Notes from A Cottage Industry

Even a gift card can look extra special.

I was invited to a lunchtime bridal shower for a coworker yesterday. I got sidetracked and ran out of time to shop for her gift, so I ended up getting her a gift card. Even though it was a last minute purchase (two hours before the lunch time shower)I didn't want to simply put the gift card inside a card, or just stick it in an envelope, so I wrapped it.

I used my signature brown craft paper with some skinny ribbon I had on my desk,(Oh, I guess I should tell you here that I have a roll of craft paper stashed at my work desk, along with a few greeting cards in a drawer and two colors of ribbon...) and a snippet of wider polka dot ribbon I found in the bottom of my purse. (Do you always seem to have things like that in your purse?)

(I also discovered that I had a mellon baller that I recently purchased to make tiny scoops of ice cream, and two AA batteries in there.)

Anyway.

I made one of my easy-peasy torn paper bows, and then I printed a verse on cardstock and cut it into a tag. The verse reads, "May your story together have more heroes than villains, more adventure than drama, and may love always win."

I love that quote.

It took me all of nine minutes to create.

Six, if you don't count the three minutes I spent digging for that snippet of ribbon I was sure was in my purse.

The end result was charming and sweet, and it looked like so much more than just a quickly purchased gift card, which is why I wanted to share it with you. Next time you're giving a gift card, remember this little idea...it will make your gift (card) into something extra special.

A little entertaining secret....

It's no secret to anyone that knows me that I love to entertain. I love planning the menu, coming up with a theme, (whether it is a color, or a type of food, or an event like the Superbowl...)and I especially love to design and set up the table scape and the buffet area.

Now, all of that might sound intimidating to some of you, and so today I wanted to share a little caterer's secret that I use. You don't always have to bake, or cook everything you are serving yourself when entertaining.You can make store bought pastries and fruit look like a million bucks.

You just have to make the right choices. WalMart, for example, has the most incredible itty-bitty-baby cinammon rolls.

To. Die. For.

And cute as all get out.

When I'm feeling really creative, I take a bit of powdered sugar, milk and a drop of vanilla or orange flavoring and make a runny frosting to drizzle over them...yummy (and totally like you-slaved-in-the-kitchen looking!) Stack them on a cake pedestal with some other pastries (or a giant pile by themselves) and the finished look is perfection.

So, there you go. If you want to wow your family, this is one easy way to do it.

A little sign tutorial.

Okay, so it isn't really a little sign, but the tutorial is little...er...short.

Kind of.

And easy.

I've had this sign for...gosh...more than ten years. I was originally from a storefront somewhere in Virginia City, Nevada. It was green when I got it, and I painted it yet another green, with wording on it for a Billard room in my home way back when I was married. Later, I painted it black, and have been planning on painting a verse on it ever since.

I came upon the perfect verse, (Happiness is not a destination, it is a way of life.)and decided exactly where I wanted to hang the sign around the first of the year. (This was in fact, one of the bajillion things on my Wanna-Get-Done list before the rush of Easter company, but...I ran out of time.)

I made time this past week, and I thought I'd walk you through the process. (I shared the process once before, a while back...here.)

Again, here's how I do it:

Decide what you want to paint on your sign.(A wooden headboard makes a perfect sign, as well as old doors from cupboards, or a plain ol' one by six...) Once you have done this, you are are ready to start creating.

1.I use my favorite cheap n' cheesy program, Printshop, from Broderbund. (It's an easy program that a non-techie gal like myself can learn easily, and it's affordable.) If you don't have  a Print Program, you can print your letters (words, quotes...) in WORD.

2. Tape the pages of paper together.

3. Rub chalk on the back side of the paper. If the sign is painted a light color, use colored chalk. 4. Place the verse, printed side up, on the sign, exactly where you want it.
5.Using an old fine tip felt pen, outline all the letters, pressing fairly firmly.

6. Remove the paper. (The chalk letters did not photograph well at all, but trust me, they're there...)
7. Paint each letter, coloring book style.

8. After the paint is dry, wipe the sign off with a damp sponge to remove all the excess chalk residue..
9. Step back and bask in the awesomeness of what you have created.
We hung our sign in the family room, above the shuttered sliding glass door.

(I must be honest here, and tell you that my Rock n' Roll Buddy didn't really "see" my vision at all on the idea of hanging the sign above the door, but he hung it for me anyway. )

(That's what I love about him.)

It's a straight shot to see it as you enter the house through the front door. You likey?

 

PS...I am linked to

Because you can't wear it if you can't find it.

You might recall that my personal word for the year is Organize.

So.

I don't really have any fine jewelry. (It's all what my Mom calls "costume" jewelry.) And, until a couple of months ago, it was everywhere.

In my purse.

In my cup holder in my car.

In the kitchen on the counter.

On my night table.

In the bathroom.

Mmmmm hmmm, you get it.

You would think that after losing my watch a while back, I would have learned.

(If you thought that, then you do not know me as well as you might have thought you did.)

Oh, no, no, no.

After the watch incident, I proceeded to carelessly toss around misplace one of my very most favorite wear-em-several-times-a-week-coz-they-are-perfect-with-anything Silpada Hoop earings.

(OhyesIdid.)

At first, I didn't panic. It would show up, I thought.

(By who? A little earing fairy?)

Time went by. It didn't show up.

Now, I had two choices. To wear one earing, (a la' Jack Sparrow style) or...look for it.

