Fall Chalk 2.0

After tackling the pantry cupboard door, I went to work on our big mantle chalkboard. You may remember its recent transformation from Halloween to Christmas for Christmas photos.

After our Christmas shoot, it was back to Thanksgiving for the board...until after the 22nd that is, when we're back to Christmas....Im thinking: Vintage Christmas Tree Art. Who knows, this is a little adventurous for me...remember, we're talking about ART..plus me. It's hit or miss folks, really and truly..

Either way, Ill leave you with a little bit of truth:

Fall chalk

Pantry chalkboard turned fall subway art (ish). I wish I wish I was a REAL artist so my love of typography and chalk could live up to the standards in my head! :-)

Master Bedroom

We thought it was about time to introduce you to the master bedroom, as there are some big changes approaching for this space.

You'll notice we don't have a headboard. This has driven me nuts since day 1, but it's taken me over a year in our home to decide what the heck I want to do. We've evolved all the way from an old farm door, which I decided would clash too much against the feel this room gives off to Board and Batten meets photo ledge. Ive said too much! The rest will have to wait until the reveal!

Here are some pictures of our room before its headboard makeover:

Brownies so good you'll cry

I got probably the best comment Ive ever received about something Ive made yesterday.

I got an email from my husband after sending him to work with Pinterest's Gooey Butter Brownies, which read:

"If I was exaggerating I'd tell you, but Im NOT, literally everyone who has tried these has said they loved them. I gave ___ ___ one, and as soon as he popped it into his mouth, he stopped, his eyes got real big, and I LITERALLY thought he was going to cry. He could barely get out the words, 'I think those are the best thing I have ever eaten in my entire life'".

Well, since I can assume absolutely NO credit for this recipe (don't you just love Pinterest?), I figured that it was absolutely necessary that I share.

The best part about these is there there are only 5 ingredients...FIVE. Where have you been all my life?

Gooey Butter Brownies

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300 and spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray. Mix cake mix, melted butter and one egg to a soft dough. Press into the bottom of the pan. Mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and remaining two eggs until smooth, about 1-2 mins. Pour on top of crust. Bake at 300 for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown.

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/chess-squares.html#ixzz2BUIK85yN

Pinterest Tried and Loved: Taco meatloaf

Recipe courtesy of: www.yourlighterside.com

2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1 cup chunky salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup pork rind flour (processed pork rinds into a fine crumb)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix all egg, hamburger, taco seasoning, pork rind flour, beef and 1/2 container of salsa (about 1 cup) until combined.
3. Press half of the meat mixture in a standard bread pan. Cover with 1/2 of the cheese.
5. Press remaining meat mixture over cheese.
6. Bake for an hour or until meat begins to shrink from pan sides.
7. Carefully pour out any excess liquids that might be bubbling around the edges of the dish.
8. Add the rest of the cheese.
9. Cook for five minutes more, or until cheese is bubbly.
10. Let rest 10 minutes and serve.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and black olives.

Makes 1, 2 pound meatloaf. Serves 8.

*I made a variation of the above. Instead of a loaf pan, I put made my loaf into "minis" by cooking them in muffin cups. Cooking time cut in half, BAM!

Hello

Who would have thought: vinyl on the front door. Genius!

My maiden canning voyage

A few weeks ago, I rounded up my freshest farmers market produce (well, except the mushrooms) and my pup and headed down to my childhood home where I was greeted by over 100 fresh tomatoes from Mom's garden, waiting to be made into a not-yet-determined red sauce.

I knew I wanted something chunky, full of veggies. I wanted something versatile that I could use as chili base, pizza sauce, marinara, and spaghetti sauce. I had a "flavor" dreamed up in my head, but kept reminding myself that since I was going off the cuff and not following any type of recipe, that the chances of my "dream sauce" tasting how I imagined was slim.

However, 6 hours and a lot of taste-testing later, we ended up with JUST what I was hoping for.
Without following a recipe, the chances of duplicating it's exact taste aren't great, but I will certainly be attempting to as soon as next summer's tomatoes are ripe for the picking! Here's an ingredient list of the base-line items we used:

Spice:

italian seasoning
sweet basil (LOTS)
baking stevia
garlic(LOTS)
cracked pepper and salt
parsley
red wine (1/4 cup at a time)
bay leaves

Veggie:

zucchini
mushrooms
carrots
bell peppers(red, orange, yellow, green)

I loved being able to can with some of my Grandma's pans, it definitely made the whole experience much more nostalgic, remembering what a great woman she was!

Look at al those veggies

I love my mom's jar-tightener. So appropriate for this situation. :)

18 jars later!

While at the house, I also had the chance to go on a walk with my mom down to the river by our house. I have walked that path to the river more times that I could count as a child, and it was great to relive those memories, see how the landscape had changed..and also how it hadn't. The river was completely dried up this year, so it was fun to walk in it's basin, remembering times when I'd walk it's length with mom, getting so upset when she'd make us stop and turn around because the water was getting knee high.

Chalkboard Art

We're definitely getting into the fall spirit around here. Halloween, as weird as it sounds, is a special time for us. :)

One: My very special Christmas puppy given to me by my then-boyfriend, now-husband, was born
on Halloween.

Two: Mr. A proposed on Halloween.

Enough said...we love Halloween around here.

We've always been very festive when it comes to this holiday, but last year with wedding planning, we didnt have the option/sanity to go all out like we would have preferred. This year, we're keeping it low key, but are still excited for front porch decorating, house decorating, and trick-or-treaters.

