Throw Open the Windows

Outdoor Fun this Spring

2011-04-13T14:55:00.001-05:00

The weather here has been SO nice this spring that I’ve been spending most of my time outdoors. And my indoor projects (and blog) have taken a backseat.

Here are some of the fun projects I’ve been doing outside.

The Garden
We put in a large garden this year (1200 sqft) with carrots, asparagus, corn, beets, okra, cauliflower, squash, beans, cucumber, tomatillos, peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce. Oh and did I mention weeds? Yes, they seem to grow faster and better than anything else. Go figure!

I built some pepper “cages” out of bamboo sticks. We have bamboo growing on the edge of the orchard so they were free.

I’m waiting impatiently for these tomatoes to turn red and show up on my supper table.

Roses
I also spent the better part of a Saturday putting up some trellis and getting my rose bush to climb it. This display was sure worth it!

Yard fence and gate

Hubby, my dad, and I also spent some time putting in a back gate out to our pond.

Then I started work on our yard fence.

Each post has an 80 lb bag of concrete and about 15 lbs of rock in it. Good thing I’ve built my strength carrying kids around all day!

As you can see, I still have a ways to go. Thank goodness hubby will be home all weekend! Btw, he’s the one that rented an auger and dug all the holes.

Hope you’re finding some outdoor fun this spring too. Get some vitamin D, but be sure to protect your skin from the UV.

Rebecca

Bringing Spring Inside

2011-03-11T14:54:00.004-06:00

Leen over at Leen the Graphics Queen did a fabulous post about forcing Forsythia. I’ve always wanted to try this and loved her easy explanation.

But when I went out into MY orchard, we live so far south that this is what I found on my trees.

The pear and the plum trees have already started blooming!! Well maybe next year I’ll get to try forcing, but for now, I have beautiful flowers to put around the house. And just in time for my parents to come visit. We’re celebrating the baby’s 1st birthday and my dad’s 77th birthday this weekend.

Enjoy!

Rebecca

Linking up at:

Jumping on Board (and Batten)

2011-03-07T15:44:00.009-06:00

It’s my turn to try out the delicious look of the board and batten in my home. I’ve been stalking any blog post I could find that mentioned it and really loved how easy Karla @ It’s the Little Things and Décor Chick made it sound. Then I procrastinated for about a century because I was sure the texture on my walls would be too obvious and look awful!

So to help convince myself, I Photoshopped some pics of my walls.

Before - right wall

Photoshopped - right wall

Before - left wall

Photoshopped- left wall

(Did I not warn you before that this room is usually covered with toys?) <-- Follow this link for more before pics too.

Still unsure, I cut strips of paper and hung them on the wall. I’m a very visual person and this really helped me to decide placement and size. I moved the strips around until I was happy and felt a little more confident. In the end I decided on 2-1/2 inch wide battens and placed them 16 inches apart - each one on a stud. By doing this I knew they were evenly spaced and securely attached. For the header, I picked a 3-1/2 inch wide board.

I wanted something more substantial than the lattice board that Décor Chick used. Instead I chose 3/4 inch thick primed mdf board in the widths I wanted. Per sqft the price was actually less than the lattice and it was pre-primed!

So, finally I took the plunge and put three coats of semi-gloss white paint on the walls. There was no turning back.

I had pre-painted the battens a few weeks ago. Then after lying in bed with the flu (and a million episodes of Rehab Addict later) I finally got them nailed up this weekend. We love them!!!

I’m still considering to add a small plate ledge on top to place things on as Karla and Décor Chick did, but I couldn’t wait to show you this completed step in our family room redo! More ideas in store…

Rebecca

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CPR Anyone? - Family Room Resuscitation

2011-02-19T13:15:00.004-06:00

Well, I gave you a sneak peak of some trim I was painting the other night. And I will tell you that it’s for our family room. That room is in need of resuscitation. It just feels dead and dingy to me. Here is a before pic of the room (try not to cringe). It looks very bare because it’s cleaned up. Usually it is covered with toys from the kids. I don’t bother putting décor items out (they’d just destroy them). The tables are usually covered with books and puzzles anyway.

The first stop in my family room revitalization is the sofa.

Actually the first stop was IKEA. Hubby and I made a pilgrimage to the huge store and picked up a few things including this slip-cover for their Hovas sofa.

I don’t actually have a Hovas sofa, but I have a sofa that is the same shape and just slightly smaller than IKEA’s sofa. And for a price of $49 I couldn’t resist buying this beautiful white canvas slipcover and doing a little of my own tailoring to make it fit. So with a little nip here and a little tuck there…

… I now have a new (did I mention easy) IKEA slipcover to fit my Lazy Boy sofa. Shhh.. don’t tell. ;)

Next I needed to recover my pillows. I pulled some colors out of my fabric stash. I wanted some with texture and remembered a blog post by Censational Girl about using a bath rug to make a pillow cover. As it happens, hubby and I had JUST bought some great bath rugs at Home Goods. And every time I go in the bathroom, my two year old runs in to lie down on the new rug. It’s comfy looking! So I thought this would, indeed, make a good pillow cover. Oh, and hubby’s response? “Go ahead; I know where I can get another rug.” Isn’t he great?!!

I also found some inspiration for another pillow from a ruffled duvet cover at Urban Outfitters. I’ve included a tutorial for you below.

~ Ruffled Pillow Tutorial ~

1. Cut out two squares of fabric the size of your pillow plus seam allowance.

2. Cut strips of fabric and make ruffles. Then, using a string attached to a fabric marker, draw an arc on the corner of the fabric as a guide for your first ruffle.

3. Place your ruffle on the line and pin to keep the gathers from moving as you sew.

4. Sew the ruffle on.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 until you have as many ruffles as you like.

6. Sew the two pieces together (right sides facing). Either add a zipper as I did or sew the fourth side after inserting the pillow.

So after all that, here are the current updates to the room. Still many more to go.

Hopefully I can get the trim up on the wall this week and show you. It’ll be a HUGE change for the room! Can’t wait!!

Rebecca

Linking up at:

Happy Valentine’s Day

2011-02-14T20:04:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a lovely Valentine’s day. Hubby and I celebrated on Saturday in a rather non-traditional way. Instead of a dinner date, we got some discounted tickets from Groupon to our local Home and Garden Show this past weekend. Right up my alley! It was a lot of fun, especially since we put the kids in daycare and went by ourselves.

And since we went to the show on Saturday, I’ve been free all evening to work on one of my latest projects. I’ll tell you more about it later, but here’s a sneak peak.

Who would have ever thought I’d be ecstatic to spend my Valentine’s day painting trim?!? LOL!

Rebecca

Chalkboard and Corkboard Cabinet Door

2011-02-12T11:03:00.002-06:00

I try to be organized. I really do. It just seems like I’m always taking one step forward and two steps back when it comes to keeping things neat and tidy. One of our (my husband and me both) worst problems is making lists, misplacing them and making more lists. Then of course we have ten lists all over the house with everything from honey-do’s to groceries to reminders. And of course there’s overlap between the lists. Yep it’s bad.

You might think that having a smart phone would help. But dang it, it’s not smart enough to read my mind!! I actually have to find the time to input appointments, reminders and such. Well, today I am making an attempt to at least have ONE place to put lists, important reminders and such. And best of all, it’s hidden away inside the cabinet.

Check out the before pic… now that’s keeping it real. Papers, boxes, you name it, get shoved into any open space when company is coming. (Oh don’t pretend, you know you do it too!) Only Martha Stewart keeps the inside of her cabinets neat all the time. And if you do, wow, I am in awe!! You are my hero. Wanna come to my house?

