Confessions of an ADD Housewife

Caramelized Green Beans

2013-05-20T23:33:00.001-05:00

All sorts of goodies are growing in my garden. My tomatoes are coming in very well and I have little peppers, blossoms on my cucumbers and even a few tiny strawberries.

What I'm not growing this year are green beans.

Don't get me wrong, I love green beans...but I'm not very skilled at preparing them any other way besides opening a can. There is a huge texture difference between store can beans and fresh. For years, I wouldn't eat peas because all I'd tasted were the canned variety. Fresh is usually better. Except for green beans.

My mission this summer is to find a delicious green bean recipe using fresh beans.

Tonight's side dish of caramelized green beans got mixed results among the kids. Little Miss loved them and the Boy hated them. That wasn't surprising. The Boy has texture issues and doesn't like most cooked veggies.

They did taste pretty good to me. I mean, you can't really go wrong with a recipe that calls for half a stick of butter and two onions. Butter makes so many things better.

Caramelized Green Beans

1/4 C butter

2 small sweet onions

1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans

3 T soy sauce

3 T brown sugar

salt & pepper to taste

Chop the ends off the green beans. Cut them in to uniform size to help even cooking. While preparing beans, boil a medium sized pot of water. Once beans are cut, place them in the water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add onions, and continue cooking on low for about 5-6 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce and brown sugar. Add the drained green beans into the skillet and "stir fry" for 4 minutes. Next, pour on the sauce. Continue cooking and stirring the beans for another 3 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Paint Stick Garden Markers

2013-05-17T09:05:00.006-05:00

I'm planting heirloom tomatoes for the first time this year!

A man who sells heirlooms lives just a few blocks away. He had 27 varieties and I really didn't know what to get.

I planted a hybrid tomato plant I picked up from the farmer's market and I think it's doing pretty well so far...

I had to pick tomatoes already because the clusters were so large and weighing the plant down, despite being well supported. Only one of these came home with me from the farmer's market. I'm a bit relieved by that because I can't imagine how many tomatoes I'd have!

With the heirlooms, I wanted an easy way to mark them and keep track of what I planted.

A painted paint stir stick, labeled with a sharpie seemed like the perfect solution. Free, fast and plenty of room to label things like when you planted and how long til expected harvest.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how these tomatoes taste.

The rest of the garden is growing well. The hot peppers are already coming in and I saw some flowers on my cucumbers this morning!

What are you looking forward to harvesting this year?

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Tips for line drying clothes

2013-05-14T22:20:00.003-05:00

Last week was a bad week. In addition to everything else going wrong, my dryer broke. And with my ankle not so hot, this was a much bigger problem.

The one thing I wanted for my birthday last year was a clothes line. D did get it for me so while I've been on the mend, the kids have been hanging out the laundry.

I have been loving the smell of the clothes coming in off the line. It smells so fresh and clean.

Today, I told D I wasn't in any hurry to get the dryer fixed. Sometime before September.

There are a few challenges to line drying *everything*

The kids are afraid of stiff undies.

And towels.

And jeans.

Probably reasons many people are afraid to throw caution to the wind along with the clothes.

There are ways around these problems. . .

That's where my dryer without the heating element comes in handy.

Those stiff items will loosen up if you toss them in the dryer on an air only cycle. Another option is adding vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Running them through the dryer with no heat will also remove excess lint and pet hair.

When hanging pants, pretend like you're hanging them on a hanger...make the crease preserving fold then pin the hem or cuff to the line with the waist at the bottom.

You know what else to hang upside down? Your shirts. I know...it seems like you should hang them from the shoulders, but it's better for the shirts this way.

Use three pins for button up shirts. Overlap the button area and pin that first, then one pin on each side.

Socks can be a problem. Heck, they are a problem when I have a working dryer. With the clothes line, you can kill two birds with one stone: Match the socks and hang them together with a single clothes pin.

So far I'm really loving the clothes on the line. It's warm enough here in the summer, I should be able to dry up to three loads a day!

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Vintage Frame Wreath...from Restoration Redoux!

2013-05-13T00:02:00.000-05:00

Hey, gang...I'm still recovering from a very crazy time right. I'm really hoping everything will be wrapped up and back to normal(ish) in the next few days. Lots happening in the family and right now, family needs to come first. Thank goodness for blogging friends to help me out!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Hi everyone! I'm Shanna from Restoration Redoux. The lovely Micki has graciously invited me over to visit today! I met Micki through Hometalk/Blogtalk, and we are now part of a tribe. For those of you who don't know what a tribe is, it's a group of bloggers that support, encourage, and challenge each other to meet our individual blogging goals. We have an amazing collection of ladies in our group, so when Micki needed some time to recuperate, I jumped at the chance to meet all of you! I blog about furniture makeovers, recipes, crafts, home decor and the crazy stories that come with being a mom to three dogs, a cat and a fifteen year old daughter.

Speaking of being a mom, I thought I would share with you the gift I gave my mom for Mother's Day. There are only so many things you can give your mom over the years, so I was looking for something new. My mom loves having lots of photos in the house, and the only thing she said she wanted for Mother's Day was something she could put on her front door. I decided to combine the two. First I started out with a 14-inch foam wreath that I bought at Michaels.

Also from Michaels, I purchased these little vintage looking picture frames (I got them in the isle where you would get goodies for kids' birthday parties -- and they're plastic, not metal, so they're lighter than they look). They were two dollars a piece. I took my hubby and daughter with me, and we all used the 40% off coupons which helped a bit.

I took the picture frames and spray painted them silver.

Next I bought 1/2 a yard of black velvet at Hancock Fabrics. I took the fabric and cut it in half, leaving two long strips.

I took my hot glue gun and glued the end of one of the strips to the back of the wreath, and then I started wrapping it around the whole wreath. One strip will do a little more than half of the wreath. Once I got the whole thing covered, I made sure I ended with the tail on the back and glued that down as well. Next, I laid-out the pictures where I wanted them on the wreath. Under each frame, I put three or four metal thumbtacks -- I put the tacks there because I was concerned about the weight of the frames pulling on the fabric.

