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Sep 30, 2012

That’s A Wrap!

Do you ever have an image in your head of a specific product, and you can’t find anything like it in a store? No? Well I do. Drives me nuts. Don’t know why I just can’t be like everyone else and do things the easy way! In preparing to wrap a gift for a bridal shower today, I knew I wanted to go with an old-fashioned look for the package. I tried to find wrapping paper that would fit the bill, but nothing even came close to the look I was going for. Since I couldn’t find the right paper, with little time to spare, I decided to create my own. Quick, cheap and easy. (I’m sure there is a joke in there somewhere…) Grabbed a roll of kraft paper (made from 100% recycled materials-yay!)

a pre-cut stencil

and some brown acrylic paint.

Rolled out and cut the right amount of paper to cover the gift. Placing the stencil in a repeat pattern all over the paper, I applied the paint with a piece of sponge, with a light touch because I wanted a more faded, aged look.

Once complete, I allowed it to dry- almost instantly- then wrapped the package. For the ribbon I used some jute.

And created the bow with a touch of blue hemp, because the bride-to-be really likes that color combo.

For the tag, I made a little chalkboard sign that she can re-use. (Instructions to follow soon…)

Finished! A gift with my own personal stamp. (Sorry, not a great pic, but you get the idea, right?)

This was a weekend jam-packed with family and friends and loads of fun, with a wedding and a wedding shower on the calendar. Whew! Hope you had a fun weekend too! Monday, Monday… Susan

Filed Under: Color Class · Tagged: AC Moore, bow, hemp, jute, kraft paper, stencil, wedding shower

Sep 28, 2012

My Desktop Cookbook

By countrydesignhome · Leave a Comment

Can you believe it’s Friday already?!! The summer flew by, and we are well into fall and then (dread) winter. With the holidays fast approaching, my thoughts are already turning to yummy delicious recipes that I’ll be serving for dinners and parties. Over the years, I have accumulated stacks of cookbooks and printed recipes, some well-loved and worn, most of which now sit idly in my kitchen cupboard.

Although I still enjoy thumbing through hard copies for inspiration, when I need a favorite recipe at my fingertips, I turn to my Desktop Cookbook

on my Ipad, this week’s High Five For Friday! Feature.

This FREE! app allows me to search for, save, share and print recipes, my own best-loved, and the millions more being added from every cooking source imaginable. Once you download or input a recipe, you save it into a category along with any additional information including the recipe’s origin, how many it feeds, the best wine pairing.

So, so many times I have stopped at the grocery to grab a couple of ingredients for a recipe, without, of course, a shopping list in hand. I just open the app on my phone, look up the recipe and go. Or, I bring a goodie to work (hello, cookie swap!) and everyone asks for the recipe. Just open up the online cookbook and print the requested recipe. A second High Five goes to the Chef Sleeve. The sleeve is a sheer plastic sheet that slides over my Ipad to keep my greasy fingers and messy splatters off the screen, while allowing full touch screen control. Cooking session ended, sleeve tossed, sparkling Ipad. Brilliant! Now, since I do have my cookbook open, I figured I would share one of my favorite fall recipes: Apple-icious Streusal Cake. This cake is so moist and absolutely delicious, is a perfect dessert with ice cream or a treat with my morning coffee. You can use any type of apples- how many bushels have you picked so far this fall?! Just make sure you peel ’em!

I guarantee this cake will become a family favorite! If you have any questions about the recipe, you know where to find me- in the kitchen, on my Ipad, gathering recipes for the holidays. Unless I am out shopping for shoes for the next fabulous wedding we are attending this weekend. Blog to follow. Susan

Filed Under: Cookin' Up Country, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Apple, Chef Sleeve, Desktop Cookbook, holiday recipes, Ipad

Sep 26, 2012

Sweet Switzerland

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

On this week’s episode of Wanderlust Wednesday:

A couple of summers ago, when Coach and I were headed to Italy for a family vacation, we decided to take the “long way” and fly to Amsterdam, followed by a train trip to Zurich

and then another train ride through the Alps to Milan, Italy.

