Friday Obsessions

Black and Gold....

 A place for my books.....

 Chicken Lazone...

 Beauty and the beast....

 Jewelry....

Have a great weekend.....

Paula

Roasted Veggies

The best part of dinner for me are the sides that accompany the main course.  Our family loves vegetables and thats probably because we have them - every night.  It kind of amazes me when people say they their kids won't eat veggies or they don't like the veggies in the can.  Huh?  The can?  Ok....I'm not saying that I don't ever pop something out of the can but I can tell you that it is rarely and only if there are no other options.

A great way to make veggies is to roast them.  It's easy and super healthy.  Here is one of my favorites.

Take a head of cauliflower and a bag (the netted bag from the fresh vegetable section) of brussels sprouts.  Cut the cauliflower up into pieces and cut the end off the brussels sprouts and then cut  in half. I put them in a bowl,  sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt and toss so they are coated.  I foil a roasting pan and spread the veggies out.  Cook them on 425 for 30 min.  At about 15 minutes, spread the veggies about so they don't burn and cook evenly.

You can eat them as is or sprinkle with parmesan or romano cheese. I usually serve these with mashed potatoes too. They just go well together.  So good!

Enjoy.

Paula

Fruit Of The Spirit - Faithfulness

When I was in college, my roommate had this album by Journey and played it over and over and over again :)  "Don't Stop Believin, Wheel In The Sky and Faithfully."

Faithfully, is one of those songs that I stop for. I still turn up the volume, get lost in the piano and the words. Who doesn't want what the singer is singing about - especially the last stanza.

"I'm forever yours,
oh, oh, oh, oh
faithfully, I'm still yours
I'm forever yours
ever yours, faithfully"

We all want the kind of faithfulness that he sings about.  Right?

When things don't go our way and our results are not what we want, it is important to remain faithful. We don't know what is around the corner but it is through faith that we know good things will come.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

Paula

Paint Paint Paint

It's cold and rainy here in SC so my big furniture projects are on hold for awhile...  In the meantime, I'm painting the little things that I find along the way.  Sometimes, I see a piece that leads me to some inspiration.  Like this beautiful ring dish from Mackenzie-Childs.  I love the colors and the bird!

Enter ugly pieces from a craft store...  I know these are hideous, but you have to look past the finish - just like old furniture.  If the form is good, then you can re-create and paint just about anything.

I bought these not sure what I was going to do with them....and then I kept looking at the birds on top.  Hmmmm.....

So I gave them a coat of chalk paint....

And started to add color....

And checks and stripes....

And then a clear coat of poly to seal the paint and make them shiny.

The weather made it difficult to get a good picture, but hopefully you can see how pretty they turned out.  :)

Don't be afraid to try something like this.  You can do it!

Paula


Linking With
Boogie Board Cottage
The Dedicated House
A Stroll Thru Life
The Style Sisters
Savvy Southern Style
Ivy And Elephants
Shabby Nest

Encourage One Another

One of the many things that I love about blogging, is the ability to encourage one another to try new things.  I love sharing techniques and showing you all of the fun things you can do with paint and furniture restoration. Your emails and support back to me are inspiring.  I especially love it when you send me pictures of your own re-creations.

The table above is an old round table that my new friend Stephanie from Pennsylvania found for her home.  The table was in good condition, but the brown wood wasn't what she was looking for.  With a little bit of chalk paint and some light distressing, Stephanie gave this table new life. Look below at how beautiful this turned out.  This went from a nice coffee table to a beautiful new coffee table that is light and has character.

Stephanie also had a side table that she was using in her home.  It totally works as is, but with a little paint, this went from nice to.....amazing.

By combining several different colors, she created a unique finish that looks fabulous.  Chalk paint allows you to create different finishes due to its ability to blend and adhere.  

Watching old furniture reinvented to work in your new home makes me happy!  If you have old pieces of furniture, don't be afraid to recreate them into something that works in your life today.  With chalk paint, it really is easy.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful new pieces Stephanie.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
                                                                                                      1 Thessalonians 5:11
Paula

Friday Obsessions....

Strength....

 Beauty...

 Change...

 Fun....

 Yum....

Have a great weekend.  Be thankful.

Paula

Faith vs Hope

I love my ipad, but I miss the ability to write notes in the columns and highlight passages on the pages of my books.  I love turning down the corners of selected pages of a book when a passage or thought hits home to me.  I love pulling my old books off the shelf and flipping to one of the turned down corners and reflecting on why I turned it over.  As you can see, it allows me to find the "good stuff" quickly when I go back. :)

This morning as I went to one of my turned down corners, I came across a passage on Faith vs. Hope that I absolutely love from a very old book "Power Through Constructive Thinking" by Emmet Fox.

"Faith properly understood, is a necessary part of every prayer.  The confusion arises because "blind faith" is not really Faith at all, but quite a different thing; namely Hope.  Now Hope is not of the slightest use in prayer - frail, anemic, unfruitful in results, she it is who maketh the heart sick.  

