Greeting card made with Smilebox

Fireplace Fix-up

I think we all get into ruts...we cook the same meals, we buy the same foods, we decorate our house and then think it's good for the next 5 or 10 (or even 15 years...gasp!) And then we look around at the same surroundings day in and day out and wonder why we are bored with everything. Of course, most of us don't have the money, time or energy to remodel our kitchen or master bedroom every other year, but you can constantly be re"fresh"ing things!  You would be surprised how many little things can be done either very inexpensively or free just by changing up those accessories and small pieces of furniture from room to room. 

I have had these two dark brown iron lanterns in my formal living room since we moved here.  I love their shapes and sizing.  So, the other day, when I decided that our fireplace hearth needed a redo, they got moved approx. 30 feet.  I took down the fireplace tools (that are also in their third home) down to the basement and decided that the arrangement was going too! 

We needed a whole new look!

                               So this is the hearth before....

After: This is the new look with all old things from different places.  The big lantern now has a candle in it and at night casts wonderful shadows throughout the room because of the cutouts.  I love it more than ever! I've even been lighting it during the week, when we aren't even expecting company!! It is like getting something totally new.  And, it's a great way to use up old half-burnt candles. The amber jar never really had a home...it had a lid that I kept on it and when I took the lid off, I had a new opportunity! These peachy and green grasses look they were made for that vase. What is hard to see in the picture is the great amber, "see through kind of color" in the vase.  So pretty!

 If you buy pieces you truly love, whether they are a $1 or $200, you will find a home for them! My style is definitely traditional and it is important to keep in the custom of the architecture of your home when purchasing big-ticket items.

So, walk around, look through drawers and closets... pull out that old lamp that has seen better days...get some spray paint and make a change!!

Fresh Perspectives

Ok, I have had this flower arrangement for a long time.  A very long time.  When you look at the "before" picture, you are going to probably say, "I like that vase of flowers." But, I felt it long overdue for something new and fresh. It has been on my Dining Room table here in this home for 6 years, and in our prior home for 4 years, and I won't even go back further than that... (you get the picture!)  I have lovingly cleaned it and spruced it up every year so it is still in very nice shape. 

So, I saw this idea for three little glass vases with hydrangeas haphazardly placed on a formal dining table in a magazine. I promptly checked Hobby Lobby and Michaels but their stems were still more than I wanted to pay.  On my last trip to Sidney I found all that I needed at one store! I bought 3 small vases, 3 bags of clear vase filler, 3 round mirrors and 4 bunches of pale green hydrangeas.

Viola, a little snipping with a wire cutter and a little glass polishing and we are all set! 

So, I have $13 dollars in this small project. I'm sure if you do the math you can figure what store enabled me to have a fresh perspective on my dining room! 

No, I'm not getting rid of my old arrangement.  That is one secret about me.  I don't throw anything away!!  I have an area in the back room of the basement where my "castaways" and "rejects" have a home.  You never know when you might just need that 25 year old dusty blue speckled 2 piece canister set!!   (...that was transformed this summer for Lauren to match her new kitchen...) I'm not kidding!  That is a true story! I pulled out my first canister set, (even before we were married) and spray painted it just a few months ago!  Don't get rid of anything...and if you feel the need to, call Me and I'll transform it for you! 



Good Day for Jenna!

Enough about me today...want to share some good news that Jenna had this afternoon.  She is working as an Undergraduate Research Asst. for the Canaday Center at The University of Toledo. She started 2 weeks ago and the job will end when she graduates this May.  Great for her resume and awesome experience.  She is building the web site for a new rare book collection for the University's library. After a very short time being there, they asked her today if she would like a $2 an hour raise!! I don't care what you are making...that is a great compliment! Way to go Jenna!! ....you sure must be doing something right!

Changes

Well, I had a few extra minutes today.
 
I'm still a little sore and after getting groceries with a much needed trip out of the house yesterday, I'm trying not to overdo it today. I needed a little couch time. I know, I feel really guilty.


So, what do you think?  I really liked my old page, but saw some new options today and started making little changes here and there. I wasn't exactly sure and kind of wanted to go back to my old page, and couldn't!!  It is no longer an option!  So, I was forced to make a change, and you know, maybe this will get me switching it up a little more often.  I wasn't ready for too much of a "springy" look (well, I actually am, but forcing myself to wait until March 1st for anything official in my home or blog!) and definitely didn't want any more snow out there, so settled on this in-between kind of "sunshiney" look.


I also have another idea. I have been following a couple of home decorating/DIY/interior design type blogs.  You know the ones that really give you inspiration.  I saw a couple of ideas that are so inexpensive if not free to make little (or big) changes to your home and have really became enamored with the idea.  But, I'd really like your feedback.


I am going to show you in the next few days a couple of small projects I have been working on around the house. You know, before and after pictures. But, you need to tell me what you think.  I started this blog primarily for myself and to have a diary of sorts of our life in a small town with a bunch of kids. So, this The Fab Five would stay the same and I would start a second blog.  I would have its concentration be on DIY with design and also a little cooking/recipe ideas thrown in.  There might be a little overlapping, but hey, It's my blog and I can do whatever I want!!  (Such a neat concept!)


I only have a few followers right now and to be honest, I'm still shocked every week to see how many people come and visit and are actually intereseted in our life, but I would think it would be fun to have the other blog "grow"!  There are hundreds of blogs out there that are making thousands of dollars a week.  I know, I know, "Julie...slow it down."  I'm not sure I even have what people want to see, but hey, you never know until you try and this is something that has always been a passion of mine, so we'll see!


So, be patient and share as you see fit and please, please, please.....give me feedback! I don't even know who is out there watching and reading....  ????

