Nifty Thrifty Broccoli: My kids are split on liking broccoli. I have found a way to get the one hold out child to eat his broccoli and like it. From a recently purchased large bunch of broccoli, I was able to make one meal and one side dish. The florets were used to make cream of broccoli soup, and the chunky stalks were peeled, cut into thin strips (julienne cut), sauteed in a few teaspoons of olive oil to which a clove of fresh pressed garlic was added. As soon as the broccoli strips were crisp tender, they got a little splash of soy sauce and cooked for another minute. They in no way taste like broccoli. Nathan now enjoys his 'green beans' and I dare you to tell him otherwise;)

New Header~

Blogging has opened up a whole new world for me. I have not only met interesting people along the way but have found a wealth of decorating advice and inspiration. Technologically it has been a huge learning curve, learning how to link up to a party, add photos, "customize" your blog with widgets, learning what a widget even was, adding Linkwithin, etc.  What I appreciate is that all those amazing bloggers out there who are or were in the same boat as me, willing to share not only their projects but are willing to share the ins and outs of blogging.

This week Funky Junk Donna (another great Canadian) gave some great tips on improving your blog and navigating your way through uncharted blogging territory. I took a brave step and have created a new header for my blog. The photos are branches of a tree by my front door taken against the afternoon gray sky after a rain fall. Living on the west coast you tend to live with gray skies as it rains quite a bit here. It can take its toll on you, it can begin to feel dreary. I have tried to see the beauty in the gray and love how the bare branches look against the gray sky. I am not one to use cutesy fonts with scrapbook pages filled with doilies and lace. I like pure design and the graphic elements that can be found in nature such as with the shape of trees, movement of water and the outline of the mountains I see from my home office window. 

What I want to know is how to do you like my new header? 

Enriched flour bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, cocoa processed with alkali, corn syrup, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), corn starch, modified corn starch, propylene glycol monoesters of fatty acids, salt, distilled monoglycerides, dicalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, artificial flavor, nonfat milk.

This is the ingredient list from the last box of store bought boxed food in my pantry. Any guesses?

This past week we had a little visitor enter our home. He took up residence in my freshly cleaned out pantry. I'm happy all of the grains/nuts/dried fruits, etc. were stored in mason jars. His demise was not too messy .. but a little tricky to extricate. I had to deal with the task at hand after coming face to face with two beady eyes early one morning (eeeeeeeeeeek). His visit made throwing out any remaining opened boxes of processed foods a relief to toss out without guilt.

A Few Great Springtime Tabletop Decoration Ideas

Spring is synonymous with rejuvenation. Spring is synonymous with celebration. With spring comes a series of special occasions when to say your loved ones that you care. Valentine's Day, a Bridal Shower, Mother's Day, Holi, Easter and many other springtime occasions all call for special decorations. Using a few essentials like a bright table runner, a beautiful crystal flower vase with a bunch of pitunias or zinnias, an enticing assortment of farm-fresh fruits in a fruit bowl, and a few decorative pieces, you can create a stunning spring arrangement for yourself. Read through a few tabletop decoration ideas, which you can try at home for a lovely luncheon table...read more.

Favourite China~

While I am waiting for the paint to dry in the laundry room I thought I would write a quick post. My mother-in-law (oh, and my father-in-law, can't forget him, I hope that improves the "good daughter" points, a family inside joke) read my blog quite faithfully. She is a brilliant woman and quite a wordsmith so I am always making sure that my posts are as grammatically correct as they can be. She gave me several suggestions on what to write about and one of them was about my beautiful Czech blue onion china. 

A little historical note: The porcelain is called "blue onion" but there are really no onions on the dishes. The design has Asian influences as there are pomegranates, bamboo and Asian flowers in the design. The porcelain design began around the same time china was being produced in Europe after the Europeans discovered the Chinese way of in-glazing cobalt. This particular pattern has been around for about 200 hundred years and original pieces are quite valuable. If you want to read more this website has some great information.

