"How To" Make a Wainscot Chalkboard

Assuming all chores are done, groceries are put away, babies are napping, and you have nothing to do, here is a FUN FRIDAY project!

Visiting the thrift store is one field trip and adventure I will always look forward to.  It used to be a "hush- hush" kind of a store to frequent, but now it is totally acceptable.  In fact, with some friends, a gift from the thrift store is just as wonderful as a fancy schmancy gift from Nordstrom or from Anthropologie!!!

After making our first wainscot chalkboard {my super talented father-in-law made the cuts and glued the border!} with leftover wainscoting, I decided that since we still had a couple of sheets out in the corner of our garage it may be time for my hubby and I to make another chalkboard for our happy little guest room!

I bought an old picture from the thrift store on sale for $2.99 or $3.99.  Can't remember exactly...anyhoo, it was heavy and made of solid wood, and I really liked the frame on it, so into the cart it went.  It was less than what I would have paid at any local craft store even if I had used my coupon!

 1.  Remove the print and the glass...very carefully!

2.  Sand and paint the frame in whatever color you want.  I chose white because it goes with everything and it looks crisp and clean!  Also, because it was going to be hanging on a green wall.  :}

3.  Measure the wainscot up against the frame if you can't find one of your three measuring tapes!  Be sure to connect your wainscot together for accurate sizing purposes.  This can make the difference in a snug  or sloppy fit.

4.  Cut the wainscot and fit it into the frame. 

5.  Once you are sure that it fits "snug as a bug", remove it from the frame and lightly paint one coat of chalkboard paint on it.  MAKE sure that the paint is well blended.  I shake it and let it sit upside down for awhile.  This stuff is super duper thick.  This will allow for a beautiful chalkboard that is easy to write on!  Let it dry and lightly finish it with one more coat of paint.

TAA DAH!  Easy Peasy.

Another reason I LOVE using the wainscot is that it provides lines to help

 with keeping a straight line.  :}

Happy Friday!

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The Happy Little Guest Room

Ahhh, an evening walk with my friend, Leslie...dinner made by my hubby and a nice hot bath  was the perfect ending to a Monday!

I haven't posted any pictures of our home in quite some time, so tonight is the night!

It had been decided years ago that once the children moved out, one of their rooms would become my craft room/office.  I had picked out a new paint color, the ceiling was going to be painted white and I even had the floor plan sketched out with a large work station on the opposite side of the BIG desk figured in.

Once Laurissa moved out...it became the storage room a.k.a "the wedding room"...but after the wedding, all of the crafts, papers, paper cutters, punches, desk and everything else was moved into the room.

It was not all it was cracked up to be.

Yes there was room.  Yes, it was nice to have a craft space with projects being left out...and being able to just close the door...but it was lonely in there for me.  It just did not feel right.  I was used to kissing my girlie goodnight, and checking in on her in the middle of the night, or crawling into bed with her and snuggling her when she was sick.  There were nights when her best friends would all be in there like little sardines.  Happy sardines.  Girls who had stayed up entirely too late and who could not be moved before noon the next day.
And there were always the mornings where we would find that Caleb had taken his sleeping bag in because he wanted to make sure his sissy was "safe"!!!

It was not meant to be an office.

Needless to say, my very sweet,sweet hubby moved everything back out of the room and it is now our HAPPY little guest room.  {I KNOW I have used little and happy entirely too much!}

The desk is back out in the family room...along with the mess of unfinished projects, but it has been so nice having a bed back in Laurissa's old room...and there are days that I will go lay down on the bed and daydream of all the fun memories that room will hold in the future.  I think it will be a fun room for grandbabies to take itty bitty "cat naps" in or a nice big bed to plop down on along with piles of books, blankies, stuffed animals and a tray of warm toast and ice cold milk!  And I will have stories to tell them about when there mommy was their age and all the special memories we had in the very.same.room.

I love this print.  It was my birthday gift from my BFF on the day David proposed to Laurissa .
It was a day filled with JOY, indeed!

These were signs that marked the lawn between the wedding ceremony and the reception.
They were too special to toss!

My hubby picked this out for Laurissa several years ago.  He installed a dimmer on it as she is not a fan of bright lights!
It comes in handy for the little nieces who need a  bit of light to go to sleep with...and I can check on them without waking them up!  Shoulda had this about 20 years ago!

I'm wondering why Miss Lauriss did not take her loud alarm clock???

