Meridian Road

Blech.

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Yup. This is me. I'll be back in a few days.

Decorating The Porch For Winter

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Winter Front Porches: Tips to Avoid Porch Disasters
With the gray landscape, overcast skies and chilly air, it's no wonder people are compelled to stay indoors during winter. Nothing else is more attractive at this time than curling up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in hand.
The season can be unforgiving and being stuck at home may not be your idea of a good time, but there's something about winter that just makes many homeowners prettify their homes even more.
The porch is the first thing that greets you and your visitors and it's only sensible to make it as beautiful as it can be. Sounds like a tricky project, since winter does pose many challenges on outdoor home decorating.
Here are some ideas on what to do and not to do when decorating the porch for winter:

Do: Make the transition from winter to other seasons an easy one.
Sure, you may be focusing on winter decorating now, but a few months down the road, spring will come and yet another season will take its place. What happens to your winter porch decoration then? You don't want all your hard work go to waste, do you? Although it may not seem like it, the change in seasons is a fast one, and if you do not make your outdoor decorations last through the seasons, you will be wasting a lot of time and energy.

(Source)
Don't: Leave your Christmas decorations up after the holidays.
Yes, the glass Christmas balls that spell "Merry Christmas" are absolutely gorgeous, so is the life-sized Santa Claus that you have by the front door. No matter how stunning these decorations are, you have to take them down at some point. You may, however, leave some of the wreaths or garlands and make them less Christmas-y by taking out the accessories.

Do: Focus on the essentials.
You need a place in your porch where everyone can sit, have a good conversation and enjoy the outdoor scene. Your porch furniture shouldn't come and go just like the seasons do. Invest in high-quality outdoor furniture so that you only need to change a few things when the new season rolls in. For winter, bring out your cushions, quilts and blankets and throw them over the chairs for a cozy appeal.

(Source)

Lighting is another must-have in any porch design, so incorporate an outdoor lighting plan in your project. Ambient lighting makes a porch look very inviting. Make several tweaks in your porch design as you please, but keep the rest of your décor minimal.
Don't: Blow your budget on furniture and accessories.
Sometimes decorating the house can be such an addicting venture. A trip to a furniture store can make any design nut feel like a kid in a candy shop. Cool your jets! You can't cram all those gorgeous pieces in your porch now, can you? Take a deep breath, set your priorities, and follow them through!

(Source)
Set a budget and stick to it. That way, you don't overspend and be tempted to buy things you don't really need. With plenty of thrift stores and flea markets around, you can save a lot of money on furniture and accessories. This is very helpful especially if you are experimenting on design. You don't want to commit yourself into buying something that you might regret later on.

(Source)

Do: Provide ample space for movement.
Depending on the size of your property, a porch can accommodate as much or as little furnishings. Aside from knowing where to place your porch furniture and accessories, you need to make sure there is enough space for people. Your guests need plenty of legroom in your porch, especially if the area is limited. Choose smaller pieces of furniture or move objects to the side if they get in the way.
Do: Use bold colors.
With the gloomy atmosphere, it's only natural to look for a pop of color in your living space. One good way of adding color to your porch is by painting your door. This is a very easy, and oftentimes foolproof, way of incorporating color in your design. Another way is to bring the color of nature to your décor. The bright greens and reds of evergreens and berries are perfect for a winter porch theme.

(Source)
Don't: Go color-crazy.
When it comes to your porch, a little splash of color goes a long way. You don't need to use all the colors of the rainbow to make your porch design stand out. Choose a color scheme that you want to apply to your porch design and stick with it. You can opt for subtle hues that calm the senses, or you can go for hot colors that make you want to jump around. Either way, the colors that you should pick must complement each other to create a smooth look on your front porch.
Get out of hibernation and start your winter porch project. Look for materials that can stand the frigid season, so that you can enjoy your porch a lot longer.

Jessica Phan is a designer for Balsamhill.com a purveyor of high-end artificial Christmas Trees. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area is perfect for her because she has a wide range of interests, including Art & Design, Fashion, Photography, Painting and Thrift Store Shopping.

Rice Krispy Treat Kisses~RePost

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from February 11th of last year.
I started making these for my kids on Valentine's day a loooong time ago.

Now even my grown kids still want one every year.
(I haven't seen these on blogland before, so either everybody and their dog knows about them and it's too boring to post about, or it's not a widespread thing. I'm hoping for the latter.)

They're really simple and really easy to make.

Start with a basic recipe for Rice Krispy Treats.

(I added a recipe at the end of the post, just in case you've never made these. Just in case you live in, I don't know, Outer Mongolia and have never heard of Rice Krispy Treats before.)

I doubled the batch.

Then take a funnel

like this one, and butter the inside. Butter your hands, too.

Then you just smoosh the Rice Krispy Treats into the funnel. Don't pack it too tight or you'll have something so hard it will be almost inedible. Almost. Just make them firm enough that when you take the treats out of the funnel that you'll have a shape like this.

I pinch the top and press down a little, to make the sides a little curvier.

You can fill the funnel all the way to the rim, or just half way, to make smaller ones.

These are some small ones.

Wait for them to set up.

Then melt a bag of chocolate chips and dip the tips of the kisses

in the melted chocolate.

One bag is enough for 6 large and 12 smaller kisses.

Then you have to wait for the chocolate to set up.

While I was waiting, I printed out sheets of paper that said "I Love You" in a light blue font and cut them into strips. You can say whatever you want on yours.
(Clean your room, stop teasing your sister, buy me a house and a car when you grow up...whatever you want.)

Then you just wrap them all up in tin foil!

It's so easy.

Kids love them.

And did I mention that they're easy?

Rice Krispy Treats

Melt 3 Tbs. of butter in a large bowl. Add 40 large marshmallows. Microwave on high until the marshmallows start to puff up. Stir until smooth. You may have to microwave a little longer.
Add 6 cups of Rice Krispies, stir until thoroughly blended. Pat into a buttered pan, or shape into kisses.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

Valentine's Scratch Off Card

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

Did you see this card in the last issue of Better Homes and Gardens?I thought it was cute, so I got on their website and printed one off. The instructions are there and it's easy to make. Not convinced? I'll prove it.

My printer did two copies, so I used one for the template for the little hearts.

Cut out one heart, and then trace 4 out on clear Contact paper and cut them out.

Apply them to your card.

Mix two parts metallic acrylic paint with one part dish soap.

And paint your hearts.I used a flat artist's brush. Wait for it to dry.

And it scratches off!

See? 20 minutes, tops! Just make sure what you put in the hearts is something your sweetie will want. I put what I want. If I hadn't, I could just scratch all the paint off that heart and repaint it.I'll have to make another one.
Thanks for reading!

Beware Of The Vintage Bed

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

You might be wondering what's happened to the vintage bed I was painting.

