Canned Veggies Have Never Been So Charming

Work on the house has slowed due to the flu last month, and this month, we've had car maintenance issues to deal with so our renovation budget has been slim...otherwise we'd be finishing out our kitchen ceiling trimwork right now. So in the meantime, I've had to find something creative and fun to work on. What would I do without a project? Go nuts, probably:) It's so much more interesting to wake up in the morning and say "What am I going to make today?!" instead of "What do I have to get done today? :)

On to the subject of charming canned veggies...I guess I should say that a very long time ago, pretty much all canned foods were charming and pretty. What happened between now and the 'time of use-to-be' that caused product manufacturers to stop using such artful and eyecatching labels and packaging? I don't know about everyone else, but I'm such a visual person and I would be more likely to buy a pretty can of corn over a plain, run-of-the-mill can of corn anyday. While I know I couldn't keep every can that I use, collecting the labels and using them for projects sure would be fun:)

A few weeks back, I wrote about a Classic Vintage Label Cd I bought on Ebay. I've had so much fun with it this weekend! Let me share with you what I've done... I enlarged a few of the veggie labels to about 4 inches tall by a few inches wide - just big enough to fit on a can. In a word editor, I inserted the images into a document and printed them out on "fine paper" (I bought a package of "Textures of Ivory" paper at Wal-mart...it contains Granite, Linen, Opaque, and Parchment papers. For this project, I used the "Opaque" paper.) The next time I do this project, I'm going to rotate the image sideways in the middle of paper and only put one image per sheet. This way I can cut a longer, can-sized label that will wrap all the way around the can. Anyway, I used a ruler and an exact blade to cut out the labels.

As far as the cans themselves go, I just used regular cans of tomatoes right out of my pantry. I did not empty them though you could. I didn't want to deal with the sharp edges, plus it just looks more authentic to use real, unopened cans. I decided to first spray paint the cans with "Expresso" brown paint. I'm sure cans of long ago were not brown, lol, but I think that brown makes the cans look more old-fashioned, plus the paint hides the ugly blue computerized codes that are stamped on the top of cans nowadays. It goes without saying that you won't be able to use these cans for food after you paint them - these are strictly for decorative use only. So what you'll need for this project: cans of food sans label (now is the time to use that can of pumpkin that has been sitting in your pantry for two years!), brown spray paint, vintage food labels printed out on good quality paper, an exacto knife, and a craft stick glue (I used Elmer's Craft Bond acid free, extra strenth, non-toxic, goes on blue but dries clear glue - Whew, what a mouthful!). You'll also probably want to spray prime the cans first before painting them brown and then spray a clear protective coat over the entire can after the labels have been added (or else the ink on the labels will run if they get wet). The bowl of beautiful giant pine cones sent from a dear friend in California and the sleeping kitty are purely optional, but not necessary to complete this particular project:)

After cutting out the labels and applying glue to the backs of them, just gently apply them to the cans, smoothing them from the center out to get rid of any bubbles. Then VOILA! You have some really pretty vintage cans to display in your kitchen! I discovered the perfect place for mine. The sides of my island have doors that open to narrow shelving with a beadboard back. I think my new "old" cans look great there! Now I need to create some cans of fruit to complete the collection:) I better wait another day to that, though, or else hubs won't have any tomatoes in his chili tonight!

Cottage of the Month!

It's late, but I wanted to quickly share with you a great resource for all of you cottage lovers out there. Thanks to Alison at Brocante Home, I discovered a site called The Old Painted Cottage. The site owner, Jennifer, has a feature called Cottage of the Month where she adds reader submitted photos of a different cottage each month. The archive goes back to February 2006, so right now there are photos of eleven different charming cottages to inspire you. Go have a looksee and be sure to bookmark as I know you'll want to go back and see a new cottage every month.