It is her elder sister, Faith, who is the substance, the evidence, the sure and certain forerunner of victory."                                                      

Good old George Michael's had it right.  You gotta have Faith! 

 Faith is the necessary preliminary to answered prayer.  

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

                                                                               Hebrews 11:1

Paula

Why Aren't You Cooking A Pot Roast?

Sitting at a basketball game with a friend the other night she leans in and tells me she is a bad mom. She said she doesn't cook dinner anymore because she doesn't have time.  The rush hour starts at 4pm and it doesn't stop until after practice at about 8pm.  So she just finds a "drive through".  I asked her if she had a crock pot and she said yes....but she's never liked anything from it.  (been there).

Years ago, working full-time and picking up my children in the evening at my friend Mary's house I use to be so jealous of the wonderful dinner smells that would come out her front door. I'd walk in and be like.....yum! What is that? My favorite smell of all time was her Pot Roast.  If you are not cooking pot roast, you are missing out on one of the best comfort foods of all time.  And.....it is so easy! You can start this before you leave for work or start it mid-day.  It all goes into one pot and you just wait til it's time to eat.

The key is to find a good "Chuck Roast".  Sometimes it says Pot Roast, but look for a Chuck Roast and  you are set.

Put the chuck in your crockpot.  Season it with some salt and pepper.  Put water in the pot until it is halfway up on the chuck and throw in a couple of beef bouillon cubes (or just use beef broth).  Chop up a big onion, throw in a bag of carrots, celery, mushrooms....red potatoes if you want and put the lid on it and walk away.  Depending on the size, a good chuck roast will cook on low for about 6 hours.

You can play around with this based on your families tastes.  My family doesn't like potatoes with their pot roast.  We like it over rice so I leave them out and cook the rice right before we eat.  I also like to throw in a cup of red wine sometimes too.  The point here, is that with minimal effort, you have a great meal.  The house smells awesome and your family will be happy.  Serve it with a salad and some bread....and you way better off than the drive through.

And if you don't have a crock pot - you can use the oven too. McCormick sells these easy to use bags that you can throw everything into and it even comes with some seasoning.  Pop it all in the oven for about three hours and wholla!  

Now of course, you can get more creative with your pot roast but my friend was looking for quick.  You just have to get the ingredients and you are good to go.  Try it.

Enjoy!

Paula

p.s.  I grabbed that pot roast picture off of pinterest so you can see what a quick crock pot meal looks like.  It's that good!

Fruit Of The Spirit - Goodness

The best part of anything....the good.   Expressing goodness.

What is good in your life?  Typically when I think of "good" I immediately think of food or I might think of a good cup of coffee.  What makes it good?  How can you bring more goodness into your life?  Better yet, how can you spread goodness into the lives of others?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

Paula

Easter Eggs - MacKenzie Child's Like....

It's not too early to start thinking about Easter.  Here are some fabulous Easter Eggs that will look great on your table or as gifts for friends.  These are easy to make and stunning to look at.

You can really paint any kind of egg, but I have found that wood or paper mache works best.   The above is paper mache egg found at a local craft store.  Start with a solid background and then if you want, work on your checks.

Don't worry about making your checks perfect.  As you color and stain the egg the perfections will blend in. Take a wet rag and add a little bit of paint to it and wipe it over the checks.  I like to make vertical lines over the white to add whimsy and color.  

Get creative with your designs!  It's like egg painting for grown ups.

Once the paint is dry, I like to finish them with a glossy poly and let them dry. This gives them a hard protective, protects your paint and makes them shiny.

You will have them for years to come and they really are pretty.  Enjoy!

Paula

Linking With:

I Should Be Mopping The Floor

Burlap and Babies

domestically-speaking

A Stroll Thru Life

Dwelling In Happiness

Worthing Court

Cozy Little House

The Style Sisters

Green Willow Pond

Savvy Southern Style

Ivy And Elephants

jannolson

Stacey Embracing Change

From My Front Porch To Yours

the shabby nest

Life On Lakeshore Drive

Nancherrow

Valentine's Day - Put A Little Pink In The Weekend

On this wonderful romantic Valentine's day, enjoy the whimsy and fun that only pink things can bring you...

Paula

The Power of Now

“As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love - even the most simple action.” 
                                                                                                                             ― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now

Did you know that as you "create" you are actively working in the present moment.  That's what I love about painting.  It calms the mind and soul and allows you to be right where you are.  In the now.  

Create something today and work on bringing your life into the present moment.  

Paula

Olive Baskets

 What is it about this simple slatted basket that catches my eye every time I see one?  I'm not sure, but for some reason I'm drawn to them. They are big and rustic and different. I like different.  Maybe it's the possibility that my past Calabrian relatives over in Italy used these buckets to gather olives from their orchards and rinse them off at the end of the day and I'm somehow connected to this past lifestyle. Ok, probably not, but I'm drawn to them anyway. :)

Look what I found at Target yesterday!  It's not an original but it will work just the same.

Paula