Sweet Macedonia

~Antique Victorian Dresser Makeover~

2013-05-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love stores such as Pottery Barn and Ethan Allen. In fact, I furnished most of my home with pieces from those stores when I set out to decorate it 10 years ago.

However, I gotta say, that furniture, although well made and beautiful, does not hold a candle to some vintage and antique furniture out there.

I picked up this antique dresser from the sweetest man on Craigslist. It was an estate piece of his brother's.

It was in great shape even though it is over 103 years old!! It is heavy, sturdy, and the drawers pull out easily.

And though the dresser was beautiful, the finish was dull and gunky and in bad need of a makeover. So, I pulled out my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint stash and settled on Duck Egg Blue.

It is a lovely grey-blue with a beachy vibe.

Orginally, the dresser had these solid brass pulls paired with ornate backplates.

While cleaning them {using Kate from Centsational Girl's method}, I discovered that the pulls were solid brass but the back plates were brass-plated. The pulls cleaned up beautifully but the back plates not-so-much so I decided to leave them off the finished dresser. Much better, no?

I also stripped and then re-stained the top with my go-to Minwax stain--special walnut. It came out great. It still needs a coat of high-gloss poly, but it still looks pretty good in the meantime.

This dresser has fabulous storage--deep drawers and check out these dividers in the top drawer! Perfect for for separating out your unmentionables. :D

I love how this dresser turned out, and it's now ready for another century of service.

So what's your preference? New or antique furniture? What do you think about the makeover?

~Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana {Sausage, Potato & Kale Soup}~

2013-05-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

When I was in nursing school I worked as a server at The Olive Garden to support myself. Tips were not great, and it was one of the hardest jobs I have ever had but I did get to eat there everyday. One of my favorite soups was the Zuppa Toscana---spicy sausage, creamy potatoes and luscious kale. mmmmm...my mouth is watering even as I type this.

It has been 15 years since I worked there, and I still crave that soup. So, a year or so ago I set out to find a copy-cat recipe. I found that there are many good ones out there. I tried several of them but couldn't find one that I loved (some used 1 whole pound of sausage, others used fake bacon bits, etc, etc). So, I came up with my own adaptation.

My recipe uses less sausage and really lets the potatoes and kale shine. Trust me, it is SO GOOD ! The best, if I do say so myself. :D

Ingredients (12 servings):

1/2 lb Mild Italian Sausage casings removed
3 Slices Bacon chopped
1 cup White Onion chopped
3 1/2 lbs Russet Potatoes sliced
10 cups Chicken Broth (I use Smart & Final's Chicken base to make 10 cups. It is the BEST! I highly recommend it if you can get it.)
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

3 cloves Garlic minced
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 bunch Kale chopped into bite size pieces
Black Pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large stock pot, add the chicken broth, sliced potatoes, and red pepper flakes. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat low and simmer. Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom dutch oven or frying pan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat.

When done, drain bacon on some paper towels.

Reserve 1 teaspoon of bacon fat in the dutch oven and discard the remainder in the trash. Add the onion and the bacon back to the dutch oven and saute over medium-high heat until the onion is soft.

Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute more.

Pour bacon and onion mixture into the stock pot with the potatoes. Now, using the same dutch oven, break up the mild Italian sausage into small chunks (it is easier to break up the sausage at this stage than later).

Cook over medium-high heat until no pink remains.
Once done, add to the stock pot. (I also like to deglaze the dutch oven with 1/2 cup of broth to get up all the favor-enhancing bits of meat left in the pan and add it to the stock pot too).

Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes break apart when stirred. Once the potatoes are cooked, add the heavy cream.

and chopped kale.

Then serve immediately and enjoy!

This recipe makes up to 12 servings and is so inexpensive! Perfect for a family on a budget. Love it.