By the way, be sure to check out Jennifer's blog and the rest of her lovely site:)

Brick Wall in the Kitchen? + More Cottage Finds & Colors

For a while now, I've been toying with the idea of having a brick wall in our kitchen and dining area. The wall I'm thinking about is a little partition between the fridge and dining room. I've always felt the wall is a bit weird...that it sticks out like sore thumb. I don't know if it's a load bearing wall or not - it is where the kitchen was added on to by the previous owners. To remove it would look funny, too, because I don't want to see the fridge in the dining area and from the living room. Sooo...I've been thinking, why not just enhance that silly old wall and make it look like a really special and unique feature?

I've mentioned before that I've decided to use painted brick pavers for our backsplash (when we get around to replacing the countertop...which along with the new kitchen sink, faucets, lighting, hardwood floors, bathroom tile, vanities, etc., waits patiently for us in the garage:) ). It's hard to see in this photo, but I propped a couple of the pavers up against the backsplash area in the kitchen. This photo is a few months old... (Click to enlarge). I will be painting the pavers a couple of shades lighter than what they are now, maybe they will have a darker basecoat and I'll distress them by sanding here and there... and they will be aged with a subtle coat of brown antiquing glaze. I would use the exact same technique on the pavers I add to the partial wall beside the fridge. To give an even more substantial feel to the wall, we'll cap off the end of the wall with some nice boxy trimwork that would nearly mimic the beams on the ceiling - vertical beam, if you will. I've always loved the look of aged brick, so I'm really excited about this idea. Maybe that strange little, boring wall has potential afterall?

A few weeks back on one of my many Goodwill excursions, I found a couple of really sweet pillows. They are very well made and I just love the juxtaposition of the contrasting patterns and textures. The red and white checked pillow is made of a heavy cotton and the other is a floral wool needlepoint. I paid $4 total for both of them! I've put them in our gutted bathroom for a little color.

It's so ironic that of all the rooms in the house, our gutted bathroom (there is only a working tub and shower in there now) is *the most* accessorized room- no kidding! Since we're always shuffling stuff around in the rest of the house because of renovation projects and things stay dusty and upside down, the bathroom is the only place where things can stay where I put them. It's a nice "practice area" for decorating. I know we're going to have to live with the bathroom like this for another year, so why not work with what's there:)

Oh, I also found a spot for that little handpainted chest that I wrote about yesterday. I put it in the gutted bathroom beside my little basket of soaps and cloths and flowers. It ties in with the red and pink in the pillows and adds just enough color to what would otherwise be a very dark and scary room, lol.



It's such a funny thing about color...I never dreamed that I would ever like pink...or blue, but I'm finding that more and more I'm loving particular shades of the two. I'm not a pastel kind of person, but I really like the deeply saturated colors like dark pink against red and fresh shades of blue with green. Long ago, I bought my curtain fabric for the dining room and loved it because it had nearly all the colors of my living room painting. I thought that I would stick to decorating only with colors that were in both the painting *and* the plaid fabric, but now I think I'll also branch out to some other colors, too. I've already got a pillow with pink in it! How about a nice blue bedroom with crisp trim, furniture, and linens and fresh green accessories? Or what about a pretty white ironstone pitcher overflowing with periwinkle blue hydrangeas for the kitchen table? Ahhh...the possibilities are endless!

Kitchen/Dining Room Color + Ballard Design at Goodwill

Our kitchen and dining room have been primer green for a year now. I've had plenty of time to choose an actual paint color, and I thought at one time I did. I chose a shade called "Homestead Resort Parlor Sage" by American Tradition. We painted our daughters' room the same color. It's the shade on the very bottom in the photo to the left. But there are so many other shades that I like as well. By the way, the dark green shades you see are not an option...I just didn't bother to fold them back out of sight. My concern with the Parlor Sage is that it almost looks "minty" compared to the rich butter color of the living room. Why can't all colors coexist peacefully together? Why, oh why can't they all just get along?