I looked. And looked some more.

I slept on it, trying to somehow will it to find me.

Finally, I gave up pretty much all hope, deciding that since this was the 50th time I had lost one of these precisous hoops and surely all the praying in the world wasn't gonna bring it back to me, and clearly, this was going to be a lesson-learned kind of thing.

Again.

I decided two things. First, I needed a specific, organized place to house my jewelry. Counter space is at a premium in the bedroom, and master bath, so it occurred to me that if I could empty one drawer of my dreser, I could make a space to store things. The second thing I decided was that from now on I am only allowed to take off my jewelry while standing at my dresser.that it was time to organize my accessories, once and for all.

Feeling totally empowered at this point, I hit Bed, Bath and Beyond on a mission to find the perfect solution to my problem, on my lunch break, and emerged victorious forty-some dollars poorer, but much wiser, (and inspired at the possibility that I might become a member of the Organized People group in life)with a big bag or organizational trays made especially for holding jewelry.
After work I unwrapped them all, and set out arranging the trays in the drawer, and then began filling them.

Wow.

It was almost an out of body experience, as I marvelled at the neatly lined up bracelets, necklaces, complete pairs of earings.An organized  thing of beauty, for sure.

Oh! As for the missing earing? It showed up when I moved my dresser to get at a power outlet behind it. I promptly put the newly found hoop in it's proper place, next to it's mate.

What it takes to find REAL happiness and contentment.

I think sometimes we make finding happiness and contentment too difficult. It's easy to get caught up in thinking we need nicer things, or higher paying jobs, or...well, you fill in the blank...whatever...to be complete and happy. I call it the "If only" syndrome. You know, if only I had this, or if only we could do that, or even worse, if only I hadn't...

Anyway.

I found this quote one day on Pinterest and it made me smile. With all of the many stresses in life these days, this is a good thought to ponder. (and to personalize with our own words)

Mine would read, "like, I just wanna bake cupcakes, sit by the fire, and have someone who likes to kiss my face." The bottom line is, it really doesn't take all that much to be happy. Seriously, we all need to remember that.

What would your version of this quote say?

The Livingroom.

This room is really still a work in progress; a labor of love. It's evolving with every new little touch we add. Previously there were cut outs within the wall between the living and dining rooms, which we opted to wall in for a more separate room effect for the living room and the dining room. Here is the room at the beginning of the whirlwind rennovation... ...and a little way into the project.... ...and now...
The shutters added a nice rich look with the wood tone. (I am still dying to add some sort of drapery panels on either side with a brushed nickel curtain rod at some point to add more texture and interest....and I think I just found the perfect panels! More to come...) We're still searching for the perfect piece to house (and hide) all of our DVD's (over to the right of the window...) Also,I didn't get a good picture of it, but I think the brushed nickel ceiling fan really makes the room, and really pushes the heat down when we have our nightly fires in the wood burning stove...

You remember my hutch don't you? It's been re-purposed so many times! Purchased at a yard sale one summer long, long ago, it was a bright blue when I dragged it home for the first time, and I immediately painted it black and weathered it with sandpaper.

I originally had this fabulous hutch in the dining room at the big house, then, on to the living room on Norman Drive, to the dining room at my first place in Camas, to the living room at my last eensy-weensy place in Vancouver, and now, in the living room here. I'd have to say it is my all time personal best for purchases made at yard sales over the past 15 years.

I am pretty perplexed as to exactly what I can do with the huge wall flanking the wood burning stove...any ideas????
I'd love to hear your ideas for us!!!

 

A peek at the Laundry Room, and those oh-SO-beautiful wood floors.

I know, I have already bragged shamelessly about the amazing hardwood flooring we put in the house, but in all seriousness, they truly are the biggest "wow" factor in our whirlwind-remodel. (It is Chilean Cherry Engineered Hardwood. Talk about instant gratification!)

We put the gorgeous hardwood in the entry...here is a photo of one side of the double front doors, from inside the entry...
...and a shot from the living room looking down the entry hall to the elbow in the hallway....
...and we carried it throughout the long "L" shaped hallway. (Please forgive the lighting in these photos. The walls are a creamy soft off white, not yellow. I think the problem was the overhead lights...)
..oh, and here is a shot looking back down the entry hall toward the front doors and living room...
I'm not sure how I missed taking "Before" pictures of the Laundry Room, other than the fact that all we really changed in here was a fresh coat of creamy off white paint (The room has no window, and we wanted to keep it light) and the flooring. The old flooring was the original 80's vinyl, which was pretty neutral, but it had done it's time, and since we had the left over wood, we decided to go ahead and do this room. (And I am so glad we did! It warmed things up, added character, and flows so prettily from the hallway.) I am still adding my lil' accesories to the Laundry Room. (I collect washboards, and I have a couple of other ideas up my sleeve, which I will be sure to share with you!)
Anyway,I think the results are pretty spectacular. And, I think that when you want to make a really strong statement in a room, starting with the floor is a great way to go, don't you?

Spring fever hits the office, and our front porch.

We really can't complain about the rain and the cold this year out here in the Pacific Northwest. It's been mild and dry for the most part, according to the weather guys on television, but we've had a few snow flurries on and off here the past week or so, and are expecting more rain this weekend.That being said, yesterday was a beautiful sun-shiny day and today is looking to be a fabulous repeat.

