ON THE MENU MONDAY~ WEEK OF AUGUST 6, 2012

Let's talk food....If you have found ON THE MENU MONDAY you can't say you don't know what to cook for any and all occasions! There are so many talented cooks and enthusiastic foodies that participate each week. Some of my favorite recipes come from bloggers that are great home cooks!

This week I am trying three different recipes from blogging friends. Greek Orzo Salad from Alison at THE POLOHOUSE, Chicken With Garlic Wine from Mary at ONE PERFECT BITE and Pork Medallions With Sage Mustard Sauce from Pat at  PAT'S PINK APRON. 

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE~ August 5, 2012

I recently did a survey on facebook for a speaking engagement in September and asked...

WHAT ARE 3 SMALL THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO NOW THAT WOULD MAKE A BIG POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE?

Last week we discussed the number two answer... being more thankful. Being thankful in all circumstances... finding God's grace and blessings,  in every situation.

This week let's look at the number one answer... and it is no surprise...

FLUFFING... The Guest Room Bed

When the white cotton duvet cover arrived at my front door, I knew that dressing the bed was FINALLY  done! 

The Gable Guest Bedroom is a little jewel-of-a-room! It's vaulted ceilings and big gable window contrasts with its smallish size and interesting angles to make a very cozy, cocoon-of-a-bedroom.

All of the furniture in this bedroom is antique or vintage.. collected over years and years.. and my very favorite piece is this big, real-deal iron bed. 

The trick was to dress the bed to enhance it's ornate style WITHOUT having it look  Victorian or fussy...

FABULOUS FOODIE FAKE OUTS ~ PUFF PASTRY STICKY BUNS

Do you love the idea of eating hot sticky buns... right out of the oven... your OWN oven? Warm and gooey and delicious?
Me too... but they are just too much work... until now!

I found a scrumptious recipe for yummy sticky buns without all the work! That's right...no yeast dough...no kneeding... no rising... no punching down... no rolling... nothing time consuming! This recipe is a real impostor... a delicious fake!

PUFF PASTRY STICKY BUNS are part of the Fabulous Foodie Fake Out~ foods that are not necessarily what they appear to be! Check out the bottom of this post to visit other fakers... er, participants...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS # 7

Happy August, everyone! What happened to JULY? I must admit that I am sooo ready for fall... but I don't want to get ahead of myself. There is still a month of great summer things to do!

Here are a few great things about August this year...a couple of my dearest friends are August babies... I 'm sure we will celebrate! I am going to the beach on a vacation with 4 of my very very favorite girlfriends... I hope to see the Dead Sea Scrolls in Philladelphia... I'm having eye surgery (not so fun!)...all of my children will be visiting this month...Bobby and I will be working in the gardens as the evenings cool in August... and we have 5 Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits this month! I hope you will all come and share, showcase and show-off what you've been doing!

Here are a few great entries from last week's TTT...

MAKING EURO SHAMS

Before we begin... I want to remind you that TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBITS goes live at 8:00 tonight.  Share your DYI'S, tips and any tidbit you want to show us and show off! See you then!

What's a girl to do when she wants a pair of euro shams to match the curtains she just made?

Make them herself... of course! And that is just what I did!

If you can sew a straight line, you can make pillow shams. And I'll show you how...

GREEN HYDRANGEAS TABLESCAPE

Summer is sizzling away, here at StoneGable! So let's move inside for an easy summer meal.  And let's keep it simple... right down to the tablescape!

The Annabelle hydrangeas that kiss the front porch all summer long have turned color early this year! When they change from white to green it is my cue that they are ready to be cut and dried. For a post about drying hydrangeas click here.

These soft green hydrangeas are the inspiration for this light, uncomplicated table... it is too hot to fuss...

ON THE MENU MONDAY~ WEEK OF JULY, 30, 2012

I don't want a garden anymore... okay?

 I always feel this way around the end of July. You can have all the garden STUFF until early September!

The weather is so hot and humid, with little rain.. the weeds seem to be winning.. really the only thing that is happy in my garden right now are the tomatoes... and maybe an eggplant or two! And even they seem to be languishing! (WHINE, WHINE, WINE... Oh, yes.. thank you... I think that might make me feel a little better!)

I keep telling myself that the sweat dripping off of my upturned nose and  broken dirty fingernails will be all worth it in a few short weeks. When my freezer is full of great summer flavors, and my pantry holds jar after jar of jewel-toned goodness... I will feel a much fonder affection for my garden!

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE~ July 29, 2012

I recently did a survey on Facebook and asked, "WHAT ARE 3 SMALL THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO NOW THAT WOULD MAKE A BIG POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE?"


The number TWO answer was...

