Coffee Table Makeover

A lot has happened since my last post!  Where to begin…the hubs got transferred so we sold our house and bought one all in the same week and are getting ready to pack up and move a few hours away.  This house we bought is going to be one big work in progress so I should have lots of fun makeovers and remodeling activities to share.  I haven’t had much of a chance to even get on here much until now.  We are moving in a couple weeks but before we do I have lots to take care of and this little project I completed was just one of the things on my list.

So, I picked up this little gem at an antique store for $22.50.  Solid wood with a leather inlay.  I wanted something different in place of the enormous ottoman we had in our great room, so I thought why not give this a try so I did.  sanded it pretty well with both 180 & 110 grit.  After, I used a tack cloth to clean up all the dust.  Then taped off the inside of the leather and started painting.  I ended up with a couple coats.  After it dried, I sanded again, this time just to create the look I was going for, then applied the stain.  I wiped it on with a sponge tip brush and wiped it off with an old cloth.  You can make the stain as deep or as light as you like.  I used Minwax Wood-sheen in Rosewood.  It’s extremely easy to work with, and Voila!  This old piece has now been transformed into a new one with a little more character.

Cowboy Caviar

Well, we’re all needing a quick & easy crowd pleaser to take to get togethers, right?  I have a few that I rotate, but this is by far the easiest and probably the most well received.  I have put my own recipe together based on ingredients that I like and don’t like.  You’ll find many variations of this but these ingredients are my mainstays.

1 can shoepeg corn

1 can blackeye peas

1 can black beans

1 large tomato or 2 small ones

2 avocados plus seeds

1 bunch of green onions

cilantro to taste (fresh or dried)

8-16 oz. of Zesty Italian dressing

Rinse corn and beans until water runs clean and put in a bowl.  Slice tomato, taking out all seeds, then chop and add to bowl, chop green onion (use as many or as few as you like) add to bowl, slice/cube avocados adding both avocados and their large seeds to the bowl.  The seeds along with the dressing will prevent the avocado from turning brown while serving.  Add cilantro and desired amount of dressing.  I like mine not too runny but standing in a thick bath of it.  Chill or serve immediately.  I like to serve mine with Fritos or Tostitos scoops.  Enjoy!

Mad for Macaroons

Who doesn’t love a good macaroon?  I’ve never seen a delicate little treat come in so many delightful flavors and colors! Despite rumors, they aren’t that difficult to make.  A little time consuming, yes, but once you make your first batch, you’ll want to make more.  I have always bought my macaroons, and albeit they have been great, I want to make my own.  I’m feeling up to the challenge and have decided that my first homemade macaroon will be Blueberry Cheesecake.  I have no idea why I decided on this flavor other than the fact that they just looked “pretty”.  If anyone is fortunate enough to live in or near Little Rock, AR, a stop by the famous European Bakery, Silvek’s, is worth your time.  It is located inside Kroger, at 1900 North Polk Street.  It is family owned and operated with a great selection of cakes, breads, cookies and many other treats.  A must have for me every time I stop in are the almond macaroons!  They are delish & melt in your mouth.  So wish me luck on my macaroons !

Diamond in the rough

So this little gem is the find of the week so far, and you have no idea how excited I am!  When my mom built her new home & moved, I assumed she took the desk I had a child with her…WRONG…she apparently sold it in one of her famous garage sales that she has from time to time.  I was heartbroken, well, I let her think that 🙂  Anyway, during one of my little thrift store stops, I ran across this one.  It is exactly the same one I had from childhood, except for the “oddly appointed” knobs someone put there in place of the originals.  I didn’t care!  I snatched this up as quickly as I could and off I went smiling from ear to ear.  Luckily, I found vintage replacement knobs and will be putting them in their rightful place.  My delimia, however, is which color I want to upcycle this in.  Black, antique white, navy, red?  As soon as I decide and get started I’ll share pics.  As for now, I’m just sharing the original and how amazing this little jewel will look once completely refinished!

Peanut Butter Treat

So I just pinned this on Pinterest because it is a fail safe cookie for everyone.  I make them often (well I try to go be a glutton) because they’re quick, easy & tasty.  They’re great to have on hand for grubby little fingers that are always wanting a treat.  So here’s the easy recipe that everyone should take advantage of.