I then removed the stands off the frames so that the frame would lay more flat on the wreath (no technique used here ... I just pulled them off).

One of the trickiest parts of this project is getting the pictures centered. After selecting the picture I wanted to use in each frame, I had to scan it, resize it to fit, and print it in order to have it the right size for the right frame. Once I inserted the photos I wanted into the frames, I hot glued them to the wreath -- make sure to use plenty of glue.

Last I took silver metallic ribbon and on the back of the wreath I made a loop, fastened it with thumbtacks and cut off the ends. This is what you hang the wreath from.

This is super easy to do and is a great gift for any occasion. Micki thank you so much for having me over, and hopefully you will be feeling better soon! I would love for you guys to stop by Restoration Redoux!

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Historic Homes in my neighborhood

2013-05-10T11:04:00.003-05:00

DH is beginning to suspect I'm taking my sweet time getting up on my feet. Usually I'm running circles doing things I'm not within a day or so after the doctor tells me to stay down. This time, I'm not. I can stand for short periods of time, but if I start to put weight on the ankle, it feels like needles and pain shooting up my leg. So, yeah, I'm not doing much right now.

I'm really hoping to be back to normal middle of next week. . .

Tonight, we're having a teenaged girl sleepover. The boys are supposed to be camping. It's also supposed to rain and one of the boys is sick.

Other bad news this week? The heating element went out in my dryer. Oh and our renters skipped town.

Did I mention we're finally closing Monday on this house we've lived in and loved and fixed up for the past two years? It's also my 19th wedding anniversary!

I feel like I'm on some type of emotional roller coaster. I'm ready to get off...or at least get on that part of the track that is flat.

What I have for you today, are a few of the awesome houses in my neighborhood. I love old homes. I love being able to fix things. I love uncovering the hidden surprises of repairs. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archaeologist. I guess living in and restoring an old home is helping me live that childhood dream.

This 1914 craftsman has so much character on the inside. Beautiful fireplaces. It used to have built-ins, but those are now over at my house and one of them is responsible for my ankle injury. The picture doesn't do the English-style garden justice. There are all sorts of healing herbs and pretty blooming flowers. She also invites anyone in the neighborhood to pick her rosemary.

Built around 1916, this house is currently for sale! I haven't been inside, but I imagine it's very much like the other craftsmans in the neighborhood.

Our neighborhood was founded as a town in 1908 and later incorporated in to the city. We had beautiful tree-lined streets until a hurricane in the '80s took down most of the oak trees.

These craftsmans are the smaller houses. Ours is a four square or "prairie box" style and is one of the larger homes.

As with many urban neighborhoods, we are seeing a revival of sorts. We have homes that are being lovingly restored and preserved and others that are in rough shape. A wonderful civic association is doing everything it can. Heck, it was even recognized by This Old House.

We still have a lot to do. Take this amazing house, for example:

What? You can't see the 4000+ square foot house?

We've lived here for nearly two years before we even knew there was a house there!

This is what the house originally looked like. And hopefully, what it will look like again very soon.

A group in our neighborhood has purchased the house and launched a campaign to save the historic home. If you click on the link you can see more pictures of exactly what needs to happen to save the house. Or you can follow the blog as progress continues. While our own money is tied up in restoring our own home, you can bet we will be donating our time to save this house!

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Chicken Enchiladas & avocado salsa salad

2013-05-08T08:50:00.001-05:00

My Cinco de Maya post is late. Big surprise there. It was a hectic weekend. D managed to nearly electrocute himself and he also managed to nearly break my ankle. Not at the same time. Two separate projects.

Well, I guess technically, he did break my ankle. After waiting a day, I finally consented to a visit to the doctor where I was diagnosed with a microfracture. Which is like saying it broke, but only kind of: enough that I get a fun air cast and orders to hobble around on crutches for the next week or so.

I'm not doing any projects for a few days now!

Instead, I'm going to share a recipe ... I'd say I'm less likely to injure myself or anyone else in the kitchen, but I've landed myself in the ER from kitchen accidents before.

I adapted this recipe from one of the Publix Aprons recipes. I had to make a few changes: poached chicken instead of rotisserie and homemade enchilada sauce.

This was a nice change from the white chicken enchiladas I usually make.

Chicken Enchiladas

2 C cooked, shredded chicken

3/4 cup refried beans

2 cans enchilada sauce or homemade sauce 6 (10-inch) flour tortillas

1 large can olives, sliced

6 flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups Colby Jack Cheese

aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 350 and grease or spray a 9x9 pan.

Stir chicken, beans and half the enchilada sauce together. Divide equally on to the flour tortillas, then roll, burrito style. Place them seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Top with cheese and olives. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.

Avocado Salsa Salad

2 T fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

3 medium avocados

juice of 1 lime

3/4 cup fresh mild salsa (you can use jarred but a good fresh salsa like Jack's or from your deli is best)

1 (8-oz) bag shredded lettuce

Chop cilantro. Cut avocados into small pieces. Squeeze lime over the avocado and cilantro. Stir in salsa. Serve over lettuce.

