Steaming down here in Alabama

No, I’m not talking about the weather or my emotional state. I’m talking about furniture cleaning; more specifically, upholstery steaming.

Several of my recent furniture acquisitions had stains and general dinginess to the fabric (hence the low prices on them ;-) I knew a good cleaning would take care of most of it, so I rented a Rug Doctor at Home Depot with a gift card and went to town, taking care of some carpet and rugs in the meantime.

The most dramatic improvement was seen in this upholstered club chair and ottoman I just bought last week. I got it from a woman with two small kids and a cat, so it showed lots of grubby fingers, various beverage stains, pet hair, and the occasional marker and paint scribble. It took about two compete passes and a third spot treatment to get it decent-looking. I won't even tell you how dark and dirty the collected water was, but suffice it to say, I knew the machine was working!

I still plan to make fitted arm covers for the rolled arms, as they bore the brunt of the wear and tear, but that will just give me a chance to use some complimentary material in a fun and functional way (I went digging through my fabric closet and found a favorite print I bought almost a year ago; now I have the perfect use for it)! Here's the before and after Rug Doctor makeover.

Before
This lighting actually hides the worst of it!

After

Thanks to my darling Jeff for helping to haul this comfy chair upstairs to my sewing/sitting room!

Close-up

Here's the fabric for arm slipcovers; it's a tad less pink in real life, and the green couldn't be a better match!

A roof over our heads

The new roof is on! It isn't quite as dark as I would like, but Jeff made the insightful remark while we were considering shingle colors that a midtone would hide the plenitude of pine needles that reside on our roof for most of the year. Color is a secondary concern, anyhow; the best part is that it's new and clean and practically free!

We debated whether to upgrade to an architectural shingle (which adds such a great texture and dimension to an otherwise blank, nondescript plane), but we decided it wasn't worth it in an older neighborhood like ours given the relatively short time we will probably dwell here. We will see about painting the trim at a later date; again, something that probably isn't going to happen unless we're here longer than we think.

Before:

After:

Wheeling & Dealing

Craigslist (CL) has been very productive this past week; I sold three items and bought two!

In the spirit of living below our means while still decorating the new house, I’ve developed a system to obtain the furniture and housewares I desire. I can only buy with cash from my little envelope of budgeted funds, and those funds come from selling existing household items. Jeff started me out with a little seed money from the old kitchen appliances I posted on CL back in January, and I've been making deals ever since!

Over the years in Arkansas, I had collected some nice pieces that really suited the historic nature of that house. But not all of it fit or worked with our new home. So my rule is, I only sell items for at least what I paid (sometimes a good bit more ;-), and I use that money to buy a replacement. So far it has worked great! My favorite place to sell is CL, and I buy from CL, thrift stores, consignment shops, classified ads, etc.

I sold this antique couch and bought this leather sofa:

I sold this oriental rug and bought this 9' x 12' sisal one:

I sold this antique sofa (my first piece to reupholster) and bought these chairs:

I sold this canopy bed and bought this daybed:

I don't have a mattress and boxspring yet, but I do have the comforter!

The amazing thing is I have almost twice as much money in my envelope as I did when I started! Of course, it's usually because I fixed up the piece I sold in some way, so the extra money comes from labor and materials invested. But Jeff would call it a "value added process", so I still come out ahead. It's all part of the business analogy; my household goods are like stocks and bonds. I try to buy low and sell high, using and enjoying them in the interim. I'll just have to figure out how to report all this gain to the IRS!

Picnic in Pikeville

It's been a rather busy past week, and a super busy Monday already! I have a few post topics I need to complete and put up, so stay tuned!

We had a great weekend with a church picnic Sunday at Fall Creek Falls State Park near Pikeville, TN. The weather was just glorious; high 70's with just enough breeze and cloud cover to make all the running around comfortable. We hiked to the bottom of the falls, enjoying some amazing views along the way and at the bottom before beginning the climb back to the top. A delicious potluck picnic and some softball filled the rest of the day before the long drive home.

Fall Creek Falls

Foyer Flourishes

Before (in the foyer)

After (in the foyer)

I think I have the finishing touch for the foyer. It may actually be the first room to be completely “done”. I’m sure I’ll continue to tweak things here and there as no room looks lived in and used if it remains static, but for the moment I’m happy with all the details (but I would like a few more plants, if I can get the light they need). The grasscloth wallcovering was a fun homage to the 70's decade of the house; I'm glad I only attempted an accent wall, as it is a bit tricky to hang! The terra cotta fountain is suppose to be an outdoor garden accent, but I like how it ties in the flagstone floor and the trio of vases we bought in Peru.

