A Pink Coffee Break!

Sometimes you just have to take a little break...and that means a nice cup of coffee. 

At least, that's what it meant for me.

Of course, as you might remember, I love to drink my coffee from a china cup, so that's what I did.

But this time I took it a step further. I set up a pretty tray with flowers and my favorite wedding picture.

I think it's really important to pamper yourself every once in a while...

Okay...that's not true.

I think you should pamper yourself every chance you get.

We have so many demands on our time and our energy--especially this time of year.

So take a moment for yourself...

It will restore your soul and you'll have more to give your family.

So enjoy a cup with me!

undefined

Chalkboard inside the kitchen cabinets!

So many of you have inspired me by adding chalkboards to your kitchens, that I had to do something in my own kitchen. Well, I thought about it and thought about it. Where could I put a chalkboard in my kitchen... Then I came up with it--INSIDE the upper cabinet doors!!  

Don't look at my messy cabinets!!!  Look at the doors!!!!

I thought about getting the chalkboard paint, but I wasn't sure how well it would work or how messy it would be. So I decided to go with the chalkboard contact paper instead, and let me tell you--that stuff is great!  When you get it, it looks like it's just regular black contact paper. I was certain it wasn't going to work, and I'll admit I was a little disappointed. But I read on a couple of reviews that the paper needed to be "seasoned"  by rubbing chalk all over it, and once I did that, it worked just like a chalkboard. (It even makes that horrible screeching noise sometime when you write on it with the chalk.)

We're using the chalkboards to keep track of our grocery list. Every time we think of something we need, we just add it to the list on the inside of the cupboard door. Then, when it's time to go shopping, the list gets copied to a grocery list. Before, we always said we would keep a list, but it never happened, because we never really bothered to start one. Now the list is very convenient, and there's no chance of losing the list and having to try to remember what was on it before we go shopping.

Now there was one issue that needed to be solved. And that was where to put the chalk. Of course, I had to find a pretty solution for storing it. It couldn't just stay in the box, because then we'd never use it, and that would have defeated the purpose. The chalk had to be where it was easy to get to at all times without having to look for it. I guess I could have just laid a stick of chalk in each cupboard, but that didn't seem very practical. It seemed like it would probably get lost and dirty. I really wanted it to be convenient, but at the same time out of the way, and it had to look pretty.

After scrounging around for something to put the chalk in, I finally decided on using a crystal Partylite candle holder. It's the perfect size to hold a box of chalk, plus it's pretty and keeps the chalk dry. I still haven't bought an eraser, but the terrycloth covered sponge I'm using seems to work great, and as an added benefit, I can just throw it in the washer or wring it out in the sink if it gets too chalky.

I'm really pleased with how they turned out. I had just enough contact paper to line the inside of all the upper cabinet doors. Not only are they practical, but they also look good too! 

Oh! and there's also the added benefit of sometimes finding unexpected love notes!

Happy Thanksgiving! Have a piece of Pie!

Well, it's that time of year again... 

That time when we reflect on all the things we're grateful for in life and eat massive amounts of food with family!

It's also a time for making new families to make new family traditions. 

Today I think Jim and I started our own family tradition of making apple pie together. We had so much fun making it together, that we both agree we'd like to do it again. 

Source: google.com via Loribeth on Pinterest

Jim peeled the apples. I think he enjoyed using my apple peeler/corer. It makes the job so much easier and quicker. It peels, cores and slices all in one step. Plus, it's kind of fun to use. It was given to me as a gift many years ago, and it is one gift that I've used over and over again.

When Jim finished peeling each apple, I would cut the apple into pieces, put them in the bowl, and lightly coat them with lime juice. (I usually use lemon juice, but I only had lime juice in the fridge and didn't feel like going to the store to get lemon.) Then some sugar, flower, a little salt, some spices and my secret ingredient a tiny bit of vanilla paste went into the bowl with the apples. After that, we set the apples aside to let them soak up the flavor.

By the way, we used both Granny Smiths and Golden Delicious apples, because I like the flavor when both a tart and sweet apple are mixed together. To me, it makes the flavor more complex and enjoyable.

Source: google.com via Loribeth on Pinterest

Of course, when you make a pie you have to have a crust. I know a lot of people get store-bought crusts because they're so easy, but they don't work with my pie tins. My pie tins are 12 inches, and the crusts you get in the store are 10 inches. But that's not a problem, because I have the best pie crust recipe. It uses boiling water...yep, boiling water. I know that probably sounds strange to anyone whose made pie crust before, because usually you have to use cold water.

Anyway, Jim helped with the crust too. I mixed all the ingredients in my Kitchen Aid, but he use the spatula to push the flour down from the sides of the bowl. It didn't take hardly any time at all to mix it up and get it rolled out. This crust is so easy to work with, because it won't get tough no matter how much you handle it. My grandma taught me how to make a round pie rust. She always used to say that every woman needs to know how to roll out a round pie crust before she gets married. The secret is to start from the middle and work your way out...just in case you were wondering.

After the pie crust was made, the apples were poured into it, it was covered with a crumb topping, and put in the oven. This time I tried covering the crust edges with aluminum foil, and it worked fantastic! I removed it 15 minutes before the pie was done, brushed the crust with a little milk, and let it finish baking.

And this is how it turned out!

Isn't it pretty????