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Miracle-Gro: The Gro Project inspiration

2013-05-04T01:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Quite a bit of gardening is happening at our house. The weather has been just perfect: not too hot and not too cold. And, it's a great way to get the kids occupied.
Yesterday, we added mulch around the rose bushes and it made such a huge difference in making it pretty.
I've been spending a lot of time on pinterest looking at all the fun garden projects that are part of Miracle Gro's The Gro Project. I love the origami garden...it's so cute! There are just so many inspiring ideas that are totally doable for those of us who might be a bit gun-shy in the garden. Be sure to follow the Miracle-Gro pinboards.
Miracle-Gro has many products that help your garden do what it's supposed to do...grow. For a long time I didn't feed my garden and it really suffered. I just thought you put stuff in the ground and it just... grew, yk? Turns out that only works for weeds. This is really where LiquaFeed All Purpose Plant Food Advance Starter Kit, Shake’n Feed All Purpose Plant Food and Moisture Control Potting Mix can really take your garden from blech to wow! I grew

For my part of the Gro Project, I decided it was about time I learned how to use a few of those tools I bought D and take some inspiration from this project. My first stop was the hardware store where I picked up several pieces of wood
(3) 1x4x8
(2) 1x2x8
(1) 2x2x8
Of the 1x4x8, make (6) 15 inch cuts. Then cut the remaining into 24 inches. You should end up with 6 short and 6 long pieces. Cut the 2x2 x8 into (4) 18 inch legs. The 1x2x8 will be cut into 24 inch long strips.
This was my first time using the nail gun, and really, D unleashed a monster. I can totally see myself doing more projects like this! I was driving him crazy because I had looked at a few pictures of planters and was basing this off of the vision I had in my head.
I started with the end pieces, nailing three short sides to each leg.

Next, we attach the long sides.

Finally, attach the bottom small slats

And finally, enjoy your hardwork!

Not too shabby for less than $15 and an hour of my time, right? I plan on painting it whenever I decide on a color. And, it may end up holding our strawberries instead of these lovely impatiens.
What do you plan to grow this year? We tilled the garden tonight, too! I can't wait to do more planting.

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On being a family

2013-05-02T13:03:00.001-05:00

I had plans to make this great blog post about all the ways you can develop your kids' talents. But, the truth is, I just really wanted to show off this video of one of Danger Girl's many talents.

The kid can pogo stick. With no hands. If you watch the video closely, you will see that she can also pogo stick on one foot without holding on.

She has asked for a unicycle for her birthday. And, she wants to teach herself how to juggle. I think she might be working on her act for next year's talent show. Or maybe she wants to be a circus performer when she grows up?

All I know is she had a huge smile on her face while she was "dancing."

It may not be an obvious "talent" like singing and odds are, she's not going to make a career out of the whole pogo schtick (please oh please don't run off and join the circus!) but clearly, she's happy and confident in who she is.

She and her siblings are each so different from each other. They range from nerdy to athletic, shy to outgoing, and pretty much everything in between. They fight. Oh do they fight, but they also stand up for each other when it counts.

I don't think we've done anything special to do this. There aren't any hidden tricks or a list of things you can do other than just love your kids. Accept them for who they are. Encourage them. Cheer for them. Hug and kiss them when they stumble.

We eat dinner together as a family. We pray together. We laugh together. We tease. We love. We cram the kids in a mini-van and take weeks long family vacations driving places. It's a form of torture, but I ~~think~~ hope they will look back on those trips with fondness. I liken family car trips to labor. While you're going through it, it's awful, but as soon as its over, you're like "hey, we can do that again!"

When I saw this at Hobby Lobby, I knew it belonged in our home. Well, aside from the awful grammar error (an apostrophe S denotes possession or a contraction, NEVER a plural, folks) ... it's a really nice sentiment. And for the people who need more education on the apostrophe... click here

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How does your garden grow with Scott's Florida Select Mulch

2013-04-26T18:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We all know I'm not the world's greatest gardener. It's a skill I'm desperately trying to master. This year, Danger Girl decided she wanted to tackle the garden and like a good mom, I said "If you want to do it, you need to come up with a plan! Research and tell me what you want to do."

True to form, Danger Girl knocked my socks off. She said "Mama, I want to buy roses. I have my own money."

Alrighty then!

It was time to hit the garden supply store to come up with what the gardening supplies we needed:

Gloves

Digging implements

Roses, marigolds and other hearty full sun plants

Scotts Nature Scapes mulch

Mulch really is important to add around your garden. I should know. I didn't mulch last year and the weeds went NUTS. They grew around the flowers I had planted and it's taking forever to get rid of them. Scotts® Nature Scapes® is awesome for non Florida folks because it comes in various colors: Classic Black, Sierra Red, and Deep Forest Brown. They are natural forest products, which means they aren't wasted wood. It helps maintain moisture (super important in the summer), prevent weeds and basically make the landscape look better than just dirt.

If you're in Florida, Scotts Florida Select Natural Eucalyptus Mulch is an amazing new option for your mulching needs.

1. sustainable gardening Sustainably-harvested and plantation grown Eucalyptus is considered a renewable resource because it re-grows up to 4-times faster than Cypress.*

2. NATURAL: Made from 100% plantation-grown Eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus Mulch is guaranteed free from any construction, demolition, pallet, or other waste materials.

3. EFFECTIVE: Prevents weeds naturally** while helping to conserve soil moisture and moderate soil temperature.

4. LOCAL: 100% Florida-grown - helps support your local economy.
*Sustainably-harvested and plantation grown Eucalyptus is considered a renewable resource because it re-grows up to 4-times faster than Cypress.
**A three-inch layer of Eucalyptus Mulch naturally helps prevent weeds by blocking growth and access to sunlight.

I didn't know you needed that much mulch to be effective! I had tried mulching my side yard and it wasn't working very well. Stingy me was trying to spread too thin.

My dear neighbor Kat was helpful in picking out the plants. We had to remove several boxwoods to make room for the roses. The hydrangeas will move eventually, but that will wait until after the roses grow and fill in more.

In addition to the roses at the front of the house. we added marigolds to the brick planters at the end of the front walk.

I didn't just leave the flowers out in the yard. Kat was kind enough to give me an amaryllis. I am planning on planting the bulb later so they can spread in my side yard. The are just so beautiful!

Are you trying to turn your black thumb in to a green thumb this year? Or are you still too afraid?

Picking Paint and other things

2013-04-26T14:53:00.002-05:00

This has been an emotional roller coaster of a week.

