Down to Earth Style

Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam (best ever)

2013-06-17T20:13:00.002-04:00

My Mom and I used to get together to make jam during strawberry season when I lived near her.

(she's playin' in Mexico with my dad for two weeks - lucky!!!)

My parents did all kinds of canning when all of us kids (6) were home. Our garden was huge. Once you're used to fresh homemade food like that - you never forget the taste. So after I got married and purchased store jam....I quickly learned to be a little more domestic from my mother.

She is amazing!

HERE is the link to the recipe we use or you can follow along below.

I got a good deal on super ripe berries at the local farmers market this weekend.

YOU NEED:

2 Cups of crushed strawberries (I like them pureed - no lumps)

(buy 1 qt. ripe strawberries)

4 Cups of white sugar

3/4 Cup of water

1 Box of Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin

Wash strawberries by soaking them a few minutes in a little salt and water then rinse.

I get my bottles all ready before I start by finding lids and washing them really good. I usually keep jars from salsa and peanut butter to use so I don't have to buy them. Each batch of jam fills about 4 to 5 jars.

Step 1

Discard stems. Puree strawberries in a blender. In a large mixing bowl measure exactly 2 cups of prepared fruit. Stir in sugar and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. (if you don't let it sit long enough your jam will have a grainy-sugary texture)

Step 2

Mix water and pectin in a small saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil. Let it boil for a full minute stirring constantly (if not slightly longer - your jam will not set up if you don't boil it long enough). Add to fruit mixture and stir for 3 minutes.

(First day of summer - I kept the boys busy helping me)

Step 3

Fill jars immediately to within a 1/2 inch from tops. Wipe the jars and place the lids on. Let them stand at room temperature for 24 hours. That is it!

The jam is now ready to use. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to a year.

We made 6 batches....looks like a lot but my family LOVES this stuff. I put some jam in little cute spice jars to give samples to friends. I tend to give so much away -

sharing the yum!

I bought that serving stand at Pottery Barn over the weekend.

It was half price.

If you make this jam for your family or friends - they will know you truly love them!

xoxoxoxo

sharing with - Cozy Little House

Poultry Cage Coffee Table

2013-06-15T13:57:00.001-04:00

A new antiques store opened near my house.

I found this poultry cage for $40. It was already painted white.

I just washed it down a little and laid it face down on the floor in our living room.

I like the white against the darker rug.

I could attach legs to make it higher but I like it low.

The table top looks great all worn and white.

It's the right height for an ottoman or foot stool.

A lucky find at my new favorite spot in town.

(I can't remember the name but I will be back)

Sharing with: Flamingo Toes, Shaken Together

Teacher Gift Planter

2013-06-14T23:51:00.000-04:00

The last day of school was today.

One of my boys' fourth grade class signed this planter for their teacher a few weeks ago for an end of year gift.

The kids used oil-based paint sharpie pens to sign it.

The class and room mom's presented it to the teacher a couple of days ago along with a chocolate bar bouquet and some gift cards. Mrs. Ayer was very happy.

My pallet console table came in handy to use for planting the pretty fern in the pot.

Now....for a nice, relaxing summer!!!

(my kids are growing up way too fast)

View the original post for the making of this plant box HERE.

Pallet Porch Console

2013-06-09T22:15:00.000-04:00

I made something today that I am pretty excited about.

I have been wanting a table on our porch for many reasons. A drink station for the kids was the main motivation for this console. But I can use it for so much more - coffee or wine bar, garden cart, storage, snacks and for seasonal display.

It all started with these two pallets that I have been storing in our garage. I didn't go to the store for one thing today - I love uninterrupted projects (no store trips anyway).

I cut the sold pallet in half (with my hubbies help) and glued and screwed them together and just left one top piece of wood for the back panel. I used the other pallet for legs by cutting the two ends off along the 1x4's. Then cut those almost in half to make four legs.

I used an old 2x4 to make all the legs the same length and applied a center piece to keep the legs straight. (hopefully you can see in the pictures how I did it - I am not great at explaining every detail - that's why I give you lots of photos) The legs needed wood cris-cross beams from the pallet to keep them sturdy.