Request

I had a few requests for this recipe so thought I would share with everyone.

Pizza Crust  from scratch
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast or 6 1/2 tsps.
1 1/3 cups warm water 
4 cups bread flour (you can use all purpose, but not as good!)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon white sugar
Italian Seasoning, Oregano, Basil, Garlic powder, etc. to taste


In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Put all ingredients in breadmaker and lastly add yeast mixture.  Push dough cycle. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Form dough and roll out into desired shapes and sizes. Place on lightly greased pans or I use pizza stones. Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven at 375-400 until golden brown, about 20 minutes.


{}Sometimes, I will let the crust rise again a little before putting on toppings.  I use this crust for thin crust or thick and even for a deep dish in a large 9" deep pie pan or casserole dish.  Also, great for breadsticks....brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt!!


{}When the crust is thick, I bake for 5-7 minutes alone (to keep from crust getting soggy) before loading up the toppings!


{}Last week when I made this, the recipe made one 14 inch thick crust, one 10 deep dish and one 10 inch thick crust. (it makes a lot!!)  Also fun to make individual pizzas and let everyone make their own. Great party idea! The recipe can be halved.

Some things never change....

I rarely go back over old posts...a couple times a year...but happened this morning after publishing my last post to see what we were up to last year at this time. 
Hmmm....  some things never change....

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Shortest Post Ever
I absolutely hate this weather. I hate the snow, I hate the wind, I hate the cold. Period.

Slips, Snow, Squirrels and Spring?

Basically an uneventful weekend on first thought. We watched the varsity boy's team get beat Friday night and then watched a bunch more snow fall on Saturday on top of the 4-5 inches of ice on our driveway.  I literally have to get the engine going in the Saturn and you better hang on tight when we pull out of the garage....it's a huge bump getting out and going in! No use trying to get the ice up...the driveway is way too big and just not worth the time or my energy! 

So, I have a birdfeeder on our patio, that to be honest, gets very little bird action. So, Friday, when our first squirrel (we don't have any big trees so this is kinda new and exciting to have a squirrel around) was digging through the snow looking for seed, I had to snap a few picures!

It started by looking on the ground, then on the table, then here it saw the feed in the bottom but didn't quite know how to get it.  I happened to click the camera just as it was lurching towards the feeder.

I don't think it was satisfied though...it left after a few minutes.

So, Saturday, when it came back and couldn't find any food, I decided to put some more feed in the feeder and some in a bowl for Mr. Squirrel.  The snow was falling heavily and I went outside and before I could get to the bottom of the steps, I was flat out on the ground.  The steps from the kitchen to the patio were one slick sheet of ice (duh!) and I fell hard.  I did a 180 as I was falling and fell where my chest actually hit the bottom step and then my headwhiplashed and hit the top step.  I was on my own 'cause Natalie was at practice and the boys were in Findlay watching Basketball and Dan was in his office (here) with headphones on.  ugghh..  I slowly got up and instantly knew I didn't hurt as hard as I was going to!

Needless to say, we got the squirrel some food, and it promptly sat there until it was almost covered in snow and ate for over 90 minutes straight! I took 3 advil and hoped for the best.  Of course, I was pretty sore yesterday and still feeling pretty tough today. 

As you can imagine, I'm pretty much done with Winter.  I don't ski or skate or like any other winter outdoor activites.  I dream in sunglasses with sunshine, beaches and lemonade. This weather is for the birds...or squirrels, I guess!

I did manage to find a little sunshine for inside, though.  Aldi's had theses primroses for 99 cents a week ago and Wow has it added some Spring to our kitchen! I had 10 minutes of fun playing the the dirt and transplanting these blooms into these quaint pots I bought years ago for $2 bucks and never used! No smell, but those pink, purple and yellow blooms have me thinking of seeds and gardens and planting and......yes, I realize I have 90 days to go.   :(

So, we'll just trudge along and hopefully the ice will melt soon, the snow will disappear and just a little sunshine will brighten our days until we can enjoy the real stuff soon!

  

It's cooking time!

I had the chance to get to WalMart and Aldi's on Monday in anticipation of the storm and stocked up on all necessities! Food! I have been in cooking mode! I started with Chicken Noodle Soup, followed by a great meal last night for all of us (and 3 additional friends) of soft tacos, Spanish Rice, (from scratch, no boxed mix!) a tossed green salad complete with baby greens and an awesome homemade tuscan viniagrette. We finished with Blueberry/Blackberry Cobbler for dessert warmed with vanilla bean ice cream. Mmmmm...

This morning I prepared breakfast for us and Natalie and her three friends who she conned me into letting spend the night!  We had pancakes and ham and fresh fruit.  I was at day 10 for my Amish friendship bread, so made a batch of that and then started on dinner. I made a double batch of homemade pizza dough and we had a large hand-tossed pepperoni pizza and a deep dish pepperoni, sausage & bacon pizza.  Of course, I saved a little dough for my own deluxe pepperoni, mushroom, red pepper, onion and pesto pizza.  Oh my, oh so good!

The problem is that we have now had two days of no BB practice and no physical activity! Umm, these kids, and myself have been eating and eating and eating.  I think tomorrow I need to stick to cleaning....

Where's the Sunshine?

Detailed Local Forecast for 45865:

Today: Overcast. High 28F. Winds light and variable.
Tonight: Considerable cloudiness. Low 19F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow: Cloudy skies. High 28F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Tomorrow night: Mostly cloudy. Low 18F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Cloudy with flurries. Highs in the mid 20s and lows in the low 20s.
Friday: Mostly Cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the mid 20s.
Saturday: Cloudy with flurries. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low 20s.

I definitely see a pattern here and I'm not liking it! Where are you Mr. Sun?