Oh, and here are some of the same shades next to my kitchen cabinets. (Nevermind the drywall mud you see behind the swatches.) I need a shade that looks great with both the cabinets and the yellow living room. Decisions, decisions!




Some of you have written to ask about the current dining/kitchen wall color. The color is just primer at this point, but if you like that shade, I have found a couple of actual paint colors that are nearly the exact same shade as the primer. One is called Oak Moss and the other is a historic color called Jekyll Crane Cottage Green, both by American Tradition. Pick up a swatch and see if it might work for you. They're both really pretty:)

I've done a little Goodwill Hunting lately and found a few treasures. Here are a couple of them...

The other week I found this sweet little handpainted and crackled finish chest. Isn't it sweet?




About today's find...Just yesterday I was flipping through my latest Cottage Living magazine and was studying one particular photo of a kitchen. On the wall beside the island was a fabulous giant clock. I've always loved those big clocks but haven't considered buying one anytime soon because we're in the middle of a remodel and I can't really put anything on the walls now anyway. But I've always oohed and ahhed over them, none-the-less.

So imagine my surpise when I found the giant clock below at Goodwill today for just $12.99!!! It's not a cheapy clock, either - has a metal frame and is very heavy. It came from Ballard Design...here it is on the Ballards site. It still has it's original Ballard tag on the back- $289! I feel like I stole it, lol! The color itself is a little off for my color scheme but I may try to paint the metal frame a dark bronze color down the road.



So I just had to share my first thrifting deal of 2007! Goodwill is so much fun:)

I am a Mother / Perspective

Tuesday I wept because two of my girls got "untidy" haircuts from a less than experienced hairdresser. I wept because my house is a mess and I don't know where to start in putting everything back together for the umpteenth time. I wept because I have no confidence in myself to complete anything at the moment. I'm a mother and a wife and a homemaker, and I guess all mothers and wives and homemakers feel like this from time to time.

Then I found a few photos that put everything into perspective. If I knew all the things that went on in this world, bad haircuts and dust and "unfinished projects" wouldn't be the oh-so-earth-shattering events that I make them out to be sometimes. But I think the few things I saw today are enough.

Please note: None of the links below reflect a political stance on my part and I am not sharing them because I have a political agenda of some sort or another, though the directors of the photo videos may. I welcome comments, but please, none of a political nature.

I'm sharing these links because I am a mother - I'm a human, and when I see these photos, I see my own children, as you will see yours. Wherever we live in this world, most of us just want a true home for our children and family, and to keep them well hugged, kissed, loved, and protected. If I can do just that much, I should be so very thankful.

(*Warning - some readers may find some of the photos in the first link disturbing)
Over the Rainbow 1

These are happier (don't let the first frame, sarcastic in nature, fool you), but you'll still need a tissue...
Over the Rainbow 2

"A True Home"

A True Home by Ernestine Schumann-Heink

"A roof to keep out the rain. Four walls to keep out the wind. Floors to keep out the cold. Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father. Warmth of loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship. Home is first school...for the young ones where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind. Where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick. Where joy is shared and sorrow eased. Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved. Where children are wanted. Where the simplest food is good enough for kings because it is earned. Where money is not so important as loving-kindness. Where even the teakettle sings from happiness. That is home."

I found this tonight on a Celestial Seasononings box (Candy Cane Lane Green Tea) and thought it was pretty special and so very true. Though our houses are all very different, I'm sure most of us want to have the particular kind of "home" as described above:)

Looking Forward to 2007

As I get older, I realize that time - the weeks, the months, the years - are just whizzing by. The childen are growing like weeds...just yesterday, it seems, I had a newborn, a six month old, and a 6 year old. Now I have an almost 6 year old, a 7 year old, and this month, a 12 year old. You'd think that by now I'd start to feel like a grown up, hehe.

