I've Made a Few Things

In between working outside, cleaning house (which you all know what that means) and helping my son with a few end of the year school projects, I found some time to make a few things.

I made this blanket crane for my bedroom. I found this Family Heirloom Weavers throw at Country Gatherings in Berlin last week and really loved it, but wasn't sure where I wanted to put it. I've always wanted a blanket crane, too. I had a huge area of wall going into my bedroom that was bare and knew that would be the perfect place to hang the crane.

I've also been redoing things in the main bathroom. I made this towel holder because I didn't like my old one and also because I bought these towels that I thought would be perfect in this bathroom and needed something nice to hang them on.

I also made this little bench to sit on the bathroom counter to put my wonderful lantern on that I got from Primitive Keepings. I think I need something to the left of the lantern but don't know what. Any suggestions?

And I made these fabric stack boxes to sit on my t.v. next to this new lamp I bought yesterday from Primitive Keepings. If you remember from my previous post, I wasn't happy with the other lamp. Does the pineapple look stupid on top of the boxes? I thought it needed a little something but not sure if this is it.

I also made these fabric boxes to sit next to the $17 lantern I got from Lisa's favorite antique shop in Amish country.

And this is a little display I put together on my living room coffee table. I went to an antique store around the corner from me to look for some old books and thought it was pretty ironic that one of the books I bought had the name of someone from a family I knew from where I grew up at and also had my dad's high school (which later became my elementary school) listed inside the front cover! Pretty neat, huh? My dad then told me that the person listed in the book was actually related to us somewhere down the line (I got lost in the translation!).

I have been doing some major tweaking lately. Ideas have just been coming to me that I'm so excited about. I have a lot of makeovers that I want to do and the list of things I need to make keeps getting longer and longer (not to mention the list of things I want to buy at Primitive Keepings!). It's frustrating because I want it all done yesterday! lol And with the weather finally getting nice, I want to be outside! Like I said in an earlier post, "I need the days to be longer!"

Well, I need to start tackling those things on that list! :-)

Chicken Recipe and Lisa's Birthday Giveaway Goodies

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great Mmorial Day weekend. Here in Ohio the weather was absolutely gorgeous - sunny and mid 70's! We got so much done and yet had plenty of time to relax and just enjoy the beautiful weather. It was just fabulous!


We cooked on the grill everyday, which I love, because my hubby does the cooking (although I'm the one that makes the marinades that give them the flavor!). I want to share a great recipe for Tequila Lime Chicken. It is definitely YUMMO! I just want to make a note that sometimes I don't get the full amount of fresh juice called for in the recipe, so I always have concrentrate on hand to make up the difference. I also grate the lime and orange peels and add to the marinade because they add a lot more flavor. This is one of our favorites to cook on the grill and I hope you enjoy it!

Tequila Lime Chicken

• 1/2 c. gold tequila
• 1 c. freshly squeezed lime juice (5 to 6 limes)
• 1/2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 T. minced fresh jalapeno pepper
• 1 T. minced fresh garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all the ingredients and add chicken breasts. Refrigerate overnight. Cook on the grill.

A great side dish is to thinly slice up yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, onions, red and yellow peppers and put in a shallow disposable foil pan. Drizzle with olive oil and then season with salt, freshly cracked pepper and about 2 T. Italian Herb seasoning and toss all together. Cook on the grill or bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. YUMMO!

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I also want to share with you the great goodies I got in the mail on Friday from Lisa's (Prims From Above) birthday giveaway. I absolutely love everything!! Thank you so much, Lisa!

I apologize for the pictures. They're not that great - I couldn't get the lighting right and I wanted to hurry and get pictures posted to show you all the wonderful goodies.

She gave me a cute towel holder with a gold cotton dish towel.

I hung it in the corner of my living room above my "prehistoric" television along with a Family Heirloom Weavers table runner and a couple of hand dipped candles. I changed the lamp on top of the t.v. with this one, but I don't think it's staying there. I absolutely love the lamp, but it's kind of awkard to decorate with because the lamp shade is offset and, to me, looks funny wherever I put it.

Another thing Lisa sent was this cute little "FAITH" sign. I tried to take a picture with the candle lit to create a warm glow, but that was NOT a good idea! If you look closely, you can see a little spot above the candle where the flame scorched the paint.

And last, but definitely not least, is this wonderful sign that Lisa made. I will always treasure it, Lisa! Again, thank you so much!

I placed it on my bench in my front entry way so everyone will see it when they enter my home.

