P is for...

Our weekend can be summed up with one word: painting.  We painted our bathroom and, while I know you may be fooled into thinking that such a small room would be quick to paint, it took the majority of the weekend.  We still have to hang curtains and shower rods and such, but I thought I'd offer a glimpse of the color today.  It's a warm gray, called "Fading Light", and, thankfully, we love it.  So I'll save the full bathroom reveal for later, when I have nice pictures to go with it.  For now, I'll just say that after I cut my thumb twice and we got stuck in the bathroom because we removed the door knob, Steve had to buy me frozen yogurt for dinner to convince me to keep going. 

We did actually get some time to relax yesterday and then we cooked dinner together in the evening.  Steve is a great cooking partner.

I don't usually like to cook on the weekends, but if we do it together it feels more like an event and less like a chore.  Or sometimes I just need to say to myself, "This is not a chore."  Funny how that actually works. 

The good news about cooking on the weekend is that we have lots of leftovers today.  That gives me more time for important things like sewing and photography.  Do you know that I have at least a dozen new zipper pouches upstairs, just waiting to be posted in the shop?  Hopefully this will be the week! 

someone agreeable to talk with

Last night, we brewed decaf coffee and heated up some milk. 

We added a couple chocolates to our saucers and headed out to the back yard. 



Truthfully, I'd been looking forward to it all day. 

As daylight slipped away, we sat in our lounge chairs and watched the hummingbirds on the feeder.  We talked about our days and about what we'd do tomorrow.  We made a few plans and talked through a solution to something that had bothered me all afternoon.  I was reminded of something I'd read awhile back-

"This was the cream of marriage, this nightly turning out of the day's pocketful of memories, this deft, habitual sharing of two pairs of eyes, two pairs of ears."

This was the cream of marriage- I couldn't have said it better. 

The weekend's almost here and we're wavering between having some down time or tackling a big project- I'll let you know which one wins out! 

a public service announcement about herbs

Today I'd like to encourage you to start an herb garden.  Well, don't start it today because it's way too hot, but definitely think it over.  I'll remind you again in the fall when it's time to plant. 

Herb gardens are great for people who usually kill plants, people who forget to water, people who don't believe in weeding.  Those kind of people.  Also, people who like to eat. 

Many of the herbs in my garden (oregano, rosemary, thyme, mint, chives, lemon balm) are perennials, so they just keep coming back year after year.  In the spring, I buy a few annual herbs for the season (basil, cilantro, parsley, dill). 



I almost always have more than I can handle, so I like to preserve some to eat throughout the winter.  They also make a great gift for neighbors or people you may be visiting over the summer.  Sometimes I include them in bouquets of flowers that I've cut from the yard. 

 There is no substitute for fresh herbs and they are so expensive at the grocery store!  (Not to mention, not all that fresh.)  You can grow them in pots, you can grow them in the ground.  You can plant them in spring, you can plant them in fall.  You can eat them with meat, you can eat them with veggies.  You can eat them in a box, you can eat them with a fox.  You get the idea. 

Today, I am roasting a chicken that will be lunch for the coming week.  The skies are cloudy and overcast and the whole house smells delicious, the combination of which is making me want to curl up with something to stitch. 

It's my day with the car though, so there's no time for stitching, but I will probably dream about a new quilt as I drive around town. 

mini vacation

We had so much fun, but oh is coming home again sweet.  I almost cried with joy when I climbed into my bed last night. 

Sadly, the weather was not as cool as I'd hoped, but we did get to go swimming.  And walk downtown to the post office.  And see lots of people. 

And dogs.  Lots of dogs. 

We also ate amazing food, like grilled chicken with homemade barbecue sauce (recipe forthcoming), plenty of salad, many ounces of frozen yogurt, steak, sweet potatoes, and loads of fruit.  I love sharing meals with people. 

Our one meal out was at Gillie's, an old favorite.  I used to eat here in high school and everything is still exactly the same.  I love that.  There was an older man playing guitar and singing in the corner behind us while we ate.  Talk about atmosphere. 

Want to know how many adults it takes to entertain three toddlers?  Only one, if it's Uncle Steve.  I know how they feel- I find him pretty enthralling too. 

I got to rub two bellies simultaneously and talk about names and nursery fabric, all while feeling pretty darn petite.  As the oldest, I used to be the biggest out of this group.  Not anymore, hehe...

My mom is a great hostess and we totally took over her house and she didn't even mind.  It was fun to see my sisters and our friends and I felt a bit of disbelief this morning when I realized it would just be me at home all day. 

But- I have several orders to finish up, as well as a mountain of laundry, so there's that to keep me company.  PLUS sewing class to look forward to tomorrow night- I can't believe we're on week three already!

the wedge: a recipe

Several weeks ago, we ate an amazing wedge salad at a restaurant and, as usual, I found myself determined to remake it at home. 