Coach and I are often the topic of our friends’ travel jokes, as many of our trips are truly on planes, trains and automobiles and well, boats. The plus side? You use frequent flyer miles so it’s cheap and you get to see more stuff. The down side? A quick trip across the pond can turn into a mecca. C’est La Vie. Sometimes you just have to sit back and enjoy the view.

The movie Heidi, starring Shirley Temple, was a favorite when I was young, and Switzerland was definitely on our bucket list, so a stop there made perfect sense. And so, although we only stayed one day and night, we had a chance to tour the beautiful city of Zurich. The city streets were lined with colorful buildings,

Swiss flags in full display

and even an occasional cow on a condo balcony. (I have no explanation for this)

Zurich is a city that is, in reality, as breathtaking as the postcards and travel posters would have you believe.

Our hotel, the Schweizerhof, was situated directly across from the train station, which made for easy transport of our luggage. Oh, wait, that’s right, the airline LOST our luggage in Amsterdam, so we arrived with only carryon bags in tow. I spent the entire day fretting about how I was going to have to go shopping to replace everything I had packed for our Tuscan vacation. Do you have any idea how expensive Switzerland is?!?So while I obsessed, we strolled through the city, from our lovely hotel at one end, to stunning Lake Zurich at the other. The shopping and tourist district flanks both sides of the Limmat River that flows through the center of Zurich.

Coach and I stopped for lunch at the outdoor Cafe Odeon. Apparently many famous personalities have graced the patios of this eating establishment, including Albert Einstein, James Joyce and Mussolini (I guess that explains the great train system). I am going to assume that most were smart enough not to order this gigantic Bagel Bacon Cheeseburger that Coach did. Gross.

When I think Swiss, I think of two things: watches

and of course, Swiss chocolate. Seriously!?! Have you ever seen a more exquisite candy storefront than this?

Rows upon rows of chocolate-dipped fruits and cookies enticed shoppers to come in for a tasty sampling.

As the day turned to dusk, the buildings along the river glowed in the evening sunset.

Coach and I retreated to our hotel, only to discover that our luggage had not yet been found. Until 2AM. Knock on the door. Luggage outside. Yay! In the morning we took our trains to Florence, Italy, where we picked up our car to head to San Giminano. All of a sudden, Coach reaches into the pocket of his shorts and pulls out this GIANT 3# metal key fob from our Zurich Hotel!! Room 522. Yikes!

A great (unintended) souvenir of our stay in sweet Switzerland. If anyone is heading to Zurich, let me know. I’ll give you the key to return it. In the meantime, always remember to find joy in your journey, no matter how long it may take. Susan

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: chocolate, Europe, Lake Zurich, Limmat RIver, Rolex, Switzerland, Zurich

Sep 25, 2012

“Fall”ing for Vintage Flair

By countrydesignhome · 15 Comments

Taking advantage of another gorgeous fall Sunday, Coach and I headed back to the Vintage Bazaar at Pettengill Farm in Salisbury, Mass. If you recall, we visited back in the spring, and instantly fell for the vibe of this rustic country bazaar. If you love re-furbished antiques and junque, like these adorable re-purposed suitcases from Yellow Chair Market from Melrose, Ma.

or this stunningly colorful repurposed silver-turned-enamelware by BMc Vintage Design Studio)

or just taking in a quintessentially New England fall fair, this is a go-to destination! I love the sights and sounds of a fall country fair featuring live music, local foods and hundreds of shoppers happily strolling though the fields filled with imaginative offerings. Where else could you find life-sized pumpkin people

or perfectly pretty hand-crafted ceramic teacups and plates from Elizabeth Benotti

and funky furniture from her sister from My Simple Home Life who Renovates, Revamps and Remakes castoffs?

We discovered unique shelving and benches created from old wooden palettes,

all-natural, deliciously flavored goat milk soap from Magic Moon Soapworks (great for the complexion, I am told)

and spectacular re-purposed glass flowers spilling out of a garden pot from Creative Glass Works? Creative Glass Works Boston On our previous visit, we had discovered the work of Jess from Jwrobel, an artisan who re-cycles time-worn pieces into new treasures. Loving this bench re-purposed from an old headboard.

