The Bread of My Life

So I am on a journey of learning where my food comes from. I am way behind the curve ball on all of you foodies and health nuts, but I have an excuse. I haven't had TV in like two years and I haven't rented movies in a long, long time. It may sound lame, but I swear on a stack of Bibles it is true. Okay, enough of the hand-wringing over my ignorance. I watched the movie "Food Inc." and I was like Snow White when she was kissed by the prince. Poof, I woke up from my food stupor. I may be a decade too late, but I have arrived!

And like the good student I am, I immediately ran my fingers over to amazon.com and ordered the book The Omnivores Dilemma, which I highly recommend. But lest you think I was not serious about the origins of my food and it was just another one of my "phases," I lost never-to-be-found-again hours glued to Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm videos on YouTube and listening to him speak at conferences. I even developed a secret crush on him. I know, I know, he wears funny hats and high-waters. But alas my crush moved on. This time to a really fascinating and scruffy farmer guru on Meet the Farmer TV. I can't say for sure why, but I might would have married him too.

So after a few months of educating myself and trying to buy whole, healthy, and pesticide-free foods that were not genetically engineered, I discovered I was going to have to cook again. I know. I also discovered a great blogger who loves to do things on a budget like moi, check out Hillbilly Housewife. I made her "Beginner's Bread," and it turned out great. My small success has whet my appetite to bake more.

I don't know about you, but I am so ready for fall activities and fall food. Making this bread just makes me want to bake and nest. We have been suffocating from the heat all summer in South Carolina and this past week was the first time you could feel fall stealthily moving in. The morning air had that oh-so subtle change in temperature and the drone of the cicadas has been replaced by the din of the crickets at night. The background music of tree frogs is fading and the dead leaves have been dancing all day as they fall from the trees. This, my friends, is the bread of my life.

Strike When the Iron Is Hot!

One of the things I love about summer is all of nature's colorful vegetables. I miss having my own garden, so I am always happy to oblige friends who want to avail me with their leftover bounty. When I did have my garden, I canned or froze what we couldn't eat. I guess I wasn't as generous. It all gets ripe at one time, so if you are going to have a garden you need a plan. So when I received this unexpected windfall, I immediately thought--stir fry!

So I pulled out the food processor my son bought me and got to gettin!

When it was all said and done, I froze two quart-sized bags of peppers and squash and still had my stir fry with leftovers to share. 

Lest you think I have been lazy around the house just because I haven't posted, I have been trying to complete some projects. I finally found the time this Saturday to cut the fabric for the second lampshade I needed to recover. Funny thing is, I guess I didn't measure twice and cut once. The fabric was way too short and there was no remedy. So what did I do, you ask? What any self-respecting non-crafter does, I bought two new lampshades. And I must say, I couldn't have done it better myself. Purdy, no?

 

So remember people, strike when the iron is hot, but measure twice and cut once!

Publish Post

Additions to the Family

It has been ages since I posted but much has happened. I left for my short Mrytle Beach trip and everything went crazy. My computer crashed and my mother got seriously ill and was hospitalized. The month of July has flown by and my magazine has not yet made it to the web or any of my other projects completed. There are, however, some bright spots to an otherwise hectic summer. Namely, a few new additions to my family of which I am very proud. First, is Graham. The red-headed sweetie in the pic below who asked my daughter to marry him. Cute couple, huh?

Not only is he easy on the eyes, he is handy! Thanks to Graham my Sleepy Poet chandelier is now hanging over the dining table:

We now will be able to see what we are eating and I am hoping that is a good thing. Gotta love a man who knows how to work a power tool AND electricity! 

The other new addition to the family is the metal seahorse you see here that I picked up at Ross for the incredibly expensive price of $12.99. This picture on the wall, though large, was just plain lost in the space. Though I love my seahorse, I have to say "no" to any more sea-themed items. One more nautical item and I will be teetering into tacky. Next for this room is finishing the other candlestick lamp shade and recovering those awful chairs.

The other edition to the family happened in May when Ailis and Robbie got hitched. I hate the circumstances of the visit this past weekend, but I am so glad I got to know this cutie a little better. He is a firefighter and an all around great guy, even if he does wear NY tees. You go Ailis! 

After a long day of visiting with "Grandma Sandy," a family game time was much needed. We watched family videos of when the gang were just rug rats and looked at old family photo albums.  Lots of laughter and good times were had by all. Of all the tragedies this month, including my best friend at work whose husband was in intensive care for weeks following a terrible car accident, the sound of my family laughing filled my heart with joy!

Let There be Light!

Here is my "new" used chandelier that I picked up last Saturday at the Sleepy Poet for the outrageous price of $15.97. Steep, I know. Notice she has some turquoise on her? Hmmm, I wonder how that happened! LOL! So, I have to hook her up and swag her over. This requires using the stud finder. Don't get excited ladies, it is not as fun as it sounds. I must admit that while I am a whiz with a paint brush, I am a loser with tools. I am the only person I know who can use the stud finder and still put holes in the drywall without making contact. Who does that? All those whistles and bells in the wrong places! Thanks to this special skill I have, this lil beauty will sit here until I am REALLY motivated to get her up. They say electricity is our friend. I say, scared to death!

