with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper; set aside. Grate cut sides of tomato on coarse holes of a box grater into a medium bowl down to the skin; discard skin. Add shallot and vinegar; whisk in 1/4 cup oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Vinaigrette can be made 1 day ahead.
Heat a gas grill to high. Toss spring onions in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill onions until just tender, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2″ pieces.
Grill steak until seared and cooked to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes per side for medium rare, depending on steak’s thickness. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make croutons. Brush both sides of bread slices with remaining 4 teaspoons (or more) oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill bread until dark golden brown and nicely charred in spots, about 2 minutes per side. Set toast aside until cool enough to handle, then break into roughly 1″ pieces.
Thinly slice steak against the grain. Toss lettuces, basil, spring onions, croutons, and some of the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add steak and toss gently to coat. Serve with remaining vinaigrette along side.
Enjoy!!
Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Do you know what you’re doing for your momma? We basically all want the same…. a little relaxation and appreciation for all our hard work and pain! *wink wink* So let her relax and spoil her right. Give her a day that’s all about treating her nice.
1. I NEED this skirt! Ok need may be a bit much, but want? Oh yes…definitely. Sheridan French was brought to my attention by a friend of mine. Thanks Trista! And I instantly fell in love with her gorgeous tunics, bright colors, and THIS SKIRT!!!! It would be perfect for summer soirees, date nights and my birthday in July. It’s absolutely beautiful and it needs to be mine.
2. This soap caught my eye at West Elm a few weeks ago. My husband comes from Swedish ancestry, so I tend to pick things up that even hint at being swede. Haha! The smell is divine and it looks so preppy cute on the countertop.
3. Our dogs are mostly indoors, so consequently they require big cushy beds to lounge on. They currently have beds from Martha Stewarts’ line at Petsmart and I haven’t been too happy with them. And…they are definitely NOT as cute as this Dash and Albert dog bed! I’m a huge fan of the line and have been very happy with the quality of their products. These will be seen in my home soon I think.
4. We ventured out to the desert for the big Coachella event a few weeks ago. Having previously attended the concert (this was my eighth year), I knew that makeup tends to melt right off your face. I decided to give this beauty balm a try after hearing so much about them. Light weight coverage, primer, moisturizer, anti aging treatment, and sunscreen all in one….it sounds too good to be true. However, I can tell you first hand THIS IS THE BEST STUFF!!! I’m hooked. It gives my blotchy, acne prone, sensitive skin a nice amount of coverage and hides my flaws, and I’ve also noticed an overall improvement to the texture. You must try this!
5. I instantly fell in love with this tunic when I laid eyes upon it at Anthro. It’s has a slight vintage feel and is just the look I tend to lean towards for summer. It will be a great piece to dress up with bright skinny jeans and wedges or down with cutoffs and sandals.
6. It’s no secret that I love a good monogram. This pillow would look adorable in our British inspired living room.
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