My Czech grandmothers started collecting this china for me when I was about 10. My sister and my cousin were both lucky to receive sets also. I have been s-l-o-w-l-y adding to the set over the years. Every time my parents head to Prague my fingers are crossed that a new addition will make its way over the ocean and into my cabinet. My plan is to set the table with my china and the wonderful antique silverware my husband inherited from his grandmother, Grandma Mary, and then take some photos.


 My mother-in-law was fortunate to inherit some antique Chinese rose medallion porcelain and Canton blue Chinese china (which I absolutely love!) from Grandma Mary.

Photo: http://aarf.com/fecant98.htm


 I love the intricate designs and shapes of her dishes. When we toured Mount Vernon, George Washington's Plantation in Virginia, we discovered that he ate from the same Canton dishes! You can read more about those dishes here.

Liven Up Your Home With The Colors Of Spring

The vanishing fog blanket from atop the lake, the sparkle on the brook, the swaying buds amidst the dewy grass carpet, and the squirrels running from one tree to another – all say that the spring is almost here.

It's time to give your home a refreshing face lift. The walls need a fresh coat of color, your garden is longing for a small fountain that you promised it long time back, and then there's the attic window! Don't you think a window box brimming with springtime flowers and green grass will be just great for it? - There are so many things to do, and so little time! Don't freak. Just take one at a time.

Start with simple things that hardly need a blueprint to follow. First, pull up your rugs and mats, and reveal your floor. If you think it has lost its shine over the time, get it bleached. Next, turn to your walls, then the linens, the room decors and ....read more.

Get Organised..and Enjoy Doing Laundry!

This is especially useful for those of us who only have time to do the family's laundry,ironing and folding during the weekends. Here's how not to let the work spoil your weekend!


Article taken off www.styleathome.com

Organizing 101: Laundry rooms
By Kathleen Dore


Beyond an efficient washer and dryer, there's much you can do to ease the laundry-day blues with these organizing tips.

Love it or hate it, an organized laundry room makes doing the wash less onerous. Our breakdown of what you need and where it goes will get your space humming.

The tasks
Collecting
Place a hamper in each person's closet, or a laundry bag on the back of each bedroom door. For a small family, think about having just one central container.

Choose hampers that can double as easy-to-carry laundry baskets.

Put a container for dry clean-only items near the front door if it can be stored discreetly.

Sorting
Set up three containers – one for lights, one for darks, and one for delicates and hand-washables – near the washer. Container options include plastic tubs on casters, hampers or attractive baskets for under the bottom shelf of a floor-to-ceiling shelving unit, or labelled laundry bags that hang on the wall or on a unit.

Washing
Consider a standard washer and dryer; space-saving stacked units; or front-loading ones, above which you can install a convenient folding surface.

Use easy-to-reach shelves (or a locked cabinet if you have small children) for detergent and other frequently used items.

Post care-label instructions over the machine, along with stain removal charts.

Keep one or two small plastic tubs for handwashing.

On a shelving unit, stock clear jars for storing clothes pegs, loose change and special soaps; rags for mopping up spills; mesh bags for delicates; and a container for small bottles of stain removers and related tools.

Drying
For hang-to-dry clothes, you'll need a clothesline (retractable ones are convenient for small spaces), a drying rack or a tension rod (it can be hung in a doorway); pant, skirt and, for shirts and blouses, broad-shoulder hangers; and clothes pegs.

For sweaters and other clothes that can be dried flat, use a mesh drying rack or a shelf on an adjustable plastic-coated wire shelving unit or a stainless-steel cart. Be sure to also stack some clean, fluffy towels for squeezing excess water out of sweaters.

Folding
Reserve a flat surface, like a table, and keep it clean and clear. If there's no space for one, a wall-mounted fold-down shelf is a good alternative.

Ironing
Wall-mount an ironing board caddy (get one that holds an iron) or a fold-down board that flips out of sight.

Storing
Discourage clutter with frequent mini-cleanups; keep a garbage can in the room.

Have your laundry room double as storage space for other items; for instance, create a vertical broom closet for household cleaning supplies. Hang hooks for mops, brooms, a dust pan, feather duster and vacuum hose. Add a small shelving unit for pails, cleaners and their caddy, and a container for dust rags.

