Dinner al fresco. Ice cream among twinkling fireflies.  Morning coffee and a magazine.

All that comes to mind when I’m dreaming up our someday patio! (I do love to imagine the end result, don’t I?)

Today I’m talking patio inspiration.

The current area where we will be putting a patio tucks into a corner of the back of our house. When we bought this house, there was a considerable amount of water damage to the concrete foundation – which we have fixed. To help prevent any more water issues, we will be grading the yard away from the house, and also putting in a patio to help. (If the Moose says we “have” to install a patio, I don’t ask questions.)

There are three things I’m looking for in a patio:

1. Budget friendly
2. Organic feeling
3. Low maintenance

It’s been surprisingly difficult to find realistic patio inspiration ideas. There are a lot of “builder basic” patios out there online. And the photos I’ve found on Pinterest and Houzz are glamazon outdoor living rooms.

This is a collection of images I’ve saved all with features I’d like to consider when we’re ready to do our patio:

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We’ve discussed creating our patio using three different methods: 1. brick, 2. pavers, 3. stampcrete (or stamped concrete).

We have yet to price everything out, but generally brick and pavers are more expensive (and very DIY labor intensive), and concrete is less expensive. Concrete will also give us more protection from the water issues our home has experienced in the past.

I really like the pattern in the image above – hard to believe it’s concrete! You can also stain concrete. But, I think we’re leaning towards the natural gray you see above.

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I like how this patio has a decorative border around it. It’s a nice finishing detail that really makes the stonework sing.

A lot of patios have a small stone walls, or raised planters to add privacy and designate the patio space. But I tend to like the more organic feeling patios that feel like they grew there themselves! A border is a nice way of making that distinction while still staying ground level.

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Glory Cottage, that’s right! I would love to sit on this patio all day long!

I like the abundance of potted plants on this patio.

Maybe a potted herb garden will be in order?

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There is just something lovely and romantic about pergolas.

I like how this pergola makes the patio feel so connected to the house. Since our patio will be tucked into a corner (kind of like this patio), it’s creates a cozy little nook.

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Again, we’re thinking of lots of ways we can better connect the patio to the house.

We have a walk-out basement, which will lead to the patio. But that means we have exposed concrete bricks where our (supposed-to-be-nice-and-pretty) patio will go. We’ve talked about a number of ways to cheer it up, and one of them is ivy.

There’s something so New England about ivy. We would, however, install vertical trellises so the ivy grows on that instead of creating problems with the roots weakening the concrete foundation.

I wish I had something more exciting to share with you regarding our current DIY adventures, but it’s spring. AKA yardwork season. Not typical spring yardwork here – pulling weeds and planting flower bulbs.

Oh no, our adventure is far less romantic than that. Our yardwork is, true to Kat+Moose form, is a project on a much larger scale, way less fun and a lot messier.

We started small.  We started by cutting down 10 very tall trees in our yard.

Yes, really. I wish I was kidding. Our Lumberjack Party turned out to be prophetic.

I apologized to them as I surveyed the yard once I got home.

Moose felled the trees with the help of some (amazing!) friends of ours. [Insert obligatory message here about not messing around with trees unless you really know what you are doing. Chainsaws are not a joke.]

Wait, does this story sound familiar? It should.

Only this time instead of letting 4 cords of chopped wood sit in our yard for six months we are sending it to a happy home heated by a wood burning stove. And we were able to get rid of all the brush in two days with the help of a wood chipper and burning (our town allows burning brush during certain seasons).

Before you go and call the Lorax on me, you should know we live on a very wooded lot. So we still have trees in abundance. Nonetheless, I miss those ones we cut down.

Except now our yard looks a lot bigger now. It’s similar to getting a major haircut when you’ve got a head of long hair. It’s painful through the process, looks strange right away and then you realize your yard (or face for the purposes of this analogy) looks light years better.

It wasn’t exactly by choice anyways. There’s a much longer story at hand here that has been brewing since we bought this house two years ago. But I’m going to spare you the gory details.

The short story is we are excavating our entire front and back yard, laying down some pipes for drainage, and will be hopefully gaining a pretty grass lawn for the first time we’ve lived in this house. We will also be putting in a patio and expanding our existing deck to cover the old deathtrap of a crumbling staircase in our backyard.

Just a fraction of what we are dealing with here.

I’ll be back later this week with some patio inspiration I’ve been collecting. That was actually the goal when I sat down to write this post, but I’ve babbled on for long enough.

Our existing “patio” is a mudpit. So pretty much anything will be an upgrade. I’ll do what I do best. Ignore the work at hand and find pretty pictures of what I want the end result to look like. : )

How are you welcoming spring?

Scarves are one of my favorite ways to accessorize and also keep me warm! It’s definitely spring here in Boston, but my scarf-loving ways will stay strong at least until June. (Then I usually don’t bother with them until October or so.)

Besides, it’s been far too long since I have done a top 9 post!

Not that I need to add any scarves to my collection, but here are 9 of my favorite for spring and summer:

1. Multi-Stripe Scarf from Talbots – $59 You can’t get more summery than crisp white and bright colored stripes.

2. Pop Art Scarf from Kate Spade – $128 While this scarf is out of my budget, this classic summery print is still tempting! And dressy!

3. Coral Open Knit Scarf from Forever 21 – $8 Square bandanna style scarves are totally underrated! This coral color will also look great with a tan. : )

4. Cornflower Circle Scarf from Modcloth – $25 This color is just lovely. The end. Pair with any t-shirt.

5. Graduated Stripe Scarf from Forever 21 – $9 Black and white stripes will go with every color and every season. Dress it up and dress it down!

6. Echo Graphic Geo Wrap from Zappos – $38 Now this scarf is my jam. Three words: Hint, Hint Husband.

7. Pashmina from JCP – $10 You can’t go wrong with a classic pashmina, try one in a fun citrus shade!

8. Riley Scarf by Lily Pulitzer – $78 If this cabana-stripe doesn’t say white shorts and sandals in Nantucket, than I don’t know what does.

9. Marker Swirl Scarf from JCP – $10 Spring scarves don’t have to be brightly colored. This emerald gauzy scarf is lightweight, and pretty too!

Once upon a time, people loved knotty wood wall paneling, drop ceilings and linoleum floors. And strange uncomfortable built-in benches.

I must say, this wood paneling was in GREAT shape and really quality stuff. Part of me hated taking it down, but Moose convinced me *and he was right, per usual* that we needed to re-insulate this room.

This paneling had a happy ending though! Our neighbor ended up taking it all to do something in his basement!

But now when I sit in the middle of our (empty) new room… every painful moment of removing mouse-poop infested insulation was worth it.

It’s hard to believe this is the same room! The room was completely gutted, STARTING with the built-in bench you saw above.

Since the room is built on a concrete slab there was no heat in the room. We added two baseboard heating units (one of which you see above) and can now control the temperature in that room separately from the rest of the house.

We replaced all of the windows, and installed new window trim to match the rest of the trim in the house.

When we gutted the room, we exposed the back of the fireplace – thus my many DIY distressed brick posts!

Tips on a DIY Whitewashed Brick WallBrick Wall Tutorial: Tinting a Brick Wall

Here you can see the original door from the living room. Also notice that the original room was a step down. When we redid the floor we built a new sub-floor to rise the height of the floor, so now the flooring is now the same level.

And looking back at this one door…

…it looks so skinny compared to the new french doors!

Since we have an older home, we don’t have a naturally open floor plan. Adding in these french doors definitely makes the spaces feel more unified.

I still have nightmares about removing these ceiling tiles.

If walls could talk they might say, “Ick-Ew-Gross”.

Our new smooth walls and ceiling are plaster. And the ceiling fan was replaced with recessed lighting.

(And we installed about 10 extra electrical outlets along the way! That’s the royal “we” by the way.)

And here you can see the beautiful new crown molding installed by Moose! Painted by me – I have to get some credit somewhere, right?

This was the first room we’ve starting doing molding in and he did an AWESOME job! Now for the rest of the house! ; )

Not only was the original floor a step down, but it was a disaster! The old linoleum was cracking and breaking off of the concrete slab. Not much to miss here!

To finish off the room, we continued on with our honey-colored hardwood floors that are in the rest of the house.

This room has by far been the biggest “change” – I guess that’s what happens when you gut a room!

I remember walking into this room on the first day we looked at the house – we had so many visions for it then. It’s hard to believe nearly two years have passed and the vision is finally coming to life!

We’ve ordered a couch for the room, and when that comes our television will be moving over there! We’ve talked about some DIY attempts at furniture making for this room… so I will have to keep you posted on that!

Read all about how we DIYed Family Room:

• The 70s Called, They Want Their Knotty Wood Paneling Back.
• Sunroom Renovation Progress (There are Real Walls People!)
• Paint Me a Family Room
• Tips on a DIY Whitewashed Brick Wall
• Brick Wall Tutorial: Tinting a Brick Wall

Who doesn’t love a good before and after!

By the way – it’s National Library Week! Get on over to your local library and check-out a book, pay your late fees or listen to the Story Lady read a book! Celebrate and read!

I love Marathon Monday because it’s full of dreams and hard work.

And strangers cheering on strangers.

(We tend to stick to ourselves in New England, thus it makes it all the sweeter.)

To this day, when I’m slugging up a hill on my runs, I think about some of the people I’ve watched pass by and it spurs me onward.

(We are both safe.)

If there is any “rule” in my book to hosting a dinner party, it’s don’t make it too complicated!

What’s the point of preparing and hosting a get-together if you’re going to miss it all?

For our Lumberjack Party I knew I wanted a hearty menu to live up to the ruggedness of the theme. What’s a universal man meal? Meat and potatoes.

Lumberjack Menu: All Recipes/Links in this Post

• Turkey Chili
• White Chicken Chili
• Baked Potatoes
• Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread
• Maple Bacon Cupcakes
• Maple Flapjacks Cupcakes
• S’mores on a Stick

Beverages

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Recipe modified from The Fresh Fridge – for in-depth directions, check out her tutorial.

Maple Bacon Cupcake Batter: (This recipe yielded 24 cupcakes)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (I replaced 1 tb with bacon fat)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

**NOTE: Keep an eye on these cupcakes while baking. I over-baked mine just a touch. Due to the maple sugar/brown sugar consistency it’s harder to tell when they are finished.