This weather inspires me, (along with daylight-savings time coming to an end this weekend)and I am oh-so-ready for spring! To plant flowers in pots, and pull out my springtime decorations. Even with rain in the forcast for this weekend, I decided that I'd go ahead and start with some faux spring touches at work, in the main foyer...

as well as the front porch at home. (Actually, it's not so much a true porch as it is a front door area.)I replaced the evergreen boughs with poppies, asperagus fern and some lavender...

...and added a couple of springtime wreaths to both front doors.
It absolutely boggles my mind at just how real the faux flowers look these days. Seriously, look at my first photo up there and tell me that those little lavender sprigs in the pot don't look real enough that you'd like to put your nose to them for a lil' whiff of lavender. Aaaah-mazing. Truly.

When do you begin decorating for spring? Do you wait until Easter, or have you already got me beat by a couple of weeks? How much "Spring" decorating do you do outside, and inside, of your home? I'd love to hear what all you do!

 

B L O O M.

At the beginning of January I hosted a word of the year banner giveaway, and the banner I made for the winner was the word "Bloom".

After designing the banner, I printed one for myself, and decided it was just too perfect for springtime, to not share. (After all, "Bloom" is such a positive word, and one that I have used for myself very nearly as often as I use "Bliss" I think.)

I looked bloom up in the dictionary, and here is what I found:

bloom/blo͞om/

verb.  blossom - flower - flourish - fluoresce - thrive

Mmmm hmm. I am thinking this is the perfect time of year, with things beginning to bud, and blossom, and flourish, to have this sweet word hanging in my home.

I printed mine on old dictionary pages, which you know is my signature look, and matted the pages against pink paper for a little spring pop of color, but the letters and vintage flowers would print just as nicely on plain card-stock. The completed banner measures about five and a half feet wide, with each letter panel being aporximately 6 inches wide and 7 inches tall, so it makes a really great statement in any room.

If you'd like to make one for yourself, my e-kit is available in my etsy shop for $10. The kit arrives right in your in-box, with directions, letters and flower pages to create as many banners as you like!

Spreading the love..March 2012 Giveaway!

After moving, I ended up with a pretty nice sized stash of fabulous stuff that I simply do not have the space for, or just the right spot for. After spreading the love between my girls and some gla-pals, I pondered the delima of what to do with this overflow of treasures. I have decided to share it all with you, starting with March!
Let's take a closer look. A Pair of thatched cottage salt and pepper shakers...
A trio of pale Robin's egg blue casserole dishes...
...five handmade gift tags with vintage ribbon...
and a "Nest of happy thoughts" bag of sweet lil' faux eggs...
You likey?

I hope so.

Here's how it will work..... Simply leave a comment below.

For up to five additional entries: 

Follow my blog (over on the sidebar) and leave an additional comment.

"Like" A Cottage Industry on FaceBook and leave another comment here.

Share this giveaway on your own FB page (including the link) and leave an additional comment here.

Follow me on Pinterest and leave an additional comment here.

Share a link back to the Giveaway in your own blog, and leave an additional comment.

A random winner will be drawn on March 31st. Good luck, and thank you so much for reading my blog!

App-rehension.

Okay, so I am totally interrupting my home tour to ask a question that has been burning in my mind of late.

"What is the point of having a smart phone if I am not smart enough to use it to it's full potential?" Actually, it is not a question of intelligence, but rather a question of apprehension surrounding the whole Oh-my-gosh-what-if-I-do-something-and-lose-everything worry.

I have an unnatural fear of technology in regards to anything related to computers and home entertainment. (I guess that pretty much covers it all, now that I think about it, unless you count learning all of the bells and whistles on our multi-faceted kitchen range.)

(Which I still haven't done, although that is not out of fear, but more-so the fact that I seem to learn most kitchen-cooking-baking lessons by using a good level of wild abandonment coupled with the trial-by-fire method.)

(Literally. Trial by fire. Or smoke. Or oh-it's-still-cold.)

Aaaaanyway.

Along with wanting to get organized this year, I want to use my Generation-Zero iPhone to it's fullest capacity such as that may be, and that requires that I install (yikes!) a few...Apps. (low and behold, just as I was thinking I needed to do this, I was approached by BlogHer to participate in an affiliate program with appSmitten, and I'll receive a small payment for newsletter subscribers...)

Where was I?

Oh yes. First off, let me say that I had not a single clue what "Apps" is short for, so I googled it. It turns out that APP is an abbreviation for "application".

Go figure.

Alrighty-then. Makes perfect sense. (Seriously, am I the only one that didn't know that here?)

Now, in case you are wondering exactly which "App" prompted me to want to figure out the whole learn-how-to-install-and-use-it thing....well, it was the flashlight app. Up till now, I have been using the clock icon on my lil desktop (is it called a "desktop" on a smart phone?) and going to the Alarm page, coz it's pretty light and bright, compared to my contacts list.

I am the Queen of Jerry-rigging.

Ehem...Just so ya know, the flashlight App is much brighter than using your clock face. (Another lightbulb moment for me...no pun intended.)

So.

This got me wondering what other amazing Apps I have been missing out on. Plenty of them, it seems. You see, I found out about the coolest site. It's called Appsmitten. (Kinda cute name, don'tcha think?) and they tell you about all the latest and greatest Apps out there, and send the descriptions and links to download them to you via an email newsletter. (You've just gotta sign up for the Newsletter! It's Free, and it's got so many cool Apps!)