The folks from a new vintage shop in Newburyport called Ivy Lane

were introducing an eco-friendly line of yummy paints and waxes from CeCe Caldwell. Even the quart containers are bio-degradable! Can’t wait to try these on my next D.I.M. project!

This time around, the fair was sharing their grounds with a vintage motorcyle show. This sparkling aqua Harley-Davidson was a show-stopper.

Can you imagine me out and about on this so pretty pink Vespa?!?

The vendor was trying desperately to entice me to purchase one (for a mere $4,000!), and I was strangely drawn to this PINK bike, until she mentioned the hot pink matching helmet. Yeah, my hair and helmets, not so much. Just a bad hair day waiting to happen. Move on.

Pettengill Farm, “a flower farm of distinction” that hosts this bi-annual vintage bazaar is a charming family-owned endeavor, with just the right touches of vintage and modern scattered throughout the property. These “cat shovels” were cute (I cheer whenever I see something that may have ended in a land-fill being repurposed into something fun and decorative) This recycled ostrich sculpture is fun- I think he would have looked great in Coach’s garden!

Kept spotting these peacefully charming fish sculptures scattered throughout the gardens

so I floated on over to “Fish in the Garden“. These life-like creatures are created from ceramic and stainless steel, and they curve in a way that mimics a school of fish. Lovely. Peaceful.

Along the way we ran into some local friends who had read my previous June blog about the Vintage Bazaar and decided to check out the fair for themselves. They were having a great time, with grandchildren in tow wearing crazy balloon animal hats. Happy to discover that my blog is reaching and informing my readers, and that helps to reinforce the small part I play in the blogging world. Have a terrific Tuesday everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Inspiration, Outdoor Adventures · Tagged: BMc Vintage Design Studio, CeCe Caldwell, Elizabeth Benotti, Fish In The Garden, Ivy Lane, Magic Moon Soapworks, Pettengill Farm, Vintage Bazaar, Yellow Chair Market

Sep 19, 2012

Essential Estonia

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When we first saw Tallin, Estonia listed on our itinerary for last summer’s Baltic Sea Princess Cruise, I thought “Hey, isn’t Estonia that fake country that was in “The Princess Diaries!?” (actually, that was Genovia). Having never even heard of it, we really didn’t know what to expect until we approached the docks, spying the ancient towers of the town of the capital city of Tallin in the distance. Once inside the walled city

we were instantly transported back in time, surrounded by great stone churches including St. Olav’s Church– and yes, we did climb all the way to the top of the tower!

Climbing that narrow stone stairways was most definitely not for the faint of heart…but well worth the trip- what a view from the top!!)

360 degrees of spectacular sights greeted us

from the docks to the city center (thankfully there was a grill at the very top, so no chance of toppling out!)

We strolled through the walled city

taking in all the sights, including the chunky tower know affectionately as Fat Margaret – can you see where she gets her name?and the bustling Town Hall Square filled with shops and tourists alike.

The stunningly colorful architecture gives you the illusion of being on some medieval movie set,

I think Shrek and donkey may have gotten lost …

Although the official languages are Estonian and Russian, most of the vendors and townspeople spoke English, so it was quite easy to navigate our way around through the city, shop the local artisans

and dine in the famous Olde Hansa.

Our lunch at Olde Hansa was one of the highlights of the day, sitting in the brilliant sunshine, enjoying the local cuisine. Although we passed on the Wild Boar and Rabbit Roast, we did enjoy a platter of oven-baked cheeses and herb beer. We tried to buy these amazing mugs at the restaurant shop, but they were not for sale!

If anyone knows a potter who could replicate these, let me know- they were fantastic!! What we did purchase was this hand-wrought, iron and copper candle lantern that now hangs proudly in our kitchen.

The salesclerk literally took it down from the wall and wrapped it up, screws and all, for us to take home. Try explaining that bundle to airport security. So another great stop on our Baltic Sea tour, Estonia definitely being one of the highlights of our trip. And that’s no bull!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday… Susan

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: Baltic Sea, Estonia, Fat Margaret, medieval, Princess Cruise, Russia, St. Olav's Church, Tallinn, walled city

Sep 14, 2012

country.style.love

By countrydesignhome · Leave a Comment

Since my decorating point of view is simply country style, I am always drawn to interiors and products that help me create that look. I realize that many folks appreciate, but don’t necessarily decorate with that homespun, down-home casual look, but I believe that one “countrified” piece can fit into any room, into any decorating scheme. It is all about blending and mixing pieces to come up with the perfect eclectic design for you; a style that stands the test of time. More importantly, a style that makes your house your home, whether it’s Refined Rustic

Country Pretty

or Mid-Century “Mad Men”.

Each week, on Features Friday, I am hoping to share a couple of items/ideas/recipes: anything that might inspire you to add a touch of country to your space! I will provide you with links to the sources we have used and the products that we love. First up: Lt. Willard Moses Lighting from The Great Windsor Chair Company. Located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Great Windsor Chairs sells a huge selection of country-style farm tables, chairs, clocks and lighting. When Coach and I were remodeling our kitchen, we needed the perfect chandelier, as it is the focal point and centerpiece of our space. We found and purchased this one online, hoping that the quality and style were right for our room, since we had never seen this brand in a local store.

Hanging from the vaulted ceiling, it instantly conveys that “country” feeling we were looking for, and it provides elegant ambiant lighting. LOVE. Another company, Urban Chandy, creates these uniquely rustic chandeliers from re-claimed lumber and vintage-look bulbs. Fabulous! These rustic pieces would work just as well in a country setting as in an urban, modern design. You can shop their stylish lighting on Etsy.com

If you have something to share, whether it’s a recipe, furniture source or design idea, I would love to share with my Country Design readers! Send a photo along with the link and information to countrydesignhome@gmail.com. T.G.I.F. everyone!!! Susan

Filed Under: Inspiration, My Little Red House ·

Sep 13, 2012

“Dude, Where’s My Hammer?!?”

By countrydesignhome · Leave a Comment

Since my last blog, I have had a bit of wrist re-furbishing, and typing left-handed is proving to be quite slow and tedious. So in the interest of my patience and sanity, the next few blogs (until the cast comes off) will be short, sweet and photo heavy. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Since my D.I.M. capabilities are severely limited at the moment, I am going to share a few recent projects that you might like to try. Since Coach and I are forever working on some home-and-barn improvement project, tools and supplies are constantly being moved around. It seems like whenever it’s time to hang a picture or sand a piece of furniture, the necessary tools are nowhere to be found. SO FRUSTRATING!!! How many of you out there in cyberspace have a junk drawer? Well, we do, and its so stuffed with junk I usually can’t find anything!

So, rather than going out and purchasing a fancy tool chest, I found some old plastic bins kicking around in the basement, and decided to use them to create my Home Improvement Command Center– HICC for short.

In each labeled drawer there are the tools specific for that task. Stick: glue, duct tape, masking tape- anything that sticks-get it?

Cut and Scrape: razor cutters, blades, paint scrapers, chisels.

Screw and Drill: drivers, electric and manual, phillips head and flat head, along with the many drill bits we have purchased over the years because we couldn’t find the right one when we needed it.

Hang: for pictures, curtains, rods (well, the rods don’t actually fit in these bins, but are you getting the hang of this?!?)

There are many more, including POUND, WRENCH&PLY and BRUSH- all pretty self-explanatory. Right after I completed this project, Coach came to me and said “Hey, I was looking for a hammer and found it right away- in the pound drawer!” HICC complete. Mission accomplished. Now if we can just remember to put them back! Have an inspiringly organized day! Susan

Filed Under: My Little Red House · Tagged: drills, home improvement, screwdrivers, tools

Sep 11, 2012

Back to Brimfield

By countrydesignhome · 2 Comments

Over the weekend, Coach and I made another road trip back to the Brimfield Antiques Show to see what we had missed the first time around! Many of my favorite vendors were there, like “My Sister’s Garages”, but there were many new vendors (or perhaps just new to us-that place is just so huge you could easily walk right past some great stuff!). Since my decorating point of view is “country” style, my eye is always drawn to vintage and rustic, which is more popular than ever. Creating lights out of anything but lamps is definitely trending in design. If there was a grate or a pulley or a pipe or basket

someone attached a bulb and a cord and lit up the joint.

Thomas Edison would have been proud. And although he did not hold the patent for the moonshine still, he may have enjoyed a shot or two from this beauty! Since it was the third and final day of the fair, the owner was trying to “move it” and was willing to part with it for $2500! I can see it now…The Red Barn Distillery…

Tin alphabet letetrs. Didn’t know what letter to buy, so didn’t buy any! Regretting that decision.

In a nod to Halloween, piles of tin pumpkins in a patch. Cute.

The Textile Trunk tent was filled with “antique and vintage European textiles”. I don’t know about you, but me in a fabric shop is like a kid in a candy store. (well, I like candy too, but vintage fabric is just so yummy, and better for the waistline).

There are always hand-made tables and benches for sale. I love these old farm trolleys turned coffee table. But it took 4 big guys to put one on the back of a pick up truck! How the heck would we get it into the house?!?

Loads of vintage tin buckets and pail being re-puposed into clocks, benches

and roosters- where would you put this larger-than- life-sized bird in your yard?!?

Coach and I have been to the fair a number of times, and have never ventured inside this tent. The Pandora de Balthazar is all about European Luxury Bedding, and luxurious it was! White, pressed, polished, love. Sooo country pretty.

Coach, being a coach and all, is always looking for sports paraphenalia. He spotted this rack with dozens of vintage baseball bats. Curious, not to purchase, but to assess the worth of his own Roberto Clemente signature bat.

After three+ hours of meandering through the rows of tents, we overheard the chatter on radios and walkie talkies of an impending severe storm and a possible tornado! Coach was none-too-happy about missing the entire second half of the fair, but let’s be honest, where does one seek shelter from a twister in a sea of white pop-up tents?!?

Time to head back to the car for the long drive home. Next time we will start on the opposite side of the street. I have this little sign hanging in my daughter’s childhood bedroom. Great advice.

So Coach and I stopped at several little church and yard sales on our drive to Brimfield. And, although I didn’t find any treasures at the big fair, I picked up this lovely white soup tureen for $3

and this precious tea table for $8! This one’s gonna need some of the 3 R’s…but I guess you could say we found a litte joy- and it was cheap!

Hope you find joy in your journey today! Susan

Filed Under: Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Brimfield, country decor, rustic, Textiles Trunk, tin, vintage linens

Sep 6, 2012

Coffee, Tea or Free?

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Another trash to treasure redo for the 3R’s: Recycle, Refurbish, Relove! At a not-so-recent yard sale, Coach and I came across this coffee table…

it was a little yellowed, scuffed and dinged, but I knew it was the perfect shape and size for my family room. The cost? It was a free “throw-in” because Coach was buying a “new” set of golf clubs, since the set he previously owned could have been used in the filming of “The Greatest Game Ever Played”.

So for $80, he got a nice set of clubs with a bag and I got the table! We lived with it for awhile until I figured out how best to refurbish it. That was the before, this is the after:

Here is how I did it. Coach lightly sanded the whole thing, I added the dark blue paint coat to the base- this is the color you want to see when the crackling does its magic.

I wanted the top to remain a natural wood finish so I left that alone. This is the crackling medium from Plaid Enterprises. You can get it very cheaply at any local craft store. A little goes a very long way.

This is a liquid you apply wherever you want the topcoat to “crackle” to show the undercoat paint color. I applied it sparingly, to give the piece a more natural cracked finish. Paint the surface with crackling medium. Allow to dry. Paint over that with your top color.

Be careful to only brush in one direction. Do not go back over where you previously brushed as it will smear the crackled look!

