Random Thoughts Home

A Sweet Treat for Valentine's Day

2020-02-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you might want a treat to go with

your coffee or in my case, tea.

Sometimes you might not want a rich & decadent treat.

Sometimes you might just want something simple.

Enter these Pastry Bites, done in Valentine's Day style.

I had this recipe for quite a few years,

ripped from a magazine and tucked away

to make "some day."

(I'm not even going to go into how many of

recipes I have tucked away for "some day.")

Let's just say that "some day" is today for this recipe.

These are really a cinch to make and they taste so good.

Here's the recipe:

Pastry Bites

6 tablespoons raw sugar

1 ½ teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed)

1 egg, beaten

In a bowl, mix sugar, spices & a pinch of salt.

On a parchment lined baking sheet, brush pastry with egg; sprinkle with half the sugar mixture.

Cover with another sheet of parchment, then flip over.

Peel off top parchment. Brush pastry with egg,then sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Cut pastry into 10 strips & twist them.

You can leave them in long twisted strips or you can mold them into hearts as I did here.

Bake at 375 degrees until crispy, about 16-20 minutes.

And just like that, you have simple, crispy little treats that

took no time at all to make.

Enjoy!

Valentines Day Hutch & Wreath Tutorial

2020-01-27T10:23:00.000-05:00

Hello friends!

True confession time.

This Valentine's Day inspired decor that I'm

sharing with you today is from last year!

I had all the photos loaded & ready to go.

I just never posted it!

I was so surprised when I saw the draft listed.

I don't have a lot of Valentine's Day decor.

Just a few things.

This year, (well last year) I decided to make a wreath.

I really love how it turned out.

And it was so easy to make too.

Here's my tutorial on the wreath.

It's almost silly how easy it is to make.

I traced some heart shapes onto a piece of lightweight cardboard.

I cut them out.

I then took yarn, taped the end in place and began wrapping

it around the shape.

I wrapped all willy nilly,

nothing uniform about it.

My intention was to wrap the yarn completely around

the cardboard so there would be no cardboard showing.

However, once I got going, I decided I loved

the cardboard peeking out behind the yarn,

so I left it like that.

I glued the shapes onto a grapevine wreath

and there you have it!

Don't you love an easy craft that

turns out better than you expected?

New Years & Winter Hello

2020-01-08T16:01:00.002-05:00

Hello dear friends!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe I'm actually here, on the old blog, posting something.

I have to admit, I'm a little rusty at all of this.

Winter is upon us here at Random Thoughts Home.

If you need proof, I will oblige....

this was taken this morning.

A good day to stay in with a warm blanket & a good book.

I have a few photos to share today.

The winter mantel is ready for the season.

It's always so hard to decide what to do after taking

away all the Christmas decor.

Blue & white color palette...texture added with

fuzzy pillows, trees & pinecones.

The dining room hutch & sitting room got a touch of winter, too.

I had a little fun with my Winter bird collection.

Wishing you many blessings in the New Year!

Christmas Home Tour 2018

2018-12-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I have been so preoccupied with the

Most Wonderful Time of the Year,

I almost forgot to post my decor on the blog.

Shame on me!

I did something different & decorated

before Thanksgiving this year.
I wasn't sure if I was crazy to decorate early,

but I think it has made things a lot less chaotic...

well at least as less chaotic as they can be at this

time of year.

I was going to break this tour up into
several different posts, but I decided to
give you one big tour. Get ready
for lots of pictures!

So without further adieu,

let's begin in the living room.

This year's color palette in here...white & gold.

Moving on into the dining room & sitting room:

Next up...the kitchen:

The master bedroom:

Center Hallway:

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

As always, I am grateful for your visit today.

I know we are all so busy, so if you took

time out from your day to come along on the

tour with me, I thank you.

See you soon!

Fall Throughout the House

2018-10-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

I'm back with more Fall décor today.

It's hard to believe it's October already.

I no sooner finish decorating for Fall

and now it's time to decorate for Halloween.

I can't keep up!

Don't let my first picture below fool you.

I love a neutral look, but

I'm also a girl who loves color.