I discovered I could easily be checking my banking (yes, I have seen commercials for this, but figuring out who-where-when-what-and-oh-good-Gawd-HOW is quite a different story. This newsletter took the scaryness out of it all...

I have to say, thanks to this sweet lil Newsletter, I discovered that there's a whole new frontier out there for me. Oh! And it turns out that one of my friends is a contributor for Productivity Apps! She recommended an App that is now going to be helping me achieve my word goal for the year. (My word is Organize in case you have forgotten.) How cool is that?!

So, if you have a Smart Phone of any kind, and are interested in finding lots of cool new-to-you Apps that you can download and install (without the help of a fifth grader)that can totally make your life more organized (or just more fun, and in the case of fun, more is more) hop on over to Appsmitten and get yourself signed up for the free newsletter, like I did! (Even if you don't have a Smart phone, but maybe your kids do, it's a great newsletter to check out!)

I'm feeling pretty proud of myself, and...well,even though I am quite sure that the guys at the Genius Bar, nor the Geek Squad aren't going to try to head-hunt me away from my day job anytime soon, I'm still feeling ever so mildly tech-savvie right about now, if I do say so myself.

And, I'm on my way to being that much more organized!

The Loo.

I know. It's a rather unusual spot to begin the re-no tour, but I've got to start somewhere and this guest bath is currently one of my favorite lil' places in the house.

It went from being a generic 1980's guest bath....

.....to being much more of a charming little space, don't you think?

 

This was the only room in the house that we painted a color instead of the creamy shade of off-white that we did in the rest of the house. I will readily admit that the color I chose didn't come out exactly as I imagined. I was shooting for a warm-ish putty tone, but with the bathroom being in the center of the house with no windows for natural light, it gives off a hint of a lavender undertone when the halogen light in the toilet-tub area is turned on, rather than the heat lamp. I think I'll live with the color for a few weeks and then decide whether it will stay or get a second coat of something else. (Aaah, the beauty of paint. So affordable to change and try out...)

 

The old mirror was a large sheet mirror that had seen better days, so we replaced it with a fabulous mirror that Ralph already had here at the house. It compliments the new brushed nickel light fixture we snagged on clearance at good ol' Home Depot....

A few little details here and there and a spash of white with the towels and shower curtain (I just love Target for bath things, don't you?) 

 

I'm still on the lookout for something adorable to hang above the towel bar, but for now I printed a quote I like and framed it in an old frame I had so the space wouldn't look too bare...

I've got a few more ideas up my sleeve for this bathroom,(Brushed nickel drawer pulls and knobs, and a pom-pom rug I saw and didn't buy last trip...) but I think we're off to a pretty good start...updates will be coming as the room evolves!

Move over, Nate Berkus.

Move over, Nate Berkus...'coz Ralph is in da house, and he is renovating everything. 

Wait. 

Let me begin at the beginning.

Once upon a time, way back in the late 80's my Rock n' Roll Buddy moved into the ranch style home in Stars Hollow Camas where we live today. He brought with him his uber-large blue recliner/hide-a-bed sectional sofa, his brass and glass coffee table with matching end tables, and a whole lotta band and stereo gear. Add to that, two growing sons and, over the years, many televisions. The end.

(In a nutshell,I guess what I am saying here is that, in fairly typical man-style, his life was not about decorating and foofy-fying up his abode.)

Now, me, on the other hand...I am as passionate about decorating and nesting as my Rock n' Roll Buddy is about playing one of his favorite guitars. 

So.

(Can you see where I am going with this?)

We had several discussions regarding individual tastes and style over the past few months, and debated the vast differences in opinions concerning the expected life span of a pair of pinch pleat draperies, and then..it happened.

Two and a half weeks ago, he called me at work and told me not to get too excited, but he had been thinking. Thinking that maybe we should look into some new paint, consider hiding the surround-sound inside the walls, possibly some window treatments, and yes, maybe new carpet wasn't such a wild and crazy thought.(How could a girl with Behr Paint running through her veins not get excited at this prospect?!)Let's just say I was...ehem...guardedly optimistic.

After some whirlwind research and price shopping on flooring, and bids with contractors, we were ready to begin our adventure. 

Give or take two weeks and a day, and we have a newly remodeled, redecorated, cozy haven of a home that we are both thrilled with. We added new carpet, wood flooring, painted the entire interior, got the surround sound working like a charm, and ordered shutters for every window in the house, along with a lil' surprise bonus of stainless steel kitchen appliances,all in fourteen days and nights, thankyouverymuch.

The man that three weeks ago claimed he didn't see any reason to replace a "perfectly good 27 year old carpet" in the hallway selected the hand-scraped Chilean hardwood for it's weathered time-worn beauty. This same man shocked me when he announced that "brushed nickel" is his favorite finish for ceiling fans and household hardware.(Who knew?)

Oh yeah, the Rocker's got style. (And the skills to negotiate the sweetest deals around.)

Don't be surprised if you see us someday on Nate's show in a segment of house-proud.

...Hope you enjoyed the teaser picture of the living room today. Tomorrow the real home tour begins! 

Go big or go home.

....er...check that. The title should be "Go big at home".

So many of you have left comments and sent me emails asking when I  am going to share some projects from my new home. I'll be honest here and tell you that I was beginning to wonder about that one myself. 

