2012 January

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Easy Dining Room Art

January 31, 2012 By Spring

When my mom was in town last week, we had a lot of time on our hands while we waited for the paint to dry on the cabinets. So, we decided to whip up some other projects. My dining room has the most wall space of any room in my house. We haven’t had anything on the wall because I was never sure which direction to go since the wall was so big. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money, and one morning my mom had an idea.

Based on a blog entry she saw at Sweetwaterbaby.blogspot.com, she thought we could buy the big cardboard letters that you see in every craft store in the country and make a sign. But not just any sign – a sign that looks like old zinc letters. We went to Jo Ann’s and purchased four of the largest cardboard letters and two bottles of paint. One was flat black and one was pearl.

First we painted all sides of the letters black. It dried really fast.

Once the letters were painted black, we used the pearl paint color and applied a rough coat on top of the black. At first we thought one coat was good, but after doing a second coat on the D, we could tell we needed two coats to get the old zinc look.

They really do look like aged zinc letters on the wall. You know those old signs you can find in antique stores? Well, these letters look J.U.S.T. L.I.K.E. them. During our beer crawl party (read about it tomorrow), people were shocked. They couldn’t believe these are just your typical craft store cardboard letters.

The whole process took about an hour. Just think of all of the cute words you could make in your dining room, or your child’s room, or even in the laundry room. We did another letter project that we’ll share next week. It is a lot smaller but just as cool.

We hope you’ll be inspired to make some letters for your own home.

*****

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Filed Under: Decorating, Projects

Tabletop Transformation and a Question

January 30, 2012 By Autumn

Hi there. I’ve been at it again. There is a little table in our great room that is the smallest of a set of nesting tables that my mother-in-law gave us.

Because we only used the smallest one, I returned the other two to her a few years ago. It is a sweet little size and is mahogany.

It fits perfectly beside our sofa. I sit in this spot every evening reading blogs, working my crosswords, watching the news……and the Housewives from wherever. It doesn’t matter. I love them all. You can’t write that stuff. Whoops. Let’s get back to the table.

Well, anyway, the table has a glass top. For a while now, I have been wondering how I could make it more interesting. Then I read this blog entry by Eddie Ross, and I knew just what to do.

Eddie bought three similar nesting tables at the World’s Longest Yard Sale. His tables were mirrored, but he scraped off the backing to make them glass. Then he inserted a piece of marbled paper. It looked great, and I knew what I would do.

I headed to Michaels just like any good DIY girl would do when she has a mission. I bought two pieces of scrap book paper for the grand total of 50 cents plus tax. One sheet is about 1/4 of an inch too short on both ends, and so I bought the plain green sheet to work as a border.

After just a few minutes, the paper was inside the table and it was back together.

With this particular paper, the table looks like a shadow box. If you are a regular reader of our blog, then you know we are a family of travelers. The travel log and passport fit right in.

An old black and white post card of the Eiffel Tower is in the bottom left corner. You know how I love old post cards.

The upper right hand corner has some old Paris stamps, a pair of old glasses, and a time piece.

There’s so much detail to this one sheet of paper. The background on it is a French map, which makes me chuckle, because Mr. Autumn and I totally relied on our map of France when we bicycled from the top to the bottom of that country this past September. (We might have even gotten lost a time or two). So, all the detail is why I went with this paper rather than the marbled paper like Eddie.

*****

Now, here’s my question for you. Should I take this face lift one step further and paint it antique white with some chalk paint. The table has been glued and reglued, so I don’t think painting it would compromise its value in any way. Please leave a comment and give me your opinion.

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A Love Affair

January 29, 2012 By Spring

It is finally finished, and I am in love. The cabinets are complete, and I couldn’t be happier with the final look. I am not showing a step by step process because I followed the exact advice that John and Sherry gave on cabinet painting at Young House Love. Click here for their amazing step by step process for painting cabinets. If you want to see some of my progress, you can click here and here.

Here is the before with gold paint color and wood cabinets.