I could never go totally neutral.

Let's get started with the Dining Room:

The Sitting Room:

The Kitchen:

My sister bought my that sweet hedgehog cookie jar

because she knew I loved it.

Sisters are the best!

Happy Fall!

Fall Mantel & Living Room

2018-09-26T18:01:00.003-04:00

I'm thrilled that Fall has finally arrived.

It's my most favorite season.

I went fairly simple with the mantel this year.

Are you like me?

Some years you want simple

and others...well...you go all out &

maybe a tad overboard?

How did we all survive before the

velvet pumpkin was introduced?

Thanks for visiting today.

I'll be sharing more of my Fall décor in the days ahead.

Tonight,

I am on my way to see

the kickoff of the national tour of

Hello Dolly with Betty Buckley.

I can't wait.

Kitchen Reveal

2018-09-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Is is really September?

This Summer really flew by.

Two years ago,

we did a little kitchen refresh.

Because I tend to disappear

from the blog from time to time,

I never shared it here for you to see,

so today is the day it'll make its debut.

I painted my cabinets white

some 9 years ago.

They are old cabinets, original

to this house built in 1933.

I never want to part with them because

they are huge and can house so many dishes.

There were a few things I knew for sure:

I hated my blue tile backsplash,

I hated my brown linoleum flooring,

I hated my wood look countertops,

I'm not a stainless steel appliance girl.

I wanted fresh & clean & white.

But....

here's where I differ from the rest of the white kitchen groupies...

I really, really love color too.

Come take a peek:

Now let me give you a few less than flattering

before pictures so you can get some perspective here.

Here's that brown linoleum:

(please forgive the mess)

Here's that blue tile backsplash and those awful countertops:

(please forgive the pile of dishes drying in the sink)

And the same view now:

Much better, huh?

How I love my white subway tile and quartz countertops!

No more brown linoleum either!

I apologize for the reflection in the glass cabinet doors below.

They are so hard to photograph.

So that is my kitchen reveal.

Not a major reno,

but enough to make a huge improvement

and most importantly,

enough to make me happy.

Thanks for coming by today.

I'll be back soon because hey,

it's time for Fall décor!

Red, White & Blue

2018-07-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

We are in the midst of a heat wave

to rival all heat waves!

I'm not sure how to handle it,

we aren't used to it around here.

Below freezing, we can handle,

98 degrees, not so much.

----------

I've come to the conclusion that I enjoy

decorating for the 4th of July.

I've also come to the conclusion that I enjoy it

because I really like the colors of red, white & blue.

There's something about them...

So do you like to decorate for the 4th?

Wishing you a fun & safe holiday!

Summer Mantel & Living Room

2018-06-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

Summer is finally here!

I wish I could say I was enjoying it,

sitting by the pool, sipping lemonade and reading a good book,

but it seems between work & my son's baseball games,

there is time for little else.

I wanted to share my mantel & living room.

I went with blue & white and

I must admit, I love this color combination.

In April, I had my heart set on going

with a peach & aqua color scheme for Summer.

I was ahead of the curve, ~~for once~~.

I started gathering items & sewed new pillow covers.

And then....

in May, I started clearing out my Spring décor

& began adding the peach & aqua décor.

Oh what a fail!!

I hated it even before I finished it!

I quickly took everything down & decided

blue & white was the way to go.

I have to laugh because I've been seeing

a lot of blue & white around lately.

I guess I chose well.

I'm toying with the idea of changing the curtains to

coordinate with the blue & white theme,

but I'm not sure if I'll be looking to change

everything up again once Fall arrives.

Decisions, decisions.

I rarely show this side of the room,

so here goes...

even if it is an off center picture!

I really hope you are enjoying your Summer so far!

Thanks for visiting me today.

Master Bedroom Refresh

2018-06-07T09:30:00.000-04:00

Hello sweet friends!

Since I've taken many blog breaks over the past year or so,

I realized I have not shared a bunch of updates done around here.

(I may eventually need to do an updated home tour.)

So, today I'm going to start with the master bedroom.

Here is what the bedroom looked like before:

We had very dark mahogany furniture.