Cowboy Cookies

1 cup white corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

6 cups corn flakes

Stir together corn syrup & sugar, bring to a boil.  Remove from heat, stir in butter & peanut butter until smooth.  Add corn flakes & stir until coated.  Drop by spoonfuls (however big or small you want them) on wax paper & enjoy.  They sit up pretty quick & are so yummy when warm.

It’s been a while, but we have a face lift!

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to sit down and write something.  Busy doesn’t even come close to expalining it!  I have been busy, with work, house, child, the hubs, you name it.  My latest obsession was finding the right spray paint to give my patio furniture a “face lift”.  I have been disenchanted with the fading, wear & tear.  Pricing new was making me crazy, so I thought what better way to make it feel new.  A coat of paint can make a world of difference.  So that’s what I did.  The spray paints on the market now are great.  Lots of colors, finishes & textures.  I sprayed everything, meaning all the metal as well as the all weather rattan/wicker, and it turned out much better than expected.  Since it’s patio furniture I used RUST-OLEUM paint & primer in one, oil rubbed bronze.  It also dried much quicker than normal.  I was so ready to get started that I didn’t even think about taking a before picture of the furniture, so this was all I could find.  You can see how weathered & worn it was.  Now look at it.  It looks like a brand new set & we love it.  The dark brown with a hint of metallic looks great!  We were sitting on the chairs within hours of the last coat.  So instead of throwing out something and spending a fortune for something new, give it a little TLC!

               

Orchids! Ahhhhhh……

I love orchids!  Not only are they pretty, but they add a little “extra” to any room.  They smell lovely and put me in an instant good mood.  Every home should have an orchid (or 5).   They have a reputation of being difficult to care for, but in reality, they’re pretty darn easy.  These are my tips for growing and keeping an orchid healthy.

1. Make sure it’s in a place with no direct light.  It needs indirect light, so a table or countertop is an idea place.
2. When watering, make sure not to drench the leaves or leave water in between them.  If this happens be sure to remove the water.  This will eventually cause them to rot.
3. Let it dry between waterings.  If the bark is dry, then water.  If not, wait a couple days and check again.
4. Make sure the water drains completely out of the pot.  Never leave them in sitting water.
5. If the leaves start to turn yellow or show signs of rot, hold off watering for a couple weeks.
6. You can feed your orchid with orchid food.  I use Miracle Grow for Orchids.  This is especially important during growth phases.

Mine are thriving and growing like crazy.  If you see that the blooms are becoming too heavy for the stem, you can buy a support that inserts into the plant and keeps it upright.  Secure the orchid to the support with clips and you’re good to go.

I was browsing …

I was browsing through my pictures and came across this one of Natalie at Easter.  I was so busy the few weeks leading up to Easter Sunday, that I hadn’t gotten her dress.  So, Saturday night, at the 11th hour, I ran upstairs and had this cute pink & white striped seersucker fabric, some trim & ribbon and, thankfully, the dress pattern.  This dress was made in record time!  Of course, I had to throw it on the embroidery machine for a monogram & I was pretty pleased with how it turned out.  So, not only was this a quarter of the cost of buying one, it was just as cute and she wore it all summer!  Much more versatile than those “frilly” things we all see everywhere :).  I think I’m going to have to make this year’s dress as well.

Hello world!

Well here it is!  After much contemplation I’ve decided to do this “blog” thing.  I’m still not sure how a full time working mother with an extremely active 8 year old daughter and a husband who travels quite a bit for work, has the time to do this.   After all, it’s just a “blog”, right? LOL!   All I know is that this is the only way I can keep my sanity and still be somewhat productive creatively 🙂

I decided to do this blog for many reasons.  Throughout the years I’ve been inspired to do things for various reasons, but when I really think of what really drove my creative side, I think of my grandmother, my Mema.  Many of my inspirations come from my her, but my mother and great grandmother had a heavy hand in inspiring me to do certain things as well.  We were four generations of estrogen that dared to be reckoned with!  My mother-in-law has also been an influence on me, which she’s probably completely unware of.  So much of what we do, especially me, comes from how we grew up and what we grew up doing.  This blog is an eclectic mix of new and old, from sewing/embroidery, to recipes, furniture upcycling and fun craft and organizational ideas. I personally cannot get enough of that stuff.  I always learn new things from friends & family that I am always wanting to apply to my life in some form or fashion.

I hope you find something that interests you, inspires you or just makes you laugh, oh, and feel free to contact me anytime!

DeeAnn