Pepper, anyone?

John is the fussiest eater I know, bar none.

He eats his hot dogs plain - and when I say plain I mean the weiner tossed inside of a dry bun................
Nothing is allowed to touch that weiner ( except for the dry bun )
His hamburgers get eaten the same way ( although once in a blue moon he'll go all crazy on me and plunk a slice of tomato and lettuce on top )

Condiments can make him go into a frenzy.

He eats salad without any dressing - just the vegetables sadly sitting there looking up at him.
( as opposed to mine - which are dancing and swimming in oil and vinegar )

For many many years he wouldn't eat my chopped egg salad sandwiches - because I used Mayo
I had to slice the egg and put it between 2 pieces of dry bread - until one day he mentioned that he had to find out how the Church made theirs because he really liked those ones.

I told him I'd find the recipe - and the next time I made them ( the exact way I always do ) I said
" there you go - now do you like them? "
" LOVE them, he replied "
" I thought so " I said  - " they just needed a little mayo - NOW will you be a little more willing to try things once in a while? "

Last night I was preparing dinner - and made a small tomato salad as a side dish.

Cherry tomatoes
Thinly sliced spanish onion
Slivers of strong cheese
Fresh basil from the garden
drizzled with Olive Oil

John walks by................
John says - Oh I'm ok with just the tomatoes
Suzan says - What do you mean?  You don't want anything at all on them?
John says - Nope - I'm not afraid to just taste the food
Suzan says - What exactly does that mean?
John says - You have to hide the taste of everything to eat it
Suzan says - Well isn't that rich?  You've somehow taken your fear of spices and herbs and condiments and turned it into an act of bravery?

I then set out to put some flavor on the zucchini we were going to grill

Olive Oil
Garlic powder
Pepper
Pinch of salt
and some chili flakes

John walks by again -
John says - Nothing on mine - thank you very much
Suzan says - Your bravery knows no bounds John - honestly !!!

As we sat down to eat supper
John says - Pass the pepper please
John sprinkles 4 grains on his food
John says - Aren't you putting any on yours?
Suzan says -No - I'm ok - thanks
John says - Why?  Are you afraid of a little pepper?

Priceless - the man is priceless....................

John's " sides "

Ok - off to finish working on those built ins - a nightmare people I tell ya - a NIGHTMARE
Crooked walls do not make for nice built ins - and these walls are so crooked it's ridiculous !
We'll have to get very creative with molding to hide that little fact !
Right now the room looks 10 times worse than when we started working on it ( and it was pretty bad ) BUT
I WILL have built ins lol

And stay tuned - for those of you that have asked me to put up a video of myself - one's on its way this week
Dear God
That's ALL I'm going to say about that...................

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!
Much love,

I have no business....................

Looking on Craig's list - really I don't
I have a storage unit filled to the brim with furniture
And I have 3 pieces crammed into the house to paint ( or finish )
But sometimes something comes along and it's just too good not to contact the owner about

It's 42 inches wide so a really nice size
And it has lovely carved details
Circa 1940

and I'm overthetopcrazy in love with the mirror !

John says - I'm so glad I crammed all my appointments in this week - I finally have a day off
Suzan says - hmmmmmmmm.............no appointments at all?
John says - Nope !  I can finish up the built ins
Suzan says - I found a dresser on Craig's list
John says - WE HAVE FURNITURE IN STORAGE THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR AND YOU HAVE CRAMMED IN HERE WAITING TO PAINT !!!!!!!!!!!!
Suzan says - but these are getting harder and harder to find - the last one - I promise it's the last one until we clear out the storage unit
John says - I'll THINK about it
John says - You're becoming a furniture hoarder, you know

Think about it?
I made him his favorite supper last night - ( shepherd's pie ) crap - I should have used it as a bargaining tool and offered it to him tonight.............
Now I have to think of something else to bribe him with
Any suggestions ?
( and remember I'm menopausing - so nothing that involves a bedroom or lingerie - thank you very much )

Have a great weekend everyone
Much love
The furniture hoarder

Winner - Winner

AND the winner of the Grateful giveaway is........................

Result:19

TINA from WHAT WE KEEP - if you don't know Tina - you should check her out - she's one of the sweetest ladies in Bloglandia - truly - and she's just opened an online shop - you'll fall in love !

