Welcome Sunshine Home

Living Room - 2012 Show Us Your House Series

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:26:00 +0000

Welcome to our 1892 Colonial home in Maine! Come in and make yourself comfy but don't mind the dog hair. Our two pups like to help whenever the camera comes out.

We're lucky that several period features were retained over the years like the pressed tin ceilings and wood trim work.

I found the Capiz mirror and turquoise glass lamp at Pier One. They sell a different Capiz mirror now but they're still selling the same lamp.

Brewster fell in love the moment this comfy rug was unrolled. It's the L.L. Bean rectangular 5'x8' chenille rug in Blue Meadow. We live within an hour of their flagship store in Freeport, ME. I found it deeply discounted at their annual Home tent sale. It pulls together all the blue and green colors that I love.

The two club chairs with blue ticking stripe came from L.L. Bean too.

I love the textures on the love seat...

But it's not too precious to use everyday. Everything can be tossed in the wash!

A daisy chain quilt that I made last year was intended for the living room but it's still hanging out in my craft room. This reminds me that I need to bring it down to the love seat. :)

I participated in Kelly's Show Us Your House series in 2010. You can go here to see what my living room looked like back then. I also shared more details about paint colors and what not before.

Visit Kelly's Korner to see lots of 2012 Living Room Tours this week!

AM Quilts

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 03:53:00 +0000

Hi! I know, I know. Long...LONG time and no posts! I'm alive and well.

My creative energy (and sometimes nervous energy during a corporate re-organization) took over and I've been busy sewing up lots of projects. So many, in fact, that I decided to start a brand new blog over at AMquilts.com to share my sewing projects! Why have one blog when you can have two, right? :) I've published the first couple of posts but I also have a backlog of completed projects share. Plus I can't forget the endless list of in-progress and future projects that have queued up.

Recognize the paisley purse I decided to use in the new blog's header?

I'll be back at Welcome Sunshine Home blogging more about our house, recipes, pups, Birchbox, etc. We've got some big projects underway this year including kitchen updates, craft/sewing room updates, and replacement windows. Plus we're finally having the entire exterior of our 2.5 story house painted...by a professional certified to handle lead paint! We've done countless DIY projects during our 7 years living here so it feels like a major luxury to hire professionals for the windows and painting.

The popular Show Us Your House series at Kelly's Korner will be starting up Friday, June 1st. I've had a great time participating in the past and am hoping I'll get my blogging act together soon so I can join in the fun again!

Here's the current schedule:
June 1 - Show us your Living Rooms
June 8 - Show us your kitchens
June 15 - Show us your bedrooms
June 22 - Show us your dining rooms
June 29 - Show us kids rooms
July 6 - Show us your bathrooms
July 13 - Show us your mantles
July 20 - Show us your foyers
July 27 - Show us ways you display pictures
August 3 - Show us window treatments
August 10 - Show us how you decorate your dining room table/coffee table/side table
August 17 - Show us your patio/front porch
August 24- Show us your laundry room

You can follow me on Twitter now at WelcomeSunHome (general life stuff) and AMquilts567 (sewing in-progress updates).

Talk to you soon!

Show Us Your Life - Favorite Holiday Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:09:00 +0000

Kelly's Korner hosts a weekly Show Us Your Life series and this week's topic is Favorite Holiday Recipes.

Since I've already shared tutorials for my favorite holiday recipes, I'll talk about them here and link to the full tutorials for you.

Simple Handmade Chocolates

These tasty bites only take 7 ingredients and everybody loves them!

They keep well so they're excellent to make ahead, pack up in small cello bags or little treat boxes (drop one each into mini cupcake baking cup liners before putting in box), and then hand them out to friends, co-workers, neighbors, unexpected drop-in visitors, etc through out the season. I add in some of the super easy Candy Cane Kisses Pretzel Melts (I made a few hundred of those this morning!) to add some color to and stretch our gifts of handmade chocolates even further.

The best part is that you can easily change the filling flavoring extract and use your favorite(s). My preference is to make them peppermint (these do not have the toothpaste-like flavor/texture that some peppermint candies can get!). Jake's mom always makes her family's favorite flavor - maple. You can also split up the filling dough before you add the flavoring extract and make multiple flavors from one batch.

Go here for a full tutorial and you'll learn all the Jordan family secrets to making these yummy chocolates. :)

Rudolph Cupcakes

These are fun to make and kids of all ages love them. Jake's mom always makes these for her annual cookie swap party. I've made them a few times now and they've been a party hit. I did a Moose Cupcake version with brown M&Ms and chocolate animal crackers this summer.

Please go here for the Rudolph tutorial.

Head over to Kelly's Korner and link up your own favorite holiday recipes this week. Plan to come back next week and join the 2011 Christmas Tour of Home hosted by Kelly and The Nester.

I love seeing how every one dresses up their home for the holidays. So far we have our Christmas tree up (a real Fraser Fir again) and decorated it but I haven't had a chance to take photos yet. It looks pretty much like last year's tree though since I used the same ornaments. I think everything else will be out of our Christmas bins by the end of the weekend. Have you decorated and/or started your holiday baking yet?

A Few of My Favorite Products

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:25:00 +0000

The Nester is hosting a Favorite Things Under $30 linky party this week.

I love variety so I try lots of different products. Anyone out there want to trade half empty bottles of potions and lotions? :) I'll share some of my long standing favorites and what I'm loving right now.

Three of my "old standby" favorites (aka I buy these over and over and over...)

1) Burt's Bees Beeswax lip balm (the original version). I've been using this for years. I love the hint of peppermint.

I have them stashed here, there, and everywhere!

2) Burt's Bees Almond Milk Hand Creme is very think and rich. This rescues my dry hands during winter.

3) Bath & Body Works Wallflower Bulbs in Sleep (Vanilla & Lavendar), Stress Relief (Eucalyptus Spearmint), Cinnamon & Clove Buds, and Fresh Balsam.

Three favorites of the moment:

1) Essie nail polish colors that get solid coverage with two coats. Add a clear top coat and your fingers will be pretty for a week. I love these two colors because they are deep, rich shades but are neutral enough that they go with everything.

