When Life Gives You Lemons…
Strap in for some intense citrus decor.
In this week’s post I’m bringing you ideas for decorating, a DIY lemon wreath, and a recipe for Key Lime Fluff Pie, so check it all out below!
When life gives you lemons:
Decorate with them. Abundantly. Just give in and throw them everywhere. Nothing says summer freshness like citrus fruits with their bright colors and sharp flavors.
Now is the time to use fruits (faux or real) and citrus patterns, people. On mantles, fabrics, walls, wherever you can possibly stick them. Seriously, go wild. You can’t overdo this in a kitchen, and I’ve tried. Have you seen the huge amount of lemon themed decor on Pinterest? These days you could have citrus fruits coming out of your ears and as long as they have a cute sign saying “easy peasy lemon squeezy” I guarantee no one would bat an eye.
For example, Check out these botanical prints in my Kitchen from Etsy. The set of three fills the space nicely, and the scientific look to the drawings keeps them from being too cutesy, if that is a concern for your style. Citrus can be so versatile!
Pretty sure that’s This Old House on the TV as I took this photo.
Faux lemons in decorating go great with many other supporting colors. Accompany them with lavender to bring the outdoors-indoors. ‘Wow, am I in Provence?’ Nope, just the mosquito-ridden east coast of the U.S.!
Faux Lemons and Faux Lavender - nature’s goodness, without the mess.
The sky’s the limit with this, folks. Go wild and let the summer season take over! Check out the DIY below for a reusable lemon wreath!
DIY Lemon Wreath
Want to add some citrus decor to your existing pieces, but don’t want to make the change permanent? Check out my directions for making a lemon wreath WITHOUT a hot glue gun!
What you’ll need:
Decorator’s wire (green).
If you don’t have wire or don’t want to spend the money on a bundle of wire for just one project, you can also use a sturdy needle and yellow or green thread.
Faux lemons, soft enough plastic to get a needle through.
Boxwood wreath of your choice!
Lay out approximately where you’d like your fruit to go. This wire/needle method isn’t as exact as using a hot glue gun when it comes to placement, as there will be some movement to the lemons. So don’t get discouraged if you have to adjust a few times to get the final result you’re looking for!
Poke the decorator’s wire through the lemon. If your wire isn’t sturdy enough to go through both sides, try putting the holes near the end of the lemon, or try the needle method.
Push needle shallowly under the faux lemon’s “skin” and back out again. Adjust thread so that there’s equal amount on both sides.
Hold lemon thread-side down on the front of the wreath, and tie the strings around the back.
And there you have it! When you’re ready for your next decor change, just cut the strings and you’re back to your beautiful boxwood again.
Key Lime Fluff Pie Recipe
My sister graciously lent me this recipe for the blog, and this was my first time making it — although she has been making it for years with great success. And it’s fast (aside from setting time), easy, and delicious! If you like key lime pie but find it too tart or heavy, this is a great alternative. It may just be the most refreshing dessert I’ve ever had! Seriously, don’t leave me alone with a whole pie of it.
Ingredients:
8 oz Cool Whip
12 oz key lime yogurt (typically 2 small containers)
1 small box lime Jello
1 graham cracker pie crust (extra deep)
*TIP: If key lime isn’t your jam, you can try strawberry, orange, or any other flavor combo of Jello and yogurt.
*TIP: Sugar free and low fat ingredients can be used in this recipe, if you’d like to lighten it up a bit.
Directions:
Boil 1 cup water with Jello.
Let cool for 2 minutes.
Stir in yogurt until well mixed.
Fold in Cool Whip.
Freeze until firm (at least 2 hours). (I did mine for 3).
For direction #4: Folding in the whipped cream. For those who haven’t had to fold in an ingredient before, remember that David Rose hadn’t done it either. With that episode of a certain “Creek” show in mind, I included a demonstration. It’s a gentle circular scoop motion, literally folding the ingredients on top of themselves. It helps keep things fluffy and light and not over-mixed. This is not a perfect technique shown here, but at least I’m not just repeating “fold it in.” ;) (Do yourself a favor and google “fold in the cheese,” you won’t be disappointed.)
Final Product! Sweet and delicious.
That’s all for this week!
What are your favorite colors for summer decor? Personally, I love the yellow and purple together, and I could be talked into a mix of lime & teal as well!