(But really, why paint it? It's such a gorgeous color! No, I'm not serious.)

I was serious about painting it, though. I wore a mask and everything.

I primed it with this stuff, which I like. I'd never used it before, but I will be using it again. Not one splatter out of that nozzle.

It took two cans of primer. I kind of liked the gray at this point. But it wasn't the color my son chose. So I got busy painting. 3 coats of paint.

(I LOVE the paint color, but I'm holding off on showing that.

I'm still hoping for a fun "after" photo)

When it was all ready to move in the house, my spatially gifted husband said "It looks kind of short." Short? SHORT?!!?

It is short. 4 inches shorter than the mattress. Too short for a boy who's 6'1".

So we devised a plan that involved welding.

(Lucky me! My husband has a welder and he knows how to use it.

Gotta love those farm boys!)

Then this happened.

Snow. Why would that matter, you ask?The only place on this entire farm that has the right type of electrical outlet for the welder is outside. I mean, a person can weld in the snow, but it wouldn't be prudent. Electric shocks and all that.So we wait.
The moral of this story?Measure the vintage bed before you buy it!

An Ugly Skirt.

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

Do you like bed skirts? I thought I did. Who wouldn't like this?sourceCrisp, tailored...nice.Or this?sourceFull and flouncy and romantic looking. Mine wasn't any of those things.

Cheap to begin with. Old. Limp. Too short. (Really. The carpet is enough ugly for one room.)And for some reason, I always think I can stash more under the bed when there's a skirt on it. Most of it just useless junk.I decided to get rid of the skirt whenI saw this on Pinterest.Which led me here.Since our bed has side rails and a solid footboard, I didn't have to do a full upholstery job. Just the sides and around the front and back about 8 inches.I had this aqua drapery panel that was 96" long. It was some kind of velveteen or uncut corduroy.

None of my windows are tall enough to require drapes that long. There was also only one panel so I nominated it to be upholstery fabric. I then seconded the nomination and held a vote. Which went the way I had hoped it would.

We have a king size bed with two box springs. They had to be moved to the other end of the house so I'd have room to do this.

I just placed the panel over the first box spring, and cut it to size. No measuring. I left the lining in place.

And then I got busy stapling with this.

My Arrow ETFX50 T50 Electric Staple Gun. If you don't have an air compressor and you want to upholster something, this gun is a good alternative. You have to use some pressure when you're stapling, but it works. For something like this, though, even hot glue would probably work just fine.

This is how I did the corners. Easy. I was a stapling queen. I breezed through it in about 20 minutes.

And then.....Oh. Crap. Even if I scooted the mattress over more, the staples still showed. (I started pulling them out before I even got a picture. But they showed.) Not really the look I was going for.

So I pulled them all out, and placed the new staples back farther.

After the re-do (which is usually how my projects go) this is how it looks with the bed (partially) made.

And this is how it looks when the maid turns down the bed. (You'll notice there's no mint on the pillow. Maybe we should fire her and buy new carpet instead. Honestly, most days she doesn't even make the bed.)
It's not a new idea, but it's easy and fast and I really like how it looks. And it was a lot cheaper than buying a new bed skirt.
Thanks for reading!

Want To Be A Blogger of the Month?

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Just go to JUNKMARKETStyle™ for the details.

Also.

pinterestI want this stove.How could it be any more perfect?Oh, yeah. It could be in my kitchen!
Have a great weekend! 

A Practically Photo-less Post

2012-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, as I was painting the bed that will be going in our son's room (and it's looking really good, if I do say so myself) I was pondering things.

For instance, why have people (some people, not all) on Pinterest gotten so mean? I was thinking specifically of a photo of a room in my house that someone had pinned a few months ago, with an aside that they'd just have to change something in the room.

I'll admit it. I'm thin skinned, and it hurt my feelings. Why put that comment on there at all? Did this woman really think she'd forget what she didn't like about the room? I've even seen pins of perfectly nice rooms with captions underneath saying things like "stupid and ugly" or "get rid of that lamp!" Really? Can't some things just be left unsaid?

There's usually some real nastiness under every photo of Tim Tebow. I have no opinions on him one way or another, but apparently a lot of people do.

I began a rant in my head.

"He's not your favorite? Then move on.

You don't like that purse/necklace/bathroom/dress/person?

Then move on. Being mean doesn't make you more intelligent. It doesn't mean you have better taste...." And on and on.

So there I was, paintbrush in hand, feeling so morally superior to the catty pinners,

and I started thinking about the photo I put in yesterday's post. Of the big haired girls. I had just assumed they were wearing wigs for some sort of performance. But what if they weren't? I was making fun of them and it wasn't nice. It was one of those "Hello pot, this is Kettle. You're black!" moments.

So I removed the photo.

The whole hair thing reminded me of something that happened to me as a new mom. We had no money, and I hadn't had my hair cut in a long time. I couldn't even afford hairspray. (that's what happens when you get married and have 2 babies before you're 21. Kids, if you're reading this~don't do that!)I was doing the best I could with it, but it really was kind of a mess and I was self conscious about it. One day (in a public restroom) a group of girls made some mean remarks about my hair. They left the room laughing; I left several minutes later fighting back tears.

I was doing the best I could at the time.

Maybe those girls in the photo were just doing the best they could at the time, too. Or maybe they were in costume. I have no way of knowing. But some things should be left unsaid.

Which leads me to my next subject. If any of you are still reading. If you're like me, you gave up a few paragraphs ago.
My word for the year.
It's think.
Yes.
Think.

Think things through.

Think of others.

Think before I act.

Think before I form an opinion.

Think before I hit "publish" or "send".

source

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being some of the nicest readers in the whole blogosphere!

OK. Now I Like.

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen these little tacks?

I got mine on Ebay, but you can also buy them here. They're used to number storm windows.

And shelves.

So now I'm happy.

They're a little smaller

than I thought they'd be

But bigger isn't always better.

For everyone who asked~that new junk place I found is in Shelley, Idaho on South Emerson. You really can't miss it~it's 45,000 square feet! In this case, bigger is better.

Thanks for reading!

Her Adorableness

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

I just spent the last three days

playing with this baby girl.

I have to say, I had so much fun playing
(and visiting with her mom)
that I now have nothing to show you.

Other than her adorableness.

I Found A New Junk Store

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest I've been to.

There were tons of pop crates.

And project pieces.

There was so much there, it was a little mind boggling.

See anything you'd buy?

Have a wonderful weekend!

It Is What It Is

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

How I was afraid they'd turn out.

How they really turned out.

They could be better.

But only if someone else had made them.

I honestly did the best I could.

They were a lot of work, and I wish I liked them more.

I am SO over this project!

Did you see the mistake(s)

I made with the numbers?

I should have started them one shelf lower. I'm sure I'll fix it. Just not now. When I do, the I won't put the ovals around them. I'll just make the numbers bigger. I'll also be sure to add 9 and 10.

