Painting Interior Doors

For the longest time, I have admired houses with dark doors. Was I brave enough to dip my brush in black paint and tackle all the doors in this house, though? Why yes, I was. I know everyone thought I was crazy at first, but the dark, rich color brings an element of interest and an upgraded look I am really in love with. Paneled doors are easy to paint if you develop a system. Thankfully, Pinterest has lots of hints on how to successfully paint paneled doors, as well as brilliant tips about painting them on or off the hinges. 

I chose to remove most of the doors and paint them in the garage. I did this for a few reasons - 1) it is the best way to avoid drips, 2) I didn't have to worry about cats or dogs rubbing up against wet paint, and 3) it allowed me to easily work on a few doors at a time.

For the front door, french doors and pantry doors, I chose to leave those hanging and developed a system of painting the removed doors in the garage and while those were drying, I went inside to paint the doors that were still hanging. 

The difference is amazing! 

Summer Grilling

Several years back, we installed a deck, outdoor kitchen and a pergola in the backyard, near the pool. The Arizona sun was very unkind to the stain on the grill surround, and the top was beginning to warp and rot. Note to self, never use wood as the top to the outdoor kitchen counters. After looking at several pictures and watching a few tutorials, I felt confidant enough to replace the wood with tile. And off I went, shopping. After looking at a few options, I decided on Tavolo tiles - so pretty and colorful - and drove to a local mercado with one of the boys and we picked out the tiles. 

When we had the pool built, we carefully planned the pool around both of the trees in our backyard, hoping that neither would be damaged in the construction. Both trees suffered root shock from the digging of the pool, and although our Shamel Ash tree flourished this year, our Brazilian Pepper tree withered away to nothing. We decided to remove the tree and create a dining space in its place. On a scale of 1 to 10 in difficulty, this was about a 3 - the roots had obviously been damaged so extensively, the tree was pretty easy to remove. 

After removing the tree, we put more pavers down and set up our dining set. If you look closely, you can see our makeshift attempt at trying to level out the table. Since our yard slopes down out to the back of the property, we knew we would have to reset the pavers soon. In both of these pictures, you can see the condition of the wood of the outdoor kitchen. One trip to Home Depot and I had this solved.

After restaining and sealing the wood, I moved on to removing the rotting counters and replacing with cement backboard. I watched a few more tutorials and quickly got the hang of tiling. The grouting was the messiest part of the project, but overall, it was fairly simple. We are ready for some summer parties!

Gaining Space...

Back when the kids were little, the challenge of finding space for everything was a daily battle. We seemed to have legos, action figures and, remote control cars stored in every nook and cranny in the house. Now that the boys are older, "toys" are getting bigger, and we simply have more stuff.  We find ourselves looking for more storage space again. 

Building a fence between our property and the neighbors seemed like a great solution. Not only would we gain some privacy for the boys' bedroom windows - the homebuilder clearly wasn't thinking when he designed a set of bedroom windows DIRECTLY across from another set of bedroom windows, but we would also gain some valuable storage space for bikes, kayaks, and such. 

After weeks of waiting for a permit, and reviewing all our options, we decided on the vinyl fencing from the local Lowes. While it was a bit more than wood, the vinyl lasts much longer, won't need much maintenance, and won't be susceptible to termites, dry rot, etc. 

Dear hubby estimated two or three weekends for the project, and he was spot on. One weekend of digging for the fence posts proved to be insufficient, even with the aid of a rental auger and jackhammer. And to think, I set out to dig the holes with a fencepost digger - Arizona 'caliche' dirt is nearly impossible to penetrate without the aid of an auger. 

After several small mishaps and re-digging some of the holes, we finally started to see the fence taking shape. 

At the end of day two, we were all tired and needed a rest. We closed up shop for the weekend and planned for weekend two of more digging, and filling the post holes with concrete. On our second round with the tool rental, we managed to get an auger that didn't have enough power, so we resorted to using the jackhammer to cut through the dirt and make the remaining post holes. At the end of day four, we had a fence!

The last part of the project was installing the artificial turf, and removing the old gate. This proved to be far easier than we anticipated - thank goodness! 

Now, on to the next project! 

Essential Oils for the Win!

