Simple Timeless Elegant

Grace Kelly, or Princess Grace of Monaco. Always, simple, timeless and elegant.
Great inspiration. Enjoy.

Love the muted colors of old photos.

Beautiful.

Zhuzh -- Zhush -- Guest Room -- Office

About a week ago, I did a quick zhuzh on my guest room. (You can see it several posts down). I have Jack and Jill rooms at the front of the house that my daughter used to live in, and they just never are quite right. Since it is an old house, most rooms can't be rearraged, they are small and once the furniture is there not much changing can be done (okay accessories etc for sure can be changed). However, I am a perpetual rearranger ( I think it is in illness) truthfully, having a bad day, I rearrange. Bored, rearrange.

So, I decided to re-zhuzh, the guest room and my office. Before pics several posts below. Now to do something with the old dark wood of the furniture. But you know a project, once you start you sometimes wish you hadn't (kind of worried about that with the dresser).
Taken from the doorway. Twin bed, and TV, dresser,etc. Back in it's old location, with stuff added, (accessories).

Taken from the bed, door is on the right. Moved the exercise equipment (sweater drying exercise equipment) out to another room, now it is just a guest room, or watch trashy tv room.

The other room, my tulle desk, and pleather desk. Lately I have totally loved white, yes, it is a color. Pic taken standing in door. (No befores, this room changes all the time).

Standing just in door and looking to the left, the clothing drying equipment, oops, exercise equipment is now back in here.

Also, all the stuff waiting to go on Ebay. I think I like it. I may leave it this way awhile.

Zucchini Bread

The garden is finally starting to grow. This zucchini hid itself, and was a little large, so I decided to make some low fat, low sugar, zucchini bread. Yum.

The shredded carrots and zucchini.

The wet ingredients. (Recipe at bottom).

In the pans ready to bake.

Cooling.

Yum. Ready to eat.

I got the amazing recipe here. Food.com .

Soooo yummy, and froze some for later. I have never worked with wheat flour, and it was good. Try it.

Pinch Pleat Duvet Cover

Because my wonderful daughter was soooo loving the West Elm Pleated Duvet Cover, just not the price. I did a quick search and found how to make one for her --- super cheap.

I went To Tah-Jay (Target) one of my faves, and bought a king size black duvet set on sale $20.00, (for a queen bed).


I took a large flat rate priority mail box (12" x 12") and marked my blocks and my middle x's.

Then, I made this strip that is 1/2" wide, and pinched the pleats, and hand sewed and tied them, one by one. Took a bit of time, but that is what trashy TV is for.

For the amazing finished look, go to my daughter's blog. Bangbylo . She shows the finished duvet on her bed with her new sheets. (It is a couple of posts down, she is faster than I am at posting) It looks great if I do say so myself. It also gives the links to the great instructions of the other bloggers that had done it before me, and I used their great instructions. Hope over and take a look. Totally worth it.

Barn Doors Inside

We have been working on a wine room, and are putting in a hanging barn door. These are giving me great inspiration. Love them all.

Can't wait to get to the door stage. We are using an old wooden screen door that my daughter and the hubs bought years ago, it is a natural wood and fits the door space perfectly. Our local hardware store actually had the barn door tracks and hardware, at an insanely cheap price. So check your area, and look to your rural hardware stores if you are interested in this look.

New Joe's Special

The reason I am posting about cooking, is my daughter has inspired me to cook once in awhile. (I am a baaaaad cook). This is one of the hubs favorite dishes. His dad called it the New Joe's Special, (an old Army dish).

It is one of those breakfast, lunch, dinner dishes.

My version is super easy.
Scrambled Eggs
Sausage
Box of creamed spinach
Out of toast so served with pita slices.

The original version.
Scrambled Eggs
Hamburger meat
Spinach
Dash of vinegar (after it is cooked, just dash, and stir in then serve).

There are so many things you can add, like cheese, salsa, want it vegan, just use vegan meat substitute products.

Happy Weekend

I am feeling very Mad Men, this weekend. Just found Mad Men for instant download on Netflix, or as I say on Roku. Anyway, fun series, especially the first 2 seasons.

Also feeling very late 70's early 80's seeing tons of Gray Kitchens. Mine is a green gray, and looking a little sad. Seeing so many gray kitchens makes me want to do a repaint. But, I told myself I would not repaint the kitchen, until I had finished all my other paint projects. So, I may finally be painting bookshelves this weekend. I see a long boring project in my future. Now, if I could just visualize it finished. (Removing the books, cleaning the shelves, painting the shelves, waiting for them to dry, loosing interest, oops, giving them a second coat, more waiting to dry, puting it all back). Hmmm.

Enjoy the amazing pics of Grace Kelly. What era are you feeling right now?

Ahhhh, Happy Weekend.

Happy Weekend

JFK was President 1961-1963, I assume this pic is from then. Love the fact that everyone is so dressed. They appear to be on a large boat. Love the hint of a chair to the right. I think my grandparents had a chair like that in their den area. Scarves, sunglasses, navy, what's not to love about this photo. Everything old is new again.

Can't wait for the new Mad Men to start. Happy weekend.

Random

Just random things I am loving.

Friendship bracelets. Remember them? Love them, on grown ups, love.

This reminds me of an old camp style bracelet.

Pic below, Love everything. The British pillow, the black, the white, the red, the color.

Love seeing throws on furniture.