We lived with the gold cabinets and natural wood cabinets for a year. Then my mom and I painted the walls light blue. That helped tremendously because there finally was some contrast between the wall and cabinet colors.

This is the same view as above post paint job but after hours and hours of work. Let’s call it a labor of love.

Now, here’s the other side of the kitchen work area.

The lighting wasn’t the best when I took this picture, but you get an idea of the impact. It looks like a different house, doesn’t it??? We left the wood molding around the countertop the same as it was before for two reasons. One – it matches the floor and ties the two spaces together. Two – we were afraid that the wear and tear that area gets would cause the paint to chip or rub off.

On the right of my kitchen is an area that the former owner used as a desk. Since we already have a study/working office space, we were using this area as a catch-all. It was our drop area for mail, etc. I decided to make it into our coffee station, complete with a cappuccino sign I bought at Hobby Lobby.

I made a basic tan skirt to cover up small appliances, and our basket of shoes and boots which we store on the shelves in this great area. I used this basic color because I wasn’t sure which colors we would eventually use in the kitchen.

When my mom was here, we selected this colorful fabric that has a light blue background. She made the new curtain. It is so cute and a great way to add some fun color in the kitchen.

I can’t be happier with our new look. For less than one hundred dollars, we took our kitchen from a “granny” look to “a young couple lives here” look. We are planning to buy new appliances early next year, but I don’t mind the old ones now. I can live with them a little while longer since everything else is so bright and cheery.

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Cheers!

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Filed Under: Before and After, Decorating

White Chili Recipe

January 26, 2012 By Autumn

When Jordan and I were talking about which recipe we would feature this week, she suggested soup. Since it is soup season, she thought that would be the best option. Then she said that this soup would be a good one to publish. It came to us by way of my brother-in-law (Jordan’s Uncle Tom), and he actually made it for us the first time we had it. I can’t give credit to its origin other than to say he found it in a newspaper article by The Associated Press.

The nicest thing about this soup is that it can be prepared in 30 minutes, is low in fat, and can feed up to 6 people. Add a nice salad and some warm bread or muffins, and you have a great meal. Enjoy.

WHITE CHILI

- 1 cup chopped onions

- 2 chopped garlic cloves

- 2 tablespoons cooking or olive oil

- 3 cups chicken broth

- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (don’t skip this)

- 2 tablespoons lime juice

- 1 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 11 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

- 15 ounce can great northern beans, drained

- 15 ounce can butter beans, drained

- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

*Cook onions in oil in a 4 quart pan. Stir occasionally and cook till onions are tender. Then add the garlic.

* Stir in remaining ingredients except chicken. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook till hot.

*****

Be sure to come back next week. We will reveal Jordan’s painted kitchen cabinets, the great art we created for her dining room wall, and photos from her neighborhood’s first beer crawl. I might even have a project to share. Till then, have a good week-end.

*****

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Take care.

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Filed Under: Food

My Gallery Wall

January 25, 2012 By Autumn

Since gallery walls are all the rage these days, and since I had a wall begging for attention, I decided to jump on the train before it completely left the station. A few months ago, I showed a wall with just a few pieces of art here. It is located in our hallway that connects the foyer to the great room.

Voila! My intention when I originally hung some art was to disguise the thermostat. It worked because I really don’t notice it now.

None of the frames match, the matts are different, and the colors aren’t the same, but I love the way it looks. It looks as if it is art gathered over time. And guess what!! It is.

Everything on this wall has special meaning. And by the way, I took this photo when the morning sun was shining through the transom window over the front door. I love that time of day.

We have lived in three homes with our children. We built this Dutch colonial in 1980. An artist painted a mural on Baby Jordan’s bedroom wall, and she also painted this water color. The brick was not the orangey color that it looks like in this painting.

This is a pencil sketch of the third home we lived in. We moved to our present townhouse from this home once our kids flew the coop. Unfortunately, we had a rendering of the second house, a big Cape Cod, that we built, but I gave it to the new homeowners when we sold it. What was I thinking???????

These are two post cards my grandparents exchanged while he was in World War 1. In an earlier card he expressed the hope that she would be there for him when he returned home. She clearly let him know her intentions.

My mother painted this oil of our son and nephew as little boys. Our son is the taller of the two. She painted it from a photo we took on a camping trip.

This belongs to my brother, but I am having a giclee made of it.

This water color was painted by an artist who sells regularly at the annual arts fair in the park across the street.

I know they are generic, but red geraniums are my favorite garden annual. They remind me of the time when Mr. Autumn and I lived in Switzerland as newlyweds. Geraniums were everywhere.

This P. Buckley Moss print reminds me of our son and the pet goat we had when he was a little boy. We had a great time with that goat, named Symphony, until he grew up. Eventually, we gave him away.

My mother really likes the art of the late Tasha Tudor. This note card from Mother shows some of Tasha’s work.

This is a water color on a note card that shows the highest peak that we bicycled to this past September when we rode our bikes from the top to the bottom of France. Here’s a little hint about how high up we were: It’s at a ski resort!!!

And finally, this is the initial for our last name, and I bought it at Home Goods.

So, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed seeing our gallery wall. It makes me smile, and I hope you had a smile, too.

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Take care.

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Filed Under: Decorating

We’re Really Flying High

January 24, 2012 By Autumn

Hi there. Really, we are flying high – like between the moon and New York City Lexington and Ohio. I am headed back to the South, and Jordan is going on a business trip. Somehow, we ended up on the same flight for our first leg of the trip, and I didn’t even know she would be traveling the same day that I left. I guess it’s karma or something like that.

So, please s’cuse us for not having a big post today. We have been so knee-deep in paint and projects in Syracuse that we didn’t plan ahead enough to get a post written. – Bad Bloggers!!

Meanwhile, enjoy some of Jordan’s random Pinterest pins.

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We’ll be back tomorrow with a peek at my gallery wall.

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Take care.

Filed Under: Travel

Watching Paint Dry, Part 2

January 23, 2012 By Autumn

Jordan and Mr. Spring live in an adorable neighborhood with lots of young couples. Last fall a few of them got together and had a very successful wine crawl (here). So, to lift their spirits during the cold, dreary winter, they decided to have a beer crawl which is scheduled for this Saturday night. (She’ll take lots of photos and tell you about it next week).

Meanwhile, she and I needed to do a project while we waited for another coat of cabinet paint to dry. Since Jordan’s dining room only has a real candle chandelier for table lighting, I suggested we make a lamp for the vintage bar (here) that stands in the corner. There are lots of local breweries in Syracuse, and so we took one of the little jugs that is usually used for beer and turned it into a lamp.

We bought a lamp kit and a cork at the local hardware store and an adorable burlap shade at Target. The tan in the burlap brings out the beige in the label.

After just a few minutes, we had this cute lamp. We specifically selected this Middle Ages brand because we liked the yellow. There are others touches of yellow scattered around the room.

We gave it height by adding two, (what else), beer books. With the addition of a green plant, the little corner will be a conversation starter at the crawl. Jordan thinks all of the guys will love it, and she hopes their wives do, too.

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Take care.

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Filed Under: Before and After, Decorating, Projects

Girl Power

January 22, 2012 By Spring

Mr. Spring has a tool bucket that he carries around the house when he works on projects. I was always digging through and searching for a screw driver, measuring tape, or other simple tools I needed to work on my to-do list. So, at Christmas one of the gifts that Mr. Spring Santa gave me was my own bucket full of all kinds of power tools that I can use when doing my DIY projects. Let’s call it my Girl Power Bucket.

Mr. Spring has an orange bucket, and to make my different and recognizable, he primed and painted a five-gallon bucket in my favorite color – yellow.

It has all the things I need, like a big girl hammer, box cutter, utility scissors, measurer, and hot pink duct tape.

It also contains clamps, sand paper, staples and more interesting scissors.