Essential oils are incredible. So many uses, so many benefits. After spending just a little time experimenting, I've come up with a chemical free all purpose cleaner.

Start with a glass bottle. I love these, a set of two bottles, two spray mechanisms, two lids, a mini funnel (so cute) and a set of chalk labels. 

Fill this bottle with 70% isopropyl alcohol (about 80% full). Add 1/2 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide. Then add the oils. I used:

30 drops of tea tree essential oil

15 drops of lavender essential oil

15 drops of lemongrass essential oil

I also added 10 drops of my favorite "Clarity" - which is eucalyptus & peppermint

Add the lid and shake the bottle to mix the ingredients. 

You will now have a non-toxic powerful cleaner. So easy to make and leaves your home smelling fresh and clean! 

For the last few weeks, we have been pushing to get all those little projects across the finish line. Our goal was to have everything done before Thanksgiving. With just a few short weeks left, we have made so much progress. In reality, we just have a handful left to do. Dear hubby has assured me that once this list is done, another one is sure to crop up. He's probably right, too. Bless his heart!

It all began with the front yard. There were two major problems - one was a Texas sage bush in our front window - this bush has been cut down twice and it continued to grow back. Two, for years we have been battling two sections of the yard that refuse to grow. No matter what we did! In addition, the constant watering had done some significant damage to the stucco of the house. The plan was to consider this a lost battle and create a patio - nothing too elaborate, definitely not too labor-intensive, either. I should really retract the labor-intensive comment, as removing that Texas sage was not easy. Dear hubby worked very hard to remove that bush! After closing off the sprinklers and leveling off the yard, we trenched a four-inch channel that we would fill with rumble stone repurposed from the back yard. We treated the yard so no stray grass would grow, laid the landscape fabric down and ordered the stone, which was delivered so quickly it allowed us to get started on the next phase a week ahead of schedule.

Inside of two days, the gravel patio was installed. Such a small project has made a great impact on the front of the house.

In progress, after the Texas sage was removed.

Now we're just waiting for the winter lawn to come in! 

With the yard project complete, we turned our focus to the interior. In 2016, when the Lincoln Navigator incident happened (see here for more on that story), our kitchen was demolished, thrusting us into a six-month renovation of our home. Thanks to a fabulous demolition and renovation team and some seriously savvy shopping, I was able to get the kitchen of my dreams. However, I made a quick decision upon ordering cabinets, not to “go to the ceiling.” It is my only regret regarding the kitchen remodel, and something that can easily be fixed.

So, we began with another trip to the Home Depot. The first day was relatively easy and fun. I am so very fortunate that my husband is a master of geometry, since this is far from my strongest subject. He was able to calculate and install the cleats and the faceplates of the upper cabinets with ease.

Day two - not so easy. I made strides in measuring, cutting and fitting the lattice edge trim for the bottom edge of the faceplates, as this was just a few straight cuts and mitered edges. The crown was my downfall. After several errors in my mangled version of geometry, dear hubs had to step in again. Of course, since his geometry brain far exceeds mine, after a few hours, it was complete.

Day three was simple. It would be hard for me to mess this up – after all, it was just filling holes, sanding, refilling and sanding again. Day four was painting and after all the repainting we’ve done here, this was done in no time at all. And there you have it! The finish to our cabinets in under four days. (Please ignore my fingerprinted vent hood)

Time to move on to another project! After all, there are only five weeks until Thanksgiving! 

As long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with building. My projects did not have to be on a grand scale, like my father (who added on to our family home continually for a good 15 years), but I dedicated time to my projects, concentrating on every little detail. One of the things I always wanted to work on was a treehouse or a playhouse. Although there were many forts built (and rather creatively, I might add) when our boys were younger, we never had big enough trees for a treehouse. So we built forts out of big boxes and sheets. One year, we really had a creative spark and built a teepee. Now, you can buy these online and they come in all kinds of varieties.

To this day though, I am drawn to the cuteness of the playhouse. Perhaps it's that everything is on a smaller scale (I was quite fond of dollhouses growing up), or maybe it's that they are usually inhabited by the cutest youngsters. Whatever it may be, I think they are adorable. Maybe someday I'll have a grand-daughter and she will get her very own playhouse. Hopefully, it looks a little like the one featured below. Kudos to Country Living Magazine for the adorable feature.

