The TV Table

Yes, we have a perfectly good TV table for our 27" TV. The picture included here doesn't thrill me, but we've enjoyed it since I finished it about 4 years ago. It has sentimental value because I first painted it white with purple knobs a month before Maggie was born for her room ("Maggie's Garden Room"), so it will just move up to our bedroom, we think. Meanwhile, it is our hope that sometime in the next 5 years, we'll get to upgrade our 27" TV. When it occurred to me about a year ago that in order to do that, we'd need a larger table, I immediately began the hunt at every convenient thrift store, family members surplus, and the occasional yard sale. I finally found an acceptable dresser right after school was out. There's a picture of it (more or less; I had already removed the 2 doors that cover the 3 shorter drawers on the left end) in my June 19, 2010, post. It came in handy sitting in the kitchen when I needed a spot to place all those wedding bouquets!

After paying $28.50 at Goodwill and getting help from Mr. Next-Door-Neighbor to unload it from the van, I was overcome by a severe old musty smell. To help combat this, I did several things: 1) bring it inside to the air conditioning (hence, it's placement in the kitchen); 2) sand (a piece at a time on the deck) every surface; 3) put baking soda in every drawer from June until today; 4) use up can of spray paint trying to get paint on all the interior walls. I think it's better now!

I've probably put in 8 hours of work already. I primed all the drawers pretty early on. Today, I primed the cabinet, starting with it upside down so I could go ahead and finish the legs. Because it has metal feet, I used my favorite metal primer spray paint. Then I used the same Sherwin Williams black I used on the Lynn. Finally, I added my first dots to the feet. Once the base was thoroughly dry, Bob helped me flip it over so I could spray the interior black (I'm not sure which drawer space is going to hold the DVD player & Comcast box, so I painted all 3) since I couldn't easily reach the back wall with a brush and prime the remaining areas (hence, the white!).

I don't have a plan for the design of this piece. Maggie said I need to get a notebook and go to bed and sketch multiple designs because that's "what you always do." Funny, I vaguely remember doing that with my first piece about 8 years ago! Maybe I will try that again... Regardless, I hope to get the whole thing painted black, the top stenciled and the edge gold so it can sit in my kitchen with pride until I figure out that the rest is going to be!

The Lynn Table is Finished.

The fun paints that led to the delivered table!

The Lynn Table - Days 6 through the End (Almost)

Many steps, none documented. Ugh. Hopefully, I'll be more careful on my next piece and will take the few minutes it takes to type an entry.

Picture 4 shows the finished table base. I measured the spaces to get more or less equal and centered diamonds, marked them, taped them, and "put" on 3 colors of green (one was metallic, for a little extra texture). After they dried, I added an outline of silver right on the edge of the tape (you wouldn't expect me to be able to paint a straight line, would you?).

I'm missing pictures for the next 2 steps. 1)  the outer edge of the table top. I taped the top edge and painted 2 coats of silver. Then I dragged a brush down the silver that was a blend of gold and black. I like the way it turned out - hadn't done that before. 2) The next day, I taped the edge and painted the top a creamy white color.

Picture 5 shows the stenciling process. I used a tight sponge to apply the black paint to the stencil. I've given up on trying to match this particular stencil. I had cut it in half years ago to work on a small project, so now I lay the pieces side by side and try not to get a line in between the 2. I did buy a replacement of the same stencil, but as many things go, the plastic is different and I have a harder time getting clean lines.

Picture 6 shows the finished top. Rubbing the stain on a painted surface is an imperfect, uneven process. I always look at and wish it were more even, but once I get the polyurethane on, I know I will like the light spots.

The Lynn Table - Days 3, 4, and 5 or so!

The black basecoat was completed and the table "cured" for 3 days (see picture 1). Then I "eye-balled" increments on those long gorgeous legs to paint some fun socks and taped them off. I spent a while tracing and cutting circles out of blue painter's tape to create black dots on the lower sock - maybe someday somebody will market pre-cut painter's tape shapes! I put on 2 coats of the silver paint on and waited 24 hours before I continued decorating the socks. The 2 paints I've used so far are in picture 2.

It's Lynn Table Time!

My first "commissioned" work! Leeann loves to paint furniture...once she gets going on it, anyway. So far, it's just been for fun. I've done 2 small chest of drawers for my living room, a T.V. "stand," 4 end tables, a mirror, 2 kitchen tables (one's in my classroom), a dollhouse, and several bookcases. All of these pieces have multiple colors and are intended to be "fun."I don't paint anything other than dots and stripes and a few variations - and I use a favorite swirly stencil.