I mostly used my nail gun to put this together.

For a decorative detail I used a fence rail spindle cut in half centered on the front in two places (you can see the light arrows pointing to them in the right side picture above). Where the three black stars are I used 1x6 wood to sort of "clean up" the wood ends. (the dark piece of wood was from Ben's IKEA bed that I cut down - I never throw scrap wood away) The red star marks where I applied a flat fence post topper to the shelf center.

I used dark walnut stain on the front and top but in the hard to reach areas and "rough" wood spots I used black spray paint. When it dried I sanded it all to give it a worn look. Blended great.

Then for some other little details...

Brackets with an iron scroll tied to them with twine tops off the back panel. On one side I used my old coffee cup hanger for tools or coffee mugs and a hummingbird hook on the opposite side for something decorative.

I used a little iron nail button in the center of the shelf on the flat fence topper.

What a useful piece of furniture - basically built for free.

If you like the star hanging on my chicken coop door you can make one too - go HERE for that post.

A perfect console for my porch!

Sharing with: Coastal Charm, The Farmhouse Porch for The Scoop, Funky Junk Interiors, Craft-O-Maniac Monday

Summer Farmers Market

2013-06-08T20:21:00.000-04:00

One thing I am enjoying this year is the new Farmers Market near our home.

My family and I can walk there on Saturday afternoons to pick out fresh fruits, vegetables, soap, seafood and meat from our local farmers. Those strawberries are so fresh - still warm from the sun. There is even a booth where they make big fresh glazed donuts...I have to stay away from that section but it gets the kids there.

This is what we brought home today - along with a pork roast but nobody wants to see a photo of raw meat. The little pot is filled with oregano and basil and only cost me $3 with the old perfectly warn terracotta planter.

Green and red leaf lettuce, green beans, peas, beets, tomatoes and strawberries.

Last weekend I purchased this handmade lavender soap, It smells so wonderful.

I feel good about supporting local farmers AND feeding my family fresh food.

Last week we walked Mazi to market with us...she was too high maintenance with her socializing so she didn't get to come this time. I am trying to grow her hair out around her face....she looks so shaggy but she's such a little teddy bear.
If you have a farmers market near you - it is worth the trip. The produce and meat are 'hands down' so much better than the grocery store. If you don't know of a market close by - do a Google search to find one and support your local farmers.
See how you can make the very best strawberry freezer jam HERE

Creative Soap Dispensers

2013-06-07T21:34:00.000-04:00

I remember reading in a Martha Stewart Magazine, years ago, to put your dish soap in an olive oil dispenser. That was the first of 'Creative Soap Dispenser' ideas I had heard of.

Since then, so many cute ideas have popped up on blogs and websites.

(I am convinced that our blogger friends have become trend setters in home decor)

I love this mason jar dispenser.

Look how cute! OK....I cheated and bought mine.

But Kathryn at Destination Craft made hers with dollar store soap bottles and Ball jars. (click HERE to see how)

Last Fall I showed THIS POST with a Wine Bottle for Dish Soap.

Bliss Ranch made this 'uber-cool' dispenser with a Starbucks latte bottle - see her post HERE

What a super cute idea I found on Pinterest - the blogger has been removed - shoot!

Fun ideas out there - makes me wonder what in the world we are going to come up with next.

Thank you to the bloggers who share all their creative ideas - amazing!

Sharing with - Debbiedoo, Funky Junk Interiors

Indoor Summer Fireplace

2013-06-04T20:26:00.003-04:00

The weather is warm so we won't be using our fireplace for several months.

I dressed up this area with twigs, battery operated twig lights and greenery around the large candle trio.

faux lavendar

lanterns and a rustic homemade wooden box filled with pine cones

battery operated twig lights look like twinkling stars on a clear summer night

an over sized vintage window covers the "black hole"

a trio of three wick candles gives the essence of a real fire burning - without the heat

summer ambiance indoors when it is too hot outside - created with natural and artificial elements - air conditioning is a wonderful thing, especially when I can sit by this pretty view and read a book and stay nice and cool - cozy -even!