The missing element was the candles. I bought the chunky floor candle holders on eBay, but always felt they needed something. They were originally a shabby chic distressed look, which was pretty but not to my taste. I painted them a custom color (adapted from SW Moody Blue), the same paint I used on the picture mats for the sketches we bought in Cartegena. The smaller framed photos are all travel pictures we or fellow travelers have taken on various South American visits; I turned some to sepia and framed them in black frames with white mats from Wal-Mart.

Today I popped into a discount variety store on a whim and scored some hand-poured vanilla pillar candles for $1.99 each. They're just the proportion I've been hunting for to cap off the corners. The only thing that remains is to strip the carpet off the stairs and refinish the tread and risers, but that's technically in the stairwell and not the foyer, so I think I can still call the foyer finished!

Before (from the front steps)


After (from the front door)


Before (looking towards Jeff's office)


After
(the wall color is a little off in this photo)


During (view of stairs looking toward family room; I had begun scrapping the popcorn ceiling)


After

Clearance Cache

While on a morning run to Lowes for some home improvement supplies to complete the day's projects, I popped into the garden center to check on any seasonal clearance items. Imagine my delight to discover that they were having a yellow tag "distressed plant" sale. Not just one or two different types, but many varieties all through the outdoor department were marked down to only a few dollars.

We had come in the car, not the truck, but our Dodge Neon has transported wingback chairs, step ladders, multiple bolts of fabric, and just about anything else we stuff in it. So we filled two carts, checked out, and found we had still a bit more room in the car, so I went back again for a few more! Now I have hostas, hydrangeas, mandevilla, day lillies ($.50 each!), ferns, perennial grasses, and some miscellaneous shade plants, all awaiting a new home. Most of the plants are still quite perky and hardly look "distressed", but with some TLC, I'm sure the few fatigued ones will do their part to beautify the landscape soon.

Odyssey into Space Art

Huntsville Skyline

In honor of NASA's 50th anniversary, the Smithsonian Institute put together a national tour titled NASA ART 50 Years of Exploration. It is currently on exhibit at our Huntsville Museum of Art, so Jeff and I took one last afternoon off (before he begins teaching classes next week) to go see it this past Tuesday.

We accidentally wandered into the last exhibit hall first and were initially rather disappointed. It was all very modern and "forward thinking", but not exactly to our taste. It didn't seem to be art that took much talent, just an odd way of thinking on the part of the artist (and the viewer, for that matter). But we quickly realized where the beginning was and found some great works we really enjoyed.

NASA had commissioned established and renowned talent from the very start of the space program to document its progress with fine art. The art was grouped in exhibit halls by the stages of the NASA program; first Mercury, then Gemini, Apollo, the Space Shuttles, etc. We had started in the more futuristic Mars exhibit that looked forward to the NASA missions to come; hence the less concrete, more abstract works. But we loved the acrylics, watercolors, pen sketches, and oil pieces in the exhibits from the 60's and 70's.

My favorites were several of Paul Calle's works. Here is a photo of one of the actual canvases we saw, The Power to Go; in person, the texture and colors are amazing. You can almost feel the heat and energy. Jeff remarked how well the artist had superimposed the color variations of an intense flame, with the white-hot heat in the center and the darkening glow on the perimeter. It was even more personal to realize this was an interpretation of the 7.5 million pounds of thrust produced by the Saturn V rocket, the very same rocket model I drive by in Huntsville on a regular basis.

Paul Calle's "The Power to Go"

Jeff was drawn to a lesser-known Norman Rockwell work called Behind Apollo 11. The bright, talented faces looking upward are so reminiscent of a time when the whole world watched in anticipation of our success. I love that Rockwell included the wives and launch pad workers, who surely worked as tirelessly behind the scenes as the more prominent scientists and administrators did in the public eye.

Norman Rockwell's "Behind Apollo 11"

All in all, it was a fantastic exhibit, so please be sure to visit if it stops at a museum near you!

Silver Sleuth

I’m always drawn to wonderful tablescapes and elegantly attired dinner tables, so for that enjoyment I have acquired various tablecloths, napkins, napkin rings, fine and everyday china and glasses, etc. But fabrics get stained and dirty and china and glassware get broken. So, given that Jeff is a metallurgist and fond of all things metallic, one penchant of mine that he thoroughly endorses is silverware. It isn’t easily damaged, tarnish is simply an interesting chemical reaction (he does study corrosion, after all), and it has intrinsic value beyond its pretty appearance.

