As you may or may not remember I was desperately trying to search out a good location for our extended family to gather this summer for a week of relaxation (see here).  After researching many, many…ooh, to many to name, beaches along the coast between North Carolina and Georgia we finally settled on an area right on the border between North and South, Carolina.  It turned out that Ocean Isle Beach, NC was just what we needed.  It is a sleepy little spot right next to Sunset Beach, NC that offered up nice wide beaches, lots of shell hunting and many great local restaurants.  Plus, in just a short drive we could be in the heart of touristy Myrtle Beach, SC in order to get our airbrushed T-shirt fix.

Our quaint little pad.  It was just the right size for all fourteen (yes, 14!) of us.

The drive was a little further for our family, but not so far that we lost our sanity after strapping an almost one year old in a car seat for half a day.  Everyone seemed to have a good time and although we love being back in our home and our beds, we sincerely miss waking up to the sound of ocean waves.

The view from the deck, down the boardwalk.

A cool weathered birdhouse that sat right out front on the sand dunes.

I guess we have always vacationed on beaches that get combed early because I have never seen so many shells along the Atlantic coast.

The Little Guy really loved stepping in the wet sand and…

trying to run away from the approaching waves with his dad in tow.

He also helped me find one of the best shells of the whole trip.

I would say we definitely ended the summer of 2010 on a high note.  Now we are ready to hunker down for fall and hopefully a mild winter.  How have you guys ended your summers?  Any great new vacation finds?  Or, just lots of tears as the kids go back to school…or, maybe quiet little dances of joy…;o)

Kitsch Krafts

For those of you wondering how long it takes to complete typical DIY work around your home, please read no further.  Move on now, nothing to see here.   …I have given up on estimating the timeline of a project and have decided just to go with the flow.  Once you add a kid in the mix, it’s all downhill from there.  Sorry to say, but my one to two week fix for the dining room in our 1992 Colonial has taken well over 2 months and has yet to be completed.  Since things are taking sooooo long, I thought I would share what I have done so far.  Because, it really is just some of the final finishes that are lacking.

Let’s start with the before shots:

This shot shows us making do with our old furniture, decor and the shears and shades that the previous owners left in place.

It’s hard to tell, but the wallpaper in this room was not only very dark green, but it also had a pattern like crushed leather.  It looked a lot like an old style ink blotter for a desktop.  At least that’s what we think the look was that they were going for.  Unfortunately, we were not “going for” the gentlemen’s library feel for our dining space.

This shot of the fireplace shows the trim work that appears to be an after thought.  It’s as though they just forgot about adding a mantle or something?  The previous owners gifted us the gold mirror.  mmmmm….

Here is the front wall of windows, a shot that we have posted before, showing our curtain fabric choices.  There is also another mirror that a relative gifted us many years ago.  This one is gold too, but with an antiqued wash.  Still not exactly our cup of tea.

As you may or may not remember, the first two big decisions we had to make for this space were paint colors and curtain fabric.  It took four samples from the home improvement store and four more mixed in baby food jars to get the right shade for the walls.  I ended up using the French Grey color chip that I found at Home depot, but mixed at Lowe’s with Valspar Eggshell finish paint, on the bottom portion of the walls.  I had a quart of the same color mixed with a high gloss paint for the chair rail and the trim around the floor just for a little contrast. 

Unfortunately the Antique Silver color was two muddy once I put it up on the walls and just did not have enough of a hint of blue for my taste.  So, I mixed it with the French Grey until I had just the right shade and had it color matched at Lowe’s.  I also wanted the upper walls to be darker than what the Antique Silver offered up against the deep blue grey of the bottom portion of the walls.  After getting the wall color completed I finished out the crown molding, window and door trim with glossy white Valspar paint.

We have not had many sunny days lately (or at least not when the sun comes around to this side of the house), so I have not been able to score a really good shot of the paint color to share.  Oh well…

As you can see from the wide room shot above, we decided to go with the Bird and Vine tablecloths from Dwell Studio for Target for our curtains.  After carefully cutting them in half, I sewed up the edge and then put a 1.5 inch hem in the top for some stability and then hemmed the bottoms to length for each window.  At $21.99 a pop, I would say these were a pretty cost conscious solution for the curtain panels. 

I also added more substantial wooden curtain rods with simple finials painted out in the same glossy white as the crown molding.  This piece of the project took a bit longer than expected because I ended up building my own rod system from the trim pieces you can purchase individually at Lowe’s and Home Depot.  Instead of buying the already finished curtain systems I opted for this more cost effective way to get exactly the size I wanted for a “high and wide” mounting.  Even though it was a pain to paint all these pieces I did save about a third of what I would have spent on the prefinished items.  I also found that many of the rods in the home improvement stores are either really bulky and large or kind of small and wimpy.  The Allen & Roth line at Lowe’s is quite nice, but their white pieces are actually sort of more ecru and looked dirty next to the glossy white of the other trim in the room.