Maple Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 stick (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar

Candied Bacon

Fry bacon as usual in a frying pan – add brown sugar to pan while frying. Watch carefully to prevent burning. When finished separate bacon to dry and harden. I chopped into smaller pieces for the cupcake topper. I used 8 slices of bacon.

I sprinkled the tops of the cupcakes with cinnamon and plopped the cooled-down bacon on top.

Maple Flapjack Cupcakes

S’mores on a Stick

Suffice it to say, we were all stuffed…. and candied bacon is dangerously easy to make.

Could you eat a bacon cupcake? Everyone was freaked out to try it, but I think they liked them!

My first refinishing project was a dark stained wood dresser that came from my Grandparent’s bedroom. Although I kept it a dark stain, it took quite a bit of work to get it there! Read more about that here.

We are kind of bureau-starved in this house, so my Mom was kind enough to haul this dresser out of her basement.

Fun Fact: This was the dresser from my Mom’s bedroom growing up (aw!) and one of the drawers is still lined with her childhood bedroom wallpaper!

The first question to ask yourself when refinishing any piece of furniture: is it worth refinishing?

Both my family dressers are solid hardwood, structurally sturdy and were built with the all-important dovetailed corners.

In my opinion, if a dresser doesn’t have dovetailed corners, I wouldn’t bother putting all the work into refinishing it. It’s a mark of good craftsmanship.

Evidence of dovetailed corners seen here:

I started this project in the fall and it’s only half-way done! It got WAY too cold for me to keep working on it in the garage – so that’s where it sits. Soon I should be able to finish it though, it’s starting to warm up!

In this post, I’ll talk about stripping the dresser of paint, which is a different beast than stripped a stained dresser.

I started with this Klean-Strip chemical paint stripper and a plastic scraper.

First, WEAR GLOVES. Then, in a well-ventilated area, brush the stripper on to the painted areas. I used a foam brush so I could just throw it away at the end.

Then wait 15-25 minutes. It will look bubbly like this when it’s ready to be scraped: I quickly learned that the plastic scraper was a waste of time and got out an old metal scraper. (Note: I ruined this scraper, just letting you know.)

Scrape the surface (being careful not to gouge the wood with the corners of the scraper) and discard directly into a trash bag.

I even found an old sticker underneath the paint.

Repeat. Again and Again. The lengthiness of this part of the process will depend on a lot of things – Was there varnish over the paint? How many layers of paint? What’s the temperature outside? etc.

After my first afternoon I was able to take it down to this point:

A weekend or two later I returned to attack the dresser body. To no avail. This is where my problems started! First, I ran out of stripper so I ordered a new type – this kind:

Citri-Strip Paint and Varnish Stripping Gel

I applied, waited and… nothing. Now I know – ALWAYS refinish furniture in the summer when it’s warm and you can be outside! Not in a 15 degree garage.

Note: Chemical Stripper won’t work if it’s too cold!

We brought the space heater into the garage to warm up the air and let the stripper work away at the paint – it’s important for you to LEAVE the garage at this point and not inhale all the fumes. This stripper smells like oranges and it’s easy to forget you are dealing with toxic chemicals.

The space heater helped some. So I reapplied and scraped several more times.

Then I brought the big gun out – that would be, the heat gun – I should have done this earlier!

via Home Depot

To use a heat gun, just plug it in, turn it on and hold about 4-5 inches away from the surface. It will start to bubble (similar looking to the paint stripper). Then you can scrap it off with your metal scraper just like with the chemical stripper. It’s just like a hair dryer.

Then the sky opened up and angels sang.

I have no photos of this portion because when my hands weren’t covered in chemical goop, I had a scraper in one hand and a heat gun in the other.

Using the heat gun allowed me to get to this point – now we’re getting somewhere!!

Unfortunately, there are a LOT of gouges in the top that were minimized by the billion layers of paint on this dresser. But I will deal with that when it’s not so cold. Hopefully soon now that it’s feeling spring-y.

I’m eagerly awaiting my dresser upgrade!

The natural wood is a warm reddish hue.

As you can see, stripping a painted dresser is not difficult, it just takes some time.

This particular dresser had 5-6 coats of paint on it, so it took me a bit longer for that reason too.

My only suggestions:

If you’re going to put the effort into stripping a dresser, make sure it’s a solid piece of furniture (look for dovetailed corners).

Also (this is JUST me) but I wouldn’t start with a very curvaceous dresser – flat surfaces are much easier to scrap/sand down!

Next steps: Sanding this monster smooth!

Have you ever stripped a piece of furniture?

Did you have wallpaper in your room growing up?

I went through three different wallpapers over the course of my youth – two different yellow striped wallpapers and one wallpaper with pink/blue flowers!

This winter I traveled up to Marblehead, MA for work and was able to explore the area for a bit. This visit (and this post) are more than a tease than anything else!

Marblehead is best known for being a peninsula with lots of coast and ocean views, being the birthplace of the U.S. Navy and the yachting capital of the U.S.  It’s also the filming location for several popular movies, most recently Grown Ups 1 and 2.

Like most of our favorite towns on the North Shore of Boston, it has a village full of shops, lovely window decorations and countless art galleries.

We were there on a cold afternoon in February, so life there was quiet. So I’m told, it gets very busy in the summer.

I had lunch at Haley’s – there is a cafe inside the wine & spirit store.

We sat next to this AWESOME painting, which I took several photos of. I’m determined to try and DIY one just like it, because I still can’t stop thinking about it. It’s also my iPhone background. <— such is the life of a nerdy art  major.

For lunch I had the Vegetable Chili and the Chicken Arugula Sandwich.

I hope you know I’m not exaggerating when I say that the sandwich was the BEST one I’ve had in years. Maybe I was high on cold air, or the dullness of February was going to my head but… it was kismet.

I won’t lie. I hardly shared because I wanted to eat the whole thing myself. YUM.

One of our favorite things about the North Shore of Boston is looking at all the buildings and architecture. When my husband and I started dating it was, and still is, one of our favorite things to do.

Marblehead is no different and full of interesting, old houses to check out.

I definitely will be returning in the summer with my bike!

And of course ocean views were inescapable.

The ocean looked mighty, mighty cold that day.

We headed up to Chandler Hovey Park, home of the Marblehead Lighthouse.

And it was COLD so we didn’t stay long!

While we spent only an hour or two checking out town before we had to move on, I definitely hope to return to this lovely seaside town.

And you can bet I’ll be bringing my bike. And a swimsuit. And a picnic basket for the 18 Chicken Arugula sandwiches I will be eating all by myself.

Have been to Marblehead? Seen the movie Grown Ups?

Fun fact: A friend and I saw and met Maya Rudolph shopping in Salem with her newborn son while she was in town filming for the second movie!

I ‘ve also heard a few stories about people meeting Adam Sandler when he was in town filming. One fun story was that he stopped at a kid’s lemonade stand and gave him a one-hundred dollar bill for a cup of lemonade. Not sure if it’s true, but cute nonetheless.

The first of [February] was covered with snow
So was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
The Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frosting
With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go.

While some parts of the U.S. are blooming with flowers and sunshine-y afternoons allow *gasp* a pair of sandals, it’s still snowy here in Boston.

As we celebrated the vernal equinox last week, it’s technically spring. But today I’m going to talk about snow and my new hobby – cross country skiing. I should post on this topic before we (finally) catch up to the rest of you!

The last few years I’ve wanted to buy cross country skis. I have no winter hobby, and one can only watch so many movies when the world is covered in snow for months at a time. Cross country skiing was going to be that hobby.

This year we finally did it! We waited until the end of the season and snatched up all our gear at L.L. Bean for 50% off. If you’re lucky they might still have a pair. Plus, you will get ski passes for local trails with your purchase. All in all, the cost for everything was less than a one-time downhill lift ticket for just one of us!

We purchased Classic Touring skis. Classics have “fish scale” texture on the bottom of the ski for gripping. Touring skis are best for beginners and for use on groomed trails, as opposed to skate skiing, which is a motion similar to ice skating. Touring skis are a bit wider, therefore steadier.

You will want to get fitted for your skis and poles, as there are several varying factors like weight and height.

Our first foray into our new hobby drove us out to the beautiful Berkshires a few days after a snowstorm (hence the James Taylor quote above). I’ve been driving through the Berkshires for nearly ten years now, but this summer when we went to a James Taylor concert at Tanglewood, was the first time we actually visited. It’s a beautiful area.

Canterbury Farms

Canterbury Farms of Becket, MA was our snowy destination.

“With 22 Kilometers of groomed and tracked ski trails, you will ski alongside beautiful brooks, beaver ponds, stone walls, lakes, fields and mountains where nature abounds. Our trails meander through old wood stands which gives you the feel of being in the wilderness.”

Sounds lovely, huh? As the say, a picture says a thousand words:

The trails were well-groomed and very pretty.

Trails were easily marked, and you are well warned of difficult hills ahead if you want to stick to flatter trails.

We saw a few other skiers, but most of the time it was just us. As evidenced by the strong sun, we went in the late afternoon.

Don’t Own Skis?

If you don’t own skis, they have all the equipment available for a day rental.

Canterbury Farms also has an inn and kitchen. Eat something hearty – XC skiing burns lots of calories!

What to Wear

Don’t be fooled into dressing for downhill skiing. Cross country is a WORKOUT and you will warm up right away. I was happy in leggings under thin waterproof exercise pants (falling happens to every snow-bunny), a fleece, sunglasses and my trusty felt earwarmers. I didn’t even wear gloves I was so warm from the workout.

I also wore a small backpack that held an unneeded scarf, my camera and a bottle of water (we definitely needed that!).

For a Weekend in the Berkshires

Next year we plan to rent a small cabin and make a weekend of it.

In that case, I’d also like to spend my time in the Berkshires exploring some of the following:

• Exploring the lovely town of Lenox, MA (home of Tanglewood)
• Arrowhead, Home of Herman Melville
• Norman Rockwell Museum
• The Clark
• The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home
• Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
• MASS MoCA
• And if you’re into shopping, the Lee Outlets are nearby

I can truly say I’m a bit sad to see the snow go – I want to go skiing again!!

Have you ever tried cross country skiing? What’s your winter hobby?

We, obviously, do a lot of projects around the home. Today I thought I’d talk about a place you wouldn’t necessarily think of for your DIY needs….. Amazon.com!