So this actually turned out to be a pretty easy (as in during nap time) project.
You need:
* a cabinet door
* screw driver to take it off and put it back on
* chalkboard paint
* painter’s tape
* cork board tile
* fabric of choice
* glue

First I took the cabinet off it’s hinges and taped off the area I wanted to paint. Then I applied the first coat of chalkboard paint (I used three total) and let it dry.

Meanwhile, I cut a cork-board tile down to size to fit in the door and a scrap of fabric a few inches larger.

I glued the fabric onto the board with Elmer’s glue, cuz face it, it’s cardboard and fabric. No need for fancy glue… yet.

Then I did two more coats of chalkboard paint. Actually, the first two coats I painted on with a brush to get a good coverage without a lot of overspray. The third coat I sprayed on so I wouldn’t have brush strokes. It worked marvelously.

I used wood glue to attach the covered cork tile to the inside of the door. You could use Liquid Nails or any other strong glue that’s good with wood.

And here it is with the door re-hung. LUV IT!!! Nope, I still haven’t cleaned that cabinet out. The kids are up from their nap. No time now. LOL!

Little by little I WILL get more organized!
Rebecca

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Guest Room Bedside Table

2011-01-28T18:35:00.001-06:00

Aside from an occasional overnight visit from one of my siblings or my husband’s folks, our guest room is mainly used by my mom and dad when they visit. In fact, after my grandmother passed away, my dad grabbed up his favorite bed and mattress from her home and brought it to me so he would always have a good place to sleep when he stayed with me. Well that was many years, a marriage, and several houses ago. And I’ve recently moved the bedframe and side tables to our master bedroom. Dad’s favorite mattress now sits on a metal frame and didn’t have any side tables… until now.

I found a bed tray/side table online that I really liked. The top tray can be taken off and moved around. It’s great for eating in bed.

~ I know because I got another one for my bedroom and

hubby has used it to bring me breakfast in bed. *big grin* ~

I added a basket with extra soaps, lotion, and other toiletries in case my guests forget something. My mom, of course, is much more impressed by this than my dad. LOL! My dad is one who wrinkles his nose funny at fancy scented soaps.

On the other hand, Dad is the one who gets up to drink water during the night. With this graceful decanter and tumbler set, he can now reach his water from the bed. No more getting up and finding his way to the kitchen.

This bedside birdie is my little chipper chirper. It sits by a nest of sweet little egg-shaped soaps in a dish.

But it ties in nicely with the bird theme on the pillow shams and blanket.

Do you like to provide a little extra touch when your guests come to visit?

Rebecca

New Year, New Look

2011-01-23T11:37:00.000-06:00

I’ve decided on a fresh new look for my blog. I’ve been wanting brighter colors in my life to inspire me. And maybe I’m just a bit ready for spring to be here already. But after an obscene amount of time trying to get the formatting to work, I’m finally happy with it. It gives me a renewed energy and a sense of creativity. I LOVE it!!!!

I’ve added a section on the right called A Few of my Favorite Things. Here I will post pictures of things that make me feel joy and peace. Things that make me truly happy.

Well here it is. I hope you like it too.

Rebecca

Happy 1st Birthday

2011-01-13T12:39:00.001-06:00

Wow, I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I started my blogging journey. I had spent so long looking at other DIY blogs thinking, “I can do that.” It just seemed natural to start a blog and share the projects I was already working on. I’m so glad I did. I’ve “met” some incredible women. They keep me inspired and are so sweet. Looking back, I love the posts I have done, but I sincerely wish I had been able to spend more time sharing my adventures in making my house into the home we love.

(I blame my kids, ha ha!)

I’m a stay-at-home mom to a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a 10 month old. Obviously my life is about them. But my blog is NOT. My blog is about MY interests, joys, and hobbies (outside of my kids). It is a place where I can be me: creative, fun, and impulsive.

But, of course, being a mom of these three precious little ones also means that my posts are limited. And they get written over several hours or days with MANY interruptions.

I have so many projects either in my head or actually started. I have taken lots of “before” pics. And I’m hoping that over this next year I will have more time to complete these projects and share them with you. Stay tuned. Lots of love to my followers and friends.

Rebecca

Lettuce in the Winter Garden

2011-01-10T16:17:00.000-06:00

Coming home after spending the holidays with my folks always proves very fruitful. We bring home a lot more than we left with. My parents are so generous and we always have a great time with them on their little farm. This year, in addition to Christmas gifts, we came home with an ice chest full of fresh meat (mutton and venison), pecans, black walnuts, and a bunch of baby lettuce starter plants.

One of the things I love about living so far south is the ability to plant a winter garden. We rarely get freezing temperatures and never far below freezing. While many areas of the country are covered with snow, we occasionally are lucky enough to have a steamy fog on our pond in the morning.

More often we enjoy daytime temperatures in the 70s and great fun outside. But don’t you be jealous if you’re knee-deep in snow. Just remember how miserable and hot our summers are. Well, we’ve planted the lettuce in our garden now and are looking forward to many fresh salads.

Looking forward to planting more things soon.
Rebecca

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-23T17:14:00.000-06:00

Well I had certainly intended to share so much more with you this December. Holiday traditions, decorations, and gift ideas, for example. But, alas, this blog is an outlet just for me. My family come first. So I spent the season very busy with the kids, family, and a little crafting.

I also found some time to do a little shopping at an antique store. That’s where I found this beauty! Merry Christmas to me from my mom and daddy. :)

I decorated her for Christmas as soon as she got in the door. I used ornament balls from the dollar store and the thrift store under the cake dome. The doily underneath was made by my late Aunt Martha. The tiny crochet stitches are so intricate and beautiful.

The Christmas dishes I inherited from my sister when she no longer wanted them. Yes, there is a salad plate missing.

And some tatted and crocheted snowflake ornaments. My mother is an avid tatter and made me a bunch of these. I did the round crocheted ones.

I love having another area to decorate for the holidays, but my favorite part of the bakers rack is the chicken wire mesh doors. Perfect place to store my home canned goods.

I wish all of you a very blessed Christmas. I pray the peace of the Christ child will fill you and your families in the coming year.

Rebecca

Christmas Stockings and Family Traditions

2010-12-06T16:07:00.004-06:00

Every year on December 6th my family celebrates a tradition passed down through our German heritage. We hang our stockings on the fireplace and St. Nick comes to fill them with fruits, nuts, candy, and small trinkets. The original tradition has children place a boot or shoe outside their door, but in America we seem to have combined it with the Christmas tradition of a stocking on the mantel.

~ These are all stockings I’ve made over the years. ~

The first one I made for my husband before we were married. He loves hiking and the outdoors so of course he got a hiking boot stocking.

For mine I took my love of quilting and made a crazy quilt stocking. I also added bells to mine to make sure no one would snitch my chocolate!! heh heh..

When my son was born I wanted to make him a cowboy boot stocking. I didn’t have a pattern and was a bit discouraged about making my own until my Nov/Dec 2006 edition of Country Woman magazine came and, Voila! There on page 16 was the perfect pattern. And just in time. Here’s my version.

I took my love of all things Victorian and turned some of my favorite fabrics into a Victorian boot for sister #1. I love this one so much I almost made another for myself.

And just in time for Saint Nick to come today, I finished the stocking for my 9 month old. It’s her first Christmas so I had to come up with another “boot” idea and find/make a pattern. She got a pretty ice skate stocking with hand embroidery and snowflakes.