I have been collecting three sets of "good" silver; one purchased and two gifted. Until now, I had only identified the first set because it was useful to know the pattern name as I scoured eBay and antique stores for additional pieces. The other two came in more complete sets, so I never bothered to research them. Well, thanks to the instantaneous information available via the Internet, I now have names and dates for the other patterns!

Community Silver Louis XVI

The first set that I’ve been piecing together is Community Silver Louis XVI, dating from 1911. It has some of the most unique, food-specific pieces like a serrated grapefruit spoon, a seafood fork, and the original “spork”, the ice cream fork. I love the baby spoon (at the top of the above picture); it was to be used with a "food pusher", the most rudimentary of implements, but specifically designed for toddlers! I’m currently on the lookout for the demitasse spoon, the tiniest of intricately engraved stirrers for the itty-bitty espresso cups. We rarely drink coffee, but I’m sure I can find a use for such cuteness!

WM. Rogers & Son IS Burgundy

The second set Jeff surprised me with out of the blue for no particular occasion. I was glad to finally find the name and date for it. It is WM. Rogers and Son International Silver in the Burgundy (aka Champaign) pattern from 1934. All the pieces in my set are monogrammed with a lovely scrolled “R”, so we tell guests it stands for “Royalty”! I love that this set bears the mark of someone else who used it well and then passed it on for others to enjoy. Everytime I get it out, I think of the mysterious “R” family who might be glad to know that we are cherishing a set they spent the time and money to select and monogram. (They must have been Southern; who else would need individual long-handled iced tea spoons!)

Old ad for silverware with Betty Crocker coupons
(My Enchantment set is second from the left)

The last silver pattern is more modern but has a great story. It was given to us by Jeff’s mom Fay. Her mother had bought the set through Betty Crocker after saving up coupon points, a very popular incentive program of the day. Jeff’s Grandma Talbert saved the set for Fay’s wedding trousseau, who then passed it down to us one Thanksgiving a few years ago. (I found this great article on NPR about the Betty Crocker program and how it was such a part of people’s lives). I was so excited to find the pattern name, Enchantment (aka Gentle Rose), which is from the 1960’s. It suits our retro 70’s house so well, I’ve been using it a lot lately for less formal company dinners. We have little that is inherited or passed down from family, so this set is unique and very much cherished because of the personal and broader historical significance.

Escape Artist

Da Vinci surveys the neighborhood from "his" upstairs bedroom window

I guess we should have named him Houdini instead of Da Vinci. Our dog has managed to escape multiple times in the last week or two, despite our best efforts. He is, in general, a very well behaved housedog. And he has the useful habit of being rather skittish and timid of odd things like papers lying on the floor and cardboard boxes. So we had erected a very flimsy temporary fence of chicken wire and wooden stakes around the backyard when we moved in over a year ago.

This was quite sufficient to keep Da Vinci in, although any other dog of his size and agility could have easily dug, pushed, jumped, or otherwise managed a way out. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that, while rooting around after smells and odors only appealing to a dog, Da Vinci seems to have accidentally dislodged a stake out of the ground and toppled a small section of fencing. He trotted right over it and romped the neighborhood for a while before we caught him. After that, he went looking for exits and found them at every turn.

We staked, tied, wired, and blocked each spot he found and tried to keep a step ahead of him, looking for any loose areas. But chicken wire is no match for a determined dog who has now had a taste of freedom. He never roams far and always comes back after about 20-30 minutes, but leash laws and general safety concerns still make this a problem. On weekends or long days away, we’ve been accustomed to leaving him outside with access to the sunroom and backyard, but that’s not a good option now. We had planned to take our time and build a nice picket fence one of these days, but now that day is here!

Requested Recipes

I've had a few recipes requests, so I thought it would be easier to post them here. I'm still working on the beginner artisan bread recipe, as I may need to photograph the steps.

The cranberry pumpkin bread is wonderful year-round, but especially in the fall. It makes great muffins or mini loaves for gifts. You can substitute applesauce for up to half of the oil, if you want a lower fat version. I like to sprinkle a little coarse turbinado sugar on top of the batter before it goes in the oven for a lovely, decorative finish. The barbecue sauce is a modified version of my mom's recipe. I love that it doesn't use ketchup, which has so much corn syrup and artificial ingredients. It's quite mild as written, but you can increase the cayenne or add Tabasco for more heat.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp cinnamon**
¾ tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
2 cups raw sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup coconut milk (or water)
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture alternately with coconut milk or water. Stir in cranberries and divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool; for best flavor, make one day ahead and let rest overnight before serving.

*If you don’t have pastry flour, use white wheat flour or half all purpose and half wheat.
**You can substitute 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice for the various individual spices listed if you prefer.