And, although I prefer bamboo shades to wooden blinds I decided to go with the latter.  They are still not my favorite, but I figured they will stay with the house if we move and this home calls for a plantation blind or shutter look more than the that of bamboo shades.  Again, not my favorite, but I think the windows came out just fine anyway.

We decided to paint out the trim around the fireplace the same color as the crown molding.  It actually makes the grey streaks running through the marble look much better.  The surround also looks slightly less out of place or as an after thought.  My ideal fix for this wall would be to pull all the trim down from around the marble and use small glass tiles with a bit of shimmer from floor to ceiling just on this one angled wall.  I think that would be such a nice focal point for the room.  That is a far off in the future project, though, and we are quite happy with the paint job for now.  As soon as possible I will be spraying the gold trim piece, along with the rest of the gas insert surround, a mat black to further spruce up the fireplace area.

Another little project I have been wanting to tackle for years now was to paint the antiqued gold mirror white.  The color was never quite right and it is a bit ornate for our tastes, so we figured a nice coat of glossy white paint (same as the trim in the room) would help tone it down and play a little more nicely with the rest of the space.

NOW, for the elephant, or two, in the room.

This chandelier actually evoked hysterical laughter from The Mister and I when we were first looking at this home.  Granted, the previous owners had filled the space with big, bulky, dark wood period pieces, but this light always seemed over the top to us.  I have always looked at it as to large for the room, but I discovered I may be off in my thinking after a recent visit to a local decorator’s outlet.  I was told that the chandelier should meet the measurements of the room size, not the table below it.  Oops.  I was thinking the opposite, and now I realize that I think it’s just my general dislike for the shiny, brass that keeps me from accepting this guy as the right fit for the room.  I have considered spraying it out, but I believe it is a nice and probably costly piece of brass.  So, I think I may replace it with something more our taste, but leave it in the attic in case future owners want to restore this room to it’s former gentlemen’s library glory.  BTW (sorry Kelli)- It’s hard to tell from this picture, but this thing is nearly 30 inches across.  It’s HUGE!!!

The other issue is the table.  It is only a dinette size and was our extra game table at our last place.  I have dreams of relocating it to our spare bedroom upstairs that plays double duty as my craft space.  I think it will be the perfect size table for all my sewing and crafting needs.  In the meantime I have this crazy idea that I am going to craft my own table from plywood and paint it out white.  That way I can get the exact size I want and I don’t have to worry about matching the wood tones to anything else I put in here (something I gave up on long ago after acquiring the Danish made rosewood hutch).  I did finally settle on some simple chairs that are pretty comfy, plus I figured I could slipcover them for different looks if I want to in the future.  They are the bentwood modern stacking chairs from Target in the espresso finish.  Not only did these come in sets of two, but I was able to purchase them at a price cut for $59.99 a set.  WHOOHOO for the budget!

Hopefully, we will be able to stop playing “which of these things is not like the others” soon and take this room DIY completely off the list.  Stay tuned for the latest project I created for myself involving a piece of furniture to take up that empty space below the newly painted mirror.  I’m super excited about this one and I think it will really make the whole space!

Bon Appétit!

Kitsch Krafts

I realized I have not talked about any food I have made lately and with the tomato avalanche that is going on at our place I figured I would share the latest tomato soup recipe.  This actually stemmed from my mother’s arrival the weekend of July 4th with a pile of veggies from her North GA garden.  We ate what we (or, I should say I ate, since The Mister shuns most veggies) could before it was time to start coming up with ways to put up the rest before it spoiled.  The freezer is full of bags of shredded zucchini and jalapeño peppers, and we just finished up the onions.  Everything was delicious and much appreciated, but I had one dilemma regarding all the tomatoes.  As many of you know, when you grow tomatoes, unless you can them or gift them to others sooner or later you are going to have way more than you can eat in a timely manner.  This happened with roughly a large Ziplock bag full of tomatoes.  In desperation to keep them for a later use I threw the bag in the freezer and hoped for the best.  I figured I would come up with a way to use them before they took on a funny “came from the freezer” taste.  Well this is the recipe was just the trick.