 

Please do not focus on these ugly chairs (sorry mom, I really do love you. But what were you thinking:?). This room is going to shine! God said, "Let their be light." And I say, "Amen!" But is there such a thing as rent-a-husband? I am a brave, brave girl, but electricity scares me. I guess it's nothing a few Miller Lite's won't cure? Just kidding! Do not do while intoxicated! Hope to recover my courage this week and show you some "afters" when I get back from the beach. I have way too much to do and only one week off--the painting, the magazine,  and the beach. Sounds horrible, doesn't it?  This is why I love Maxwell House. I don't go for that Starbucks stuff.  I mean, why waste, I mean spend, $4 for just ONE cup of java, when you know you need a whole pot. Quantity ladies, not quality, that's what I always say.  Besides, I can sleep when I am dead. Have a great holiday everyone!

The Sleepy Poet

Had a lot of fun today with Laura visiting the shops at The Sleepy Poet. This place goes on FOREVER! Be prepared to spend at least 2 hours. The variety of styles was crazy. Almost every photo I took was blurry, but I do have to show you this one just because it featured a domino shout-out. And you know your heart beats a little faster when you see domino!

What woman does not love a big, rustic farm table. It is part of the fantasy of a big family get together with great food and a few good bottles of wine:

I was somewhat disappointed though.Word to the wise for my fellow bloggers who rent spaces: I understand it took time and money to find items and you have to pay rent, but pleazzzzeee, no off-the-hook prices. Sleepy Poet had a LOT of foot traffic but hardly any buyers. I picked up about 20 items I liked, but not at those prices. Keep in mind that only two types of people shop these places--antique hunters and bargain hunters.  Remember your customer.

I Want That!

I was browsing photos of my favorite color combo these days, turquoise and orange, and found this photo.  I want that! I want to be in this boat. Now, please! It has been so hot in South Carolina.

This photo posted on House of Turquoise caught my eye and I am hoping that Erin doesn't mind that I am reposting it here.  After all, we do share the same love of turquoise. For more gorgeous photos featuring turquoise, you must visit her site.

 

Is it summer escapism or is it just that this room makes me long to get my feet in the sand and find a fishing pole? I have five more working days until a much needed vacation. I have given myself two whole days of R&R at Myrtle Beach but the rest of the time will be spent actually launching my new magazine, Royal Diadem, on ISSUU.  If any of you have used this platform and have some tips, by all means send them to me! Two days at the beach just isn't enough so some friends and I will be booking a cruise by the end of next week to go to the Bahamas in September. Can't wait to lock that down!

Last night I got the last permission I needed from one of the big players for the magazine. Very excited about that, but I have one more ad to build and then it is launch time with all the techno-babble that entails. I am thinking that when I get frustrated, I'll just grab a paint brush and knock out a few of those projects I brought home in the pickup. Here's a peek at the front and back covers. The fonts didn't transfer here because I am posting from a different computer, but this is the basic look:

Tonight is small group with the ladies. We are winding down our Ester series with some banana pudding I made early this morning and have chilling in the fridge. I am finally visiting the Sleepy Poet in Charlotte on Saturday with my friend Laura so I am sure I will have some great pics to post from that.

The Morning After

So before church this morning, I chose to give my oriental ginger lamp her overdue pedicure.  Here are the before and afters:

                                    Before

                                      Much Better!

I picked up the lamp shade yesterday for $5. Even using tape, I still had to clean up the base because I don't have precision painting skills, but it was an easy fix and it really is a gorgeous lamp. The little bit of black paint that seeped under the tape came off with no problem with a Q-tip and acetone. Here is a shot of the bleeds:

I also recovered one of the graphic lamp shades I purchased new but then didn't like. I had the idea to recover them for the candlestick lamps I picked up a few weeks ago to light my buffet, which I still have to repaint turquoise. My friend Doris suggested I use Mode Podge and it worked really well.  Here they are straight off the truck:

The fabric that I chose is a beachy Tommy Bahama knockoff that doesn't scream pink flamingos or stripped bass. I got it for the incredibly expensive price of 12 cents at a local thrift shop. (It was originally a quarter, but fabric was half off that day. Go me! BTW, I gave them a quarter anyway. It was for charity, silly!)  I like the pastel contrast with all of the dark wood in the dining room:

I think this sexy pair is going to look great on my new turquoise buffet. I am waiting for all of the glue to dry so I can trim the hems with a razor blade. When I turned on the lamp, you could see the uneven hem. Ugly! I will say that this is not a one-dimensional drum shade and it probably took me over an hour to glue it because the bottom of the shade is wider than the top of the shade. I will never intentionally recover a fabric shade with this type of dimension. But like it or not, I have one more to do.

 

I know that everyone wishes brass would go away but it will be back! Mauve, God forbid! The hinges on my dining set are brass and the mirror you see in the background is a true relic. I picked it up about 12 years ago at the Herald's Largest Yard Sale when I didn't even have a wall to hang a mirror on. I moved that baby everywhere I moved. Somethings are a classic and you just know it.

I am no designer but I hate for styles to dictate my home. I have made many mistakes trying to find my own style, particularly being too trendy, but I have learned that just because everyone else is yinging, you can still yang. So you can stop curling your lip at my brass. Before you can say, "in a skinny minute," you will be sitting in a house full of out-of-style brushed nickle wishing you listened to me. Get what you love and learn the art of mixing the classics with contemporary. Trust me, you will be a happier homemaker!