How to Glam Up Your LED Lightbulbs - Part 2

I really wish there were more decorative options for light bulbs. I mean, I KNOW there are more options out there, but they are super expensive.

So you all remember my Phase I, glammed up bulbs right? I took regular LED bulbs and removed all the warning and product information using nail polish remover.

They looked fine, but I decided to step it up a notch and introduce some more bling with gold, metallic spray paint.

First, I grabbed some painter's tape, Glad Press-n-Seal, and my LED bulbs:

I used the painter's tape to cover the plug end of each bulb and used the Press-n-Seal to cover the glass portion, leaving the base exposed like this:

I used Press-n-Seal to cover the bulbs versus the painter's tape, as it was more flexible and able to mold to the bulb's shape better. 

I then took the bulb's outside and gave them some love with a metallic spray paint. Don't they look like Christmas ornaments? So pretty!

I let them dry for about an hour and then removed the tape and Press-n-Seal. Depending on how well of a job you do with preparation, you will most likely have some touch-up work to do afterwards like I did.

I used some paint thinner and a q-tip to remove any over spray on the glass portion, and used a small paintbrush to touch up any portions of the base that didn't get covered. To do this, take a plastic, disposable cup and spray the spray paint into the bottom of the cup until you have a little puddle of paint. I used this to dip my paintbrush into for touch-up.

After the touch-ups are dry, screw those babies back in, step back and enjoy!

I think they turned out fabulous, don't you? The only irony to all of this is when I have the fixture turned on without the dimmer on, you really can't see the gold at all, it comes across as black. They really look their best without the light on, which suites me fine, as we rarely use this fixture.

Another way to add an extra little bit of glamour to an otherwise boring light fixture. You're welcome!

The Garden in...December?!!

I shouldn't even be writing this post, as the garden is usually under either ice, snow, or both right about this time of year, but WTH is going on with the weather this winter?

Today, when Christmas is next week, I am outside taking pictures of things GROWING in my garden while I stroll around in a short-sleeved shirt. Last night, we slept with the windows open and the ceiling fan on! I could have stayed down in Florida for this! :-)

But, I know I shouldn't speak too soon, as this weekend is bringing us temperatures in the 20's, which is more like it. Anyway, I thought I'd take advantage of this odd phenomenon to post some pics about the garden:

The back beds are growing cover crops of hairy vetch. I grew it in a bed reserved for tomatoes last year, as hairy vetch and tomatoes are supposed to be the ultimate BFFs. The tomatoes that came out of that bed afterwards were amazing! When it is done growing, you hack it down and compost on top of it, then plant your tomatoes. Besides healthier plants, I noticed MUCH less soil erosion in the beds that had hairy vetch versus the ones that didn't.

The garlic is doing great. I have Inechelium Red, Italian Softneck, Red Toch, and Lorz Italian growing in two beds. The sad thing is I might not be here to harvest this garlic if we sell the house and move before late June/early July next year. 

More hairy vetch. Ugh, that wild Japanese honeysuckle on the fence in the background HAS to be pulled off and hacked down this winter. It is HUGELY invasive and aggressive, and I swear it even grows when it is snowing!

It's funny, I was going to dig up, pot, and bring that rosemary inside for the winter. My plants from last year didn't make it, but so far they are loving the mild temps.

Well, that's it for the garden in December. Hopefully, I won't be writing a garden post for January or February, unless it's for winter sowing!

Gratuitous Kitteh Monday

Chaz is such a mellow, laid-back kitteh, but is especially stoic and easily offended. We often joke that when he disappears down to the basement for hours at a time, he is actually writing poetry, smoking hand-rolled cigarettes, and listening to Dylan or Ginsberg.

We are convinced that he is such a Dylan fan, that I (badly) Photoshopped these images as a joke. See if you can spot Chaz!

Gratuitous Kitteh Monday

This is why we are not putting up a Christmas tree this year...

Although our other kittehs were pretty well behaved with the Christmas trees we've had in the past, Leo the Kitten is the exception. I just KNOW he'd climb right to the top with ornaments flying and breaking everywhere! 