Top 10 Ways To Make Over Your Home For Spring !

Warmer weather calls for a change in your home's decor. Update your home by bringing in sheer fabrics, pretty florals, and garden elements. Small things like rugs and mats, fresh blooms and cleaning up the area makes a lot of change, that easy to bring about and soothing to look at. Former About.com Guide, Coral Nafie, suggests the Top 10 ways to make over your decor for Spring!

Burglar-Proof Your Home

Sometimes we take it for granted, but when it comes to home security, the old adage "Better safe, than sorry" definitely applies.


Article taken off http://home.howstuffworks.com

Home Security Tips

While it's difficult to protect your home from professional thieves, most home burglaries are done by amateurs. These thieves are more easily thwarted if you employ some of these simple security precautions:

Plan to "burglarize" yourself. You'll discover any weaknesses in your security system that may have previously escaped your notice.

Lock up your home, even if you go out only for a short time. Many burglars just walk in through an unlocked door or window.

Change all the locks and tumblers when you move into a new house.


For the most effective alarm system, conceal all wiring. A professional burglar looks for places where he or she can disconnect the security system.

Your house should appear occupied at all times. Use timers to switch lights and radios on and off when you're not at home.

If you have a faulty alarm that frequently goes off, get it fixed immediately and tell your neighbors that it's been repaired. Many people ignore an alarm that goes off periodically.

A spring-latch lock is easy prey for burglars who are "loiding" experts. Loiding is the method of slipping a plastic credit card against the latch tongue to depress it and unlock the door. A deadbolt defies any such attack. It is only vulnerable when there is enough space between the door and its frame to allow an intruder to use power tools or a hacksaw.

If you lose your keys, change the locks immediately.


Before turning your house key over to a professional house cleaner for several hours, make sure the person is honest and reputable as well as hardworking. Check all references thoroughly. If the house cleaner is from a firm, call your local Better Business Bureau to check on the firm's reputation.

Instead of keeping a spare key in a mailbox, under the doormat, or on a nail behind the garage, wrap the key in foil -- or put it in a 35mm film can -- and bury it where you can easily find it if you need it.

Don't leave notes for service people or family members on the door. These act as a welcome mat for a burglar.


If the entrances to your home are dark, consider installing lighting with an infrared detector. Most thieves don't want to be observed trying to get in a door.

Talk to your neighbors about any suspicious people or strange cars you notice lurking about.


To keep your tools from being stolen, paint the handles. Thieves avoid items that are easy to identify.


Trees located near windows or shrubbery that might shield a burglar from view can be major flaws in your home-protection plan. Consider your landscaping plan in light of your protection needs.

Ask for credentials from any sales-person who requests entry to your home. Ask that their ID be pushed under the door. Many professional burglars use this cover to check out homes. If you're doubtful, check with the person's office before letting him or her in.

Do not list your full name on your mailbox or your entry in the telephone book. Use only your initial and your last name.

If someone comes to your door asking to use the phone to call a mechanic or the police, keep the door locked and make the call yourself.

Dogs are good deterrents to burglars. Even a small, noisy dog can be effective -- burglars do not like to have attention drawn to their presence. Be aware, however, that trained guard dogs do not make good pets. Obedience training and attack training are entirely different, and only the former is appropriate for a house pet.


To help burglar-proof your home, install 1-inch throw deadbolt locks on all exterior doors.

A door with too much space between the door and the frame is an invitation for the burglar to use a jimmy. Reinforce the door with a panel of 3/4-inch plywood or a piece of sheet metal.

If there are door hinges on the outside of your house, take down the door and reset the hinges inside. Otherwise all a thief has to do to gain entry to your home is knock out the hinge pin.

You can burglar-proof your glass patio doors by setting a pipe or metal bar in the middle bottom track of the door slide. The pipe should be the same length as the track.

A pipe or metal bar can be used to burglar-proof a patio door.
It's easy for a burglar to pry through rot. Replace rotted door frames with new, solid wood.

It's simple for a thief to break glass panels and then reach in and open a doorknob from the inside. A door with glass panels should be either fortified, replaced, or secured with deadbolts that can only be opened with a key.