Dough Bowl Rack and New Goodies

Okay, I'm in big trouble!! I've rediscovered a store that is only 10 minutes away from me and it's my new addiction! I've been there 4 times in the last 3 weeks. It's called Primitive Keepings and it's just amazing! I hadn't been there for about 2 years. At that time they carried mostly upholstered furniture and bigger wood items and very few little items. It's on a main road on the north side of town, but I usually take back roads to where ever I go so I don't pass by it. I have stopped on 2 or 3 occasions in the past, but they weren't promptly open at 11:00 and after waiting 10-15 minutes, I left. Another negative is their opening time at 11:00. I'm a morning person, so I'm out the door by 7:30-8:00 and home from my errands by 11:00-12:00. I've been doing some major tweaking lately and needed alittle inspiration so I thought I'd give them another try. Well, let me tell you! I was in heaven!! They have so much stuff now that you would have to spend a whole day in there just to see everything. Check out their website and on the left hand side, click "Our Gallery" and then click on each picture to enlarge it. They have much more than what is in the pictures, if you can believe it! There are things tucked in every little nook and cranny! My last couple of trips there, I've had certain things in mind that I was going to purchase and end up having a new list of things that I'd have to come back to get later. It's becoming a weekly stop!

Here's what I've bought.


I've been busy making several things. Like I said before, I've been doing some major tweaking which usually involves building and painting things. I've been wanting to make a dough bowl rack for a long time but wasn't sure where I'd put it. Well, I found a spot in my dining room. I was never happy with what I had there before and I think the rack looks good there. I'm not happy with the way the bowls are displayed, I'll pobably change them when I figure out what I want to do. And the black one's a little too shiny! I guesss I shouldn't have waxed it!

Well, that's all for me this morning. I have more stuff I'm hoping to get done this weekend and will post pics later.

Sneak Peak of Outside/Grungy Candle Tutorial

Wow! I can't believe it's been over a week since I've posted a blog! Time is flying by too fast! I've taken some pictures of my outside. I've planted some flowers, but I have a lot more to plant. I'll post more pics later when I'm all done.

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Does anyone ever pay a lot of money for grungy candles and then don't want to burn them because you've spent so much on them? Well, I'm going to show you how to make your own.

Option 1

Supplies:

Candles - Dollar stores have candles cheap. I've gotten pillars for $1.00

Modge Podge - matte finish

Instant coffee

Spices - cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coffee grounds

1 1/2" spade drill bit

Regular or battery operated tea light

First, you'll want to make your modge podge mixture. Add equals parts modge podge and water; then add instant coffees until you get the darkness you want. I make it in a pint jar and put plastic wrap on before screwing the lid on to have on hand for future projects. Mine has lasted a couple of months so far.

In a resealable plastic bag, mix together whatever spices you want to use - cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger - whatever. I also add dry coffee grounds.

Using a 1 1/2" spade drill bit, drill a hole in the candle deep enough to fit a tea light. (Save the shavings, you can use them later.)

Sprinkle some of your spices onto a foil-lined cookie sheet. Using a paint brush or foam brush, apply the modge podge mixture to the candle in sections. I usually apply about a 2" stripe and then roll it in the spices. As it's lying face down, paint more modge podge on candle and then roll in spices. Keep doing this until the candle is completely covered. I usually let it set for about 1/2 hour and then do the top. Let candle set for another 1/2 hour to an hour to dry. tap the sides to remove excess spices. You can finish it two different ways. You can apply another coat of modge podge to seal the spices in or you can spray the entire candle with matte finish sealer.

When the candle is completely dry, you can add your tea light. If your candle sits on a shelf where the top can't be seen, use a real tea light. You'll get the effect of a real candle and you'll only have to replace the tea light instead of the whole candle.

The candle on the left just had matte finish sealer applied and the right one had the modge podge mixture applied.

Option 2

This option is a little messier.

First off, the wax you use to melt can be the blocks of wax you buy at a craft store, but I buy the cheap tapers for $.25 at the Dollar stores. Just break them into pieces, making sure you remove the wick. Toss in your wax shavings or any candle "stumps" you may have lying around.

Put the wax pieces into a metal container. You can use a coffee can, but I invested in an actual container used for candlemaking - also found at a craft store. it has a handle so it's easier to hold on to.

Place the metal container in a pan with about 1" of water. Bring water to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. While the wax is melting, sprinkle out spices onto a foil-lined cookie sheet and spread some wax paper or foil on the counter or another cookie sheet.

When the wax is melted you can add color if you want. Craft stores sell wax dyes, but I've used Crayola crayons in a pinch. How much you use depends on how much wax you're melting and the depth of color you want. Paint stir sticks work great for mixing.