We are Amazon Prime members, which means we get everything shipped to us for FREE.

Returns are easy too (not that we have had much experience there). We review products fairly rigorously before we buy anything, and I love reading the reviews on Amazon before buying anything – they are usually pretty reliable.

There is a surprising amount of home items available on Amazon. Things you might never consider purchasing online, much less Amazon.

Like our fireplace doors.

They sell these same doors at Lowe’s and Home Depot, we but saved $40 by ordering them through Amazon instead!

PLUS, if we ordered from either of the “big box” stores they were going to take several weeks to arrive. We ordered from Amazon and … a few days later, there they were! It doesn’t get better/easier than that.

When we finally got rid of the beast above the stove we were left microwave-less for some time. We looked around at microwaves, and finally settled on this (perfectly sized) Panasonic micowave from… you know it… Amazon!

We have the Panasonic Compact 0.8 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave and I love it! It’s big enough for our dinner plates and it’s SO quiet! Again, the microwave was less expensive through Amazon than the bigger stores.

We even bought yard tools like our ax and chainsaw through Amazon.

Additionally, we’ve purchased many other home DIY items through Amazon – from inexpensive things like paint stripper and flood lightbulbs, to tools (like our table saw) to big items like the vent for our bathroom ceiling.

Next time you’re shopping for your DIY/renovation projects, check out Amazon!

Note: We are Amazon Prime members – which is a yearly fee service.

Other note: Amazon is not paying to brag about their wonderful deals. We just love them and get some of our best deals there! I hope you will too!

For someone who hates to fly, I find myself on an awful lot of airplanes.

Whether it’s traveling to see family, friends, seeing new places or traveling for work, last year I found myself on a plane about once a month. We just booked our plane tickets to Italy for our trip this spring, so I’m officially starting to dread the flight. Yep, I’m a nervous flier.

I know the facts. Regardless, when I get in that tin can with wings I kind of freak out. So like any sane person, I’ve developed a few coping mechanisms. I’ve looked around online for tips on being a more relaxed flier, but I haven’t found much. So, hopefully this will help the others out there like me!

Gimme the aisle

While you may not always have the first choice of your seating, determine what seating arrangement you prefer. I’m an aisle girl. I shut the window if I’m stuck by one. I’d prefer an aisle seat towards the back of the plane rather than a middle seat towards the front! Like most people, I try to avoid the back of the plane – typically it’s louder (engine noises) and a bit bumpier.

Eat something time-consuming:

This helps me focus on something that isn’t a book or a screen. The variation helps. While most people eat IN the airport, I’ve learned that I like to save my food for the plane. Something cold, like a salad, is my preferred food of choice. The crispness of the lettuce, and cutting up various vegetables or chicken require a lot more effort than cramming a bag of chips in your mouth. Plus it’s healthier and doesn’t leave you with greasy fingers and in need of a mint.

Dress the part

I don’t swear sweatpants on planes, mostly because it makes me feel grubby. I try to dress comfortably, but especially try to wear easily removable shoes with warm socks. I also usually bring a scarf with me. Airplanes can be a bit cold, but I don’t always want to wear a bulky top (feeling even more squished into my seat).

Entertainment

Getting through a flight is all about pre-occupying myself with something else. I was recently on a flight next to two people who had no music, no books, no computers, no magazine and no entertainment! (Here’s looking at you Delta). I am the opposite. Over-stimulation city. I bring magazines, books, e-books, my iPod and usually print out work articles and go through them with a highlighter.

Also, in my opinion, this is not the time to be high and mighty with your entertainment choices. I usually like to get into something easy and entertaining, not tedious. (Example: Harry Potter for plane rides. Save heavy Dostoyevsky for when I’m safe on the ground.)

Rock the Beats

I always bring my iPod – Drowning out the sounds of the plane helps me. If I don’t want music, I usually leave the earbuds in anyways to drown out the sound. Earplugs work too. Music with slower beats or easier listening is what I choose – no need to get my pulse racing.

Eat Pray Love

I’m definitely a pray-er on airplanes. There are key moments when I panic the most (like take-off). Usually I will pick one person during takeoff and focus on praying for them. While I usually say a quick prayer for the plane ride as well, it doesn’t help me when my prayers focus on the plane – I’m trying to get my mind OFF of the plane!

Where everybody knows your name

I always listen for the pilot’s introduction over the speakers. For some reason knowing their names helps put real people in charge of the plane and makes me feel not so out of control.

I also frequently look at the flight attendants. If things are feeling a little bumpy, I look first to the attendants. If they are just chatting or serving food, it reminds me that the bumps are NORMAL. Someone once told me you need to think of the turbulence like potholes in the road. It just happens. I’ve also read to close your eyes and imagine you are on a bus. Surprisingly, the sensation is the same!

Have a chant

Maybe this sounds crazy, but I have a particular song I sing in my head when things get bumpy. Somehow it just became my go-to. It helps to ground my nerves when I’m feeling panicky – so I sing it at the top of my lungs… in my head that is. : ) Again, it’s about distraction until your nerves calm down.

To my fellow nervous fliers, you have all my sympathy. I hope some of these tips help you on your next flight. Obviously I’m not a therapist, psychiatrist or anything of the sort – these are simple techniques that help me – a nervous flier.

What do you do to preoccupy yourself on an airplane?

I think this year I’m going to try my hand at this delicious sounding soup from The Skinny Fork.

Crock Pot Guinness French Onion Soup & Irish Cheddar Crouton

And we may or may not have purchased some Lucky Charms cereal to celebrate the holiday.

source unknown – lost in the vortex of Pinterest. If it is yours please let me know!

and don’t miss these adorable St. Patrick’s Day printables from My Sister’s Suitcase:

And how cute is that rainbow fruit kabob!

And if you’re looking for a magical movie, try The Secret of Roan Inish

or the old classic, The Quiet Man.

Here are some highlights from several St. Patrick’s Day posts I’ve shared through the years:

A Vintage St. Patrick’s Day

A collection of inspired vintage St. Patrick’s Day images.

Recipe: Homemade Crasin Scones

Yum! Make them. With the honey-butter. NOW!

My favorite St. Patrick’s Day songs

Haha! The Muppets version of “Danny Boy” cracks me up EVERY time!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

Do you have any special plans?

I have finally posted an overall house “tour” of before and progress photos!

See our overall house progress here: Our DIY House Tour

This month is 2 years since we put an offer on the house. Yes, TWO – I can’t believe it’s been that long. I posted an update on the first floor in the fall.

In all honesty, we’ve pretty much just patched and painted here, and it still needs a LOT of surface work help. We also have some big plans in our head to help make our bathroom larger (as it’s currently the only one upstairs), which would mean knocking down walls in a number of rooms… so we aren’t exactly inclined to perfect what is going to be torn out.

Bedroom:

Since this is an older home, there is no true “master”, so we chose this one. After a beastly battle with a few layers of wallpaper I spackled the walls and the ceilings and painted. Although you might not be able to tell from photos, we have quite a bit more spackle and caulking work ahead of us. We took down the mammothly heavy (70lb!) closet doors, which will sometime we replaced with new doors. We also took down the ceiling fan and installed new lighting. (You will see this is a theme in every room I’m about to mention).

Bathroom:

This bathroom is like a wounded man limping to cross the finish line… constantly moving, but painfully slow. As we have plans to completely gut this bathroom, we’ve made minimal updates. We replaced the vanity (the original was broken on the side), tore out the double glass shower doors, took down the medicine cabinet (the mirror finish was literally peeling off) and installed a new light. You would think that with all that replacing this bathroom would look pretty good – but with our gutting plans – we went for the cheapest temporary pieces we could find. When we bought the house, the entire ceiling in the bathroom and hallway was peel-city. This was because there was never any venting system installed!!! We installed a vent and heater, and worked on the ceiling. This room has been painted a few times, for now it’s gray.

Hallway:

As I mentioned, the ceiling in the hallway was peeling like crazy. We’ve had to go back a few times and re-touch (and you can see we are currently in progress of that in the photo below). The vent has certainly helped a lot with this. The peeling problem could also be because this house was winterized and de-winterized a lot in a short period of time since it was a foreclosed property. More paint and spackle in here. We’ve also added runners – the original hardwood up here is a rough in certain spots.

Guest Room:

Aye. There’s not much to tell about this room – it’s been minimally updated. We painted the walls, tore down the ceiling fan and closet doors and installed new lighting. That’s about it! This room needs love!

Guest Room:

Same story here! We did a bit of painting and took down the ceiling fan. We’ve also rewired all the bedrooms upstairs. Also, this closet is insanely wide, so the doors are still here. I have no idea what we’re going to do with them!

Office:

This is a weird room. It has so much potential and so many limitations due to it’s really awkward shape. The peaked portion of the room was added at a later date and was refinished poorly – drywall seams show everywhere.  We’ve painted in here, and that’s about it. We have some big dreams up our sleeves for turning this room into a master bedroom, but we have enough projects on our hands! Maybe someday….!

This post has been sitting in my drafts folder for exactly a year now. Mainly because I’m still waffling with what my opinion is.

The thing is, I have been a scrapbooker for most of my adult life.

When I say scrapbooker, I mean drawer-full-of-crazy-scissors, got-monopoly-board-game-paper-just-in-case, every-shade-of-sharpie-marker kind of scrapbooker.

Really, it’s all my Dad’s fault. (Yes, you Alpo.)

Knowing I was a crazed, crafty kid, once upon a time my Dad brought home half a dozen fancy old portfolio-style binders with clear sleeves thinking I might like to use them for a project. Little did he realize he was going to create a life-long tornado of patterned paper squares, mini paper-cutters and stickers for every occasion.

I save everything that has a memory associated with it. Funny fortune cookie slips, postcards, clippings from the boat ride on Cape Cod, notes on napkins and hospital bracelets. Then in a maelstrom of scotch tape and Fiskars fury I lovingly assemble them into a visual memoir of the year.

Then I got married and I made our wedding album online. And I liked it. I really liked it.

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Now I feel torn. Usually as the year closes, I purchase my next scrapbook to begin recording the follow year. So that left me wondering… do I keep scrapbooking? I already have over a dozen hefty scrapbooks and have no idea where to keep them.

Maybe this digital photo book idea is the way of the future, but it still makes me sad to leave my scrapbooking ways behind.