I've decided to never ever buy another house ever again. Ever. We are going to die in this house. I never want to deal with all the garbage of getting another mortgage. It's not worth it. The stress alone is not worth it.

We are waiting on one last signature before we get our clear to close. I would love to have that done so I don't have to worry about it over the weekend, but it's not my call. I get to stew about it. And fret. Hopefully sleep, but I doubt it.

The highlight of the week was hopping on a chat with HGTV's David Bromstad. Kat gave me two large custom made cubbies she had no use for and I needed help with the paint colors. Plain white just doesn't work for me.

After sharing with him that the wall where one shelf was going was already painted June Day

David suggested painting the shelf either Sassy Green or Frolic. He said it would look "organic."

frolic

sassy green

I already had a can of one of those in my stash. I had planned to paint the dining room one of them and when I opened the can and actually looked at my mind, I ~~chickened out~~ changed my mind.

Frolic is a color that looks AWESOME on the little card. But as my friend Ange discovered, it can be a bit hard to take in large doses.

Since I already had the paint and it wasn't a large piece, I figured it would be fine on the shelf. The first two coats in, I was worried. Like really worried. It wasn't looking at all how I wanted. So I added a third coat.

This is obviously a work in progress. I'm not at all loving the color. It lacks a certain pizzazz. It pretty much blends right in with the wall. I guess that's what David Bromstad meant when he said organic.

I'm thinking of painting the insides of the cubbies a different color to give a bit more contrast.

I still have a good half gallon of the paint left. And since the FHA inspector said I couldn't have paint swatches of paint all over the place while I picked colors. I figured it wouldn't hurt to use it in MY laundry room. Even if Ange couldn't stand it in hers.

Maybe the secret to making the color tolerable is to add pink? The pink was my first color choice, but I ran out of paint..so I left it as a pink stripe. Since it was in more than one place, it was an intentional contrast in paint colors and the FHA guy didn't say anything.

Hot pink or pea green. What fabulous color choices are you making?

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All's quiet

2013-04-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry for not much content the last few days. We are in the home stretch (please please oh please) of finalizing an FHA loan. I know some of you must feel my pain. I'm just waiting for them to ask for my first born. It is an agonizing process. Last time we purchased a home, it was a conventional loan and it was ridiculously easy. Oh how times change!

Some of you may be confused. We're not moving. We're actually trying to officially buy the house we've been working on for the last year and a half! We purchased the home with owner financing because we couldn't sell our old house and now that we have long term renters in our old house are ready to get a traditional mortgage on the house we love.

My stress level is just a little bit high at the moment. I've had a head ache for the last four days, probably due to the pollen count being so ridiculous. My green car looks yellow. I cleaned the porch to give it a fresh coat of paint and within five minutes it was coated in yellow dust.

Instead of giving you pictures of the house in a state of complete chaos, I'm going to post pictures of Josie.

Maybe someone can come up with a cute caption and she can become famous on the internet. The kids call her "MINE cat" because she gives you this look like everything in the world is hers.

She is just so lady like in this pose, isn't she? Josie sits like this frequently and watches TV. It's a hoot!

I don't think she's up for sharing the remote LOL

The Blog Workshop is coming!

2013-04-21T20:46:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to attend a blogging workshop for a very long time. Unfortunately, these workshops have pretty much been too far away or at bad times or...just plain expensive. Blogging workshops are important for bloggers to learn tools to navigate the blogging world.

I was so excited to learn about The Blog Workshop, an online blogging conference May 17-19

That means I don't have to arrange child care, air travel, hotels and all of those other incidentals beyond the cost of the ticket. That is a HUGE money and time saver... and my time and money are valuable.

Even better from a financial perspective, this conference even offers payment plans!

And if you register by April 26, you can take advantage of $25 off the registration. Ticket sales end May 10. Even though this is an online conference, space is limited.

Use promo code: TBW25HURRY

Interested?

I think I'm most excited to learn how to pitch myself to companies. Even though I studied a bit of this in college, it's totally different when you are the product. The cool part about learning these tools, is how I can bring fantastic giveaways to my readers.

Check out the FAQ for even more information and learn about all the speakers here, including IZEA, Blog-Trends, Attorney Jeneba Ghatt, Blogads, Sverve CEO Rohit Vashisht and more! Many conferences have giveaways for attendees and The Blog Workshop is no exception. One of the prizes is Vlogging equipment!

Hope to "see" you there!

How I broke my ladder

2013-04-19T15:01:00.000-05:00

This post could also be called "I'm one giant klutz."

The outside of our house is very sad. It's an old house and I decided it would be a good idea to give the windowsills a new coat of paint.

Well, that's not the complete truth.

The ugly truth is, I found dry rot on the windowsill and thought I should probably do a tutorial for you all on how to repair dry rot.

After finishing the repair, it was time to repaint the sill.

Now, I need to set the visual stage for this:

We have a crawl space under the house. Instead of having a proper door, we inherited a large piece of wood leaned up against the house.
Other access points have grates to keep critters out, but the one under the kitchen just had the big piece of wood. You can see it on the edge of the embarrassing picture of my window sill.

It's definitely not ideal, but given all the other repairs on the house, getting a proper closure just hasn't been a priority. Just another reality that comes with buying a home that needs a lot of work.

Anyway, I'm out there in the beautiful sunshine painting away when I bumped the wood covering. It fell towards me and I jumped out of the way.

*insert comical cartoon sound effects*

Lots of big crashing.

I turned around to see the wood had fallen on our gas grill and the gas grill had fallen on the ladder.

A domino effect.

Not only did I manage to break the grill, I also broke the ladder.

I can laugh at myself. I really can. I'm probably the only person who can break a ladder by dropping a grill on it.

But, enough laughter.

Now is the time for tears. Not for my grill. Not for my ladder.

When I bent down to pick up the pieces, I heard water.

Coming from under my house.

I ran inside for the flashlight and much to my horror, discovered water pouring out of a pipe. The main drain pipe from my washer had not just sprung a leak...it had snapped.

