When Comfort Works emailed me about a potential collab I jumped all over it! I love my slipcover Ikea sectional. It’s the perfect size for my large family. Everything is washable which is amazing, but let’s be honest; after so many years of washing those covers, the age was starting to show. There were stains that never came out, the fabric was starting to tear in places that were noticeable. As seasons change, so do styles – and I was ready for something lighter and brighter! (Especially now that I was out of the toddler stage with my kiddos).

Comfort Works is a company that makes slipcovers/couch covers…

for our favorite sofas like Ikea, Pottery Barn, and Muji. They also make custom covers. They have so many beautiful fabric choices. Honestly, that was the hardest part for me. They have heavy-duty fabric in so many colors, pure linens, everyday tweed, claw-proof Velvet in the most vibrant color choices, mixed blends, linen blends, velvet blends, bycast & synthetic leathers, pure cottons, and English stripes. At the end of the day, I went with pure linens. After getting the swatch in the mail I fell in love with the natural linen. It was incredibly soft and I loved the natural texture of the soft beige/tan. It was light and creamy.. without being too light. It was the exact color I wanted to incorporate into our family room to help tie in the color of my exposed beams. Plus, it feels very Scandinavian-farmhouse house which is totally a vibe that I dig!

The process was like a dream…

from start to finish with Comfort Works. The fabric samples came in such a timely manner (they even threw in some extra ones too). The ordering process was so easy and the customer service was spot on – answering any and all of my questions. My slipcovers even came earlier than when they said they would!

When my covers came in the mail, I immediately pulled everything out of the box. Each cover was labeled to make putting them on super easy. Each cover fits like a dream! They have a little bit of wiggle room which I’m glad for. The linen is so super soft and luxurious! After seeing it for the first time I knew I made the right choice. Like most linen material, it came wrinkled. I wasn’t worried though because after a few days of setting it all up most of the wrinkles had already fallen out.

What a transformation!

It is absolutely incredible what updating your slipcover will do for your space! Honestly, If you’re like me and Love your sofa but want a whole new look – I’d give Comfort Works a go! You’ll get a completely new sofa look, but with the old sofa comfort. And I would totally recommend Comfort Works. They are an awesome company to work with and their products are of the highest quality! I seriously feel like I have a high-end sofa! I’m so happy With Comfort Works – and I’ll definitely be working with them again in the future! I have other Ikea chairs that could use new covers🤔. The only hard part is figuring out what fabric to choose 🤦🏻‍♀️ 

As always pals~ thanks for reading along!

Much Love,

Korilyn ~ From The Farmhouselife

One thing we inherited when we purchased our home was a very healthy rhubarb bush. Rhubarb is a perennial and faithfully comes back every year. When it starts popping up out of the ground my kids start talking about all the yummy ways we can eat it. With the weather warming up we’ve started to see Strawberries for sale in the market too. My husband actually picked some up last week, and although they aren’t quite ripe enough to snack on, we’ve decided to add it into our favorite rhubarb crisp recipe!

Just like all of my recipes around here, they’re dairy-free.

My youngest has a dairy allergy, I have a sensitivity to dairy, and my husband is intolerant. So needless to say we avoid dairy in our home. I actually “try” and make all of our food animal product free. After reading the book How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greggor we try and add as many plants as possible into our diet. And rhubarb is certainly a plant – so we should enjoy it and all it’s health benefits!

Did you know that rhubarb is also a great source of vitamin K!

Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and bone health. Along with vitamin K, it also contains two grams of fiber, calcium, and vitamin C! But beware – rhubarb leaves contain high amounts of oxalic acid, which can cause health problems when eaten in higher amounts. Symptoms can include mild gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as more serious problems, such as kidney stones and kidney failure. Yeek!

Ok – so the take away… eat cooked rhubarb stems in yummy desserts like strawberry rhubarb crisp!

Here’s a 30-second video clip of the process

Ingredients

For the fruit:

• • 3 cups rhubarb – cut into 3/4″ pieces
  • 2 cups strawberries – hulled and cut into 3/4″ pieces
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • pinch of salt

For the topping:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter – or dairy-free butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an  8″x8″  baking dish.
2. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt.  Add the chopped fruit and Let sit for at least 5-10 minutes while preparing the topping.
3. In another large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt.
4. Add the fruit mixture to the pan. Next, add the topping over top of the fruit mixture.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes. The topping should be firm and the fruit should bubble over when done. The filling may also appear runny it’s warm but will thicken as it cools.
6. Make sure it cools for 30 minutes before serving.

Want to download this recipe?! Click here!!

Need some baking essentials? Click an image below to shop!