Living with a man that last purchased a home and home decor in the late 80's, and is still enjoying it just fine, thankyouverymuch, has been a...um...well, a new experience, to put it mildly. 

Three and a half months into this sharing-your-space-and-personal-tastes living arrangement, and my Rock n' Roll Buddy has decided he is up for stepping things up to twenty-twelve (Be still my beating heart!)...and he has jumped in with both feet.

What I mean by that is that we are not taking on a starter project, like changing the paint and a towel bar in a bathroom. And we are not stretching these projects out over the course of a year. No. We are changing the carpet throughout the house,  adding hardwood, painting and doing some electrical work and slight remodeling to the entire house, with an anticipated date of completion set for two weeks. (Pinch me, somebody! I am pretty sure I died and went to decorator's heaven!)

I promise to share before and after pictures, but for starters let me share my favorite purchase for the projects to date. First off, you need to know that my Rock n' Roll Buddy is, by a landslide, the best bargain shopper I have ever seen in my entire life, hands down. (My Gawd. He's very nearly perfect. As if playing a wicked guitar wasn't enough already.)

Anyway.

He managed to finagle the absolute deal of a lifetime on hardwood flooring. I mean, it was an even bigger savings than I think he expected to negotiate..It's Chilean Cherry hand-scraped engineered hardwood, (ooh, I love how that rolls off my tongue...)and you'll be seeing it in the entryway and long hall, as well as the kitchen and dining room. It has lil' scrapes and knot-holes and looks like it came out of a historic old building. (Does that sound like me, or what?!) Instant weathered beauty and history on the floor, adding character and personality, warmth and sophisticated charm the minute you enter our home.(Here's the picture of the flooring from the craigslist ad...)

 

Yeah baby. That's what I'm talkin' about. Let the transformations begin.

A charmed life on a shoestring....

....that's how I like to live. I love making my home..homey. I absolutely thrive on creating a welcome space. Spending oodles and toodles of hard earned dollars to get a great look? Notsomuch.

I find huge satisfaction in finding things that look great...for less. Finding the diamond in the rough, the needle in the haystack..you know, the Craigslist discard that's a Pottery Barn wanna-be.(with some rose-colored vision and a lil' TLC.)

I was surfing Craigslist the other day, and I came across a real treasure. (Not that I am in the market myself for a dining set, but...a steal of a deal for the right someone out there..!) I had been looking at my two favorite inspirational corporate websites, and I could see such similarity, such potential, that I just had to share.

Okay, let's just start with the table, shall we? I mean, with a coat of soft greige paint...

Craigslist Portland Awesome table AND SIX chairs Asking Price of $225 TOTAL

Restoration Hardware Table SALE Price $1885 - $2795

are you seeing the possibilities?

And the chairs. 

Oh. My.

craigslist 6 chairs to go with the table for a total of $225 asking price!

Restoration Hardware Chair $289-$379

Restoration Hardware Burlap Chair $1295 EACH Special SALE Price!

Re-invent them with the same greige paint treatment, and then leave the fabric as is... ...or recover it with painters drop cloth, grain sack, or even some fabulous  linen  (Stencil something great on the backs maybe?)

Restoration Hardware Chair $259 EACH SPECIAL PRICE

 So.... go to the way-cool big corporation place and get one like a few hundred other families in America for around, oh... $3400 (or more...plus tax, depending on where you live in the good ol' U. S. of A...)or find a set on a place like Craigslist, or your local Thrift Shop for  an even cooler couple of hundred bucks, and make it a complete one-of-a-kind set.

Yowza.

That is a savings of somewhere between...well, enough to buy a decent used car. Seriously, somebody's gotta jump on this. Quick!

A new word for my new year....and a giveaway to celebrate it.

The last couple of years I decided to join the growing number of bloggers and friends that chose a word to focus on for the year. (You can find my post about my word from last year here.) I'm also doing the same Banner Giveaway that I did last year as well!

For my Giveaway:

To refresh your memory on what you need to do to enter for my Giveaway, here are the rules, in three easy steps:

1. comment on this post before Friday, January 27th at midnight, sharing the word you've chosen, and why.**Make sure you leave an email address if you are commenting as "Anonymous" so I can get a hold of you if you win!**

2. Saturday, January 28th I will draw one comment and pick a winner.

3. The winner will get a custom banner sent to them in their inbox of their word for the year.

Last year, my word was BALANCE, which was the same word I used in 2010. In many ways, I think I did an admirable job of achieving that word. Okay, maybe not actually achieving it, but I definitely inched a little closer to it, and for me, that's no small feat. Having that word was a good reminder to me all year long of what I was trying to move towards, at any rate.

So.

I am still kind of in the same mindset these days..and so many words work towards similar things...at any rate, after thinking long and hard, I made my choice.....

My word for twenty-twelve is ORGANIZE. I think I have the Joy, Bliss, Happiness, and Trust areas in check, but I am constantly finding myself over-booked...with commitments made, work, family, chores, fun...not to mention,a gajillion ideas of more things I want to do. (See? It seems like a slight variation on last years word of Balance, I know...but for me it's about time management,and planning for things that really matter, and making time count. That, and the fact that I felt like I shouldn't pick the same word THREE years running...)

This year I plan to hone in on putting more order in my life...and striving to become more organized seems the natural progression after striving for balance.

Okay, now how about you? Are you choosing a word for the year? If you are, what is it, and why?

