BIG CHILL APPLIANCES

A girl can dream cant she?

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Right now I'm dreaming of a kitchen full of Big Chill appliances.

I'm particularly fond of this Jadite Green color.

Oooohhh All white kitchen with black counter tops, white subway tiles with gray grout,  and a green fridge!!  YES PLEASE!!!

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!



A COOK BOOK CLUB

Do any of you readers belong to a book club?

My husband just came up with this awesome idea to start a Cook Book Club.

We put together a group about a month and a half ago and designated a cook book.  We chose "New World Kitchen" by Norman Van Aken.  This book features Latin American and Caribbean recipes.

  We actually didn't designate it to only this book, to make it cost effective for everyone, we also allowed people to find recipe's on line from Norman Van Aken. We also made a point to help people find the book at their local library's as well.  So for the last month and a half our book group has been experimenting with recipe's from the book.  Here are a few of our favorite recipe's from the book.

Vaca Frita (Crispy Beef).  This was basically a flank steak that was cooked twice.  Originally boiled, then marinated over night and then fried in a pan... Really easy and oohh so yummy.  Also from the book, we made Congri (Mixed black beans and rice) and Maduros (Sweet ripened plantains that are fried).  Everything was very easy to do, and delicious!

We also made this dish called Con Mani.  Braised beef shanks in coconut milk, avocado and currents.  We sided it with another recipe Aroz Con Coco.  Coconut rice with bacon. (Homina Homina)

I have to say, this took all day slaving over a hot stove to cook. (Hence the crappy dark photo, I don't think we actually got to eating this till almost 9 in the evening.)  Wasn't the easiest recipe, but it was excellent when all said and done, and the Aroz Con Coco was SOOOOOOOOO good.  The bacon kind of caramelized.... Might I call it candied bacon! 

This wound up being one of our disasters.  Fermented pineapple juice, or should I call it FURRRRMENTED.  You soak a pineapple wrine in water and sugar for 4 days and then strain it.  By the forth day it looked like it could strain its self!  I couldn't bring myself to do anything with this except throw it in the garbage.  I'm elergic to penicillin... I didn't see it going well for me.  On the plus side, I really didn't loose much, just the inedible part of a really tasty pineapple, so no harm no foul!

So after our group experimented with the book for a month and a half, we all got together for a potluck of favorite recipe's from the book!  Great time to get together with friends and eat really great food.  Also, at the potluck we picked another member to choose the next book.  I cant wait to see what book we get to experiment with next!!

Now go out and start your own Cook Book Clubs!!

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road 



EASTER CUTENESS

HAPPY EASTER!!

Pictures from my Pinterest Boards

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!

DIY PANTRY LABELS

I believe in food storage.  Not only for its economical use, but also for times of emergency.... Or even if your pocket book is thin.  My husband and I have a pretty handsome pantry that we've acquired over time.  We love to buy products from our local farmers market that will keep in our pantry or that we can use for canning. We love to buy pastas and grains from Pappardelle's.  Fanciful fruit blend is one of our favorites! Pasta is always good in a pinch.

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I started scouring Etsy for some cute labels that I could use to organize our pantry.  There are lots of cute ones out there but nothing that really catered to what we have at home, and for the amount of food storage we have, it could easily get up there in cost.

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So I decided to fiddle around on my paint program on my computer, and see what I could come up with on my own.  Check it out!

I made 2 different sizes to work with my different storage jars.

It was super easy to do, and every computer comes with some sort of paint program.  I just used the basic shapes button to create the borders, and  I always find fun free fonts to download off Pinterest.  Free!  Now all I have to do is print them out on sticker back paper and start organizing!

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!

A TALE OF TWO ROOMS

Hi friends. Sorry I've been absent for a week or so, I've been working like crazy on our new closet office in our bedroom.  It's almost finished, but still needs a little more work.  I can't wait to show it off to you once it's done!

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On another note, my kitchen and dining room is seriously baffling me... Sure, I consider myself design savvy, but I hope I'm not the only one that can say that sometimes I design by error.... (meaning, I just keep making mistakes and changing it till it is right.) I'm sure it happens to a lot of people, but for me, sometimes I need to be cautious of what I buy and how it will look because were not the kind of people that can afford to fix every mistake.