Does that mean no more ironic word bubble stickers? What will I do with the straw wrapper from the restaurant we go to on our 10th anniversary? Or the road map from our first European travels? What will I do with my 2012 keepsakes if I don’t scrapbook them!?

But then the idea of creating yet another scrapbook feeling daunting. More paper, more clear sleeves, more albums.

Do you scrapbook? Do you ever feel like it’s time to quit?

A few weeks ago I posted my Tips on a DIY Whitewashed Brick Wall.

Since then we’ve made more progress in the room-formerly-known-as-the-sunroom. I think we’re going with “family room”. The trim and walls are all painted.

Crown molding is in progress as we speak I type. I’ve learned today how much I dislike putting up molding. Mostly because the sound of the airgun scares me and you have to hold your arms above your head for long periods of time. But on the plus side, I think I’ve finally convinced Moose to write up some of his wisdom for the blog – so hopefully you’ll get to finally meet him soon.

Back to the brick wall – After I painted the room (Shoreline Haze by Valspar, like the living room), the gray-ness of the brick wall was too cool colored compared to the warmer putty colored walls. That brought me to stage II of the brick wall project: tinting.

I took some of the wall paint and watered it down slightly (about 3:1 paint to water ratio – enough that the roller left bubbles but there weren’t drips). I rolled it directly on the brick wall.

Then I went to town with some old rags. I rubbed and splotched my way across the brick until it resembled a color and texture I was happy with. Then I repeated until the wall was done.

Do NOT paint the whole wall and then rag it. I worked in 2′x2′ squares to prevent the paint from drying before I rubbed it in.

We also had some cracks in our brick wall. After the paint dried, we filled them in with DAP DryDex Spackle- this is obviously only an aesthetic solution. This would not work for structural or outdoor use.

We like to use the pink kind so we know when it’s dry. After the spackle dried it was just a matter of sanding it down.

Then I dipped a paper towel (too lazy to dirty another brush and rag) in my watered-down-wall-paint solution and rubbed around the spackled areas.

(In hind sight I would have spackled from the beginning, but we thought it wouldn’t be that noticeable… we changed our minds.)

While the brick is still distinctly a distressed whitewash color, the wall blends more with the wall.

See the transition of the color here:

I can’t wait until we get the crown molding and baseboard around the brick! I think it will really look sharp next to the crisp white trim and a nice piece of art hanging on it!

Soon enough we’ll be able to rip up the floor coverings and I can show you my new floors – no more cracking linoleum here!

I’ve returned from Atlanta, and my trip was just peachy. (Too cheeky?)

Although I saw shamefully little of the city, I did experience a few new things: my first foray into Caribou Coffee meeting up with an old friend, I went to a restaurant with a ham bar and ordered grits, and survived the MARTA train system. Not exactly a deep cultural experience for my first time in the South, but I will be back there in a few months – so maybe I will have more to report on Georgia then.

Before I left we had a beautiful dusting of snow.

We’ve had quite a few lovely snows this year.

Now that March has officially begun, we’re starting to see glimpses of spring. A warm day here, sprouting buds there. While I’m sure we will continue to get a few more snowfalls, I’m trying to appreciate the last days of fleeting winter beauty.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I “like” winter, I have a deep appreciation for it. Having lived in the snow belt for my entire life, the calendar year seems incomplete without the season of frigid whiteness.

frosty morning view from bed

Maybe I do like winter. It gives me the excuse to sit inside and watch early 90s sitcoms while the roast from the slow cooker wafts throughout the house.

Maybe I like it because it covers up our disaster of a frozen, excavated yard for a few months of the year.

And how the reflective snow brings so much LIGHT into our home.

Soon it will be over. For now I will enjoy the stillness.

Nearly as soon as we purchased this house, we talked about adding french doors to this entrance.

Thirty pretty panes letting in the light and airiness.

A less expensive way to add French Doors to your home is to purchase unfinished ones.

To paint your doors, you will need to lie them flat across two workhorses and remove all the hardware.

Do NOT remove the plastic that is covering the glass!! You will be sorry!  

Lightly sand all the surfaces and edges. I used a very high-grit sanding “sponge” we used for finishing the kitchen island and sideboard.

Then I primed the doors with Kilz primer, for the best protection from bleed-through. I gave each side two thin coats, letting it dry fully between coats.

No worries if you get paint all over the glass area – this is why you want to leave the plastic ON.

Then you will want to paint your doors. I used our trim paint – Valspar Swiss Coffee in semi-gloss.

Give each side two thin coats – use thin coats to avoid paint clumps and globs.

Make sure the side is fully dry before flipping it over to paint the other side.

Do not paint the area where the hinges will go except for one quick swipe – the paint buildup will prevent the hinges from sitting in the notch correctly. You may need to cut some paint out of the hinge at the end if it is not sitting the right way. You might not actually need to paint them at all.

When you have painted everything to your satisfaction, use a razor blade to cut off the plastic in each pane of glass.

Then re-hang the doors on the door frame. I did my final paint touch-up with the doors hanging.

Any paint you get on the glass can now be scraped off with a razor blade.

Then you will add your knob. Determine how high you’d like it (the average is 36″ from the ground).

Then sit back and appreciate that you just save a few hundred dollars. : )

This room is SO close to being finished – I can’t wait to take up the floor paper. Then we can really celebrate!

I’m off to Atlanta for the week for work – talk you y’all later!

Have you been to Atlanta before? This is a first time for me!

First, I want to thank you for being patient with the visual changes around Withywindle. I’m testing out some new looks and layouts – so if things change a bit, that’s why!

Hopefully I will settle on something that works best soon.

I’ve been told that the comment button is now hard to find – my apologies!

With this new WordPress layout I’m trying the comments button has moved to the top of the post, no longer at the bottom. I will see what I can do about that!

I’ve added a few new pages recently as well to help organize my projects so they can be found more easily:

• Our DIY Home
• Get Crafty
• Travels

I’m also starting a house tour, which is coming (promise!). I’ve also put together a Paint Colors page here.

I can also be found chattering on Twitter, procrastinating on Pinterest or tracking all my favorite books on GoodReads. And, as always, via email me at withywindlekat@gmail.com.

Lastly, you can subscribe to my posts three different ways: sign up via email (see sidebar for the button), follow me on WordPress (if you are a fellow WordPresser), or sign up for my RSS Feed on a reader (I personally read most blogs through Google Reader).

Happy weekend!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Looking for a few last minute sweet-treat ideas?

A few that I am consider making this year are:

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These Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies from The Way to His Heart - grapefruit is in season right now too!

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Or these deliciously pink looking Blood Orange Bars from White on Rice Couple.

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I hope that someday I’m advanced enough to try my hand at macarons. Is it too late for a mail order from Laduree?!!?

This tutorial for macarons from Eat Live Travel Write sure is tempting!

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You surely can’t go wrong with a simple strawberry milkshake!

This adorable idea from Sweet Paul magazine sticks sliced marshmallows to the glass for a polka dot effect.

And you know how much I love polka dots!

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Maybe I will make this delicious looking Cranberry Vanilla Swirl ice cream from Pink Recipe Box.

Or you can read my post from last year for all my tips on dipping Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

Or my post from two years ago when I made homemade Peanut Butter Cups.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Which sweet treat would you make?

Do you have any Valentine’s Day traditions?

When we moved into this house, the first room I worked on was the dining room.

We ripped down the taupe iridescent wallpaper  and painted the dining room a limey-pear green, Dried Palm by Behr.

It was fresh and summery, and I liked it for a while. But in the evening light the color on the walls turned quite… sorbet colored. It was more melted pistachio ice cream than crisp celery.

So I decided to repaint.

This is certainly not the first time I’ve repainted over another color choice I’ve made.

Remember this disaster?

I love painting rooms. Some people feel very committed to paint colors – not me!

When I painted our Powder Room, I picked a gray-green color from Valspar called Willowind. I liked it so much that I went back for another gallon and painted the dining room with it.

And it’s perfect! Repainting is an inexpensive way to completely update a room.

This updated, earthier green color matches the other colors we’ve painted on the first floor.

For some of my painting tips, read this old post.

In this round of painting I used garbage bags to line the tray for easy clean up.

Next up is adding crown molding. That’s why my top trim line isn’t perfect. That’s our next DIY project waiting in the wings.

Don’t be afraid to paint! It’s always worth it in the end.

Once you get the right color that is. : )

Are you a color-commitment phobe?
Do you like or hate to paint?

Every morning I drive to work past this pond right by our home.

The last month or two, every morning I spy a few crazies out there on the ice.

They are ice fishing!

It looks pretty miserable to me, but whatever floats your boat… or… whatever you use for ice fishing.

Whatever warms your Longjohns?

Okay, this analogy is dying a swift death.

On Friday afternoon the blizzard that took New England by storm (*pun intended) arrived.

As soon as I woke up the next morning I peered out our bedroom window, and saw our cars buried beneath a thick, white blanket of snow.

Fortunately we kept our power throughout the storm, and didn’t lose any tree branches! We haven’t had the best of luck in that area.

Before the storm we lined our driveway with these orange poles, so we would know where our driveway ended and the yard started – very important if you are plowing your driveway.

Thankfully I’m married to Mister Prepared, and we had all the tools for a proper snow jailbreak.

Can you see our big marshmallow cars in the driveway?

My favorite part about blizzards is hunkering down with some warm food and pajamas.

We started the day off right with a big, hot breakfast.

Including my Granna’s recipe for homemade scones and coffee!

Anything to fuel the manpower to unearth our vehicles…

I brought our yardstick downstairs to measure the snow.

We had a whopping 28″ in the front walkway!

Everybody needs a good blizzard every once in a while!

I hope my New England friends are staying warm and dry!

I still remember being in elementary school gym class for the square dancing classes, and one of the boys wincing as we do-si-do-ed because of my frigid fingers. (Better than sweaty grossness, right?)

These days the only person I torture with my cold hands and feet is stuck with me for all time, poor guy.

This is all to say, I really like to be warm. And New England isn’t exactly the warmest place to be for six months out of the year.

With tomorrow’s looming blizzard upon us, I’m dedicating today’s post to my favorite staying-warm techniques.

Fleece Lined Tights

I saw a pair of these at Marshall’s and bought them on a whim. (Anne Klein brand fleece-lined tights) I tried them on later that night and literally pranced around the house. I vaguely recall exhortations coming out of my mouth. Something along the lines of “MY LEGS ARE LITERALLY IN HEAVEN,” but the joy at the moment was so overwhelming I can’t remember for sure.

