Are You Ready for FOOOOOOOOTBALL?

It's almost that time of year, not pumpkin latte, not apple cinnamon candles, but football season. I have a draft party today and the college sports writers are coming out of their summer relaxation. In preparation for the second most wonderful time of the year, I decided to make a door decoration for my sweet, handsome fellow. I'm more of a college football fan than professional, but I do keep up a bit. My brother is a Panthers fan and my brother-in-law is a Patriots fan so Cam Newton and Tom Brady are household names. I've always admired Aaron Rodgers but little did I know I'd end up dating a Green Bay fan. So we've added yet another team to the family get together conversation. I was going to do a simple wreath but then I got a wild hair to do something "more manly" if a door decoration can be manly. I decided to do a sign instead of a wreath.

 

 

I went to Lowe's and had them cut a small piece of plywood into an even smaller piece. I do have the remnants so maybe I can make an ECU or UNC sign. I had them make the board 16" x 18" with the plan to hang it with the 18" vertical. I had also found a pennant and two football cut outs at Michaels. 

 

 

 

Quite frankly, the most difficult part was getting the yellow right. I'm still not sure I was successful, but thankfully this sign is not officially licensed so if the RGB's are off we'll just squint and hope for the best. I used acrylic paint with plans to use spray shellac to seal it for outdoor use. The door is protected but I'd rather be safe than sorry. 

 

 

Still not sure it's the "right" yellow... You can see the pennant painted with the logo. I went back and neatened up the edges with a black fine tip marker. Then I added a green border that you'll see below. Below, you will also see a happy accident. I originally planned to tape off a small area between the yellow base and green border and then use a black paint marker to define the edge. However, I'd put so many layers of thick yellow paint that a bit of it started coming up. I decided to go with it and I got a really nice natural wood frame. I do love Bob Ross Happy Accidents. 

 

I'm afraid penmanship has never been a strength of mine so don't look closely at the lettering. I used a black paint marker and then neatened it with a fine tip black prisma color marker. I sealed everything with the spray shellac. Then I krazy glued the pennant and footballs. I drilled small holes in the top and attached thick gauge floral wire for the hanger. 

Here is the final product. I added some fun ribbons to the pennant. It ended up better than I expected and I hope he likes it!

Black Rustoleum Is Key

I really hate throwing things away. I'm by no means a hoarder, in fact I'm pretty cutthroat in my closet twice a year. The issue is more that I'd rather fix something that is useful than try to find a replacement. This trait reared it's lovely head a month ago. I have these wonderful urns that I've had for about 6 years. I've used them year round to dress up the entry to three homes and I've even used them in flower arrangements for one wedding and several church events. They are made of some sort of fiberglass and unfortunately they were starting to show their age. A before picture of one is below. You can clearly see the cracks.

 

I like the look of sharp black pots in front of an entry so I decided to go to Lowe's to buy some outdoor rust-oleum spray paint. Below are the two urns drying.

 

 

I added a lovely lavender plant to each and decided to line the walkway instead of the door. For less about $6 I got brand new looking urns and I get to keep my old friends a few years longer.

 

In other fun black-rust-oleum-is-awesome and I-hate-to-add-to-the-land-fill news...two weekends ago I was looking at my beloved shower caddy and noticing the corners were looking decidedly rusted. I love this shower caddy. I got it from Walmart over 10 years ago (that's not a typo). It's the only one that fits my bottles perfectly. I don't know if I have odd sized shampoo, face wash, etc. or if there is a decided dearth of research in the shower caddy market. Anyway, I love this caddy. It just needed a little perking up with rust-oleum. It looks brand new and I'm a fan of the black in the white shower.

 

 

Just further proof that everyone needs a can of black rust-oleum in the old tool chest.

A Year or 60 Later...

So it's been awhile since I've added anything to this blog or my cooking blog. I've definitely been cooking and decorating but I've had a lot of travel and family fun and quite frankly I haven't had much time to document. What better way to renew my literary career (okay I nearly choked myself laughing on that phrase)...as I was saying...what better way to renew the blog than to share a fun modernization my sweet BF helped me with last weekend. My grandmother passed away last summer and one of the heirlooms I have from her is her 1955 singer sewer. It's the sewing machine I learned on. I made an apron for my first project and I've done some curtain panels. Perhaps now I can try to improve my sewing skills, so hopefully there will be a future blog on those projects. But for now back to the machine itself. It's pictured below closed and open. I love that it closes so I can use it as a desk. Multi-functional joy.