I suppose the good news is that it was just the washer and the upstairs washroom impacted. I could still do dishes and use the downstairs bath. It took three days for the plumbers to take care of things. Sixteen feet of pipe had broken in not just one, but two places.

In the end, losing the grill and the ladder were just tender mercies. I can't imagine how long that pipe would have drained straight in to the middle foundation pillar if I hadn't been a klutz.

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Aloha Wreath

2013-04-16T16:03:00.001-05:00

For the last couple of days, I've been plugging away at several projects around the house. Unfortunately, very few of them are share-worthy. . . and today, one of them even involved peal and stick floor tiles, being used as floor tile.

This type of floor tile should never really be used in a home unless it's an extreme circumstance...like you think you have hardwood floors in an entire room so you happily rip up all the ugly flooring above with no back up plan at all because...well, what could possibly go wrong???

Wrong? Maybe I should start asking myself what could go right. sigh

At some point three layers of floor ago, there was a leak in the pipes and the entire section of flooring under the tub was removed to fix it and replaced with standard subflooring. That means I only have half a bathroom of ~~jacked up~~ original flooring. So until I come up with a realistic plan B, the sticky floor was the 911 solution.

After this fiasco, I needed to do something to lighten my mood like burning my finger tips off with a hot glue gun.

I hit the dollar store for inspiration and was hit with a wave of summer goodies. Its in the mid 80s already here, so you have about 6 weeks left to go until I start to complain about the miserable humidity.

I started with a pool noodle and tape. It's a very inexpensive way to get a large foam wreath.

Next, I wrapped 24 leis around the noodle. At one point, it started to look like Bozo the Clown. I was a bit worried.

I took apart a palm tree center piece and used just the leaf portions and glued the flowers from several hair clips.

So now my door is decorated for early summer. Little Miss tells me it looks awesome.

linked up a: project inspired ** Whimsy Wednesday ** savvy southern style **the creative spark ** work it wednesday ** show me what ya got ** create and share ** my girlish whims **wildly original ** crafty blog stalker ** your creative timeout ** house of hepworths ** transformation thursday ** seven alive **rock n share **made in a day **tater tots and jello ** cheerios and lattes ** six sisters stuff ** create and inspire **its overflowing **mop it up mondays **the scoop ** take a look tuesday **

scrap wood wall hanging

2013-04-10T10:23:00.004-05:00

When I finished the vestibule last year, I had every intention of showing off a few of the fun little projects in their own posts.

Naturally, about 50 other things distracted me and I never got to it.

I guess that's part of having ADD. That and staying up far too late watching TV shows because I totally just get sucked in: Walking Dead, Sherlock...Conspiracy Theory, Monsters and Mysteries in America, Finding Bigfoot...I'm sorry, I just can't stop watching shows about Sasquatch and Sheepsquatch. I watch them late at night so I won't have to watch D roll his eyes at me. Some people enjoy Honey Boo Boo and Housewives. Me? I like a good conspiracy, a few zombies and country folk who see things in the mountains.

Wait... I was supposed to be writing about this project ... ha ha I do this all the time!

Every time I look at that yellow wall, I smile. I can't help it. It makes me happy.

When D redid the flooring in the bathroom (yet another project I haven't revealed, probably because it's STILL not done!) we had scraps of subfloor left. This piece was the perfect size for something. I put on a coat of green chalky paint (recipe is here) and it just looked terrible against the yellow. It didn't really have dimension. it looked much better after I hit with a coat of this blue and roughed it up a bit.

I am not lucky enough to have a silhouette or cameo or cricut (I am very much willing to review one and do a giveaway!) so I used the sticker phrases found at my local dollar store. This phrase seemed like the perfect welcome to our home.

The flowers are prima paper flowers and I added little jewels to the middle. The ribbon, also taken from my stash.

The only thing I had to buy for this were the words...everything else was scrap! That puts this project in at just $1 Totally my favorite kind of project!

linked up at: Wow Me WEdnesday ** the creative spark ** create and share ** house of hepworths **show and share ** my girlish whims ** wildly original ** creative things things ** blog stalking thursday ** your creative time out **seven alive **craftionary ** weekend wonders ** keep calm and link up ** frugal friday ** happy hour projects **

Help! There's a flue in my dinging room!

2013-04-08T10:01:00.002-05:00

Our house is old and we've discovered lots of quirks that were the result of 100 + years of renovations.

A past owner was kind enough to stuff some newspaper into the wall in the kitchen which gives us an idea that the house went through a big renovation/remodel in the late 1960s. While the dates were missing off the papers, the job listings were for males and women (who apparently had to be single to work) and the big controversy was over pope Paul's stance on birth control in the Catholic church. That gave us a pretty good idea about when the papers were stuffed in the wall.

We also have a false wall in the dining room. D demolished the portion in the hallway in order to build some shelving. Behind the wall in the dining room is presumably the lower part of the chimney that goes to the fireplace in Leelee's room.

As I was watching Rehab Addict, and the hostess uncovered a chimney covered in plaster. She made the brickwork a gorgeous feature in the room. This, of course, got me thinking about the chimney in the dining room. How awesome would that feature be if I could make it shine?

I started poking around and up near the top is this:

I had to stick my camera up under part of the wall to get this view. I also poked it with a stick and all sorts of soot came out!

Uhhh that's not good right?

Time to turn to google and after a quick search determined this was in fact a flue cover. I even found this exact cover for sale on etsy, so it wasn't all that rare.

But, it leaves me wondering (and asking for help!) as to why there would be a flue opening 10 feet up in what was then the kitchen? Why is it still filled with soot and debris? Shouldn't that have gone to a clean-out under the house?

Am I safe to assume the entire thing is bricked and I can expose it by chipping off the plaster?

I have a feeling D will be asked to crawl under the house very soon to examine the chimney clean-out issue and to see if the brick chimney even extends that far down!