I'd love to hear from you and maybe you'll win my custom made banner!

I know it's only rock n' roll, but I like it.

I am thankful for...

my Rock n' Roll Buddy.

If anyone had told me five years ago that I'd love going for rides on the back of a Harley, (including one spur of the moment ride at nearly midnight) that I'd actually look forward to Sunday Football, (even if the Seahawks are borderline pathetic this season...) or that many Friday and Saturday nights I would utter the words to a new acquaintance, "I'm here with the Band" I would have done a double eye roll...as soon as I finished laughing.

Watching Monday Night Football, and hearing the announcer repeat, verbatim, what my Buddy just said on the sofa always make me laugh, (seriously, it's like there's a three second delay and the guy has an ear phone to repeat what he said...) listening to old reel-to-reels of  Rock n' Roll from his earlier band days, or snuggling up in a blanket enjoying a really late-night (early morning?) private one-man-guitar concert,(complete with moments of Name-That-Tune from him and some song requests from me...) are all things I would never have pictured myself doing...(actually, having a blast)...but I do, and that is what is so great about life. Change isn't necessarily a bad thing. Different can be better.

Finding someone who is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get person is very different for me, and I mean that in the best way. (Trust me, after spending three decades with a guy who's motto was "You are what you drive." this is so refreshing, and welcomed.)

I consider one of my all time favorite dates the time we stopped at the grocery and got frosted animal cookies, milk and two paper cups to share in the car on the way to a Brew Pub to watch the vikings lose play and share some two-for-a-buck tacos. (I can't tell you how much fun that was...and that's definitely something you would never have seen me doing in my old life.)

Mmmm hmmm,  I'd have to say that I am very thankful for my Ralph, and for a second chance at sharing my heart.

Spring is sprung, at last.

Just in time for the Easter weekend, we're experiencing some actual-honest-to-God spring-time weather here in the Pacific Northwest, and it feels oh-soooooooo-good! I've been busy here painting things for my booth, and the window display, and for the upcoming BarnHouse show all outside in my eensy-weensy backyard.

I've got my windows open, and my peach-mango candles burning.....mmmmm, I hope it's beautiful where you are too!

The birthday celebrations continue...and a few affordable gift-y ideas.

Today we celebrated my first born daughter's birthday...with coconut cream cake.

Yup. Coconut cake with coconut cream filling and coconut frosting, then topped with toasted coconut. Too scrumptious for words, if I do say so myself. I know I shared in my last post that my budget is tight these days, and I share this because I don't think budget has anything to do with making things special. For example, we can make someones day by baking them a homemade cake (or pie, cookies, cupcake, rice crispy treat, whatever...you fill in the blank with what you know your special someone likes..)and decorate it with a home made banner or flag. As for big-impact-for-little-cash gift ideas...well, again, all it takes is a little thought. I took photos of my Rock n' Roll Buddy's grown kids and framed them in old frames I had stashed in my workroom for a present...it was virtually a free gift, as all it took was some time. My pal that was up visiting from the Biggest Little City when her birthday arrived..well, I designed a lil' free blog for her (she is a teacher and runs her own Day Camp on some of her weeks off from year round teaching) along with a homemade gift certificate for blogging support-help from me....the ideas are endless. Things like babysitting for a friend to have a date night with her hubbs, a delivered homemade dinner, pet sitting, errand running, or even a a pedicure given by you. (I was a licenced cosmetologist way back about, oh... a million years ago...it still comes in handy at times.)

I'd LOVE to hear your ideas for thoughtful-yet-oh-so-cheap gifting ideas...please, do share!!!

Birthday decorations that won't break the bank, but WILL look like a million bucks.

Most of us are on budgets these days. Even people lucky enough to still have good paying jobs are dealing with the ever rising cost of gasoline and groceries. I've realized that I am having to live more creatively than ever before in order to still enjoy living my charmed life on a shoestring. Case in point...

Three birthdays within seven days,(One of my dearest friends from the biggest little city who coincidentally was up for a visit, my rock n' roll buddy, and my first born daughter!) and I wanted everyone's birthday to be special for them. You know, birthdays only come once a year, so they should be special. With a little thought, some scraps of paper and a little time, I had created lots of little touches that made the birthday clebrations fun. I thought I'd share them with you so that if you feel so inclined, you can make someone's day special too.

First of all, I made a fabulous Beatle inspired "You say it's your BIRTHDAY" banner that worked for all three of my birthday people. 

Another fun idea is to make a custom gift tag. I took the opportunity to borrow an old family photo my rock n' roll buddy had when he wasn't looking. I took it home and made a copy on my printer (never use an original photo for this!) and cropped the picture to become part of my gift tag on his presents. I matted the picture copy to piece of scrap book paper. I added a second tag to coordinate, and seriously, it took all of three minutes....the best part was that he loved the tag nearly as much as the gift, and he was surprised to think I had managed to borrow his old family photo, which made it all the more special. One more bit of fun was this lil' flag I made. You know I love flags on birthday cakes, pies...whatever...so this time I made my rock n' roll buddy his most favorite treat and took them down to his office.(By the way, I think his office mates enjoyed them as much as he did...)
Oh, yes. The fabulous lil' button adorned flag made the rice crispy treats a hit, taking them from ordinary to extraordinary! Stay tuned...Monday I'll share a few more birthday ideas!

 

A lil' Pre-Easter cupcake fun for a really good cause.