When your wax is ready, take the metal container out of the hot water. Stand over the cookie sheet with spices. Hold you candle by the wick and dip it into the melted wax, tilting the metal container enough so that the entire candle is coated. Depending on the look you want, quickly either roll in the spices or just sprinkle some onto the candle. Dip the candle back into the melted wax to seal in the spices. You can leave as is or sprinkle more spices on. After dipping a couple of candles, put container back in hot water to keep the melted wax hot.

These cool down quickly enough that I've been able to lay them immediately on the wax paper to finish cooling without marring the candle.

Bench Tutorial

What a wonderful weekend we had!! The weather was warm (maybe a little too warm!) and there was plenty of sunshine. I got so much done outside. My hubby pressure washed and sealed the patio, I mowed lawn, and we spread two dumptruck loads of mulch! I even planted some flowers. I have a window box and another planter on the back of my house that are up high enough that they don't get hit with frost, which hopefully we won't get!

I also finished all of my outside projects with the exception of the garden bench. It's replacing an old one, so I didn't feel pressured to get it made this past weekend. Maybe I'll make it this weekend and turn it into a tutorial. I'll also post pictures later of my outside, once I add a few more flowers.

It's lightly raining on and off today, so I'm hoping to get stuff done inside. I have a couple of rooms that need "tweaked" and then I'll post more pictures of my home.

Today I want to share with you a tutorial on making a bench. These are so easy to make that I have 7 of them in my house and 2 outside! I'm posting pictures of the directions so that you can click on them and print them out.

























I've made most of mine with a leg height of 15", but you can cut them shorter if you wish. If you want to make a little table top bench, use a 1x2 for the side and shorten the legs.

In these pictures, the top bench is made with a 1x8 for the seat and measures 25" long, the middle bench is made with 1x10 and is 31"long and the bottom bench is made with a 1x12 and is 38" long.

If you make any of my tutorials, please send me a picture by clicking on "view my complete profile" for my email address (I don't know how to add it to my sidebar yet!). I'd love to see what you've made and post it on my blog!

Bee Skep Tutorial

Okay, I'm feeling a little less stress today. I've gotten a couple more outside projects done today, so I'm confident that they'll all be done by this weekend! Yeah!!

I mentioned before that I made a primitive bee skep this past Sunday. I think it turned out pretty well and I'd like to share it with you. I came across this "craft recipe" on Primitive Blessings' website. There weren't any pictures, so I have nothing to compare it with. I was a little nervous at first, but my hubby has his own concrete business and has worked with concrete for a little over 30 years, so having him by my side to help, lessened the fear.

The recipe called for concrete mix, but my husband said that mortar mix would work better. I didn't ask why, I just trusted his judgement.

Okay, so here we go. . . .

Materials needed:

rubber/plastic gloves

quickrete mortar mix

peat moss

straw or hay, cut up

water

Molds - flower pots, sand pails, plastic cups, road cones

This is a little messy so you'll probably want to do this outside or in a garage. I laid a plastic table cloth over a 2' x 4' piece of plywood; that way I could move it if I had to.

Decide what you want to use as a mold. I listed some examples above. I used a 10" plastic flower pot. If you want to reuse your mold, coat it with vegetable oil or spray with Pam. My hubby suggested covering the pot with a plastic shopping bag which worked out great. It peeled right off. If you don't care about saving the mold, don't use anything and leave the bee skep on the mold.

How much mortar mix and water you'll need depends on how big and how many bee skeps you want to make. For my 10" flower pot, I used 1/2 bag of the mortar mix and 3/4 of a gallon milk jug of water. You'll want the mortar to be "tight", as my hubby calls it. In other words, thick like cookie dough. If the mortar's loose, it'll be harder to shape and take longer to dry.

Once the mortar is mixed, add some peat moss and straw pieces. Use these sparingly. Hubby says if too much foreign additives are mixed in, the strength of the mortar will weaken, causing it to crumble :( I only used a cup or two of the peat moss and a couple of handfuls of straw.

Once all that's mixed in, start taking handfuls of mortar and press onto your mold; blending the seams together.

When the mold is completely covered, smooth out any bumps and form the rings. I started at the top and worked my way down. Use a stick or spoon (I used my fingers) to scoop out a hole for the opening.

After I was done with that, I took peat moss and rubbed all over it. Leave it set for a day or two, depending on weather conditions, before taking it off the mold. Cooler weather slows the drying time. I made mine on Sunday when the weather was cold and rainy and was able to remove the mold on Tuesday.

Most of the peat moss stayed on, but I had a couple of bare spots. After it was off the mold, I brushed on some exterior wood glue and then patted on some peat moss. I don't know how it'll hold up in the rain. I think I'm going to spray it with concrete sealer and see if that seals in the peat moss. If not, I'll be gluing and patting after each rainfall!!