(sounds like a nice life - I am actually too busy for that - just sounds good)

you can view this mantel area for Spring HERE and Winter HERE

Sharing with Coastal Charm, Funky Junk Interiors

Welcome Candle Light

2013-05-31T09:35:00.001-04:00

A trio of simple mason jars with a little tea light in each hang from the covered porch.

Frame wire looped around each handle ties them to nails on the house trim.

A 'summery' way to welcome our guests.

The little tea lights are great because they just go out on their own - I don't have to remember to blow them out at the end of the evening.

A little sand at the bottom would be cute, too. But we no longer live close to the beach to grab some - and the kids have grown out of playing in a sand box. Those were fun days. Now, it's hangin' out with dudes eating pizza and smores by a camp fire.

Summer Fun!

see these same mason jars hanging in my office HERE

Sharing with - Funky Junk Interiors

Shower Caddy turned Kitchen Caddy

2013-05-29T14:47:00.001-04:00

It seems like every time we move - I buy these silly bath caddies that apply to the shower surround with suction cups. My shampoo is always too heavy (or something).

So they end up taking up space in my linen closet.

This time, I turned it into a kitchen caddy.

This one is super simple but I like the little hooks. I removed the suction cups then drilled holes into my kitchen island and used washers and screws to secure the little metal basket to the side of the island.

How simple was that?

This sits close to my stove top so it's easy to reach salt, pepper and utensils while I am cooking. I could store spices or hot pads in the basket, too.

I love island accents. You can see more ideas HERE.

If you like my little island - you can see the post on that junk redo HERE.
Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing with - Funky Junk Interiors

A Project I Love...still

2013-05-27T20:45:00.000-04:00

I am a girl who changes things around my house pretty often. Less, since our move last year into a rental home but I want to share some more pictures of a recent project that I am so glad I did.

A couple of months ago I painted a checker board top on our family dining table.

You can see that post HERE.

I am just giving a little update to tell my readers that THIS was one project that I am so happy that I did.

One of my favorite pieces of furniture I own - a workbench that was handed down to me from a sweet friend. Sturdy and heavy as anything.

All our homework supplies and games fit on the shelf below for easy access. I wanted to tell you, also, that the top was originally plywood with lots of holes. When I wanted to use it for dining - I went to the lumber store and purchased a thin piece of birch sheet wood and glued it to the top. Then I caulked the seam with black caulking and used clamps to hold it in place to dry for a few days. The birch wood was around $20. It stained dark beautifully.

But the shiny dark finish showed every little crumb.

After I applied the flat shine and distressed white and dark color-

the little messes are so much less noticeable.

Which - makes me very happy. This table is the center of everything....games, homework, entertaining and family conversation (which is getting so much more interesting as our kids get older - 10 year old boys are so dang fun!).

Plus...we enjoyed our long Memorial Day weekend - not so much at our awesome dining table but in our little backyard. Green grass - I love green lush grass (drives the hubby nuts).

So did Mazi - my 7 month old Morkie. I have fallen in love with her. 5 pounds and so super sweet. She goes potty outside and she learned to fetch.....good girl (said in a high pitch/singsong voice that embarrasses the boys so bad!)

She wasn't cheap but she is worth every penny and more.

I hope you all have projects and 'things' in your life that you absolutely love.

Summer is right around the corner - we have some fun plans - hope you do too!

$15 Lamp

2013-05-24T19:31:00.000-04:00

I went to Kirkland Home really fast today and found this lamp on sale.

The tag said 'final sale - missing parts'.

Looks fine to me. (regular price was almost $60)

I love lamps.

Especially when they don't all match.

Coleus and Petunia

2013-05-21T12:46:00.000-04:00

Two of my favorite annuals are Coleus and Petunias.

I think these petunias are the 'fountain' variety so they 'drape' over the pot.

The bright foliage of Coleus keeps color in the pots all through the summer.

I use it with any flower arrangement. Here are my perennial Shasta Daisies and some flowers my boys gave me for Mother's Day.

These small urns are only $14.99 at Home Depot.

The black violas are still adjusting to their new home.

Climbing vines are my favorite, too. This is Clematis.

Last week it had tons of purple blooms.

Placing pots in empty spaces in the garden helps fill up areas that aren't in bloom.