The favorite Auntie is fund-raising for Leukemia, (and gearing up for a race this June!) and we are baking some Easter love and selling it to friends as part of the fund-raising efforts.

Mmmm hmm. It turns out that my babycakes are just the perfect size to fit onto these adorable pink and periwinkle blue pastel egg cartons that we found online! This first batch was a prototype, and I do think I'll tone down my colors just a teensy bit, but over all, I am loving the idea..what do you think?

Coming out of the closet.

Judging from the comments and emails on yesterdays post, I see that I am a member of a pretty large club of disorganized people looking for that elusive sense of pure unadulterated peace that can only come from being able to find your stuff in less than three minutes.

*sigh* So many piles, so little time.

Anyway, here are a few more of my thoughts on paring down. Let me start with a short parable....Last Thursday evening, during American Idol (Randy jackson has cut back a bit on his use of the phrase "Yo, Dawg!" and Steven Tyler's facial expressions alone make the show worth watching, don'tcha think?) I decided to clean out my clothes closet for the third time in the past year. Each time I moved, I pared things down...a bit, yes...but last Thursday evening I decided to go item by item, trying each and every single item on, standing in front of my full length mirror, making the decision right then and there, to donate or keep the item.

Part of what prompted this was the fact that, while my closet appeared to be crammed full, I was still only wearing the same four outfits, and three pairs of my shoes. (Do you do that?) At first it was rather difficult, as I had moments of thinking of all of the reasons to keep each item (...."but this white French cuff dress shirt would look aaaaamazing if I ever buy another black pencil skirt, and it was such a great price at the season end sale at GAP four winters ago".....) but I quickly snapped out of it, as I gave myself a stern look in the mirror and thought about the real odds of me buying that crazy-cute-but-I'd-never-have-a-place-to-wear-the-black-pencil-skirt-that-I-currently-do-not-own-anyway to go with the white French cuff dress shirt, and put the shirt in the bag for GoodWill. I felt comfort in telling myself that if I ever do buy a black pencil skirt, I will just get an aaaamazing shirt to go along with it.

It got easier with each piece of clothing, and before I knew it (okay, two hours of American Idol and part of the news..) I had made it all around the closet and had filled two ginormous bags for donations. My closet is now half empty, (or is that only half full?) and here was the big bonus- I discovered not one, but two sweater dresses I have had for well over a year that I had never worn.

Not.

Even.

Once. (I am not sure if I am ashamed of this part, or thrilled, as it was like getting new clothes...for free.) The moral to this parable is that  you  we I shouldn't ever buy anything I do not love madly and need.

Next stop...my workroom office. This achieving balance thing just may be contagious.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

I'm still frantically finishing up all sorts of projects today so I am ready to head across town and begin our booth set up early tomorrow, but I took myself a quick lil' break to share the cutest new thing around my newest home.

You know, I don't have a lot of space to showcase the welcome feeling I want to create when friends and family arrive at my home because...well, the porch area is pretty small, but I'm doing the best with the space I've got. I saw this idea done up on another blog a while back, and yesterday, Carter's Mama copied it for my own front door. (How nice was that?! I love it!) Mmmm hmmm. She made it with a yinyl sheet and her trusty Silhouette machine!

I really like the bit of style it adds to my porch, don't you?

Rx for getting well soon.

One of my best buddies is suffering a hideous relapse of this season's nasty cold bug, and I was feeling a little helpless in how to help out, so I took a lil' break from painting and ran down to the grocery for some chicken noodle soup to hopefully assist in recovery. I had a lot of fun putting things together, and it really only took me all of ten minutes to create, print and assemble. And, it was basically a free-by project, since all I had to pick up was the deli-soup. Okay, I will admit that I got a teensy bit carried away in my packaging job, but...well, that's my style, you know? ...and anyway, sometimes a lil' TLC is just what the doctor ordered.

The Reluctant Entertainer.

Okay, I am pretty sure no one sees me as a reluctant entertainer, but I know that many of you are intimidated by the very thought of having guests over for a meal, and I understand this completely. Well, put your fears and concerns aside, because my friend Sandy has uncomplicated and simplified what entertaining should be, and still shows how to make it really fun and memorable.

I met my friend Sandy online way, way back, when we were both kind of new-ish to blogging. She's a devoted wife, and caring mom to her three kid-lets, as well as an amazing cook and hostess with the mostess. You can check her out here.

She has written a fabulous book on entertaining (So much more than a cook book) that I felt compelled to share this with you, because it's just so...inspiring. It takes you through the all of the steps to feeling completely comfortable entertaining...all the fears (Joy Busters, as Sandy calls them) we sometimes feel (Who do I invite? I'm a novice in the kitchen! I don't have "good" dishes...yada ya...da.) to recipes that are fabulous (And easy!) to ideas for ice breakers and ideas that will inspire you (Cocoa or coffee bar? progressive dinner, anyone?)
I can tell you that I thoroughly loved reading this book, (while curled up in my cozy bed with a cuppa cocoa...) and it has gotten my mind all a-whirl with some new entertaining ideas I plan to put into action very soon. After all, it matters not how big your table is, or how fancy the food is. It's about the gift of hospitality, and all that comes with it.

 

Not-your-ordinary-cupcakes...

I shared the recipe for making fire-starters a long way back, but I thought I'd re-share it one more time, as my daughter and I spent an afternoon making a huge batch of them to give out to friends with wood burning fireplaces this Christmas.

