Favorite summer recipes

I don't know what it's like in your neck of the woods, but here in North Carolina it's HOT! So I thought I'd share a few of my favorite hot-weather recipes.

First up is my restaurant-quality bruschetta. This is excellent made with grocery store tomatoes, and in a few weeks it will be even better made with homegrown tomatoes. The secret is using lots of fresh basil. Yum!

If you're in the mood for Mexican food rather than Italian, I highly recommend this recipe for fresh salsa. It's simple to make and absolutely delicious.

I love to bake, but right now I don't want to heat up the house. But sometimes I want a special dessert, and one of my absolute favorites is a homemade cookies and cream ice cream. I've been making this since I was in college, and we called it "Oreo Cream Delight." It's simple to make and I promise you it's better than any cookies and cream ice cream you can buy.

Sometimes we make a variation of this delicious dessert by using peanut butter sandwich cookies instead of Oreos. It's divine!

I hope these simple recipes will give you some fresh and cool ideas during these hot days! Do you have any favorite things to make in the summertime? I'd love to hear about them!

Creating a beautiful bedroom on a small budget

When I needed to furnish the guest room at our mountain condo, my budget wasn't so much "small" as it was non-existent. I chose to purchase a new mattress and box springs, and that purchase meant that there was very little left over for other furniture and accessories. But I'm really pleased with how the room turned out.

The key to the room was a serendipitous find at my local fabric store: a beautiful, upholstery weight decorator fabric on sale for $5.00 per yard. I'm a sucker for houndstooth and I liked the colors, so I scooped up five yards.

Making a simple upholstered headboard is a really easy DIY project. For my queen-sized bed, I bought a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood (less than $20) at my local Home Depot store. Since a queen-size bed is 60" wide, I had a kind employee cut the 8' side of the plywood down to 61 inches. That way the headboard would be just slightly wider than the bed.

When I got home, I used a dinner plate as a pattern to mark off a curve in the top two corners of the plywood.

Then I hot-glued an old mattress topper to the plywood to form a padded back. As you can see, my piece of foam didn't cover the entire piece of plywood, but that doesn't matter; the unpadded part will be at the bottom of the headboard. I cut the sides of the foam topper to fit the plywood using an electric knife.

Then I laid a piece of my fabric down on the ground, placed the foam side of the plywood on top, and pulled the fabric taut around all sides, using a staple gun to secure the fabric to the back of the plywood. See this post for detailed instructions. The cording around the perimeter of the headboard is made from an inexpensive fabric that I bought to coordinate with the houndstooth.

The headboard isn't attached to anything. The weight of the bed holds it in place against the wall. Since the plywood goes all the way to the floor, you could certainly screw the bedframe to the headboard if you like.

After making the headboard, I still had a good bit of fabric left over, so I made a few other accessories for the room.

I found a spray paint to match the houndstooth fabric (Secluded Garden by Valspar). I spray painted an old chair I had stashed in my attic, then recovered the seat. Since I already had the chair and the fabric, all I had to buy was a couple of cans of spray paint.

I found matching nightstands for just a few dollars at a local consignment store. They were nice cherry tables, but their tops were damaged (hence the small price tag), so I spray-painted them with Restoleum's Heirloom White and then lightly distressed them.

I found two matching metal lamps at TJMaxx for about $20 each. I didn't like the metal, but I liked the price, so I spray painted them with the Valspar Secluded Garden as well.

I found a cute little table at the same consignment store for $50. I thought it would make a good dressing table, and I found a stool on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond that was just the right height to slide under the table. The taupe upholstery on the stool wasn't very pretty, but it was a good match for my houndstooth fabric, so I just hot-glued a strip of my houndstooth fabric around the base of the stool. I folded and pressed the fabric to be the right size, hot glued it in place at the top, used a staple gun to fasten the fabric securely underneath, then stapled on a bit of cording I had left over from the headboard project. I also sprayed the legs with the Valspar Secluded Garden. Now it's a sassy little perch, I think.