Until next time!

Some people aren’t fans of mornings. I am, always have been. I love everything about mornings, the fresh, crisp air, the chirping birds, the way the sun looks as it peeks out from behind the clouds in the east. But most of all, I love the significance of morning – the fresh slate we are all blessed with, the new day that is before us. We choose what to make of it, of course, but we have been granted a new beginning, every day.

My first steps outside this morning with my coffee cup enveloped me with the grace and virtue of the new day. Bathed in morning light, the deep hues of red and pink were intertwined, against the stark green foliage. What a pleasant and beautiful surprise this was and a reminder of the new day before me.

May you be blessed with a beautiful day!

With today being the last day of September, it seems appropriate to wave goodbye to the summer, and welcome Fall with open arms. The Fall season inspires so many of us to don our boots and flannel checks, daydream of cool, crisp evenings and warm our homes with the fragrant scents of fall - pumpkin spice, apple pie, cinnamon and pine cones and so much more. While living in nearly 300 days of sunshine has certain perks, the anxious arrival of cooler temps sends me into what I refer to as “mastering fall trickery.”

For years now, the dear husband has watched the house get ‘dressed’ in fall attire in the first few days of September, all while the kids are still out back practicing cannon balls in the pool. The pumpkins adorn the fireplace mantel, the buffalo check pillows find their place on the sofa, the wax warmer scent of apple spice permeates through the house. It is the end of summer survival mode and the beginning of our “beautiful weather” months. True Fall begins when you can pull out your favorite pair of weekend jeans and wrap yourself in a flannel shirt. My favorite weather forecaster says we won't see these days for another few weeks, so I anxiously wait. 

I think this week, I'll sip some pumpkin spice latte and snuggle up with a favorite book and comfy blanket. Cheers to autumn.

 Until next time!

Back at the Bakery

Once I'm able to turn the calendar page from August to September and the days begin to get just a tiny bit shorter, my desire to bake again awakens. Hot ovens don't work well with temperatures edging past 100 here. Needless to say, there's always a long list of baked goods the family wants to see emerge from the oven: Peanut Butter and Jelly bars, Banana Bread, scones and muffins - (we can never keep muffins in the house).

The first batch of muffins on the list - Cranberry Orange. Yum! You can almost kid yourself into thinking these are healthy. 😉 My favorite recipe is from A Kitchen Addiction.

Cranberry Orange Muffins 

Ingredients

ü  2 cups flour

ü  1/3 cup sugar

ü  1/3 cup brown sugar

ü  2 tsp. baking powder

ü  1 tsp. baking soda

ü  ½ tsp. salt

ü  ½ tsp. cinnamon

ü  ½ cup milk

ü  ¼ cup orange juice

ü  ½ cup butter, melted and cooled

ü  2 eggs, room temperature

ü  2 tsp. vanilla extract

ü  zest of one orange

ü  1 ¼ cups cranberries

ü  coarse sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. I love these.

Wisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, orange juice, eggs and vanilla. Add wet

ingredients to dry and stir until mixed together. Add in melted butter and stir.

Gently fold in orange zest and cranberries. 

Divide batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely on wire rack. 

Happy Baking!

There's just something about dogs. Studies have shown that owning a dog has countless benefits - they can relieve stress, they can teach responsibility and empathy, they may even lower your risk for heart disease. Dogs find the greatest joys in even the simplest of things, like a ride in the car or a walk in the park. They really don't ask for much in return, yet they love you unconditionally. Every day is an adventure when you share your life with a dog. 

All my life, I've had dogs, sometimes a few at a time. And with that, I have had my share of heartaches. Nothing can prepare you for losing your dog. Even if you think you're prepared, you're not. When a dog loves you, they trust you implicitly. They look to you for support and for all their needs. And when they are tired and have had a full life, they look to you to guide them to their final rest. 

My heart aches as we have had to say goodbye to our dear, sweet Sophie today. She was the best, always gentle and loving, gave the best snuggles and cuddles and made us giggle with her acrobatics. We held her close, we kissed her, we stroked her beautiful fur, we told her how very much we loved her - and then we let go. Now, the house feels empty. The other dogs sense that something is wrong - they are looking in each room of the house, hoping to find her. There is an unfamiliar quiet now. But in our hearts we know that we will meet again someday. She will be there, with our other dogs, all with wagging tails, so excited to see us again.