I somehow managed to convince my husband
that the furniture needed to go.
However, when we began shopping I realized
that the dressers nowadays seemed very small.
The drawers seemed very small as well.

You have to understand, we live in an old house.
Closet space is practically non existent in old houses,
so dressers need to store a lot.

After much thought, I decided to paint our furniture.
My husband was not crazy about this idea, but
I went ahead with it.

We painted the walls Cottonwood by Ralph Lauren.
Then the furniture got covered by
Annie Sloan's chalk paint in Pure White.
We bought an upholstered head board and
a chandelier and just like that,
a completely different look.

We were going to change out all the original brass handles

on the drawers for new hardware,

but decided to keep them instead.

And because I'm nothing if not real,

I'm showing you this picture...

I like a TV in the bedroom.

I'm am so happy with how it all turned out.
It feels so much lighter & brighter now.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Spring, At Last

2018-05-07T11:00:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure that my title today may have

been uttered by more people this year than ever before.

It sure did take its sweet time coming.

My living room made an easy transition from Easter

to Spring this year. I just subtracted all the Easter

décor, and added in Spring décor.

So easy!

The color palette stayed the same which also made it easy.

Thanks for visiting me today.

I hope you are enjoying a beautiful Springtime!

Easter Home Tour 2018

2018-03-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

With Easter being so early this year,

I decided not to waste any time decorating.

In fact, I started the minute I took down

my Valentine's Day decor.

Here's the tour

and I promise to keep the chatter to a minimum.

The living room & mantel:

I went with a yellow & green theme in the living room.

It's so nice to see some color in the house after all the white

of Winter, not to mention all the white

the Nor'easter left us on Friday!

Ugh.

The dining room & sitting room:

That's all I have for today.

Thanks for stopping by

and I do hope you're having

beautiful Spring weather where you live.

See you soon!

Valentine's Day Dining Hutch

2018-01-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

Hello friends!

I did a little Valentine's Day decorating...

just a little, nothing over the top or anything.

I went so white & neutral with my decor after Christmas

that seeing the reds & pinks of Valentine's Day

has been a welcome change!

I don't think there's anything new here.

It's the same Valentine's Day elements

I've used for several years, just switched up.

I made the flowered heart wreath & the stuffed hearts

(all out of felt & fleece) quite a few years ago.

I never really tired of them,

so here they are again.

Have you decorated for Valentine's Day yet?

Do you go all out or do you prefer "just a little", like me?

Have a wonderful day & thanks for visiting!

Oh Winter!

2018-01-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

Winter.

What can I say?

I'm developing a love/hate relationship with Winter.

I don't hate it, but I'm kind of sick of it, too.

This happens to me every year.

Trouble is I find it happens earlier & earlier every year,

which is not good considering we have a long way to go yet.

Ok, no more complaining.

Here's some Winter around the house...

Sitting Room:

Dining Room:

Kitchen:

I think my next posts will be about Valentine's Day.

I'm going to adopt my oldest sister's attitude which is...

Put away all the Winter decor & think Spring!

Sounds like a pretty decent plan, don't you think?

Winter Mantel & Living Room 2018

2018-01-08T07:13:00.001-05:00

Good morning all!

This has been one heck of a Winter, hasn't it?

When I checked my phone yesterday at 8am,

we were looking at a temperature of -12 degrees.

Factor in the wind chill & it felt like -23 degrees.

Crazy.

We've been using our fireplace more than ever.

It just makes you feel so cozy to have a fire going,

especially at night while relaxing & watching TV.

I went with gray & white for my Winter decor.

Such a change after the bright colors of Christmas!

Everything here is stuff you've already seen before...

except for the wreath, that's new.

I found it after Christmas at Pier 1 and

thought it was perfect for Winter.

My ladder from Decor Steals.

I love it.

A little Winter for the coffee table.

Maybe I should rethink

my chalkboard sentiment.

I think it started snowing the second I put it up!

Have a wonderful week, my friends!

New Year's Eve Vignette (or Partying Snowmen!)

2017-12-28T15:37:00.001-05:00

Hello dear friends!