This year, I also told my kids that this is when St. Nick comes to make sure they are being good and to pick up their Christmas wish list letters. You wouldn’t believe how good my 4 year old is being on account of Santa watching. :o)

Why December 6th you ask? It’s the feast day of Saint Nicholas, the true Santa Claus.
I can’t wait to see what he brings us!
Rebecca

Celebrating at the following parties:
Tools are for Women Too!
Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party
DIY Showoff Project Parade
Making the World Cuter Mondays
The Girl Creative
Between Naps on the Porch Met Monday

Harvesting the Pumpkins

2010-11-24T13:52:00.000-06:00

In October we picked the biggest pumpkin from our garden for a Halloween jack-o-lantern and left the rest in the garden to keep growing. This week we picked several more to make pies and side dishes for Thanksgiving. They weigh about 25 lbs!

I love having such fresh produce. This year one of the things I am most thankful for is all the progress we’ve made in turning our bare property into our dream hobby farm.

Thank you God for the many blessings!!
Rebecca

Persimmon Cookies

2010-11-24T00:20:00.000-06:00

I submitted this recipe for a contest today and since I had already taken pictures, I decided to share it with you too. It’s a great fall dessert and will be accompanying the pumpkin pie after our Thanksgiving feast.

My parents have had a persimmon tree for as long as I can remember and my mom still shares the fruit with us when they ripen in autumn. This recipe came from my aunt and has been a tradition in our family for a long time. They are moist, chewy dollops of heaven!!

Persimmon Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 beaten egg
1 cup persimmon pulp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped dates
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Cream shortening and sugar; add egg, persimmon, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute. Add pecans and dates. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° F for 12 minutes. (yield: 4 dozen)

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!
Rebecca

Garden Spigot

2010-11-10T10:57:00.001-06:00

These cooler temperatures have been great for some outdoor projects.

My garden is about 40 feet from the house and until now I’ve had to run a garden hose down to it from the house. Of course this means picking the garden hose up every time we mow which, face it, becomes a hassle. Anyway, I’ve been wanting a more permanent solution and a chance to show my muscle… ha ha... j/k!!

As a kid I remember helping my dad run a waterline out to our barn so I felt confident I could do it. To tell you the truth it was relatively easy. Digging the trench was probably the hardest part, but I did it in sections and even enlisted hubby’s help for part of it.

Made a trip to Home Depot for some PVC pipe, various connectors, and of course a hose bib.

Measured and made my cuts with a zip saw.

Then used PVC primer and cement to attach the plastic pieces together. And used PTFE seal tape on the metal joints or where metal connected to plastic.

Purple primer on both pieces first.

Then clear cement on both pieces and hold together for a few seconds.
Wrap the seal tape around the threads on the metal pieces about four times to prevent water leaks.

Here’s a view from the spigot on the side of the house that I tapped into and down the hill to the one I added at the edge of the garden. (Yes, this end of the garden is bare in this picture.)

I added an on/off switch at the house so I could empty the pipe during freezing weather to prevent it from bursting somewhere in the ground.

At the garden’s edge I popped the PVC pipe up out of the ground and added the spigot. I also added an old bucket (turned upside down with a hole in it) to keep grass from growing right around the pole. I’ll back fill a little more dirt around this and it should make mowing around it a lot easier. (LOL, although not from the looks of the tall grass in this picture!)

I’m just glad for no more hoses dragged across the yard. Hope you’re enjoying the cooler weather and finding some fun outdoor projects as well.

Rebecca

More Pumpkin Decor

2010-10-26T09:59:00.000-05:00

It’s definitely starting to look like fall around here. Today I had the windows open all day and you know I love that! LOL!

I’m sure you’re like me and have been reading all the fall decor blogs out there. And you may have had it up to here with pumpkins by now, so I’ll make this quick and painless.
Here’s one more you haven’t seen. Did I mention that Autumn is my favorite season for decorating? I think this is my fourth post about fall decor. :o)

I made this cutie out of elongated oval fabric pieces sewn together. Then a little “knob” for the stem with a fake leaf and bow for another quickie decor piece.

Happy Halloween!
Rebecca

Quick, Easy Tassels

2010-10-15T10:24:00.000-05:00

This week we made the bed transitions with our little girls. The two year old moved from the crib to a mattress on the floor. The six month old moved from the co-sleeper to the crib. Luckily it’s been a pretty smooth transition.

But as we moved furniture around, I no longer had a bed to stand on to reach the light and fan pulls. I know - bad. My four year old “scolds” me for standing on the bed since he’s not supposed to. Lol! So I whipped up a cute tassel for the girl’s room and then another for my son’s room.

Some purple ribbon left over from the curtains and a little *BLING* for the girls.

And some blue jean strips for the boy. Cute and super functional. But best of all, EASY!!

Oh, and free!

Later,
Rebecca

Pick A Pick A Pumpkin

2010-10-04T22:05:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin month is upon us. I felt like a mouse in a maze just trying to get into the grocery store today. Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere!! But I didn’t buy any this year. This year I decided to grow pumpkins in my garden. I really wanted that whimsical look of the pumpkin in Cinderella.

It was modeled after a variety called Rouge Vif d'Etampes so last spring I ordered some seeds and planted. Well they got planted in May. That’s a little late for around here, but I spent “prime” planting time bringing a new life into this world <but I digress>. So the pumpkins were planted a little late. After a hot and wet summer the plants have actually survived and have little pumpkins on them.

Here is one of my little beauties.

It’s still kinda small (only about 8 inches across) so I’m hoping it grows a lot between now and Halloween. And I’m excited that this variety also makes a good pie. YUM!!

Have you ever heard this song? My mom used to sing it to me when I was little.

Pick a pick a pumpkin

From the pile

We can make it’s eyes

And a great big smile.

Pick a pick a pumpkin

Round and clean.

Then we’ll be ready for

Halloween.

Happy Autumn!!!
Rebecca

Fall Mantel Decor

2010-09-30T23:00:00.004-05:00

I finally got my mantel decorated today. I LOVE it!! (And so do my little ones, which could mean trouble!!)
I didn’t have a chance to buy anything new this year, because I refuse to spend the time I need to bargain shop when I have the kiddos with me. Their patience doesn’t last nearly as long as mine for such things. These are the same pieces I’ve been using for years, but I completely rearranged how I usually decorate with them so it feels new to me. I also shopped the house and added a few pieces like my pickle crock and my old watering can.

I also pulled out my cake dome for a cloche and scattered nuts around my candles on a serving platter.

I can already hear the many times I will have to tell the kids not to take the nuts and leave them all over the house.

Their favorite is, of course, the scarecrow. He gets a special place up high. My son is convinced the house is now safe from birds. Little does he realize that he and his sister have probably already scared all the birds away for MILES! :o)

There are still a number of things at lower levels. Let’s see if my two year old will listen when I tell her not to touch. I hope I get to leave this up for longer than it takes me to get the pictures.

How do you decorate when you have little ones in the house?

Rebecca

Out par-TAY-ing at:

Fall Decor Fillers

2010-09-28T19:45:00.001-05:00

I’m so excited autumn is here and the cooler weather is starting to hit. While spring is actually my favorite season, fall is my favorite season for decorating. I usually have my fall decorations up by early to mid-August, but really got behind this year.

If you’re looking for some cute but cheap fillers for your jars, bowls, and baskets, try some of these ideas.
Most of the fillers I used are natural things I found on our farm (I’m sure you could find stuff on the sides of roads or in your yard. I did make these little vine balls out of covered wire. I bought it for a different project, so I consider it free for this one. :) Just pretend you’re making a yarn ball and wrap until it is as big as you want it. Simple!

Here I have them mixed with nuts in a thrift store jar. In the other jar are some dried lemon eucalyptus leaves from a tree I used to have. When it died I saved the leaves and use them for decorating. After many years they still have a nice fragrance and a great autumn color.