I'm sure there'd be tinsel we'd have to pull out of his butt at SOME point as well.

Tinsel Butt

So, we've decided to skip the mess until next year when he will "hopefully" be more grown-up and well behaved. 

Laundry Room Upgrade Reveal

I’ve been wanting to post this post for a while, but it seems that every time I wanted to take pictures, the weather didn’t want to cooperate with a sunny day. Sigh, such is life in the fall and winter.

Anyway, I’m VERY excited to show you my new, updated laundry room!

I think laundry rooms should be glamorous and fun; a place where you WANT to go. How many of you schlep down to a dark corner in your basement to do laundry? Not very inspiring is it? Well, I didn't exactly have to do laundry in a dark basement, but my laundry room certainly wasn't inspiring.

Take a look at what it used to look like: 

Blah, right? Uninspiring and kinda messy. 

So I began my transformation with some wallpaper ideas. You can see the samples I was trying out taped to the wall in the above picture. 

Next came this FABULOUS Italian mid-century chandelier that took us forever to figure out how to wire and install. 

This thing truly is gorgeous. I love it and want to marry it. 

But the transformation stopped there for several, several months until my 10-year-old washing machine started acting up. Really, it was on it's last legs. Besides not being able to select a few cycles on the control pad and only being able to use hot water on one cycle, it used to randomly beep out this morse-code conversation for minutes at a time. We used to joke that it was talking to the aliens. 

So, we had to go purchase a new washing machine, which made sense to include a new clothes dryer, since our old one was 10-years-old as well.

By this point, I had picked out the wall paper sample I wanted and had ordered it (hint, it was the second sample down from the top on the left), but was stalling on putting it up as I knew that meant moving the washer and dryer. Besides, I had never installed wall paper and I was nervous, so that made procrastinating easier. 

Once we had ordered a new washer and dryer, I knew it was now-or-never and dove in. After it was all said and done, this is what I ended up with:

I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture with Leo sitting in the window, but the wall paper is a sort of iridescent and white ginko leaf pattern. I wanted something that would pick up the brass/gold from the chandelier and not be too busy or dated. 

However, there were some major changes that had happened once the wall paper, washer, and dryer were installed. I'm not sure if you can see it, but our new dryer sticks out about 6 more inches than our old one did, so that forced me to change my ideas for the shelving.

I originally wanted a shelf that went across the front of the washer and dryer, and then turn at a 45° angle in the corner to the left. I was then going to install a smaller shelf above that

I also wanted and LUSTED over installing these brass shelf brackets from West Elm, but they were expensive and I would have needed like 9 of them to do what I originally wanted to do. 

But even after the change in plans, West Elm stopped carrying these. #storyofmylife

So then I thought, how about an Ikea hack like this?

But, I wasn't digging it, and by then we were talking about selling the house, so I went with some very simple bronze brackets I got from Home Depot. 

BUT, remember this old chandelier from before the kitchen remodel? This will replace the mid-century chandelier when we move...I am taking that baby with me! So, in hindsight, this old chandelier will match the black shelf brackets better.

NAILED IT!

I built and stained the shelf above the washer and dryer, as I wanted something with a skirt that would kind of hide the electrical outlets. I love my nail gun!

The shelf stain color is supposed to be "weathered grey" but it came out with more of a blueish tint, which actually tied into that piece of art I got from World Market.

Let's talk about that table!

The stainless steel table is from Home Decorators Collection, which is a subsidiary of Home Depot. It's a Martha Sterwart piece and is actually part of her garage organization collection, but it's the perfect height to stand in front of an fold laundry. 

It comes in three colors!

I also want to talk about those laundry hampers. They are from The Container Store and they are SUPER strong and durable! 

We have a third one up in our closet for dirty laundry. When I need to bring it downstairs, I literally grab it by the handle and drag it down the stairs without picking it up. I've been doing that for almost 2 years and the handle hasn't broken or shown any wear. Worth every penny.