ANTIQUE WATERING CAN...coming home

I'm been away... visiting my daughter and sister and taking the best ASCP furniture painting class (more on that in an upcoming post)! Going away is fun and refreshing and freeing... but I LOVE coming home! I'm sorta like Dorothy when it comes to home!  

On this trip I fell into an antique shopping opportunity quite by accident!  

And look what came home with me...

CHRISTMAS IN JULY BLOG HOP

TODAY'S THE BIG DAY! I hope you are digging out your posts of Christmas' past to share festive ideas! Let's get creative and inspired about the Holidays!

Here is a recap of CHRISTMAS IN JULY...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS # 6

It's Christmas In July, here at StoneGable... and on several other sites across bloggland!

It's really never too early to get organized for the Holiday season!

I am joining forces with 7 other hostesses to bring you lots of Christmas cheer and creative Holiday ideas!

The BIG day is coming right around the corner... no, not Christmas...Friday! Friday is the BIG day... because we will be hosting a...

CHRISTMAS BLOG HOP!

Everyone can join in! So, dig up those posts of Christmas past and share your idea with all of us, right here!

It's time for making a list...  of all the great Christmas ideas to try... and checking it twice... to make sure you  don't miss any of the fun...

ON THE BOOKSHELF~ The Meghan Method

Meet my new BFF Meghan Carter! She and I go everywhere together lately! 

 Meghan's first book THE MEGHAN METHOD is my constant companion! It is a  detailed "step-by-step guide to decorating your home in your style." I can really relate to that!

Meghan does not have a degree in interior design... but she is one very smart and creative cookie!

The creator of Ask The Decorator, Meghan has crossed the country using her Journalism degree to interview interior design experts! On her journey she found all kinds of industry secrets... and  a love for the subject she writes about! 

I am absolutely devouring this goldmine-of-a-design  book...  More of a how-to be your own confident decorator book... and not so much look at all the pretty pictures kind of book! 

CHRISTMAS IN JULY~ POINSETTIA STOCKING TUTORIAL

Now is the time to begin working on all those handcrafted CHRISTMAS items that will become treasured heirlooms!

Each December, I vow to make new Christmas stockings... next year! There are so many festive projects and pretty things to make for the Yuletide season that don't get done, because I start too late! 

After Thanksgiving, I am far too busy just trying to Deck The Halls, Bring Peace On Earth to my corner of the planet and make the Figgy Pudding!  So, those pretty extras wait till the next year... and the next year... and the next year!

But, right now I am making a short list of a few handicrafts I would like to have for THIS Christmas... and I am getting them done... thanks to... 

CHRISTMAS IN JULY...

ON THE MENU MONDAY~ WEEK OF JULY 23, 2012

Zucchini Blossom


Beginning tomorrow it's...

 CHRISTMAS IN JULY  


Join 8 hostesses as we kick-start your Christmas creativity and help you find inspiration to deck your halls, get started on those homemade gifts and give you lots of festive food ideas... and more!

Each day a different hostess will share great Christmas ideas and how-to's!

Join me on Tuesday, here at StoneGable, for...

HANDMADE CHRISTMAS GIFTS 

 They are easy, doable and economical... a great way to spread Christmas Cheer!

Then on Friday EVEYONE can join in the festivities with a...

 CHRISTMAS LINKY PARTY

 Pull out your posts of Christmas past and share them right here, at StoneGable... or at any of the other hostesses sites!

It should be a Fa-La-La fun time...

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

1 Thes 7:15-18

COUNTRY LIFE

Simple pleasures...

CHRISTMAS IN JULY BLOG PARTY

Did you know that there are only 157 days until Christmas!

Why am I thinking of Christmas when most of the country is sweltering in a heat wave? It is hard to Fa-La-La and Deck The Halls while working on our tans or watering the garden...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS #5

Bloggers are a great community of creative, innovative and industrious people!!! I am always amazed and thrilled by our collective talent!

Just look at a few of these great posts from last week's TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS...

SHOW ME YOUR LABEL MAKER!

I hope all of your are running to get one of your most prized possessions, your LABEL MAKER...  wave it in front of your computer screen! Look at those beauties!

How can one little machine bring such joy to my heart... and sanity to my life? I love the sound of a label being printed out and sticking the neat, clearly lettered label to something to give it order and a name!

Here are some tips and tidbits to help you get organized using your label maker...

GABLE ROOM CURTAINS

I had a busy and productive weekend! I made my very first pair of fully lined "professional" curtains and matching euro shams.  The project was time consuming but very easy and rewarding. It was a BIG job! The hardest part of the project was thinking things through! Measure twice  sixteen times cut and sew once!

I think this room, our Gable Guest Bedroom, is a little gem! It is such a cozy room. Many of our repeat guests say that the Gable Room is there favorite room to stay in. With it's hight vaulted ceiling and big window that pours in light, it is cozy and bright all at the same time...