Alow to dry. I added a coat of water-based matte polyurethane prior to brushing on the antiquing glaze, since I didn’t want the finish to be too dark. The poly blocks the glazing from being absorbed too deeply into the painted surfaces. This is the glaze I use, but you can also use any clear glaze with your color mixed in for a custom look.

Working in small sections, brush glaze on

then wipe off, leaving as much or as little as you like. (make sure you use gloves- this stuff stains-well, because it is stain!!)

At this point, I glazed the top as well, since I wanted it to be a bit deeper and richer color than the original unvarnished look. Allow to dry.

Final step. Annie Sloan soft paste wax. Available in light and dark finishes. I probably could have skipped the glazing part if I had used the dark.

I had been hearing a lot about this product, and I was anxious to try it out. Very smooth application, you literally smear it on in a smooth coat (I left it lumpy here to illustrate, but you need to make it smooth) with a soft cloth…

allow to dry, then buff it off.

What a finish! Glowing and warm. Kind of like a freshly polished and buffed pair of old leather shoes. So country pretty. Family room table project complete. Total cost? Coffee table: free! Glazing: was $10 but it was from the Whale Table Project, and I only used a tiny amount, so lets say $1.00. Wax: $28.00, but only used 1/4 of the can, so $7.00 for that. Paints, brushes and water based poly are all stuff I had on hand from many previous projects, so we will say $2 tops for all. Total cost? $10.00!

Do you have a project you have been working on, and need some help with the finished look? Send questions or photos my way @ countrydesignhome@gmail.com. Can’t wait to get out to Brimfield for some new 3R’s projects!! Susan

Filed Under: My Little Red House · Tagged: Annie Sloan, coffee table, country interior design, glazing, Plaid Enterprises, refurbish, Rustoleum

Sep 5, 2012

Crafts from the Castle(berry)

By countrydesignhome · Leave a Comment

It’s Wanderlust Wednesday, and this week we stayed close to home! During the last official weekend of summer, it was essential to get outside and enjoy the glorious New England weather. We ventured down to the Topsfield Fairgrounds

for the Castleberry Fair. Now, anyone from the New England area knows of the Topsfield Fair, the oldest country fair in the US, dating back to 1818. For 10 days every fall, these fairgrounds are home to carnival rides, livestock of all shapes and sizes and farmers vying for the grand prize in the Giant Pumkin Contest. These would make quite some Jack-O-Lanterns!

This weekend’s Castleberry Fair was a smaller sampling, with pop-up tents set amongst the (now empty) livestock and harvest barns. With handcrafted goods of all kinds, food trucks and a little country music, the fair was a nice way to spend a couple of hours in the warm afternoon sunshine. Whenever I attend these events, I always try to find something new, something out of the ordinary, something that you would not see at your local retailer. Todays finds included: Sue Handman Collage Art. A unique collection of hand-decorated clothing and bags.

With loads of cute quotes and vintage photos printed on fabric for a one-of-a-kind look.

Lovely. Felted. Feathered. Flowered hats from Blue Moon Design Studios of Wethersfield, Conn.

Docksmith Shop creates these organic docking stations for anything “i”- phones, pads or pods. Made from driftwood and rootwood, they are perfect for an eclectic, natural decor. Their slogan: ::plug into something real:: LOVE.

Hebert Honey David J. Hebert, from Oxford, Mass. offers a wide range of products that are 100% natural and organic.

You had me at Alpaca. This adorable face drew me into the booth of Clark Summit Alpacas from Deering New Hampshire.

The lovely Kari Lewis, co-owner, shared her story of the farm and its origins. They breed the alpacas for sale (check out their “alpacas to love” link, or to harvest their soft, luscious wool that is spun into skeins of yarn. From this wool they create stunning shawls, clothing and home accessories. Do you think Coach might consider adding an alpaca for the barn workshop?!

We’ve seen lots of alphabet photgraphy, framed into words, but these from Creative Letter Art are in a class of their own. Original, artistic, colorful photos are presented in specific genres: neon, beachy, architecture, musical. You can order your words directly from the website. This 3D wire mesh sculpture art from Peter Robinson-Smith was dramatic and eye-catching.