Securing Windows
Protect your windows with one or more good locks, an alarm system, burglar-resistant glass, or many small panes instead of one large area of glass.

When installing a window lock, drip some solder on the screw heads. It will stop a burglar from unscrewing the lock after cutting a small hole in the windowpane.

Monday Morning~

I had big plans today - I was going to get some custom mats cut for two pieces of artwork my children painted and the Joseph Minard's Napoleonic War chart I bought my husband for Christmas. I hit Ikea and Michael's last week for some inexpensive frames. 

But luck would have it that my son comes home from a hockey tournament with the stomach flu, which means I am hanging around home today. 

Maybe I should tackle some projects I have been procrastinating on? I might paint my laundry room with leftover paint. I think it needs some improving -it is too peach for my liking. It is one of the last rooms in the house I haven't painted.

Stay tuned....

Bring Springtime Freshness Into Your Room With Classic Lace Curtains

With wintry breeze finally readying for a lazy retreat, and the sun climbing higher along the foggy horizon, the spring is almost around the corner. Your home sweet home is longing for a fresh, new look. Give it the much awaited makeover with the classic springtime lace white curtains.

Swirling in a spring breeze, white lace curtains are simple, traditional and pristine. They impart an instant romantic country-inn feel to your home. Suitable for nearly any room in the house, you can use these curtains as a fresh alternative to blinds and heavy drapes. Lace white curtains, when used beneath the cloth...read more.

Shopping with my Sister~

It seems that the last two Tuesdays my sister and I have gone shopping. Not mall shopping but home decor shopping, my favourite thing to do. My sister is slowly fixing up her  80's townhouse (which has gorgeous vaulted ceilings and a yard almost bigger than mine) on a limited budget.

 Enter sister (me).

 I find that when there are budget limitations my creative juices start flowing. I LOVE creating an esthetically pleasing home but when limited funds are an issue it almost becomes an obsession. Sometimes I wonder if I am crazy as I lay awake at night with the ideas flowing through my brain. 

My sister is trying to spruce up her master bedroom and her girls' bedroom. I have introduced Odeedoh to my sister for inspiration. I love that they feature rooms that are creative, simple, budget-friendly and not pretentious.

I can't help myself but get involved when someone else is re-designing a room or their house. I must have a disease. So I wanted to add a bit of style to my nieces' room. For Christmas I ordered a personalized print from Penny People Designs (another cool Canadian who not only runs a successful card/print business but has amazing design sense which she demonstrates in her home renovation). You can read about that post here.

Photo: Penny People Design

 I also got the ball rolling by making my oldest niece baby bedding with Amy Butler fabric. I then suggested my sister take her wobbly Ikea bookcase, paint it white and add beadboard to the back to give it support, which she did. 


Did I mention it was a brilliant sister's idea?


She is now looking at bedding and drapes for the room to coordinate with the Amy Butler fabrics I used to make the bedding.

Photo: Amy Butler Design

For her master we had fun at Homesense, Ikea and Fabricana (a Vancouver area fabric store). She had purchased a super king duvet (my brother -in-law and my sister are quite tall) and thus needed a super king cover. In order to save some $$ I suggested she buy 2 king sheet sets. She can make a duvet out of the 2 flat sheets and then have 2 fitted sheets and 4 pillow cases. We bought 2 sets of 600 thread count in a white cotton for $120!
 If the flat sheets aren't big enough for a duvet I suggested that she can insert some grosgrain ribbon to make it wider or longer. 


Another brilliant idea from a brilliant sister.


 We also bought some Amy Butler fabric to make throw pillows (using down pillow inserts from Ikea - $6 each) for her bed. We only needed 60 cm of each fabric plus 1.2 meters of a coordinating blue cotton. Cost: $28- not bad for 2 throw pillows and extra for some wall "art". She knows her husband will have a comment about the pillows though. He finds pillows fussy and in the way, I shake my head in disbelief, he and my husband are cut from the same cloth. Mine has learned just to shove them over to my side of the bed. 