Overall, I think it looks kind of neat. It's different, which i like, and it was easier to make than I thought it would be. So if anyone wants to make one, I say "Go for it! You can do it!" LOL

I hope my directions are easy to follow. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

For my next post, I'll have a tutorial to make a bench.

I Need the Days To Be Longer!!

I have too many projects that I've started and need to complete, plus a few others that I'd like to do! I'm getting a little overwhelmed! I have things for outside that I would like to have completed by the time we mulch and plant flowers. Some are done, some are half done and some I have yet to start! My hubby informed me this morning that he might get mulch this weekend since it's suppose to be nice. NO!! I'M NOT READY!!! I have yard stakes cut out, but need to be painted, a stool bench, a garden bench and some bird houses that need to get done first! Well, okay, we can do the mulch, but it's too early to plant flowers. That'll give me some more time!

Here's one thing done!

On top of all that, I made the mistake of going to Berlin and Walnut Creek (small towns in the Amish community, also known as "Amish country") yesterday with my hubby and went shopping in some of my favorite stores - The Amish Peddler, Homespun Treasures, and Lisa's favorite, Country Gatherings. These stores will put you in awe!! The way they display their merchandise is so inviting that you just want to move right in! (Sorry, pictures are forbidden :( Besides, I forgot my camera!) I always come home full of inspiration and ideas that now I'm finding myself walking around from room to room making lists of things I want to change and things to make, plus lists of things I need to pick up at various stores.

It always amazes me how a small purchase can snowball into a major makeover. For instance, I bought a braided stair tread yesterday to use as a seat pad for my high back bench in my entryway and decided that now I don't like the tin of flowers on it, so maybe I'll make some pillows for it. And maybe I should paint it black instead of keeping it navy blue. Sound familiar?!! More projects!! It's never ending and I have a problem of wanting it all done yesterday! I feel like I'm spinning in circles, not knowing where to begin. I need to stop, take a deep breath, and get myself focused. I need to take one room and one project at a time. So I guess that means I need to focus on my outdoor projects first and the picture frame I bought today to turn into a mirror for the main bathroom and the wood I cut today to make a towel bar (also for the bathroom) and a dough bowl rack for the dining room, will have to be put on hold. Okay, deep breath. . .ahhh!!

I mentioned before that we went to Amish country yesterday. We started with breakfast at Rebecca's Bistro and Tea Room (no website) in Walnut Creek. It was sooo good! I had raspberry stuffed french toast with bacon and my hubby got an omelet, made to order, with toast. I'd been there before for lunch, but never for breakfast. It's such a refreshing change when compared to the food served at the Amish restaurants. I know they're big tourist attractions, and no offense to the Amish, but I think their food is rather bland. Besides, I can have roast beef, chicken and mashed potatoes at home. Rebecca's offers unique menu items such as their Turkey Berry sandwich. It has turkey, cranberry sauce, romaine lettuce, Swiss (?) cheese, sliced pineapple and some kind of sauce on toasted sourdough bread. It sounds strange, but I had a bite of my sister's the last time I went with her. It was fabulous!! The place is very quaint and charming and I love their decor (especially when I found out it was decorated by one of my favorite stores, Homespun Treasures). I can't believe I forgot my camera!!

After breakfast, we had about 45 minutes to kill before the stores opened, so we went to Lisa's favorite antique mall which was right near by. There were many things I wanted to buy, but I wanted to save my money for the "real" stores. (I had a list!) And yes, Lisa, there were 2 firkins there ( one for $39)! I left them there just for you!! LOL

I found a grain sifter for $12 and a lantern for $17. I thought the lantern was a great buy, but I don't think my hubby thought so until we came across an identical one at Homespun Treasures for $74. The only difference was the HT lantern had seeded glass. We also found a post lantern exactly like the one I posted the other day selling for $219!! Mine was only $90!

Here's a picture of the other stuff I bought. It seems I was in to textiles yesterday!!

Our final stop was at The Country Craft Cupboard. They have a large selection of patterns for cross stitch, needle punch, sewing, penny rugs, and wool rug hooking. Not to mention all the supplies that go with them. I had purchased a needle punch pattern in early December there and ran out of a Gentle Art thread color. The only place local for me that carries Gentle Art thread is 25 minutes away and she was out of that color. Needless to say, I never finished that project. So I made a point of stopping to pick up some more thread. Guess what I walked out with? Two more patterns and thread to go with them!! More projects!! Take a deep breath. . .

Aren't they cute?

Well, I need to be going - I have projects waiting :) Hopefully, tomorrow I'll post a tutorial on making a primitive bee skep made from mortar mix.