Closed and the finished stool. We chose copper finished casters from Lowe's Home Improvement.

Open. I love all the drawers.

The issue that started this project was the lack of mobility of the stool on the carpet. To sit at the table was a process that started with picking up the stool and placing it far enough back to fit under the table but not be too far out. Then I repeated the gymnastic movement to slide off the stool for exit Then I would pick it up to place the stool back under. A second issue was the pleather "fabric" that covered the seat. It stuck to my legs like a leather car seat in July. My idea was to add caster wheels to the base and recover the seat. I knew I could recover the seat pretty simply, but to attach the caster wheels I decided to ask for expert help from my handsome fellow. It was a great team effort and I'm extremely pleased with the end result.

Seat recovery in process.

I forgot to take a true before picture, but above you can see the lovely mustardy avocado pleather on the seat. I had some spare blue-gray cotton fabric on hand that has a far more pleasing texture. I used spray adhesive for the side panels and a staple gun for the top of the seat. Below is one of the side panels before the caster wheels were attached. The seat sits in the brackets and the top can be removed for storage. The base of the seat is beside the panel though a little difficult to see.

One of the side panels and the base of the storage seat.

Here is the finished product. I wish I had taken a before picture but either way, it's a great project and I'm thrilled!

1955 meets 2015.

It's September and in the 60's...Let's Decorate for Fall!

Busy times from the last post to today. I've moved, started a new job, and so much more. The place is all set up and hopefully I can get some pictures of my two favorite rooms, the library/office and the guest room. I hate the paint colors in the rest of the house, but it's a rental so I can't change them. Enough complaining, let's get to the decorating!

If you'll remember, I've been on a simple kick. I'm still on one so the decorations are simple and as natural as possible. I added a gingham ribbon to a beautiful red candle that is mulled cider scented. I love my copper pepper grinder all year long, but it does look exceptionally nice in the fall and winter. 

 

It's not the best picture, but I've placed two of the artificial bittersweet vines on the mantle and filled the bottom of the hurricanes with the mini pumpkins. I added more of the gingham ribbon with an under layer of burnt orange to the grapevine pumpkin on the hearth. The upholstery really looks great this time of year.

 

My fall wreath. My friend Abby and I had a wreath making party. Sometimes I wish I lived in the days when ladies got together for a sewing circle...It's so therapeutic to craft with friends.

My ceramic gourds look great on the new/old dining room table. This is the dining room table that I grew up with. My father recently passed away so it's bittersweet that it's now in my possession.

 

I love my little iron squirrels. I like to put them in surprising places. One is on the foyer table (also from my dad's house.) Others are on the stair treads. Don't worry, they are friendly squirrels. 

 Happy Fall!!

Sending Grandma to the Garden in the Sky

My paternal grandmother passed away recently and her funeral was today. She was my last grandparent and the last of my father's side (he preceded her in death earlier this year) so it was extra sad. She would have been 91 on her birthday and was becoming more and more frail. It was her time so in many ways I was relieved to see her go. The picture below is of her at 18 and it's always been one of my favorites.

Grandma was a master gardener and she helped my dad in his flower shop back in the 70's so she was no stranger to flower arrangements herself. My mother and I wanted to do the flowers ourselves for her funeral. As usual we went to The Fresh Market, they have such a beautiful selection. Purple was grandma's favorite color. She had auburn hair and she liked the combination. I knew we had to do a combination of purple, green, and white. I also wanted to use roses because she grew beautiful roses. Some of which were grown from cuttings she "borrowed" from the Elizabethan Gardens. We used magenta gladiolus, purple and white limonium, white roses, baker fern, and acuba. We made two altar arrangements and one for the parish hall buffet table.

The church has a beautiful hand carved chancel surround from the 1800's. I love the painted heavens. That was done just a few years ago. 

I forgot to take a picture of the table, but here is the arrangement outside before I took it in to the parish hall. I used both the purple and the white limonium in this arrangement having only used the white in the church arrangements.

We left the altar arrangements for Sunday, but did bring home the parish hall arrangement. The building must have been quite warm last night because the roses were opened a little more than I would have liked. It took the arrangement apart for my house and put the flowers minus the greenery in a simple vase on my dining room table. Grandma grew up in the depression and in the Appalachians so she didn't waste anything. I think she would have approved of this repurposing. 