As always pals,

Thanks for reading along!

Much Love,

Kori~ from The Farmhouse Life

Lately, I’ve been pulling more natural warmer tones into my home. Our house is large and feels kind of stark and cold. More natural linens and warm tans/beiges really help to add that cozy feeling. I’ve been in love with large clay pots I’ve seen at Pottery Barn that would complete the vibe I’ve been transitioning into. But at this time in my life, I just can’t drop that kind of cash on decor pieces. Then I saw my friend Bre from @brepurposed on the gram transform her lamp with just a few easy steps into this gorgeous clay-looking Pottery Barn /Restoration Hardware creation! I decided to give it a go – and I’m so glad I did! I’m so in love and can’t believe I actually made this! Below I’ll show you each step so you too can create gorgeous vases/ pitches/lamps.. really whatever your heart desires… for a fraction of the cost of what you’d pay for brand new! I’ll also have a video of my project from start to finish at the bottom.

To start, pick out your piece! This is where you can have fun… Really anything will work. Don’t worry if it’s too shiny and smooth. We’ll be adding texture to help give it that clay look! I chose two large jars/vases and a pitcher. I’ve had these jars for many years… Remember when Chevron pattern was all the rage? Well, I jumped on that bandwaggon and displayed these beauties proudly. They’ve since been stored in my attic just waiting to be used for the right DIY.

Next, get all your supplies together

1. drywall mud
2. Plaster of Paris
3. sandpaper
4. paint of your choice
5. mud from outside
6. paper towels
7. paintbrushes (small and medium)

Thankfully, I had all of these supplies on hand. Plaster of Paris is what you use when you’re mixing up your own chalk paint recipe – and lord knows I mix up a lot of chalk paint so I had plenty of that on hand.

Step one

With your small brush, lightly spackle over your vase. It’s ok if it goes on thicker in some areas – after everything is dry,  we’ll give it a good sand to get rid of anything loose. Keep going until your entire vase is covered and then let dry. Make sure to rinse your brush well because you’ll be using this size again in another step.

Step 2

When your vase is dry – give it a light sand to get rid of all of the loose pieces of spackle. It’s ok if some spots of your vase are bare again.. it’ll only add texture and dimension if some areas are more raised than others.

Step 3

Mix 1/2 cup of plaster of Paris and about 1/4 cup water together. It’s ok if it’s a little watery. Plaster of Paris thickens over time so you may have to add a little more water as you go or even start with a fresh batch to continue to have the right consistency. With your small brush, paint your vase with the plaster of Paris mixture until you have your desired texture and until it’s fully covered. Remember to work quickly or be prepared to make a new mixture because your plaster will harden in your dish. Let dry completely.

Step 4

Choose a paint color. I used Glidden Off-White. It has a subtle beige that really adds a lot of warmth.  Use your medium-sized brush and paint over your entire vase and let dry.

Step 5

Mix dirt and water to create a thick mud mixture (not watery) and completely coat your vase. It’s ok to put it on thick. After it dries, take a paper towel and brush off any loose mud from your vase.

Step 6

Lastly, grab a paper towel and dip back into your paint and sponge it on in small areas on your vase. This is so you can get your desired color and also to help capture a more multidimensional look.

That’s it guys! How cool was that?!

Here is a video from start to finish of my projects and just how simple it really was!

Want to shop this post for supplies? Just click an image below!

As always pals – Thanks for reading along!

Much love,

Korilyn ~ from The Farmhouse Life

Stocking up on bar cart essentials is always a good idea. Especially with everything going on right now! We can’t go out and get a drink – But that shouldn’t stop us from making a drink at home and enjoying ourselves. Since my husband and I cant have a date night at the moment we’re treating Friday evenings like “date night” by making a couple of drinks and spending a little one-on-one quality time together.

Now, I know what you’re thinking –

Isn’t being at home quarantined with your significant other enough one-on-one time? Well – For us we don’t really have a lot of time to spend with one another on a regular basis. He spends most of his time upstairs doing all of his work appointments while I’m downstairs taking care of the children, the house, etc. And in the evenings I try to get all my work done for the day while he switches into parent mode. Needless to say, life can get busy – even when you’re stuck at home. So let’s have a drink and enjoy ourselves!

Want to stock up on essentials but you’re not sure where to start?

Knowing what items to stock up on really depends on what your favorite drinks are. For instance, we love a good Moscow mule and I wouldn’t say no to a mimosa on a Saturday morning either. Bloody marys are fun and probably my go-to drink is always a good ol glass of cabernet. Really, whatever your fancy – you can probably bet items like rum, tequila, vodka, and wine are a good idea to have on hand. Then grab those mixes… Margarita, ginger beer, orange juice, coke, cranberry juice, limes, Mint, etc.

