HAPPY ZINNEAS ~ CUTTING, CARE AND COLLECTING SEEDS

Zinnias are such happy summer annuals... and my favorite! It just wouldn't be summer if these sunny blooms weren't spreading there colorful joy all over my garden!

I have learned how to care for zinnias by trial and error over the years... here are some tips on cutting, caring for and making sure you will have happy zinnias every year...

MINI ICE CREAM COOKIE CUPS

What a yummy trio of sweetness!

I saw these cookie cups on the Pillsbury web page and thought they were adorable... I also was skeptical that they were easy to make and would look like the cookie cup in their photos.

They were soooo easy and came out perfectly! This is a WOW factor dessert...

TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBITS #9

Welcome to TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBITS! All of you have been very busy! You have been painting and rearranging and baking and updating and planting and gluing and sewing and stacking and getting ready for fall! There is so much creativity going on in blogland!

Here are just a couple featured blogs from last week's TTT ...

THE BEST PAINTING TIP YOU WILL EVER GET... REALLY!

I recently attended an Annie Sloan Chalk Painting class at CATFISH CREATIVE FURNISHINGS and came home with a great little painted piece and a head full of FABULOUS techniques, tips and ideas! This hands on class was invaluable and our teacher, Celeste, was fun and informative and so so creative! 

It was a day of ASCP total immersion! I learned so many interesting techniques! But there was one thing I thing I took away that will make a HUGE difference in the way I paint EVERY piece of furniture...

I think it is the best tip I will ever get and I want to share it with you...

WHITE DISHES IN THE LITTLE CUPBOARD

There is a little cupboard in my kitchen with interesting glass doors... and everything in it is white. I call it my little french cupboard, because of it's mullioned windows and sweet utilitarian size. It reminds me of a small cupboard in a french farmhouse.

It is not staged or perfectly appointed or filled with great design elements. My niece calls it "aesthetically useful".

 But it does hold some of my favorite dishes... all white and interesting and well-loved! 

Let's take a a little look...

ON THE MENU MONDAY~ WEEK OF AUG. 13, 2012

If you look at my menu this week, you will see what is producing in my garden right now. We are eating great summer tomatoes everyday!!! This is such a treat! Tomatoes are at their peak and bursting with flavor! I just can't get enough of them... and they are free for the picking... and canning... and freezing!

My onions and leeks and eggplants are all ready to be harvest this week too! So much yumminess.. . and no weeds. Thank you Bobby!

 ON THE MENU MONDAY hit a milestone last week... 108 bloggers stopped by with their scrumptious recipes and menus to join in! We passed the 100 mark! Oh, this was so exciting and encouraging to me!

You don't know how many times I had ALMOST retired OTMM... it had languished along for quite awhile and I often questioned it's worth. It was all the faithful bloggers that supported it and showed up every week that has kept it going! Thank you so so much!

As we strive together for the next 100~ I am so thankful for so many scrumptious recipes, organized menus, the few added pounds it has put on me, and great friendships because of it!

NOW HERE'S WHAT'S ON MY MENU...

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE~ Week Of August 12, 2012

This scripture was part of a prayer that Jesus would have prayed everyday... probably in the morning and evening. It is part of a bigger prayer called the Shema (pronounced shmah).... a prayer to listen and take heed of the commitment to follow the Lord.

  Jesus prayed these words and taught on them and called them the 'greatest commandment". But what does it mean to "love God with all of our soul'? If Jesus said that THIS was the greatest commandment isn't it important to know, really know what it MEANS...

SEEING DOUBLE

As I work to finish the J & J Bedroom I have a mental vision for how the room should look. Click HERE to see the makeover progress.

In my vision, I see 2 small X ottomans at the bottom of the bed. They are wooden with a nice herringbone fabric and antiqued nailheads.  I have been looking for them for several months. And I just could not find what I had envisioned!

While I was picking up a pole lamp at Pottery Barn Outlet on Wednesday I found these...

GARDEN GAZPACHO

I had lunch at my dear friend Fran's last week and she served a FABULOUS Gazpacho! I forgot how scrumptious Gazpacho could taste!  Fresh and served icy cold... perfect for hot days! 

She generously gave me her recipe...and I ran right home and made a double batch... tweaking it a little!

Now is the perfect time to make this garden soup... when veggies are in season and fresh picked...

TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS # 8

Since I have started TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS I guess I am extra aware of all the creative DYI"S in bloggland. Not only that, but great tips and tidbits too! 

Just today I learned how to transfer a beautiful french motif onto a painted surface, got helpful tips for making a centerpiece and found many fun tidbits along the way!

I am finding so many easy, well written Tutorials for all kinds of interesting projects... big and small!

And I have been inviting everyone to join me and show off what they have been doing! If you haven't gotten a personal invitation from me... this is it! Join in!!!!

I wish I could show you every entry from last week.. like Show-And-Tell... they were more than fabulous!!! Since, I can't, here are a few features...

MAKING SCENTED DRAWER LINER

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!

As you open the drawer you catch the slightest whiff of vanilla... and taking out a towel, the lovely fragrance lingers! You close your eyes and breath in deeply... what a delicious light aroma!

Wouldn't you love this experience each time you open a drawer?  Drawer liners are one way of infusing you dressers with a delicate scent!

Most drawer liners can cost a pretty penny! They are also limited in fragrance and design.

Making your own personalized drawer liners is easy, inexpensive and let's you be creative...

A LOOK AT MY LATEST PROJECT

The title of this post is just a little deceiving! Transforming this bedroom is a project that has taken months and months so far and it is still a month or two from total completion! 

But I am so excited... I actually have something to show today...

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...