This is just a quick post to share some of my favorite little blooms.

(It's a busy time of year with the boys.)

Checker Board Side Table

2013-05-16T19:22:00.001-04:00

The game room art turned into a side table.

Using an 8 ft long 4x4, liquid nails, nails, chalkboard paint, stain and wax.

The bottom is a stain grade pine round purchased at Home Depot.

The base is 2) 4x4's glued and nailed together and on each side 4x4 halves are glued and nailed to the seams to make the base nice and chunky. The pine round is glued, screwed and nailed to the base. The game board is glued and nailed to the top.

It turned out super sturdy.

Pretty - too!

The boys in my house will enjoy it as a checkerboard table when they discover it.

Today it sits in my office.

Sharing with Coastal Charm, Funky Junk Interiors

Door Decor

2013-05-14T19:45:00.001-04:00

A quick update to the front door.

Since the forsythia is all done blooming - I had to take down the yellow forsythia wreath on the front door.

I tucked an iron scroll into the vinyl door trim.

Hung a basket with sticks and flowers to the suction hook.

Topped with a burlap bow.

Since the weather is "finicky" - I am waiting to plant the summer porch pots.

This is a fine 'neutral' look for the interim.

Decorative Window Ledge

2013-05-09T17:10:00.000-04:00

I am sharing a little change made to the old window that hangs above the sofa.

The simple shelf adds some contrast against my very 'beige' space.

Two brackets and two 1x4's attached directly to the window.

That iron bicycle was a Homegoods find from a few years ago.

It's a summery decoration.

Sharing with - Funky Junk Interiors

Class Gift

2013-05-06T22:30:00.002-04:00

I am one of the room mothers for my little boys class this year. We are surprising the teacher at the end of the school year with this garden pot that we made.

Actually, I purchased the pot like this.

Using a Cricut, I printed out a saying for one side:

'Teachers plant the seed to a bright future'

On the back side it says:

'THANKS - 4th Grade Class 2012-2013'

By watering down paint and washing it over the vinyl words - it lightened up the wooden areas except for the legs. I was able to just peel the sticky words off so the sayings look stenciled. I had to use my little tool to get the bleeding paint out of the some of the wood grain - no problem.

The class got to do the most important part.

Each child signed the planter with an oil-based paint pen. The sweet little messages are so fun to read and the colors stand out against the putty color.

The kids filled all four sides with cute, colorful comments - even "Your --- O.K" :)

(I would like to hear the expression behind that one)

The planter turned out really great. I will seal it with poly and plant some flowers for the teacher to take home and enjoy this summer. I will share the finished presentation with you when it is complete. We still have a few more weeks left of school

(~~thank goodness~~ - oops! - Shoot! - I mean).

(we told the kids to keep this little project a secret - but here I go -
letting out our great idea)
You could do something like this for Mother's Day, too.

Update in June - Here is the planter with a fern in it.
View other Cricut projects like this HERE.
See a teacher gift from last year HERE.
Sharing with: My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia, Knick of Time

Game Room Art

2013-05-04T22:12:00.000-04:00

A couple of years ago I picked up a table on clearance for $30 at Homegoods.

The base was metal and all bent up. This is all that I have left of it now.

I thought this top would be great for a game room wall. The wood border was too orange so I painted that part black and roughed up the checkered area so it would look really old and worn.

Scuffed up the edges and clear waxed the whole thing.

Now I just need a game room.

Or -I could remake a table base.

It sits under Ben's loft bed for now but I like the pattern for an end table.

See the table it turned into HERE.

Garden Flower Nest

2013-05-03T11:25:00.000-04:00

I am getting ready to pot some flowers for summer. I am sorry for those of you still getting snow in May. I'll share my easy garden project with you.

I still need some soil and plants to create the flower collages that I'd like but while I have some of the flowers on hand - I 'accidentally' came across a little NEST idea for my store potted plants. I used the following supplies.

1- 14" plastic tray

2 - old twig wreath - medium

3 - twig wreath - small

4 - 2.5 QT Viola

Layer the 4 items big to small.

The plastic tray will hold the water for my little perennial to drink until she's put into her permanent pot with rich soil.