In Stitches - "a cheeky blush pink" This is not your nana's pink.

Brownie Points - "a creamy rich brown" This has some red in it.

2) The Body Shop White Musk Eau de Parfum

3) I love the fresh and clean scent of Mrs. Meyers Basil Countertop Spray and Dish Soap. Cleaning never smelled so good!

Favorite products for Maximus and Brewster:

1) Nylabones Dura Chew "souper size" bones...especially bacon flavored.

2) Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish Treats (small breed)

3) Planet Dog Orbee Tuff "Tennis Ball" 3 pack. These rate 5 out of 5 chompers and last a very long time (even with the Saint Bernard!).

Okay it's time to go make your own favorites things list and link up here. I'm sure I'll discover some new favorite things from your list...

Pinterest Challenge!

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:05:00 +0000

It's time to take something from my Pinterest board and DO IT! Sherry (Young House Love), Katie (Bower Power), Erin (House of Earnest), and Ana White issued an unofficial Pinterest Challenge and I'm taking it! You can link up your project on any of their sites.

Since I'm arriving fashionably late, I chose something quick. I picked my pin of the Reusable Swiffer Duster Cloths tutorial from Sew Much Ado for two reasons. I only had one Swiffer duster left and I remembered that she mentioned it could be done in under 30 minutes. Perfect!

Here's Sew Much Ado's all flannel version. Her tutorial is well written and easy to follow so I'm not going to write out the steps again in this post.

Source: sewmuchado.blogspot.com via Alison on Pinterest

I made mine with 4 layers of flannel and 4 layers of fleece. The flannel becomes ragged in the wash but the fleece stays the same. I like the mix of fabrics. For bonus going green points, I used up some scraps from a quilt I made for my niece's birthday.

You don't have to be exact with the pieces for each layer. I caught myself being entirely too serious because I've been cutting a lot of quilt pieces lately. Relax, it's a duster! :) In Sew Much Ado's step #11 you "Beginning with narrowest layer, clip edges of flannel at 1/2" intervals along length of duster" anyway. See good is good enough. :)

My supplies

I started sewing with two piles of 4 pieces. When I make the next duster, I'll alternate the layers of fleece and flannel and add 1-2 more layers of flannel.

Sewn and cut up

This hadn't been washed yet. It'll get fluffier each time it is washed and that'll help it work even better. It's hard to see in the photos but there is the same amount of 'duster' on the top and bottom.

Mussed up a bit on the Swiffer Duster handle

Even though this was a super fast project, Maximus the ~~Little Prince~~ Super Schnauzer settled in for the long haul...

The duster works well and inspired me to also make eight reusable Swiffer Sweeper/Wet Jet cloths the next day using scraps from another quilt and something a gal from my sewing class recommended. It's pretty dang clever and cost effective. I'll be including some reusable sweepers and dusters in future hostess, housewarming, and holiday gift baskets.

Now go check out the Reusable Swiffer Duster Cloths tutorial from Sew Much Ado and get to it. I'll post a tutorial for my reusable Sweeper/Wet Jet cloths this weekend so check back later if you want to be a lean mean green cleaning machine!

Show Us Your Life: Connecting Non-Mom Bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 02:50:00 +0000

Kelly's Korner hosts a weekly Show Us Your Life series and this week's topic is Connecting Non-Mom Bloggers. If this is your first visit to Welcome Sunshine Home, come on in and get comfy! Don't mind the dog hair...

I'm Alison. I love quilting, DIY home projects, picnics, board games, long walks on the beach...Wait. This is starting to sound like a personals ad. Since I already have a loving husband and two dogs that dote after me, allow me to start over my introduction by sharing a special birthday limerick my sister-in-law, Melissa, wrote in my honor:

There once was a girl named Alison
Who thought DIY projects were oh so much fun.
From morning 'till night,
They're her heart's delight
She won't rest 'till Stewart's outdone.

This limerick was copied from A is for Alison where Melissa also shares some mildly embarrassing stories about me. Any who, Melissa (aka author M.J. Fifield) is also a "Non-Mom Blogger" over at My Pet Blog. She writes about writing novels, tv, life, books, work, etc and is the reigning queen of proper grammar. Ok, I'll stop now before this turns in a personals ad for Melissa. :)

So, back to me now. Hmm. I think I'll wrap this post up by sharing some of my favorite Welcome Sunshine Home posts.

My hometown

View Larger Map

Sunset Beach Picnic

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe Mantle 2010

Simple Handmade Chocolates

Brewster Update - A dog's story

Gift Wrap and Ribbon Organization Wall

2010 HGTV Green Home - Cape Cod

Laundry, Recycling, and Mud Room

Gorgeous and functional! The floor to ceiling cupboards, shelving, and island made me swoon. When Jake and I toured the house, I couldn't resist peeking in all the cupboards and drawers. They even 'staged' laundry! :)

Thanks for stopping by and come again soon!

Sewing Pouch and Knitting Needle Roll up

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Mon, 16 May 2011 01:34:00 +0000

Jacob's mom loves to knit and sew. Among many other things, she finds time to knit gorgeous baby sweater sets for newborns and sew doll clothes for my niece. I made her a sewing pouch and knitting needle roll up staying true to the Butternick pattern (I'll include the pattern info below).

The sewing pouch has room for at least 8 full size spools of thread, a pin cushion, and other sewing doodads.

You could easily adjust the sizing of the pockets inside to fit other items, like jewelry for travel or small accessories for toys.

This roll up keeps knitting needles of all sizes neat and tidy...and away from couch cushions! :)

I was careful to keep all my stitches straight and neat.

Pattern info:

Butternick B5006
Sewing Pouch - Pattern A
Knitting Hook Case - Pattern B

Do you knit? I haven't learned how to do it but I truly admire knitted items. I tried to crochet a doily one time and it ended up kind of looking like a thong...not a cute thong either. :) So, I think I'll stick with enjoying knitted gifts from others. A friend recently gave me a pair of knitted slipper booties that are very warm and they have gripper material on the bottom. That gripper stuff is priceless. Now I won't break my neck on our carpet-less stairs. More about the in-progress staircase renovation another day...