ON THE MENU MONDAY~ WEEK OF JULY 16, 2012

This week I am going to the spa! Not the place I get a pedicure... but a big time, fluffy robe and slippers luxury spa! I have never been to a spa... and I have mixed emotions.

 I can't wait for a couple hours of decedent pampering and being fussed over. BUT there is something in the back of my mind that makes me want to giggle! A very sophomoric giggle that breaks out into a fall-on-the-floor-gasp-for-breath belly laugh!

A Spa would be great settings for sitcom! I can  picture Lucille Ball doing a hilarious segment with she and Ethel wrapped in seaweed, eating their eye cucumbers and slinging Dead Sea mud at each other.  My husband says I have the Lucille Ball "factor"! Oh, dear!


I know that spa-ing is therapeutic but I think it is just a wee bit silly and pretentious (oh, boy... I bet I get so many spa lovers e-mailing me). I am sure once I get there I will change my mind... but if they play white noise music and burn patchouli...

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE~ JULY 15, 2012

LOOKING FOR SOFA PERFECTION

I have been on a journey... a very L-O-N-G journey!

I have been on the search for the perfect sofa.  It has taken me to every furniture store and specialty shop within a 150 mile radius.

I have looked at dozens of catalogs and design books!

And, NOTHING! I could not find THE ONE!  Close... but not exactly what I wanted!

 I get an idea of exactly what I want and cannot get it out of my mind! But it is more than an idea... it is a FEELING! It has to feel just right! NO compromising...

ROASTED TOMATO MINI PIES

Need a quick dinner? But not just a quick dinner... a dinner that is scrumptious? And not just a scrumptious dinner... but a dinner full of fresh flavor? And not just a dinner full of fresh flavors... but a dinner with a flaky crispy crunch? And not just a dinner with a flaky crispy crunch... but a dinner with WOW factor...

Then this is the recipe... it is fast, scrumptious, fresh, flaky and WOW worthy...

TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBITS #4

The internet is filled with so many creative bloggers! Since TUTORIALS, TIPS AND TIDBITS began  I guess I have been focusing on blogger's DYI's! We can make, build, cook, upcycle, sew, weld (well, I haven't found that one yet but I am sure it is out there) decorate, demolish, knit, paint, copy, modge podge,  tie-dye,  frame, weave, stain, transfer, stencil, grow... and a whole lot more!

We are a talented group!

Here are a few posts to prove it...

FREEZING ZUCCHINI TUTORIAL, REALLY?

A LITTLE REMINDER BEFORE WE BEGIN...

TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBITS goes live this evening at 8:00

Join us with your great tutorials, helpful tips and any tidbit you want to just show off and show us!

FREEZING ZUCCHINI TUTORIAL...

I love growing zucchini... and picking it... and cooking with it! But I hate freezing it!

Since I have a garden and grow zucchini, it only makes sense that I have an OVERabundance of zucchini.

And that means freezing... what a thankless job~ it is such a mess! Grating, and bagging~ my countertops, floors and clothes are covered with zucchini shards!

THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY!

UPSCALE SHELLS

Summer is the time for shells, beach cottages and all things surf and sand! I pour over magazines who's beach  homes are graced with views of bright blue water and white sandy beaches.

Homes filled with bleached linens, outdoor showers and lots of beachy elements! Things that are swoon worthy... but do not work with my Lancaster County home! 

Determined not to miss out on the summery feel of beach life, I am upscaling shells to make them feel at home in my family room decor...

ON THE MENU MONDAY~ WEEK OF JULY 9, 2012

The farm to fork craze has captured the nation in recent years. Also known as farm to table or eating in season... this is nothing new for the avid backyard gardener.

No matter the size of our gardens...a couple of tomato plants in patio planters or a big swath filled with rows of vegetables, we eat from the land. Everything tastes so much better when we grow it ourselves!

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE~ JULY 8, 2012

Synagogue ruins, Israel

Watch what God does, and then you do it... like children who learn proper behavior from your parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with Him and learn a life of love.

Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious, but extravagant! 

He did not love us to get something from us but to give everything of Himself to us. 

LOVE LIKE THAT!

Ephesians 5:1-2, The Message

BEE SKEPS ON THE BACK PORCH

The summer heatwave has taken it's toll on many of my fragile porch plants. Dispite watering and tending, the heat is just too much for their shallow roots.

Replacing them gives me a chance to bring new mid-summer decor to the potting bench...

DUTCH BABIES... mini version

Isn't everything better in a mini version? I sure think so. There is just something about babies!  And DUTCH BABIES are no exception!

Dutch Babies are little pillowy clouds filled with fruity sweetness! A cross between a pancake and a crepe... eggy deliciousness...