Blast from the Past - Picnic Tables Inside

When browsing Apartment Therapy (pics from Apartment Therapy), they did a post on picnic tables in the home. It was a total blast from the past.

Years ago, I had a friend who had decorated her home with a simple put it together yourself redwood picnic table. I thought it was so cool, (do they still use cool)? Well, anyway, everything old is new again, and I love it. If you have the space totally fun.

Now, this same friend, used to go to the store and buy (not all at once), but over time, one of every color towel that she liked, and had no matching towels in her bathroom. Hmmmmmm.

Decorating, never finished, always a work in progress.

"Make it work people," Tim Gunn. Works for design too.

Restoration Hardware New Catalog

The new Restoration Hardware Catalog is online now. Restoration Hardware. They have some great fun stuff.

Currently loving the artwork lining the walls. Would be easy to replicate with book pages, and simple black frames, you could do a whole wall for the price of one piece of art. Now, about that sofa? Love it or hate it?

Is that the wildest chandelier you have seen? Loving gray.

Loving the worn lived in look.

Bees in the Tree

Every year these bees build this huge nest in the tree out by the fence. At least this year we saw them. The first year we didn't see them thru the leaves and found the nest at the end of the fall. Now if they would just polinate the trees.

Stuffed Jalapenos and the US Open

I have a bounty of jalapenos from the garden. It think I will stuff them (see older post on stuffed jalapenos), and then get set to watch the start of the US Open.

Great Sunday.

Edit: I guess the US Open starts Monday. :( I guess I will have to find some trashy tv.

Patty Melt

My mom loved patty melts. So, I decided to try my hand at them. Simple, easy, and yummy.
Pat out your hamburger, and fry it, then set aside. Toast some bread, add your cheese, hamburger, and butter the bread, and grill just like a grilled cheese. I added some chopped jalapenos to mine too. Yum.

Make a patty melt this weekend. Even better than a regular hamburger.

Bounty of Tomatoes

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. Love summer tomatoes.

Next year I am growing just tomatoes, jalapenos, and........hmmmm, not sure what else, had to pull the zucchini, bugs won.

Chopped Caprese Salad

One of the best parts of summer, tomatoes. Doesn't matter if you grow your own or depend on the grocery store.

Try a take on the Caprese Salad, by chopping everything. Add your balsalmic vinegar/vinaigrette as you want. I like to let everyone add their own. It is good with or without it.

Enjoy summer. Take a walk, eat a salad, smile.

Black Toilet Seat

I am sorry, I don't know where this picture is from. However, I love the black toilet seat. We have an old (ok, the whole house is old) toilet at the back of the house, technically it could be called an en-suite 3/4 bath in the hubs office. I just call it an old bathroom. I have the 3/4 shower covered and I am contemplating a black toilet seat. Just contemplating. Or as the hubs likes to say pondering.

What are you pondering this week?

Dutch Subway Slide

Just a Monday random time waster.

If you are Dutch and running late for the subway, you are encourage to take the slide, officially called the "transfer accelerator", it is installed next to the stairway in the newly renovated station Overvecht in the city of Utrecht. Wow, how fun would that be. Look how clean and neat everything is, no graffiti, no trash. Looks like fun.

Identify Your Favorite Candy Bar

Ok, one more Halloween goodie. Ya, I know it's like 2 months away. But, I couldn't resist. It took me a minute, but I found the Milky Way. Third row, all the way on the right. I like the little ones for Halloween, they are soft and squishy. The big ones are never as good. I also spy a Rolo, and Snickers. Ok, no more candy for me. But at least this is calorie free.

Have a sweet weekend.

Halloween Ghost Ring

I know it is only August, and it is back to school time. But, I don't know about you, I have been getting tons of Halloween emails. So, I thought I would think about what I was going to do this year. I decided last year to toss my old spiders, and go fresh.

Halloween ghost rings have been my favorite for years. I don't know why, I saw one once in someones yard and have always thought they were cute. So, I am currently entertaining the idea. Yes, this early.

Trick or Treat.

Thomas O'Brien's Personal House

I was thinking about houses and design, and how what was functional years ago, is not functional now. Then, I ran across this old picture of Thomas O'Brien's personal house and it says it all.

Don't you just love the 2 long console style tables. At first you might think they are dining tables, but no, they look to be for projects, reading, or a laptop perhaps, and the lamp, I am sure there is no plug, or he is doing like the rest of us and stringing it across the floor. You can even spy another chair in the foreground bottom right.

So, that brings me to my thought. Tables are great in family rooms, for anything, projects, homework, laptops, ok, snacking and watching trashy tv. So where do you find a good console type table like these? They are nice.
Close up of same room, with the tables set to eat at.

Close up of the tables set for fun and projects.

Repurpose, reuse, reinvent. Go for it. Oh, and here's a thought I read somewhere, if plan a or be fails, remember you have another 22 letters to go. Smile.

Painting Stairs

So we have these awkward old steps leading down to our family room. Came with the house. In fact, when we moved in, it was the top step and the two bottoms, and we added a layer of bricks, it was a long step down. They have been every color from brick red to black. When our dog was older, we painted them in this stripe, thinking it would be easier for him to see it. I don't know if it made it any easier for the dog, but it did for people walking between the rooms.

You can see in later shots, there are 2 sets of these stairs, one into and out of dining room, and one into and out of the kitchen.

Anyway, they were looking nasty, so they got a repaint. Like all painting projects, it did take longer than I anticipated, but was worth it.

Before.

Before.

After, I painted the tan, white, and left it striped because as you can see coming from the dining room, you do need to know it's there, and in the winter months this house can be kind of dark.

Looking into the dining room.

Wide shot, it is kind of cool, because it does keep the white of the bookcases running thru the room. Yes, I did just paint those solid white from a 2 tone. I love them white.

See the nasty old stairs go into 2 places. But since I am not ripping them out, I am just making do. And I do like. I was originally going to do a Novogratz and stencil or write, "watch your step", but the hubs was not a fan of that, so I said ok.

What are you working on? What are you making do with? Let me know.

Cheap Full Length Mirror

I really wanted a full length mirror in my bedroom. One to open it up, it is small and weird shaped. Two, so I could see my clothes after I get dressed.

However, I really didn't want to spend any money. So......

I have 3 miss matched mirrors that I have had around our house for the longest time. They are not really nice, got them at Big Lots, but they do the trick. I decided to make them match with some rustic copper spray paint.

I know everyone knows this --- but --- if you don't, spray paint goes everywhere with it's overspray. Learn from me, and paint in an area outside, where overspray won't get on cars, etc. Or make a spray box out of an old cardboard box. I personally like the box way myself.

Anyway, mirrors taped and ready to go. Spray paint cost $5.00, mirrors, already had, I think I paid $5.00 each at Big Lots many many years ago.

They were a weird silver, and goldish color.

Drying in the sunlight, after being painted and moved.

Hung vertically in my bedroom, now I have a full length mirror.

This would also look great with three different mirrors, or oval or round. Your choice.

Now for the weekend projects, more painting. Painting stairs, specifically stairs down to a family room, 3 down, odd, dark, and yuky. Maybe I should do a Novagratz and number them, or something.

Currently pondering.

Pics on Monday.

Painting Bookshelves

Ok, I finally psyched myself up enough to paint my bookshelves. Had I known how many dust bunnies, and dead spiders I was to encounter, I might have reconsidered. For some strange reason, I was under the impression I could do it in a couple of hours. Wrong. Try a couple of days, but so worth it.

Bookshelves before, in cream and tan. Listening to "Leave it to Beaver", while taking the books off.

What a mess. Bookcases being painted, and painted, and painted. Painting while watching a "Say Yes to The Dress" marathon.

Finally. Started the project on Saturday. Books back on shelves on Monday. Long project. So worth it. Yes, it is a straight white. It is the look I am going for.

Summertime

It's summer. Enjoy.

Photo above Elle Decor.

Grab a chair and read a book, or just take a nap.

Have a great weekend. I am hoping to paint. But, don't know if I will get to it.

Built In Furniture

With today's big box stores it is easier than ever to get a built in look. The shelves, and various things at Target and Walmart would work wonders as a faux built in.

Loving, this built in pink couch.

Do not know where pink couch pic is from.

Green built in below from Elle Decor. Love it.

Love the pillows on the raised fireplace, simple and fun.

Yay it's the weekend.

Animal Print Flats

I am loving animal print flats. My daughter has a pair and they are darling.
Found at: Forever21, $16.50. Bee at Atlantic Pacific, has on some great animal print flats. Love her out fit below. Click the link to see her great blog.

Image above, Bee, at Atlantic-Pacific blog, link above.

Coral Jeans Budget Friendly

Everything old is new again. The colored jeans of the 1980's are back. But this time they are Coral. Coral jeans are everywhere, but I found some that are budget friendly. The jeans below are from the Forever 21 website, Forever21, and they are $26.50.

What I am really coveting though is the black patent leatherette loafers, $24.80. Hmmmmm.

Calabacitas

You know that game you used to play as a kid -- the "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Oops" game. Well lately that is how I have been feeling about zucchini. I only planted one plant in a pot. Little did I know when I planted it that the hubs is not a fan. So the 3 or 4 zucchini I get, is too much for one. So, I have made zucchini bread, sauted it, put it in spaghetti. Now, my personal favorite, Calabacitas. Calabacitas, is a New Mexican dish, with any kind of squash, or zucchini, most make it with zucchini.

Super easy, chop up your zucchini, saute with a bit of butter in a pot, add onions, and garlic if you like, I added bell peppers from the garden (another thing the hubs isn't crazy about). Saute until soft, then add a can of chopped tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes with juice from your garden, throw in a bit of corn. Simmer down, and yum. I did add some green chilies to mine because I like the spice.

Best thing about this, is you can top with cheese or not, serve with any kind of protein, or just stir your protein on in.

So now how does that game go? Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini, Oops, Zucchini.......

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

My jalapeno plants are flourishing in my garden. So, what to do? Baked Jalapeno Poppers.

Take your jalapeno's, was dry, cut in half and seed.

Shred cheddar, or colby, or which ever cheese you prefer.

Take cream cheese and mix equal amounts of the cream cheese and your shredded cheese.

Place in the jalapenos, top with a touch of garlic salt, and bacon if you want (no bacon on mine, I forgot).

Bake on a cookie sheet 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and jalapenos are very soft, they kind of char on the bottom.

Below, stuffed and ready to go in the oven.

Out of the oven, they do kind of ooze a bit, just let sit for a minute and scoop the excess cheese back in.

Plate and enjoy. They are so good, you won't miss any of the deep fat frying at all. Make plenty as they will get gobbled up quickly.

Also good with peanut butter, instead of the cheese, just stuff with peanut butter and bake. The hot and the sweet is amazing. I will have to do the peanut butter next time.

Enjoy.

BBQ Chicken Salad -- What's for Dinner?

Dinner update!! My BBQ Chicken Salad.

For today's post read below. Yum.

I have an avocado on my kitchen counter, and a couple of tomatoes, and some chicken in the fridge. So, what's for dinner?

Well, I think I will go to Trader Joe's and pick up their Healthy 8 Chopped Veggie Mix, use a cup or so, and mix it with some salad lettuce, then.....

I am thinking bbq chicken salad. Best part, left over bbq chicken can be used on a pizza, (I like a pita pizza or an english muffin style). Also, if you have pita's you can just put the bbq chicken in them. Oh, and too many pitas to eat. Just freeze, seperate the pitas with wax paper, and put in their plastic bag, or a ziploc and freeze, when ready to eat, sit pita on counter on a paper towel, and they thaw quick.

For the bbq chicken, either bake in oven, or in a crock pot, just cook chicken, shred, or chop, and put on your salad. Reserve some to make a pizza tomorrow. For the pizza just add pizza cheese and bbq sauce and bake, 2 meals in one. Yum.


Picture below is CPK's bbq chicken salad. Great inspiration.

Cook once, eat twice. Oh, and bbq chicken is also great over the top of any rice.