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Anywho, you need a little history before I tell you my real dilemma.

This is my kitchen...... Which I hate.

From the cheep cupboards that should only belong in a garage, to the exorcist pea soup vinyl counter tops and floor!!  I HATE IT!!  It's probably the narrowest nonfunctional kitchen I've ever seen in my life. No romantic cooking with your husband in this kitchen!!! Unless you consider being wedged like a sandwich in between two nasty appliances from the 70's romantic.   I've done my best to make it look a little better.... Changed out the stupid plastic drawer pulls for nicer ones.... I even took the doors off the cupboards a while back to try an insinuate open shelving..... But lets be honest no one is fooling anyone hear.... This kitchen sucks!

This is my dining room........ Which I don't hate quite as much.

The table is wonky and takes up too much space... but I LOVE the chairs!  We recently ripped out a section of carpet because it was damaged.... But were planning to put wood looking laminate throughout the house hopefully within the next year.   I built my wall of shelves not to long ago.... and I LOVE them too!

The two rooms stand side by side and smack dab in the middle of our little condo by the sea.  You have to walk right in between the kitchen and the dining room to get to the other side of the house.

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Here is my little dream.....

 Rip out the horrible kitchen and extend it trough the dining room. It would wrap around the dining room and then pop out into the open area with a small island and a few stools.  We rarely ever eat at the dinner table unless we have company over.  It's mostly just a catch all for our filing papers and mail.  With a wrap around kitchen there will be more room for cooking and entertaining as well.  Maybe not for any fancy sit down dinners, but were potluck kind of people anyway.

Here is an idea of what I'm thinking.  The current kitchen is on the left.  Id leave the stove, sink and dishwasher over there, since the hookups are there.  On the right side, the fridge, a ton more counter space, my wall of shelves, and a little island with 2 or 3 bar stools.

The Grand Vision!

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The Dilemma......

The dining room is hardly functional at this point.  A design error on my part. For one, everything is so stark!  Prior to installing the shelving, the huge dandelion chandelier was a treat.  Now its just enormous and in the way. This really makes me so sad, because I really love it, but to get to my spices these days means I'm getting poked in the eye by an enormous paper flower!  Also after installing the wall of shelves, it made the room very vertical, and strait lined, so my round table is like a force against nature.  There isn't enough space to comfortably sit around it and its sticking out like a soar thumb.  *Sigh*

I love the wall shelving... so functional for us and lovely, it is for sure the keeper in this anomaly.

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What to do?....

Do I buy a new table that is rectangular to compliment the shelving on the wall?  It doesn't have to be a huge financial ordeal... Maybe even a picnic table that is old and rustic... or painted dark gray?

Or do I anticipate the dream and simply buy a small kitchen island and a few stools?

Thus leaving lots of space for the inevitable (or should I say hopeful) dream of wraping kitchen around the dining room.

What would you do?

I need some advice!!

"Beep Beep" from The Little Road!



A SENTIMENTAL SALVAGE

We used to have this pretty little tree just outside our door, down the path.

Every spring it would sprout dainty little pink flowers.  It was a wonderful tree.  A few years back, one of the tenants here put 2 little bird houses up in the tree. I have no idea who made them, but they are very sweet, and they were so cute up in that tree.

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Well, I recently took a trip to California, and when I came home my tree was gone!!!

I guess it had died this winter.  I never noticed.

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The other day I noticed the two little bird houses just laying on the ground under a bush.

I had to rescue them!

(Sorry, that isn't the best picture of them)

They are so cute though.  Cute little primitive wood with an old wire hanger to hang it.  They don't look that great, but they are adorable! They just need a little work.

They just needed a coat of paint and some love!  Don't we all?

I sided on a dark charcoal paint and I had some fun with some moss ribbon and lots of hot glue!

I think it would be so cute if I could find a little metal star to put above the opening.

I just love that rusty hanger top!

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I'm going to keep one of these for myself, and put the other one in my shop, so someone else can give it a proper home in a new tree.

"BEEP BEEP" from The Little Road!



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

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