Super Simple Barbecue Sauce

1 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
8 oz tomato sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp mild molasses
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
pinch of cayenne (optional)

Heat oil in medium saucepan. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens (about 10 minutes). Sauce can be cooled and stored to brush on grilled meats; or, add 2 cups cooked, shredded beef or chicken directly to the pot and heat through to serve on buns for a quick meal.

Berry Bliss

I made a fruit coulis today to go with dessert for company this coming Sunday. We had Jeff's colleagues over for dinner last Sunday and I made a lemon chiffon cake served with homemade almond and honey ice cream (courtesy of one of the professors). Although we had seven people, we only ate half the cake, so I froze the remaining half. This way, I can serve it again this week and Jeff and I don't end up eating more dessert than is good for us! The cake might be a tad dry after thawing, so I made the coulis to moisten it up and vary the taste a bit. I've made this coulis many times with raspberries, blackberries, and other fruit, but this was the first time with blueberries.

Just a funny note in the "what a small world" vein; the company coming Sunday is a couple we met in our ballroom dance class. We had chatted on many subjects and enjoyed talking, so we invited them to dinner. It turns out they own the berry farm where I picked these very blueberries (see earlier post)! I asked to make sure they weren't sick of blueberries already, but they've barely had time to eat any of their own, so this dessert should go over well, I hope.

Sarah's Very Berry Coulis

10-12 oz fresh or frozen berries
2-4 Tbsp raw sugar
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1-2 tsp cornstarch
splash of liqueur (optional)

In a small saucepan, heat berries, sugar, and zest, stirring frequently, until berries pop and give their juice (about 3-5 minutes). Mix cornstarch with lemon juice and stir in over simmering heat. Continue to stir, adjusting thickness to desired consistency with additional water or cornstarch slurry. Remove from heat and add a splash of liqueur (I use Gran Gala, but brandy or anything on hand is fine; balsamic vinegar is also very nice, if you prefer non-alcoholic). Stir well, then pour into a glass jar and cool slightly before refrigerating. Or serve warm over pancakes, waffles, etc.

Yard Work

I spent the better part of this morning clearing out the overgrown areas at the back of our yard and around the house. We have tons of shade along the perimeter from the large Fraser's Photinia planted around as a hedge row. They give great privacy, but between them and pine trees, it's a sunless forest back there of disintegrating pine needles, scrubby plants, and rotting broken limbs.

Someone planted rose bushes all around the yard at some point, but they never received enough sun. So instead of rambling roses, all we have is very long, very sharp vines tangled into the bushes and trees. Add several untrimmed holly bushes, and I began to know what Prince Charming felt like trying to storm Sleeping Beauty's overgrown castle. I got scratched, poked, sweaty, blistered, and bitten! I had mosquito repellent on, but I could kill three or four pests at a time on each leg. I only hope I managed to avoid the poison ivy (not being a Southern girl, I have a hard time differentiating it from any other three-leaved plant).

After all the pruning, I dragged the refuse to the front yard. I'm thankful our city has a fantastic public works department. They pick up large yard waste once a week in a bucket truck, chip it up, and then provide free mulch to residents. So, come this fall, I can go get a truck bed full of recycled limbs to properly landscape my woodland wonderland!

We went to the botanical gardens last week and I got some great ideas for shade gardens. Once I get the groundwork laid, I hope to be out planting hostas, Solomon's Seal, ferns, vinca, bleeding heart, coral bells, and a whole host of shade loving beauties.

Limbs piled up on the curb until tomorrow

Literature Layout

Today was my day to tackle the mounting pile of magazines. I try not to let it get excessively out of hand, or the task of sorting and storing individually by title and date appears too time consuming and thus doesn’t happen.

My system for magazines is storing two each back to back in clear plastic sleeve protectors bound into 3 ring binders. It works well for me, but it can be a bit of work. It all started because I bought a big box of 10 or 12 3” binders at a little junk shop for just a few bucks, so it was cheaper than buying the standard magazine holders. During our first (and only, so far) visit to IKEA, I found a flat pack of sturdy cardboard magazine holders for less than $1 a piece. They’re great for lighter weight items like newspapers, but I think a year’s worth of magazines would be too top heavy.

I built a (yet unpainted) shelf across the closet in Jeff's office, so the binders and magazine holders go up on the shelf and books go on the bookcase. Letters, articles, pamphlets, and other small items go in labeled manila folders in the desk file drawer. Sometimes I think there has to be a better way! I would love to hear how some of you organize and/or store your newspapers, magazines, booklets, etc.