I have so much that I need to work on- things that have always been a battle for me. Getting and staying organized, for instance. I'm not sure why it's such a struggle. I hate clutter - it really blocks me mentally and creatively and is a real emotional downer. Every so often I just go through the house and purge, purge, purge- getting rid of everything that is useless and just taking up space. I majorly need to do that right now and will be working on that this month. It's mostly spaces like closets and the laundry room, our "catch all" areas.

One thing that I really look forward to this year is pursuing my goal of having my own little cottage business from home. My youngest child goes to school this fall, so I'll have some extra time to devote to things other than solely the house and family. Like many of you, I love thrifting and fixing up items with "good bones", turning them into sweet little cottage treasures if they aren't already. I also love the idea of making crafty cottage accessories and I have a few ideas of the kinds of things I'd like to make. I'm actually working on some "protocols" right now, which I'm really excited about. I haven't decided yet if I want to sell online, or just at flea markets and craft shows, or both. I first need to work on building up an inventory, so it's going to be fun thrifting and coming up with ideas on how to "cottage up" different items.

Another major thing that I want to do this year is to learn a time-honored craft. I've collected different books on rug-making and other types of crafts, but one thing that has interested me for a long time is soap making. I'm talking about making handmade soap made from lye and oils and fragrances. (Don't worry, Mom, I promise I'll use rubber gloves and goggles:) ) The whole process fascinates me, so this year, I'm going to become soap student, reading and learning all I can about the process and slowly collecting the supplies I'll need to make my own soap. I've already found a wonderful site, the Soap Dish Forum, that has so much information about the craft. I'm really excited about it! Hubs, though, is less than thrilled because he says "Why make your own soap when you can buy it much cheaper at the store?" To that, dear, I say, "Why make a delicious homemade meal when I can just pop this frozen TV dinner in the microwave?"


On the home front, I'm not really sure what all we'll accomplish this year. Here is what is what I'd like to get completed:
-Finish kitchen ceiling (beams, finishing trim, paint)
-Remove door from dining room to laundry room/ replace with drywall
-Add lighting to kitchen/dining
-Replace countertop/add brick paver backsplash
-Raise hallway ceiling from 7 feet to 8, add pine ceiling, install new lighting
-Redo drywall mud in hallway
-Replace all the cheap, hollow, core doors in hallway solid pine doors
-Install door trim around all doors in kitchen and hallway
-Add beadboard halfway up the wall in kitchen, dining room, back wall of living room, and down the hallway
-Remove living room coat closet to make way for a built in cabinet down the road
-Paint the kitchen, dining and hallway
-Build a raised landscaping bed and plant impatiens in the area at the side of our house, try to improve the appearance of that general area (it's where we and our friends enter the house and it sure is sad looking now...)
-Buy hardwood for the girls rooms and (if I beg, maybe for our bedroom...hubs like carpet in the bedroom, I prefer hardwood with an area rug - we have two dogs and a cat and three kids!)
-Buy and install new washer and dryer. Ours still work and have been wonderful over the years, but they are so old now. The washer just kind of loudly and aimlessly walks around the laundry room when in use - I think it's time to retire him, lol. We have a bachelor friend who needs a washer and I'm sure he won't have as much laundry as this family five has!
-Hire an AC guy to come and reroute our air ducts so that the heat and air circulates efficiently, especially in the summer. This house gets hot and our electric bill gets expensive!

So those are things that I *think* we can for sure accomplish in 2007. Here is my late 2007 but probably 2008 wish list.
-Remove old lino from laundry room and replace with "cottage" type flooring. Aged brick pavers, maybe?
-Install our hardwood FLOORS!
-Hire pros to do the tilework in the gutted bathroom. We attempted. We failed. We attempted again. We failed again. There comes a time when it just makes more sense to save time and aggravation and pay someone else to do the dirty work. We will be saving throughout 2007 to do this and I think it will be well worth the wait.
-Remud the walls and add new window trim in the girls' rooms

So that's the long and short of it. It really helps to have a plan in place and hopefully we'll be able to get alot accomplished this year with the house.