I returned to the store two days later (what if they were sold out? – the horror!) and bought a pair in every color. And I bought some for my sister-in-law, a coldie like me.

Tea and Soups

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I’ve never met a cup of tea I didn’t like. In the winter I usually ditch my pretty, daintier cups and go for the big fatties. The more tea the better.

Starbucks mugs usually are my go-to, they can hold a mighty large cup of tea, or even a can of soup!

And homemade soup is always best.

But I have tried the new line of soups that Campbell’s Soup put out, and I must admit they are quite tasty. (The Chicken and Quinoa and the Chorizo with Poblano Peppers were my favorite two.

Slippers. Warm ones.

I believe I have spoken of my love for these L.L. Bean Hearthside Slippers before.

Moose gave me a pair about five years ago and I’ve never looked back. They are warm and toasty, and so comfortable you will find yourself wearing them to the grocery store because you didn’t realize you weren’t wearing real shoes. (True story.)

The thick rubber sole is sure to last a while – and when it finally does run out, L.L. Bean guarantees their products for life, so you can just turn them in for a new pair.

Electric Blanket

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I turn this on 15 minutes before I get in bed so it’s nice and warm! Nothing is worse than cold sheets.

Just don’t forget to turn it off before you fall asleep.

And if you do forget to turn it off, not only could it be a fire hazard, but it also makes getting out of bed in the morning 1000x harder.

Cuddleduds – aka Long Underwear

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I always hated long underwear. And then one year a pair of Cuddleduds appeared for me underneath the Christmas tree. They are so warm and comfortable! And thin enough to wear underneath another outfit if needed. They come in a variety of necklines, arm lengths and fabric choices – the options are endless. And they are so WARM!

Space Heater

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We own several space heaters. I have a small one at my desk at work and I have this cutie-pie that looks like a coal-stove too. It gets moved around the house.

We have a construction-style space heater that connects to a propane tank, which gets used while we’re working in the garage or in the (formerly!) uninsulated family room.

We ALSO have one in our bathroom fan. Husband of mine, I love you forever for installing this. Nothing is worse than getting out of the shower in the middle of winter and touching the cold tile floor. Bathroom ceiling fan heater for the win!

A Lumberjack Hat

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I’m sorry to say that I own this hat. And I’m even sorrier to say that I wear it every single morning on my way to work.

You’ll look semi-ridiculous, but you will be so warm you won’t even care. And other people will think you look like you’re about to take down a grizzly, but they will also be jealous because they can’t feel their ears, or their nose, or their face.

I also like this hat, because it doesn’t give me hat-hair for the rest of the day, or leave with with an imprint on my forehead. I got mine from the Christmas Tree Shoppe, and it was worth every penny.

I think I’ve mopped 20 times in the last week.

And written “wash me” in the construction dust covering the first floor of our house.

And even though my house has pretty much looked like these for the past two weeks:

It’s totally worth it because it’s coming together!

By the way, if you look closely at the photo above (beyond the sea of tarps and dust) you will see we expanded the doorway into the living room by 14 inches!

On my last post about this room (we’re having trouble “renaming” this room – the family room? the back room? the den?) I posted some crummy iPhone pictures I took at 9pm at night.

Now you can really see we have new walls! And new windows! And new trim!

This room has a whopping 9 windows, so there was lots… of… trim… to paint around.

First I painted one quick layer of paint on the wall – we decided to continue with Valspar’s Shoreline Haze, which is in our living room.

My friend Alli always makes fun of me because I need at least two words to describe a color. This room is a putty oatmeal.

Then we spent a while going through the room filling nail holes with spackle and sanding them down.

And then we used caulking to fill all the spaces between the trim and the walls.

Then I taped off the windows and painted the raw areas with Killz. Twice. No bleed-through!

Then I gave the entire room and all the trim two coats of paint.

And somewhere along the way we added baseboards.

Lo and behold, we’re actually looking at furniture for this room right now, so hopefully soon enough I’ll be relaxing with my feet up in this room!

My nice, clean, dusted off feet that is.

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In my research, all the “whitewashing brick” tutorials featured porous, red brick – not my flat-slabbed industrial, gray brick we found on the backside of our fireplace.

So I turned to my long-standing sound credo, let’s just wing it.

1. White Base

I started with a VERY watered-down paint – about 5-8 parts water to one part white latex paint. Stir thoroughly.

I used a fat brush to apply, and old rags to wipe around the excess – I found wiping was better than dabbing, which left a weird texture.

Most tutorials I read used a 2:1 water to paint ratio. But, since our brick was not very porous I was worried about it just looked straight-up painted. (Not the look we were going for.) You can always add more paint people!

2. Depth and Variation

Because our brick wall was straight gray, I wanted to add some variation. I made a few different colors of gray paint, using a bit of black paint. I painted specific bricks a different color gray – emphasizing darkness in certain corners of the brick to create shading.

I also used some bright white paint to highlight corners of some bricks to help with this.

3. The Grout

You will need to decide what color you would like your grout to end up being. We liked the look of a whiter-grout, so I took a small paintbrush and used the same step 1 treatment on all of the grout.

4. Final Layer

To bring together all of the different gray and white bricks, I added a little bit more white paint to my original watered down mixture. I went over the entire wall three times, wiping down each layer.

Tips:

1. This was SUPER drippy. I had no interest in protecting our floor, since we are building right over it – but you should probably protect yours.

2. You can’t go wrong. When in doubt, dab, wipe, repeat.

3. Your arm should be moving CONSTANTLY. Otherwise your wall will just look drippy when the paint collects.

4. Layers. Layers. Layers. I probably did each step 3-4 times before moving on to the next step.

5. Back AWAY from the wall. Every few minutes, walk 10-15 feet away from the wall and see how it looks to ensure consistency.

6. Daylight. I paint at night all the time, but this project is definitely one you need daylight for. Harsh work lights will cast an uneven glare.

Now that we’ve started painting the room, I might do another layer to tint it. If I do I will sure let you know. : )

I am an accessories girl.

Accessories are less commitment, easy add-ons, and can be inexpensive (!).

You’ve already seen my DIY Necklace Rack.

I love having some of my jewelry on display so I wear different pieces more often. I keep the rest in two green fabric boxes on my dresser.

When it came to earrings… I didn’t have a very good solution.

I was re-organizing my earrings one day when the idea came to me. While I’m sure this isn’t the most original idea I could have thought of, it was fast, easy and free. How much better can it get?

I used an old needlework hoop I had sitting around in my craft supplies and a scrap of gray/white seersucker fabric.

I stuck the fabric in the hoop, snipped off the excess and voila.

For now it’s just hanging on a removable 3M hook. (I wanted to make sure I liked using it before committing.)

And I’ve been happy with it! It’s very easy to get the earrings off and put them back on.

So this is my happy little get-ready corner.

I store the rest of my jewelry in those two little green boxes.

You might have already noticed some visual changes on the blog here – and it’s about time. Things around these parts haven’t changed one bit for the last two years – so I’m trying out some new things! Let me know if you love/hate it. I’m still exploring myself!

What’s your favorite accessory. I can’t decide if I like earrings or scarves better… : )

Have you heard of Pinstrosity? It’s laugh-out-loud hilarious.

We’ve all had that one craft project or recipe that failed. Miserably. This is a website that features peoples failed DIY-wreckapalooza projects when everything goes wrong.

It happens to the best of us, especially if you’re a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-glue-gun-pants DIYer like me.

It happened a few months ago. I was trying to be productive – my only goal for the evening was to stay away from the television and that time-sucking giant wormhole called the internet. Simple quest, right?

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I briefly thought about sanding down my desk and refinishing it. “No, no no,” I thought. That’s one thing that actually doesn’t need to be worked on around here. No sir. The desk stays the way it is.

So I decided I was going to practice my lettering.

I’ve always admired beautiful typography (hello, graphic designer here) and want to take the time to learn more. (Hence these beautiful inspiration shots.)

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So I got out my fancy tips and bottle of ink.

And immediately proceed to spill it everywhere.

I don’t even know what happened.

Oh yes, actually, I do know what happened. I got it EVERYWHERE.

Exhibit A:
All over my desk. My desk that, 10 minutes prior, I had declared perfection and in no need of work. This was the best I could do to clean it up.

Exhibit B:
All over the inside drawer and the contents inside.

Goodbye craft supplies drenched in black India Ink.

Exhibit C:
All over me. My hands? Black.

My favorite jeans? HUGE ink stain.

Exhibit D:
This was the worst one. The carpet. The cream carpet.

There is now a medium pepperoni pizza sized black schmear all over my carpet.

For the last six months I’ve been living with it. I can’t wait until spring to take that desk outside and sand her down!!

I guess you need to be careful what you wish for?

I know I’m not alone! What’s your recent crafty/DIY/cooking mix-up been?

The sunroom is quickly  growing up to be the family room. There’s a lot to catchup on.

The last time you saw this room, we had completely gutted her. Read about it here. (Want to know how fast time goes? I posted about gutting this room THREE months ago. It feels like yesterday.)

No more solid wood paneling. No more drop ceiling panels.

There has been more done in this room than I can probably explain – in all honesty, after the demolition, I have not been very involved. Moose has been doing a lot of work in conjunction with some professionals. This non-DIYing is very exciting and feels so fast! It feels like this room has come together overnight!

This is the doorway we have had for the last 1.5 years. And now it looks like… (drumroll please)

all pics are from my phone. and it’s dark. so they aren’t that great. oh well!

First, we got our french doors installed!!! I am thrilled and I love the way they open up the two rooms together. Because we have an old home, an open floor plan isn’t really an option for us and this really brings the spaces together. This is a load-bearing wall, so they also needed to install a header – definitely not a DIY job for us.

No more ancient broken windows with rotting sills either. When we put new windows in our house 2 summers ago, we did every room except this one to delay the cost (because this room boasts a whopping 9 windows). We got our new windows installed and they look great!

The old (GROSS) insulation was ripped out, and we had a professional come in and blow foam insulation. While the upfront cost is definitely more than rolling the traditional stuff out ourselves, it will pay for itself in the next two winters. Boston winter ain’t got nuthin’ on us.