Getting into the holiday spirit, I re-created a vintage-inspired chalkboard drawing that I saw online and immediately fell in love with. I never want to erase it, and it just may stay around through Thanksgiving.

Lamp shades: Thrifted, $2 Goodwill / Lamp Bases: Repurposed some old brown nasties from Kevin's bachelor pad days, $Free! / Film Reel: $10 Junk Jubilee / Galvanized grass planter: $3, garage sale / Vintage binoculars in old leather case: White elephant gift, $Free! / Galvanized "A": thrifted, $gifted

Apologies for the poor picture quality, it was a crazy day when I shot these. In the 2nd of these pictures, please notice that our new built-in mantle bookshelf is FINISHED! This mantle started as a 1 inch deep, vintage mantle front that we rescued from a house in Beaverdale before we had even purchased our first home. The image sat in my mind for two years (as the old piece of wood sat neglected in our garage), and finally, this fall, we were able to bring this idea to life! 

Here are some better shots of the mantle, pre-chalkboard decor:

The bare-bones beginning

{imagine a manly TV hanging right in between these two lamps, because that's what's happening}

Red and Brown

...is the perfect color combo for this year's Christmas card!

Our amazingly talented photog is going to snap a few quick pics tomorrow evening and we can't wait to see how they turn out.

Check her out on Facebook: Lunar Phography

Reluctantly, the Halloween chalkboard had to be retired and turned into tomorrow's prop, seen below in this sneak peek!

Check back for the full spread!

The craftiest, easiest, most impressive project on the planet

How's THAT title for a hook to lure in a reader. Although this post contains NONE of what is mentioned in the subject line, I hope that you read through this with just as much attention and excitement to learn as you would a crazy, crafty project, because THIS, Im discovering is the truly important stuff...



My day started off a wreck. It was one of those "wake up late, can’t find anything to wear, walk out the door to discover that your vehicle is blocked in by your husband’s" type of day. This was added to the anxiety of some recent and ongoing house settling issues we’ve been monitoring. This post is more for me than for you. But I think that it’s extremely important for you to have your own intervention, because hey, it could be SO much worse.

There are no pictures in this post. There are no witty one-liners in this post. Just raw feelings and a bunch of thankfulness.

You know why I am thankful?

1.       Both myself and my spouse have steady, income producing jobs. We wake up and go to these jobs every single day because our health, our vehicles, and mother nature all cooperate.

2.      My spouse is living and breathing; I get to hear his laughter every day, smell his scent on his worn clothes when I pick them up from the bathroom floor, and see evidence of his presence in every room I enter. I am thankful for those worn socks that lay abandoned on my couch after countless reminders of where the clothes basket is. I am thankful that they were worn by my spouse today, that he is healthy, and HERE to wear them. I am thankful for the dirty dishes left on the counter; it means I am able to have food to feed him, and that I have a “him” to feed.

3.      Although FAR from perfect, I have a house that I love, that keeps me warm, that provides room for my creativity to run wild, and that creates an inviting atmosphere for friends and family to gather and create memories in.

4.      I am SO thankful, Lord, that I have settling issues in my home. For this I am SO thankful. Why? Because it means that I HAVE a home. I’m not upset that this is my problem, I am GLAD that this is my problem. It says that I have the means to own my own home, and that my home is standing, unlike so many on the East Coast who have lost their home, every possession they own, and even loved ones.

I am dry, safe, and surrounded by those important to me. I have NOTHING to be worried about, and everything to be thankful for.

 This was more for me that it was for you, but dangit, let’s just be THANKFUL today....

There are a million things I have to be thankful of, but as my heart tries to default to anxiety, I feel an even stronger burden to thank God that I have them.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” –Phillipians 4:6-7

Happy Howlaween!

Ready for Winter?

After this $5.00 find, I AM!!

I even got props from Husband's ultra fashion forward little sister, who informed me on this "sister shopping trip" that "Fur is so in this season"...

Furrrrr'real!

Farmer's Market & Thrifting finds

Ive been spending some major QT at our local farmer's market this summer, and I am definitely hooked on the experience Ive had buying local and organic produce and other goods. This week, I scored a huge zucchini, three cabbages, and two spaghetti squash larger than anything Ive probably ever seen in the store. The bonus: they totaled 11.75.

Also a new can't-live-without? These flavored soy nuts. They come in a whole host of flavors, but my favorite is onion & garlic. Hello salads!

Im also loving the plant-life at the farmer's market again this year. This dinnerplate Dahlia is so stunning in size; I can't wait to see how long it lives.

Also, these succulents are just what I was looking for to transform the kitchen window-ledge. Also, their low maintenance will hopefully increase their chances of survival with my less-than-green thumb. Stay tuned to see my plans for re-potting these!

Lastly, farmers market this time of year is extra special because, with fall, comes a PLETHORA of pumpkins, gourds, ect, in colors, shapes, and sizes you can't even begin to explain. Last week, we scored 2 white pumpkins for CHEAP; this week, we found a good price on a handful of medium sized pumpkins and gourds. Oh, the plans I have brewing for these...

It seems like trips to the farmers market lately have also been accompanied by trips to the thrift store. It's just too convenient that there is a large one just down the road from farmers market.

Some of our recent finds:

Which, after cleaning up a bit, and adding a paint chip sample, turned into some much needed gaming cord storage:

And, after finding this vintage grater and oil dressing mixing bottle:

We dressed up the top of our fridge:

AND, found this bright red Swingline travel case which I can't wait to find a home for: