Garbage Can Storage Table

One inconvenience of living in an old house is the absence of storage space.  People of the past built small closets because they used armoires and chests to store their belongings. They also had much less stuff.  Not true for us today, right?

This is a picture of 2 of our closet doors, with a bathroom door in the center.  Not much storage, but really cool doors.

Over the years I have needed more space to store toys, linens, fabric, holiday decorations, etc., and didn't have the funds to buy big armoires.  Here is a fun idea I saw on a TV program that has given me storage right out in the open, unknown to all except my family.  It is cute, inexpensive, and can easily be changed with the seasons or as a child changes their room decor.

Find a storage container that suits a space in your home. Pay attention to the bottom to anticipate how it will work on your floor.  Is it rounded and will be tippy on your heavily padded floor, etc.?  What you put inside the container will weight it down, but you may have trouble putting a lamp on top of a can filled only with stuffed animals on a super padded carpet.  I'm using a large Rubbermaid trash can, as the height is great for a bed side table.  For this can, I carefully cut off the handles using a utility knife.

Purchase a glass tabletop that is large enough to sit on top of the can.  I see these at garage sales all the time and pick them up for $1-2.  If you are making this for a child to store their toys, I would skip the glass top.

Draw around the glass on a piece of wood.  Again, if this is for a child, be sure to choose wood that will not splinter or scrape their hands.  The board I'm picturing is particle board, which is cheap, but would not be good for a child's room.  Ask a wood working friend to cut out the disk for you, or girls - get your power tools on!  Be sure to sand the edges, if they are rough.

Then fill up the container, top it with the wooden disk, and cover it with a table cloth.  Instant decor!  You can even store stuff right in the middle of the room if this makes you happy.

Since you may not have a tablecloth that fits your new table perfectly, I will teach you how to make one in a few days.  In the meantime, consider looking at sheets for decor ideas. Sheets are much wider than fabric and make great tablecloths, because you do not have to piece them.  We'll talk about all that later.

Would you make one of these for your home?  I'd really love to see what you come up with!

Thanks for stopping by, and if you lift the skirt on one of the round tables in my house, yep, there's a trash can. Ssssshhhh!  Our little secret.

Ellie

Wall Heater Junk to Jewels Remake

I've shared with you in the past that I live in a house built in 1929.  To see some pictures of my old house, go here.  Living in a house from the 20's is actually really lovely.  There is so much charm and beautiful detail.  I love it!

However when you live in a house this old, you do have to make decisions about the functional workings of the house. Heating systems, water systems, kitchen appliances, windows, etc., all need to be evaluated for their efficiency and whether they can even be maintained.  While it may not make sense to continue to use a particular item, the character of it would be missed.

A perfect example is this old wall heater in my lavender bathroom.  It was still functional when we moved in, but I'm not crazy about the smell of natural gas that seeps from these old units.  My father-in-law disconnected them all for me.  Despite that, the outer casing of the heater was beautiful, and I did not want to remove it.  I mean, who else can boast of having a lavender porcelain heater?  

The tiles and inner workings of the unit were not so pretty, though.  The metal had oxidized and that part was quite ugly.  I decided the shape and box of the heater could still be useful in a bathroom and might be a convenient place to keep reading materials. So, I detached the heater from the wall and removed all of the ugly parts.  I did put them in a box to keep in case we, or another homeowner, decide to hook the heater back up.

It's fun to open up an old house and get a peek at how it was made.  What you are seeing in this picture is the backside of a plaster wall.  The plaster was floated over the boards, called lathe, and the oozing helps secure the plaster to the walls.  Unfortunately, this system is not ideal for hanging pictures; can you see why?  

Edward is always anxious to peek around as he is sure we will find the original family's silver or jewels!  All we've found thus far is a lot of plaster rubble and some very unhappy spiders.

Once the heater was taken apart, I cleaned everything really well.  I then spray painted the inside metal box with Krylon's Satin Ivory.  It's funny how this ivory matches the yellow in my bathroom much better than any yellow paint.  The rest was just reattaching the box to the wall, and the outer casing to the box.

It looked like it needed a little something more, so I printed an antique French advertisement on some clear overhead projector vinyl and attached it with a small magnet.  You know how I love to change my mind, and I wasn't committed enough to paint it.  I found the graphic on The Graphics Fairy's blog. You can find her button on the right side of my blog.  I might still look for something like an old, ladies magazine cover, but for now I really like the advertisement.

I know it's kind of crazy, but isn't it fun?  I think it's a great way to upcycle a beautiful old relic into something quite useful.  What other ideas do you have for how I can use it?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll lock the door and grab some bubbles.  I have about 3 hours of reading to catch up on!

Thanks for stopping by.  I really love you guys, do you know that?

Ellie

Thinking Outside the Box #3 - Curtain Hardware

Curtains and the hardware necessary to hang them are a great place to think outside the box.  Hardware can add up very quickly, plus you're pretty limited on styles.  Rods are not such a big deal, because they are covered up for the most part, but I often find myself wishing for something a little more personal when it comes to finials and brackets.

Christmas ornaments, on the other hand, come in so many interesting shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. That, I can get really excited about!  Since many of them are designed to compliment a home's decor, they are perfect to consider for curtain accessories.  As a bonus they are lightweight, which is great for your walls, and you can get them for pennies after the holidays.  Whoo-hoo!

Look how beautiful this mercury glass ornament is as a finial.  

To attach this to the rod, I removed the ring from the top of the ornament.  Then using double threaded screws from Lowes, I screwed one end into my curtain rod.  You may need pliers to do this.  I then used some E6000 glue on the end of the rod around the screw, and then screwed my ornament onto the remaining exposed threads.  I let the glue set up overnight and now have a gorgeous glass finial.  Be sure to have your curtain or rings already on the rod if they will not fit over the finials.  

This next finial was a cheap plastic ornament that was painted and foiled a shiny gold.  I think the cheap plastic actually worked in my favor for holding spray paint.  If it appears too shiny, you might rough up the surface some, but I've never had any trouble with the paint peeling.  Just wash it with soap and water, first, and make sure it is thoroughly dry.

Again, I removed the ribbon and ring on the top of the ornament.  I then cut a piece of dowel and glued the ornament onto the end using gorilla glue.

In this case, my rod is nothing more than a long piece of electrical conduit, cut to fit my window.  I washed, then painted it using Rub-N-Buff paint.  I just squeezed some into my palm and ran my hand up and down the conduit.  Yes, it was quite messy, but worth it to get the results I was after.  It does wear off a little over time, but it is just a thin line on the top where the rings slide.  It is very easy to touch-up.

I then simply slid the dowel into the conduit and now have an interesting finial in the color of my choice.  OK, it is not really the color of my choice right now, as I have changed my mind.  But it will be as soon as I decide whether I want black, brown, or white hardware in the garden room.

What's so fun about this is how you begin to look at all kinds of trinkets, fake fruit, toys, ornaments, garden decorations - everything - and picture what you could use them for.  Ah, who wants to buy hardware that looks like everyone elses?  Not me!

Is this something you would do?  Let me know!  

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

This is a hook from Hobby Lobby that works great as a rod holder.

Blender Salsa

Do you make your own fresh salsa?  It is very easy, especially if you use a blender to chop your veggies.

Ingredients:


A Blender Full of Tomatoes, quartered
     Romas are a good choice
1-3 Jalapenos, seeded and quartered
1 Clove Garlic
1/3 Small Onion
1/2 Cup Cilantro Leaves
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 tsp. Salt

Pulse the tomatoes in the blender until chopped.  Depending on the efficiency of your blender, you may be able to do them all at once or in smaller batches.  Pour into your serving bowl and set aside.

Next, add the onion, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and about 5 Tbs. of juice from the tomatoes to the blender. Blend on a medium to high speed until the garlic, cilantro, and jalapenos appear to be finely chopped.  Taste a small amount of this blend to check if the jalapenos are hot enough.  Add more if necessary.  (The heat of the jalapeno is in the seeds; you might just add some seeds back to this blend.) 

Scrape this blend into the bowl of chopped tomatoes and stir. Shortly before serving, add salt to taste.  If you feel the salsa is too juicy, you can drain it, or you may wish to chop your tomatoes by hand.  We usually eat it as is.

I took these pictures the other day, but typing this recipe has made me crave this salsa, so.......I think I'll see ya later.   A hot salsa date is calling my name; I'm heading to the kitchen to make some more.

Thanks for stopping by,


Ellie  

Howell's Tree Farm, Dried Florals & Greenhouse

Yesterday I teased you with pictures of a beautiful farm I've been visiting. The farm is called Howell's Tree Farm, Dried Florals & Greenhouse, and it is located in Cumming Iowa, just minutes south of Des Moines. It is absolutely one of my favorite places in the entire world.