You might also notice the floor has been raised. This room was built on a concrete slab, so it was a step-down from the rest of our house. We had insulation rolled on the floor and then then built this subfloor on top of it – this also greatly contributes to the feeling of an open floor plan. Hardwood floors to match the rest of the house are to come.

The room has been run with all new electrical outlets, cable hookups and our ceiling has been outfitted with can lighting.

We have walls! Real walls for the first time in this room. This was really the kicker for me. It feels like a real room now, and it’s such a huge change to look across this living room and not see a dark pit. This was definitely another job for professionals – since we own an older home, nothing is level or square. These walls and ceilings are plaster, not plain old drywall.

The brick wall is still up for debate. We have left it open and are going to decide how we feel about it as the room comes together. More on the brick wall this week!

And just because it makes me feel good, let’s look at the before again:

We’ve come so far!

Next up for this room? Lots of painting, installation of all the window and door trim, and the floor.

Ahhhh. Italia.

Land of art, food and romance.

And food. And art. And romance. And George Clooney.

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I have always wanted to go to Italy.

And this spring, we are going!

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I started brushing up on some Italian phrases.

And by brushing up, I mean I just downloaded a translator app on my phone.

And I type random phrases into it while I’m lying in bed.

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I may or may not be getting ahead of myself.

But I’m already debating over which flavor of gelato to try first.

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I’m looking to you guys for some help.

You guys are so smart and resourceful. No really, it’s true.

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Have you been to Italy?

Right now, Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast are on the itinerary.

I may be persuaded to consider other locations as well.

I’d love to hear about what you loved to see/eat/visit!

And you know me, budget-friendly tips are always welcome too!

I love to read. End of story. Pun intended.

In 2012 I read 56 books. While I was really pushing myself in 2011 to read new books, I languished in re-reading some of my old favs in 2012. But I did force myself to read a few new ones as well – this is my list of top 10 new reads in 2012:

1. A Song of Fire and Ice series, better known as Game of Thrones – actually books 1-4 – A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

Winter is coming. God bless the readers that started reading this series in 1996. Yes, 1996. I was wearing stretchy pants when this mystical world created by George R.R. Martin came to be. It is part LOTR, part Wizard of Oz, part UnderWorld. This is not light-hearted reading. With an endless rotation of characters, thickening tangled plotlines, and, frankly, more violence than I’m used to, this is tedious reading. Yet, 3188 pages later, I’m still longing to get my hands on book 5.

2. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Okay, so I’m a year or two late to the party on this undeniable book. This is a story about the spirit of courage. This is the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who survived. Zamperini was in the Army Air Corps, was in a plane crash, survived by floating on a raft surrounded by sharks in the middle of the ocean for 47 days, only to become a POW in Japan. He survived, barely, and came back to the U.S. with depression and a liking for alcohol. Zamperini’s life began again when he became a Christian after attending a Billy Graham revival in 1949. You might need a strong stomach for this book, it gets a bit graphic. But it’s gripping and rewarding.

3. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

This is a love story of a young Chinese boy and a young Japanese girl in Washington during World War II. This is also modern-day story about an estranged father (the young Chinese boy 40 years later) and his son. This book is pretty and sad. Drink this book with a nice cup of tea.

4. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Although her other books are wildly more popular, this was Jane Austen’s first published book. It may also be my favorite. It’s a bit more tongue-in-cheek than her usual love stories, and Mr. Tilney is the man of the hour. I’ve read it, watched the movie (Masterpiece Theater) and loved it! Catherine Morland is a bit awkward and gullible, and, to me, much more understandable than the strong-willed Lizzy or silent Eleanor. I feel like I know this girlish young character (maybe because she’s as big a bookworm as I am?).

5. Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith

What can I say? It was the year of England. When we traveled there this spring, it was only a month before the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Therefore, the bookshops all had spreads of Queenie books out on display. In case you didn’t know, it rains a lot in England. So into lots of bookshops we went.

After perusing enough Queen Elizabeth books to pass a few rainstorms, I was hooked. I ended up reading this one when we got home. It was insightful, and makes me like the old broad. Even if she refuses to smile. At least I feel like I understand her now.

6. Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter

Goodness me, I grew up watching this happy-go-lucky, whipped-cream-with-a-cherry Hayley Mills cinema feature. Happily, the book was just as delightful. If you don’t want to smile and play the Glad Game all over again, don’t read this book.

7. The Petite Advantage Diet by Jim Karas

I KNOW. So lame is this that this book is even on my list. I don’t even believe in diets! Seriously, I love cheese. I love chocolate. Just hear me out!

When I saw this book in the library I didn’t pay any attention to it, just like any/all diet books I come across. But then I kept seeing it wherever I went. Over and over again. Finally I read the subtitle “specialized for women 5’4″ and under” and thought hey! that’s me! I’m short! Really, I’m 5’2″. Since the book was inescapable, I started skimming, and it was actually interesting. Jim Karas specializes in working with celebrities under the height of 5’4″ because, he says, there is a whole different foundational approach necessary to living with a petite frame. I know, it still sounds kind of lame, but it was really interesting if you’re a shorty life me. Just trust me!

8. Stealing Rembrandts by Art security expert Anthony M. Amore and reporter Tom Mashberg

I was an art major. I live near several of the locations of the greatest art heists of all time. To me, stealing art is the most intriguing of crimes. It hardly ever pays off and requires so much forethought. Most interestingly to me, some paintings have never been found. I wonder whose walls they are hanging on. This is a collection of short stories about the world’s greatest art heists.

9. War Brides by Helen Bryan

This piece of historical fiction follows the lives of five women whose lives coming together while they live in a small town in England during World War II. (Goodness, I didn’t realize I was stuck on a WWII theme here in my reading this year.) Friendship. Love. Intrigue. Children. War. Read this with a blanket and a cuppa.

Note: this book is available in the Kindle Lender’s Library for free if you are a Prime Member!

10. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen

Oh man, I know it. There are two food books in my top 10. But Michael Pollen, author of the famous Omnivore’s Dilemna, will make you forget you are reading something helpful and educational. This “eater’s manifesto” is about getting back to the basic’s of food. A food philosophy if you will. I’ll tell you what, you can get the basics of this book in just a few words: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. There you go.

Click here to see the 10 Best Books I Read in 2011.

Last year, my resolutions were:

1. Less house, more play.

Check!

2. Eat more fresh veggies – join our local CSA

Check!

3. Get to know my sewing machine and camera better

Half-Check!

I actually sewed my first quilt this fall! Pics may follow someday. It was a Christmas present for my hubby.

I didn’t do the best job with getting to know my camera. Like, at all.

My resolutions for 2013 are:

1. Get to know my camera better! I’ve done diddly-squat in researching my photography skills since I got my SLR over a year ago. It’s mostly been blind exploration, and I haven’t been getting too far! This year I will focus and learn.

2. Apologize less. You heard me! Instead of “Oops! I’ve been a bad blogger and still haven’t posted my one-year update of the second floor… even though we’re rapidly nearing the two year mark.” Nope. Not gonna say that anymore. I’m not sorry.

3. Explore more. Last year’s “home” resolution was to work less and play more. Which we certainly did. This is the year of hunkering down and getting to know our new home. I will learn the back roads. We will try new restaurants. Roots baby. Roots.

4. A morning routine. I’d like to have one at some point in time during my adult life. A morning routine that involves more than rolling out of bed and throwing my contacts in.

What about you?
Any tips for a hopeless morning gal like me?

One of my favorite types of gifts, to both give and receive, is something that is homemade.

For Christmas, my mother-in-law surprised us with a collection of DIY painted coasters!

The coasters are tumbled marble tiles from Home Depot, which she sanded down. Then she painted on them and gave each coaster a final coat of polyurethane.

Then she glued cork to the bottom (using Elmer’s Glue, she said she did her research!)

She said that she got the idea from a store – where they were charging $12 for each coaster!

Plus, she gave us a set of 12 coasters, which is great because I never seem to have enough coasters around when we have a party.

We’ve got crafty genes all over this family tree.

They’ve already been put to the test! Saturday morning coffee and a read through one of my new Christmas reads!

I write down six questions.

Questions about what we are proud of in the year that is ending and what we look forward to in the year to come.

Then I fold them up and write a random time on it – spreading them out within the hours.

Then I put them somewhere we will see them – last year I taped them on the wall, this year they are nestled into our tree.

We keep an eye on the clock and when the time arrives, we open up the question and all give an answer.

It’s a fun game to play with a group of people, or if it’s just you and a friend.

Happy New Year!

P.S. I just found our old apartment keys and couldn’t bear to throw them away. So now they hang on our tree! Can’t believe it’s already our second Christmas in this house : )

Now I must go… I have several of The Pioneer Woman’s recipes calling my name… and Martha Stewart’s double brownies. Good thing my resolution to eat well again starts tomorrow! : p

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

As always, thanks for stopping by! And special thanks to The Domestic Fringe for being my most frequent commenter – I read everyone’s comments and they always make me smile! : )

My 10 most visited posts this year were:

1. Day Trip to St. Andrews, Scotland

2. I’m on (Kitchen) Island Time!

3. Kitchen: Before and After Photos

4. DIY Tutorial: How to Refinish an Old Dresser

5. Upcycled Cabinet Door Artwork Tutorial

6. A Vegetable Garden Baby Shower

7. Spray Painting Mason Jars

8. Party Ideas for a Swanky Magazine Swap

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9. Doors, Handles, Knobs and Toes. (Knobs and Toes.): How to Install Cabinet Door Knobs

10. A Long-Overdue Bedroom Update

While we miss living right by the ocean, this pond near our house is quite beautiful. I snapped this shot on my way to the grocery store one evening. We bought a kayak this fall so we can paddle around in it come spring.

And don’t worry, I got out of the car – not driving and photographing simultaneously!

While things here on Withywindle have been fairly quiet, our lives have been anything but.

Around here was the buzz of Christmas preparations, then the roaring silence after the Sandy Hook tragedy, followed by the holiday train that starts moving whether we’re ready or not.

This weekend we relax.

We close out the year as I like to do with the end of a good book – snuggled up in an armchair with a mug of hot something.

We find our peaceful place in this holiday season before 2013 reveals a fresh page begging to be blotted with fresh ink.