See that number 14? If I had the numbers 1 through 25, I'd use those. They're much cuter than my painted numbers.

But they only come in these numbers.

Dangit.

Mr. Holtz is missing out on some big money. Bloggers everywhere would be buying those and applying them to all sorts of things if they came in consecutive numbers.

I could have made more of these

faux enameled tags,

but I couldn't find any more plain chipboard ones that would fit.

One thing is certain~I won't be making another one!

However, if you want to make one, here is the link for the plans. Her instructions are very clear~all the mistakes in this project are due to my limited skills.

Now.

On to the next project.

This bed! Hopefully, it will be more fun than the shelves were.

Thanks for reading!

Chronic Perfectionism

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have it.

And it's flaring up in a bad way.

I have my cubbies all built.

I had them painted.

The paint was too shiny.

I repainted.

I started on the numbers.

I didn't like them.

I repainted again.

After hitting my head on the wall several times (not really. I just wanted to), I tried a new method of putting the numbers on. I typed some numbers on Photoshop and reversed the image before printing. Then printed it out on waxed paper. I taped my waxed paper to some card stock first.

Then I cut the numbers apart with scissors. I found the center of the shelf, and placed the number so that it looked right side up. Then I just pressed on the paper with my thumb.

What you get is easy to fill in with craft paint and a small brush. You could just leave it, but the ink smudges.

The method works, but I've made a huge mistake.
I wanted to weep when I realized what I'd done.
Not just cry.
Weep.
Because it's more dramatic.
I'm sure some of you have already spotted my mistake.
I think I'm going to leave it, because I am heartily sick of the whole project.
Really.
I wanted to burn it yesterday.

So the secret is out.

I'm a perfectionist that can't make things perfect.

Dang it!

The Governor's Ball

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

After all my kvetching, it turned out to be fun! I should know better

than to complain by now.

My husband had to stay and coordinate a search and rescue. So we didn't leave Friday morning with everyone else, but caught up with our group late Friday night.

The kids were all really good.

Even if this horrible photo does make most of them look demonic. Or like something caught on film by a paranormal expert.

That's the thing about events like this.

The lighting is usually horrible.

You can't even tell what this is, can you?

Just believe me when I tell you~it's a Governor's Ball. I took this with my phone. I know. It's awful.

The dress I ended up wearing looked exactly like this one.

(I didn't look exactly like her in it, but the dress was the same.)

And I was in one group picture,

but I was in the back row and all you can see is the top of my head.

Which looked good!

(My daughter did my hair for me. Every family should have a cosmetologist in it.)

But you'll just have to take my word for it.

I know.

I didn't get any good pictures.

I'm sorry.

Does this make up for it?

(I'm blatantly copying this blogger.)

Kinda sorta?

A Theory

2012-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have a theory.

Here it is.

Ready?

If there were more significant others out there saying things like young Ryan there,

there would be fewer DIY and decorating blogs.

Agree?

Disagree?

Feel free to discuss!

I have no noteworthy cubby progress to report. Although, I took another look at the original, and I found something(s).

Do you see it (them)?
IMPERFECTIONS!
Everywhere!
Mine just might turn out.

Have a great weekend!

Aaargghh!

2012-01-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

No, that's not my inner pirate.

It's just me getting frustrated.

We don't have even one level surface in our garage.

I did get the scallop-y things on the sides cut.

And I figured out which pieces would be a problem and fixed them.(there were a lot)

I got parts of the shelves screwed together. Pre-drill, pre-drill, pre-drill.

(I can screw the upright parts to the shelf, but I can't screw the shelves together. I can screw each shelf to the sides, so that should be good enough.)

And here's the really frustrating part. I only have part of today to work on it. Why?
We're going to the Governor's Ball.

Yeah. I know.

Sounds fun, right?

Kind of like a mom prom or something?

I'd rather just go to a movie, to be honest.

It was fun the first three times. But this is (holy cow!)something like the 9th time we've gone. It gets old.

There's always the "what to wear" dilemma. There isn't one event in the rest of my life that requires formalwear, so I never want to buy a whole new outfit. And I can only rotate what I have for so long.

Also, it doesn't help that we're chaperoning 26 high school kids. Who, to be fair, are almost always good. We've never had a very serious problem.

(Except for that one kid who made every girl on the trip cry at least once. He was such a weenie! He broke a chair in the hotel, too. We decided if he ever came again, his mom had to come with him.)

So, tune in tomorrow and see if I've made more than a snail's pace of progress.

Cubby Madness Progress

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is the most important thing to have when you're building something.

A mascot. I firmly believe that the right mascot, along with a lot of caution, will keep all your fingers attached. Plus, I always thought he was the most masculine little people in the set.

So.

Here is what I have completed thus far.

I'm using the plans I found on Ana-White.com

They're easy to follow.

The main thing with this project is to make sure your cuts are straight and that you have good wood glue. That's what she stressed and I believe her.

(I wasn't thrilled about the wood glue part. I wanted the whole thing screwed together. But that's not really possible. And besides, I'm pretty sure Pottery Barn glues their cubbies.)

I did find a shortcut to all the measuring. The upright part of the cubbies need to be spaced 5 1/2 inches apart. Guess what? A 1"x6" board is really 5 1/2 inches wide.

They make perfect spacers!

So you just glue

make sure it's all square

and since I don't have clamps big enough for this, I just placed another board on top (no glue) and used weights.

I hope to have it all put together today, and painted. That might not happen since I have jury duty!

Does this look like something you'd try? It's really not as hard as I thought it would be.

Thanks for reading!

What I Want To Do This Year

2012-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Last year, my list of projects I wanted to do was long and ridiculous. I think there were 4 really big projects on it, and I didn't do even one of them.

This year, I'm going to try to be more realistic.

Source

This year, I really want to do something about our ugly hallway.(Yeah, you've never seen it. And I will never post a picture of it on this blog, not unless there's a pretty "after" picture to go with it.)

Plank walls would be nice.

source

And sliding barn doors. Although, I'd probably just use old 5 paneled doors and barn door hardware.

source

And these lights.

I love them. Love, love, love!

That's the big thing I want to do.

I'm adding up the cost tonight to see if it's possible.

I also want to build one or two

source

of these cubby shelves. Because, apparently, I am not yet over my cubby madness. I got the lumber for one of these today. In fact, I'm on my way out to the garage to work on it.

I'd also like to build

source

these shelves in a custom size.

And, if it's not too unrealistic,

source

a built in bed in my crapft room. It has a really big closet that's just going to waste, and a second guest room would be nice.

We'll see how it goes!

Thanks for reading!

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.

Benjamin Franklin

Dutch Boy Paint Review

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Dutch Boy Paint

was kind enough to send me a fan deck of all their paint colors. I chose the color and finish I wanted, and they sent me two gallons of satin wall paint. The color I chose is called "Spectacular".