Now to give you some background (do you really need background on my salad habits?), I almost never order a wedge salad because I'm not a big fan of iceberg lettuce.  But- this particular restaurant uses something delicious- Bibb, perhaps?- and it's a total game changer. 

For our salads, I chose a green leaf lettuce, mainly because it seemed the sturdiest.  I cut large chunks from it for each plate and just set it down carefully so the leaves mostly stayed together. 

For toppings, I used some halved grape tomatoes, crumbled cooked bacon, diced red onion, and crumbled blue cheese. 

I learned a trick to keep the onion taste from overpowering your entire salad- cut thin slices of onion and soak them in cold water for about 30 minutes.  Then just rinse the slices, dice, and use!  Steve and I could both tell the difference. 

I made my own blue cheese dressing (again trying to replicate the restaurant) and it turned out pretty great.  The only iffy part was the color, which was sort of gray.  At least I knew it was a natural gray though. 

I bought a nice chunk of blue cheese (don't use pre-crumbled!) and crumbled most of it into a measuring cup, saving some back for the salad.  I added salt, pepper, and a splash of butter milk.  Then I poured in some olive oil, whisking as I poured.  I tasted it and check the consistency as I worked and it ended up quite nice. 

I'm so excited about this weekend!  We're spending a few days away, hanging out with family and friends and (hopefully) enjoying some cool mountain air!  See you back here Monday!







you're a grand old flag

Reason #57 it's great to have just one car: plenty of room in the garage for craft projects. 

Maybe it was Steve's idea or maybe it was mine, but at some point this summer, we started talking about making a big American flag out of plywood.  You know, to prop up on the front porch or somewhere in the house.  I love flags and think they are a perfect summer decoration.

Last week we set out to do it and, I am happy to report, it only took three evenings (less than an hour each day) and $.53 in purchased supplies.  Talk about your chipper chicken. 

First, Steve looked through his plywood collection (a parting gift from a friend) and found a piece that was just the right size!  We assumed we'd have to cut the wood, but got to skip that step entirely. 

Then, we painted the front with some leftover white primer. 

The next evening, we taped off the stripes and painted the red...

then moved the tape and painted the blue.  We used some old blue paint that was kind of dried up, but we thinned it with water and it worked fine.  We splurged on a $.53 bottle of red craft paint at Walmart for the stripes. 

The last thing to do was add the stars, which was definitely the most challenging part.  After drawing a star we liked on paper, we cut it out and traced it onto an old mousepad.  Then I used an exacto knife to cut the mousepad and make a stamp.  We stuck a couple of toothpicks in the back of the stamp so we'd have something to hold onto.  Steve also cut out about 20 paper circles to use as place holders. 

We spaced out the circles across the top and down one side so we didn't run out of room for the stars and then I moved each one as Steve stamped the star.  Teamwork! 

We let it dry for about an hour before bringing it inside. 

Right now, it's propped in front of the fireplace, just adding to the charm of the summer mantle.  Next year, I may even put it on the mantle!  I'd also like to try it on the front porch and in the dining room.  Our flag is about 46" wide, so it really makes a statement and I love statement pieces for our house.  What I love most about projects like this though is how much fun we have working on them together.

I hope your fourth of July is full of watermelon and sunshine!  We're planning on a little grilling, lots of relaxing, and hopefully some fireworks!

july = hot

As many of our family and friends were (or still are) without power, you will not hear me complaining about the heat.  It was an extremely hot weekend that made the outdoors seem very unwelcoming.  Even worse, if you ask me, than an extremely cold weekend.  But it was totally manageable. 

We headed up to Davidson to drop off bags and bags of finished products.  Exciting! 

Then we celebrated with a brunch date.  I love brunch foods! 

We used our time inside to tackle a few household projects and dream up at least six additional future projects.  Oh, the dangers of weekends. 

Last night, we spent an hour watching the sky turn golden, then pink, then dark blue.  There were storms all around us, but it wasn't raining here yet and the breeze was wonderful.  Later, we fell asleep to the sound of the rain on the roof- one of my favorite things. 

It's back to the sewing table for me today and I'm working extra hard to be able to take a few days off this holiday week.  I'm making red beans and rice* for dinner and loving the smell of the beans as they simmer.  I can't wait to show you the project we've been working on- I'll have a post up with pictures of the whole process on Wednesday. 

 

*Here's the red beans and rice recipe, if you're interested:

 

1 medium onion, chopped

5 celery stalks, diced

3 cloves minced garlic

1 green pepper, diced

2 bay leaves

3 Tbsp. Creole seasoning

1 lb. dried red beans, rinsed and drained

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. hot sauce

6 cups water

 

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 8 hours.  Serve with hot cooked rice.  Garnish ideas: shredded white cheddar, sliced green onions