The layered twig wreaths cover the "store" pot and the plastic tray.

These little black violas were on sale so I grabbed two of them.

This flower nest looks so cute at our backyard gate - the violas might get to stay there a lot longer. Sending sunshine to my friends up north!

Sharing with these link up parties: French Country Cottage, Common Ground, Fishtail Cottage

Paint & Monogram a TV Tray

2013-04-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

TV trays are so useful. We have a set of four pine trays from a "big box store".

Doesn't everybody have this same set?

To give this light pine wood table an "update" I used my Cricut to print out a letter printed on vinyl.

Painted it black with chalk paint using a roll and back brush technique. I used spray paint for the under side.

Once the paint was dry - I peeled off the vinyl letter and sanded the edges. By wiping a dark stain into the exposed wood - I got the dark wood look I wanted.

When I fold the tray to store - the "B" is not upside down (I have done that before).

Topped with clear wax makes it have a "finished" look.

Computer stand, drink tray or perfect for smore night on the deck.
You can view another TV Tray makeover HERE.

Sharing with: The Charm of Home, Liz Marie, Funky Junk Interiors

Ben's Room

2013-04-26T13:40:00.000-04:00

My kids used to think bunk beds would be fun. I did not think it would be fun to hear them argue about who sleeps on the top bunk - etc.. Ben begged for one for so long that we ended up purchasing a loft bed for him when we moved into this house. The idea of using the floor space under the bed sounded great and no arguing with his brother since there wasn't a lower bunk.

The bed is a double size which I thought would be good since most bunks are twin. Ben was used to sleeping on a queen bed or bigger since he was born

(long story - twins - needed sleep - etc).

Yes, he had a lot of floor space but the bed was so hard to make - Ben never really cared and I gave up. When Ben was sick - it was annoying to have to climb to the ceiling to check his temperature or just see how he was doing. He would end up in our bed a lot of the time.

I went to Lowe's to purchase this inexpensive circular Skil saw. (I am not afraid of saws but I get nervous using a circular saw - sold my last one at a tag sale - darn, who knew I'd ever need it again) I didn't want to take the whole bed apart just to take the four legs down to the garage to shorten them so I cut the legs right there in his room. This is an IKEA loft bed that we had to cut down 12 inches to begin with to fit our 8 foot high ceilings. I'm not going to give details on how I cut this bed down myself while it was still in one piece - balancing was key is all I will say and I have no bruises or broken bones. =)

I cut the bed down enough to be able to see Ben's face when I say good night to him. I can even make his bed for him.

Underneath the bed he can sit and play games or read on a bean bag.

Good storage space, too.

This whole project started when Ben asked me to hang that sword on the wall.

His bedding is simple but comfortable. Down comforters - my favorite! Kids should have comfortable bedding - I think. I gave them electric blankets one year for Christmas when we lived up north.

There's still plenty of floor space.

I gave Ben my chicken wire wall art.

A display area for his coin collection and photos.

Though this bed didn't need a headboard, I thought a rustic piece above the pillows would look cool. I can leave him messages when he doesn't want to listen to my voice.

These white shelves were here when we moved in - they come in handy for books and trophies.

Ben is 10 years old - no little boy theme, just stuff he loves.

Ben's the sweetest little boy in the world and silly, too!

You can peek at Luke's room HERE.

Sharing with: Funky Junk Interiors,

Herb Planters

2013-04-24T22:23:00.001-04:00

Our weather has been so warm and pretty.

I picked up some herbs and flowers from the nursery today.

Rosemary, Basil & Cilantro

I put them on our sunny deck.
Now G-R-O-W!

Happy Earth Day

2013-04-22T17:52:00.000-04:00

I am so glad we actually have a designated day that we can contribute to our earth.

Even if we don't all go out and plant a tree, we can just give a little thought about how we can contribute to keeping our earth clean and safe. In our family, we talk about littering and how it can effect wild animals and fish.

The earth is everybody's responsibility to keep clean.

One day last winter, we took the kids sledding at a park nearby. When we arrived there was nobody there - but somebody had taken apart these styro-foam sheets and ripped them into pieces. (Maybe they had been used as "make-shift" sleds). Gatorade bottles, chips wrappers and all kinds of garbage strung all over our lovely park.