Debi and Dave's Wedding

I've been remiss in updating this blog. Life happens and blogs don't it seems. Easter has come and gone and I forgot to take a picture of my church arrangements. I've made a few arrangements for friends and housewarmings, but alas I forgot to take pictures of those as well. Thankfully, I remembered last week. My friend and colleague Debi married her longtime sweetheart Dave in a beautiful backyard ceremony on July 4th which is their favorite holiday. Dave proposed July 4th 2013 and if I remember correctly their first date was on July 4th. I may have made that up, but it sounds good. It was a simple ceremony with family and close friends.

They have a beautiful backyard. Hurricane Arthur came through the night before and thankfully gave us rain and no wind, so everything looked fresh and green. The weather was perfect! The patio below was a perfect spot for the ceremony. Debi wanted me to use tissue poms on shepherd hooks to bring a festive and fun element. She invited guests to come in flip flops and shorts and sundresses or whatever they wanted to feel comfortable.

Debi asked for a breakaway bouquet. It seemed as though she was holding one bouquet, but as she came down the aisle she gave a rose to her aunt who is like a mother to her, she gave another rose to her new mother-in-law, and a third rose to a niece who holds a special place in her heart. She wanted a red rose, a white rose, and a pink rose. The picture makes the pink and red rose look similar but there was a slight difference.

As guests arrived they were invited to complete cards with "well wishes" for the couple and to pick up a bottle of bubbles. The bouquet mimicked the pink, red, and white rose theme. For this beautiful yard I decided to go with a simple loose arrangement that looked as if it had just been picked from the garden.

The beautiful bride with her bouquet. The necklace was given to her by her husband and was his great-grandmother's.

The happy couple with Debi's niece and Dave's mother as witnesses. You can see each one holding the rose that Debi presented them with. Dave's shirt was a light aegean blue though my phone camera makes it appear white. The ribbons on the pom poms and flowers matched his shirt. Congratulations Debi and Dave!!

Sheila Turnage DAR Award and Book Signing

We are fortunate to have an award winning author in our area. Sheila Turnage is the author of several books including the entertaining Three Times Lucky and Ghosts of Tupelo Landing. If you haven't read them, check them out today. You will laugh your bottom off!

My local DAR chapter awarded Sheila with the DAR Woman in the Arts award in Literature in January and yesterday we had a celebration for that award and for her newest book Ghosts of Tupelo Landing. She graciously gave us a reading and signed books for all the attendees.

My friend Ashley of Little Sister Cakes provided the delicious "map cake". Some of the attendees had two slices it was so delicious! 

In the first book, Three Times Lucky, Mo and her friend Dale come to her family's cafe and find that both of her adoptive parents are not there. One of the very wise rules is to not operate the oven so the daily special is Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches and organic vegetable soup (this can be microwaved). We took this scene in the book as inspiration for our menu and decor. The arrangements were a vegetable bowl and a vase of sunflowers and peacock feathers.

The vegetables were in a bowl that was made from a magnolia tree that was struck by lightning. The tree stood in the chapter house front yard for generations before it met it's demise. The ladies wanted to maintain some of the memory and found a talented artist who honed the wood and hollowed it out. I wish I had a better picture of the bowl. It is beautiful. The vegetables I used were bell peppers, potatoes, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, squash, zucchini, corn, eggplant, artichoke, string beans, and carrots.

The menu included peanuts, fudge, chex mix, ritz crackers with peanut butter and jelly, and...

...delicious peanut butter and jelly bars. The bars on the right were made with grape jelly and the bars on the left were made with strawberry jelly.

Beans and rice were in mason jars as were tea lights. I love mason jars and have a collection of sizes and colors that we use for everything from food, to markers/pens, to flowers and candles. They are so versatile!

With a projected attendance number of anywhere from 30 to 100 (we had 91!) I felt it was important to have separate beverage and food stations to prevent bottlenecks. The beverages were lemon/lime infused water and Mountain Dew punch. Mountain Dew was also on the menu at Miss Lana's cafe. We were fortunate to have old coca-cola crates, soda bottles and a coca-cola cooler from the 1930's. All of these were used for decor. Visit my cooking blog to get some recipes from the event. Also go out and buy both of these delightful books!