Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!


Have a safe and Happy Halloween

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Orphan Furniture.....

Ever get an itch to buy something-- this happens to me mostly whilst browsing Overstock for something "practical"-- and then you buy it (damn you, Bill Me Later) and realize when it arrives you have absolutely no place, or use for it?

Case in point: The Ottomans.

I fell in LOVE with these, hard............(mine happen to be apple green-but they are the same)


But what I really needed was this guy (to the left here) So what did I do? I bought BOTH of them. So now I have FOUR ottomans. I justified it by telling myself all the things you tell yourself: It will be extra seating for guests! It adds a pop of color! They are so versatile! and my favorite: they all stack inside each other, so they won't take up that much room! 
Well, these babies showed up and the big one is HUGE! Three people can sit on it! Although I LIKE it, I really have no place for them.


I have moved them half a dozen times, and they have been in the den, the living room, and now the three of em are stacked inside each other in a corner of my living room.... where they will soon be leaving.....

So, my friends, what should I do? Craigslist? Maybe the kids rooms? Hmmm...they might like them.... oh no, NOT the garage, its already full of these orphans:
couch in there...

keeping this guy company...

and this guy too...
 Make it a Great Day!!
Ann

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mock Thanksgiving


For an Easy Weeknight Dinner, tonight I did my Mock Thanksgiving.... its basically chicken breasts (instead of turkey--although you certainly can use turkey breast for this)

I basically gather up all the ingredients, and go to town, making all of them at once practically. Its like Rachel Ray gone mad, I tell you! Your kitchen will smell amazing and all the family will come in and want to know: "Mom, Whats for dinner? It smells sooo good!"

First I get my chicken breasts and brine them. This adds extra juiciness and reduces the chances of the dreaded rubbery chicken. Keeps it tender and moist basically.
Step 1 Prep:
Preheat your oven to 400--if convection, use that setting--you'll be cooking all dishes at once
Brined Chicken

Chicken breasts (I used boneless skinless here, but bone-in skin on is great too)
    mix the following in a huge bowl
3 cups water, room temp
3/4 cup salt (I know it sounds horrible, but it will be drained)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

Put all this stuff in a bowl together and let it sit at least 1 hour and up to overnight in fridge.

Baked Sweet Potatoes
6 yams or sweet potatoes
Wash them, leaving the skins on, pierce them 4-5 times. Place them in a baking dish lined with foil. Put them in the oven while you prep--they will take at least 1 1/2 -2hrs hr to cook fully. (or microwave till soft, 4-5 mins per potato)


Spinach Stuffing
1 pkg boxed stuffing mix (1 bag)
1 cup water
1-2 tablespoons butter, melted
2-3 handfuls fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, chopped

Mix the water, butter and stuffing mix as the package directs, but don't cook it on the stovetop. Pam a small baking dish. Saute the onion in a nonstick pan, then add the spinach and wilt till reduced by half. Now mix everything together, including the egg, and put it all in the Pam'd baking dish. Set aside till ready to cook (put in fridge if more than 1 hr till cooking time)



Cranberry Relish

1 pkg fresh raw cranberries
1 medium navel orange
1/2 cup sugar

Mix the meat and rind of the orange(don't use the white part--its bitter) with cranberries and the sugar in the food processor. Let rest in the fridge till serving time. (If you like spicy you can add a seeded jalapeno to this:delish!)

Step 2 Cook, simultaneously:
I have a convection oven, so I use all 3 racks at the same time. If you don't, you can still cook this entire dinner at the same time--just put your chicken in the middle rack and turn it over once during cooking so all sides get browned.
Chicken
Drain from brine, discard brine.
Place flat on foil-lined baking sheet with the uneven side up--drizzle with soy sauce, garlic powder, and a little drop of honey. Bake in the middle rack for about 45min, then turn, discard any juices, and cook till browned on top-another 15 minutes or so.

Stuffing
Bake in the top or bottom rack for 45min-1 hour or until browned.

Gravy
Use packaged Turkey gravy (or Heinz in the jar---its really good!) prepare according to directions and keep warm on stovetop.


Sweet Potatoes
These should have been cooking the whole timeyou prepped, so check and make sure they are fork-tender. Serve with butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar, if desired. Yum!