We enjoy our colorful tree and twinkle lights around the house, charge through our DVR stash of favorite TV shows and recorded movies (we are cancelling our cable next month – so need to get through it all now!), try new recipes (from new cookbooks received on the 25th!) and sit by warm fires reading Anna Karenina (I have this thing about reading books before seeing the movie).

Well, I read Anna Karenina, my counterpart will likely read something equally riveting. Like a book about lawn care.

We have a few projects thrown in the mix as well – putting finishing touches on our whitewashed brick wall and re-arranging picture frames around the house. Trivial things.

During the Christmas season we hear about the silent night and the peace on earth but most often it’s overtaken with the holiday shopping hustle, driving through stressful snowstorms and go-go-go-go.

But this weekend is about pajamas and pancakes. And peace.

Merry Christmas to you all. And Happy New Year.

: )
Kat

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

: )

From Kat

Who doesn’t love getting mail?

As soon as Thanksgiving passes, I look forward to checking the mail every day. It’s practically the only time of year we get snail-mail these days.

This year, I decided to create a clothes-pin wreath – after being inspired by this tutorial on GwennyPenny. (This tutorial uses wire and has cute bead beads too!)

Project Steps:

1. I used an embroidery hoop (the interior one without the buckle.) Mine is about 12″ in diameter.

2. I attached clothes pins (about 40) with hot glue all around – leaving a 2″ space for the ribbon.

3. Then I painted them all holly-green! (I only painted the top flat surface).

4. I tied on a plaid ribbon and hung it in our hallway. Then I clipped on our cards as they came in!

It makes me happy to see it every day and I walk down the stairs!

This project cost me $0.00. I had the clothes pins (leftover from a Baby Shower game) and had the paint and hoop on hand. But you could probably make this with new materials for under $5!

I love to save our Christmas cards and look at them year-to-year. It’s fun to see how people change over time. I keep them all in this box.

It was a cigar box (that conveniently says “forget-me-nots” on it!) that I glued a ribbon and bow on.

I can’t believe Christmas is already here! Merry Christmas!

If you’re like me, you have cables and chargers coming out of the wazoo.

Between the computers, cameras, iPods, iPhones, Kindles, so on and on, we have a lot of cords, cables and chargers. That is, a lot of cords that look exactly the same and tangle into a big electronic ratsnest.

But not anymore!

Enter: The Tech Basket

I chose to store all our tech equipment in a pretty, unused picnic basket. It looks nice on the shelf, plus, the lift-top provide easy access. You, of course, can put them in whatever container that you choose.

To organize my equipment I needed two things:

1. A box of Ziploc freezer bags

2. Binder clips of various sizes

I keep all the manuals (which I never read) and installation CDs in one bag to keep everything together. The lid of my basket had a nifty plastic plates holder on the lid that I tucked mine into.

First, to keep all the cords from tangling I wrap them up together and clip them together with a big binder clip.

I love these black binder clips because they are sturdy, and clip on/off so easily! Much better than wrapping with a rubber band or knoting the cord.

Then I group together the “stuff” by  which “thing” it belongs to.

For example, this is all my SLR equipment – chargers, TV hookup cables, lens covers, etc.

I like to use Ziploc Freezer bags because they are tougher and also have a nice label-box.

I threw some other tech equipment in the basket too – my external hard drive, re-chargable batteries and some extra headphones.

It’s nice to have everything in one place, and finding the right cord that I need is so much faster/easier now.

————————

Hopefully I’ll post on a few Christmas projects soon… I’ve been far too busy watching Hallmark movies and drinking cocoa to muster up the effort to take pictures. : ) Soon enough friends!

In case you’re wondering, we’ve made zero progress on our sunroom since we gutted it.

But that will all be changing very soon.

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As a part of the project, we have one DIY project we are going to attempt.

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Perhaps you are  seeing a theme in all these inspiration photos I am posting today?

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When we gutted the room, the back of the fireplace was exposed.

We’re going to try whitewashing it and see how it looks.

If we fail, we will just drywall over it!

I love DIY projects with little-to-no negative consequences.

My only concern is that I have only seen how-to-projects on people whitewashing over red brick, but gray like ours.

Have you ever whitewashed brick? Gray brick?

You can’t buy happiness.

It’s true.

But you can buy a $5 can of chalkboard spray paint.

And that’s pretty good too.

While my hubster was buying car parts, I walked myself over to Home Depot to pass the time.

I bought some chalkboard paint on a whim.

When we got home I found these chunky plastic blue frames from Target that I had in college.

I was going to give them away, but once I saw them lying in the discard pile I knew they would be great to draw on since they are so wide and smooth.

A few swipes later and the frames have been reborn!

I love finding new ways to display photos, and with a trick as simple as this, who says you can’t buy a little piece of happiness?

Filed under: Get Crafty Tagged: chalkboard, chalkboard paint, displaying pictures, DIY, picture frame, spray paint ]]> http://withywindle.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/quick-easy-chalkboard-picture-frames/feed/ 1 withywindle Chalkboard picture frame IMG_9444 Chalkboard Picture Frame http://withywindle.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year/ http://withywindle.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year/#comments Sun, 02 Dec 2012 01:37:37 +0000 Withywindle http://withywindle.wordpress.com/?p=3128 ]]> Merry jingles are blasting from the iPod.

Pumpkins were swiftly swept away and Santa and Mrs. Clause now grace our dining room sideboard.

The stockings have been hung by the chimney with care.

I’m finally allowing myself to look at Christmas crafts (not one ounce before Thanksgiving is over, it’s my rule).

But before I get all caught up in the season (considering I have already DVRed all the Christmas movies for the next 2 weeks, I think I’m already there), take a look at my holiday tutorials from last year.

How to Make $0.24 Christmas Cards

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Free Holiday Gift Tag Printables!

Making my Favorite Christmas Candies!

Coffee Can Centerpiece

I have finally succumbed to the mega-trend that is subway art.

There is a lot of “word art” out there in the world today. “Real” subway art, or bus scrolls, are black and white and use the typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk, though modern updates of any official subway signage are written in Helvetica.

I created this sign in Adobe Illustrator using Helvetica, and altered the kerning (space between letters) and letter height for variation. I printed it at Staples using the “Engineering Print” category – purchasing this huge poster for $4.99. Then I spray-mounted the poster on a piece of large foam core (black foam core so the edges blended) with 3M Super 77 spray adhesive and finally just hung it up in our bedroom.

The locations I chose are all places that meant a lot to us during our days of college.

It makes me happy! And gives us a big piece of meaningful art for only $10.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I used to thumb through BH&G and Martha Stewart magazines and tear out craft ideas, but now with the internet, blogs and Pinterest, my craft “list” is growing exponentially!

I’ve realized there are the “this-is-brilliant-and-so-easy-I-love-my-life” ideas versus the “this-is-so-terrible-the-internet-is-a-lie!!” ideas. This post is about a great one!

One of my besties came over several weekends ago for a girls night – complete with shopping, crafts and Mister Darcy. We picked two Pinterest crafts we had been wanting to try, and found a wonderfully easy and inexpensive tutorial for felt ear-warmers!

The tutorial we used can be found at Delia Creates.

The bow-specific tutorial can be found at Delia Creates also.

We each made a few of them – and they came out to less than $2.00 a piece!

Supplies Needed:

• 1/4 yard of microfleece from your local fabric store (1/4 yard will make 2 earwarmers. We bought ours with a 50% off coupon at Joann’s … originally $10/yard which = $1.25 for our 1/4 yard at 50% off)
• A large button – any color/size of your choosing
• Thread (I used white thread I already had on my machine. You could hand-sew this project too if desired.)

I made the rosette with a glue gun and glued/sewed it on to the band. Next time I make rosettes I will try to remember to take process-photos.

A great rosette tutorial video can be seen here from Living with Lindsey: Making Rosettes from Cloth

I love wearing my ear-warmers! I wear ponytails a lot – and I hate wearing hats with them! It’s so uncomfortable.

These ear-warmers are very warm and toasty and you can fit it to your own size head.

I suppose you have to take the good ideas with the bad ideas… because I’m not even going to talk about that joke-of-a-recipe we pinned and made for “healthy Peppermint milkshakes” – when it’s made from cottage cheese, protein powder and pudding mix… you know something has to be wrong.

Give me ice cream or give me death!

The decorations in my house are constantly changing.

I usually decorate the mantle and a few other parts of the house specifically around the different holidays throughout the year.

I don’t go all out. I usually do something easy and make it a project I can keep from year to year. (I have big tupperware bins labeled by holiday in my basement – therefore each year I have a few more pieces to pull out and it gets easier and easier!)

In fact, this year I only let myself buy one autumn decoration.

I bought this pumpkin from Home Goods! For items that are on the larger side, I always go for seasonal – not holiday specific. This pumpkin is about 18 inches tall.

Remember this autumn wreath I made last year?

I had some leftover pieces of felt in my craft bin and this idea was brought to life.

Felt Fall Garland:

Within an hour I had:

1. Found some leaf and acorn shaped cookie cutters (from the Target dollar bin)

2. Traced on several colored pieces of felt with a fine Sharpie

3. Cut them out and laid them out in the order I wanted them to hang

4. I hand stitched them together with little knots

Then I hung it up on my mantle with my trusty blue painters tape. Voila.

I think this will transition us from fall to winter – because, yikes, I can’t believe winter is almost here!

For tutorials on the previously mentioned bunting and wreath:

Nearly No-Sew Autumn Bunting

DIY Felt Autumn Wreath

Linking up to:

Drywall, thou art mine enemy.

Or frenemy, because I like new drywall.

Bathroom medicine cabinet? GONE!

Door molding? Bedroom wall? BAM!

Our walls are shakin’ in their boots around these parts.
Happy Saturday!!

Oh the shame. I am a pretty organized person. But I start blog posts and then sometimes they sit half-finished in the drafts folder for a few weeks, or months. Remember our trip to England and Scotland in April? Well, I never finished writing the post on Oxford. Then one thing led to another and it felt like an embarrassingly long time went by and I decided to forget about it. Until today. I was hunting in folders for possible Christmas card photo options, and looking through our Oxford pictures was just too fun. Besides, Oxford = Tolkein = Withywindle. How could I not?

I’ll be honest, our first day in Oxford was a total bust. I know it’s usually pretty rainy in England in the spring, but even the innkeepers were commenting that it worse than usual. We originally had only scheduled to be in Oxford for one night and one full day. I can’t say we didn’t try – we walked all over the city and were soaked through by lunchtime – it was so gusty that I even had to throw away my umbrella, which broke that morning. After walking for a few hours, and realizing we had scarcely been able to look two inches outside of our rain hoods we decided to cancel one of our days in London and stay in Oxford the following day.