(It's tough to get a picture that shows the color accurately, but it's a very soft blue gray. My son said it might as well be white since it's such a light color. But that was on purpose. We don't get a lot of natural light since we added the porch on the front of our house. The rest of the house has all northern exposure.)

First of all, I LOVE the container it comes in!

source

It has a pour spout, the lid screws on tight. Since it's all plastic, the lid won't rust, either.

It's also nice paint! One reason I usually don't paint in the winter is because of the smell. It's too cold to open the windows to air things out. But this paint has very little odor, so we didn't need to air anything out. I can't smell any paint at all and I only painted yesterday.

This paint is formulated to eliminate household odors, but I haven't really tested that out. Maybe I'll cook some fish later and let you know. I just know that the paint itself doesn't have much of an odor.

It rolled on smoothly, but did take two coats. That might be my fault more than the paint. When we first painted this wall about 4 years ago, we had two days to get it done before our oldest daughter's wedding. So we threw on one coat of primer (and it wasn't very good primer) and one coat of paint. We didn't have time to do more.

So I think if we'd done a better job with the primer the first time, I could have just done one coat of Dutch Boy Paint and it would have been OK.

So overall, my opinion is this. If you want a low odor paint with good coverage and a bazillion color choices, this is your paint!

Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer~Although Dutch Boy did provide the paint free of charge, all the opinions are mine.

2011, Part 2

2011-12-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here are the last 6 months of 2011.

And that's it!

2011

2011-12-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

As I was looking through my archives for this past year, I decided to put together my favorites from 2011.

January

And because June was SO busy, I chose more than one.

1 2 3

4 5 6

But this little baby was by far the best thing about June! And if we're very lucky, she'll be bringing her parents by for a visit tonight.

Thanks for reading!

De-Christmasing

2011-12-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

How was your Christmas? Mine was amazing.

Seriously the best day.

I got an awesome tripod,

(just like this one only black)

so you might not have to put up with wobbly photos anymore!

But as great as the gifts were, they were secondary to spending a wonderful day with my family.

Now all that's left is the annual

de-Christmasing.

When do you do that? Do you just do it whenever you get around to it, or do you do it on a specific day?

Thanks for reading!

Christmas City, USA

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is my town. We're all so proud.

I had planned to keep blogging all week, but I can see that's just not going to work out.

So I'm taking a week off.

I still have so much to do before Christmas!

Merry ChristmaS!

Summer Sausage

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

I used to love Hickory Farm's summer sausage. Then I found a recipe in a church cookbook

(the very best kind of cookbook, in my opinion.)

and realized that there's something better. I make this at Christmas time; I like to give this to friends and family who don't like sweets.

This is what you'll need.

I'd never heard of Tender Quick before this recipe. I found it on the same shelf in the grocery store as the table salt.

These ingredients

plus garlic salt.
(no, that's not my garlic salt. I used all mine and threw the shaker away before I remembered to get a picture. I mean, I love you guys, but I'm not digging the garbage for you! There are limits!)

And of course, hamburger.

It's really pretty simple. It turned out on the first try.

Summer Sausage

2 Tbsp. Morton's Tender-Quick

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp. liquid smoke

2 lbs. ground meat (You can use ground game meat, and I don't know why ground turkey wouldn't work, too. I've never tried it, though, so I can' guarantee how that will work out)

Mix all the ingredients well. Divide into 3 equal parts (I divide it into two parts). Roll into a log and cover with aluminum foil. (Think tightly wrapped Tootsie roll.)

Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Poke holes

right through the aluminum foil and place the sausage, hole side down, on a roaster pan.

Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours.

Refrigerate before serving.

I like to remove the foil right after baking and roll it into new foil after it cools a little.

It's really good with sharp Cheddar cheese.

Also, I changed things up a little with the

white chocolate popcorn.

Add red and green M&M's instead of peanuts. I mean, really! Who wouldn't rather have an M&M than a peanut? Just add a little salt to the melted chocolate. 4 or 5 dashes ought to do it.

Thanks for reading!

I'm Not Home

2011-12-16T05:30:00.000-08:00

Endless Possibilities

2011-12-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

See what I found?

Yes!! The possibilities are endless....

From this wonderful blog

source

Endless, I tell you!

The only thing I absolutely won't do, is leave it the same color.

That might possibly be the most hideous shade of brown ever made.

I'm so excited!

Are You Up For A Game?

2011-12-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's called "What would you do with this?".

I found a new junk place, and these were outside. I have no idea what they are, but I thought they were kind of cool. I just don't have a clue what I'd do with it if I did buy one. Or three.

So.

What would you do with a 12 foot long wire tube-like thing?

Also, I'd like to thank Knock-off Decor for featuring my tripod lamps! Being featured NEVER gets old!

And The Winner Is...

2011-12-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

#23,

who said

23. Anonymous said...

I liked Shabby Apple on Facebook even though I love Shabby Apple. Coincidentally I <3 this dress!

Merry Christmas :)

scrabble_nerd77@rocketmail.com

Please email me with your size and mailing address!

Last Chance

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

To enter the Shabby Apple giveaway.

The winner will be announced tomorrow!

(tutorial for origami stars)

Have a great weekend!

I Know You've Seen Them Before

2011-12-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

But you haven't seen mine!

(my jewelry organizer, I mean.)

This is where I've been keeping my jewelry. I've had that jewelry box since I was about 7.

Yup. It's all an embarrassing mess. Is it any wonder that I just don't accessorize much?

So I took an old frame

and spray painted it white.

Then I took

some sheet metal that was left over from our last project, and

the very last scraps of tongue and groove planks. Also painted white. I used

these glass knobs from my friend Dagmar. She gave me 8 of them, for no other reason than she's one of the nicest people on the planet.

They're old, they have some paint on them; some are chipped. In short, they're absolute perfection! (thank you, Dagmar!)

I just glued the planks in using

my trusty and well used glue gun. I made sure the groove side went up

so that the sheet metal would fit into the groove. That solved the "how do I trim it out so it looks finished" dilemma.

Then I screwed the knobs into place.
So I had a place to hang necklaces, bracelets and earrings that have hooks. But what about things that won't hang?

Yes. That is a soap dish. It is a tad vintage, crooked and rusty.

But it works!

To hang my organizer, I just used another knob and a long drywall screw. I found the middle of the sheet metal, and drilled it all into place. It gives me one more place to hang things.

There's NO wobble on this thing! It's staying put.

The earrings stay put. In pairs, even.

The bracelets and necklaces stay put. They're easy to find and easy to put away.

And, I have room for more!

Thanks for reading!

Don't forget to enter my giveway!

Make It Merry!

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is long, but I hope you'll read it anyway.
When I found out what my topic was for the Make it Merry celebration, I have to admit that it gave me something to think about.