Now its time to serve, and enjoy. Let your chicken rest at least 5 minutes before you serve it...keeps it juicy.
Don't forget about your relish. I'm telling you--its almost good as Thanksgiving!

{ Adorable }Hubs diggin in!
Make it a Great Day!
Ann

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Simplistic (Very) Plan for Fireplace

Remember I was looking for a new look for my ugly fireplace? Its one of my main design dilemmas in this house.

Here's the post where I originally shouted out for help. It still looks the same, almost a year later.

You all had great ideas, like tiling, tearing out rock, and hiring a contractor. But I need quick, and cheap free. (I'm totally on Dave Ramsey's "be cheep" plan, so I like free projects lately)

Well, I got the idea, from my very stylish SIL, to PAINT the big blocky rectangle in the center of the darn thing. I really wanted to preview how it would look--so not having any sophisticated design software, I did it in MS Paint by opening up my photo and just adding shapes filled with color to it using MSPaint. I know, its very Fischer-Price, but hey, it works.

The mock-up:
 Da Plan:
1. Paint the big white rectangle some darker shade that blends in w/ the existing stone (use a color I have in my "oops" paint arsenal)
2. Add a rustic mantle made from curbside trash reclaimed oak.
3. Beef up the existing picture I have with a frame I make from lumber in the garage
4. Arrange found items on the mantle
5. Maybe spray paint the fireplace screen.

I think this is something I can tackle in a weekend.

I'll let you know when I am finished!
Linking up to the following parties:


Today’s Creative Blog * All Thingz Related * Blessed With Grace  * I’m Topsy Turvy * Balancing Beauty and Bedlam * * All the Small StuffA Beautiful Mess 
Make it a Great Day!
Ann

Monday, October 25, 2010

Fantastic Blog Parties

This weekend I had a crick in my neck and couldn't figure out why. This morning, I woke up with one of those light-bulb moments: I was blog-party hopping a lot this weekend--every spare moment in fact-- and that's surely why. It is worth it, though...I'll be fine after I pop a couple of Alleve.

The motivation you get to get going on projects is terrific.


If you haven't already, check out a few of these T-rific blog parties--there's one or several any day of the week! (I also have my faves' buttons linked on my sidebar...) Enjoy!

Mondays: Between Naps on the Porch * The Girl Creative * Sumo’s Sweet Stuff * The DIY Showoff * Skip To My Lou *It's So Very Creative * Keeping it Simple * Craftomatic Mondays  

Tuesdays: Today’s Creative Blog * All Thingz Related * Blessed With Grace * Sugar Bee * I’m Topsy Turvy * It's a Blog Party * Balancing Beauty and Bedlam * * All the Small Stuff * Sweet Shot Tuesdays * A Beautiful Mess 

Wednesdays: Blue Cricket Design * Me and my Bucket * Someday Crafts * My Backyard Eden * Trendy Treehouse * Sew Much Ado  

Thursdays: House of Hepworths * Somewhat Simple * Fireflies and Jellybeans * Paisley Passions * Yesterday On Tuesdays * The Shabby Chic Cottage * Beyond The Picket Fence * Life as Lori 

Fridays: Tidy Mom * Designs By Gollum * A Little Knick Knack * Chic on a Shoestring Decorating * Decor Mamma * Fingerprints on the Fridge * Fun to Craft * The Shabby Nest * A Few of My Favorite Things * My Romantic Home  

Saturdays: La Bella Vita * Funky Junk Interiors * A Little Lovely * Tatertots and Jello * Be Different Act Normal  

Sundays: I Heart Nap Time * Under the Table and Dreaming * 
House of Thrifty Decor 

Sunday, October 24, 2010

My Color for den, kitchen, is FOUND!!

Here it is, Ben Moore's PALE SMOKE...
Pale Smoke


I am cutting it by 1/2 with white, because the room is a cave and all 4 walls are being painted...  I read this once in the Paint Colors section of House Beautiful.

I complained posted about this dilemma in this post a little while ago.
Here's the area I am talking about:

Ugh!! Soooooo Boring!
Here it is painted in one of my fave rooms ever--Katy Lee Joel's NY townhouse, decorated by Nate Berkus featured in the late, great Domino (STILL missing that mag!)
Domino Magazine

Here's another example of it on the wall from Bossy Color

I really am loving it and can't wait to see it on my walls!