I cut tall pampas grass for the pitcher. I went outside looking for something to give the table height and remembered these beauties on the far fence-line. I swear there was an unidentified animal rustling in the plant when I went to cut them. *Shivers at the thought that it may have been a snake*

The bowl has a layer of cheap potpourri with large pine cones, cinnamon sticks, and decorative apples on top. The apples were from wally-world, but years ago. I don’t know if they still carry them.

Using the Pottery Barn catalog for inspiration, I tried to fill under the table with a few more things. I didn’t have any large pieces like I would have preferred to use, but I also didn’t want to go spend $$$ to replicate the look.

Clustered on one side is a few fall harvest decorations I got from Hobby Lobby last year during the 70% off after-season sale.

On the other side is an old picnic basket that’s been in the family for years.

Doesn’t this weather make you want to go have a picnic?

Rebecca

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Birthday Castle

2010-09-24T16:02:00.001-05:00

It’s been a while since I last posted. I’ve been working on an appliqué quilt for my nephew, but I don’t have any pics to show you. My sister is only giving me pieces of it at a time to work on. We’ll put them all together later.

But we did have a double birthday here recently and I wanted to show you the fun cake I did. My son turned 4 and my daughter turned 2. Their birthday’s are one day apart and we have been celebrating them together… at least until they’re old enough to want their own day and theme. Last year I did a train cake from Wilton’s puzzle cupcake forms.

This year I thought surely I’d have to do two different cakes. Something pink and girly for my daughter and ??? for my son. So when my son came to me with a book about a farmer who had a birthday and told me he wanted a PINK cake just like the farmer, I figured I’d lucked out. :)

Here’s ~~his~~ their pink cake that he and his 2 year old sister love!

I’m not the greatest cake decorator. I’m certainly not a professional, but I love that I can create something myself and give from my heart. Happy Birthday to my little ones!

Rebecca

Pears, Pears, Pears!!

2010-08-24T00:42:00.002-05:00

The other day, my sister came to help me out with the kids so I could spend the day processing and canning the pears from our pear tree.

It’s a variety of Asian pear that is similar to a Bartlett, but juicier and ripens earlier in the season. With all the rain we had this past winter and spring, we are enjoying a bumper crop from all of our fruit trees. So I was happy to have some time for putting away the pears to enjoy throughout the year and to share with others.

As a child I helped my mom process the apples from the big apple tree, so doing the pears was very similar. I cut some into halves or quarters and canned them in a light sugar syrup.

Then I made a big batch of pear sauce (just like apple sauce). I saved some sauce to feed my little ones, but the rest I made into pear butter and pear leather.

I love to eat the pear butter on toast in the morning.

Pear leather is just like the fruit roll ups you buy at the store, only this is organic with no sugar added.

To make it, I flavored some of the pear sauce with cinnamon and cloves and spread it into a tray on my dehydrator. A few hours later and I have a great snack that’s easy to take on the go or pack in lunches.

This dehydrator was a wedding gift and I don’t use it enough. I love it! And I love to share homegrown foods with my family and friends.

Fun fact: Pears are best when they are picked a little green and allowed to ripen indoors in a cool dry place. This gives them a less gritty texture.

Blessings,
Rebecca

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Earn Spending $$ for your DIY Projects

2010-08-10T22:57:00.001-05:00

I wouldn’t normally use my blog as a way to advertise or promote something, but knowing these are hard times and everyone is looking for more ways to make an extra buck I thought I’d share.

Now, I’m usually a VERY skeptical person when it comes to online money making deals. I do my research and almost always realize it’s not worth entering my personal information or risking being scammed. But a friend turned me on to one and I’ve been trying it for the last few months. I’m very pleased and wanted to share it with you.

It’s an easy way to earn a little spending money that’s actually safe, easy and free. It’s a search tool called Swagbucks. By using this search tool, I can “win” points which I use towards prizes and gift cards. In just a few months time I’ve already cashed in for $75 in Amazon gift cards.

Woohoo!! That’s not bad for free money!!

Of course, at I first I didn’t want to leave my beloved Google search engine. We’d been besties for the last several years and got along great. But then I found out that Swagbucks is powered by Google. Woot! This means that I get the same search results back from my searches. The layout is just different on the Swagbucks page.

So, now I’m doing my searches just like before AND getting MONEY, MULLAH, DINERO, BUCKS!!!

(btw, I just used my Swagbucks search engine to lookup how to spell dinero and won 11 swagbucks!! It's so easy!)

I love free money.

So, if you think this is something you’d like to try, please click on any of the links in the blog post or the link in the sidebar. That way Swagbucks can thank me for referring you.

Thanks gals and happy earning!!
Rebecca

Fun Little Summery Cocktails

2010-07-26T21:06:00.001-05:00

I really love summer time. Especially all the bright festive colors and cool summer drinks. This week red, orange, and yellow peppers are on sale at the grocery store so I stocked up. I’m using some with supper tonight, and putting the rest in the freezer.

I decided to use them in a salad to be paired with pork chops marinated with pineapple and OJ. That’s when I got an idea to make up some pre-dinner drinks using the peppers as cocktail glasses. Then, after they’ve soaked up a little of the fruity flavors, I’ll chop them up and add them to the salad.

First, I picked out peppers that had nice flat bottoms and stood up well by themselves. You don’t want your yummy cocktail falling over. :)

Then I cut around the tops and twisted out the seeds. (Think stuffed peppers). Make sure all the seeds are out.

In the blender I mixed up a favorite rum punch with OJ, fresh pineapple and a tad of cherry juice. The rum is optional if you prefer a mocktail. I like Malibu Caribbean Rum in this drink.. It has a fresh coconut flavor.

Then just fill your hollowed out peppers and add a straw. You can get creative with the garnishes too.

So after our drinks were finished. I grilled the pork chops and tossed up some salad - baby lettuce mix, fresh mozzarella, pineapple, basil, and the chopped peppers which I topped with a homemade lemon basil dressing.

Superb!! I hope this inspires you to enjoy some of summer’s fresh, colorful foods.

Rebecca

Gonna catch a party at:

The Closet is Finished

2010-07-22T18:03:00.006-05:00

Sure enough, I knew that if I blogged about an unfinished project it would be just the motivation I needed to find time to get it done. I promise my family has not suffered as a coincidence. They are still well fed, loved and nurtured. (But I probably ought to vacuum and do some laundry now.)

And of course it helped that several times this week all three kids napped at the same time!!

So, at last, I got the closet finished. If you missed how I’ve been without a master closet for the last two years, go <here>. Before this project, it was just a bare, empty room. I used ClosetMaid Selectives shelving and rods from Home Depot in a nice cherry finish.

After pulling our clothes out of boxes, bags, and the kid’s closets, I populated the new rods and shelves. I’m thrilled with how much space ~~I, um,~~ we really have now.

His Side

Back Side

Her Side

The room seemed so small before (well it really is small), but now it seems so much bigger with all the custom shelves and hanging rods.

I did spend a few bucks on a fabric box for laundry. I chose Martha Stewart's because it had a place for a label.

Then I considered buying more nice boxes for storing other things, but decided I couldn’t justify spending the money when we have tons of cardboard boxes in the garage. After all it’s just a closet… with a door… and a dim light to boot…

But then on second thought, who wants to see ugly cardboard boxes in such a nice closet?!?

Not me. So I pulled my creative brain out of it’s hiding place, dusted it off, and went to work crafting. First I covered the boxes with some textured wallpaper I got free. Then I put pretty fabrics on for lids and printed labels.

There! Pretty and functional. I love the brown fabric and the “Winter” box just has a scrap of burlap tied over the top.

Ooh, me so happy!!!