And I like the way it looks with the table:

The mirror shows the artwork I found for the room: six vintage-looking bird prints I ordered from Decor Steals. Have you ever ordered from DecorSteals.com? If you register for an account, they'll send daily emails with decor items for sale. I like the fact that shipping is always $5.00. (No affiliation; I just like the service!) You could achieve the same look with free printables or pages from a vintage book. But I was glad to find this set, since the prints were already framed and ready to go. And I used my own picture-hanging tip to hang these so they never get knocked askew.

The last two touches are the most expensive and cheapest parts of the decor. I had enough fabric left over to make a custom dust ruffle to match the headboard, but I knew that this project was beyond my meager sewing skills. So I had a local shop make it for me, using a wide band of the same fabric that the cording around the headboard is made from.

I paid over $100 for the bedskirt, but I think it was worth the cost for the level of detail it adds.

And the decorative pillows cost me nothing, so that helps to make up for the cost of the bedskirt.

I used some fabric from my stash to make the simple knife-edge pillows for the bed (tutorial here), then I used the last of the teal fabric to make a new-sew bolster pillow (tutorial here). The bedspread, by the way, was once a king-size coverlet. It had shrunk so badly that it could never again be used on a king-sized bed, but I liked the coverlet so much I kept it. I washed it in hot water and dried in on high heat to get it to shrink a bit more, and now it's a great size for this queen-size bed!

I'm tickled with the way this room turned out, and all the guests who have stayed in it have commented on what a lovely retreat it is. Isn't it nice that with some ingenuity and a few hours' time, you can create a beautiful space on a small budget?

I'm joining these parties:

Project Inspired at The How-To Home
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Favorite baked goods for Fall

It's finally Autumn in North Carolina! Can I get a "hallelujah"? I know that some of y'all have been enjoying Fall for awhile now, but our summer just hung on and on this year. And then of course Hurricane Matthew hit and made things interesting, but not fallish.

Well. Now. We're finally enjoying cooler temperatures, which have me in the mood to do some baking! Look what I made this weekend:

Aren't those the most beautiful muffins you've ever seen? One of my birthday gifts was a bag full of pumpkin goodies, and the Nordic Ware pan was my favorite thing. Click here for the recipe I used to make the pumpkin muffins--absolutely delicious!

In case you're in the mood for some Autumn baking, I want to share my favorite recipes for this time of year.

First is my pumpkin bread. I promise it's the very best I've ever tasted--and in 53 years, I've tasted a lot.

For a little sweeter treat, try this pumpkin cake. With its decadent cream cheese frosting, it's always a hit.

Apples are plentiful and delicious this time of year. There are lots of great apple pie recipes, but here's one for apple cake. It's amazing!

And if you want a scrumptious accompaniment to any of these baked goods but don't want to make frosting, try this cream cheese glaze. It's a breeze to whip up in the food processor--quick and simple and so tasty.

These recipes have stood the test of time and lots of taste-testing in our family. I hope you love them as much as we do!

Do you have a favorite Fall baked good? Please share!

Joining Thoughts of Home on Thursday

Super-easy DIY placemats

If you're like me, you like to set a pretty table for holiday meals such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, but you don't necessarily own enough tableware for large gatherings.  I have plenty of china, but I seem to own placemats only in sets of eight.

When I happened upon this product in the wedding supply section of Walmart, inspiration struck.  It cost $5.00 a roll.



I measured one of my placemats and decided on a width of 19" per mat.  Then I simply cut the runner (it's so easy to cut straight across burlap!)



and fringed both sides.  (Just pull out however many strings you like to form a fringe; I pulled five strings on each end).

Voilà!  Instant placemat!


Now I can set a pretty table for four or fourteen!



I got a great idea for setting a table for lots of people when I was privileged to attend a bloggers' luncheon at the beautiful home of Shirley of Housepitality Designs.  To accommodate more people at the table, she turned her placemats lengthwise and let the ends dangle off the table.  Isn't that brilliant?  This would work easily with my burlap placemats.

Do you have any tips for setting a pretty table?  I'd love to hear them!

I'm joining these parties:
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Brag-Worthy Thursday at Bless 'Er House
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch
Share It One More Time at The Everyday Home

Create a welcoming garage entrance

One of the things I most like to do in my home is to create a feeling of welcome.  I especially enjoy making the front porch say "Welcome!" to everyone who visits here.

Unfortunately, those of us who live here seldom use the front door.  We enter through the garage door, which greeted us with dingy paint and not much else.  So I decided to do something about that.

Of course, I knew that whatever I did needed to be extremely practical.  This is not the spot for decor that can get in the way when we're bringing in bags of groceries!

I started by putting a fresh coat of white paint on the door and giving the steps a good scrubbing.  I also bought a plain coir mat for the foot of the steps.

Then I used my word processing software to create lettering for the front door.  I simply printed off the words I wanted it in the fonts I liked, flipped the pieces of paper over, scribbled on the back of the lettering with a lead pencil, and then taped the papers to the door and traced the outline of the words onto the door.  (Click here to read all about that process.)  Here's how the lettering appeared on the door:



If I had a craft cutter, I would have cut vinyl letters for the door.  Or I could have ordered custom vinyl lettering.  But I like this process because it allows me to choose any fonts I like and to print them in any size I like--the options are endless!--and it's free!

I'm afraid that I'm not very good with a small paintbrush, so I colored in the letters with a black Sharpie marker.

Then to give the steps a little pizazz, I found a tan craft paint that was about the color of the coir mat I'd purchased.  I painted a "runner" on the steps with the tan paint (the dark brown on the sides is the original color of the steps).  I used three of the tiny bottles of craft paint, which was my only expenditure for this project other than the coir mat.  When the tan was completely dry, I used painter's tape to mark off 1 1/2 stripes on each side of the tan runner and painted those with black craft paint. This process was painstaking but easy.  Here's a close-up:

Since I had simply painted the steps with craft paint, I figured it wouldn't be very durable.  So when the paint was completely dry, I sprayed the steps with clear urethane.  

It's not perfect, as you can plainly see, but it doesn't have to be perfect to be great, does it?  Here are the steps with the coir mat in place:

The mat is great for wiping our feet, and I love the way our humble steps look with their painted runner!  

Now when we get out of our cars to come inside the house, here's our entrance:

Not bad for less than $20 and a few hours' work, I think.  Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home!

Do you do anything to make your garage door a welcoming entrance?  I'd love to hear!

I'm joining these parties:

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Your Turn to Shine at Bless 'Er House

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

How to prepare your home for guests

If you're like me, you're preparing to host guests during the upcoming holidays.  And you'd truly like to be a gracious host.

This year will mark the 30th Thanksgiving and Christmas my husband and I have celebrated in our own home.  "Home" for us has ranged from a 500-square-foot apartment in married students' housing to our current large house.  Over the years I've learned that the welcome I provide my guests is much more important than the fanciness of the space.

The goal of hospitality is not to pamper our guests; it's to make them feel welcome.  So don't be intimidated by the idea of trying to create a guest space that's comparable to a four-star hotel. Instead, try to anticipate your guests' needs and try to make them feel at home.



Here are some simple tips for preparing your home for guests.

Make sure the bed(s) are comfortable.  The best way to do this is to spend a night in the guest bed!  I did this and learned that my guest beds weren't quite supportive enough.  I remedied that situation by placing a sheet of plywood underneath each mattress, then added a foam topper to each bed.

I like twin beds in a guest room, which makes the space more versatile.  I've found that most married couples don't mind sleeping in twin beds for a night or two, and this way the space can easily accommodate others.

Be sure that your bed linens are nice and clean.  Since some guests suffer from allergies, don't use heavily-scented detergents or fabric softeners when laundering linens.  Instead, add some white vinegar to the rinse water.  Don't forget to launder or dry clean blankets, bedspreads, comforters, and pillows as needed.

If space allows, keep extra sheets, blankets, and pillows in the guest room.  Mine are on the top shelf of the closet.

While the linens are off the bed, take the opportunity to dust and vacuum the guest room thoroughly. Take a good look at the carpet or rug while you're vacuuming to see if steam cleaning is needed.



If your guest bed needs a headboard, you can easily and inexpensively make an upholstered one!  All you need is a piece of plywood, some foam, fabric, and a staple gun.  Click here for a simple tutorial. And if you're in need of a night stand, consider any piece of furniture you might be able to re-invent. The nightstand in this room was a small chest from Bombay--remember that store?  I painted it with homemade chalk paint, and now it has a new life!

