I LOOK AT THE WORLD AND I SEE IT IS TURNING

A couple weeks ago I got a little tip from my Aunt (who by the way is another junking fanatic) her church was putting on a huge rummage sale to help raise money for kids to go to camp.

I showed up almost an hour before the doors opened and was still in the back of a huge line.  Though there were tons of other people to contend with, I did manage to pick up a few things for a whopping total of $15 bucks!!

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One of the things was an old globe with a dent in it. Junk to most right?  Who really wants a glob with a dent in it right!?  Well, I snagged it for $1 and check out what I did with it!

I had a little kid moment, while I was taking the glob apart.  I wanted to see just how this thing worked.  After getting it apart I was able to pop that dent right back out.

I painted the inside of the glob a shiny metallic blue, and lined the edges with some brown ribbon.

Poof! Lamp Shades!

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As fun as these are, they will be up in the shop soon.  Just as soon as I can find a cheep pair of lamp bases that aren't ones that I want to keep.  Non the less, I wanted to share what I pulled off with only $1.

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!

NEW TO MY ETSY SHOP: EASTER GUM DROP CANDY WREATHS

I know its just about that time for everyone to start decorating for Easter.  So while you're pulling out your eggs and your chicks and your bunnies... Don't you think you're missing something on your front door?

Just added to MY ETSY SHOP are these super fun and ever so tantalizing Easter gum drop wreaths.

I made them with sugary sour gum drops, so every time I look at them, my mouth starts to water.

Tied with a pretty little Easter bow.

These wreaths are hefty but can comfortably be held to any surface with those nifty pull and stick hangers. I currently have two available in MY ETSY SHOP for $35 a piece, but I am happy to take custom orders with your favorite color of ribbon.  Oh! Don't forget that my blog readers get 10% off their purchases in my shop!

Enter code "Blog10" when you're checking out!

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I'm pretty sure Easter is one of my favorite holidays...... Mostly for the yummy Easter candy.

Best candy of all the seasons!

If you didn't catch the link to my shop, click HERE

Or just click the link that says "My Etsy Shop" on the right of the page.

"BEEP BEEP" from The Little Road!



MARK TWAINS TAKE ON PAINT

My husband Curtis can attest that I've gone through the whole enchilada of paint colors.

Benjamin Moore

Valspar

Behr

Sherwin Williams

Ralph Loren

Restoration Hardware

I could go on.

Our little condo by the sea has been so many different shades, the walls are probably about an inch thick, just from paint!

The bad part about all this is, I never really seem to hate a color until my whole house is covered in it.

Then I look back and wonder what was going on in my head.

This yellow makes my living room look like an African safari........ Or a big vat of Queso.

One time I painted my whole house a light color of grey.  My Dad came in and said it looked like a battleship.  Out with that color! (He was right!)

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So the point I'm getting at is, I've been through the wringer with paint colors (and paint brushes) and I can honestly say that through lots of hard work, hard labor and persistence, I do, in fact have a perfect color palate.  (That of course works for me)

So I thought I would share with you.

Walls Walls Walls!

My perfect wall color is by Bher and it is called "Wheat Bread"

Its a little grayish and a little oatmealy, maybe even a little pink.  I am super in love with this color because it compliments every other color out there.  One thing I know about my style is that all my pictures, nicknack's, decorative items, and even some of my furniture is very colorful.  I hate having my walls compete with my stuff. It makes me feel like my living space is at war with one another.  After the day is done, this color is soothing and its just enough color to warm the house up.

Now onto my ceiling, molding and accents.

I am head over heals in love with Benjamin Moore's "Chantilly Lace"

Who knew I could love white so much!  Dare I say that its almost a neon white?! It makes me feel like I'm stepping into a cloud.  It radiates and projects light all over the house, and considering the fact that our little place technically only has 2 windows, we need all the light we can get!  I've used this on all our ceilings and moldings.  It compliments the "Wheat Bread" perfectly!  I've even painted some of my furniture with this color, and its turned out equally as beautiful!

Check out this ceiling painted with "Chantilly Lace."  It looks like they've used a high gloss but you get the idea.  I actually love the look of the high gloss too, but you don't need it that shiny to get reflections off your ceiling, the enamel will give you a little of that same effect.

Last but certainly not least on my paint spectrum is this "Mark Twain Gray Brick" from Valspar.

I think everyone has to admit that the name of their paint color slightly influences them to buy it.  The name of this swatch makes me feel sophisticated, mysterious and adventurous!

Marketing at its best, right?!

Aside from all that, I really do love this color.  Though I don't think I could ever use this as a wall color in our already dark place.  I do really love it for the occasional accent wall.  My husband and I have painted all our doors this color, and I'm also planning to use it inside my new closet office that I'm working on.  This color still really compliments my "Wheat Bread" and makes my "Chantilly Lace" just pop even more!  I also love complimenting this color with my favorite wood stain (that Ill tell you about next.)  This is a great accent color for all my needs!