Photo: Amy Butler design

Now my sister can head over to our parent's place to escape Vancouver during the Olympics armed with sewing projects. Our mom is the queen of sewing. She taught me all I know. 

Our Her plan is to make a headboard for the master, curtains for the girls' room, find some cool thrift store lamps like mine and hang up prints on the walls. She wants to frame the Amy Butler fabric with a large frame and mat. We She  already did that for the girls' room. 

Love this headboard via Domino files at Flickr

Can't wait to see how it all turns out. 

Turn Your Bedroom Into A Romantic Retreat For The V-Day

Every year Valentine's Day comes reminding us that it's time to take a little time to nurture the romance in our lives. From showering our beloved ones with precious gifts and flowers to enjoying a romantic dinner together, we do so many things to make the day memorable. But in the process, we often forget to do up our bedrooms where we spend some of the most special moments of our lives. Dreamy lighting set ups, wall sconces and hanging lanterns, candle lit dinner, white satin bed sheets, lacy curtains…read more.

DIY Memory Board~

Since I don't have any projects on the go at the moment I thought I would share a memory board I made for my youngest daughter (who isn't so young - turning 14 in 2 months!) a few months ago in my pre-blogging days.

I had a cork board in storage that I had recovered in gingham several years back. One lazy morning after rummaging through my leftover fabric bin for something to do (do you ever do that?), I decided to take some leftover Waverly Black Onyx fabric that I had used to make throw pillows to recover the cork board. 

I also have meters of black grosgrain ribbon, so I thought why not a memory board?
 Using a staple gun I stapled the fabric to wrap around the board. I cut the fabric about 2 inches bigger than the cork board to allow for the fabric to overlap. 

Next I laid out the ribbon diagonally over the front and stapled the edges on the back. I also had in my sewing bin some upholstery tacks to tack where the ribbon criss-crossed. 

To hang up the board I stapled fabric hangers so I could attach the board to the wall. 

Didn't cost me a cent and was quick, easy and cheap! 

I am going to link up with:

How'd you like a black eye .....


.....pea recipe?

Normally not one to succumb to supermarket checkout line magazines, this one caught my eye a few weeks ago. After briefly skimming through the recipes ... I put it back on the rack as hubby had already paid for our goods. Next time at the store, I took a little more time giving it my approval ... then succumbed. I can honestly say, this is one well written piece .. with good 'clean' food recipes and easy to understand articles about clean eating. With a name like 'Clean Eating' magazine ... what else would you expect. I checked out their website and found some easy to follow recipes ... if you're a gardener ... and put away some provisions for the winter ... most of the ingredients are probably in your pantry/freezer/root cellar.

Black Eyed Peas and Brown Rice

These are the ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked, cold, long-grain brown rice
• 1¼ cups water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups cooked black-eyed peas
• 1 butternut squash, about 1lb, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• ½ tsp hot pepper sauce

but for directions and a view of the finished dish click here. Not one smidgen of butter or oil .. and yet it was very satisfying. My family gave this one a big thumbs up!

I cut this recipe in 1/2 and it made 5-6 servings

Poor Man's Hummus

I like hummus but can't always fork over $ for the cost of the tahini (sesame seed paste). Yesterday while rummaging through the pantry I came across a package of past their prime garbanzo beans. What the heck ... cooked 'em up and they were a little flat tasting. Being frugal ... what to do? Aah ... marinate them ... this solved the problem. The recipe below produced a good tasting, tangy-lemony, lower fat version of traditional hummus ... and didn't cost an arm and a leg.

1 -2 cups drained marinated garbanzo beans*
buttermilk or thinned out plain yogurt
a clove or two of garlic
favorite flavorings: herbs, cayenne pepper, etc.

Place the drained beans in a blender. Add a little buttermilk (start with 1/4 to 1/2 cup) and blend to smooth paste. Add more buttermilk if it's too thick for a dip. Add additional flavorings and blend again. Serve with tortilla chips, veggie sticks .. or use as a sandwich spread.