Christmas Magic.

Christmas hasn't been magic for me in a long time. Not since I was a child, if I'm going to be completely honest. What was so magic about it then? Why isn't it now?

What I loved the most about Christmas when I was a child was going to my grandparents house for dinner, and all the family parties before Christmas.

Of course there was that one special present I wanted with all my heart, but there wasn't a huge list of things that I wanted. My parents may remember that differently. But when I was small, presents were only part of the magic.

I loved the Christmas decorations, but none of them were elaborate or expensive. The ones I loved the most had special meaning for me. My favorite ornament for the tree was one my mother had made. In fact, I wish I had it now.

I loved taking plates of cookies to the neighbors. And they were just sugar cookies that we'd all decorated. None of them were perfect; far from it. But it was a joy to give them to people.

Christmas was more simple when I was a child.

I think at age 6, I had my priorities more in line than I do now.
Maybe that's why it's not so magic now.

I was still thinking about this one day while I was standing in line at the grocery store with my son. I made the comment that I wished we could go back to a simpler Christmas. A more old fashioned celebration. One where the emphasis was on on the meaning of Christmas, getting together and enjoying a meal, and maybe opening one present. My son shocked me when he said "I'd be so OK with that, Mom. I have to wrack my brain for things to put on my Christmas list anyway."

Hello? This, from a teenager?

So my husband and I changed our priorities. We're cutting back. Not because we're feeling Scrooge-ish. Although even people who are fully employed are feeling a financial pinch these days. I know we are. I truly feel for those who are unemployed.

So cutting back will benefit our bank account. But mainly, it's a way for us to try to get some of that magic back.

We just want to enjoy Christmas.
It might be hard. I tend to over-think things. To worry and what if. Even for this post. So simplifying Christmas could be a challenge. But I'm going to give it my best shot.
Today I'm going to show you a few things I did that cost next to nothing, and really didn't take much time at all.

My dad dug this brass bell out of his garden. It had been there awhile. It originally was fastened to a harness used on work horses. The interesting thing is, my dad's grandfather did a lot of excavation work in the part of town where my parents live, and he used workhorses. It was a long time ago, and it's a stretch, but this bell might have come off one of my great grandfather's harnesses.

I wired it to a old bit that I found on our farm. It was used for work horses, too. Horses that pulled the farm machinery for my husband's grandfather.

Then I just added greenery. I hung it on our front door and the bell rings whenever the door opens and closes. I love the sound and I love that there's a history behind it, too. To me, that's magic.

I got this idea from a picture I saw a long time ago. I can't remember where.
When I was young, little things like this fascinated me.

I already had the lantern, so I just cut a circle out of card stock to hold everything inside.

I hot glued the vintage bottlebrush trees and the small deer to the card stock, and placed it all inside.

Then I just added epsom salts for the snow.
I smile every time I see it.

I know a lot of you might not have old brass bells and lanterns laying around.
But what do you have?
What can you do with it?

How can you make it a little bit magic?

Please check out more Make it Merry posts!

P.S. I'll be out of town the rest of the week. I have posts scheduled, but I won't be able to respond to comments. I hope you all have a lovely week!

Shabby Apple Giveaway

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

Have you been to Shabby Apple lately? They have some new women's dresses and skirts, and they are adorable!

See?

Adorable!
And their little girl's dresses?

Too cute!
Shabby Apple has graciously offered this dress

to one lucky Meridian Road reader!
Here's how you enter.

1)Like them on Facebook and then come back and tell me.(This is mandatory.)

2)Visit Shabby Apple and pick out something you'd like to find under your tree for Christmas, then come back and tell me.

That's it!
I'll announce the winner on Saturday, December 10th.

Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed.

Cute Gift Tags

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

I found this picture on Pinterest.

Which took me here. (she has a template, too. I don't know how it is that I've never been to this blog before! It's a really fun one~you should check it out!)

I thought they were adorable and the tutorial looked easy enough, so I decided to make some.

Having never sewn on paper before, it was a steep learning curve. My lines are NOT straight. But I did come up with a way that might make doing this easier.

I just sewed the red line in one continuous strip. (Come to think of it, sewing all the lines and then cutting out the cards might have been way easier. Why can't I have these ideas before I do things?)

Hindsight.

Then I took the edge of my scissors and roughed up the edges a little bit.

I would have liked straighter lines, but I'll use them anyway. Maybe my next batch will be straight(er).

I also put reinforcement labels around the hole. I'd put the hole more towards the middle edge of the tag if you're going to do this. So as not to crowd the "T".

Again, hindsight.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

A Fast Before And After

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

I love this room. But there are two things I don't love about it. I'll show you one of them.

That vent cover.

That's the intake vent for our furnace, and it sits right above the garbage can.

I just think it's an eyesore.

So last night, we changed it. And I do mean "we". (because "we" means he did it, and I came up with the idea. Whereas "I" means I did all of it. See how that works?)

I'd planned on doing it myself, but my husband jumped in and finished it in the time it took me to cook supper. No complaints here!

I just finished painting the frame, which is just plain old lattice.

The sheet metal is from Lowe's, and it was less than $20. I spray painted it gloss white so it would be easy to wipe clean.

Lattice is about .50 a linear foot and it's easy to work with. Just straight cuts. So it was a cheap and easy project, and I still have some sheet metal and lattice left over.

I don't care that the floor is just painted plywood. But the vent bothered me every time I went in that room. I found this on Pinterest.

Maybe that's why it bothered me.

Thanks for reading!

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

This one is another definite contender for the Christmas treat lineup.

(My daughter brought the recipe home last year when she came home for Christmas and we made them. They were gone in less than 15 minutes. So you might want to double the batch.)

Cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature. (I used salted. They turned out fine)

1 large egg

Filling

1 cup plus 2 tablespoon powdered sugar (I thought the filling was too thin, so I used a little more)

3/4 cup butter

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 or 3 drops of red food coloring

You will also need some crushed candy canes. I bought two bags of peppermint candies but only used one bag for a double batch.

Preparation for cookies

Whisk the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg, then add the dry ingredients and beat until blended. Chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease cookies sheets. Scoop out a small amount of the dough and roll into a ball about the size of a large marble. Space the balls about 2 inches apart. Flatten the balls using the bottom of a glass or your hand until they're about 2 inches in diameter. (I used my hand. The dough kept sticking to the bottom of the glass.) Bake the cookies about 11 minutes. The tops should still look a little wet, and if you touch them, you'll get a small indentation. If you over bake these things, you end up with hockey pucks. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a rack. Let them cool completely.

Preparation for filling

Beat the powdered sugar and the butter together. Add the extract and the food coloring. Blend well.

Using a generous amount of filling, spread on the flat side of a cookie. Put another cookie on top, and squish a little filling out the sides. Roll the edges in the crushed candy canes. (If the cookies are even the slightest bit warm, you'll have a huge mess. So don't do that.)

These will store in an airtight container at room temperature for about three days, and in the freezer for up to two weeks.

Your neighbors will love you!

I Think I Can Blame It All On My Mom

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

My mom gave me this book about 12 years ago. All I had to do was look at the cover and I knew I'd love it. And I did.

This was the first time I'd really been exposed to the idea of repurposing old things and (proudly) using them in my home. I loved all the ideas in the book, and started looking for more inspiration.

(This was WAY before blogs. Practically the paleolithic era.)

She has another book that I just ordered from Amazon. I can't wait to get it!

Then I found HGTV, and more importantly, Kitty.

I love that slogan.

For a mom with a lot of young kids and a small budget, it was just what I needed to hear. I loved how she'd always mix in a few old things in all her rooms, and she inspired me to do the same.

Then a few years ago, a friend lent me this book.

Oh, hello!

I LOVED this book! I had to buy my own. I looked online once to see if there were more books, and I found this.

JUNKMARKETStyle™

Have you ever been there? It's a blast! This website is the whole reason I have a blog. You can post projects on there, and you don't have to have a blog to participate.

I posted a few projects,

and I got actual comments!

I was hooked.

I had to have a blog of my own.

So imagine how excited I was when Sue Whitney herself emailed me and asked if I'd be a regular contributor!

Well. Let me think.

HECK YES!

Hop on over there and see what JUNKMARKETStyle is all about!

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here's hoping your Thanksgiving will be more like this

And less like this.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and for all of you who don't live in the U.S., have a fantastic week!

I'll be back Monday.

Tripod Lamps

2011-11-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

Remember the tripods I found? My husband did some research and found out that they were used by the British Military in WW1!
Cool!

I knew as soon as I saw them what I wanted to do with them. Make lamps. I like tripod lamps, especially if they have some old wood and brass on them.

source

$1175. I kid you not. An overpowering price to match the somewhat overpowering size.

source

$299.00

Still too much. Plus, it's not exactly what I wanted.

source

$219.91

Closer, but still. That's a lot of money. And if you buy two? No.

So. The first step. Take off that little metal bar and wash the filthy straps.

The straps don't come of. Not easily, anyway.

So, you know. Improvise. Wash, rinse repeat. Let dry.

I wasted a ton of time trying to epoxy a part on the top. Then my husband told me about tap and die drivers. They make threaded holes! What?! How could I have lived this long and not known about these?

Make the right size hole and that part will just screw right in the top.

(Yeah, I know. It's called a nipple.

I'm guessing a man named it.)

Then it's just a matter of following the directions on the back of the lamp kit. Which you can get at Walmart for less than $8. Mine were bright brass, so I used some rub-n-buff on them. I mixed Autumn gold, silver and black together and got an aged metal look.

I didn't want the cord hanging straight down in the middle from the top, so I used these tacks

And just tacked the cord to one of the legs in three spots.

And here we go!

A tripod lamp!

Which will go

here. It's just the right height for a reading lamp.

My husband keeps asking where the other one will go. I realized today that he might be asking (repeatedly) because he'd like one in his office.

A tripod lamp would look good in there.

As soon as I finish the other one, he can pick which one he wants.

This was an easy project, once I got the right tools. With all the supplies, plus the cost of the tripod and the lampshade, I spent $30 on each lamp.

Not too shabby!

Thanks for reading!

Look What I Made

Make It Merry!

2011-11-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

I go very simple for my Christmas decor. I don't break my back or my bank account. To me, simple is prettier anyway.

I got this old tool caddy from the
last all time best estate sale I went to. The lighting was so bad, and the box was too dirty for me to tell that it was made out of plywood until I got it home and cleaned it up.
(It was a disappointment. But hey, sometimes life gives you solid wood, sometimes life gives you plywood. You just have to roll with it.)
It will work for outside.

I just added some (pilfered) pine boughs
(No one will miss them. I promise. I did not get them from anyone's yard) some birds nests and some red (faux) berries.

You know what? I like it. It works for me.

I'm decorating way earlier than I ever do. But the tree won't go up until the 25th. I don't want to step on Thanksgiving's toes.

It cost me $4 for the toolbox. The rest was free or I already had it.

In other news,
I'm participating in the Make it Merry project this year. 14 bloggers have signed up and I hope you'll join us all! We start the day after Thanksgiving!

Thanks for reading!

Repost~Interior Shutters

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from April 2010. One of my first posts. Some people asked why they'd never seen the shutters before when I posted this picture.

so I thought I'd run it again.

A few years ago, we added on to our house. We ended up with a really large family room. It's on the north side of the house, but we put three windows and a pair of french doors in, so the room is usually flooded with light during the day. We don't have a lot of neighbors, so I wasn't too concerned with adding any curtains for privacy at first. There's one window that faces the road, and after awhile, I started feeling like I was sitting in a fully lit store window at night. I didn't want curtains. Mostly because I didn't want to sew them, but also because I wanted something with more personality.

We had some tongue and groove paneling left over from our laundry room project, so I came up with a plan. Something that looked like barn doors. Something like this.

Only different.

I did very little actual measuring. I held up the planks to the window, and marked where I needed to cut them.

I glued the planks together,

Wiping off the excess as I went. I didn't clamp them together to dry. I just laid them flat and put paint cans all around the perimeter to keep the boards in place.

These are your best friend. I went through a lot of these while I was gluing.

I did have to measure the width of the window, deduct 1/2 inch, then divide that measurement in half. That's so I'd have two doors of equal width that would fit inside the window but still open and shut easily. For the length, I only deducted 1/4 of an inch of the total length.

I used leftover strips of lattice for the trim detail. Here's how the shutters look on the window.

(A word about the chair. I think it's ugly as sin. Way too modern looking. BUT~it's a massage chair. A very good massage chair. Function won over form in this case.)

I was surprised that they fit as well as they did, since my methods were kind of unorthodox and I just made this all up as I went. I painted the shutters with the same paint that we used on the window trim, and used plain gate hinges. I spray painted those black for contrast. The handles were very cheap cabinet door handles, also black. I liked the shape, but have thought a few times since we put them on that I should have found some bigger ones.

The inside of the shutters is trimmed out a little more plainly. The tongue and groove is a little rougher on that side, too, but I didn't sand it. I like the roughness on that side.

It wasn't really a hard project, but I did have to give myself a pep talk before I used the saw. If you want a different look for your windows, I'd recommend giving some shutters a whirl. You could use sheets of bead board paneling if you didn't want to cut individual pieces of tongue and groove, and there are so many different looks you could go for, depending on where you place the trim on the door.

One more look.

Thanks for reading!

How Has Your Week Been?

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Mine has been off.

It started out off.

There was a funeral. A very sad funeral.

Then we came home to some unpleasantness. The bathtub should NOT drain into (and then out of) the toilet. I'm pretty sure.
(Yup. That's our septic tank being pumped. It's amazing how something like the inability to do laundry or even flush a toilet can put a real crimp in your life.)

And then every single project I started has hit a snag. The lamp kits I ordered did NOT have all the necessary parts.

I didn't have the lumber I thought I did to make a frame for this project. The banner I started didn't work out at all.

So, in a fit of annoyance
("I am NOT going to the hardware store one more time! I'm NOT!" I think I even stamped my foot. Oh, I was in rare form. My other voice kept saying "Oh, grow up!" and then my spoiled annoyed voice told her to shut up. I had to send them to separate corners, it was such a brouhaha in my head.)
I started a new project, and now I'm freaking out about the color. I always do. But I'm still bummed. I was so sure I'd instantly love this color. It's a super soft gray/blue. But so far, it just looks white.

But I'm tired of the green, so I'll keep going and reserve judgement until I'm finished.

How has your week been?

I'm Holding Auditions

2011-11-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true. Auditions.

What for, you ask?

Christmas treats.

(To eat. Not for decor. But this was just too pretty not to use.)

I always make this, mostly because it's easy and it's not something a person is likely to get from every neighbor. But, I've been wanting to expand my repertoire, as it were. So when my dad told me that his dad loved peppermint patties, I thought "Hmmm. So do I!"

(but you know, he could have said "My dad loved broccoli." or "My dad loved butter." or "My dad loved raisin bran." and I would have had about the same reaction. "Hmmm. So do I!" There's very little in the edible category that I don't like. OK. Liver. Squash. That's about it.)

So then I found this on Pinterest.

(And why just pin? Why not pin and try?)

And it took me here.

And you know what? The recipe is good!

And not all that difficult.

It's a contender!

A definite maybe for a lead role.

Give it a try!

This Is For You

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

For everyone who said that they can't find folding rulers at estate sales, yard sales or thrift stores where they live.

They still make them.
(it was news to me!)

You can get that white one on the right for $9.97 at Lowe's.

(Yeah, it's a little more than I'd normally want to pay, but if I really wanted one, and I couldn't find one anywhere else...it's an option.)

A little sandpaper, a little stain, and it might even look old when you're done.

Thanks for reading!

Still Playing

2011-11-11T05:00:00.001-08:00

I've been buying these folding rulers at estate sales. They're something I can pick up for a few dollars, and I like how they look.

(This one repeats the numbers 1-12. I've never seen another one like it, and I can't really figure out why that would be practical.)

It makes a fun photo display. It's fast and it's easy to change out the photos. This would work for postcards, too. Pretty much anything that can slip between the sections of the ruler.

And then there's the cash register numbers. They're fun to play with.

I think the dollar signs are especially cute.

The one in this plant is my favorite, though.

(Doesn't that suitcase look like it's smiling?)

One of these days, I'll have to get down to business and do some serious work.

(Like sweep and mop my living room floor. Nope. Still haven't done that. Finish a project. Buy some groceries. Something!)

This is way too much fun. It's kind of like a dollhouse. Without the restrictions. I was the kind of kid who would never put the beds in the kitchen. But this? If it fits in the cubbyhole, good enough.

Excuse me. I need to go sweep or something.

Have a good weekend!

Playing With My Toys

2011-11-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

I painted the inside of my cubbies black. I should have waited until everyone had a chance to comment, because there were some good suggestions!

But I like it. Even though I did it the hard way.

I had to lay it on it's side.

It was the only way it would look good here.

And this was the only place it could go.

Unless I rearrange my entire house.

Funny how that happens. Move one thing and I end up moving 37 more.

Which takes at least 3 days and my house looks like a bomb went off until I get the last piece of the puzzle to fit.

Maybe it's a sign that I have too much stuff.

Could I be turning into a hoarder?

Thanks for reading!

No More Mice, Just Other Stuff

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

So. The best ever estate sale to date.

I couldn't go the first day, so I went the second. Which turned out to be good. Everything was half off!

I got these cute jars

This amazing oak cubby cabinet, now sans mouse.

I love the decal on it, and I have no idea where to put this piece. I'll make room. I also think I might have to paint the insides of the cubbies. Not the outside, and not the front. Just the inside. It doesn't sound fun, does it?

And now, for today's third piece. Can we all just take a moment to consider the irony? I mean, really.

Just weeks after completing this project, I find something this amazing?

(I don't care who you are or how mad be your skilz, no one, I mean NO ONE can replicate the finish on this round whatever-it-is.)
I don't know what I'll do with this yet, either. But I'll do something.

And for the final cool thing I found.

(OK, that was a lie. There is more. I'll show you later this week. After I do some housekeeping. Like clean this floor)

See that little pin connected to the chain on the top there? I think that comes out. Thereby making this tripod eligible to become a lamp. Want to know the best part?

It has a twin.

Thanks for reading!

Of Mice And....Other Stuff

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Friday was my last day at work. (At least, until next fall. yay!) Because it was a slow day, and because I have one of the best bosses ever, he let me leave to go to an estate sale.

Which turned out to be one of the all time best! I know I say that a lot, and I mean it every time!

Do you see what I didn't see until I was just about to stick my hand in there? Yeah. It's a fuzzy photo, but it really is what you think it is. A dessicated mouse.

I will show you more tomorrow!

(That's the only dead rodent. I promise.)

Guest Post~A Cottage Muse

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today's guest post is brought to you by Sandi from A Cottage Muse. I've always loved seeing her finds and the posts she does on her booth. She's a sweetheart~she did this post after that awful storm and no internet service (or phone, or cable!) for days and days!

Hello, my name is Sandi and I am honored that Suzanne has asked me to do a guest post for her!

I am a big fan of her blog and love to visit and be inspired.

My posts over at A Cottage Muse are usually about treasure hunting for my home or my booth as well as sharing some diy and decorating projects from around my house.

One of my recent treasure hunting adventures brought me to New Bedford and a great vintage clothing shop called Circa...

It is in an old warehouse so the lighting was not the best for photos.

It was just before Halloween and there were quite a few shoppers looking for costumes.

The window display was wonderful...

The owner was so nice to let me take a few pictures.

Let's browse shall we...

Marie Antoinette was just above the dressing rooms with a comfy lounge area nearby for the mister to wait in...

Vintage prom gowns are on my wish list and I was very tempted to buy one that day...

I am also looking for an outfit for a gathering the evening before our next White Event at the shop. There were a few options available...

My favorite part of the store though is the wall...

The beautiful wall of vintage hat boxes...

Pretty fabulous right?!!

They have a men's section too...

With more vintage hat boxes...

The store was getting very busy so that is all I snapped.

They had some beautiful sequined tops that would be perfect for the holiday season, as well as some sparkly accessories...

I guess a return visit is on the horizon!!