So then today while I was reading back in my blogroll I saw Ronda’s closet makeover featured at The DIY Show Off. I loved the His and Her signs she did but wanted something a little different. I’ve had these frames tucked away for a while and her post inspired me to use them in our closet. Here’s where the inspiration took me.

On hubby’s side a daily reminder of my love from Uppercase Living.

On my side, a daily reminder of the kind of woman I should be. (First saw this quote by Maya Angelou on my friend Dawn’s FB page. Love it girlie - had to borrow.)

Organization feels so good.

Rebecca

Check out this project and tons of other great talent at The DIY Showoff's Project Parade, The Girl Creative, and Making the World Cuter Mondays!

Custom Master Closet

2010-07-17T22:24:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have those projects that you think you will complete in just one day, but somehow three weeks later you’re STILL working on them. I’m in the middle of one of those right now. For the last two years I’ve been keeping a dirty little secret. Every time someone comes to visit, since we built the house two years ago, I try to make sure everything is clean and nicely decorated. Or at least as well as you can do that with toddlers. LOL! But what no one has known (until now) is that I don’t have a master closet!! I mean I have a room, but for two years I have had no hanging rods, shelves, NOTHING! Just boxes with clothes, piles of clothes, and shoes strewn underneath everything. Yeah, you could really get lost in there. A few months ago I finally put up a shower curtain rod for my husband to hang his nice shirts on.

WHY?!? you ask, would the builder not finish the closet!! Well, solely because I told him not to. You see, I had this vision of a beautiful custom closet. Like these:

And I was going to get it done soon after we built the house. But then, YIKES! KaCHING! Have you seen the price of those things?!? So I procrastinated for two years trying to decide whether to build my own or buy a cheaper alternative then the nice ones. Finally after living off the floor for so long I gave up on ever having time to make one myself and broke down and spent still too much money on some cheaper ClosetMaid shelving and rods. That was three weeks ago and it was supposed to be finished that day. Now, after several additional trips to Home Depot, cause let’s face it once you get it in the space it’s always easier to redesign and use the space more efficiently, I’m ALMOST finished. BTW, it’s hard taking pics inside a small closet with my camera, sorry.

Left wall

Left back corner

Right back corner

Right wall

Maybe in another three weeks… I’ll keep you posted.

Rebecca

Painted Toadstool

2010-07-09T16:55:00.003-05:00

Today I managed to get all three of my little ones to nap at the same time. So I got to sit down at their craft table to do a craft of my own.

I love the look of the red toadstools with white spots and have wanted one for outdoor decor in my garden. You know, the ones where the fairies live in the children’s stories. But I couldn’t find any I loved - in the right size - at the right price.

Instead I found this online and bought some craft paint.

I used Jo-Ann Craft Essentials Gloss Acrylic Paint in “Bright Red” and “White”. They are durable for outdoor and indoor use.

Ooh I’m all tipsy, excited. I’m loving how this looks. **drumming fingers on the table… waiting impatiently for the red paint to dry** Oops, maybe I should go take the clothes out of the washer and put them in the dryer while I wait. BRB

* * * * * * * * * *

K, I’m back. Yep today is cloth diaper washing day. Then after that it’s wash the potty trainer’s sheets for the second time this week. But hey, gotta love being a mom!

So here it is with the white dots painted on.

And in it’s new home in my herb bed.

I’m so in love with how this turned out! And I can’t believe how easy it was. Mu-ahh!

Rebecca

You can find this party girl at:

Little Girl’s Room Wall Art and Reveal

2010-06-24T12:22:00.056-05:00

Okay, so now that I’ve finished the painting, trimming, stenciling, and curtains in my little girl room, I’ll show you some simple wall decor I did. Then, I’ll do a quick room reveal from start to finish. I love the peacefulness of the lavender colors in this room. To be honest, some days when the little ones are napping, I go sit in there and just enjoy the serenity.

On the walls I wanted to put verses from Proverbs 31 to inspire my daughters to be kind, loving and God-centered women. But when I priced custom vinyl lettering… OUCH! I could MAYBE afford one, but not all eight that I wanted to do.

Here’s my creative and much MUCH cheaper solution. For under $15 I purchased a package of 10 clear, full sheet labels from Amazon.

They work in an inkjet printer, so I picked my favorite font, Pavane, and designed my verses to fit on an 8.5 X 11 inch paper which I then cut out. Here’s the end result.

I ended up printing 7 of them. The last one I printed on Sew-In Computer Printer Fabric that I got at Jo-Ann’s a while back.

With a coupon, it was less then a dollar per fabric sheet. Then I sewed the fabric sheet into a pillow.

And now to reveal the room redo from start to finish…. Drum roll please…

Original Wall Color

Lavender Paint in Two Tones shown here

Chair Rail Added shown here

Stenciling Completed shown here

Curtains Sewn & Hung shown here

And last, the completed room: Bible versus on the wall. Furniture moved back in place (I would LOVE new furniture, but alas, that’s not in the budget); My favorite quilt and pillows on the bed (I made these years ago). When my little one is ready to come out of the crib, we’ll put rails on the bed and move her in. Until then, Grandma and Grandpa still have a place to sleep. :o)

Hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day!

Rebecca

Joining the party at:

Simple Way to Transpose a Baby Sleeper

2010-06-02T15:35:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. And a big thank you to all the men and women who have served our country, especially my husband, father, and uncles.

This is such a simple redo that I almost didn’t share it on here. But then I realized that no repurposing project is too small to capture somebody’s attention and inspire them.

When I was pregnant with my first, we knew it was a boy, but still tried to buy neutral baby colors since we intended to have more children. Let’s face it, baby stuff is expensive! I didn’t want to re-buy EVERYTHING just to get girl colors if we had a girl next.

Well, indeed, our next two are girls. And for the most part it’s been easy to exchange the blue blankets in the nursery with pink blankets and dolls to make it look girly. But one purchase I made on EBAY before my son was born was a blue co-sleeper. I got a great deal on it, but since it was pre-owned I couldn’t choose the color. Blue worked fine for my son and we didn’t actually use it much for my first daughter, but now we use it a lot with the second daughter since the first is still in the crib. Long story short, little girl #1 is not ready for a toddler bed so she’s staying in the nursery crib for a while and baby girl #2 is going into the big girl room with the co-sleeper… for now. But it’s BLUE! And I just finished decorating that room in shades of lavender! What’s a mom to do? LOL!

Well, go to the thrift store, of course! That’s where I got two big rolls of lavender gingham decorating fabric for a dollar each! I know they look solid in the pic, but really they have a tiny gingham pattern.

They are the perfect size for twin bedspreads and eventually will be used for that, but for now…

… I’ve wrapped them around the blue co-sleeper for baby girl.

Super cheap, Super easy way to make this blue baby bed look more girly.
Have a blessed day!
Rebecca

Little Girl’s Room Wall Border

2010-05-26T18:14:00.001-05:00

The painting is finally done. The walls I showed you in a previous post, but this week I tried my hand a stenciling. I’d never ~~successfully~~ stenciled before. (I gave up the previous time I tried). It seems to be a precise science to get just the right amount of paint on the brush/roller, then hold the stencil very still while getting paint into tiny holes. And, spray adhesive on the back of the stencil didn’t work for me on our textured walls. I’m convinced that if I had flat walls, this would have worked much better. That’s my excuse anyway, hehe! I only had one thing going for me when I started this project… DETERMINATION!!!

I picked out a rich purple paint for the border above the chair rail (click here to see that install). It’s Valspar’s “Purple Frenzy” Interior Satin. I got the stencil and roller from my favorite craft store – Hobby Lobby. Also, the spray adhesive that I ended up not using.

The stencil package suggested practicing on scrap paper, but I told myself, “what the heck… I can always touch-up any little mistakes.” SO…. I took a deep breath, and set to work on the actual wall. Ha Ha HA HA…. Man I’m bad at this….

Despite the smears and globs, I kept going. And about ten feet down the wall it started to look a little better. By the time I got half way around the room it was going pretty smoothly.

And by the time I finished the room, well let’s just say the last several feet look pretty darn good! Yay Me!!

Of course then I had to go back and completely paint over the most hopeless areas with my wall paint and try again.

Other areas just needed a little touch-up.

Super cute!! I love how this turned out!

Thinking about doing some more stenciling around the house. :o)

Blessings,
Rebecca

Partying at:
Domestically Speaking's POPP #21

Little Girl’s Room Curtains

2010-05-18T22:31:00.001-05:00

Another item reveal in my little girl room. Here are the curtains I did. They were super easy and quick to make. I thought I might have problems since I added a light-blocking liner, but that turned out pretty simple to add.

I started with long, tone-on-tone, white striped material and added a strip of purple flowered material to the top.

Then, I added a 5/8 inch grosgrain purple ribbon over the seam.

Next I added 7/8 inch grosgrain purple ribbons to the top for a tie-on curtain.

I used a thin strip of white material across the top for a smooth seam allowance.

This strip was then ironed to the back.

After cutting a piece of blackout liner to the size of the finished curtain, I laid it on the back of the curtain and folded the sides of the curtain over, tucking under 1/4 inch on the hem. Then I stitched along the edges.

I hemmed the bottom by hand using a few whip stitches and tied the curtains onto the curtain rods. The rods I got at Hobby Lobby for just over $7 each with coupons. They came in a kit that included the finials and hanging brackets. A quick coat of white paint and they were ready to go up.

For the tiebacks, I used strips of the white fabric and put button holes in both ends.

I found these adorable purple buttons in my stash and tied them onto U-nails I hammered into the wall. Slipped the tieback around the curtain and put the button through both button holes.

The look is perfect for the room!

It’s purplishous!! There are a few other details I want to add to the room in the coming weeks. Once I get the furniture back in place I’ll reveal the whole room. Stay tuned.

Rebecca

Little Boy's Room Peg Mirror

2010-05-14T16:35:00.009-05:00

I'm back! I've been on sabbatical getting settle in with the new baby and still putting last touches on some previous projects. And since nothing in life REALLY goes smoothly, we've actually been without our satellite internet connection for nearly a month.

Off topic aside: I’m actually torn between the loss of internet being a bad thing or a good thing. On one hand, there have been many times when I wanted to find a recipe, research a product, find a coupon, etc. But on the other hand, it’s been very freeing to not constantly want to sit down at the computer and check email, Facebook statuses, or search for Swagbucks. I think I have addiction problems. LOL! The last few weeks I’ve had so much more time to get stuff done… like finishing the mirror in my little boy room.

Using the same style and painting technique I used here (notice the bare-edged mirror in the last pic), I spent the last few days framing out an old mirror that was left-over when we built the house.
To get started, I measured, cut, and painted the boards to frame the outside of the mirror. Then I attached them directly to the mirror with Liquid Nails.

This stuff is great! I found mine in the paint department of Home Depot. It doesn’t set for about 10 minutes, so I had plenty of time to make sure the pieces were level and fit together as a square before they were permanently placed.

Originally the builders had precut the mirror to fit in our master bath and cut out a hole for the outlet too. But we ended up buying smaller mirrors for each sink and framing them ourselves. You can see the hole on the right side of the pics above and in the close-up below. When I decided to repurpose the old mirror in the little boy room, I had to get creative about covering up the hole.

That’s where the cork tile I salvaged from our old home came in.

And to fill the space below it, I added a chalkboard.
I used hardboard to paint my chalkboard onto. Here is a pic of the hardboard. (Ignore my messy workshop.)

I cut the hardboard down to the size I needed. Using a few coats of chalkboard paint that I got from Hobby Lobby, I turned it into a small chalkboard. (That’s the inner frame for the mirror on the right side of the sawhorse.)

Once these pieces were finished, I attached them to the mirror with the Liquid Nails.

I used a small scrap of door casing molding (also left-over from building the house) below the chalkboard to hold the chalk and eraser.

Here it is, finished and ready for my little boy. Notice in the reflection of the mirror the matching peg strip I showed you in a previous blog.

He absolutely loves it!! I wish I had captured his expression when he came home from preschool and saw it. Being a Mom is such a fantabulous job to have!

Rebecca

I am sharing this at these fabulous parties! I love me a good par-tay!!
The Girl Creative
Tools Are For Woman Too!
Making the World Cuter
The DIY Showoff
Just a Girl
A Soft Place to Land

The Greatest Before and After!!

2010-03-14T19:48:00.000-05:00

I’m so excited to share with all my blogland friends one of my greatest before and afters. Okay, this is a total cheat on the subject because it has nothing to do with DIY home improvements like most of the rest of my blogs.

In truth, however, I do believe it will improve our home. And it is somewhat of a DIY (although not possible without the hand and grace of God). So by some stretch of the imagination, I think it still fits. :)

The Before…

~At 38 1/2 weeks pregnant~

The After…

We brought our new baby home this week. We are both doing well and appreciate all the love and prayers we have received.

This little one was so excited to see the world that she tried to come out before we made it to the hospital. The ER staff was great and rushed me into a delivery room just minutes before she “popped” out. Big brother and big sister are both happy and curious about this beautiful new life. She’s such a blessing!

P.S. Thank you for sharing this joy with us. For more “home” related before and afters, see my other posts.

Rebecca

I'm Linking to..

Little Girl’s Room Makeover - Step Two

2010-03-05T13:25:00.000-06:00

(If you missed Step One, click here.)

Adding the chair rail… and saving some moolah…
Whenever I have an opportunity to save a little money, I usually jump on it unless I think I will absolutely hate it in the long run. Well the chair rail for this room gave me just that opportunity. Several years ago, when we first bought this property, it included an old house. At the time we thought we could spruce up that house and live in it for several years while saving to build a new home. Hubby had bought some base molding to cover numerous ugly holes at the bottom of the wall where mice, and other animals would come in. Long story short… We didn’t last in the old house very long. With bad (as in dangerous) wiring, broken heater, and several other issues we soon moved into an apartment for a several months and had the old house destroyed and a new one built. The base boards we had bought were never used. Until now…

And I’m totally okay with this…
The old base molding will be my chair rail for this room. They are very plain, but I don’t mind. Some people might balk, but I don’t need a fancy chair rail in a toddler’s room.

So, I cut the baseboard-turned-chair rail pieces. Usually I put trim up and then paint it. But this time, I decided to paint the trim first, install it, and then touch it up. I think I like this method better. Oh, and since the paint is actually an enamel high gloss paint, DH didn’t want me inhaling the fumes while pregnant and painted them for me. What a sweetie!

In the words of my 3 year old…
Now it’s time to pull out “My best friend in the whole world.” My son says this about, well, everything and everyone. LOL!
Here she is… yes I said SHE!

16 gauge Dewalt finish nailer

With the kids at playschool today, I took the opportunity to put up the chair rail. Here are a few pictures as I progressed around the room.

Part of the air compressor got in this shot.

After a little touch up on the nail holes and a little caulk this chair-rail will be complete!! I love how this turned out.

Rebecca

Little Girl’s Room Makeover – Step One

2010-02-23T12:14:00.000-06:00

Why is this redo going so S – L – O – W – L – Y?
With the delivery of our newborn very VERY close, I’ve been trying to get motivated to work on the “Little Girl Room” which sister will have to move into when she vacates the nursery for the new baby. Unfortunately I do NOT have the “nesting” instinct and would much rather stay in bed most of the time. So the project has been very slow going.

BUT… to motivate myself, I decided to post my progress as I go. I’m hoping this will help me to keep on track and keep going.

STEP ONE (anyone else just have a NKOTB flashback?)
The first step is to get rid of those bland, pale walls. When we built the house, the builder allowed us to choose two paint colors at no extra cost. So we picked a neutral color for most of the house and a greenish tone for the kitchen/breakfast area. The thought was, as we decide what other colors we want, we will repaint those rooms ourselves.

It’s Unfortunate…
I had taken LOTS of before pics of the room in question when it was decorated as our guest room, but those pics were on our laptop which was recently stolen. I’m sorry I can’t share them with you, but here are a couple pics of the wall color before it was painted. The original color is Sherwin Williams “Crisp Linen”.

A time for Peace, Serenity, Calm…
Lately I’ve been attracted to the serenity and calm of the bluish lavender colors. I decided to do a two tone room and divide the colors with a chair rail.
On the top half of the wall I used Valspar 4001-7B Lavender Mist interior satin.

The bottom half of the wall was painted with Valspar 4002-7C Purple Freedom interior satin.

This is how the walls look with the paint up, but no chair rail yet.

View Full Album

I hope to post Step Two soon… which will be the addition of the chair rail.

Oh… where is that energy?… Wish me luck. More on this room later… but hopefully not TOO much later.

Rebecca

Over the toilet cabinet redo

2010-02-18T16:09:00.003-06:00

I did part of this cabinet redo before I got into the blog world, so I didn’t take a “before” pic. But I just love before and after pics so I went and found a stock photo of how it looked originally. The cabinet was left in an old house we bought by a previous owner. So when we tore down that house to build a new one, we salvaged what was worthwhile. The cabinet is nothing special. Laminate covered particle board, but I grabbed it, knowing it had potential.

At first I just painted the whole thing white. I learned the hard way that I should have primed it first. It doesn’t paint well and took several coats.

We had the cabinet like this for about a year, but then after getting into the blogging community I saw all the wonderful redo’s that use distressing techniques. I LOVE them! And I knew that would look wonderful in my “Victorian” themed bathroom. So today I got out my sanding block and started distressing the edges.

If I hadn’t been so lazy (and if the cabinet had been any bigger), I’d have gone out to the workshop and dug out the electric sander. But the sanding block was already in the house … thus EASIER!!

I’m liking how this looks, but decided to add some stain or glaze to really bring out the aged look. I actually wanted to use some antiquing glaze but don’t have any (need to get me sum-a-dat!) so I ended up using some old stain and a paper towel.

After rubbing a little on the edges (emphasis on very little) and wiping/sanding anything excessive back off, I’m LOVING the new look of this cabinet. So glad for all the inspiration I’m getting from reading other blogs!

Here’s another before, then and after. Can’t help it. I love to see the drastic changes side-by-side!!!

Have a GREAT day!!!
Rebecca

I'm Linking to..

The Sweetest Man…

2010-02-13T10:50:00.000-06:00

For Valentine’s Day, I want to spotlight the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. And I am so blessed to call him my Husband! He does some of the sweetest things. Just the other day he told me how proud he is of me. ~ Talk about a feel good moment! ~ He said he is so happy that I've started this blog and have a way to express my creative side. He told me he's proud that I chose an endeavor that can be helpful and inspiring to others as well. What a sweet man!!!

Then today, he showed how incredibly supportive he really can be... and not just with words. He spotted, stopped, and picked-up a piece of furniture someone had put out with their garbage on the side of the road. He thought maybe I'd want it for one of my projects! Is he great or what?!?

It looks like the bottom of an old chair. There is some breakage and patching, but nothing I can't work around. It's solid and heavy.

I'm thinking plant stand... Or little stool...or ???

What would you do with it?

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Rebecca

Transform One Curtain into Three = $$ savings

2010-02-09T14:20:00.000-06:00

So surely you’ve seen the curtain sets of two tiers and one valance that are sold for windows in your kitchen and breakfast nook. You can usually get them for under $10 at Wally World if you want to go on-the-cheap. And on-the-cheap is exactly how much I could afford when we first moved into the house we built and money was very tight. But I wanted to get something up on the windows. It isn’t really an issue of blocking out the view of others. We live on 10.5 acres way out in the country and there aren’t any neighbors who can see in the windows. It was the decorator in me wanting window treatments.

Well $10 for one window sounds pretty good, but not good enough for me. I figured out a way to use ONE set and cover THREE windows. It requires very basic sewing skills and the addition of ribbon.

I found some white curtains with yo-yo trim along the bottom. For the kitchen window, I just hung up the valance.

Then for my other two windows in the adjoining laundry room, I used the tiers to create easy tie up valances.

First I held the tier at the bottom where the trim is and flipped it over a couple inches to create a rod pocket. With a sewing machine I ran a straight stitch from one side to the other. Then, using a tension rod, I hung the tier (now upside down) in the window. At this point, the original rod pocket is hanging down.

~ Close-up of trim now at bottom of rod pocket ~

Last, I used a couple of ribbons to tie up the curtain creating an accordion fold at the bottom to the height I wanted. VOILA!

A quick, easy and CHEAP decor from one curtain set onto three windows.

Rebecca

Thrifting at a NEW Thrift Store!!

2010-02-04T22:18:00.003-06:00

I’m so excited!!! Today I found a NEW thrift store. Okay, it’s actually not new, but I didn’t know it was there so it’s NEW to ME!!! This is especially exciting to me because I was having to drive 20+ miles to get to the nearest thrift stores and this one is hidden away in the little town closest to where I live… only about 5 miles from me!! This is also especially good because being in a small town the selection is better (less shoppers finding the good stuff first) AND the prices are way better!!

In fact, I had given up on shopping at the nearest Goodwill. I regularly found things there were priced about the same as if the item was brand new. And with discount coupons to places like Hob Lob or Jo-Ann, the Goodwill store was actually MORE expensive! HUH?!?!

So when I found this “NEW” thrift store today that supports Disabled American Veterans, I was psyched. It’s HUGE! HUGE, I tell you!!!! And the prices are awesome! Take for example these two great jars I got.

(Oooohh, check out the spooky shadows on the wall. I need to work on my camera skills.)

The one with the cork stopper was $0.90. YEP 90 cents! The other one was $1.91. It’s hard to tell in the pic, but they are both about 12 inches tall.

Also got these great frames. The 11 x 14 I will need for the new baby’s birth announcement. It matches the ones I have for the older siblings. This was $0.70. The bigger frame is 24 x 25 and has a heavy duty hanger on the back. I plan to use it for a cork board, memo board, chalkboard, or some combination of these.

Also got this great clay pot for under 2 bucks! It’s a big eight inch one. Woohoo!!

The possibilities are endless. I may paint it and put tools in it. Or add a little chalkboard paint to it and plant herbs in it like these from DIY Network’s site…

The last great things I found were these pretty little cups and saucers for a couple dollars. I love the blue pears with the leaves.

I’ve been looking for some I like so I can make the cute little bird feeders that I’ve seen all over the place. Like this one from Ehow.

So now I have lots of materials to continue my crafting fun. If only I could buy time and energy at a thrift store, I’d be set!!

Rebecca

Cutter Quilt Pillows

2010-02-02T17:02:00.008-06:00

Well, I’ve been spending a lot of time these last few weeks on bed rest while we wait for our little one to enter the world. Which means I have NOT been working on all the wonderful projects I’ve been wanting to post. In fact, the only good thing is that I have LOTS of time to come up with more projects that I can’t wait to tackle in the future.