So this is where we part, My Friend,

and you'll run on, around the bend.

Gone from sight, but not from mind,

new joys there you'll surely find.

Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,

the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.

And as you journey to your rest,

take this with you...I have loved you best.

Until we meet again, Sophie. Wait for us at the rainbow bridge...

What do you do on a hot summer afternoon? I’m talking really hot, blistering heat, excessive heat warning hot. I have to admit, there are a few days during summer where it is too hot to go swimming. Ever been through one of those days?

When the boys were little, in certain ways it seemed easier to keep them entertained. Or maybe it was because I was more creative back then and had more energy. Now, energy comes purely from coffee and it only lasts a while. I remember, one year, we used a small box and filled it with small slips of paper. Each slip had an idea for summer fun written on it. Some were rather elaborate and some didn't involve as much effort. There were afternoons of stacking plastic cups with Lego men and army men and watching the boys take aim with Nerf guns. Days of quickly assembling the marble run, using a dollar store pool noodle and a dining chair. That was extra fun because then they would laugh when the cat would chase after the marble. There were hours of puzzles and endless games of Risk - somehow I always lost that game. What can I say, I have two boys that are all about strategy. We made ice cream from scratch and countless trips to the pool - thank goodness after a couple of summers, dear hubby and I got smart and built our own pool! I look back on those days and smile - of course my hope is that they look back on those days and smile, too. 

Nowadays, when they do want to hang around the house, it’s more of a challenge to find something to do. Kids these days do seem to entertain themselves but often times it's not interacting to the degree it used to be. Honestly, my boys could spend hours on technology, but sometimes you have to draw the line. And with one of the boys getting ready for college, the time that we do have I’m trying not only to be inventive, but create a few more fun memories. Some days it works, others not so much. I have discovered that food works as an enticement for hanging around. Personal grilled pizzas are one of our fam favorites. We always make the standard cheese, and pepperoni, but once in a while, we’ll have “topping night” where you can choose from a wide variety of extra ingredients to make the pizza special. One of my faves is the Chicken Caesar Pizza from SimplyScratch.com. Grilling them sure does beat turning on the oven in the middle of summer. 

Cheers to a Happy Summer!

My love of comfort food has remained pretty consistent all my life. The term was first used in the late sixties, in a story by the Palm Beach Post: "Adults, when under severe emotional stress, turn to what could be called 'comfort food' - food associated with the security of childhood. This 'comfort food' varies greatly across the nation, but I have found some of the best recipes originate in the South. Maybe it's the way Southern mamas take great pride in their cooking and comforting their families, maybe it has more to do with traditions passed down generation to generation, but whatever it is, those Southern recipes reside in many homes as a standard 'go-to' meal when the craving for comfort food sets in. 

I recently stumbled upon a copy of Reese Witherspoon's "Whiskey in a Teacup." While it isn't exactly a recipe book - it's more of a collection of home-spun stories of her childhood and how proper Southern ladies 'do their day,' I was intrigued by more than a handful of good 'ol comfort food recipes. I also had a good laugh about driving to your destination with your hair all done up in hot rollers.

Being as though I am still serving meals on a tray to my recuperating son, I'm looking for a new variety of offerings - attempting to mix it up a little. His appetite is increasing now, so this is a good sign. As a mother of teenage sons, a sure-fire way of knowing something is not right with your kid, is when a teenage boy doesn't have an appetite. I announced yesterday that I was going to try my hand at a new recipe involving chili and I saw the big smile and I knew I had a winner!

My family loves chili, so the recipe for Corn Bread Chili Pie was a definite. Now I know what you're thinking....it's over 100 degrees right now, why on earth would you serve chili? Well you see, when you're watching your food practically disappear before your eyes (teen boys will cause you to think about a second job just to provide groceries), satisfying and filling meals become a priority. And chili starts looking pretty good, no matter what the temp is - and there is some grace, it's not 100 degrees inside - thankfully - my dear hubby does like arctic air blowing on him during the hot summer months. Still, though, I've learned to cook early in the day before the temps rise too high.