Oh! It also really compliments my favorite bed side tables that I snagged from Ikea!  Almost a perfect color match if I do say so myself!

Remember that stain that I mentioned I love so well?  "Ipswich Pine" by  Minwax is that perfect dark golden that I love.  Simply buy a few knotty pine boards from your local store and start staining away.  This stain pools into all the knots and turns them a dark dark brown, which makes those knots just so beautiful.

See what I mean?!

Pair that against that lovely "Mark Twain Grey Brick" and I think it looks gorgeous!

I picture my office looking something like this!

With shelves and decor like this!!  Oh yeah!  I'm lovin it!

What are some of your favorite paints and stains?

"BEEP BEEP" from The Little Road!!

Most of the pictures used for this post were found on

Pinterest

ALL THE WILD.......ZIBRAS?

Did you know that along the California coast around San Simeon there are wild zebras?

Originally part of William Randolph Hearst's collection of animals for his private zoo, they were allowed to roam freely around his property and his "La Cuesta Encantada" known today as Heart's Castle.  Most of his animals were donated to local zoos, but a few of those silly zebras managed to get away.  Today, they have multiplied into herds and roam San Simeon's gorgeous rolling hills and coast line. 

 Quite a surprise really, when you're driving down the street and bump into a heard of zebras, which is exactly what happened to my Dad and I last week.  We managed to pull along side of the road and snap a few pictures.

"BEEP BEEP!" from THE LITTLE ROAD!



A BIRTHING STORY: BY THE GIRL ON THE RIGHT

My best friend Nakia and I have something pretty special.  Aside from loving each other unconditionally, were the type of friends that can finish each others sentences.  We make those calls to one another just out of the blue because we just know when something is wrong with the other.  We think and work better together than any old married couple because we think and look at things in the same way.  That's just the way its always been with us.  I think when we met each other those years back, some little cosmic switch was flipped and we've been tuned to one another ever since.

(This was several years back. She might kill me for posting this, but I love this picture!!)

This whole past year I have been anxiously anticipating Nakia having her 2nd baby.  I wasn't able to be there for her first one.  We live about 700 miles away from each other, and unfortunatly it was just the way it went back then. It broke my heart not to be able to be there.  So long story short, I was damn well determined to make it for this one!!  She was originally due for a c-section on February 8th, but about 2 weeks prior they started monitoring her because she was leaking amniotic fluid.  Figuring there may be some issues that might arise, (and there was no way I was going to miss this baby!) I decided to leave Seattle early and head strait to her.  The crazy thing is, an hour before I would have made it to town, she called me up and said "Can you get here in an hour?!!!"  I've never driven so fast in my life, but I made it with a few minutes to spare!!  There was a reason I felt the earge to leave early!

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I signed my life away to the hospital, threw on some scrubs, chowed down a quick sandwich and ran right into the OR.

(Not Joking!!)

Being able to be by my best friends side while her baby was delivered was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I swear my little scrub mouth cover was soaked with tears and snot. Her doctor let me come to his side of the curtain and showed me inside Nakia's stomach.  He showed me the outside of her cervix, and several of her organs.

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  I've watched my fair share of Grey's Anatomy to be more interested and fascinated by this paticular experience then grossed out.  Honestly, I really just wanted to have the bragging right of literally knowing my best friend inside and out!

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I stood to the right of her and held her hand while her doctor worked diligently and lovingly on her.  A few grimaces, sharp pains and tight hand squeezes........ Then all of a sudden, that sound we all were so anxious to hear.

 A sweet little cry.

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The doctors brought this sweet little peanut around the sheet and placed him in my arms.  I held him close to Nakia so she could see and touch him.  It's amazing to see that face for the first time and it was so amazing to be part of his very first few moments.  That element of fear and amazement of what's to come, its all right there, just as raw as it could be.

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The doctors bundled him up and had me carry him out of the OR to meet his proud new papa, brand new big brother, and lots of additional family and friends.  I managed to hold it together pretty well up until that point when I walked through the door and saw all of Nakia's friends and family all huddled around the door, so excited and so happy.  Here I was holding the center of all that amazement.  That's when it really hit me, and I just broke down and sobbed

My best friend of all time, just made this sweet little amazing thing!

How flippin cool is that!!!!

I'm so proud of my best friend.  I never thought I could love her any more than I already do, but after seeing how much strength, beauty and compassion shes had over the last few weeks, I love her more then I ever have.  I love this little peanut too.  He's just as strong willed and loving as she is.  The other day I was cuddling with him and decided to sing him a song.  He looked up at me, squeezed my finger and gave me the biggest grin.

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Yep, this peanut and me.  Were going to be buds.

And Nakia, how could I not love her forever!