It made us sad to see that. So before we went sledding ourselves, we found some trash bags and picked up every bit of garbage in site. We didn't really get to sled much after all but we sure did leave that park all clean and nice for the next sledders.

We recycle what we can and pick up garbage on the ground when we find it.

This blog is about reusing old items and giving them new purpose, too. Like in Luke's old room, we reused my old headboard painted black and an old fence section that was headed for the garbage.

In my old bedroom we used an old window, door and random wood from the garage for the headboard. The white bench was from our very first house we bought in 1996. One dresser was a tag sale item.

We used an old door for our basement entrance.

We enjoy and respect nature.

(from our camping trip two weeks ago - cold!)

Isn't it great that there is a trend in re-purposing furniture and old architectural finds? Keeping and finding a home for these items helps our earth, too.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Just a little change makes a big difference.

Happy Earth Day!!!!

Kindness Matters ~ Chalkboard

2013-04-19T21:37:00.000-04:00

As a mom, I feel like my voice is silent - even when I am shouting.
{oh....do I shout? - kindly, I'm sure =)}

I like to think that small messages get noticed.

Like this one in our hallway.

I painted the center of this shipping crate lid in chalkboard paint and stained over the frame that had over-spray of paint and some stamped words saying -
USE OTHER SIDE.

I like the "roughness" of the frame. There's even a hammered dent in the center.
(somebody got a hold of my tools)

But I like the simple words the best.

Sharing with: No Minimalist Here, I Gotta Create, Beyond the Picket Fence

'Blacken' Orange-Tone Wood

2013-04-18T13:51:00.000-04:00

A shortcut to refinishing furniture that has turned orange...

Most woods turn a little "orange" over time.

I, personally, prefer a brown or black tone.

A few years ago I bought this bench for $7. I meant to redo it a lot sooner than now. I used my pressure washer to clean it.

You can ruin a nice piece of furniture with a pressure washer so be careful of the nozzle setting. I took some of the shiney finish off of my inexpensive bench during the spray - fine with me.

To {blacken} the wood I gave the whole thing a little sand down with my orbital hand sander with 120 grit sand paper. I dipped my sponge brush in water - then in black chalkboard paint - applied the watered down chalkboard paint over the bench a little at a time - working with the natural grain of the wood. Then wiped each stroke of paint off with a paper towel. That paint dries quickly - especially when it is so thin and in the bright sun.

Once I got the amount of black on my bench that I liked - I covered it with a thin coat of black walnut stain.

Don't forget to wipe the stain into the wood and remove any excess. The wood will only 'drink' so much.

My $7 bench was perfect for this paint technique because the top is a rough & chunky log piece. The blackening accentuated the grain in the wood and makes it look more rustic.

Once the stain dried I covered it in clear wax.

A quick morning project that was dry by evening.

Blackening leaves a variation in the wood colors because the under coat is not completely removed as would be done fore a full refinish. Can you see the difference?

Much Better!

Now if I can just find a way to keep Mazi looking fresh.
Her hair is more 'high maintenance' than mine.

Sharing with: The Brambleberry Cottage, Common Ground, Funky Junk Interiors, Stone Gable

Initial a Galvanized Watering Can

2013-04-17T13:56:00.000-04:00

We are having some amazing spring weather this week here in VA.

I am taking advantage of the sun and warm weather today, so I pulled out my pressure washer and some items in the garage that I have been wanting to change, clean - or redo.

I even brought my Cricut outdoors to print out a "B" for this watering can that I have had for about 13 years.

I am sharing just one quick and easy project today but I accomplished more than that this lovely morning.

With a little tropical house plant in the galvanized bucket - I can add it to my porch or use this summery accent inside my home.

(The "B" could be a little lower but I didn't use transfer tape to apply it. The Storybook - Fancy Corners Font creates really 'curly' letters that are hard to manage - it's fine!)

'B' is for Browning - our last name.
I also think of "B" for 'Bless Boston'!

Sharing with these parties - Savvy Southern Style, A Stroll Thru Life, Stone Gable, I Gotta Create