It's the perfect use for your candle stubs, whether they are old tapers, or pillars that have burned down. I save my old candles in a drawer, and once a year I melt them down to make these great little treats. Here's what you'll need to make them:

Old candles (or a few pillars from the dollar store)

A bag of shredded cedar chips from the pet department at the grocery store or WalMart

An old pot that you don't plan on cooking in ever again*

An old muffin tim or two*

An old cup, a ladle, or disposable cups to scoop the heated wax out of the pot*

Cupcake liners

Newspaper, old paper bags, or a towel to protect your work area from any dripped wax

*You can easily get the cup or ladle, pot and muffin tin at any thrift store if you don't have one handy at home.

Once you've gathered the supplies, simply fill the cupcake liners inside the cupcake pans with the shredded cedar chips... ...while heating the candles in the pot on top of the stove on medium until melted... Pour melted wax over the chips...go easy here. A little goes a long way. The idea is to add enough melted wax to make the cedar chips stay in the liner, but not to saturate it too much or they will stick to the cupcake pan. Once you've done this part, pop the tray in the freezer for about ten minutes to set the wax. Remove from the pan and repeat until you've used up your wax.
These work amazingly well for starting a fire in your fireplace or wood burning stove, and are so much easier than messing with precariously placed stacks of kindling. They make wonderful winter-time hostess gifts and it's a good use of your old candles, so why not try making some of these yourself?

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Can you guess which front porch is mine? Can you? Can you?.....Can you, huh?

Cozy-New-Home-Tour little details...

Before we head upstairs to see the other rooms of my new place, I thought I'd share this post with a few shots of some of the little details around here...Moose poses as I shoot he gallery of vintage family photos in the entry hall... ...to the left side of the entryway, just inside the front door, where I have a mirror, and one pair of my rainboots...

...and here is the really bad picture (Sorry 'bout that danged glare) of the landing near the top of the stairs.. (I'll be hanging family pictures going up the stairs on the left side wall eventally...)
The half bath (The water closet? The loo? The privy?) on the main floor...(Again, cozy in size, and the vanity doubles as kitchen storage overflow, housing my hardly-ever-used coffee maker and some cake pedestals, along with the extra rolls of Charmin...)
I re-purposed a small pewter plate stand to hold stoneware bowls of bathroom toiletries... ...and an apothecary jar of potpourri...
A lil' holiday spirit on the pony wall between the living room and dining area...

Mmmm hmmm....lot's of little spots around here are beginning to make it all feel like home to me.

 

 

It's not what's on the table, but who's in the chairs.

No, I'm still not really unpacked. I mean, at a glance it appears so, but the garage is still full of boxes, and my toaster is missing in action. My office workroom looks like a storage unit.

No matter. I closed the office door, and decided that I was ready to entertain guests.

Mmm hmmm. I realized that since my move to the Pacific Northwest, I haven't hosted an actual dinner party for friends, if you can believe that. I've had one person over at a time, yes, but never more than that since moving up here. Last night five of us gathered around my little round dining table in my cozy dining room, and surprisingly, we all fit just fine!

We had a very simple meal- chili with all the toppings, and cornbread, while we talked and laughed nonstop. It made me realize just how much I miss entertaining friends. I am now anxious to do it again, and think I will add this to my list of New Years Resolutions. (You know, I am wild about the fresh start of a new year and all the possibilities it brings...)

It just goes to show you, it isn't at all about the size of your home, or if the chairs all match. It matters not how how fancy the meal is. It's about people, and friendship. I am feeling extra blessed today, knowing that here in my new little home, I have a circle of friends to share my heart with.

Revisited: Decking the halls...and the Cozy-New-Home-Tour (part 2A)...the itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny kitchen.

I know, I know.

I know I just shared pictures of my new little kitchen, but after living with it for a few more days, I decided it needed a bit of cheery-ing up this year. While I adore the pale Robins egg blue and cream colors, I realized that I wanted a pop of color. My number one daughter added red to her holiday decor this year, and I thought that might be just the thing to bring some punch to my holiday decorating as well, so....

I added a few pieces of red polka dot and gingham ribbons here and there, as well as some cotton dishtowels, and...voila'! Lots more energy and a bigger feeling of Christmas in my cozy lil' place, don'tcha think?

Decking the halls...and the Cozy-New-Home-Tour, part 3...the livingroom.

First off, thank you all so very very much for all of the heartfelt birthday wishes and comments yesterday here on my blog and on FaceBook!!! I had an amazing birthday and am enjoying the start of my new year! Now, I'd like to share the next room on my Cozy-New-Home-Tour...my Living room. Like the rest of my new home, it's petite. Cozy, really. The pictures above show the view as you enter the room, and behind the sofa. As you can see, I moved most of my mirror collection. (All that would fit, at any rate)

I ended up taking the doors off of my antique armoire and using it to hold my TV, which seems to be working out quite nicely (Although I still need to move the cords on my iPod docking station and speakers to the back, so please ignore the cords in this picture)

Over the pony wall you can see a tiny bit of my dining room. I know the pictures make it hard to visualize the exact size and space I have here, but it's extra hard to capture an entire room when space is so limited!!!

I ended up putting my Christmas tree behind the sofa, (all decorted, but haven't put the tree topper on it yet.) but you still can see it from the dining room and living room, so I am happy with the way things turned out here.