I hope you had a beautiful Christmas!

Have you taken your Christmas decorations down yet?

I haven't, but I'm thinking I may begin tomorrow.

I had the week off from work and

I really hate to wait until I'm back to work to take it all down.

Is it just me or have you noticed angry controversy on social media

about taking down the Christmas decorations?

Who knew de-decorating could make people angry?

Anyway, I did put together a little something

for New Year's Eve.

At first I think my husband thought I was a little crazy

decorating for New Year's Eve,

but then I think he actually liked it.

It all started with the snowmen figurine.

I spotted it in Home Goods and when I realized

the snowmen were, in fact, New Year's Eve partying snowmen,

I had to have it!

My sister bought it for me as part of my Christmas gift.

That trio is just too cute!

Wishing you all the best in 2018!

Merry Christmas

2017-12-24T11:16:00.000-05:00

Christmas Home Tour, Part 3

2017-12-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are on the last part of my Christmas tour.

Today I'm sharing the Kitchen, Master Bedroom & middle Hallway.

It's funny, these photos reflect many changes we've made to our home.

I have never shared those changes on the blog...yet.

I really need to do an updated home tour.

Kitchen:

I love changing up the dishes in this cabinet.

Not the best photo below,

but this year I decided to give my window over

the sink a little something.

My kitchen tree always

sits on the table in this nook.

Master Bedroom:

I like to add a little Christmas to the bedroom.

I'm so happy to have this tree in the bedroom.

At night, it's so pretty all lit up.

It gives me visions of sugarplums...

Hallway:

This tree sits in the hallway,

alongside our staircase.

I had no idea how I wanted to decorate it this year.

My sister suggested green since she noticed

I had some green glass balls in my stash.

So I went with it and decided black & white checked

ribbon would be a nice complement to the whole look.

I made the top hat tree topper because I couldn't

find a single topper I liked anywhere.

And there you have it!

The tour is complete.

I may be back to share a little more

décor if I survive the baking marathon

I'm about to take on!

Thanks for visiting me today.

Christmas Home Tour, Part 2

2017-12-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your kind comments on Part 1 of the tour.

Shall we start right in with Part 2 today?

Here's the dining room & sitting room....

I'll try not to talk too much since I have quite a few photos today.

Dining Room:

I have never used a lot color in these rooms before.

This is a first.

I usually go with silver, gold & white, but

this year I was determined to try red.

I never imagined how much I was going to love it!

I don't think I've shared my new mirror

and console table before. (below)

I rode home 2 1/2 hours with that mirror

resting against my head.

Oh the sacrifices we make for pretty things!

Sitting Room:

This pencil tree from Michaels is a favorite!

Here's a close up of the tree:

Have a great day everyone!

Next up...

Kitchen & Master Bedroom

Christmas Home Tour, Part 1

2017-12-11T16:57:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone, welcome!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Are you enjoying all the Christmas inspiration throughout blogland?

I swear sometimes it makes me wish I had 10 houses to decorate!

I'm going to begin my home tour today in our living room.

I had fully intended on going with a pastel palette

for our living room this year.

However, as I was dreaming of pastel colored sugar plums,

my 16 year old son decided to tell me,

"I prefer traditional red & green for Christmas."

Whaaaat?

Well, suffice it to say, his words stuck in my head.

Since Christmas is all about family,

I thought it best not to disappoint and

this is what I came up with instead.

Santa and his elves....

How I love that ladder from Décor Steals!

Such a versatile piece & perfect for Santa's elves to climb.

Traditional red & green all the way!

I'm not sure if you'll notice from years past, but my

living room used to have a huge entertainment center on

this wall (below) with lots of shelves for décor.

It was a tough decision, but we decided

it was time for something new. I love this new look

and I don't even mind that I now have a lot less

space to add décor.

My coffee table vignette:

I will return with more of my

Christmas Home Tour during the week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Halloween Tarts

2017-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have always loved to bake,

but some days you just don't have the time

to make a complicated dessert.

Enter Chocolate Peanut Butter

Halloween Tarts....

These little pies really took no time at all to put together.