8 Large or 10 Medium sized tomatoes frozen and then thawed

1.5-2 cups of Chicken Broth

1/4 to 1/2 cup of fresh, chopped Basil

1/2 to 1 cup of Milk (or you could use cream)

1 can of tomato paste

Salt and Pepper (and any other spices you like) to taste

Parmesan Cheese

Squeeze the tomatoes right out of their skins into a large saucepan.  Add the spices, broth and tomato paste and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Once it comes to a boil turn it down to simmer for about 15 minutes.  Let cool and then run through a blender or food processor until smooth.  Poor back into the pan, add the milk and adjust the spices until you get exactly the consistency and flavor you are looking for.  Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for another 15 to 20 minutes.  Serve it up with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

My homegrown and homemade soup along with a veggie pita, bursting with more homegrown tomatoes and homemade hummus.  All of this displayed on my new IKEA dinnerware in white.

This recipe was enough for three large bowls of soup, but it could easily have fed 4 to maybe even 6 if the portions were brought down a bit.  Either way it was very good, quite thick and rich, but relatively healthy.  The Mister did not realize it was homemade at first and when I let him in on the secret he said he thought it tasted to good to be from a can.  Awe, he always knows just the right thing to say.  ;o)

Hope you all are enjoying as much homegrown veggies as possible this summer!

Kitsch Krafts

Last week I took a bow to the IKEA gods and all that amazingly cheap inspiration lining the shelves of the Woodbridge, VA store.  I was lucky to have an old pro to me guide through the maze of home products and help talk me through some design dilemmas.  Without her input and adept stroller work (while 8.5 months preggers and with 3 little ones in tow to boot!), I definitely would have been bogged down trying to maneuver through areas I am not currently focused on transforming in my home rather than getting to what I really need.  I also would have missed out on the deliciousness known as Swedish meatballs!  Not only did I get some ideas for future projects, but I found some cool and cute additions to our home.

This rug is exactly the size I have been looking for to help keep dirt down in the foyer and present a nice landing from the steps. 

It’s not exactly the style I had in mind, but the simple pattern and light gray color seem to fit in well with the neutrals of this area.  Although, this pattern does work toward my overall scheme to slightly modernize our traditional home.  We’re happy with the size, color, softness and of course the $19.99 price tag.  Go budget!

I was also thrilled to finally put an end to the lack of a trash receptacle in the powder room.  It took me a year, but I finally found exactly what I was looking for.

As you can see from this picture the wallpaper in this room is a bit over the top, although quite subtle compared with some of the other paper found in our abode.  I actually like the portion above the border and hope to add wainscoting to the lower portion of the walls in the future.  I also need to change out the shiny brass faucet, drain and toilet flush knob to brushed nickel, but I digress.  In the meantime I am happy to have scored this trashcan with a lid.  I know many of you are thinking, “what’s the big deal?  You can find simple brushed nickel cans every where and they are fairly cheap.”.  Well I have this thing about open trash cans.  I know they are common and there is nothing wrong with them, but I prefer a lid on my garbage.  Not only because I don’t want to look at it, but I feel compelled to empty the can when I see just a small bit of stuff in there.  It’s crazy, I know.

Anyway, I was super excited to find this footed, lidded version with a sweet scallop around the top edge.  And, for only $14.99 I was surprised to find that it had a hard plastic liner for the bottom, plus a plastic ring for the top edge.  You know, the kind that allow you to wrap a small bag around the ring, and insert it back into the can so that you don’t have to see the bag on the outside folded over the top of the can.  This one small purchase may just have been the highlight of the whole trip!  Love it!

The Little Guy also enjoyed a quick romp in the children’s toy area, gravitating to the kitchen set.  Of course my guide pointed out that the price was right and that he would be wanting one soon enough.  With his interest in all that I do in the kitchen I believe she is absolutely correct, but I was hoping to make a small kitchen for him instead.  We will see how that project fits in with all the others I have on the list, but I may be heading back for that, along with some of the fabulous home decor fabrics that were only $6.99 a yard.  WHAT????!!!!  Woo to the Hoo! 

I was happy to find some sweet bibs with the front “catchall” pocket, which have been great with the introduction of finger foods and a some super cute sippy cups that look like little weener dogs. 

The Little Guy has been thrilled to spill milk like a pro with these new cups, plus they are helping him learn to work a cup without handles.  The kids/baby section of IKEA was pretty great and I wished I had made the trip while decorating the nursery.  I definitely got some cute “conversion to little boy’s room” ideas during this trip.

One thing I was not prepared for when arriving at IKEA was the food.  As I mentioned above, my friend let me in on the joy of Swedish Meatballs and I am a total convert.  The Little Guy was also excited to explore some new food textures with a free kid’s meal of meatballs, although he’s still not so sure about the mac and cheese.  A fact that his father (a self-proclaimed M & C fanatic) was greatly saddened by.  Now, for the bad side of the food at IKEA…my so-called friend also introduced us to the evil known as DAIM.