Work in progress

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 02:12:00 +0000

Hi there! We're alive and well over here at Welcome Sunshine Home. Just super, ridiculously BUSY with our day jobs and this ol' blog is our hobby. We'll soon be back to sharing projects regularly so don't give up on us yet! :)

I'll be sharing some more gifts that I sewed for Christmas 2010 soon. I started a king sized quilt but haven't had time to work on it since January 9th. Ok, my memory isn't that good. I only know the exact date because that's the last time I watched anything instantly through Netflix (British series Monarch of the Glen) and I noticed when I logged into my Netflix account earlier. :) Any way, that king size quilt isn't going to sew itself and I'm hoping to get back to it soon.

How many craft, sewing, and house projects do you usually have going at once? I always have different projects started and even more in mind (heck, I have a fistful of paint swatches in my purse right now). Here are some projects that I already have all (or most) of the supplies necessary to complete the whole project.

Sewing

Quilt to be completed before winter 2011
Top Secret ~~Christmas 2010~~ Birthday Gift for Melissa
Apron using fabric received from Laura in Fall 2010
Purse fabric and pattern purchased Fall 2010
Aprons using fabric and patterns purchased April 2010

Home*

Master Bedroom closet purge/organization started September 2010 - It is thisclose to being done!
Finish staircase renovation started March 2010 (um, yeah, 2010)
Kitchen pantry purge and organization started Fall 2010
3rd floor office to craft cave started Fall 2010
Transform back room off kitchen into new office

*Lesson learned: Fall is not the time to start new home projects!

Crafts

Spring mantle and more...Jeez, I can't give away all my secrets and plans at once!

Recipes

Pineapple Fried Rice
A whole bunch of stuff that I know I took photos of and can't think of right now...

Just for Fun

Concerts, baseball, board game parties, vacation, home show, etc

Books
I recently started rereading George R.R. Martin's The Song of Fire and Ice series since the long-awaited A Dance with Dragons is coming out July 12th! I've only ever read books 1-3 so no spoilers please... I'm also planning to reread the Harry Potter series in 2011. What's your favorite book series?

Are you familiar with the 'Gitter Done' party at Songbird? Donna from Funky Junk Interiors used to host it. It's a place to share anything that you've finished. It doesn't have to be pretty, cute, or even be a project. It can be as simple as finally getting caught up on all your shredding. Which I had done but now it's piled up again. Grr. Considering all the different things I listed above that I have available to work on, I'm hoping to have at least one thing a month to link up. :)

So, what's happening at your place? Have you marked anything off your to-do list in 2011? Jake said my to-do list for 2011 must include "Get longer to-do list."

Looking back - Berkshires Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:06:00 +0000

Our visit to Stowe, VT last month got us talking about some past road trips. We didn't blog back then so I've decided to share one today while I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.

In mid April 2009, Jake and I visited the Berkshires in western Massachusetts for the first time. It was a last minute trip and we stayed three nights at a quaint B&B on a working dairy farm in Williamstown, MA.

The B&B is basically an apartment located in an old farmhouse on a dirt road across from horse stables. There were only two B&B rooms, no locks on the doors, no TVs, no internet, and it was so quiet at night that we felt compelled to whisper in our room so we wouldn't disturb the owners.

Unlike our trip to Vermont later in 2009, I actually took my camera out a couple times in MA. All these photos were taken with my old pink camera and are unedited.

This was our bedroom. Our detached bath was downstairs.

The fresh, homemade breakfast breads that Jamie left for us each morning were fabulous. The other B&B room was only occupied one night during our stay. I'll admit that we avoided seeing the other couple at breakfast downstairs. We do not enjoy morning conversations with strangers.

breakfast area

living area

The black appliance below is a mini fridge not a dishwasher.

Hallway to our guest room's bathroom and the separate owners' quarters downstairs.

We had a reason to avoid the other couple on Sunday morning. When they arrived Saturday evening, Jake and I were in the living area playing deluxe travel Scrabble. We had some awkward chitchat with them about the Berkshires, finished up our game, and went upstairs for the evening. Jake ran downstairs before bed to use the private bathroom (the one assigned to our guest room). The guy from the other couple was waiting for Jake right outside the bathroom door. Jake was startled (and annoyed) by him. The guy was waiting in the dark hallway because he wanted to know if there was a freezer for his ice cream. Jake gave him a mini-tour of the common area and bolted back upstairs before finding out if the guy's ice cream would fit in the tiny freezer compartment. Jake came into our room, collapsed onto the bed in silent laughter, and relayed the story to me. We joked about what we could put in front of the door to keep him from coming in our room while we slept (no door locks) and I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. You probably had to be there. :)

The hall and stairs outside our bedroom.

I just remembered that I read Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff during our stay.

One morning we walked around the fields while enjoying the mountain views. Since it is a working farm, we steered clear of the cows and other animals so we wouldn't get in the way. The Cabot dairy trucks and the smelly manure truck came by during our visit.

These photos remind me of where I grew up.

By the third night of our getaway, I was getting a little cagey about being out of touch and I really wanted to watch the Amazing Race that night. It was a season that I actually had someone to root for unlike the most recent season. Anyway, we randomly selected a place for dinner and the restaurant happened to have TVs at every table. I hadn't seen a TV in days and now we had one of our very own and we could watch any channel we wanted. Yay! The Amazing Race wasn't going to be on for over an hour. Boo! Well, let me tell you, I've never made a meal last so long. I took my time ordering, eating, and then ordered dessert. I don't remember what it was but I know I made that dessert last the whole episode. The restaurant wasn't too busy and the waitress didn't rush me. Maybe she recognized the crazed glint in my eyes of a B&B'er that hadn't seen a television in days. Or, maybe I blurted it out and told her. Who knows. Well, I'm sure Jake knows. No worries...he tipped the waitress well. :)

Here's a snake that Jamie nonchalantly pointed out while we were packing up the truck on Monday morning. She said the snake is good because it eats field mice. Field mice that could otherwise be in the house I was sleeping in. Circle of life. Yay.

I'd never seen Runaway Truck Ramp before this trip. Do you have these in your area? Don't mind the bugs on the windshield.