Until I can get good answers to these questions, nothings going to be happening on this potential project.

linked up at:

Show me What you got ** The scoop **whimsy wednesday **

Chalkboard fireplace

2013-04-05T13:40:00.002-05:00

A big congratulations to Jenn Ward, who won a copy of Dead, Without a Stone to Tell It!

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More than a year ago, I started to makeover the fireplace in Leelee's room.

It needed it...badly. It looked like 1983 came to visit and never left. Sponge painted floral design. shudder

I decided to paint it with my knock off chalky paint

But I just wasn't feeling it. It didn't have that WOW that every teenaged girl needs in her fireplace. Because, you know, every teenaged girl has a fireplace in her bedroom.

After giving it too much thought, I decided to take another look at my paint supplies on hand and see if there was something else I could do. Leelee has been asking for a room makeover and I don't really want to redo the entire room. We only moved in 18 months ago and what the 12 year old liked, the 14 year old now thought was dumb. She relied on my color suggestions instead of what she really liked. She still likes the teal, but wants to base her room off of this poster

So now I was thinking dark colors. Like black. But the only black paint I had in my stash was chalkboard paint.

This could work. This could be AWESOME.

I dunno. It still wasn't really what I wanted. It was missing something.

Like chalk.

There we go! Maybe it just needed the cover off for the real beauty to show.

I also hit some of the details at the top with a bit of chalk to make them stand out a bit more.

I absolutely LOVE the fireplace now!I know this project is one you will either really love or hate. DD is only home for a few more years then I can "restore" the fireplace back to its former glory. For right now, my biggest priority is creating a space my daughter loves. And she sure loves this.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

linked up at: tater tots and jello ** cheerios and lattes **craftionary ** keep calm and link up ** Fly on Friday **debbie doos pinning party **inspire me weekend ** create and inspire **pin it monday **It's overflowing **or so she says ** spotlight saturday ** sundae scoop ** six sisters stuff **Mop it Up Mondays **Busy Mondays ** Monday Funday ** frugal crafty home ** Show me What you got ** The scoop ** *whimsy wednesday **diy by design **wildly original ** creative things things ** blog stalking thursday ** your creative time out **

The LAST Pin Inspiration party

2013-04-03T19:30:00.000-05:00

Friday is the last day to enter to win Dead Without a Stone to Tell it by Jen J Danna!

Tonight's post is written by the ever amazing Jane :

I have great news and then some not so great news but mostly great news.

Here goes: This is our last Pin'inspiration party.

No, no. Don't panic: We have something even more exciting for you: How would you like to take classic dishes and turn them into something unique that fits your own lifestyle or sense of fun? Christine from Cook the Story and I, along with the support and participation of the ever-awesome Micki and Marilyn are starting a classic dish makeover adventure that you can be part of too. Our adventure is called The Make It Mine Club and you're invited to join the the club and be a part of it with us.

What's it all about?

Consider Fettuccine Alfredo. Great dish, right? I would eat it all the time BUT I want to be able to fit through a door so I've needed to change it into something lighter. And then there's this friend of mine who's a strict vegan but her Fettuccine Alfredo cannot be beaten. And my pal Christine, well she was just feeling a bit whacky one day and decided to turn Fettucine Alfredo into a canapé. Even whackier? Somebody over at allrecipes made it into a dessert! See? Right there. Those are chocolate noodles! Seriously. Crazy-fun, right? So that's the idea. Every two weeks we choose another classic dish and all of us (you included) get to go off and come up with our own twists. The twist can be something that fits your lifestyle or just something whacky that you want to try. There's going to be lots of cross-promotion and cross-linking among participants and we'll be getting sponsors on board to tie in giveaways and other fun so make sure you join the club while there's still space!

Want to participate? Here's how it will work:

Click here to subscribe to the Make It Mine Newsletter. This newsletter will inform you about what's coming up but will never inundate you. Inside the newsletter you'll get info about upcoming Make It Mine challenges. In each newsletter you will also be given a new link where you can sign up your recipe for the particular challenge.

A Make It Mine Preview:

Our first challenge is going to be April 17th and we've got an extraordinary dish picked out: The classic Ploughman's Lunch! Check out our Pinterest board for a bunch of ideas to get those creative juices flowing. And if you don't have a clue what Ploughman's Lunch is (poor you!) check out the always useful Wikipedia for their Ploughman's Lunch entry. After that: May 1st is all about Bangers and Mash and, in case you're worried that we're focusing too much on the Brits, May 15th is Chicken Souvlaki.

This is going to be an amazing adventure! Before it begins, we do have one final Pin'Inspirational Linky Party for you. It's the last one so share EVERYTHING you've got. We'll be visiting you all this week and can't wait to see what you have to share. Looking forward to starting a whole new community with you. Happy Adventuring, Jane

Easter Leftovers Quiche

2013-04-01T19:38:00.002-05:00

The giveaway for an autographed copy of Dead, Without a Stone to Tell It ends April 5!

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This Easter a friend of the family decided to bless us with an ham. . . D told me just as I had gotten home from the store with a large ham, of course!

And now, I'm trying to find creative ways to use up the ham. We have one in the freezer, but still have quite a bit of leftovers from Easter dinner.

Tonight's dinner was a very successful attempt at using up a nice chunk of ham, some veggies and other pantry items. Normally, I would have used asparagus in this, but that was one dish that completely disappeared at the table. These dinners are awesome because they cost so little out of pocket.

Easter Leftovers Quiche (Ham and broccoli)

1 deep dish pie crust

5 eggs

1 C half and half

1/4 C sour cream

1 1/2 C colby jack cheese

1/2 C chopped broccoli

1 C chopped ham

nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Bake pie crust in 450 degree oven for 6 minutes.