Here it is...all ready for our next overnight guest, an afternoon of daydreaming,  giggly little nieces
or our girlie who still LOVES coming home as she waits for her hubby to come
HOME from being deployed.

...and what would a room be without ONE.BIG.UNFINISHED.PROJECT?
I can't wait to show it to you once it is complete!!


Happy Monday!

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Scott's Firehouse Swiss Ham Sliders

Okay ladies...here is a fast little ditty for a brunch! It is my hubby's go-to when they are short on time and need something FAST. So if it works for a hectic fire station, it will fit the bill for a home full of hungry children, guests or a leisurely last minute breakfast picnic!

We love having company over after church on Sundays...but it has to be a crockpot lunch, make your own sandwich kind-of-a lunch or something that can be made up all the night before.  Because quite honestly, Sunday mornings are no easier for two adults getting ready for church than it was with little children or teenagers.  What is it with Sunday mornings?  I am trying to think of a Sunday when we were on time for church with everyone having had showers, breakfast, the dog not being left outside, and the flat iron un-plugged.  Nope.  Can't remember one.single.Sunday!

Anyhoo, we enjoyed these with our company today after morning church along with almond poppyseed breakfast cake, fresh fruit, and homemade granola.  Simple, as it was all made up ahead of time...oh...I forgot about the scrambled eggs.  {Please never ask me to make eggs.  I still can not make scrambled eggs if my life depended on it!} I wonder if anyone has ever been asked to bring scrambled eggs to a brunch.  HMMMM?

Scott’s Firehouse Swiss  Ham Sliders



Ingredients:

Mayonnaise

Dijon mustard

12 slices of Black Forest ham or garlic turkey

12 slices of Swiss cheese

24 pack of Sliders Mini Buns {available at Franz Bakery outlet, Cash and Carry, and Beaverton Bakery}



Sauce: {Melt together}

½ cup melted butter with 1 small clove of pressed garlic

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Directions:

*Open buns. Spread mayo on one half and mustard on the other half.



*Place a 1/2 piece of ham on one half and ½ slice of cheese on the other half.



*Place top of bun on bottom half and place in baking pan {9x13}

*After sauce has been mixed together, using a pastry brush {SILICONE IS MY FAVORITE!}…brush tops of sliders with yummy sauce!




*Cover with tin foil and bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sliders are golden brown.

*SIMPLY...PRESENTATION: Serve each slider in a cupcake liner or homemade slider pouch using the cupcake liner folded in a half-moon for your template!

SERVE AND ENJOY!

NOTE: To those of you who will not touch pork with a 10 foot pole: Slice avocado and thin slices of tomato or red onion slices with cheese and avocado. You get the idea!

Another note: If you want to give the kiddies something fun to do...have them take a round cookie cutter and make cheese rounds and ham rounds to fit the sandwiches perfectly!!



Do you have a favorite no-fail brunch recipe?



Shared with:  Stone Gable

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The Easiest Crockpot Chicken Chili Ever

I think everybody needs a good "go-to" chili recipe and this is it!

It tastes just like my mommas...except for the fact that she does not have a recipe.  She just pours and adds and tastes and adds and somehow it always turns out tasting amazing.
So, when I tasted my friend Leslie's chili, I was sure to ask for the recipe.  It turns out that she had tweaked hers a bit from the original recipe, too, but after making it twice...I think I can safely say there is practically no way you can mess this up!  And if someone could mess it up or burn it, it would be me...thus the reason that I LOVE my crockpot!

This easy little "throw and go" is perfect for entertaining.

I served it at our family's Christmas Celebration along with baked potatoes which was perfect!  A green salad, a veggie platter and cookies were also on the menu.

Sooo, the next time you are needing a quick crockpot dinner, you may want to give this a try.

Easiest chicken chili ever:

{adapted from Leslie}

2 cans white beans and 2 cans pinto beans (two drained, two undrained)

2 cups salsa (I like the Organic Kirkland kind from Costco)

3 large chicken breasts

Mix beans and salsa together and place in the crockpot.

Place chicken on top.

Cook on high for 5 hours.

Remove chicken & shred, then add chicken back into the beans.

Cook one more hour on low.

Top with avocado, green onion, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and green chiles.

Very filling and very yummy. 

Thank you, Leslie!

P.S.  I used my homemade crockpot pinto beans and it turned out so GOOD!


Now, go plan a little party and ENJOY!!

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Christmas 2012

"Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting Light, the hopes and fears of all the years... are met in thee tonight."

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Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwiches

Here you go! Short and sweet.

Favorite brownie recipe or box mix.

