{yummy} apple-worthy fruit dip

dips are always easy. they're easy to make. easy to eat. easy to serve. they're just my fave. period.

this past december i highlighted my gluten-free breakfast casserole from my baubles and brunch party, but one of the other dishes stood out to everyone at the party. it was the fruit dip. made simply out of ingredients most people have in their kitchens right now, it's a sure to please dish. most find themselves hovering around it scooping up heaps of it with apple slices. i found myself doing it and i usually don't like apples...unless they're in pie form. i love pie. anywayyyyy, it got me thinking- there has to be a healthier version of said dip.

after more interweb and pinterest searching, i found the solution: greek yogurt and chia seeds. i can now consume this dip every morning and not feel like i ate a block of cream cheese. so i give you both: the splurge and the save dip.

the original fruit dip

1 block of cream cheese
cinnamon
brown sugar
vanilla extract

mix and serve. delish.

the waist-friendly fruit dip

1 16 oz. carton of fat free greek yogurt (use Fage- it's the real deal)
2 tbs. of chia seeds
cinnamon
brown sugar
vanilla extract

mix and let sit over night. then dip away.

they taste exactly the same, with the same consistency. it's truly shocking. major kudos to the 2 blogs i found said recipes on, chocolate, chocolate, and more and the yummy life. ya'll rock.

xoxo Lauren

{diy} chair facelift

first of all, let me apologize. i've been MIA and i'm sorry. it's not you, it's me. life and jobs get in the way, forcing certain things to be put on the back burner. but while i've been rockin' the real estate world and styling everyone in northern virginia, my readers have suffered. my bad. i would like to say it won't happen again, but you never know. all i can say is that i will make it worth your while in the coming weeks. pinky swear. scouts honor. and all those other phrases.

so now that i've gotten that out of the way- let's diy some stuff! YAY! this is my happy place. i love to give things a makeover or a facelift if you will. i mean, we all saw my kitchen, my bathroom, and my adorbs twin stools. swoon. but this weekend i turned my attention to my office chair. and, boy, did it need it!

yet again, this was one of my grandma's chairs. she was a fashion designer and from nyc, so i am assuming that back in the 70s, this color and print combo was uber chic. fast-forward to 2013 and not so much. here's a lovely before pic.

months ago (maybe even almost close to a year ago) i spotted this fabric i wanted at my joann's superstore in leesburg. it's seriously one of the best in the area. it's almost like a homegoods/joann's hybrid and i heart it. i've gotten some great things there for super cheap. i bought 4 yards of the fabric just in case we had any issues- pretty sure it cost me like $10 total. score. thank you, rando joann's coupons online.

and then the fabric sat in my condo. collecting dust until this past friday where i legit had a convo with myself. 'lauren, what are you waiting for? can't tell if you'd like that color spray paint from home depot? hello- paint over it again if you don't. just get it done.' so i convinced myself to get on it and rustoleum's leafy green spray paint was my final choice.

i'm going to admit- i didn't sand or strip the pretty muted pumpkin/salmon color. i spray painted rustoleum's primer, let it sit for a few hours, and then spray painted the leafy green. it was seriously that easy. here's a nice before after color wise.

saturday: i decided to late-night tackle the cushion. i carefully ripped all the seams and used each portion of fabric as my template for cutting out the new fabric. and then i drank wine. so game over, saturday night.

sunday: i was like 'girl, get this done!' so i did. out came the sewing machine and- stupidity. seriously. i was so frustrated i vented to the facebook world.

after a few cups of coffee and scouring the interwebs, i finally found the users manual online. i was shocked. this sewing machine was a hand me down from my great-aunt and is from the 1970s. i thank the person that scanned the users manual- it was my savior. i provide pictorial proof of my 'vintage' sewing machine.

let me preface this and say i have never used a sewing machine IN MY LIFE. i took a home economics course in like 6th grade and vaguely remember learning to sew. but it was overseas and i think we sewed ethnic garb. i don't believe upholstery was not on the syllabus. so i was starting from scratch. and it was hard. but- I DID IT. here's the finished product.

now i do have some tips for this type of project, mainly around the upholstery portion. if you need tips on spray paint, then maybe this level of project isn't for you yet. ha.

TIP 1: when choosing a fabric, do one that is either a solid or a busy print where you won't notice mistakes. my cushion is FAR from perfectly put together, but you can't tell.

TIP 2: get some no-sew fabric glue. this was helpful especially when dealing with the cording.

TIP 3: save whatever you can. i didn't replace the filling or the cording. this i am sure saved me some moolah.

TIP 4: look beyond the icky and see the potential. this chair had been sitting in my parents house for years, with no purpose. until i came along. now it's a happy addition to my office.

xoxo Lauren