Turn down oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, gently whisk eggs. Whisk in half and half and sour cream. Stir in cheese, broccoli, a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.

linked up at:
project inspired ** The scoop **salt tree social **Whimsy Wednesday ** back for seconds social ** wow us wednesday **house of hepworths **creative juice ** your creative timeout **Foodie Friends Friday **tater tots and jello **create and inspire ** cheerios and lattes ** It's overflowing ** six sisters stuff **adorned from above **

Spicy Tomato Dill Soup

2013-03-29T14:00:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the autographed ARC of Dead, Without a Stone to Tell It!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

My bestie Hannah came up from Florida for a visit this week. I was really hoping she'd bring warmth with her. It has been crazy cold. D was supposed to take the kids camping this week and they canceled because of the weather. Maybe we're just wimps.

Before heading out to dinner, Hannah and I had a bit of fun with the Easter Bunny.

The Bunny isn't my kid this time! And yes, we're just two big dorks

Then, it was time to get some eats in our bellies. It was one of those cold days where a bowl of soup just sounded really good. The restaurant had this absolutely delicious tomato dill soup that had a nice kick at the end. I had one bowl and wanted more. Of course I figured I could make it myself...

Spicy Tomato Dill Soup

6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 medium onions, diced

2 tbsp butter
1 C veg or chicken stock
3 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 T dried dill (a good handful if you're using fresh)
1 T red pepper flakes

salt & pepper to taste
2 C half and half

In a large soup pot, melt butter over low heat. Sautee garlic and onions until tender. Add in tomatoes and stock. Simmer 30 minutes.

Puree soup in a blender until desired texture. I prefer mine on the chunkier side. Return to soup pot and add in dill, pepper flakes, salt, pepper and half and half. Heat through.

This soup is also wonderful chilled the next day.

linked up at:
tater tots and jello **cheerios and lattes **six sisters stuff ** weekend wonders ** create and inspire **rock n share **marvelous mondays ** busy mondays ** mop it up mondays **project inspired **salt tree social **whimsy wednesday ** back for seconds social ** wow us wednesday ** house of hepworths ** creative juice ** your creative timeout ** Foodie Friends Friday ** It's overflowing **

Book Giveaway!

2013-03-28T22:58:00.002-05:00

Did you know this month is my 5 YEAR blogaversary?

I know, right?

That's pretty crazy.

I really wanted to do a cool giveaway to honor this event. In fact, I've been waiting several years to do this very giveaway.

Confused?

I'll explain.

A few years ago, my friend Jen mentioned she was writing a book. I like to read. I offered to give some feedback on the book....and it was pretty awesome. I enjoy forensic science TV shows and books. In fact, if I turn up dead, our DVR will probably make my husband look very guilty.

Anyway, Jen let me and a few others read the book. Lots of editing. Lots of time. And what shows up in my mailbox? An Advanced Reader Copy of Jen's book, Dead, Without a Stone to Tell It which is currently available for pre-order on Amazon!

How freaking COOL is that???

Just about as cool as this:

Woohooo! I'm in the acknowledgments!

I really enjoyed Jen's book in its early stages and I wasn't at all surprised when she told us it would be published. The final version is even better. I can't wait to read the next in the series (hint, hint, Jen!)

From the teaser on the back of the book:

When a human bone is found on a lonely stretch of coastline, a determined homicide detective and a reluctant scientist risk their lives as they join forces to bring a serial killer to justice. Trooper Leigh Abbott has something to prove, both to herself and to the chauvinistic men in her department. She's been assigned a difficult challenge: solve a murder where the only evidence is a single bone. To identify the victim and find the killer, she must join forces with forensic anthropologist Matt Lowell. Matt's initial refusal to join the team is only the first in a series of setbacks. Matt and Leigh's skills and tenuous partnership are tested when the evidence leads them to a burial ground of unidentified victims, where, to their horror, they stumble upon a freshly ravaged corpse. As the body count rises, the team must piece together a deadly puzzle spanning years of clandestine killings. Before long, the serial killer raises the stakes and Matt and Leigh find themselves marked as targets. Now they must stop the killer before they become the next victims.

Intrigued?

You don't have to wait until June to get your very own autographed advanced reader copy. Just enter the Rafflecopter below! The drawing ends April 5.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

linked up at:

salt tree social **

Spring Pin Inspiration Party!

2013-03-27T22:05:00.003-05:00

Spring is definitely here. I have that tingle in my tummy that makes me want to skip down the sidewalk, take off my shoes to feel grass between my toes and drive with the windows open. Oh Spring Fever, how I love you! In addition to my happy mood, the other indicator that spring has arrived is the images I'm seeing on Pinterest where the food has become fresher and lighter and the crafts are bright with color and full of whimsy. What a great time to do some Pin'Inspiring! First, a lovely recipe from one of my co-hosts. Jane shares this gorgeous recipe for Pink Breakfast Muffins.

See, I told you: Bright colors abound! And keeping with those bright colors, I'd like to share my recipe for Raspberry Canapés with Basil and Balsamic. Super pretty and super easy to make!

Before I move onto the features from last week's links, I'd also like to let you know that Micki has an Iron Chef Mom Peeps battle going on. If you have a Peeps recipe (or any other marshmallow recipe) to share, head over here to link up. Marshmallows! Yum!

And now onto this week's Feverish Features with some fresh and fun recipes and crafts for spring.

Are your toes like mine? Are they aching to kick off their shoes and feel the tickle of warm summer grass? Get your tootsies ready for the season with this Coconut Brown Sugar Scrub from Imprintalish. I know it's for my feet but I totally want to eat this with a spoon. (Not recommended!)

Looking for a simple spring craft? I love how these Burlap Bunny Ear Napkin Rings by Uncommon Designs are so neutral allowing your colorful spring napkins to really shine. Purdy.

And finally, it could not be spring without Spring Rolls. I hate to admit it but I have never actually make this kind of soft spring roll before. I've eaten them. Plenty of them! But haven't made them myself. I'm determined to give a try some time soon. I'll share my recipe if it turns out. Until then, here's a beautiful version of Fresh Spring Rolls Filled with Vietnamese Chicken and Avocado from Half Baked Harvest.