The Lynn table belongs to a friend of mine who appreciates my whimsical approach to furniture and doesn't seem to mind that there WILL be imperfections - and it's small so it doesn't overly frighten me. The biggest problem I have right now is that the Lynn table seems to think it belongs in my house! The pictures explain it all.

I am headed upstairs to change into my paint clothes and paint the table black (well, all but the top - that'll be last and not black!).

Photos:
Two "before" shots, including the leg that looks like a doggy chewed on it. I sanded the table, filled in the dinner bites best I could and primed it with dark gray spray auto primer by Rust-Oleum. Now, I know it's more expensive than brushing on Kilz from the can, but it easy and it forms a wonderfully smooth surface on which to paint.

Here Comes the Bride!

DIY Wedding Flowers – Leeann’s Experience, June 17, 2010

When a dear friend of mine said she was doing her daughter's wedding on her own, I happily said I'd love to do the flowers. Now, I've never put a bouquet together, but I positively adore arranging flowers, so I figured I could make it happen. Turns out the tables were decorated with tall vases of white sticks, so my visions of flowery tables never came to fruition. I started getting nervous when I realized just how "big" the dreams were (think Disney Princess wedding) and that the colors were hot pink and "swimming pool blue," but kept plodding along. I did receive a priceless gift in this process: another friend, Tammy, who has done many bouquets! The end result was gorgeous - the only thing I wish I could change would be to go back and cut out some of the worry! Well, and take more pictures of the actual "putting together" process. Below is my story so if ever asked again, maybe I'll remember some of what I did.

Getting Started Tips

• Talk to the bride and the mother-of-the-bride about how many bouquets, boutonnières, corsages, arrangements, and misc. other flowers will be needed (e.g. for the cake, on window sills, etc.)
• Have the bride send pictures of her dream bouquets (colors, flower types, shape, any special adornments?)
• Order flowers at least a month before the wedding for best selection. These were ordered online from Sams Club. Have them delivered the day before the wedding date. Plan to be home and set the air temperature around 75 degrees as long as the flowers are in the house.
• If this is your first bouquet experience, buy similar flowers the week before and make a practice bouquet.

Supplies

(For: 1 large bridal bouquet, 7 bridesmaids bouquets, 1 tossing bouquet, 3 mother/grandmother bouquets, 16 boutonnières, 1 large arrangement on groom’s cake table, 10-12 flowers on bride’s cake, 18 large alstroemeria stems on window sills with candles)

• Flowers, with at least 10% extra
• Greenery (frame lower portion of bouquets where necessary, use remainder in reception décor)
• 8 - 5 gallon buckets half-filled with water and flower food (can add when flowers arrive)
• 3 large coolers
• Freezable cooler “ice” packs
• Plastic container for boutonnières
• Beach towels for floor
• Wire cutters
• Flower cutters
• Scissors
• Floral tape – at least 2 rolls; I used “light green”
• Rose de-thorner – I ordered mine online – circular silicon-type with little prongs all over
• Floral wire – one spool 22 weight
• Family and Friends!
• Ribbon for wrapping bouquets
• Any adornments being used in the bouquets
• Gallon-size Ziploc baggies (although the “zip” isn’t needed so regular bags would work as long as they’re heavy enough)
• About 4 paper towels per baggie
  

The Experience

When the flowers arrived around 10:00 a.m., I unpacked and cut each stem under water at an angle with sharp cutters. I don’t know if the underwater part was necessary, but I did it anyway because I was so worried about the flowers being outside for pictures through the ceremony from 3:30 p.m. until 8:00 in 95 degree and sunny weather. It probably took me 1 ½ hours and all 8 buckets. I then ran out to get the greenery, white flower accents for the bridal bouquet, and more pink flowers because I was worried about how very tightly closed the Alstroemeria were. I ended up going to 8 stores – I should have stopped after store number 3 when I had ferns, larger Alstroemeria, and the Chrysanthemums, but I was hoping to find some “special” greenery for the boutonnières (like bright green berries) and something other than Alstroemeria that was pink and cheap. I ended up cutting crepe myrtle buds for the boutonnières and didn’t need ANY more pink for the bouquets.
After the rehearsal dinner, bouquet making started at 10 p.m. It would’ve been nice if the 100 Gerbera Daisies had been wired before we started assembling, but I called in reinforcements and 3 of us had them all done within an hour and a half.

How To Wire a Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera Daisies tend to “flop” and their heads pop off without too much effort. The wire provides structure to prevent some of the “flop” and allows for some flexibility when arranging the flowers. Cut wire into 6-inch pieces. Poke the end of the wire through the base of the flower and through the center of the flower head until about one inch shows through the flower. Bend that tip like a candy cane and push it down into the flower to “lock” it in. Then, carefully wrap the wire below the flower around the stem. Take care not to pop off the flower head or break the stem.

Meanwhile, 2 “prep-people” removed all the foliage and thorns off the roses. At the same time, friend Tammy started playing with the bridesmaid bouquet concept based on what I knew the bride was dreaming of. We ended up with 8 roses first, then 7 Gerbera daisies framing the roses, then 5 Alstromeria, then 2-3 leatherleaf ferns holding up the bottom. Then the bouquet was wrapped with wire and taped. And I cut each stem while Tammy held it. We did this for all 7 bouquets. The bridal bouquet was more of a challenge because I knew the dreams were big – and included 3 picks: one was a white feather with dangling pearls, 2 wired with “jewels.” The final result was exactly what we were after – luxuriously large and pink with specks of white and the bejeweled feather! We estimated that we used about 60 stems in it! Each bouquet was “stored” in a vase filled with water.

While the bouquets were being made, boutonnière assembly was going strong. We took 2 bracts of fern, laid on a Gerbera Daisy, and then a sprig (or 2 or 3 depending on fullness) of Crepe Myrtle. The most challenging part was securing the tiny pieces with wire before wrapping the stems with tape. We left the stems about 2 inches long, but I went back the next morning and cut them all off to .75 – 1 inch and re-taped them. I also sent family out the next morning to a local florist to get 20 1.5 inch black-head boutonnière pins because I had forgotten to get them when gathering supplies and decided 1 inch was too short and 2 inches, too long. We put each boutonnière into an open container in the refrigerator as we completed it.

By 1:00 a.m., all of the bridal party bouquets were complete, most of the boutonnières were made, and Tammy left. I then made the tossing bouquet (a small version of the bridal bouquet – about the size of the attendant bouquets) and the 3 mother/grandmother bouquets (they each had a total of approximately 12 stems including ferns). We were all in bed by shortly after 2 a.m. (I think).

The next morning (well, later that morning when I arose!), I took each bouquet and carefully trimmed the ends so that they were even and flat across the bottom and tightly wrapped them with hot pink ribbon (1.5 inches wide, sheer, wired), folding a “hem” in the starting end and the finished end, and used 3 white pearl 2-inch floral pins in the bridesmaid bouquets and 4 in the bride’s bouquet. I then stuck them back in their individual vases, trying not to get the ribbon wet, but not succeeding and deciding that wet ribbons were okay. I “pinned” all the boutonnières once the pins arrived and put them back in the refrigerator. I arranged all the leftover flowers (there were probably 100 stems) in a large vase to either use in the reception or as replacements in the bouquets, whatever was needed.

Just before leaving for the wedding, I folded paper towels, put them in baggies (one per bouquet) and put enough water to thoroughly saturate the paper towel, then folded each baggie down at the top and carefully placed the bouquet on the paper towel before putting them in the coolers – Bob, Maggie and Laurel assisted with this. The tightness of the flowers in the bouquets made it so no further support was necessary. I did end up leaving the bride’s bouquet in its vase in the cooler with water because it would’ve been the most difficult to re-make should something unforeseen have happened.
The rest of the story – a new couple has been united in Christ as one and ALL the flowers held up beautifully!

Money Matters
100 stems hot pink roses - $116.18
100 stems hot pink gerbera daisies – $127.64
90 stems hot pink alstoermeria - $58.03
Sams Club Total (not including tax, S&H) = $301.85
Leatherleaf fern (25 stems), extra alstroemeria (25 stems), white chrystanthemums with green centers (20 stems) = $50
Tape, wire, rose de-thorners, bouquet pins (2 inches, pearl), boutonnière pins (1.5 inches, black) = $30.00
Grand total = $400

Photo Credits
Laurel Denham: Bride's bouquet, Bridesmaids bouquets, Maggie "testing" a bouquet
CapturedbyJen.com: the bride and groom holding "the bouquet!"

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Bread with Flax Seed

Another favorite - made a little healthier! Leeann tweaked a few of our ingredients and cut the calories and sodium in half - and we still love this bread! So here it is:

(Makes 8 1-inch servings at 145 calories each)

1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (heaping) whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons ground flax seed

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup Splenda
1/8 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
1 egg
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients, except Splenda. Set aside. In a second bowl (large enough for all ingredients), combine sugar, oil, water, eggs, and pumpkin, stirring well. Gradually add sifted ingredients until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into loaf pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (avoid sides to allow bread to rise). Bake 35 minutes. (If making muffins, bake 20 minutes.)

Strawberry Lemonade

Today Maggie made a personal favorite (that Leeann shared with her)... strawberry lemonade! It tasted great, with the perfect amount of sour and sweet. The measurements are unknown or else they would be posted, but there is a picture!

Kitties

The two cats, Nat and Ollie. They are the sweetest (and fattest) cats around! Ollie is the one with her legs spread apart and Nat is the one on the shelf with her eyes almost closed.

The Sled Liked It

As I am sure you have guessed, Maggie and Leeann like snow. However, with the area that we live in, it only comes rarely. Of the many things they do on a snow day, a few are... making snow cream (deliciously sweet, not much of a recipe: add milk, sugar, and vanilla flavoring to your snow), sledding (the purple sled in the video doesn't usually get to play in the snow, and as this was the most snow we've had in a while, the sled liked it and it drove me into the flowers), having snowball fights (AMBUSH!), and watching a movie (while eating snow cream and hot chocolate). All of these activities add up for a busy day. Too bad the snow is gone...

Super Bowl

As everyone knows, today is the Super Bowl. Maggie and Leeann are not really that into watching the game so, we just read and watch the commercials (and blog). Before the game, it is time for (drumroll) MEATBALLS! Actually, spaghetti and meatballs, but the main course and best tasting (according to Maggie) is the meatballs. Also it is the most time consuming and painful (due to the oil). Anyway, they were delicious and were perfect for the game.

Meatballs

1/2 lb turkey

1/2 lb beef

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp milk

2 L eggs, beaten

3/4 cup Parmesean

salt and pepper

minced garlic

1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 Tbsp dried Parsley

1. Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil into a pan on medium-high heat.

2. While the pan is heating (or before you turn it on) mix together all of the ingredients.

3. Once the pan is hot, add the meat in golfball sized balls - do not move them for around 3 minutes or until brown on the bottom.

4. Flip the meatballs and cook. Repeat until meatballs are thorloughly cooked.

5. If desired, (Maggie would rather have them plain or with IKEA cream and lingonberry sauce) add tomato sauce and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionaly.

You may eat your meatballs however you please, but if you do make them with tomato sauce, don't forget to cook some noodles, or else you would just have tomato meatballs and not spaghetti with meatballs.

Project

Yesterday, Maggie did the immpossible... a science project!!!!! Yes, she successfully made a car. It took a few minutes, but it is done! To Maggie, a science project is not a fun way to spend Saturday, so, after the finished product came, Maggie and Leeann started a blog. Yay!!! Fun Saturday!!! (Yes, this is a day late, sorry)

The Missing Piece

Since January was National Puzzle Month, we finally got going good with our first one in February and finished it off today. Well, as best we could. We were missing ONE piece (hint - top left: snow) ! I know. That's what I get for buying an opened puzzle at a thrift store. Regardless, it was fun and I assure you, that missing piece added numerous cells to our frustrated brains. The kitties (sisters Nat in the red chair and Ollie in the gold) are thrilled that we've found an activity to do in their favorite (the sunniest) room!

Muffins!

It's 7:15 and time to go to McDonald's for Daddy's daily visit when Maggie decides to break the trend and stay home to make:

Blueberry Muffins

1 cup frozen blueberries
1/8 cup plain wheat flour
1 cup plain wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. ground flax (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1 egg
1/2 tsp. pure Vanilla
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven 350 F. Grease muffin tins or use liners.
2. Sprinkle 1/8 cup flour over blueberries and stir to coat very thoroughly (the secret for floating blueberries is out!).
3. In small blow, whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, flax, and salt.
4. In large blow, mix together butter and sugar.
5. Add beaten egg and vanilla.
6. Stir in milk and flour. Mix well. Fold in berries.
7. Fill muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before eating. Have a glass of milk ready.

Thanks to Maggie (the lone baker for this endeavor) we got off to a perfect start for a 35 degree and rainy Saturday morning.

Maggie and Leeann