*to marinate garbanzo beans use either canned or home cooked beans. Using a pint size jar, fill it 1/4 with apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of olive oil, two tablespoons water, your favorite dried herb (I used a pinch of tarragon), 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp sugar. With lid on .. shake well. Add about two inches of drained beans and add a lemon slice. Fill up the jar with additional drained beans and place a lemon slice on top. If more liquid is needed ... just add a little more water. Put on the lid and shake well. Refrigerate overnight. Ready to eat or make into hummus the following day. From a one pound bag I made up almost four full jars of marinated beans this way. Three went into the freezer (allow about one inch of head space in the jar if you freeze the extra beans).

Photo credit and to read more about beans in general visit here.

Stunning Valentine's Day Decor Craft Ideas

Handcrafted decor creations on any occasion look absolutely stunning and get us a lot of praise and appreciation from the loved ones. Nothing different for Valentine's Day ! Valentine's day home decor crafts can be used for decoration and make good Valentine's day gifts as well. They touch everyone's heart with their charm and personal feel. Home decor stuff can be easily turned into personalized gifts; like a nice handmade wall hanging,a photo frame, paper album, etc.

So get in the mood, put straight your craft kit for crafting some amazing Valentine's day centerpieces, table accessories, flower wreaths....read more.

Hockey Night In Canada~

I don't know if anyone one out there can relate to my life....

 ....it is perpetually hockey night in Canada at my house. I love to look at all the pretty rooms that are posted on various blogs and sigh when I come down the stairs. My decor-challenged husband (and son who doesn't fall far from the tree) are ALWAYS drying their hockey gear in the living room. No - not hidden around the corner but right at the entrance where all can see and smell. 

The icing on the cake is that my lovely lamp that everyone loved (and left wonderful comments) was relegated to the garage! My husband can't stand it. Sometimes he just can't see the beauty in things, if he gets it into his head he doesn't like it, well, I lose.

 I will have to sneak it in somewhere else. Maybe my oldest daughter's room?

But one battle I did win: the bikes are FINALLY out of the house!

YAY!

Hubby's question to God: "Why do things good for you taste bad .. and bad things taste good?"

This type of reasoning makes me want to slap him aside the head ;) We were raised on pretty much the same mid 20th century diet; canned veggies, frozen veggies smothered in butter sauce, hamburger helper, tuna noodle casserole, not much fast food, but quick meals made from cans and boxes in the pantry. Cheap, over processed food, typical for that era.

I have a different question .. not to God .. but to hubby: "Why didn't your taste buds develop past the mid century?" ;)

Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

This is a formula for good tasting buttermilk dressing. It will last in the refrigerator at least a week unless it's inhaled ... it's so much better than bottled or even the little packets you make at home.

Take equal parts of mayo and buttermilk. You can use low fat if you wish. Add the following seasonings to taste: Salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice (just a little splash), a bit of lemon zest, favorite herbs such as fresh or dried parsley, thyme, a clove of pressed garlic or sprinkle of garlic powder, etc. Whisk together and chill. Serve on a nice crisp green salad or use as a veggie dip.

If you can't use a formula, then here's a recipe:

1/2 cup cultured buttermilk
1/2 cup Hellman's or Best Foods Mayo
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4-1/2 tsp. sea salt (to taste)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp fresh parsley or thyme (if you use dried, use 1/2 tsp.)
1 small clove garlic, pressed .. or small dash of garlic powder

whisk all of the above ingredients in a bowl, chill for a few minutes in the refrigerator to let flavors meld. Lasts for about a week in the refrigerator.

Soup of the week:

A good way to use up small amounts of veggies that might otherwise wilt and get tossed out is to incorporate them into a basic potato soup recipe as shown below. If you have some broccoli, celery, turnips, etc. these can be switched out for part of the potatoes. You can substitute a little cheese for the butter and add your favorite herbs making a completely different tasting soup. Who says soup has to come out of a can. It can be very economical to make your own from items you might already have. Learning to cook with what is on hand is a very thrifty skill to develop. You don't need to follow recipes exactly .. just learn how to switch things up and you will save time and money in the kitchen.