I like to hide some of the smaller nips in a cute cookie jar to style on my bar cart and I also have a marble cutting board too. This way everything is accessible when your ready to make that drink and slice those limes. Also, make sure your bar cart has all the tools it needs to make your favorite drinks too and of course the appropriate glasses.

Want to shop this post?? Click an image below!

Looking for ways to style your bar cart?! Check out this short video below!

As always pals – Thanks for reading along!

Much Love,

Kori ~ from The Farmhouse Life

I have a confession to make… I’m kind of obsessed with making soups. Really any kind of soup! But especially creamy veggie soups. One of my kid’s favorites is butternut squash soup because it’s creamy and savory. We always make our creamy soups vegan because my youngest is lactose intolerant. It is such an easy recipe and only requires a few ingredients, so it’s been a staple around here while we’re stuck at home.

Between my Bjs order last week having a few butternut squashes in it and this week my Misfits Market order having one too – We’ll be stocked on our soup supplies for a while.

If you’re interested in trying out Misfits Market – use code COOKWME-NT4CNC to get 25% off your first order. Check it out here! There are two sizes to the boxes –  large and small. You pick your size and how often you get shipments. It’s as easy as that. Organic fresh produce delivered right to your door.

Alright – back to that recipe!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400* F.

2. Place the whole butternut squash on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven until it’s soft and golden brown (about an hour). Put aside until it cools.

3. Peel, dice, and then boil the carrots to soften.

4. Make the “roux” to thicken the soup: Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add 1/4 cup of flour until the flour is completely saturated. Then slowly add in 1-1/2 cups of the veggie stock and whisk frequently. Be sure to bring to a boil and then reduce heat. The roux will thicken on standing. 

5. When cool, cut the butternut squash in half (the long way) and scoop out the seed to discard. Next, scoop out the meat and place in a high powered blender. You should have about 2 cups.

 6. Drain and add in your cooked carrots, the rest of your veggie stock, roux, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and blend.

 7. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

check out the video below for a rundown of the whole recipe!

Be sure to grab the free printable below!

As always pals ~ Thanks for reading!

Much Love,

Kori ~ from The Farmhouse Life

Hey guys – I’m so excited to finally show you our bath reveal. We’ve worked for the last few months in our spare time… buying some things and using what we already had to create a big-budget look with a  pretty small budget. Everything will be linked at the bottom.

To start

We peeled up the old peel and stick tile and surprisingly laid down new peel and stick tile. We just took it up a notch by getting faux wood tiles and laying them down in a herringbone pattern. Check it out here! Then we grouted. Did you know you can grout peel and stick tile?

Next, we painted the vanity

Painting the vanity was pretty simple. I used paint I already had called little black dress by Behr paint. And oddly enough it has more blue undertones then black. I mixed up a chalk paint recipe and then sealed the vanity with a polycrylic. Then I updated the hardware… this really helped to give this vanity an updated look.

Then, we updated the mirror and light fixture

This is such an easy way to give any look an upgrade. Light fixtures can be pretty inexpensive and so can mirrors! Both of mine are from Amazon! I feel like updating these two things really helped this outdated bath turn into the modern-boho vibes I was going for.

Lastly, we put on the finishing touches.

I have to be honest… Installing all of the finishing touches was probably the most exciting part. We put up new towel hooks, a shower curtain, plant hangers, a toilet paper holder, a shelf, and a new blind! These things really brought the whole look home.

Check out our finished project below

Want to shop this look?!

As always pals – Thanks for reading along!

Much love,

Kori ~ from the farmhouse life

A few years back I remember being on a huge budget while renovating our small downstairs bathroom in our first home. We picked out some peel and stick tile and found an amazing product…vinyl tile grout! I didn’t even realize that was a thing! Well – the process was very easy and I remember all of our guests complimenting us on our new bathroom floor. They were astonished when I told them that It was peel and stick tile. We even had a few friends argue us and place their bare feet on the tile to see if it was cold like a ceramic or stone tile generally is. But low and behold – It was just a jazzy way to spice up cheap flooring. Fooled them

Fast forward 5 years when it was time to fix up the kid’s bath in our “new” old home (new to us but 300 years old) – I remembered that project we did years ago and wanted to do it again. But of course, I had to one-up myself by doing it in a herringbone pattern! Click here to check out that tutorial. Well – It was a challenge – but oh my did it turn out amazing! And I knew I wanted to grout it because it’s basically like the icing on the cake. It looks so finished!

Check out our project from start to finish below!