Below, Rachel Zoe's old house. Can't wait to see this new season and her new digs. I love the chairs, and the art stacked on the floor, and the handbag.

Have a Happy Friday.

Do you Zhuzh - Zhush ?

Do you Zhuzh, or Zhush? Zhuzh - to fluff, fix, change, alter, spruce. Do you? Well in a perfect world, we all have tons of money and just buy anything we want. However, nothing is perfect, so zhuzhing must be done. I like to fix, change, zhuzh, when I need a change, or the room needs a change.

The room below, so needs a zhuzh.

Before, guest room, collect all room, exercise room, and watch trash tv (when no one else wants to room). Crowded, really crowded.
Pic below is from the doorway.

Too much stuff crammed in, but truthfully nowhere for it to go.

Crowded and you can't open the closet door.

Room, rearranged, with a touch of zhuzh. Needs some more, but getting started.

Pic is from the doorway. The mirror is coming down, and yes, that is leftover light lavender paint in the corner from many years ago when my daughter's room was that color, the dresser hid it and it never got painted. I guess I should break out the paint. I really loved that color.

Pic below is from the bed, now you can open the closet, and the exercise equipment is useable. Trashy TV is still available from the day bed. Refrigerator from other bedroom was added, it may have to move, but right now no place for it. Hmmmm.

It feels much more relaxing.

Zhuzh - Zhush something for yourself today.

Container Garden Update

Here in the southwest, we had cold weather until mid May, so the garden is slow in getting started. But, hopefully some Big Jim's and some Jalapenos will be forthcoming.

Tomato worms have been eating me out of house at home, I was cutting them out, but finally had to break down and spray. Found many dead. Where do they come from? Oh, well, still no tomatoes, hopefully soon, the Early Girls are there just not ripe.

Do you garden? Oh how I wish the grass would eventually grow up to meet this area.

Painting Doors to Match House

Finally done!! I painted the 2 back doors to match the house. I had the paint so I went for it. The doors are still old and sag, and don't match. But, all in all I think they look better. The porch is very beige, I should bring in some pops of color.

What are you working on this weekend?

Painting Doors

Finally I am getting around to painting my doors. I have been totally procrastinating. When I started preping them I realized how far behind I was. The old wood doors really needed painting. I started by taking off the screen door. I kept it and am going to use it as a sliding barn door for our wine room, (still working on that).

Then I cleaned, sanded and primed the door.

Yay!! You might wonder why I painted it to match the house. Well, it is an old wood door, and there 2 that go outside, and they don't match, and the porch is huge, and they both kind of sag, and, and, and, I really just wanted the doors to receed into the woodwork so to speak.

I also had the paint, so that was a major win, no money needed. It does kind of hide the sagginess.

Porch showing both doors. (Painting the other one today). Will post pics.

Lots of taping. But I know it will look good.

I am trying to do at least 3 projects a week around the house. We are sooooooo far behind.

House maintenance. What are you working on?

Jolly Ranchers

You know when you are running errands, and one of the places you go has Jolly Ranchers and you have to select the one you want. Well, which is your favorite? Me, the Cherry. When my daughter was young it was the Grape, I will have to ask which is her favorite now.

Age moment here, (you were warned).... years ago they came in thin hard bars you could get at the gas station. I have to admit I much prefer them like this, in the little pieces.

Southwestern Salad

I love an amazing salad. It is no secret I love the McDonald's Southwestern Salad. Costco makes a version too (although most of the time they are out). Anyway, I decided to make my own, so I could have it whenever I pleased.
Super simple.
1 bottle of Spice Ranch
1 bag of salad
Use your discretion-- crumbled Doritos Nacho Flavor (learned this from the Costco version)
Cheese
Tomatoes
Chicken Nuggets
Subtract anything you don't like....
Add anything you might like:
Hardboiled Egg
Bacon Bits
Corn
Black Beans
Garbanzo Beans

Best part, was it was so cheap to make, and I had the makings for more.

Yum.

Drying Lavender

Our neighbors down the block went to a Lavender picking party the other day and brought us 2 huge bunchs of lavender. They told us to dry it upside down, so I decided to Google it to see where would be best. A cool dry place, (like a garage) was recommended, and out of direct sunlight. Well here in the southwest I am afraid my garage is not cool, it may be dry though. So I decided to try inside, and I will keep an eye on them and move them should they need it. I will check my garage today just in case they need a change for their drying.

The flowers are beautiful.

The lavender is so fragrant, I have one bunch hanging from a clothing rack in my office.

One bunch hanging from the doorway to my guest room, that side of the house smells amazing.

Now, for vases..... anything goes. I use all the ones below for flowers, everything from an old silver pitcher, to beer and wine glasses. It is said that flowers lessen anxiety. If you need a pick me up, a single rose or carnation cut with about a 2" stem floating in a wine glass or champagne flute will make you smile, and the cost minimal.

I am looking forward to putting some dried lavender in my silver pitcher.

White Tulle Tutu Desk

The Blog Absolutely Beautiful Things, showed a Black Tutu Tulle Desk, I loved it so much, I interpreted it in white for my office.

I used an old wicker cabinet that had seen better days. There is just cheap white fabric back, with layered tulle hot glued onto it, and then stapled onto the desk.
I left the back open so I could access the storage, and it has a glass top.

Glass top.

Super ugly before pic.

My daughter has one in black. When working with black tulle it is easier to sew, than use hot glue as the glue will show thru on the black.

Weekend projects. What are you working on?