Supply the guest room with a spot for guests to place their luggage and room to unpack their clothes. Guest closets often provide necessary storage space in homes, but be sure there is ample space for guests to hang clothes.  Provide plenty of nice hangers and an ironing board and iron if possible.

Provide several sources of light, including a lamp by the bed.  You may also want to provide a night light which guests can unplug if it's not needed.

Since most guests will come with electronic devices, it's a good idea to provide a surge protector for them to use to charge their devices. (You might want to provide one that includes USB ports; I like this one.)

Now for the guest bathroom.  If you're very fortunate, you have a bathroom attached to the guests' sleeping space.  If not, be sure that your guests know which bathroom to use and be certain that the path to the bathroom isn't blocked in any way.  If the bathroom is down the hall, you may want to place a night light in the hallway.

Scrub the bathroom thoroughly.  If needed, wash the rugs.  Check the shower curtain liner and wash or replace if necessary.

Double-check the sink and bathtub/shower drains.  If they're running slow, use a drain opener to get them cleaned out.  Alternatively, pour some full-strength bleach down the drains, followed by the hottest water your tap will produce.  Or to clean your drains more gently, pour some baking soda followed by white vinegar into the drains, then flush with hot water.

Stock the bathroom with plenty of fluffy towels and washcloths.  Towels needn't be expensive, just thick and thirsty.  Taking a cue from luxury hotels, I prefer white towels, which are easy to keep clean and stain-free and work well with any decor. (My local Sam's Club has wonderful fluffy towels for just a few dollars each.)  Be sure to provide lots of wash cloths, which you can buy inexpensively in bulk packages.  If you don't have a bathroom attached to your guests' bedroom, simply place a stack of neatly folded towels and washcloths in their sleeping space.

I had some some hand towels monogrammed for the guest bathroom;
don't they look pretty hanging with the fluffy white guest towels?

In addition to towels, stock the bathroom with toiletries your guests might need, such as:

• hand soap
• bath soap (a new full-size bar)
• shampoo
• conditioner
• lotion
• toothpaste
• toothbrushes
• dental floss
• disposable cups
• cotton balls
• Q-Tips
• disposable razors
• shaving cream
• feminine hygiene products
• hair dryer  

Be sure there's plenty of toilet paper close at hand.  Also, consider keeping a plunger and a package of disinfecting wipes in the guest bathroom.  Many houses now have water-saving toilets, which can easily be clogged; most guests would prefer to remedy that situation quickly and without having to bother the host.  In the same vein, keep a package of light bulbs handy.

Provide at least one mirror outside the bathroom.  A full-length mirror is ideal.  Be sure the mirror is close to an electrical outlet.

Once all those things are done, think about the little things guests might need while they're in your home.  Gather those items and make a welcome basket.  Here's mine:



My welcome basket contains:

• bottles of water
• snacks
• first aid items (band-aids in various sizes, alcohol wipes, instant cold pack)
• OTC pain medications (acetaminophen and ibuprofen)
• small sewing kit
• scissors
• tube of lip balm
• lint roller
• box of tissues
• extension cord (use a t.p. roll covered in pretty paper to corral the cord)
• phone charger
• small flashlight
• candle
• matches

You might also want to include a key to your house so that guests can come and go as they please.

I printed a Welcome Card with pertinent information about our home, including our wifi password, home phone number, street address, nearest cross street, and the code for our alarm system. Here's a blank form that you could customize and print with your own information:

You may also want to provide some reading material, such as a Bible, a devotional book, and current magazines.  If little children are visiting, provide some story books. Just before guests arrive, place some fresh flowers in the guest space.  Avoid flowers with a strong fragrance, such as lilies, hyacinths, and amaryllis.   (For tips on arranging your own flowers, click here.)

However grand or simple your space, your guests are sure to appreciate your hospitality if it's offered with grace and love. Click here if you'd like a full tour of my guest room. Now tell me, how do you prepare your home for guests?  Do you have any other tips to share?

I'm joining these wonderful parties:

The Scoop

Inspire Me Monday

Tutorials and Tips

Inspire Me Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday

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