Step one

To start, put grout mix into a large container or just directly apply the grout onto your grout float (I guess that’s what the fancy name for the tool we’re using is called.)

Next, at a 45-degree angle – apply the grout to the floor creases and use a zig-zag motion to smear the grout deep into the cracks.

Step 2

Only do a section at a time that you can manage to wash off the haze and then regrout in a 30-minute time frame. So I broke my bathroom into two areas. I applied the grout – Washed it off and then regrouted and then washed again before moving on to the other side.

Step 3

When It’s time to wash off the haze (what’s sitting on the actual tile) use a bucket of cool water and a sponge. Wring all the water out of the sponge before wiping it off of the tile. Try not to get too much water on the tile. Keep redipping in the water and wring out the sponge – wiping until its completely off the tile.

TIP – press your finger behind the sponge and run it along each grout line to create a nice smooth line.

Step 4

After at least 2 days – use a sealer along the grout lines to protect it from any water penetration. Just run the sealer up the grout lines and wipe any of the residue off of the tile itself before 15 minutes. This is so the sealer doesn’t leave anything behind.

Want to shop this post? Click an image below!

Click here for the tile grout

That’s it guys – Any questions drop them below!

As Always,

Much Love,

Korilyn ~ at the Farmhouse Life

When I first showed my husband the tile I wanted for our new bathroom floor he was all about it. It’s inexpensive peel and sticks tile – and looks like wood flooring. He was a little more apprehensive when I showed him what pattern I wanted it laid in. Although I did I tell him I’d do the brunt of it, I’d just need him for the tricky angles. Low and behold –  most of the angles were tricky and above my pay grade. So I told him if he took over, I’d go and make him homemade donuts. He thought this was a fair trade.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you – if you’re expecting this project to take you a few hours… sadly It will not. This project was time-consuming. Our bathroom is small, and it still took us 8-10 hours. There will be an angle to cut with almost every piece you put down, due to the herringbone pattern. At least, this was true in our case because our bathroom is narrow and only the first strip of tiles that went down didn’t need to be cut.

OK – onto the tutorial… Below I’ll list all of the material and tools we used just in case you want to give this project a go.

To start, lay out a centerline…

This will give you a reference point to ensure the focal point of your herringbone design is centered in your space. Then you can start laying your tiles in a V-like shape alternating each tile to butt up against the top side of the tile. Do your best to estimate tile placement so you can avoid having small pieces of tile in high traffic areas (like a doorway). 

 1. Use a tape measure and a sliding T-Bevel…

to ensure you are obtaining the correct angles at which to cut your tiles. Using a pencil and the T-Bevel, trace a line on your tile. 

2. Lay the tile on a piece of wood…

so you don’t cut into the tiles below. Firmly cut along the pencil line, scoring the surface of the tile but not cutting all the way through the tile. You then quickly and firmly snap off the tile along the scored line.

3. Place the tile in its spot to ensure proper fit…

and trim if necessary. If you plan to grout the tile, make sure your spacers are in appropriate spots.

4. Pull the backing paper off the tile…

and using the heat gun, warm the adhesive on the back of the tile. You may also consider putting adhesive on the floor itself.

5. Carefully put the tile in place…

ensuring proper spacing by using the tile spacers. Finally, use a J roller to firmly press the tile down (begin in the center of the tile and roll outwards) to ensure proper adhesion. 

Helpful hints: 

1. 1. When cutting, make sure you use a sharp blade. Take a scrap piece of tile to practice scoring and breaking if you’re struggling to get clean cuts. The key is to score the tile deep enough to ensure a clean break, but to not press so hard that you are trying to cut all the way through the tile.
   2. For tricky corners or angles, using a piece of poster board can work nicely to make a stencil that you can bend and flex to cut to fit the desired shape, and then trace the shape onto the tile. 
   3. Inspect your baseboard/trim board ahead of time, and see if there is space for the tile to slide under the trim to ensure a cleaner, neater finish. 

Here is a video from start to finish of our project!

Enjoy

Want to shop this post? Click on an image below!

And click here for the tile we used 

As always pals – thanks for reading along!

Much Love,

Kori ~ at the farmhouse life

In one of my most recent chats with a countertops guy – Yes, this was before the coronavirus outbreak when we could see people and have such conversations as countertops. We just so happened to be discussing stone upkeep. He mentioned having to reseal stone countertops at least once a year. That one had me stumped because within the four years we have lived in our house we have yet to reseal our countertops. I’ll be totally honest, our countertops have lost all it’s sheen and are looking very dull. He said this was very dangerous because it leaves your stone open for stains! I then asked him what he thought was the best product on the market for countertop care – and he said hands down – It’s Granite Gold. He said it’s the only stuff that truly works and is the only product on the market he recommends. This stuff is available on Amazon – so I went ahead and ordered the set. There’s the daily cleaner, a sealer, and a polish. I thought this was as good a time as any to get those countertops looking shiny and new. You know… just in time for the big Easter Din… on never mind. Just in time for staying at home.