Cost Breakdown:
Italian Sausage: 1.99
Bacon 0.75
Potatoes 1.00
White Onion: 0.99
Broth: 0.50
Garlic: 0.10
Spices: 0.10
Heavy Cream: 1.50
Kale: 1.99
Total=8.92/12 servings = 0.75 cents per serving

So, what do you think? Do you love the OG's Zuppa Toscana as much as I do? Have you found any other good copy-cat recipes?

{Check back soon for my Yam and Red Potato Beef Stew recipe and a antique dresser makeover.}

~Small Wooden Cabinet-Part 2~

2013-05-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Remember this vintage wooden cabinet/bookshelf I picked up a few months ago? Well, the reveal is now here! Here she is before:

And here she is after:

It was love at first sight. And I got her for a song. The design details, such as the arches on the doors, are fabulous ...

There are 3 fixed bookshelf's on the inside...

The original solid brass pull was stunning, heavy, and OLD but there was just the one.

So I replaced it with these beautiful white/gold Parterre knobs from Anthropologie.

One knob is slightly lower than the other, and I decided to leave it as is. The piece has other slight "flaws" such as dents, dings, and scratches but I did not want to cover them up. This beauty is old. I wanted to honor her history and not try to make her look like a brand new piece of furniture.

I painted her with Annie Sloan's Aubusson Blue chalk paint and finished her with a walnut stain and clear wax.

She is a versatile piece and her size makes her perfect for many different places in the house. She would look great in a small entryway with a lamp and small tray to hold keys & mail. She could also live in a hallway for misc storage or a child's room to store books. She'd also compliment any bathroom, and be the perfect piece to store towels or toilet paper. The previous owners even used her as a flat-screen TV stand.

So where would you put her in your house? What do you think about the transformation? I had a hard time determining what style she was. What style do you think she is?

~You Are My Sunshine Sign~

2013-05-02T12:16:00.001-07:00

you are my sunshine

my only sunshine

you make me happy

when skies are grey

you'll never know, dear

how much I love you

please don't take my sunshine away

My mom used to sing this song to me when I was a young child. It is still one of my favorite children's songs. I wanted to make a bright and cheerful sign using the first set of lyrics from the song. This sign is bright yellow and antique white and measures 12" by 12". Perfect for a nursery or children's room.

What about you? Did your mom sing it to you? Or do you sing it to your children?

~Antique Dressers~

2013-04-29T21:51:00.001-07:00

I went shopping this weekend using my favorite source ~Craigslist~ and found two beautiful antique dressers to make-over.

The classic lines of this piece make me HAPPY but what really caught my eye....

were these large wooden knobs! Love them!

The design plan for this dresser is:
1. Strip and stain the top and knobs.
2. Add reverse bird silhouette.
3. Paint body of dresser ASCP Provence blue.
4. Distress.
5. Stain over paint.
6. Finish with clear wax or poly

This next dresser is a stunner!

Solid brass knobs, applique, curved legs...just perfect.

She is a heavy, beautifully made piece of furniture. Check out this wheat applique. Darling!

And the original solid brass pulls...

On the back there is a tag that reads "From White Furniture Co., Mebane, NC. The date, although faded, can still be read as 1910. It was shipped to a Ashley Furniture co in Berkley, CA.

The design plan for this beauty is:
1. Strip and stain top with Minwax special walnut stain.
2. Paint body of dresser ASCP duck egg blue.
3. Distress.
4. Clean and polish solid brass pulls
5. Finish with clear wax or poly

The make-over for these dressers is already underway, and I can tell you they are gonna be spectacular! Check back later for a post on refinishing dresser tops and the completed make-overs.

~Signs, Signs, Signs! Distressed wooden signs!

2013-02-18T22:05:00.000-08:00

Today is the GRAND OPENING of my new Etsy Business--Sweet Macedonia Signs! I have loved painting vintage wood furniture such as this Wood Grain Bird Silhouette Bread Box. It helps me stay sane! However, I found that I wanted to do more. So, inspired by my cousin Amy Gibson's Signs, I decided to join the trend and also paint custom, distressed, wooden signs.

For babies:

Children:

Love these for Grandma and Grandpa:

Family Name signs:

For the Home:

Holiday:

I can't tell you how excited I am about this new adventure. Even though I would certainly not call these signs "Fine Art" it still involves a creative process that soothes my soul and brings me joy. I already have a ton of orders from family and friends, and I can't wait to get started. All signs can be found in my Sweet Macedonia Signs Etsy Shop.

What are your favorites? Have you also joined the Distressed Signs trend? I hope it stays awhile...

~Grey/Green Vintage Wooden Bread Box~

2013-02-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

The last couple of months have been absolutely crazy. Between the holidays and moving and family health issues I feel like I have not had a chance to breath much less focus on the blog.

I did however carve out some time to paint which is essential for my stress management. I completed a few bread boxes, a small cabinet, and a side table. In addition I started a new side business (coming soon). Here is one of the bread boxes:

I wanted to use a grey color for the body, but I did not have any. So I made up a custom mix of Annie Sloan's Old White with Graphite to make this medium dark grey.

I think it came out pretty well. I had these great Citrus Green Anthropologie knobs so I decided to paint the inside of the bread box with Annie Sloan's Antibes Green to coordinate.

Not bad, not bad at all. {In real life the green paint and green knob look very similar in color--for some reason in the pictures they look quite different.}

To finish I used my usual treatment of Minwax's Special Walnut (a trick I learned from Barb Blair of Knack Studios) and ASCP clear wax.

What do you think? I love that grey is the new Taupe. It's neutral color compliments just about any other color.

This bread box can be found for sale in my Sweet Macedonia Etsy Shop.

~Small Wooden Cabinet--Part One~

2012-12-26T19:31:00.003-08:00

While looking over Craigslist one day I spied this vintage beauty:

It is a small wooden cabinet. For some reason the arches and clean lines of the piece just grabbed me. I knew it would be a beauty fixed up. It is perfect for the Etsy Shop.

Inside there are 3 fixed shelves making it a small, enclosed bookshelf. The entire piece is solid wood and sturdy.

It had the most amazing knob...

It is solid brass, heavy, and old! Sadly, there is just the one knob. So I removed it and will use it for another project.

The cabinet was a fantastic price! I emailed the owner at 11 o'clock at night and told her I would pay $5.00 more than the asking price if she would hold it for me til the next morning. {I would have payed even more for the piece--it was that cheap to begin with}.

The next day I picked it up and fell in love.

It is now painted deep, rich Aubusson blue {ASCP} and has some gorgeous Anthropologie knobs...

Check back soon to see the finished piece...

~Holiday Broccoli & Cheese Casserole~

2012-12-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

My family is not a fan of the traditional 'green bean casserole' that is so popular for holiday meals. You know, the one with the crispy fried onions? Personally, I don't mind the green bean casserole but there is a recipe for something even better...

The Broccoli and Cheese Casserole!!

This recipe is a crowd favorite for my family and our guests. Year after year it is wolfed down with rarely any leftovers. The recipe is deceptively simple for how great it tastes. Just 5 ingredients.

The KEY ingredient for flavor is the dried onions!!

Casserole (12-14 servings)

3-4 lbs Fresh Broccoli (can substitute with frozen broccoli if desired-just as good!)

2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/3 cup Dried Minced Onions

4 cups Shredded American Cheese

1.5 cups Panko Japanese style bread crumbs

Directions:

In a large stock pot, bring to a boil 4-6 quarts salted water. Meanwhile, cut up the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Once the water is boiling, add the broccoli and cook (blanch) for 60-90 seconds. Drain.

(If using frozen broccoli, no need to blanch it-just allow it to defrost somewhat before layering).

Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Layer 1/2 the broccoli, 1 can of soup, 1/2 the onion flakes, and 1/2 the cheese.