"BEEP BEEP" from THE LITTLE ROAD!!

JELLO MOLD FARM

Just to state, I love Sunset Magazine.  It's one of the only magazines I will sit down and read cover to cover.  While flipping through the newest February issue, I started reading an article called "The 5 Mile Bouquet" and wound up bumping into some familiar faces.

Dennis and Diane of Washington's local Jello Mold Farm were our neighbors this past year at the Queen Anne Farmers Market, while my husband and I were selling beef for Happy Mountain Farm.  I've always known they were wonderful, but it was great to see a popular magazine praising them as much as they deserve to be praised!  Diane has the most beautiful color-popping flower arrangements you've ever seen, and her and Dennis are two of the nicest considerate people out there.  They are always full of happiness and cheer and always make sure to throw beautiful flower arrangements at you when its your birthday or if your just feeling blue.

This couple doesn't only tend to the human spirit, they also tend to the richness of the earth and our wonderful array of wildlife here in Washington.  Avid composters, Jello Mold Farm adds mineral amendments and certified organic fertilizers with the compost, to enrich the soil as they farm. supporting and increasing the diversity of critters great and small. 

They have also set aside one third of their seven acers of land for habitat conservation. 

"We have beetle banks and wild grassy areas to support voles. The cupola on our barn is outfitted as a bat house and we built a special rock pile “condo” for garter snakes. Our efforts are rewarded with frequent sightings of harrier hawks, sparrow hawks, red tail hawks, ospreys, bald eagles, three kinds of owls and an occasional heron."

   

If you follow practices to reduce your carbon footprint, where you buy your flowers is a big deal.

To supply the US with every variety of plant and flower needed or wanted at any given time, takes shipping and transportation from other states and or countries.  A lot of the flowers you buy in the store have been treated with dyes and chemicals to make them look like they have just been picked.  Whats impressive about Jello Mold Farms is the array of textures and colors they offer, that seem to be unique only to them.  Dennis has a variety of Dahlia's that produce for only a short period of time during the early fall.  The petals are almost an indigo blue, with bright pink petals on the inside.  Almost psychedelic!  You'll also see varieties of cabbage, artichokes, and other furney foliage, that you would never see bundled up in your store bought bouquet. 

So if you live in the Washington area, keep an eye out for these lovely folks.  They are down to earth wonderful people, enjoying a life that they are so passioned about.  If you're not in the Washington area, think about buying your flowers locally.  I think you be surprised to find what original and unique flowers you can find, and the price usually comparable to what you would find in the store.  Yeah its harder for small farms to give you massed produced prices, but think about the savings of not having to transport them, or the expense of spraying them with chemicals to make them look different or to live in unnatural habitats.  That's how small flower farms can offer you reasonable prices, and knowing where your products come from simply takes the cake....... I mean JELLO!

Till next time!

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!



AN ORGANIZING TIP

I can never figure out what to do with all those seasoning packets!

Brown gravy, ranch dressing, guacamole, taco seasoning!!

You can't be surprised that I don't get excited to make anything like this from scratch.

But where the heck can I store all these packets!!!!

Here is my solution.

I always have tons of berry containers left over from the farmers market.

Yes, I know you should give them back for reuse, but I like to keep them on hand for crafts and such.

Well they came in super handy while I was reorganizing one of our catch all closets.  Now I don't have to go scrounging around for my brown gravy mixes and my yummy Serendipity dips!

I can just grab and go!

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road



A 3 YEAR OLD WITH A SWEET TOOTH

Being a nanny to Little Liam was one of the best jobs I've ever had.  Now that hes getting so big and going to school, I don't get to spend as much time with him as I used to, and boy do I miss him all the time!  On the plus side, now when I do get to spend time with him, I can just spoil him rotten!!

The other day his family and Curt and I all went out to ice cream.  Liam managed to eat his whole chocolate ice cream cone, plus half of his dads, then his moms.... then snuck over to me for a few bites of mine!  This kid loves his sweets!

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Which makes his upcoming 3rd birthday party CANDY theme SOOOOO PERFECT!

His mom and dad and I have been brainstorming for a couple weeks now for perfect candy party activities!  His invitation just came in the mail the other day.  Take a look at this cutie!

Isn't he just the cutest kid!  If only you could see his funny personality, he can melt any heart.

So here are a few pictures from one of my Pinterest Boards with some inspiration for this upcoming CANDY BIRTHDAY PARTY!!

What would a CANDY party be with out a CANDY TABLE!!

This can be an awesome (and cleaner) alternative to cake.  Give the kids a bag, and let them fill it up!

Did you know that your local library often times can be rented out for parties and get-to-gethers?

Its surprisingly affordable, and the best part, you don't have to clean your house.

I think I'm going to make a few of these gum drop wreaths for the front doors.