Bake brownies according to directions.

I baked mine in star molds, but you could make a thin batch and use cookie cutters to cut them out...after they are cooled completely. Make sure your pan is well-greased so they don't stick!  I do NOT need hate mail. :)

Freeze cooled brownie "cookies".

You will need two stars for each sandwich.

Scoop a small scoop of peppermint ice cream onto first star. Top with a second
star. Sprinkle edges with a bit of crushed peppermint candy {optional}.  Purchased peppermint ice cream is also totally fine and yummy!!!

Place in freezer until ready to serve.

If you have waxed sandwich bags, you could store them in the bags and place them in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Too messy? Too time consuming? Just make your brownies and fill with buttercream frosting with a bit of peppermint flavoring and food coloring or buy your peppermint ice cream. Whatever you do...you really need to make these.

You may also make brownies and use cookie cutters to cut out any template you like. I just love stars!

What is your favorite sweet treat for CHRISTMAS? Do you make it? Buy it? Enjoy it from someone else? Is it tradition? I would love to hear.

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LIGHT in a Dark World

 

In light of this past week...I have nothing that seems okay to post. I don't feel as though I am able to post about Christmas crafts, cookie baking days or about a stove that is constantly "on the fritz". It all seems quite insignificant, to say the least.

 

As Scott and I have talked about our week and those that are in so much pain around us, we ARE able to go before our Heavenly Father who knows these things.

We are able to cry out to Him and plead for strength and comfort.

 We are able to trust Him.

We are able to seek His face.

May all of this evil around us drive us to Him and not away from Him.

 

As a child, I was always fascinated by the flicker of a candle. I loved candle light so much that I remember announcing to my parents, "when I grow up, I am going to have candle light every night!"...and for the most part, I do light a candle almost every night.

 

What is it about the dark? What is it about a dancing flame of light transforming the dark.dark room into a cozy, warm refuge?

 

It was a very cold winter night.

Our family lived in a tiny, little German town of Schesslitz on the outskirts of Bamberg.

The village was quaint and everybody knew everybody.  There were old buildings to play in, small creeks for skipping rocks, paths to hike, a castle to climb to and our very own Table Land for early spring picnics and daisy chain wreaths…but best of all…the soccer field and small lakes that would turn into the most amazing ice skating rinks when the weather got cold enough for SNOW.

 

This night was quite different from most.

Our parents got us out of bed, bundled us up…and took us on our sleds down to the “ice skating” rink all.by.ourselves.

Skating and twirling by star light was like a dream.

After we got our boots back on, and hot chocolate was had, we went home…but not back up the  hill by our school.

 

We went through town!  It was the looong way home.

As we wandered through the cobblestone streets covered with what could easily be mistaken for sparkling diamonds that I saw between the wooden slats of my old sled …there was a hint of light up ahead. It seemed so dark, yet, I remember thinking that it must be the light of the moon reflecting on the freshly fallen snow…but as we turned a corner, there it was.

It was the most beautiful Christmas tree that had been lit with what seemed like a million real candles.  The glow instantly cast out the dark shadows.  It is one of my favorite Christmas memories.  Never had it seemed so dark...and then suddenly, out of nowhere so bright!!

 

This afternoon, our home has been drastically quiet and a storm has been brewing outside.

It has been unusually slow and much quieter than I like...even for our Selah Sunday.

 

Today as I was reflecting on what feels like a deep.dark.night without any promise of light anytime soon, I was reminded of the fact that God is the LIGHT of the world.  It is He who calms the storms and heals the weak.  He is still worthy of our trust and it is He who can take our shattered lives and fix them piece by piece, fragment by fragment.

 

Like everybody else, we have been looking forward to snow-covered trees, Christmas concerts and carolers…and the JOY that comes along with celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus.

We anticipate students home from college, friends from out of town and the hustle and the bustle of Christmas.

 

But for now, there is what feels like a pause.

 

 It is quiet and still…very much like long ago…as our world prepares to celebrate our KING.  Jesus was God’s gift to the world.  His Promise.

 

Soooo, as we sit in what seems to be the dead of winter, let’s pray for those around us who are hurting.  Take time to thank God for His goodness in sending His son to us…and for providing us with His JOY…we must remember that perfect peace is ours.  “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”  Isaiah 26:3

 

Just like that tree so many years ago, we can be a simple warm beacon of light to those around us.

 

Thank you, Jesus for giving us peace and for sending us a LIGHT for this dark.dark.world.

 

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