Potato Soup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into two inch cubes
1/2 white or yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
2 T. butter
2 pieces of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled (optional)

Place potatoes and onion in a 6 quart sauce pan. Just barely cover with water, add salt & pepper, and bring to a boil for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Using a hand held potato masher or a stick blender, mash/puree the soup leaving it slightly lumpy. Add the milk and butter. Cook for another five minutes over med-low heat stirring often. Add the bacon if desired.

stove image from here

Fabulous Find and a Dresser Re-painted

I repainted my daughter's dresser about month ago. I bought this dresser about 16 years ago before my oldest daughter was born for $10! It came with a shelf hutch but I recently left it on the curb with a big "FREE" sign.

~Yes - that is my son who insisted that he needs to be in the picture with his light sabre~

~before~

 It has been painted several times over the years, first a dark blue with colourful knobs and then white with pink crystal knobs. My youngest daughter, who will be 14 soon, has the dresser and wants it gone. Sometimes my family doesn't appreciate my need (it is like a disease - I can't help myself) to fix up the old. I am searching for a dresser taller in height but for the interim I decided to re-paint it yet again with a lovely soft pale green. I wanted white crystal knobs but didn't want to pay the $6 each price tag (I would need 9) so I opted for brushed nickel knobs.  

The icing on the cake was as I was wandering around Winners (TJ Maxx in the US) I found this great mirror hiding behind some paintings. Either I discovered someone's hiding spot or it was just placed there. It was exactly what I was looking for! 

Now all I need to do I re-paint her bed OR try my hand at making an upholstered headboard. 

So many things to do, so little time.

This dresser is going to visit:

The Midas' Touch: Another Thrift Lamp Makeover

As promised I am showing you what I did with this second thrift store lamp. 

This one cost me $5.99. 

I loved shape of this lamp as well and decided not to spray it white like I did with this one but to really glam it up with some silver leaf. I  could of spray painted it silver but want the aged patina that silver leaf can achieve. I remembered that my mom gave me packages of antique silver leaf along with copper and gold. I decided to give it a whirl. How hard can it be? 

Off to Michaels I went and bought some Metal Leaf Adhesive Size, it cost $4.99. If I was more prepared I could of brought in my 40% off coupon and save me a few loonies. You could get the glue in a spray but that was $11.99 and then it would be hard to control where you want the glue to be on your object.

The next step was to spray my lamp black. I wanted the black to show through the silver. I used Rustoleum's Painter's Touch semi-gloss in basic black. 

After I dried the lamp overnight I was ready to cover it in silver leaf.

 Before you start you need to shake the glue.  Using a paint brush I applied the glue to the lamp base being careful not leave puddles and globs of glue.  I chose not to cover the bottom "plate" and the top "neck" of the lamp.The instructions said to wait about 60 minutes until the glue went from white to clear. It only took about 30 minutes. 

The next part was the fun part. You will need a CLEAN soft bristle brush. All my kids wanted to "help". This is the messy part as silver dust is everywhere. You take an individual silver leaf and lay it in the surface. With your brush smooth it out. 

Take another leaf and lay it beside overlapping slightly. You might think to  yourself, "won't you see the edges of the leaf ?" This stuff is amazing, after laying down leaf upon leaf and brushing it out, they all blend together so nicely. If there are patches that need filling just take a small piece of the leaf (they are incredibly thin and easy to break apart) and lay it down. Brush it smooth with your brush. Silver leaf is VERY forgiving. 

Once you have covered the whole object do a final sweep with your brush over the surface. At this point you can spray it with a laquer or varnish to seal it or just leave it alone. I love the whole aged and worn look so I chose not to seal it.

Now I have a fabulous lamp. 

This poor lamp was kicked out of the entrance way though - my husband (who thinks he knows how to decorate) thought it was too visually cluttering. The lamp is now on our bedroom dresser. I bought a drum shade at Walmart and a lamp harp at Home Depot. Not sure about the shade though (that is why the plastic covering is still on), I may find one that is longer in the height to give it a more balance look. What do you think?

~I love the black showing through~ 

Ta-da!

This lamp is going to join the other amazing projects at:

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