Here's the recipe from Taste of Home:

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 package (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix

1 ¾ cups cold milk

1 package (6 count) individual graham cracker tart shells

Whipped topping

Optional: Halloween candy, sprinkles, etc.

In the top of a double boiler over simmering water,

melt chips with oil, stirring until smooth.

(I used a Pyrex bowl on top of a pot of simmer water for my double boiler)

Remove top pan from water and cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk pudding and milk until thick.

Fold in peanut butter mixture. Spoon into tart shells.

Chill for 15 minutes.

Top with dollop of whipped cream and decorate

as desired.

See now?

That was nice & simple...

and my husband & kids loved them!

Happy Halloween, friends!

Halloween Home

2017-10-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

I've never been a huge Halloween decorator,

but I am happy to add a little touch here & there.

So let's see what I've done this year.

Dining Room:

I have used these vintage looking pumpkin heads for many years now.

You may be sick of seeing them every year,

but I love them, so they make a yearly appearance.

The 3 tiered tray in the kitchen got some Halloween love, too!

Do you go all out for Halloween or

are you just a little here & there decorator like me?

When Home Goods Comes to Town

2017-10-15T11:05:00.000-04:00

I have been waiting for years for a Home Goods to call my own.

On October 22, the wait will be over!

I will no longer have to travel 50 miles one way to get to a Home Goods.

We will finally have one locally.

I cannot tell you how happy this makes me!

In all honesty, the fact that we did not have a Home Goods store
locally has not made me a stranger to the store.

I would seek out Home Goods on all my travels and vacations
hoping to find that one treasure (or 25) to bring home with me.

My family knows the routine well. It goes something like this:

When my son has a baseball game 3 hours away...

Me: Do they have a Home Goods there?

When 11 family members go on a big vacation...

Me: Do they have a Home Goods there?

When my son wants to take a college tour...

Me: Do they have a Home Goods there?

When my daughter wants to see a concert a few hours away...

Me: Do they have a Home Goods there?

So you get the idea.

My husband cannot fathom for the life of him,
why Home Goods has not asked me to cut the ribbon at the grand opening!
(That one's a comedian, I tell ya)

He has lived in fear ever since the announcement was made
that we would be getting a store.
Now neither rain, nor snow, nor heat, nor gloom of night
shall deter me from going.
In other words, having one so close by could spell trouble.

So if all this causes us is a one way trip to the poor house,
I want to know...
Do they have a Home Goods there?

Have a super week, friends!

Pumpkins, Gourds & Leaves Tablescape

2017-10-03T11:00:00.000-04:00

As so the calendar has turned over to October...

October is such a busy month for me.

Lots of birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

I pretty much eat a whole lot of cake in October.

My pants are not going to like it one bit!

I put together a simple fall tablescape.

I have to admit, I haven't tablescaped in quite some time,

so I'm a little rusty.

Everything here I've had for quite a few years.

I'm not sure I can even remember from where everything came.

Let's see....

The wicker place mats are from Pier 1

Silverware--??

Dinner plates, napkins & pumpkin cookie jar are all Better Homes & Gardens (Walmart)

The salad plates came from a pottery store in the Cleveland, OH area.

We were on vacation there; I'll never remember the name of that store!

Something makes me think those little amber colors candle holders also

came from that same store.

The amber Park Lane glasses are from a local antique store.

I no sooner start enjoying my Fall decor

and what do I just realize?

It's October & time to start thinking

about decorating for Halloween!!

Are you getting ready for Halloween?

Fall 2017 Dining Room & Sitting Room

2017-09-17T14:40:00.001-04:00

Hello!

I'm back with more of my Fall decor today.

It looks like it's going to be a beautiful

sunshiny week for us.

As much as I prefer the cooler fall temperatures,

I'm going to try to enjoy this last bit of warm Summer weather,

knowing all too well,

it'll be gone until next June at least.

I won't chat too much, just pictures...

Dining Room:

Sitting Room:

I may have done a little dance in the aisle

at Home Goods when I found that blue

pumpkin pillow. I couldn't love it more!

Happy Fall to all!