To start, I gave the countertops a good washing with the daily cleaner.

The back of all three of the bottles says it’s safe for food prep surfaces, is non-toxic, non-acidic, pH balanced, biodigratable, and has no phosphates and ammonia. Well – sounds pretty good to me! The directions say to spray on cleaner and wipe dry with a paper towel or lint-free cloth. So that’s what I did.

Next, I started the process of sealing the countertops. The directions say to start with a clean countertop using the daily cleaner – done! Then to spray a 3-foot section and immediately wipe the stone clean with a lint-free cloth. It specifically says do not let the sealer dry on the countertop… it will cause hazing. I don’t know what that means – but it doesn’t sound good. lastly, it says to buff dry with a lint-free cloth… wait 20 minuted and do the whole thing again -2 – 3 times.

The last step says to polish  – but not until 24 hours after you have sealed the countertops. This is because the sealer needs that amount of time to cure. After the 24 hours are up the directions say to spray the countertops with the daily cleaner and wipe clean with a paper towel or a lint-free cloth. Then lastly, simply spray the polish on the countertop and buff with a dry paper towel or lint-free cloth. Then to wipe dry with a paper towel or lint-free cloth to finish. I’m getting the feeling that maybe I should be using a lint-free cloth🤷🏻‍♀️. Probably a good investment I’d say. Just a guess.

Here’s a video of how it all went down for me and the finished product!

Want to shop this post? Click on an image below!!

Thanks so much for watching guys!

Much Love,

Kori ~ from the farmhouse life

Hey all – this weekend I was hard at work removing the old sticky tile in my kid’s bathroom. At first, I tried shoving a metal putty knife under the tile and I’ll tell ya – It didn’t go well. A little piece flicked off and I thought “oh boy – this is going to take a while”… Then I got smart and told my husband I needed his heat gun and not to ask any questions. And like a good husband, he pointed me in the right direction. After giving it a go – and blindly I might add. I probably should have watched a youtube video on how to properly use one, but hey – I made it out alive and with the sticky tile gone! I call that a win!

I started with heating up each individual tile.

Then, turning the heat gun off and using my pry bar to peel the tile off. This was time-consuming. If I was going to finish this bathroom any time this year – I was going to have to get a little more comfortable with managing this heat gun and my pry bar at the same time. It was a little uncomfortable – at first but after a while, I managed to use my pry bar with one hand while heating the tile with the other. The heat gun did most of the work and the pry bar really just needed pressure to keep it moving forward to peel off the tile. It was a fairly easy project and really only took me about 30-35 minutes total to remove all of the tiles.

I did find that…

removing the tile starting at an open corner (meaning on the side of the tile that was already exposed) and working forward – using my body weight to propel the pry bar was really the best way to remove the tile. The momentum and the heat gun really did the work for me. On the downside, I did get a couple of friction burns – no, not heat gun burns – friction burns. This was from my forearms rubbing on my jeans/long sleeve shirt while using the pry bar. It’s all right though – I mean If there wasn’t any pain or scarring (no scarring here) did it really even happen?!

Here’s a little timelapse video that shows the process of how it all went down.

The only trouble-some area was the toilet. The old sticky tile was laid before the toilet was installed so In order to remove all of the tiles – the toilet will have to be removed.  I was determined to do this project on my own – but I think I’ll have to call in the big guns (my husband) to remove the toilet… I mean I probably could figure it out and move the toilet on my own… maybe?! But do I want to?!… Not really. Thank goodness my husband is so accommodating and said he’s gladly step in and move the toilet for me. ~Swoon~ Ladies, get yourself a husband who moves toilets for you.

All in all –

on a scale from 1 to 10 for difficulty I’d say that this project was probably a 2/3. I was fairly easy – and once I got a hold of how to hold the pry bar and heat gun this project went by fairly quickly. Now, Laying down the new tile might be a little more difficult… we’ll see!

Doing your own project and want to use the tools I used? Click an image below to shop!

Be sure to pop over later this week to see how installing the new tile goes! Here’s a sneak-peek on how we’ll be laying down the new floor tile!

Much Love,

Kori ~ from the Farmhouse life

Ps -Did you miss my last post on choosing bathroom fixtures? Check it out here!