Since we've updated our laundry room, I've been kind of a laundry nerd. Yes, I have bought into buying and using The Laundress products, even though they cost an arm and a leg. Don't hate, I love the smell! 

I've even taken to using these laundry balls in place of dryer sheets. They make the the clothes, and especially the sheets smell SOOOO divine. 

Mostly, I just love yelling, "HONEY, HAVE YOU SEEN MY BALLS?! WHERE ARE MY BALLS?"

Lastly, I want to talk about my Bravos XL 835 washer and dryer set. So far, I've been very happy with them, but they do make some odd noises that I haven't determined if they are "normal-odd" or "not-normal-odd". My thought is, BREAK NOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO BREAK since they are under warranty.

So, that concludes my glamorous laundry room journey. I love doing laundry now, and even tell my husband to not touch it!  I'm having so much fun!

Homemade Ground Horseradish

2 years ago, a coworker gave me a horseradish root to plant and I was smitten.

I planted it that year near my compost pile (which I may later regret) and proceeded to order more root stock from a seed company. When those roots came it, I planted those on the other side of the garden and now, this fall, I dug up this:

I LOVE horseradish and can never seem to find it hot enough in the grocery store, so when I learned I could actually grow it myself, well it was no surprise for me to give it a try.

From what I've read and heard, horseradish is invasive, so you have to be careful where you plant it. So far, I haven't seen that and relish every sprout that's come up. It's pretty easy to grow and so far, that has turned out to be true as well. Fall is when you should harvest it, but really, you can harvest it any time of the year...THAT'S how easy it is to grow.

Once you harvest it, clean off the roots/tubers and leave a few behind to grow for next year. Bring in the roots/tubers you want to grind up, break them into manageable chunks, and peel them like carrots.

After peeling, cut the chunks into 2-3 inch pieces, throw them into a food processor with a little water and process till grainy, but not too fine.

My husband tells me stories of his aunt Leona from Ohio sitting on the front porch shredding horseradish every year with a head full of snot and barely able to see through the tears. I thought, "Surely he is exaggerating," but no...imagine chopping onions, but multiply that times 10. Throw in about 5 lbs. of jalapenos to chop up with the onions and that equals ground horseradish.

I had to keep that bowl of ground horseradish and arm's length. Even my always-scrounging cats stayed out of the kitchen!

Add some vinegar and a couple of dashes of salt to the ground horseradish and stir. For the amount of ground horseradish I had, I added about 1-1 1/2 cups of vinegar; you want it to be kind of "sloppy" but not too runny. It won't hurt it.

Some people add a little sugar to their ground horseradish to help tame the heat a little and I did that as well; about 1/2 tablespoon. Once everything was stirred up, I spooned it into a quart jar, put a lid on it, and put it in the refrigerator.

I think we are ALL set for horseradish for a year (at least). I did not taste it because it was waaaaaay too hot; I couldn't even get close. I figured it's a lot like my Chili Paste where it tames down a bit from marinating in the vinegar after a while. 

Hmmm,...I see a prime rib roast on the horizon for Christmas or a ton of shrimp cocktail!

Canning Turkey Broth

When the weather turns cold, my canning habits often turn from boiling water bath to pressure canning. I know some people who freeze all their summer fruit and specifically wait to make jam or jellies in the winter when it's chilly outside and heating up a big, pot of boiling water sounds divine.

Thanksgiving gives me the perfect opportunity to make a batch of turkey broth, which can also be used in recipes that call for chicken broth. I often make soup with the turkey carcass, but sometimes you are ready to eat something different after 5 days of turkey leftovers!

So, turkey broth it is!

My chicken or turkey broth is often made different ways, depending on time and convenience. If I'm REALLY starting from scratch, I'll roast the vegetables and poultry pieces/parts first in the oven, then throw it all into a pot with some water and spices/herbs and simmer for a few hours. In the case of a leftover turkey carcass, I just throw it into a pot with some cut up veggies (carrots, onions, garlic, whatever...), add water, some peppercorns, a couple of bay leaves, and let it simmer away.