Although the locals call it a tree farm, because they raise and sell Christmas trees, it is really so much more.  If you would like to learn about all they have to offer, check out their websites here and  here.

The reason this is one of my favorite places on earth, however, is because they grow fields and fields of flowers. Oh be still my beating heart!  I absolutely adore flowers of all kinds, and a place that grows fields of them is a place I want to be.

After the flowers bloom they are harvested, dried and then displayed in the attic of the old barn.  

Each time I visit the farm, I am carried away by magic as I climb the old stairs into the attic.  The smells, sounds, and sights of the barn attic almost make me believe I'm entering into a fairy tale.  It is truly a place of enchantment for me.

Ropes covered with bunches of flowers hang from the rafters of the old barn.

I think this is my dream home!

If you are ever in central Iowa, you must stop and experience the flowers of Howell's Tree Farm, Dried Florals & Greenhouse.

 Thanks for stopping by the farm with me,

Ellie

One of My Favorite Places on Earth!

Uh-oh!  I've missed posting a few times lately, but I've truly had a good reason.  You see, a very dear aunt of mine decided to make a quick trip to my sister's house.  While my sister lives 565 miles away from me, that's still much closer than my aunt's house.  I just could not miss out on seeing her.

Near my sister's house is a farm which happens to be one of my favorite places on earth.

Oh, what bliss it has been to visit here!  There is green stuff growing everywhere, unlike in our drought stricken Oklahoma.

Any idea where I could be?

Come back tomorrow and I'll share with you more about this incredible farm.  I love it so much here!

To my Oklahoma friends, I hope I will be back soon.  However, this is summer the way summer is supposed to be and I'm just not sure I can do 112F degrees anymore.  I'll do my best to bring lovely summer back with me.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie

Flautas

A dish called flautas, hands down, is the favorite Mexican food of my family.  My father especially loved them, and it was a pleasure to prepare them each time he came for a visit.

I learned to make this recipe from a Mexican-American family in Las Cruces, NM.  We were there to attend the wedding of the family's daughter.  It took many hands to prepare enough flautas for the wedding feast, but how lucky for me because I learned to make them from the masters.  This wedding was one of the funnest experiences of my life, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the different layers of the celebration. 

This authentic recipe requires a little bit of work.  However, I've  included a simplified version in case you want to experience the flavor with less effort.  The simplified version is also lighter in carbs and calories.  I know you're going to love flautas if you try them.

Ingredients for 10-12 Flautas:

1 pound Ground Beef or Turkey

1 Clove Garlic

3/4 tsp. Salt

12 Corn Tortillas, soft

Oil for frying

Using a garlic press, press the clove of garlic into the ground meat.  Add the salt, then mix well by hand.  Set aside.

Heat a small frying pan until hot, then add about 1 Tbs. oil to the pan.  When the oil is heated, soften each corn tortilla by cooking about 5 seconds on each side.  Add more oil as necessary.  Stack the tortillas on a plate and allow to cool enough to handle.

Shape the ground meat into a thin log about 1/2" in diameter and as long as the diameter of the tortilla.  With the meat positioned on the edge of the tortilla, roll the tortilla around the meat.  Stack on a plate with the seam side down.

Heat 1/3"-1/2" oil in a flat pan.  When the oil is showing some waviness, carefully place the flautas 1/2" apart in the pan with the seam down.  Fry on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the side frying in the oil turns golden and crispy.  Roll the flautas 1/4 turn, and repeat.  Do this until all sides are crispy and golden.  Be prepared for splattering.

Remove the flautas from the oil and drain on paper towels. 

Flautas by themselves are not so exciting.  It is flautas served with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and cheddar cheese that makes the dish amazing.  For an attractive presentation, serve two flautas with these four toppings layered on top.  My family layers the toppings on our individual plates and dollops some on each bite as we eat the flauta.

Easier option; similar taste:

To make this dish quicker, healthier, and with less clean-up, shape the ground meat into small meatballs, then flatten very thin. Cook the little patties for 2-4 minutes on each side, or just until the meat is cooked.  Serve with thick tortilla corn chips and top as you would the flautas above.

Flautas are so delicious!  Muy, muy, bueno!  I hope you will try them the next time you are hungering for Mexican food with very authentic flavor.

Thanks for stopping by,


Ellie