Thanks Suzanne for letting me share one of my treasure hunts with your readers.

Have a great day!!

Oh, I'd love to shop there! You know it's a great store when there are at something in every photo that you'd just love to have! Did you see that hot pink chair?

Thanks, Sandi!

I hope you'll all stop by her blog and say "hello".

Better Ceilings

2011-11-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Most ceilings are boring. Plain white plaster. Sometimes with swirls. Sometimes, ceilings are just plain ugly. As in, popcorn ceilings. With glitter.

This ceiling is spectacular. In pictures and in person.

(But honestly, even if I could afford handblown art glass flowers all over my ceiling, I wouldn't want them. I see this as a sanctuary city for spiders. Plus, that's a lot of dusting. Not my favorite household chore.)

There are more cost effective ways to make your ceilings the true 5th wall of your home.

coastal living

For instance, wallpaper.

Wallpaper.

And more wallpaper.

Not much fun to hang, but

lots of fun to look at.

Or there's

Plain old paint. Which is very pretty.

And less plain paint.

apartment therapy

And nothing plain about it paint. Notice how the design comes down onto the wall. Very cool.

And then we have

Planks. In black.

In white. (Sigh. Love.)

Source

Or weathered wood.

source

(Really love! Herringbone and weathered wood? Hello!!)

We have two interesting ceilings in our house. Yes. Count them. Two.

This one in our master bath.

(photo taken back when I thought fuzzy edges made it a good photo.

My dad and I installed this ceiling. I won't lie. It was hard. Holding your arms above your head for 8 hours is never easy. But I love it!)

And this one, in our kid's bathroom. My hubby and sons did this one.

I'd love to install planks or bead board on all the rest of our ceilings.

It's on the list. Which is HUGE. So maybe someday.

Any interesting (or better) ceilings in your house?

A few of you asked where I got my railroad nails. I got them at an antique store in Shoshone, Idaho. But last time I was at the Antique Mall in Boise~off Overland and Curtis, they had them, too. Good luck!

Guest Post~COTTAG3

2011-11-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today's guest post is brought to you by Gina from Cottag3. You really ought to go pay her a visit~she's got some great junk, and she's so nice!

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to be guest posting here at Meridian Road.

Thanks Suzanne for having me!

I post on a little blog called

COTTAG3 .

I'm a Texas blogger and it's taken a long time

to feel a bit like fall around here.

We had one of the hottest summers from heck

and we're just cooling down to the 70s and 80s.

Brrrrrrr.

With the crisp breezes in the air or

with the air feeling less like its from a hot blow dryer,

I finally got around to adding a little

autumn decor to my front porch.

Here's my great little front porch.

I don't do a lot on the porch when I change it out

for the seasons. I'm a simple gal and

just like to add "touches".

We love lights on the porch.

I have these cute little metal pumpkin lights

with a tiny orange bulb. When lit up at night,

the sparkle on the glass table.

See how cute?

If it were nighttime, I would light 'em up for you.

Let's just close our eyes and pretend :)

Here's a pretty little pumpkin pillow.

I love to say I made it and show you a tutorial

but a friend gave it to me.

I can't sew a lick.

This tub was full of dead plants killed by

the summer heat. I think it looks a lot better

filled with pumpkins and gourds.

I love LOVE love these little white pumpkins.

I think they are the cutest things.

This year I bought a huge sack full of them

and put them everywhere.

That one at the bottom, it's fake...er a...faux.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Don't you just love Gina's front porch? There's a lot to love out there. And how cute are those blocks spelling out "BOO"??

Thanks, Gina!

Today's Show and Tell

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen one of these before?

I'd heard about them, but I'd never seen one.

I haven't been able to find much information on them (just the patent), but someone told me that these used to be placed in different areas around town or in factories, and the town marshal or a watchman would stick a key in the bottom and that would tell their supervisors that they'd been there and everything was fine.

(Hannibal Lector actually mentions them in one scene in Silence of the Lambs. Don't ask me why I remember that. I'm full of useless trivia.)

It was just one of those weird things I found and I wanted it. I don't know why.

I think I'll stick it on a wall someplace. No one can ever find the fingernail clippers, so maybe that's where they'll go.

I found some of these awhile ago, too.

They're nails that used to go in the ends of railroad ties. They stopped using them about 40 years ago.

I heart them.

Again, I don't know why.

And I don't know what I'll do with them.

But they were cheap and too cool to pass up.

So that's it for today's show and tell! Thanks for reading!

Guest Post~Going A Little Coastal

2011-10-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today's guest post is brought to you by Anita from Going a Little Coastal. She's funny, she's nice, she's creative
(her fabulous craft room)

what's not to like? I hope that someday, I can meet her in real life.

Hi! I’m Anita and I blog over at Going a little Coastal.

I'm so glad to be here at Meridian Road. Suzanne and I started blogging around the same time and we made an instant connection even though we are many miles apart. She is in the country and I’m near the coast but yet we both gravitate to the same style. And I’m always jealous of what she finds in her neck of the woods.

I used to decorate a lot for Halloween. But now my kids are bigger and there is no one here to get excited about it. I sort of miss that. But I wanted to do a little something so I came up with these candle covers. Some for Halloween, some for Fall.

I had the supplies on hand. I did run out of the double stick tape.

Always the case around here when I decide to start something.

The tall clear glass candle holders were picked up from the thrift store. Straight sided ones make it easiest. The short ones are empty Glade candles. I couldn’t just throw out the glass holders.

And I’m addicted to the apple and cinnamon one so I have quite a few.

They are frosted and the sides are not quite straight. Made it a little harder to wrap but not bad.

I found the graphics online. The Halloween ones are from Clipartpal.com.

Here are the links for the bats and the black cat.

The words I just made with photoshop elements. But you can use any word program.

I’m getting addicted to collecting fonts.

Some tips when working with vellum.

Set your printer to fast or however you make a quick copy so that it uses less ink.

It will dry faster.

Also, make sure you have clean hands as it does pick up oils easily.

Even from the candles, as I soon learned.

I think they turned out pretty cool. The taller one does need a taller candle.

I just have those little metal covered votives in them. Or you can use the battery operated ones.

I tried out the Fall trees in color.

It doesn’t show up quite as well but still gives a bit of color and a soft glow.

The fall leaves came from HalloweenClipArt.com.

They are easy to swap out to other designs because there is just a strip of the double sided tape holding it together in the back. They would look great on the Thanksgiving table or even across the mantel.

And the design options are endless.

You know what would look cute?

One letter on each votive.

Maybe something shorter.

I don’t think I have that many votives to spell Give Thanks!

Here is what they look like during the day.

Pretty cute.

But the glow you get from them at night is even better.

Thanks so much Suzanne for letting me hang out here with you today!

I LOVE the look of those candles! Aren't they pretty? You gave me some ideas for Christmas, too!
Thanks, Anita!