Passing under the Appalachian Trail

I had my iPod Touch on shuffle during the long drive. At some point, a heroic sounding instrumental from one of the Lord of the Rings soundtracks came on. Jake sat up, puffed out his chest, and held the steering wheel like he was riding a horse to go off and save a princess and it was hilarious. I laughed and laughed and laughed.

This is the only photo I took in town. It's for a little shopping center where I bought two painted signs for me ('Giggle' and 'I'm not bossy I just have better ideas') and some cat humor signs for friends.

Melissa and Joe kept Maximus for us while we were in Massachusetts. Max had an eventful time at their house. He doesn't do this stuff at home. Really, he doesn't. Melissa chronicled his visit on her blog in the following posts:

The Amazing Peeing Puppy

Schmoe Versus The Schnauzer

The Curious Case of the Shell-Shocked Schnauzer

Have you ever dreamed of running a B&B? Do you watch The Amazing Race? Does your dog act differently at other people's houses?

Can you rock an apron?

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:53:00 +0000

Robyn can! This is her baby boy, Logan Richard.

Aren't those the cutest BabyLegs leg warmers he's wearing? I like this pair too. Robyn's hubby is a musician so we had fun searching sales racks for rock inspired baby gear during lunch breaks.

Her birthday was close to Logan's due date and I wanted to give her something a little bit quirky. Robyn likes music, skulls, and Gilmore Girls among other things. Hmm. I wonder why we're friends. ;) One of my favorite Gilmore Girls episodes to reference (Season 1 Episode 14 That Damn Donna Reed) is when Rory dresses up like Donna Reed and makes dinner for Dean while she's cat sitting for Babbette. Somehow this all led me to making a reversible rock star apron for Robyn.

Rory Gilmore

source

Visit YouTube here to watch the scene where Lorelai (Rory's mom) and Luke (who was looking for a lost baby chick at Lorelai's) discover Rory and Dean's unconventional date. Awkward and hilarious. "Oh my god, I just noticed the pearls!" hehe

Robyn's rockin' apron has a scalloped hem and one side pocket on each side. It was the second project I had sewed in nearly ten years and was completed before starting this blog. I didn't make any tweaks to the apron pattern pieces but I did decide to switch the waistbands and pockets around for contrast.

The first side is black polka dots. Did you notice the skull and crossbones centered on the waistband and pocket?

The other side is red bandanna-like fabric that has skulls, crossbones, and hearts hidden all over the print.

I made one for Jake's mom using the same reversible pattern. It was a thank you gift because she knitted a beautiful sweater set for me to gift to Logan. I used cheerful cupcake and red polka dot fabric for Carolyn's apron but I forgot to take a photo. Oops.

Pattern info:

Butternick B5411 Apron A (photos on right side in collage below)

I have more apron patterns that I'd like to try and stacks of fabric ready to go. Have you ever made one? I'm planning to install hooks on an empty slice of wall in our kitchen and hang some aprons as functional wall art. Do you wear aprons? I'm messy in the kitchen so I need to start!

Dog Treat Voluntary Recall

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:40:00 +0000

A reader brought the following recall to my attention today. Thanks, Ryan! I haven't noticed this brand at my local pet store but it is distributed throughout the U.S. and I'd rather be safe than hear that someone's pet is ill.

image source

MERRICK PET CARE RECALLS JR TEXAS TAFFY PET TREAT (ITEM # 27077, ALL LOTS UP TO AND INCLUDING 10364) BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE SALMONELLA HEALTH RISK
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 28, 2011 – Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling the Jr. Texas Taffy pet treat (ITEM # 27077, UPC # 02280827077, All Lots up to and including 10364) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Merrick Pet Care has made the decision to recall all Jr. Texas Taffy pet treats in the abundance of caution. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00am – 5:00pm CST.

Please visit the company's website to view all the voluntary recall information: http://www.merrickpetcare.com/about_us/news_article.php?tid=438

I forgot to mention something when I shared Lindsey's Homemade Peanut Butter Biscuits recipe the other day. There aren't any preservatives in the recipe so I'd plan to use up the biscuits in the same amount of time that you'd eat human cookies. I store them in the freezer to extend the biscuits' shelf life by a couple weeks. Bru and Max like them straight from the freezer.

Thanks again, Ryan!

Laura's DIY Wall Art, our fabric swap, and blog parties

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 06:14:00 +0000

Laura from Luckiest in Love and I had an impromptu fabric swap in October. A year ago, I never would've guessed that I'd be mailing fabric to someone in Kansas. :) I've mentioned Laura before because she organized the Christmas ornament swap.

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know I love participating in the Show Us Your Life series over at Kelly's Korner. During master bedroom week in September, I commented on Laura's bedroom post because we have the same bedding set. Laura visited my bedroom post and liked our new DIY wall art. After emailing back and forth, we decided to swap fabric.

Laura's bedroom completed with her new wall art.

source

If you like the bedding, it's an 8 piece set (Bedskirt, 2 Shams, 2 Decorative Pillows, Comforter, 2 Euro Shams) from Target that's still available here. Young House Love created one of their design dilemma mood boards using this bedding here. Jake and I bought our set a year ago and it's still in great shape. I put the brown section of the comforter at the bottom of our bed but everyone else seems to put it at the top. :)

The DIY wall art using IKEA frames in our master bedroom

You can see more photos of Laura's room and learn how she made her wall art here. I used the same technique to make this wall hanging for our aqua guest room.

I covered a large printed canvas that used to hang above our couch (photo below from 2008) that was collecting dust in the basement.

BTW, that's what our I furniture looked like before we got Brewster and started covering everything in big fleece blankets to combat fur and big dirty paws.

Here are the Joann's fabrics that I sent to Laura.

Dwell Studio's Soft Scrolls in Espresso - still available Also available in white on green.

Eddie Bauer Blue Batik - clearance find used in the EB Piedmont collection

Laura sent me fabric from Joann's too.

Here's the current Show Us Your Life party schedule:
February 4 - Tell us what you feed your toddlers/preschoolers
February 11 - Tell us your hair and beauty tips!
February 18 - Tell us about your alma mater
February 25 - Tell us what you make (etsy stores, clothes, bows, etc)
March 4 - Tell us about your family - parents, brothers, sisters - feature them!
March 11 - Show us your kids’ birthday parties
Break because she's expecting to have baby Hollis sometime around here
April 1 - Tell us about your church
April 8 - Tell us mother’s day/father’s day ideas
April 15 - Tell us what is on your book list right now
April 22 - Tell us how you stay organized
April 29 - Tell us about your favorite vacation spots (include places to eat , stay, what to do)
May 6 - Share your home school stories (how it works for you, curriculum, etc)
May 13 - Favorite Main course recipe
May 20 - Favorite Dessert
May 27 - Favorite appetizer recipe

I love glimpses into other peoples lives so the Show Us Your Life blog party series is one of my favorite things about blogging. If you visit our party buttons page, you'll see that I participate (irregularly) in a variety of DIY home and craft linky parties as well as new friend parties. I know some people knock new friend parties but that's how I've discovered some of my favorite bloggers. I have many interests and I enjoy 'meeting' lots of people outside the home/craft blog circles too (hi Kris!).

Do you join any linky parties regularly? If so, what are your favorites?

Hopefully Laura's completed project will be the kick in the pants I needed to use the aqua fabric I received (need to pick my apron pattern first). Thanks again to Laura for swapping fabric with me! :)

Lindsey's homemade peanut butter dog biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Remember the awesome homemade dog cookies that Lindsey sent Max and Brewster for the Christmas pet gift exchange?

A couple weeks ago, she very kindly shared the recipe in the pet exchange post's comments and also emailed me photos she took while making the biscuits and adorable photos of Jasper and Precious with their Christmas gifts. I thought it'd be nice to post the recipe and photos for everyone to enjoy today.

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Prep Time:

15 Min

Cook Time:20 Min

Ready In:35 Min

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup skim milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and milk. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Place onto the prepared cookie sheets. (They don’t really expand in size, so you can place them close together - about ½” apart.)

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Note from Lindsey: I used different shape cookie cutters I found to make most of them, and then I had a letter brander for meat when we grill, so I used the letters from that to personalize the heart dog biscuits.

UPDATE 2/7/2011: I forgot to mention before... There aren't any preservatives in the recipe so I'd plan to use up the biscuits in the same amount of time that you'd eat human cookies. I store them in the freezer to extend the biscuits' shelf life by a couple weeks. Bru and Max like them straight from the freezer. -Alison

Jasper and Precious are such cutie pies! I'm so happy they're enjoying their gifts.

Lindsey, thanks so much for sharing your recipe and all these photos! I can't wait to make a batch for Max, Bru, and all their doggy buddies. :)

Brewster update

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 03:43:00 +0000

Brewster's ~~disgusting~~ ~~bloody~~ ~~messy~~ mysterious medical issue from last weekend is resolved. The cause is still unknown (probably parasite or bacteria) but the antibiotics ran their course. She's doing 100% better and is enjoying all the fresh snow. Yay! :)

Unfortunately, a new issue popped up (literally) so I took Bru to the vet on Monday. The good news is that this issue is normal.

Diagnosis: Bru has a tennis ball sized growth on her right elbow called a hygloma. It was caught early so it's not infected or ulcered or any other yucky things. The vet extracted a sample and verified that it's normal joint fluid. It is unrelated to last week's mystery issue; the timing is a fluke.

Cause: It's common in big dogs that strike their elbows on hard surfaces repeatedly. It usually occurs as they lay down. Bru tends to flop down hard and let out a big dramatic sigh. Such a diva.

Treatment: Brewster will stay on soft surfaces while the joint heals itself naturally. This will take weeks and the condition will most likely reappear in the future. Super.

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Reality check: I'd be happy to let nature run it's course. However, have you ever tried to keep a 100+ pound dog on soft surfaces 24 hours? Ha! Yeah right. Every square foot of our flooring is hard with the exception of our bath mats. Area rugs don't work for us because I trip on them and Bru's hair piles up quickly.

Vet's alternative treatment: A custom rehabilitative product called DogLeggs. Am I the only one that hears a cash register ca-ching after 'custom rehabilitative product' or what? I planned to order one so I read every single syllable on the company's website. Once I realized that I'd need to send them all Bru's measurements my DIY instincts kicked in. Here are some other Saint Bernard's modeling the product.

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My DIY version: Coming soon! I hope. I have several potential prototypes bouncing around in my head...

Bonus story from the vet's office: (please skip the remainder of this post if you are squeamish like me!) The vet extracted a sample and verified that the hygloma contains normal joint fluid. Yup. I wish that's all I knew. The sample extraction was done in the regular exam room. Aka I was there. My job was to distract Bru with treats while a vet tech held her, and the vet took the sample. I held the treats near Bru's mouth (she was not interested) and stood frozen in horror as I watched the syringe fill with orange fluid. Orange. Blazing freaking orange. I told myself to be brave for Bru and refrained from bolting for the door.

The vet opened a drawer, retrieved a glass slide, squirted some fluid onto it, and explained that she's going to look at the sample under a microscope. I flashed back to looking at slides under the microscope in Mr. Pierce's 8th grade biology class then to the frog dissections. Yuck. Apparently my attempts to be brave were too good because she set the joint fluid filled syringe on the counter before she left. I stayed on the other side of the room and texted Jake while I waited for the vet to return.

She came back and explained that it's normal joint fluid. Then, she continued talking and brought the slide over to me for a closer look. She slid the two glass slides against each other which squished the fluid around in between. Then, she showed me how when the slides were pulled apart it was got a little stringy like syrup and continued talking. I hit my limit. I blurted out "I work for a bank!" and immediately felt ridiculous. The vet smiled kindly, said she'd go print some material for me to read, and asked if a vet student she's mentoring could come examine Bru's hygloma for the learning experience. Of course, I said yes. The syringe filled with joint juice (ew!) remained on the counter so I remained on the other side of the room.

If you stuck around for this bonus story, thank you. :) Bru's vet really is a wonderful gal. She loves what she does and I know she meant well. Bodily fluids are just not my thing. Especially syrupy ones! I could never work in any type of medical field. I have nothing but respect, admiration, and appreciation for everyone that does. If that's what you do for a living, THANK YOU ever so much! :)

Our niece and a snuggly blanket

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:32:00 +0000

I made a snuggly blanket for our niece for Christmas. She loves horseback riding so I couldn't pass up pink horse print fleece I saw at Joanns.

She's doing very well in riding and has ribbons to prove it. :) Her mom's blog is Our Maine Life. Wendy (one of my sisters-in-law) writes about "Mother/daughter life in Maine, our favorite activities, recipes, efforts of green life, occasional battles, and thoughts on life." Stop by and visit Wendy some time. She does some interesting things like making homemade yogurt.

photo borrowed from Wendy's blog :)

If you love adoption stories with a happy ending, you can find our niece's saga on Melissa's blog (another one of Jake's sisters). Melissa is an amazing writer and they had quite an experience in Russia. There are several posts so be prepared to get sucked in and settle in to read for awhile. Start with this post.

Ok, on to the blanket... I didn't have a plan for the fleece besides doing something in time for Christmas. One night I decided to I whip up a no sew blanket while watching tv.

I cut the fleece to my desired size (about 3.5ft by 4ft) and then cut strips along each side. Fleece doesn't fray so you don't need to use pinking shears. I did because mine are still sharp and the blades are long enough that I could do just one snip. Then, hand tie a knot on each strip and you're done!

Here's a closer look at how I handled the corners.

Have you tried hand tying fleece before? What's your favorite no sew project? Have you adopted or are you interested in adopting some day?

Click here to see some of the parties we'll be mingling at this week.

Project Paisley

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:04:00 +0000

As promised in my previous post, I'm proud to share my first project of 2011 today. Woo! It's also the very first sewing post on Welcome Sunshine Home and it's been a long time coming.

After sewing gifts for others in 2010, I made myself a purse shortly after the holidays. I love the clean and simple lines of the exterior. It's a shoulder bag and the strap lengths are just. I can't 'do' handbags because I'll set it down in a store and leave it behind (aka Jake would get stuck holding it!).

I can't think of anything else I own that is paisley. I liked all the fun colors. I purchased the fabrics and sewing pattern at Joanns a couple months ago. I didn't worry about matching the fabric pattern up at any seams because I had just enough fabric to cut the all the pieces. The pattern is busy so they blend in.

I had some fun with the interior. I thought orange would be a cheerful punch of color during the long winter months.

My new Windows smartphone was my motivation to finish this project quickly. I needed a better way to carry it around.

All my girl junk has been rolling around in my laptop bag's big pocket and my coat pockets for months. Simply annoying.

Phone, post-it list pad, pocket planner, lotion, breath mints, hand sanitizer, water, my old pink camera, fleece gloves, click pencils, pen, Netflix, spearmint lip gloss, mint lip balm (no shine), peppermint lip balm (favorite for years), cash (this is rare for me), debit card, credit card, and driver's license.

I altered the pattern a bit to customize the pockets for my junk. Everything in it's place. Ahhh. :)

My favorite one is the contrast (aka easy to find) lip gloss pocket that I added.

I was going for speed so I didn't take any photos of the work in progress. It has simple magnetic closure.

It's hard to see with this fabric but the bottom is gathered. Don't mind the dog hair...notice their legs in the top right of the photo?

The purse even coordinates with my new emerald green jacket (in treeline). Happy accident! It's hard to capture the green properly in winter's harsh lighting. It's deeper than this photo...

It's nothing fancy but it's done and it's exactly what I need.

I hope you like it too! I'll update this post later with the sewing pattern info if you're interested. This is a simple project that'd be a great for beginners to build sewing confidence.

UPDATE: Here's the pattern info for the shoulder bag and a photo from the pattern's packaging. The bag's overall shape and the gathering on the bottom is easier to see.

Butternick pattern B5449 Bag A

Have you marked anything off your 2011 to-do list lately? I'd love to hear about it.

Click here to see some of the parties I'll be mingling at this week.

Our Sweet Baby Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 01:24:00 +0000

So, I've been quiet on the craft and recipe fronts this month. I know exactly how I want to transform our former Mistletoe Mantle into a Valentine's mantle but I haven't made it happen yet. We've had some setbacks in recent weeks and I need some craft therapy so maybe I'll do that this weekend.

I have no intention of listing our issues here but I'll quickly share a recent one since it involves one of the pups that I mention regularly. If you've haven't visited before, our dogs are like family members.

Truck Ride - May 2010

Brewster became very ill Saturday evening. Very ill is an understatement but I don't want to get too graphic on here. She was admitted into the doggy ER and stayed until Monday morning when her regular vet's office opened. Nerve wracking. Max had surgery for a blockage in April and Bru's always been very healthy so we were extra worried and on edge. She didn't get into chemicals or anything and (unfortunately for my personality type) the cause is unknown. Unknown. How frustrating. How do you prevent unknown from happening again? Per three vets, it was most likely some kind of parasite or bacteria and we'll probably never know. Parasite or bacteria? Eww. I wish we could hire a cleaning crew to come sanitize our whole house but for now the steam cleaner and steam mop will do.

One thing that really bugged me during the whole thing is that the ER vet said what happened is normal. Normal? Then, why does our dog need to be hospitalized? Last time I checked that sure isn't normal. I exclaimed to Bru and Max's regular vet that what happened is NOT within my realm of normal. The regular vet nicely explained that it's normal to an ER vet not to normal people. Oh ok then. So far it seems like they were right because she's been home for 1.5 days. She's eating prescription food a little at a time, taking all her meds like a champ, and seems to be doing better today.

She's expected to fully recover! Yay! :)

Yawning - March 2010

Love that big snuggly baby girl. While Jake's home from work and on dog care duty, I wanted to take a few minutes to share this story and one project that I'm proud to say is 100% finished. The project post will be coming shortly...

The Carnival of Madness 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:58:00 +0000

Note 1/19/2011: As promised, I tracked down the following post. It was written in early August 2010 and I never hit 'publish' until now. Here it is...unedited. Enjoy!

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40 bands. One day. Did we make it? Read on, my friends, read on. Before I get into Saturday's shenanigans, we need to take a quick trip back in time...

Summer 2002
10 rock bands in one day! The tickets were cheap enough and I wanted to see the headliner, Sevendust. Jake and I locked up our teeny studio apartment in the West End and stepped into an shimmering sunny day. We walked a block or two over to the Cumberland County Civic Center for the start of the 1st annual WCYY Summer Camp day. I remember Mushroomhead and Sevendust but everyone else has blended together in my mind over time. We almost survived all 10 bands' sets. It was hot, LOUD, and smoky in the CCCC and three songs into the Sevendust set I admitted defeat. As a general rule, we do not leave live performances early and thanks to Jake's sister we usually wait for movie credits to roll too. Sorry, Sevendust but I'm pretty sure Jake was relieved to leave and I had a raging headache. Let's blame Mushroomhead! ;)

July 31, 2010
40 rock bands in one day! That's just crazy, right? Nope. Add 10,000-15,000 of our closest music loving friends and you've got Oxxfest 2010 (aka the 8th annual WCYY Summer Camp day). The tickets were cheap enough and we both wanted to see the main stage headliner, Shinedown, again.

The five main stage performers are on the Carnival of Madness tour: 10 Years, Sevendust, Puddle of Mudd, Chevelle, and Shinedown. We'd seen everyone besides 10 Years before so we knew at least the evening performances on the main stage would be good.

Jake and I were smack in the middle of this madness.

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10 Years - We didn't know their music before and I guess they weren't memorable. I feel kind of bad. Sorry guys.

Sevendust - Hello, we meet again. :) Thanks for finally coming back to Maine. We didn't know that leaving your 2002 show early would result in your staying out of Maine for eight years. Jeesh. The lead singer was thrilled by the Maine's cooler summer temps and kept repeating variations on "It's a beautiful day" over and over.

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Puddle of Mudd - We saw these guys in January and I liked them better that time. Sevendust's vocalist came onstage for Psycho and let me tell you that this dude managed to rock denim bib overalls...in 2010!

A little lesson for all the scrawny lead singers out there: No matter how scrawny you are do not, I repeat do not, jump into any crowd when it's all women in the first few rows. They will not catch you. They will maul you after you fall. Also, do not leave your band stalling on stage playing the same chords over and over then never return.

For the Puddle of Mudd lead singer: Everyone saw you run back to your bus. Everyone knew your set was supposed to end with She Hates Me. Sorry but it's true.

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Chevelle - We saw them at Meadowbrook last summer. I summed up that experience by saying "They make a lot of noise for three guys." I liked them better this time around because I knew what to expect. And, I was a bit further from the speakers. :)

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Shinedown - We saw them last summer at Meadowbrook on tour with Staind and again in January on their Sound of Madness tour. They're engaging live performers so we wanted to see them again.

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We saw a bunch of local and regional bands too. Here are the ones I remember at the moment...
Dead Season
Diecast
Till We Die "and that happened."
In The Kingdom of Nightmares
Living Syndication
Leaving Eden

35 bands played continually all day starting at 10am by alternating between these two side stages. I think the main stage shows started around 6 or 7pm.

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This time my only regret is my last minute decision to leave my camera in the truck. What would your ultimate concert lineup look like? What was the last concert or live performance you saw?

Stowe Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:45:00 +0000

Hi!

Long time, no talk. Sorry about that. :)

I have lots of photos from our long weekend in Stowe to share another day but none of the HGTV Dream Home tour. Yet. Work has been so crazy busy that I completely flaked and forgot to get our tickets for the home tour. Um, major duh moment, since touring the dream home was the primary reason for this road trip. No worries though. Jake's already checking hotel availability and plans to take me back to Vermont another weekend in February or early March. Next time, he'll be in charge of securing the tickets!

I was picture taking happy during the long ride. We drove through the white mountains to get over to Stowe in Vermont's green mountains. We took a different route around the white mountains coming back to Maine...much better plan for winter!

Jake did all the driving while I played DJ. We listened to a fair amount of Korn because we're going to see them on the 29th. Jake gave me concert tickets for Christmas because I love rock concerts and he's nice like that. Are you finding it hard to imagine Jake and I rocking out at a Korn concert? The second post ever on Welcome Sunshine Home happens to be about another Korn concert (and why I was eating French brie there). Disturbed is headlining too (saw them in 2002) and Sevendust will be on tap (saw them in 2002 and 2010). Hey, wait a minute. Jake and I went to a day long concert in July (40 bands!) and I never published the post I wrote about it. I'll track that literary gem down and publish it for your reading pleasure later. Ha.

Okay, back to the drive... Look! Another mountain! It really is a different one.

I just happened to snap this next photo when it flashed on Slippery When Wet as we sped by. Yup, just a coincidence. I didn't demand that Jake hit the brakes or anything because I'm way too mature to do something like that. Any Bon Jovi fans out there?

The four hour drive was rolling by pretty fast until we got to The Grand Army of the Republic Highway. Pretty nice highway, huh?

We listened to quite a bit of Shinedown too because we've been to three of their concerts and Jake can sing along with most of the songs now. Belting out some tunes really helped pass the time when the driving got slower.

We passed the Hardwick Inn along the way. It reminds me of our neighbors across the street and their banana yellow house.

Hasn't this been just like you were riding along with us? Minus the ear popping from the elevation changes, of course. Oh and I'll keep the icky cold/flu bug that I caught while we were in Vermont to myself. I'm finally starting to feel better now. Just in time to board a germ infested plane on Sunday evening and fly to South Carolina for work next week.

Don't forget to enter to win the 2011 HGTV Dream Home daily! :)

Snow Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 03:10:00 +0000

Vermont Vacations

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 02:18:00 +0000

Jake and I will be leaving Saturday morning for a quick trip to Stowe, Vermont. We don't ski so we'll spend the long weekend relaxing and exploring the area. Oh and we'll also be touring the 2011 HGTV Dream Home while we're in town. :) The dogs will be having fun at their favorite daycare and boarding facility while we're away so they'll be blissfully tired when they come home. Love that!

The Dream Home's Guest Bedroom - If you win, can I come visit please?

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During our August 2009 summer vacation, Jake and I stayed a few hours south of Stowe at the Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vermont. It was off-season but the resort and views of the Green Mountains were still beautiful. We planned to spend the week hiking but instead the very hot and humid weather kept us by the pool, visiting the few places in town that are open off season, and exploring the Berkshires. We also discovered our favorite show on the DIY network, Renovation Realities, during this trip.

We stayed at the Grand Summit Hotel in a cozy studio suite.

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We didn't blog back then and I forgot our camera in the hotel room most of our trip. I snapped these at a scenic lookout one hazy day.

During one of our day trips to the Berkshires (about one hour south of the Mount Snow resort), we visited the The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. If you enjoy Impressionist art like I do, you'll enjoy Sterling and Francine Clark's collection. You can see a sampling of their Impressionism collection here. We didn't take the official guided tour of the institute but Jake and I really enjoyed viewing all the different collections on display. We were mindful of the 'acquired by' info on each piece and made up our own stories regarding the circumstances surrounding how Sterling and Francine may have acquired each piece. My absolute favorite was their Renoir collection but it's currently off view because it is being displayed in Madrid.

The Clark

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At the end of our 2009 Vermont vacation, we picked Brewster up from the Vermont breeders' and started our four hour drive home with a 10 week old puppy. We brought a dog crate for her but I ended up holding her in my lap the whole ride home. I had a few towels in my lap just in case but she didn't have any accidents. Whenever she got a bit restless, Jake quickly found a place to pull off the road and give her a break. Fun times!

Of course, I took plenty of new puppy photos!

It's hard to believe she used to be this tiny just 1.5 years ago. She's always adored Jake.

Do you have any plans for the long weekend?

2011 HGTV Dream Home Giveaway - Stowe, VT

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:19:00 +0000

The 2011 HGTV Dream Home is located in Stowe, VT. The prize package includes the furnished house, a 2011 GMC Arcadia Denali, and $500,000. You can enter to win daily on HGTV.com and FrontDoor.com starting today!

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Tickets for public tours of the 2011 HGTV Dream Home are available now. Since this is a drivable distance from our home in Maine and I love road trips, Jake and are going to tour this house. My sister-in-law's home in New Hampshire home is conveniently located on the same route so we'd like to make it a fun getaway weekend. Probably during Martin Luther King weekend. :)

In May, Jake and I toured in the 2010 HGTV Green Home in Cape Cod, MA. I wanted to pack my bags and move right in. :) I took my own photos then tracked down paint colors, product sources, peeked in inside drawers/cabinets and showed you too, etc. Here are all the posts in one place. Have fun exploring!

Posts from my 2010 HGTV Green Home Tour

Our road trip from Portland, ME to Plymouth, MA

Exterior

Kitchen - Jake's favorite room

Living and Dining Rooms

Master Bedroom Suite

Kids/Guest Bedroom Suite

Sitting Room and Watch Tower

Recycling, Laundry, and Mudroom - My favorite room

Summary tour

The Winners! - not us :(

Don't forget that you can enter to win daily! Tune into HGTV tonight at 9p.m. EST to watch the tv special.

We're going upta camp for New Years...

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 23:40:00 +0000

Jake and I will be ringing in the New Year with Bob Marley at Merrill Auditorium tonight. The comedian not the rastafarian. :) He set a new Guinness World record by doing 40 straight hours of stand-up comedy this year while raising money for the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital.

We've listened his CDs but we've never gone to a live show. I'm excited!

Fair warning: All these videos contain some swearing. Do not play these videos if your kiddos are within earshot...

See you next year!

Favorite Tutorials of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 23:34:00 +0000

If you're new around here, welcome! Yesterday I posted my three favorite house projects of 2010.Feel free to pop over to this post to learn more about this old house.

Ok, here are my four favorite tutorials of 2010 (excluding the house projects showcased yesterday)...two recipes and two crafts...

Simple Handmade Chocolates

Rainy Day S'mores

Under the Mistletoe Kissing Silhouettes

NO cricut or silhouette machine required! I'll be pulling these out for Valentine's day.

Recycled Can Craft - my very first craft post! :)

Visit my three favorite house projects of 2010 for more tutorials. :)

Favorite House Projects of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Alison @ Welcome Sunshine Home) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:49:00 +0000

If you're new to this blog, welcome to our home! We started Welcome Sunshine Home in May 2010 and it's been a fun hobby for Jake and me to share outside of our full-time office jobs. If you're a faithful reader, I hope you don't mind me gushing about our house. Again.

In August 2005, Jake and I bought this 1892 colonial in southern Maine. Our home has five good sized bedrooms, great closet and storage spaces, lovely moldings, and ONE bathroom. Sigh Gotta love the charm of older homes, right ? :) When we purchased it, every single square foot was screaming for TLC after surviving many years of rental abuse and neglect (chain smokers + absentee landlord = lots of damage). We've used up gallons and gallons of paint, repaired broken windows, done painstaking wallpaper removal, removed nasty carpeting, overhauled the kitchen, updated the bathroom, and on and on and on. So many projects that I can't even remember them. All done before we became bloggers so we didn't think to capture 'before' shots of the house's ~~pitiful~~ original condition.

Ok, let's move on to my three favorite house projects of 2010...

Front Porch Makeover

Before

After

Bedroom Switcheroo

We bought a king size bed then decided to move from the house's master bedroom (it has a walk-in closet but no bathroom) into one of our guest rooms. Here's the guest room...

Former guest room BEFORE (crummy cell phone photo from 2007)

New guest room AFTER (different room in our house)

Gift Wrapping and Ribbon Organization Wall

My absolute favorite! Inexpensive, functional, and pretty. Thank you, Jake! :)

Before

awkward third floor half wall

After

Wicked! You can't see me but I'm behind the camera doing a happy dance.

Honorable Mentions

Our Living Room and Dining Room. I appreciate their versatility and love how they've stood the test of time.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this peek into our home. :) Now, I'm off to see what everyone else picked!