And, of course The Mister and I were able to make something so incredibly delicious even more sinful. 

I don’t know how we think of these things.  It it just comes naturally.  ;o)  yuuummmmm…

So, I will end my novel on my new found love.  I spent $89.00 total and ended up with the following list of items:

4’ X 6’ foyer rug

Small trash receptacle for the powder room

Set of 18 dishes in white

Set of 6 itty bitty spoons for the Little Guy

2 sweet little bibs

2 cute doggy sippy cups

1 grass mat for back door

1 bag evil chocolate covered toffee

Actually, there may have been a couple of other things too.  I just can’t remember it all.  I was pretty happy with this budget friendly shopping trip and plan to get some measurements together from our master bedroom so I can go back and take advantage of those great textile prices.  Again, I cannot thank my friend enough for guiding me through the maze of fun Swedish finds and for her expert advice on a couple of design questions I am working to answer.

Don’t worry Whit!  I will be sure to drag you along again next time we shop IKEA and maybe we will hook you up with a cheap meal (or 5) too.  hee!

Kitsch Krafts

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you that actually read my silly little blog and send an even bigger THANK YOU out to those that leave comments.  Since many of you have blogs of your own you know how fun it is to read what those that peruse your pages are thinking.  It's even more satisfying when they take a moment to share an insight or their experiences with you directly.  Unfortunately I recently had to change my set up so that the comments are hidden until approved.  One to many comments from male enhancement companies and cash for gold folks sent me over the edge.  Now, I just go crazy deleting them from my view rather than trying to catch them all before my real readers have to be bothered with the in-your-face and sometimes offensive gibberish.  It's one thing to leave a fake comment, it's another thing to leave negative feedback and to do so in badly broken English.  It just looks sad and pathetic. 

So, again I wanted to thank those of you that make a point to be a part of my online life and blogging family.  It's nice to know you are out there and I really do love hearing from each of you!

Kitsch Krafts

This month has flow by and our backyard veggie patch is really starting to get crazy.  Although I have picked a couple of random ripe tomatoes to enjoy most are just now prime for the picking.  Also, early on we discovered that our old dog Roxy was eating the fruit right off the vine, so our early crop was lost to that little sneak.  I put up a 30 inch high decorative (if you can call those ugly push in the ground metal mini-fences pretty) fence to try to keep her out, but things still went missing.  Finally one morning I noticed mud all along my plants and one tomato, stake and all, bent backward at a weird angle.  Well after following the trail of mud I discovered that she had figured out how to go under the deck, open the lattice that surrounds the underside and slip through into the now fenced off garden in order to pilfer the goods.  Gotta give her some credit for this one, right?  It’s pretty impressive that she worked that all out on her own.  I have since rigged up some string to hold the lattice in place and “connect” the fence to the deck steps post.  It’s not pretty, but so far she is only able to poke her head through and reach a few tomatoes at a time and cannot wreak any more serious havoc…at least so far.  I fear one morning I may come out and find the strings untied- yikes!

After installing the barricade we are now seeing our plants start to burst with fruit.  So, yesterday the Little Guy and I went out to pick tomatoes for a caprese salad we will be enjoying later today and we had a really fun time.  He wanted to pick everything, though, so I ended up having to let him “hold the bucket”.  ;o)  While using one hand and a death grip to keep himself steady on the fence (he is not truly walking yet, just standing and “walking” with lot’s of help from mom and dad) he did manage to sample some basil.  Actually he sampled, spit out and then seeming to forget his distaste for the herb, sampled again.  During this whole time, Roxy kept coming up to sniff and poke him with her nose, all the while eyeing his bucketful of her forbidden treat.

Starring hard at a poking dog.  You can see my attempt at stabilizing the tomato plant that Roxy knocked over with some string to the fence.  The brick is to then help steady the rickety fence.  Like I stated above, it isn’t pretty.

Checking out his bounty after we moved down the bed to the yellow pear tomatoes.  Moments later the basil sampling ensued.

I don’t know what was going through his little head, but at this point he raised his bucket and started squealing at the plants.  I like to think he was thanking them for all the good grub. 

Now we just need to get some more recipes so we don't make ourselves sick on BLT's.  Please, let us know what you like to do with your fresh picked tomatoes.  We love a yummy new take on an old favorite too!

Hope your July was grand and that you are enjoying your summer!

Kitsch Krafts

Eat this..

…and this…

…and some of these!

We have already admired this…

…smelled these…

and eaten a lot of this…

and this.

So far our little efforts in the garden are paying off quite nicely.  What have you guys been up to outside lately?

Kitsch Krafts