Repeat. Once second layer is on, sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.

I was in a hurry when I bought the broccoli and I could have used more...but you get the idea.

Cook in the oven, uncovered, at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbling. Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Wanna make it a main dish? Just add some precooked diced chicken. Yum!

Does your family like the traditional 'green bean casserole'? Or like my family...not-so-much?

~Tutorial: Wood-Grain Bird Silhouette~

2012-12-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

After

This brief tutorial will show the basic steps to create a wood-grain silhouette. In this case I used a bird-on-a-branch stencil I bought from Amazon. {Stencil Link Here}. I thought it was pretty cute.
The vintage bread box started out looking like this:

Before

First line the front of your project with painters tape {I overlapped mine but found that when it came time to peel it off it was easier if the tape was in a single layer-not overlapped}. Then center and tape on your stencil.

Once the stencil is in place trace the outline with a fine-tip black sharpie. Then the hard part--remove the stencil and cut along the sharpie line with a xacto knife. I acutally found it was easier to use a Dull blade versus a sharp one. This is the most tedious part but once you're done peel away the tape and you should be left with something looking like this {please excuse the flash-these pics were taken late at night on my phone camera}:

Next grab your paint and paintbrush and get ready to paint! I used my trusty Purdy brush and Antibes Green Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. The awesome thing about chalk paint is that it does not require any prep work for the wood {although this piece was pretty gunky so I did a light sanding first}. Make sure to really press down the edges of your painters tape before painting to minimize leakage underneath. Then go to town! I used a light brush stroke and tried to paint from the center of the stencil out.

Once you are finished painting, while the paint is still damp, use your xacto knife and gently lift up the edge of the tape and peel away. If there is any leakage wait until the paint is dry and gently scrape the excess paint away with the xacto knife {but don't worry too much about it--once you distress the piece any minor imperfections will look intentional}.

Here is what the bread box looked like the next morning completely finished but before I had distressed it:

Note the rough paint edges that will get sanded away during the distressing process

I did a fairly heavy distressing using a 220 grit sanding block and finished the piece with a coat of walnut stain, clear wax and a gorgeous Anthropologie knob.

Now...ta da...the finished bread box {again}...distressed and ready to go into the Etsy Shop:

What do you think? What stencil projects have you done lately?

~Beef & Pork Chili~

2012-12-23T22:13:00.001-08:00

I have been craving chili lately so this weekend I decided to make some. The recipe I used is super easy and so yummy. It smelled amazing while cooking and is also budget friendly. Perfect for a crowd!

Chili (8-10 2 cup servings):
1.5 lbs 85/15 Lean Ground Beef
3/4 lb Extra-Lean Ground Pork
1 Medium Yellow Onion
2 Celery Stalks
3 Medium Green Bell Peppers
4 Cloves Fresh Garlic
1 pkg McCormick Chili Seasoning
1 can Stewed Tomatoes
1 can Red Kidney Beans (drained)
1 can Ranch Style Beans (un-drained)
1 can Tomato Sauce
1 can Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chili Peppers
1 tsp Crushed Red Chili Peppers (optional)
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat heavy bottomed stock pot or large dutch oven on medium high heat. Pour in olive oil. Add ground beef and ground pork. Brown meat until just a little pink remains. Add onions to meat. Cook until soft, stirring frequently. Add chopped bell peppers, celery and stewed tomatoes.

Cook 5-10 minutes until all vegetables soft, stirring frequently. Add minced garlic and canned Rotel tomatoes with chilies. Cook additional minute.

Add Chili seasoning, tomato sauce, kidney beans (drained) and ranch style beans (UN-drained). Add crushed chili peppers (if you like a kick to your chili).

Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium high heat (should be a medium boil), stirring frequently and then reduce heat to low. Simmer on low heat for 3-6 hours. Once done add sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Garnish with shredded cheese, diced white onions, diced avocado and some chopped fresh cilantro.
Serve over rice, potatoes, hot dogs or just on it's own and ENJOY!