Make it a GREAT DAY!
Ann

Saturday, October 23, 2010

A Healthy Salad for Lunch

Sometimes, you just need a salad. I make a modified Salad Nicoise for hubs and I and it goes something like this:

Salade Nicoise a la Ann
Salad greens, about 2 cups, whatever you got
Cold chicken, tuna, salmon (whatever was leftover from dinner last night--or use canned)
1 can sliced beets (or 1 cup freshly roasted and sliced)
1 medium size potato, steamed and cut in 1" chunks
1 cup string beans, steamed
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1-2 Tablespoons dried cranberries
1-2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews, or pumpkin seeds or any combo therein

Divide salad and veggies between 2 plates, arrange attractively. Pile the protein on top. Then top generously with the dressing, then the cranberries, seeds/and or nuts. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper...Enjoy!


Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing....
(or use Bob Big Boy Lite Blue Cheese...or any good bottled Blue Cheese dressing)
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayo
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
splash of red wine vinegar

Mix it all up with a wire whisk--whisk in a little milk if it looks too thick to you--
Chill, covered, up to one day

Thursday, October 14, 2010

I'm so excited!

Thanks to Thrifty Decor Chick--her post here-- I have been dreaming of bamboo blinds with silky curtain panels for my DR and LR...
both photos from ThriftyDecorChick  


Well I finally ordered them from Overstock! They had 75" width too!!! So I ordered them up--I just hope the color is ok... originally I fell in love with this one, called Rustique:


But I feared it was too yellow (I have a fear of yellow)

So, I went with these, called Dali: (GASP--I hope they're not too dark--my rooms are so dark..but they will be up most of the time so I should be ok)



They will hang about 2" from the ceiling, to visually heighten my ceiling ... and the rod even with it... so you will see the blinds, then the panels beside. I was also inspired by  Joni Webb at Cote de Texas and her exhaustive research in this invaluable post on do's and don'ts of window treatments here... ahh I just love the look of the windows!!Here are some gems from Joni's post, enjoy! Pure inspiration:





Can't wait to get them..and yes I used my 7% off coupon--plus can not beat their 2.95 total shipping Love the "O"!!!

Make it a Great Day!
Ann

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Curtain panel decisions.....

Help! I found these nice curtain panels at Walmart....9.00 each. So I bought 5 of each.

There an Ivory silk-look panel with lining, and a soft taupe plaid... I like them both!

I need to do 1 big picture window in the LR and a set of corner windows in the DR--its really one big room, long and narrow....so these rooms are on one end and then the other...confused yet?
Plaid in the dining room

plaid and ivory on the other side--which one better?

close up of the "silk" ivory panel--really pretty huh?

ugh-sorry for the awful pic--imagine blinds gone, replaced by rattan shade--and which panels?


same window as above-plaid close-up...

peek of sofa with it--ivory panel...

Which do you like?

Make it a Great Day!
Ann

Monday, October 11, 2010

My green sofa and chair...and house tour Oct 11 2010

Well here's what my house looks like this morning. (the boxes by the fireplace are Entertainment Books..which I volunteered to help sell at school--try to ignore)


 The green sofa I talked about in this post........


another view............


Here's the infamous polka -dot recliner--ahem--HUBS crazy polka-dot recliner. In the den. I must say it did bring some much-needed life....but now what do I accessorize with? ACK!!!! I have to get rid of all the other patterned pillows/fabrics that don't match this ...


View into dining room.... boy that mirror/buffet looks way off scale-wise doesn't it--that big walls is so bare! gotta try and get that mirror hung- or maybe move this  entire setup into the entry hall...

gawd....do I need a bigger area rug or whaaaat! saw one I like at Home Depot, but I am scared its too "patterny"...


Here's a close-upmy Halloween vignette (I don't mean vinaigrette aka salad...hope I spelled it right lol)
The houses and figures are Nightmare Before Christmas....


But how I wish I knew how to mix patterns like Sarah Richardson...how does she do that? So many patterns, yet it never looks "busy" to me

Or Laurie Smith from trading spaces fame:

great book btw....


Well, that's it for now--
Make it a Great Day!
Ann