I also have a great hammer stapler, wire cutters, protective gear for my eyes and ears, screw drivers, driver bits in different shapes and sizes and even a carpenter’s pencil.

Mom and I are trying our best to come up with projects so that we can use every tool in the kit while we are waiting for the kitchen cabinets’ paint to dry and cure. The big kitchen cabinet reveal will be next week, but I think you’ll like what we did in our down time. We’ll be sharing those results this week. We think you’ll be impressed. Heck, we’ve impressed ourselves!!!

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Cheers!

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Filed Under: Things We Bought

Dueling Dough

January 19, 2012 By Spring

This is a case of her dough and my dough. My mom has a favorite pizza dough from Fleishman’s yeast that she swears by, and I found one in Better Homes and Garden magazine that I think is pretty special. Lucky for you, we are providing both recipes today for our weekly food post.

MY FAVORITE PIZZA DOUGH (developed by Peter Reinhart via BH&G magazine)

5 cups unbleached bread flour

1 tablespoon sugar (or honey)

1 1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon room temperature water

Nonstick cooking spray

- Combine all ingredients, except cooking spray and mix either on slow speed with a mixer with a dough hook or by hand for 3 minutes. Dough will be soft at this point.

- Continue mixing long enough to create a smooth, supple dough, about 3 minutes more. Add more water (1 teaspoon at a time if dough is stiff and add more flour if it is too sticky).

- Form a smooth ball and place in a bowl. Rub oil on all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, but do not let it touch dough. Let dough stand at room temp for 30 minutes and then refrigerate overnight, or up to three days.

- Three hours before you plan to make the pizzas, mist a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut dough into 4 equal pieces and form each piece into a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let it come to room temperature. While it is doing this (also known as proofing), prepare the toppings. Stretch to make four individual crusts. You can use either a pizza pan or a pizza stone.

Top with your favorite sauces and fixings, and bake in an oven that has been preheated to 500 degrees for 5 – 7 minutes.

The thing I like about this recipe is that you can make it the night before or three days before you plan to eat it. It is perfect for the busy cook.

*****

MOM”S FAVORITE PIZZA DOUGH (Fleishman’s Yeast recipe)

1 envelope (2 teaspoons) dry yeast

1 3/4 – 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)

3 tablespoons oil

- Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook or in a regular mixing bowl. Add the warm water and oil and mix 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining flour. Knead by hand or mix with the dough hook for 4 minutes. Add more flour if needed. Dough should be smooth and elastic.

- Grease a bowl and put the dough in it, coating all surfaces with oil. Let rise till double, about 30 – 45 minutes.

- Note: The recipe says you can skip the rising process, but she always lets the dough rise once.

****

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Filed Under: Food

Watching Paint Dry

January 18, 2012 By Autumn

Hello from Syracuse where it isn’t as cold or snowy as it should be. Jordan and I have been busy painting her kitchen cabinets. When I got here she had already done the hard work – sanding, cleaning, and priming. I get to help with the best part – the painting.

We have to wait at least 16 hours between applications, so we decided to put those hours to work. After seeing a disguise for a wall thermostat on Pinterest, we decided to do the same thing on her Carrier (I want to mention the brand because Syracuse is the company’s home) controller.

This is what the control looks like undressed. To its advantage, it is on the edge of the wall, rather than in the middle like so many thermostats. We felt like it needed to be dressed up a little – kind of like “I know I don’t look it, but I’m really cool” look.

While waiting for the paint to dry, we made our rounds, and one of the stops was Hobby Lobby. We picked up this sweet little white frame.

Jordan removed the back with a box cutter. (Notice the paint on her work pants? The cabinets are the white in the upper left).

After a bit of positioning, she pounded in the nail…….

…..And almost instantly (well, really it took us 30 minutes to get it lined up), it was dressed up. How cute is that!!!!

What a beautiful specimen of a wall mounted infinity system it became. This is so easy for you to try at home, and it might just be a conversation starter.

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Take care.

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Filed Under: Before and After, Decorating