TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #59

Welcome to...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #59

So glad you stopped by! By the time you are reading this I'll be packing for Haven. My flight leaves tomorrow morning. Think of me and say a little prayer. I'm not the best flyer in the world!

I'm going to Haven with all of you in mind! I hope to come back with lots and lots of great ideas to share... especially DYI's!

Now let's see some of last week's creative entries...

A HAPPY SUMMER VIGNETTE

Of all the flowers... zinnias are the happiest! Colorful and easygoing, they love to congregate in bunches and spread their happy disposition everywhere!!!!

Don't they make you smile!  These cheery zinnias came from my garden to brighten up my kitchen table and your day...

NEW SOFA SLIPCOVERS...

This started out as a very sad saga... I bought a beautifully made sofa about three years ago. Chose the custom fabric carefully...and was thrilled when I first got it. But, over those three years I changed the decor and colors of the family room so much that I grew more and more unhappy with the piece!

The sofa itself is comfortable and large enough to stretch out on but it's color and pattern were NOT playing nicely with with rest of the room.

So I kept the sofa and changed it's look... with slipcovers! And what a change it was...

ON THE MENU MONDAY

We just got back from a fun trip to the Chesapeake Bay this weekend. I love getting away, but I really love coming home!

On the drive home I had time to think about what veggies I could use from the garden in this week's menu...

WELCOME TO STONEGABLE 2013 SUMMER SHOWCASE OF HOMES

Hello! I've been waiting for you all week!

I was thrilled to be asked to be part of

Summer 2103 Showcase Of Homes!

Grab a cup of whatever and a snack and settle in... lots and lots of pictures here!

Ready for a tour?

SUMMER 2013 SHOWCASE OF HOMES AND TTT

Before I begin... it's TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBIT day... click HERE to get inspired and share your creativity!

AND it's also

SUMMER 2013 SHOWCASE OF HOMES...

AND a peek at what I'm working when it's my turn tomorrow...

TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBITS #58

Welcome to...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #58

This is the place where you can share your creative ideas, tutorials, tips, recipes, crafts, makeovers, 

dyi's, projects... and any little tidbit you have going on!!!

I just want to remind you that this is called Tutorial, Tips and TIDBITS for a reason. I think that any little tidbit you have to share qualifies!

I'll show you... here are some great features from last week...

PAINTED CURTAINS DYI

In the story Alice in Wonderland, the Queen of Hearts, a very bossy and demanding woman, was ALL ABOUT the color red!!! 

She loved red so much that even the her white roses became red! She ordered her card-shark knaves to slap a coat of red paint on the snowy blooms in her royal garden!

As I was painting my curtains, the song "Painting The Roses Red" from the Disney movie Alice In Wonderland kept running through my head!

But here at StoneGable, the zippy little tune went something like this... 

"I'm painting the curtains white... I'm painting the curtains white... do-Do...do-Do...do-Do... do-Do...

I'm painting the curtains white!"

I'll show you how I did it...

PAINTED CURTAINS

Do you ever get an idea in your head and in the moment think it is just brilliant! But of course, you have not thought it through very well and have no back-up plan and have almost a compulsion to go ahead and do it anyway!!!

That's exactly what happened when I painted my family room curtains...

ON THE MENU MONDAY WEEK OF JULY 21, 2013 AND TOUR OF HOMES

The word for this week's menu is... TOMATOES!
THEY WILL BE SERVED WITH LUNCH AND DINNER EVERYDAY!

Oh, how I love tomatoes right from the garden! So, even though you don't see them on each day's menu... I'll be eating them EVERYDAY with lots of basil a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.

Here's what's ON THE MENU...

WHY IS THE BIBLE SO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND?

Let's get very practical today... and honest!
Have you ever said or thought, "Why is the bible so difficult to understand?"

As a bible teacher I hear this all the time! And let's be real...the bible IS often hard to understand and grasp!

Let's talk about that...

ADDING DETAIL... ONE LAYER AT A TIME

What's you favorite part of decorating? Conceptualizing a design, the hunt for the perfect pieces, choosing colors and fabric? Mine is adding details.

You could call me the embellishment queen. I love to take something and make it even better! Fussing and fluffing and adding layers of detail.

Here's the newest layer in the living room...

SUMMER'S BEST SALAD... IN A JAR!

When the temperature rises above 90 and the humidity is making the air thick with moisture, I'm in no mood to eat a big heavy meal!!!

That's when I turn to the garden and farmer's markets for delicious summer produce!!! A big yummy dinner salad is perfect in sweltering weather!

I'm making it extra tasty by putting it in a jar. We all know that any culinary creations taste better in a jar...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #57

Welcome to my home.... nay... not really!

How about... welcome to 

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #57

Let's start this party with a featured house tour...

AGING A MAP TUTORIAL

I have been looking for an antique map of Lancaster County to go above one of my guest room beds for over a year.

Easier said than done!!! So I decided to make my own...

This DYI took me into the wonderful and sticky word of Mod Podge! Can you believe I had never used the gooey stuff until now!

The map turned out even better than I expected! Here's a very detailed tutorial on AGING A MAP...

MAPPING THE WAY...HOME

I finally put a map over your bed.

 I know it isn't technically YOUR room anymore. Your room is a few hours away... in YOUR own home with YOUR own husband.

I just want the map to remind you that this will always be your home too... you and your husband's...

ON THE MENU MONDAY~ WEEK OF JULY 15, 2013

Our garden is producing overtime right now!!!

 The zucchini are always riotous this time of year... and can't be trusted! They look innocent and small and oh, so cute... and within a day look like baseball bats!

The cuke have decided to stretch beyond it's boundaries looking to be upward...and outwardly mobile by using it's wanton ways. It's pretty, flirty tendrils curl and swirl around the eggplants and brussels sprouts hugging those unsuspecting plants so tight... climbing right up and over them to claim more exalted garden territory! They are the most devious social climbers of all vegetables!

My tomatoes are making a pretty showing too... turning from green to red or yellow. I know they will be deliciously juicy!

The peppers, eggplants, celery, onions and leeks still have a bit to go... and when it's their turn will hopefully be as prolific as the rest of the garden.

Now here's what's on my summer menu...

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE~ STANDING STONES

When I think of Israel in the summer, the color of the land comes to mind. It is so different than the bucolic farmland where I live. I think of the color of a bone... a dried bone. 

Bleached by the sun and exposed. Beautiful in it's own way. 

Standing at Abraham's well in Beersheba (Be'er Sheva) overlooking a vast expanse of buff colored landscape with the thin rope of the King's Highway winding through it could almost take your breath away. Ancient and impressive and monochromatic.

In Israel one is either going up or down. It is not, for the most part, a flat country. Lots and lots of mountains and hills and valleys and boulders and rocks... all bleached by the summer sun...

GRILLED VEGETABLES WITH BALSAMIC DRESSING

If you make only one recipe I've shared all summer...

this is THE ONE!

 You will be sooooo glad you tried it and it will probably be one of your favorites!

Why can I make such a bold statement? Everyone loves these scrumptious veggies and asks me to make them! They are that good... and pretty simple too...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #56

Welcome to

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS # 56

No features today... I have a pinched nerve in my back... not pretty.

But let's not let that stop us from sharing our creativity...

ARE YOU READY FOR A HOUSE TOUR... OR 25?

Mark you calendars ... July 22nd through July 26th 

25 of our favorite blogger 
will be opening their homes for the

Summer 2013 Showcase Of Homes

That means visiting 5 fabulous homes a day!

Here's a peak at what you might see...

ON THE MENU MONDAY~ WEEK OF JULY 8, 2013

We are starting to harvest Early Girl tomatoes in our garden.  YIPPEE!!!!! I wait all year for summer tomatoes! There is nothing quite like them...  juicy and delicious and kissed-by-the-sun-good!

I get great satisfaction from a bowl of just picked tomatoes on my kitchen counter. It makes me feel like I am doing something so good for my family! If we were neighbors I'd bring some to your back door... with a couple of zucchini and a cucumber or two thrown in too!

This week I'm busy painting an O-L-D cabinet Napoleonic Blue and I'm finally starting to sew curtains for the living room and dining room... and other indoor activities. The oppressive heat and humidity have come to our neck of the woods and it is just too hot to go outdoors for any length of time... except to pick tomatoes and all the other veggies that are ready to harvest in my garden!

Now here's what's ON THE MENU...

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE~ JULY 7, 2013

The Book of John is about the ministry of Jesus the Christ... the Messiah...God among us... the ONE anointed by God to bring Salvation to the world.

I hope you find time to see this magnificent movie...

May you be greatly blessed!

BOOKSHELVES IN THE FAMILY ROOM

My family room is the hub of activity when our family is all together. It is not a fancy room or even a very well decorated room to tell the truth... and it's not very big either!

But it is a loved room that we used HARD!

Just today, as I am trying to take photos of the bookshelves (in the best light since this is the darkest part of the house) I had to maneuver around my girls stretching and doing yoga to warm up for an exercise class... my one son watching tennis... and Bobby sprawled out on the sofa drinking coffee...  all before 8:00 am!

SPICY BBQ OVEN RIBS

Oh YUMMY! I love ribs!!!

...their fall of the bone goodness and scrumptious BBQ flavor!

Did you know they are sooooo easy to make too? 

When my family gathers together this is our new favorite meal...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #55

Are you celebrating yet?  

I love the 4th Of July...

Red, white and blue and homemade pie...

Fireworks and sparklers and sprinklers...
Parades and picnics...

I hope today's

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS 

get you in a festive mood!

Here are some star-spangled features from last week's TTT...

SUMMER PILLOW LOVE

PILLOWS!  I have pillow love!!!

The symptoms of pillow love are easy to spot! I think I have an advanced case!

 I have a "pillow closet".... pillows need to be removed from every chair or sofa if you want to sit down in my house... I can hear the pillows calling to me as soon as I step foot into a HomeGoods or Pottery Barn...every piece of material, dish towel or napkin is eyed up and considered the makings of a new pillow...I have "show" pillows and "usable" pillows... and fluffing all the pillows around StoneGable an aerobic exercise!!

Yes... I have pillow love... big time!

Here's some summer pillow love...

NEW UPHOLSTERED BENCH REVEAL

Here we are... seven slow months into my dining room makeover! Today I'm sharing the most recent addition... the upholstered bench...

SAY GOODBYE TO GOOGLE READER... PLEASE SIGN UP FOR MY NEW NEWSLETTER!

Did you know that Google Reader is going away today!  I guess everything has a life cycle!

If you have been getting StoneGable post updates from Google Reader you will need to switch.

You can still stay updated with StoneGable news and new posts.  It's easy! Here's how...

ON THE MENU MONDAY~ FORTH OF JULY WEEK 2013

Happy 4th of July Week!!!!
There is lots of grilling on the menu at StoneGable this week... and garden fresh veggies too!

I'm always on the lookout for zucchini recipes that do not have the words "bread" or "cake" in them. I'm sharing two of my very favorite zuke recipes this week. YUMMY...