Now, show me how Spring Fever is infecting you. Add your best spring link to the link party below.

Rules To Party By:

Before you link up to the party, you must follow all of the hosts on Facebook. Jane, Micki, Marilyn and Me (Christine).
Please visit at least two other links from below and leave some comment love!
If you love comments, make sure you have captcha/word verification turned off!
Please don’t link up your etsy store or giveaway.
Spread the word about the party! The more the merrier!

Welcome to the Spring Fever Link Party! Link up now!

Iron Chef Mom: Battle Peeps

2013-03-25T23:02:00.000-05:00

This is up late tonight because I've been busy at work. Who knew the bunny photo business would be so crazy?

Speaking of bunnies...I love marshmallow bunnies covered in sugar, also known as Peeps! It's like pure sugar covered in sugar. Mmmmmm

Peeps aren't just for eating. Some people make whole Peep-scapes rather than eating them. It's really food you can play with.

And that's why this week, we're doing Battle Peeps. You don't have to just make fun eats, make fun scenes, too! Show off your Peep Creativity!

If you don't like peeps, well...any marshmallow recipe will do :)

Without further ado...here's the winner of Iron Chef Mom battle: Carrots

Tumbleweed Contessa's 25 Carrots Cake!

Our runner up is Fantastical Sharing of Recipes Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

Finally, our Hosts' Favorite

A Pretty Life in the Suburbs Carrot Cake Pancakes!

As much as I detest carrots, these winning recipes might just make it in to my tummy.

Now it's time to see who is going to win Battle of the Peeps!

Pin Inspiration Party March 20

2013-03-20T19:03:00.001-05:00

Another week has flown by. We had a complete fake out Spring day Monday. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with temps in the low 80s. Sadly, the weekend is bringing us cooler weather and more rain. I guess this means another weekend will go by without my planting a garden.

We had more than 140 projects linked up this week, which is just completely awesome. I am truly inspired each week by your projects.

The features this week are ones that are just close to my heart...things I would totally do in a heartbeat if I could. I hope you take the time to check out the projects, ideas and inspirations and try something new!

The first feature is an idea I totally wish I would have thought of. After my ill-fated attempt at cake pops, I think I may have to start making Sewing Barefoot's "Fake" Pops instead!

As someone who has sensitivities and allergies to chemicals used in cleaning products, I really love it when someone spreads the word about making your own cleaners! Sweet Parrish Place shares some "Back to Basics" with using vinegar around the house.

Our final feature for the week is ChicBy Tab's Mint dresser. I'm loving the mint and white combo! It's totally fresh and gives a very dated piece a great new look.

Hide your veggies brownies

2013-03-19T11:42:00.002-05:00

There are very few vegetables I've met that I haven't liked.

Last night, for example, I roasted 2.5 lbs of asparagus and there wasn't enough left for D's lunch. The kids pretty much inhaled it.

Brussels Sprouts? My mom never made them and when I tried them for the first time as an adult, I had to wonder what all the hate was about.

And peas...for a long time I grew up thinking I hated peas. When I tried them fresh for the first time, it was love at first bite. Next, I tried fresh cooked and came to the shocking realization that I didn't hate peas...I just hated canned peas.

The first time I made collard greens, it was a complete disaster. As a family, we sat around the table looking at the boiled pile of green in the middle of the table. None of us wanted to take the first bite. I made everyone take a fork full and then I counted to five so we could take the first bite together. We did it and ...we all promptly spit it out in unison. It was disgusting. Vile. Absolutely awful tasting as it smelled. No one told me I needed to rinse the greens in salt water before cooking.

It's been 10 years and I've never made them again. I will eat them when we go out and they are a staple on the school lunch menu, but make them myself? No. Just no.

Out of all of this, I've taught my kids they aren't allowed to say they don't like a food. They are, however, allowed to say they don't like the way a food is prepared. The difference is subtle, but it gives them the possibility that maybe one day, they may discover a food they once didn't like is suddenly good.

That's what happened to me with sweet potatoes. One Thanksgiving my Sister-in-Law, Linda, made this sweet potato casserole that really shouldn't even be classified as a casserole. It was so laden with butter and sugars that it was a dessert, but it contained a vegetable so it went out on the side dish table. It opened the gateway for my sweet potato love (Sonic now has sweet potato tots!!!) but I still will not ever touch sweet potatoes with marshmallows.

But, there is one vegetable that no matter how it is prepared that I will not, cannot even stomach in a cooked form unless it is completely hidden: Carrots. I wish I could hide behind The Boy's stance that cooked vegetables have a weird texture that makes them completely inedible. I can't because it's only cooked carrots for which I have a deep loathing. The only food even more vile? Liver and onions. Yeah...that's how much I HATE cooked carrots.

The other Iron Chef Moms will attest that I put up a fight against carrots as the secret ingredient. I was gagging through recipe books trying to find something...anything... to make the carrot the shining star. But when a vegetable is so gross when its cooked as carrots, there's really not much you can do to help.

And so, I took the easy way out and adapted a recipe that hides vegetables in foods...and so I bring to you... These aren't very sweet, so if you'd like a sweeter brownie, add in an additional 1/2 C brown sugar.

Hidden Veggie Brownies

Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 C cocoa powder

3 T vegetable oil

1 large jar puree carrot baby food (about 1/2 C)
2 tablespoons soft tub margarine spread
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4 all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 C chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2 . In a large bowl, combine cocoa powder, vegetable oil, baby food, sugar, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth an creamy, 1-2 minutes.

4. Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon. Stir in chocolate chips

5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

Don't forget to come back HERE next week for battle...PEEPS! If you can't stand Peeps (something I just can't understand LOL) you can use marshmallows!

linked up at:

project inspired ** salt tree ** the scoop **whimsy wednesday ** work it wednesday **back for seconds **adorned from above **wildly original ** creative juice **