I love this idea for kid sized lolly pops.  Looks like they just tied cellophane around a few balloons and attached them to PVC pipe.  This makes me think of Willy Wonka's secret candy garden.  Now if only we had a river of chocolate!

I also love this idea of making a giant dot candy paper for party favors.

Just use some large thick white poster board and cut out circles. Put colored tissue paper behind it, and tape on a paper bag to the back (to hold the favor).  Kids break through the tissue paper to get to the prize!! Here is a tutorial on how to make it.

And of course you can't have a CANDY PARTY without a Pinata!!

I'm also planning on dressing up as the crazy candy lady, passing out MORE candy and reading the kids a book.  So far I'm thinking about reading "If you give a mouse a cookie."  Do any of you know of any other sweet treat related kids books?

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I think this is going to be such a fun party!  I just can't wait!  Were going to have to send all these kids home with toothbrushes!

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road

Photos from My Pinterest Boards

and

Celebrate The Big And Small



SNOW DAY!!

All week everyone has been going on and on about

SNOMAGEDON!!

It's been snowing lightly off and on over the weekend, and honestly, yesterday was bright and sunny!

Boy it hit hard last night though!  We woke up to a full 8 inches of smooth glistening white.  It's Beautiful!  Us Washingtonians are a temperate culture, so anytime the temperature goes outside of our 40 to 75 degree temperature radius.... well, we complain.  When it does actually snow here, (which it does a few times a year.) most of us just stay indoors!  The Great American Mid West would call us all a bunch of sissy's!  Maybe its true, but I certainly enjoy snow most from inside my home.

Curtis got the day off work so we've just been watching the snow lightly fall outside our window all day, while we cozy up in warm blankets, drink Black Tea (with just a splash of Disaronno Amaretto Liquor), and watch the Wonder Years on Netflix.  Curt and I did take a short walk on the beach and snatched a few photos, but me being the pansy that I am high tailed it right back indoors.

Just around the corner from our house is the Des Moines Marina.  A local photographer David Sharp, snapped this awesome photo of a frozen Puget Sound, and posted it on the Des Moines Marina Facebook page.  Such a great photo!

Even our cat Tula got in on a little snow action today!

I hope everyone out there in snow land is enjoying some warm blankets, loved ones, hot drinks and staying safe.

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!



GRASS FED KOREAN BEEF SHORT RIBS

As a beef monger by day crafter by night kind of person,  I figured it would only be right for me to share one of my all time favorite recipes.  Though I wouldn't say that I eat a ton of beef.  I actually try to eat a vegetarian meal at least once or twice a week, but I don't think I could ever quit being a carnivore.

Selling beef for a local farm here in Washington was something that my husband and I really just stumbled into.  We started working for the farm to help earn some extra money for our upcoming wedding, and the farm really needed some extra help too.  It was a win win situation for both of us!  What started as a summer job has actually turned into a full fledged career of sorts.

One thing I have to say about beef is that I really try not to be a snob about it.  I don't hold any grudge or bad thought about people who buy their meat from the grocery store.  I know that if we weren't so lucky to have a considerable discount for working for our farm, we would rarely be able to afford to buy it, certainly not on a regular basis.  On the flip side, there is an enormous difference in taste and quality when you choose to eat organic and grass fed beef, and its incredibly good for you too.  Grass fed beef will give you the same nutrients you can get from eating fish, only a lot more.... and its not so fishy smelling.  I also really love being part of a small farm and what it means in our local community and what it stands for in this crazy mass meat producing world.  Unfortunately its not cheep to eat local.  Some how that basic quality that used to be such a big part of our livelihood changed in a BIG way, and I think its sad that to support local farms is actually a treat we have to allow ourselves to have rather then a necessity.  But that's just my opinion.

Enough of my politics, lets get to the good eats!

A few months back I found this recipe for Korean Short Ribs HERE and Curt and I have been gobbling short ribs like they are going out of stile!!!  Short ribs tend to have a lot of fat on them, but after slow cooking them all day all that fat just melts right into the meat. This literally just falls right off the bone, and the sauce is just the right amount of spice, that accumulates that low smoldering burn in your mouth. I know your mouth is watering now.

Just look at that glaze!  Believe me, this is a fail proof meal.  Its so simple and really takes no prep or slaving over a stove.

Lets start off with:

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
I head of garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 lbs beef short ribs, uncut whole ribs (grass fed if you can)
1-2 stalks green onions, sliced thin for garnish
1/2 teaspoon white sesame seeds for garnish

To Make Simply:

Mix soy sauce, sugar, oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic and red pepper in a small bowl. Place ribs in a 5-quart slow cooker and pour sauce over. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Remove ribs from crockpot and serve hot over a bed of rice with a garnish of green onions and sesame seeds.

Enjoy this thoroughly, and if you try it, let me know how you liked it!

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!

market photos by Suyama Images