September

September is finally here, school is in full swing and it is about time for some fall love. Make sure you go over and enjoy the Fall Nesting Week Party over at The Inspired Room this week. Vic and I hope to participate at some point. From the few blogs I've seen so far, I'm definitely inspired.

I found this "something" at Goodwill recently. Not sure what to call it. I need to find a place for it and something to go inside.


Chloe and I started this wreath today. These white tipped pine cones came from my Uncle and Aunt's cabin on Lake Rabun, in Clayton, GA. We have enjoyed going there for the past so many years. Swimming in the lake in the summer, or cuddling up and feeding the wood stove in the fall was always such fun. They are selling their cabin, and I told the kids today that we will have this pine cone wreath to remind us of the good times there. I had never seen the white tipped pine cones until we started going there. They almost look snow-tipped.


We also found a hand-full of these tiny pine cones during a hike to a waterfall near the cabin last fall.


On a walk last week Chloe picked up these interesting acorns. She is my nature girl. As soon as I saw them I knew they were going into her pocket. We also saw a persimmon tree loaded with small fruits. So, even with the 85 to 90 degree days, fall is slowly making an apperance. I, for one, welcome it with open arms.

Time Flies When Your Children are Growing Up

My daughter Chloe is turning nine today. For some reason I'm a little weepy. She is such a joy and is growing into a very creative person. I love this because it is something we are able to share together. She is also trying out photography, which is another love we share.

Here are two recent butterfly photographs that she took. Her hand must be sturdier than mine, because I have the hardest time photographing butterflies. I think we may have them printed and framed.




This is how she recently served strawberries. So much luciousness is a pretty glass.


She can also make a delicious loaf of wheat bread in the bread machine. The recipe she uses came from her piano teacher. If you are ever looking for a great whole wheat bread recipe, try this:

Jodie's Whole Wheat Bread

1 egg
1 cup of water (between 120-140 degrees)
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup honey (can use less)
3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons yeast (one package rapid rise)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Put the dough paddle in the bread machine pan. Place ingredients in the order listed above. Crack egg into bowl, then pour into pan. Make a well in the center of the flour. Place yeast and salt in the well.

Place your bread machine on the whole wheat cycle or according to your bread machine's instructions.



Thanks for bearing with me as I celebrate my baby having a birthday. Hope you all have a safe and wonderful Labor Day weekend. If we don't post more this weekend, see you all next week.

Crock pot recipes

My friend Sarah just started blogging and put out a request for crock pot recipes. Please stop by to see her and if you have a minute leave her your favorite recipe.

Oh and tell her we want to see more of her beautiful Craftsman style house! Her Dad did the trim work in the house and that, in and of itself, is worthy of a post!!!

Happy Thursday people...

~Victoria~

Hutch

I have a small house, a brick ranch built in the 70's, so that means a teeny weeny kitchen, small closets and one bathroom on the main floor!

In my kitchen I have a small wall between my basement door and refrigerator that can hold a skinny item, so for years I've just had a single boring metal cabinet that held my cookbooks, hubs "bowl" where he puts his wallet, keys and change and bills to be paid and hubs Little Debbie lunch snacks. See the coupons and mail spilling out of the mail holder in this picture and the stuff piled on top. That is real life in our household...


Recently at a yard sale I spied a piece of furniture that was really skinny and looked way better than my metal cabinet. In talking to the girl she informed me that it was a hutch that sat on top of a piece of furniture they had way on the other side of the yard sale (why wouldn't they have them together???). In the end I decided to buy them both, although for now I don't have room or the need for the bottom piece, but since it was only $30 for the two of them I couldn't pass it up.


I was planning to paint it black but for now have decided to leave it white with the original scratches. I did have to change out the knob...it was a futuristic stainless steel knob and I just happened to have the glass one that I picked up at a yard sale years ago.


I plan to take down the mail holder and put up some shelves (when I find what I'm looking for) and maybe even a cute key holder like this one shown on the The Shabby Nest (love her ideas and decor!) but for now, at least it looks better and a little homier.

~Victoria~

Boring Blog Day and some Brunswick Stew

It is gloomy and rainy here in GA, but that doesn't stop the house from needing to be cleaned and the clothes from needing to be washed. So, that's what I'm doing.

The laundry room fix-up is going slowly, partly because I don't know how to find the balance between doing the things I need to do with the things I want to do. I have a few things hung up and decided that my lamp isn't going to work with any of the shades I have around here. I know I have some other lamp in storage, or what everyone else calls "the garage."

So, how about a delicious recipe for today. Do you like Brunswick Stew? If so, this slow cooker Chicken Brunswick Stew is delicious. Add a cornbread muffin and it is such a delicious lunch or dinner. I found this in my Southern Living magazine years ago. I do know that "real" Brunswick stew has beef, chicken and pork, but for an at home and easy recipe, this hits the spot.

Chicken Brunswick Stew


Ingredients

2 large onions, chopped
6 skinned and boned chicken breast halves
2 (15-ounce) cans cream-style corn
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper sauce
Preparation
Place onion in a 4-quart slow cooker; place chicken over onion. Add corn and remaining ingredients.

Cook, covered, at HIGH 4 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken; shred and return to stew.

My notes: I pre-cook the onions in a little olive oil or water, 'cause I'm always afraid of having crunchy onions.
We add our own pepper sauce at the table, some like it hotter than others
You can also add cooked and pre-shredded chicken to this instead of fishing it out to shred.

Hope you enjoy!

I'm late; I'm late for a very important date

How about a before and after of a kitchen table for the spray paint party over at Joys of Home. I primed the table with Kilz spray primer and then used a red satin finish spray paint. I think the color was "colonial red" by American Accents, but I am not sure. It is definitely not a fire engine red.

This before picture is *not* my table. My table just looked like this one before, except that mine is round. Should I have just left this picture out? : )

My table was this color before-it even had these same chairs:


The after--of my actual table:

We do have more than two chairs, they have just been dragged away to fufill other needs for the day.


And last, here is the medallion that I showed last week. There were several chips in the plaster that ruined the original finish.

Here is the after:

I wasn't happy that my spray paint was a glossy finish. I will probably redo it if I ever get the same color or similar in satin. This was paint that I bought several years ago for another project that needed a gloss finish and I was trying to use what I had.

Well, this spray paint party thing has been fun. I love seeing what others have done.

{Christina}

I Must Go Down to the Sea Again

As summer starts to fade away (at least for some of you)we interrupt the laundry room posting to bring you this fabulous post from Cindy at My Romantic Home. I just really love this wreath of shells. It seems all over blogland, we are all gearing up for back to school and fall. Even though I am all for all of this fall love, this wreath was just a breath of fresh air on this muggy 90 degree day here in GA. Can't you just smell the salt in the air and feel the sand under your feet and see the colors of the sea.

Oh, sorry. I drifted off for a minute. I only smell spray paint, and see all of the dust and dirt that just came out from under my washer and dryer, because of my spiff up the laundry room project. But it was a nice dream while it lasted.


Even if you are ready for the fall, go and gather your shells. At the very least you will have a beauty of a wreath to hang when summer comes around again.

Breathe deep girls, and dream of the sea.