But I did want to share something and keep this blog alive. It’s heartbeat was getting pretty sluggish. . . . :o)

So, since I stare at them most of the day anyway, I decided to show you some cutter quilt pillows I made a while back that sit on the window seat in my bedroom. You can find cutter quilts in a number of places from garage sales to a relative's attic. I ended up going to EBAY and finding some for a good price. A cutter quilt is nothing more than an old tattered quilt that, as a whole, is too battered to put on a bed. But often there are smaller areas of the quilt that are not damaged and can be used for smaller projects (e.g. teddy bears, pillows, etc).

Using a sewing machine and basics for making a pillow, I sewed up a few different pillow shapes and stuffed them with polyfil. This particular “feedsack” material reminds me a lot of the quilts my grandmother made. It gives the room a comfy vintage look that I love.

Rebecca

Little Boy’s Denim Shaker Peg Strip and Basket

2010-01-21T18:21:00.003-06:00

I’ve been working on turning our guest room into a cute cheery girl room for lil sis, since she will soon need to vacate the nursery for the new baby. I’ve been taking my time doing it, but I think spending so much time on it has left big brother feeling a little jealous. So I wanted to do a quick project for his room that would make him feel special, without taking too much time away from my little girl’s room makeover.
A while back I had seen a Shaker peg strip in a book at the library (sorry I don’t remember which one) and always liked the look. I remembered it and thought it would be a perfect addition to his room. After looking around for more inspiration, I found the pic below and decided this denim look was a technique I wanted to try. Now, I can’t for the life of me find it back to give credit where credit is due. If you see this anywhere, PLEASE let me know!

So… wanna know how cheap I really am? Hubby had bought some lumber for a project he’s been wanting to do. It’s been months now and he still hasn’t found the time to work on it, so I “borrowed” the two 1 x 3 x 8’ boards he had and went to work. Hey, if he ever gets around to doing his project, he can buy some more wood, right? He loves me!!

And I picked up some pegs from Joann's... couple bucks.

First I used a miter saw to make 45 degree cuts on the 1x3 pieces where I needed them to fit the length of one wall and a short span on the adjacent wall. If you need more info about how to do this let me know.
Then I drilled holes part way through the boards every few feet for the pegs. Put some wood glue in the hole and pushed the pegs in. I made sure when I drilled the holes that the pegs would have a snug fit and the glue is for extra security.

Now the painting can begin! This is the paint and glaze I used. I used a lighter blue for the base and a darker blue glaze for the denim fabric effect.

After a quick sanding I put on a base coat of Valspar “Blue Eyes” Interior Satin. Make sure you use a satin finish!

I wasn’t really concerned about perfect coverage or brush strokes. Just get some color down on the board and pegs.

After that dries, move on to the glaze. I had Lowes tint a can of glaze with Valspar “Indigo Streamer”.

For the first coat of glaze, only run the brush in one direction across the width of the board. Make sure you don’t put it on too thick. You want to see the base coat through the brush strokes.

After this has dried, do the second coat of glaze in the other direction across the length of the board to create the look of fabric.

To hang the boards on the wall, I used my handy-dandy DeWalt brad nailer (I love DeWalt tools!) and enlisted some help from the hubs to hold the boards in place. I chose to put the boards above “normal” person height to keep heads from running into the pegs sticking off the wall.
My son can’t reach the pegs yet, but when he’s older he can. And for now it can hold things I’d like to hang up. I mean really… he’s three… what would he hang up anyway… his sole purpose in life right now is to leave everything possible laying all over the floor! LOL!

To tie into the new denim theme in the room, I then used the same painting technique to turn this basket

into this…

It’s a great place for him to store books, toys, etc.
Now back to my little girl’s room… some day I’ll finish and reveal that makeover to you too!

Rebecca

I'm Linking to..

A little dollar store organization

2010-01-18T20:54:00.000-06:00

My craft room has been in serious need of some organization. I still have a ways to go, but wanted to share this cheap organization idea I used.

At the dollar store I picked up some colorful baskets to store ribbons, fabric paint, etc. The shelf was made by salvaged pieces from an old house… as in FREE. :-)
I just painted the piece of wood and the rod and put them on the metal brackets.

These two plastic baskets hold scrap fabric and jelly roll fabric.

Rolls of ribbon hang directly on the rod as well as in the basket.

These baskets hold odds and ends like buttons, craft paint, scrap book scissors, pipe cleaners, etc.
Useful and handy, yet out of the way and no longer cluttering my work area!

Rebecca

Fixing the Velcro/Aplix on your cloth diapers for good!!

2010-01-15T10:20:00.005-06:00

With my third child due very soon, Baby has been on the brain. I decided to share my cheap and easy remake of my cloth diapers that got worn out after about a year of use with my two older kiddos.

I have about 33 bumGenius™ 3.0 one-size pocket diapers that were supposed to last me forever. Ha!!
Did you know that hook and loop tape wears out with use and many, many, MANY washings? Well, now I do too. And the thought of spending hundreds of dollars right now on a new set makes my pregnancy heartburn and nausea come back. (I hesitated for two seconds about whether or not to buy some really cheap ones from China. Uh, no!) So when I saw other companies and WAHMs making their diapers with snaps, I thought DUH!

Here are all the supplies I need.

1. old diaps with worn out hook/loop tape

2. seam ripper

3. snap pliers (or press) for plastic snaps

4. plastic snaps

I also used these to make things easier, but could have done without.

5. awl (came with my snap pliers)

6. ruler

This is so easy you won’t believe it.

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Note: If you don’t have a snap press or snap pliers specifically for plastic snaps you will need to order one online. The ones at local JoAnn-type stores don’t work on plastic snaps. I got my pliers from Kamsnaps.com with 200 snaps for about $35. I don’t recommend paying over $100 for the snap press unless you plan to use it a lot.

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First use your seam ripper to take off the wide strip of loop tape across the top of diaper and the two tabs of hook tape that normally would affix to it. (After I get it started with the ripper, I find it easy to gently rip it off with my hands.)

Now, of course, since I’m a perfectionist (yes I know I have issues) I’m gonna spend a little extra time pulling all those little threads out. They will probably come out in the wash, but I can’t wait that long!! :-)

Next, I mark about 8 places across the diaper where I want to put snaps. I start on either side of the middle and measure out about every 1-¼ inches.

Then, using either the seam ripper or an awl, I poke holes through the top layer of fabric where I’ve marked for the snaps… (notice my hand is up inside the diaper pocket) and push the cap piece into the hole. While my hand is in there I do all of them at once.

Placing the socket piece onto the cap, I make sure the pliers is centered and squeeze! TaDa!!!

Now do this with the rest of them.

Last step is to add the stud part of the snap to the two tabs using the same method.

Before and after….

Hope this is useful to some of you. Or maybe it will inspire you to make some other baby items using snaps. They really are super easy!!!

Rebecca

Throw Open the Windows... Let's get started!!!

2010-01-13T22:03:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Throw Open the Windows!!!

Everything in my life right now tells me that now is really NOT the time to start my journey into blogland. After all, I’m due to deliver our third child in just a few weeks and many of you know how time consuming this period is. But the truth is I want to do this for me. I have such a long to-do list of projects (some of which have been inspired by other blogs I’ve read) and I need a place to organize my ideas and projects. I also figure that if I start a blog, you guys will help keep me accountable for finishing the projects I start. Am I the only one who’s bad about that?!?!

So even if it’s a slow start… it’s my start. I hope you will join me on my journey as I share with you some of the DIY projects, crafts, and family fun that go on in our home. And I hope you can take away with you an inspiration and a sense of peace when you leave.

Rebecca