Oh...and just to show you how big it is....

YUMMMMM!

We really had a lot of fun making this pie together. Tomorrow we'll take it to my parents' house, and we'll get to tell everyone about how we made the apple pie. I think we did pretty well, and can't wait to have a slice a la mode! 

Hope you're making some new traditions this year or continuing some old ones! They really do help make the holidays more special.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I hope you have many blessings to be grateful for this year!

LET'S REMEMBER OUR TROOPS WHO ARE NOT WITH THEIR FAMILIES THIS YEAR,

LET'S INCLUDE THEM IN THE BLESSINGS WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR AS THEY KEEP OUR COUNTRY AND OUR WAY OF LIFE SAFE,

AND LET'S PRAY THEY ARE SOON REUNITED WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

undefined

Visualizing My Kitchen Light Idea

I decided I wanted to see what my kitchen would look like with a chandelier above the sink...

Well this is how it will look.  I'm not so sure I like it.  What do you think?

Since I'm not sure I like the crystal chandelier, I thought I'd try some other options.

So help me out... Which is your favorite?

Remembering Autumn

Well, the Autumn colors (or Fall as we call it here in Michigan) are officially gone. The colors are my favorite part of the season, but now that they're gone, I know that winter is not far away.  Soon everything will be covered with snow.  But until then, I thought I'd share some pictures of the colors that were displayed in the woods behind our house.  Enjoy!

You know... I really think that the Autumn colors should stay until after Thanksgiving. Wouldn't it be lovely to have all those colors for the holiday????  Oh well, here's hoping we don't get snow on Thanksgiving Day!!!

More Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing

Yesterday morning I decided to refinish our lower kitchen cabinets... I had removed the handles and filled the holes on Monday, not really sure when I would actually get around to doing the cabinets. I just knew the handles had to go.  As it turns out, I couldn't wait any longer, so yesterday was the day.

Reminder of what the cabinets looked like before.

Take a look at the handles. Do you see why they had to go? We never actually used them to open the cabinet doors, because they were way too low. And you probably can tell from this picture, but (Lean closer, because I'm going to whisper something...) they were kind of ugly. (I'm whispering, because my husband picked them out before we met and I don't want to hurt his feelings.)

Anyway.... This is what our kitchen looked like most of the day yesterday.

 

 

The cabinets really turned out nice. I just don't know how well the finish will hold up, but I'm hoping it will be as durable as the upper cabinets appear to be. You're probably wondering why I'm worried about it.  Well, I used the Rustoleum kit that I used on the upper cabinets again, but this time I didn't use the bond (paint) coat. I just used the glaze and the protective finish coat. I'm hoping the glaze didn't need the bond coat to adhere.

 

I'm really excited about the new glass knobs! They add so much sparkle to the room, and we actually use them, because they're located where you can reach them. If I were to do the drawers over, I wouldn't drill the holes in the very middle of the drawer fronts. When you look at them installed, the knobs look a little low. I think I'd drill the hole a half inch higher.  Actually, I can't take credit for any of the drilling this time, because when I started to drill, Jim was standing over me watching very closely. So before I even drilled one hole, I asked him if he'd feel better if he did the drilling. He quickly stepped in to handle that step, and he drilled them exactly where I had marked them to be drilled, so I'm happy.

Close up of cabinet after being glazed and with new glass knobs.

They do look nice. The color is richer and doesn't look faded any longer. The glaze was pretty easy to used, but I did have one little incident whilst I was putting the protective coat on. The protective coat pulled the glaze off, I think because the glaze wasn't as dry as it needed to be. But I just waited a while, used a little fine grit sand paper on the area and feathered the glaze in over that area again. It blended in well, so no harm done.

After with new knobs and glaze.

When I finished, Jim asked if I could make the upper cabinets look like the lower cabinets! See! I told you he doesn't really like the painted upper cabinets. He still thinks oak is sacred! Of course, I told him the lower cabinets could be made to look like the upper cabinets, but the upper cabinets can never again look like the lower cabinets! (Lean close again...) Eventually, the lower cabinets will probably get the same treatment the upper cabinets got, but that's our secret.

Here's a side by side. I don't know how well the difference really shows up in the pictures, but you can really tell a difference in person. My personal favorite part of the project is the knobs. I just really, really love the glass knobs. I think they make the upper and lower cabinets look cohesive, like they were made to look different, but still go together.

 

I did put everything back together sooner than the kit recommended. I'm impatient. I wanted to see the finished look!!!! So whilst Jim was out, I put the drawer fronts on, rehung the doors, and installed the new knobs. I think Jim was a little disappointed that I didn't let him do that part, because that is men's work (his words, not mine!).

At the end of the day, my back was sore and I was really tired, but very happy. My kitchen is slowly becoming my favorite room of our house, which is amazing considering how much I disliked it before!

My kitchen is starting to be my favorite room of our house!

Oh! and it turns out there are some perks to having the kitchen torn apart for a day. Since I was so busy working on the cabinets and hadn't planned anything for dinner, Jim took me out to eat at Teddy Spaghetti's!! It's their two year anniversary, so the owner was going around giving everyone who was there free samples from their new menu. Every thing was delicious! We love their pizza. But what was really nice is, I didn't have to cook dinner, I got a little break from the project, and I got to spend some uninterrupted time with Jim!!

So what do you think??????