The only good part about the rainy day, was visiting the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and Pitt Rivers museum. It was PACKED because the museum is FREE and it was raining. But it was an amazing experience – all types of animal skeletons. And this is coming from an Art and Writing major.

J.K. Rowling fashioned Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley after the Pitt Rivers museum, and I can see why! The place was rambling, dark and full of the strangest objects I’ve ever seen. It feels like you’ve walked into a giant Borgin and Burkes.

Following our worst day of weather, our next day in Oxford was the most beautiful weather of our trip and I’m so glad we chose to stay. (Note: Flexible itinerary plans are always a win!)

We saw all the academic sites – the Radcliffe Camera (above), the Sheldonian Theatre, and Bodelian Library(below), which are all part of Oxford University. We also saw numerous Harry Potter filming locations in the process.

Oxford is quite the place – an unusual abundance of students in Black Tie off to some event. We peeked in a doorways, but college buildings and campuses are guarded and closed to visitors. We didn’t bother trying to get any special passes to visit them – but they are available.

We also visited Christ Church and the gardens. Lewis Carroll, the magical mind behind Alice in Wonderland, was inspired by the Christ Church gardens and wrote the stories about a real girl named Alice – one of the daughters of the Dean of the church. Across the street is a store called “Alice’s Shop” and has every Alice in Wonderland item you could imagine.

“You’re mad, bonkers,
completely off your head.
But I’ll tell you a secret.
All the best people are.”

Behind the church is Christ Church meadow. You’ll see some lovely cows, and if you keep on walking you will meet the Isis (the part of the Thames river that goes through Oxford is called the Isis). There you will find lots of boathouses for the Christ Church Regatta. If it’s pouring rain you may even spend some time on one of their porches. : )

Being the bookworm that I am, I was very excited to visit the enormous Blackwell’s bookshop.

When planning our trip to Oxford, I was doubly excited due to an inexplicable soft spot for the Inklings. Blame it on my Dad. The Inklings was a literary group made up with great authors like J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis and Dorothy Sayers.

If you’ve forgotten the origin of Withywindle, read this.

In terms of Inklings related site seeing, we saw most of it. There are formal tours you can take as well, but I think we covered most of it on our own. We walked past Merton College (where Tolkien was a professor) and Magdalen College (where Lewis was a professor). We also saw the Church of the Virgin Mary (where Lewis first read his famous paper “The Weight of Glory”).

But perhaps the most iconic Inklings location we visited was dining at the Eagle and Child (Bird and the Baby) where the group met. They still have the “Rabbit Room” sign up with several plaques dedicated to the group. The restaurant is actually owned by a chain restaurant company that specializes in historic restaurants and pubs. (We went to a location they owned in Edinburgh too.)

There were three parts of Oxford that we did not get to experience. First, I was told by several friends to visit the Covered Market for lunch – we only attempted to visit on our first rainy day and it was so bad out most of the shops were closed. Secondly, for reasons I can’t remember (major construction I think?) we were unable to visit the famous Ashmolean Museum.

Lastly, we had to skip renting punting boat (think gondola style boating). The rivers were so flooded (seriously, it rained a lot) they had to close them down. Perhaps someday!

During our time in Oxford we stayed at The Buttery Hotel - I would recommend it. It was one of the better places we stayed during our trip and the location was perfect! Breakfast was included, and delicious. And don’t worry about the calories, you’ll work it off climbing up six flights of stairs to your room.

All in all, Oxford was lovely and I would definitely go back. It was a bit smaller than what I expected, but very charming. We are movers-and-shakers, so 2 days was just enough time for us to feel like we got to experience a bit of the city. (But really, is there ever enough time?)

And there you have it, our trip to the U.K.

As I said before, if you’re planning a trip to the U.K.  I found The Londoner, Aspiring Kennedy and Explore.Dream.Discover quite helpful. Cheers!

The types of things 10-year-olds like to collect until they grow out of it and move on to cooler collections, like high heels.

Usually I don’t realize I’ve been collecting things until I discover I have two dozen of them stowed away in a drawer.

Like fortune cookie fortunes.

I don’t save them all, but I keep the ones I really like. You’ll find them tucked in corners of picture frames and pinned to the fridge. And yes, I even have discovered a secret stash in the drawer of my nightstand.

In the throes of Presidential-overload this fall, I opened this fortune cookie and the timing was just right.

It made me remember how grateful I am to have the constant annoying presence of ballots and bulletins and billboards flooding my mailbox, inbox and every other nook and cranny they can squeeze into.

I’ve hung on to it throughout the fall since I am eager to move past this crazy period of the year.

I don’t think I will add this to my collection long-term, but it’s been a good and healthy reminder.

The clash of ideas is the sound of freedom.

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And to avoid this post becoming completely serious, I’d like to share this funny post I found on “Election Day Fashion”.

via

It made me laugh!

And do the independents wear all purple?

Rock the vote!!!

My favorite fall dessert is in town – Caramel sauce and fresh apple slices.

This is the easiest fall dessert to make!

And it’s even easier than it used to be with these awesome Caramel Bits by Kraft (found by the chocolate chips, $2.99 for the bag.)

I used to make this all the time with my mom, except I had to unwrap a whole bag of these:

Now it’s even easier.

Take 1 bag of Caramel Bits and 2 tablespoons of Half and Half and slowly bring to a simmer. Caramel burns very easily, so stir often!

When it’s a rich, amber color it’s done!

Slice a fresh apple (yum!) and drizzle on the caramel.

Don’t be too hasty – it’s easy to burn your mouth!

Not that I know what that’s like… because when it comes to caramel sauce I’m the Queen of Patience.

Eat and enjoy! Happy Autumn!

Which means… I’ve been intending to write this post for the last 4 months.

But summer doesn’t really count as time, since I’m morally obligated to run to the sunshine’s every beck and call. Especially here in New England. It only lasts for a few months. This is not an apology for my overdueness. Just a statement. So there it is.

In some ways it still feels like we just moved in. In others ways (especially looking at the photos!) I can’t believe it’s been so short a time! I thought I’d take you on a tour of our house – as it when we looked at it in March 2011, and as it is now-ish.

To avoid making this epically long, this post will just be the first floor.)

Hallway

This photo of the hallway is from the MLS. In the hallway we’ve repainted everything and replaced some of the trim. And the door! Also, you can see that there was a radiator BEHIND the front door (isn’t that weird?)! We ripped that out immediately!

Our plan here is to add molding and board and batten.

One Year Later

The biggest change in the hallway is that our coat closet seems to have disappeared! We took that space and added it to the kitchen for our recessed fridge.

Powder Room

This is a tiny little room that we completely gutted.

We ripped out EVERYTHING. We moved the toilet and installed new drywall, new molding and a new tile floor, as well as a new sink/vanity. Now I need to order some window treatments for  that room – because hellooooo neighbor.

One Year Later

Living Room

This room is my favorite. Because it required the least work!

We tore out the old brass fireplace doors and one of the radiators. Besides that, this room only needed some paint!

One Year Later

Can you see why I’m excited to move our television into the other room?

Why yes, those are new couches! Green and gray stripes.

Sunroom

You just saw this room. There was nothing about this room we wanted to rescue. So it all went bye-bye.

The future of this room has yet to be written.

One Year Later

Dining Room

This room was the FIRST thing I worked on when we got our keys to the house. I ripped down this wallpaper within the first 10 minutes! We painted and added beadboard wallpaper. We also painted all the cabinetry and ordered new custom cabinet doors – which still are not all attached. Someday soon!

One Year Later

Kitchen

The kitchen. Oh, the kitchen.

We de-wallpapered, painted walls and cabinets, installed new custom cabinet doors, a sink and a granite countertop. All of our appliances are new (sadly only a stove came with the house, and that died). We refinished a raw wood sideboard and kitchen island. both from The Mill Store.

We gutted the pantry and installed new shelving and an in-pantry microwave. Last, but not least, we ripped open the wall and made a cubby for the fridge.

We have some detail work left in this room, but all the work has been totally worth it!

Front Porch

One Year Later

Notice we also moved our huge rhody bush.

I can’t wait to enjoy our new porch next summer.

We rebuilt the exterior structure of the porch and gave everything a fresh coat of paint. We ripped out the ceiling fan and existing ceiling, and replaced it with a new beadboard ceiling, molding and a new light. Our new front door is now a lucky shade of green. (We don’t miss that ghetto padlock. Not. at. all.)

Stairwell

One Year Later

I will leave you with our stairwell and the promise of giving a 1 year later update to the 2nd floor. Before spring. I promise.

In our stairwell we tore up the old runner, removed the handrail and re-painted the treads and the walls.

It’s hard to believe so much of the last year of our life seems to fit so neatly in one little post. 365 days can go a longggg way.

Frankenstein. Frankenstorm. Frankendoor.

I “pinned” this adorable Halloween door a few months ago – before we even had a green door!

from MelDesigns

I knew I had to make it happen!

After I painted our front door a friendly shade of green this summer, it was ready for a Halloween costume.

I’m not sure how the original door was made, but I used:

- craft foam
- hot glue
- painter’s tape.

I bought three Creatology craft foam sheets from Michael’s for $5.00 – one white sheet and two black sheets.

Then I measured my door to make the hair the same width as my door.

I cut (freehand) the hair, 2 eyeballs, 2 eyedots, 2 teeth, 1 mouth, 1 scar, 6 spider legs and 3 pieces of a spider body.

I used my hot glue gun to put together the eyes, the hair (my foam wasn’t wide enough to do it in one piece), the spider and the mouth.

I cockeyed the eyeballs and teeth to make him look goofy

To attach the pieces to my front door, I used a few pieces of blue painter’s tape (protect the doorpaint dude!).

I put mine underneath our window, and I like it because it will be eye-level with our trick-or-treaters.

Our door is protected from the elements by our screen porch, so I can’t say how the painter’s tape will hold up to wind or rain.

Still no screen door though!

I love it!

Even if we get no trick-or-treating kids, it was totally worth it!

Happy Halloween!!!

I’m linking this project up to the Fall Pinterest Challenge at YoungHouseLove