So, there really isn't a recipe per se, but turkey or chicken broth DEFINITELY has to be pressure canned for safety.

The biggest tip I can give you regarding making turkey or chicken broth is to let your broth cool over night in the refrigerator so you can skim off any congealed/hardened fat floating on top of the broth before reheating and canning.

I didn't do this with this batch and 3 of the 6 quarts that were produced did not seal. This is due to the fat/grease getting under the lid and preventing a solid seal from happening.

So, that means I have 3 quarts of turkey broth in my refrigerator waiting to be made into something. Looks like soup will be on our menu some day this week!.

Gratuitous Kitteh Monday

Well, I hope you had a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving! We had a very quiet turkey day with just the two of us, but I did crank out a yummy bird with all the fixings. Sometimes it's good to just do your own thing.

I can tell by my posting stats that you all have been looking for faster, easier ways to make mashed potatoes for the big day, as my #1 post viewed this past month was:

How To Use a Pressure Cooker: Mashed Potatoes in 10 Minutes!

So easy!

You all are also busy finding ways to pack and ship your yummy canned goods for Christmas, as my #2 most viewed post was:

How To Pack and Label Canned Food for Shipping

I'm going to be doing that again very soon. I need to make some more jams though. I've been busy making cookie dough to freeze for The Great Cookie Bake of 2015 and I'm almost set. It's such a tedious thing to coordinate everything and ship it all out, but it's worth it.

Things should be back to "normal" for the next couple of weeks as far as posts go. I have some new things that I've done and projects completed that I'm dying to share!

Now, where's the leftovers?

Gratuitous Kitteh Monday

I know it's not Monday, but things have been SUPER crazy around here.

But first, shhhhh....don't tell them they are sleeping in a DOG bed!

It may not seem like much, but this pic is a BIG deal. Miss Thang still has her opinions about Leo The Kitten, and the fact that she is letting him clean her in that big, warm bed by the fire is a big step in the right direction. She is less growly around him, but definitely does not like it when he pounces on or harasses her. She is definitely a Diva in her own mind!

But, a little feedback from last post: No, I did not get the job, but I DID pass my professional certification exam and I am sooooo relieved. We talked to our realtor a week or so ago and we are all set to put our house on the market next spring.

But until then, there will be warm fires and kitteh cuddle sessions.

Fall Happenings

Things have been pretty hectic around here lately and it looks like hubby and I are in for some even bigger changes ahead in the next coming months and following year.

We have decided to sell our beautiful country house next spring.

I know....AGAIN! This will be the 4th time we've moved in less than 6 years.

This has actually been something that's been at the back of our minds for a while now and we weren't even planning on acting on this until at least 2017, but we are motivated to act earlier. Turns out our neighbors, who have the exact same house as ours, are selling next year too. They have had their house appraised at a lower price than ours, so after talking to them, it seems like the smarter move for both parties would be for us to sell first at a (hopefully) higher sale. That way, we both benefit from the higher sale and comps. So, it looks like our plans got bumped up.

I've always said that you get a house just the way you like it and then it's time to sell, but the truth is, I'm looking forward to moving back into the "burbs". Living here has been a lesson on what kind of people we really are and our lifestyle. Although I have many "country ways," I am not a country girl...at least not one who has to travel into DC for work. :-)

Speaking of work, I have a big interview tomorrow for a new job that I am excited about (at least for now...you never know). If I get this job, my commute will go from 0 to 1000 in a flash and moving will be pretty much mandatory, as I don't want to spend 4-5 hours a day sitting in DC traffic.

I have a big professional certification exam that I am taking on the 23rd of this month that I've been studying with a study group for 3 months. I'm pretty nervous about that too, so not too much cooking or DIY stuff has been going on....well SOME. I will post when I am done and have time.

So, the next couple of months will be committed to doing all those little projects that I've been putting off, but now HAVE to be done in order to sell. SIGH...the story of my life.