Cost Breakdown:
$5.83 1.46 lbs Lean Ground Beef 85/15
$3.99 1 lb Exta Lean Farmers John Ground Pork
$0.59 Yellow Onion (1)
$0.25 Celery (2 stalks)
$2.40 Bell Pepper (3 @ $0.79 each)
$0.25 Garlic Cloves (4)
$1.25 1 pkg McCormick Chili Seasoning
$1.39 1 can Contadina Tomato Sauce
$1.39 1 can Del Monte Stewed Tomatoes
$0.99 1 can SW Red Kidney Beans
$0.99 1 can Ranch Style Beans
$1.25 1 can Rotel Tomatoes and Chiles
Total= $20.57 /10 servings =$2.05 per serving

What cravings are you having this winter? Do you have a favorite chili recipe? Be sure to check back for more soup and stew recipes coming soon.

~Thrift Store Love~

2012-12-02T01:38:00.000-08:00

I live in a beautiful, small (by CA standards) town named Yucaipa with a population of 50,000 residents. The Serrano Indians were the original settlers of this lovely town. They named the area 'Yucaipat' meaning 'green valley'. The town is nestled in the San Bernardino Mountain foothills and sits at a higher elevation than most other Inland Empire cities so there is a sense of clean, fresh air and a rural vibe.

Photo courtesy Yucaipa Chamber of Commerce

Yucaipa hosts many awesome events such as summer Concerts in the Park...

Photo courtesy Yucaipa Chamber of Commerce

The annual Iris Festival...

Photo courtesy Yucaipa Chamber of Commerce

And the weekly Yucaipa Certified Farmers Market in Historic Uptown Yuciapa...

Photo courtesy Yucaipa Chamber of Commerce

It also features fishing, hiking trails, and summer water slides at the Regional Park.

However, what I love the most about Yucaipa are the
thrift stores!

Thriftique

A&A Thrift & 'Tiques

Where I live there are no fewer than (count them!) 9 thrift stores within walking distance of my home.

Jewels' Treasures Antiques

Did you get that? I said WALKING DISTANCE!

The Italian Pickers

Nancy's Second Hand Treasures

I frequent these thrift stores so often that they know me by name and what kind of pieces I look for for my Sweet Macedonia Etsy Shop

Set Free Jesus Hands Thrift Store

Several of them have my phone number and will call me whenever they get pieces in stock they know I will like.

Yucaipa Antique Mall

Bargains Galore Thrift Store

I love thrift stores. I love browsing. Looking at furniture. Imagining what I could do with that funky chair or retro lamp. It stirs my imagination, and the best part is that most items are just a few buck apiece. How great is that?

Do you have a favorite thrift store? What has been your greatest find? How many stores are near your home?

~Wood-Grain Bird Silhouette Bread Box~

2012-11-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

Check out this sweet vintage bread box. In the 'before' you can see it has great bones. However, the finish was gunky, and it had numerous dings and scratches. So I sanded this baby down, broke out a bird stencil I had, and got to work.

Before

In the 'finished' photos you can see the stencil was used to create a silhouette to highlight the wood grain. I painted the exterior with Annie Sloan Antibes green chalk paint, and the interior was painted with Annie Sloan Provence blue chalk paint. The exterior was finished with a walnut wood stain and then the entire bread box was waxed with Annie Sloan clear wax.

The finishing touch is the gorgeous teal blue flower knob from Anthropologie {Got it on sale!}.

These vintage wooden bread boxes are fabulous for storage not just in the kitchen but also in the bedroom or bathroom.

I have a friend who stores her medications in a vintage bread box instead of a medicine cabinet. That's one way to keep visitors from snooping what meds you take-Ha!

What do you think? Do you love the wood grain bird silhouette? The blue/green color combination? The fabulous Anthropologie knob? What do you think of Annie Sloan Chalk paint?