What can I say about the Cornbread Chili Pie? Well, it was delicious! Satisfying and filling. And for a few moments, I fooled everyone as all they could see on the stovetop was the cornbread - and low and behold, hiding beneath was the chili. See, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Try some for yourself. I'm sure you'll agree - pretty awesome comfort food!

Reese's Corn Bread Chili Pie

2 Tablespoons olive oil           

1 medium onion, chopped               

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef                   

1 pound ground pork                       

2 packets chili seasoning

1 can diced tomatoes                  

2 Tablespoons tomato paste             

2 cups chicken broth

2 eggs                                        

2/3 cup milk                                     

1 cup frozen corn, divided

1 cup shredded cheese                

1 can kidney beans, drained             

2 Jiffy Cornbread mixes

Preheat oven to 375. In a cast iron skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and saute for 1 minute before adding the garlic. Saute for another minute and add the ground beef and pork, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and stirring until meat is browned.

Drain off any excess fat and stir in the chili seasoning, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix over medium heat for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

While the meat simmers, make the corn bread mixture: stir together the mix, eggs and milk in a bowl until just combined (do not overmix). Stir 1/2 cup of corn and the cheese into the corn bread batter and set aside. Stir the remaining 1/2 cup of corn and the kidney beans into the meat mixture. 

Transfer the meat mixture to a casserole dish. Pour the corn bread batter over the meat mixture and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Try serving with optional toppings such as salsa, green onion, sour cream and shredded cheese. 

When my brother and I were growing up, we spent many days tinkering on the piano at my aunt’s house and on the organ at my grandparents’ house. We never had our own piano, but I always longed for one. Fast forward many, many years and that longing still hasn’t subsided. When I mentioned it at dinner one night, my youngest said he’d always wanted to learn. The kid has the hands for it – long, slender fingers and the patience and dedication to learning new things. So, began my new quest.

And then, the injury happened. On the last day in January, I arrived just like any other day for pickup at the high school, only to find my son limping his way out of the gymnasium doors. All it took was one look at his leg when he got in the vehicle. I knew this was a serious injury and we drove to the emergency room. After x-rays that afternoon, an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon the next day and an MRI, we learned that a dislocation had occurred as well as a tear in some ligaments. Surgery was scheduled for early February.

Very long story short, this poor child has now been through three surgeries to correct the dislocation, torn ligaments, and a monumental defect to the cartilage between the patella and femur. Unfortunately, the repairs also involved a full tibial osteotomy and he is now the proud owner of some pretty cool “hardware.” The recovery is very long indeed, somewhere between twelve and eighteen months; but we had an excellent surgeon, so the prognosis is very good. Our son's dedication and ability to look on the bright side of things amazes us every day! 

Of course, the timing is miserable. We had big plans to take a wonderful "tropical" vacation this year, but alas that had to be postponed. Summer is no fun to be stuck with a "thigh to ankle" immobilizer and a set of crutches. So, we were presented with an urgent need for activities that don’t involve a lot of movement. Enter the idea for the piano. I was looking, but hadn't found something that really spoke to me, so we decided to purchase a keyboard now, and upgrade to a piano later on, when I found the perfect one. This way, our injured boy can learn the basics while he is non-weight bearing, perfect his skills and build a new talent.

Amazon is great for so much these days, and now more than ever, I heavily rely on that white van to drop off my goods. We ordered a Yamaha 61-key keyboard and it was delivered two days later. We chose not to purchase the metal stand with it, as we could pretty much guarantee that the stand would not surpass the “lab entourage” we have here in the house. 

 This, however, posed a new problem – what could we use for a stand. It had to be something that could withstand the dogs running through the house, the six foot + teen still learning to navigate life with crutches and blend in with the other existing furniture in the house. I came across the perfect directions for building a piano stand and bench at “Make It & Love It.” I don’t believe the Amazon truck was even out for delivery before I was off to Home Depot to buy the lumber. Ashley’s plans were so easy to follow and with a few tiny adjustments, we had our very own farmhouse style piano stand and bench.

Every so often, I hear Chopsticks being played in the other room and I smile.