For all my North American friends - have a wonderful Labor Day weekend -
( my weekend will be filled to the brim with labor ) hoping to have the built ins finished and primed by Sunday evening -
Wish me luck !

Much Love,
Me

Collecting Words................

Good morning everyone !

This post was not supposed to be about " words " but rather little touches I use to decorate my kitchen.

Except as I walked around it ready to snap some photos, I realized just how important :" words " obviously are in my world.

Not only do I surround myself with books - and write up a blog (almost daily) I decorate with them as well !

For instance I was going to show you how displaying a favorite cookbook on the counter can be dressed up with pretty measuring spoons - and then I realized it's the words on the book I love most of all -

I found this postcard on a trip to Paris many years ago ( maybe my first trip actually ) and found a frame to fit it perfectly -
Breakfast at Tiffany's would be perfect for any kitchen ................ I especially love that it's mostly black and white like my kitchen - but once again - I love the words
It reminds me of Paris - and New York - and one of my Favorite actresses from one of my favorite movies.
This sat in my dining room in my last place - but I much prefer it in the kitchen where I spend a lot of time

I frequently fill picture frames with " words " as well - I have a several in my living room - and in our last home I had a gallery wall of framed famous quotes................

Here's a small miniature one - with a simple message - that sits on the kitchen counter  ( the words get changed frequently in this frame )

Instead of throwing out old cutting boards - I repurpose them this way

In fact if anyone had of asked me ( before today's post ) if I had a recurring " theme " of decorating - I would have said definitely NOT because things are being changed up daily or weekly or at the very least monthly in my world................
But now I realize that isn't true at all
That no matter how I decorate

Or what style I'm currently in love with

Or which house I'm living in for that matter

I've always had a " theme " - a signature I suppose you'd call it if you wanted to be pretentious about the whole thing LOL

And that in fact, for me to love any space

I call home

I have to have my beloved words all around me in order for it to feel like
( Home Sweet Home - dollar store rub on decal - isn't the font great? )

Some people collect China
Some people collect Hearts ( to see an amazing collection click HERE )
I realize now - I collect words

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by 

mankind.” 

― Rudyard Kipling

 I am shamelessly addicted.................................
AND this is only the kitchen - is it a sign of madness?  Probably

so I'll leave you with how this post was supposed to go -  pretty measuring spoons dressing up a cookbook

Have a wonderful day everyone !
I'll announce the winner tomorrow ( the book arrives today according to the tracking number )
Much love,

My words and I will be at these fabulous parties this week!

The Charm of Home                               French Country Cottage                    Redoux Interiors
My Turn For Us                                     Simple Nature Decor                         The Shabby Nest
CraftOManiac                                        Funky Junk Interiors                          One More Time Events
Life on Lakeshore Drive                         Redhead can Decorate                      That's what Che Said
Between Naps on the Porch                   Sand & Sisal                              The Scoop
A Stroll Thru Life                                   Kathe with an E                                 Cupcakes & Crinoline    Homestories A to Z                               Savvy Southern Style                          Knick of Time  
The DIY Dreamer                                 Ivy & Elephants                           My Romantic Home
From my Front Porch to Yours           

I WANNA live there Wednesday # 92

Good morning everyone !

I thought maybe this week we'd go back in time - back to simpler lifestyles - back to when a little sanity ruled the world

Back to a time when families sat together to watch good quality t.v. together - eating jiffy pop !

I LOVED the t.v. show My Three Sons - I still see the opening theme in my mind as I type this up............

So when I came across this article in HOUZZ - I was immediately intrigued.

Here's a house tour of the home Fred MacMurray lived in with his family in Healdsburg, California
The below excerpts come directly from the article itself - to read it in it entirety you can click HERE
Gallo Wines have since purchased the land.
I love the commentary as much as the house !!!

     Farmhouse Landscape

Article reads:

He bought the Sonoma County spread, now called MacMurray Estate Vineyards, in 1941 and remodeled the existing farmhouse in a charming period style that has endured for more than 70 years. Today the property is owned by the Gallo family and produces lush pinot noir, pinot gris and chardonnay wines, but the house remains much as it did when MacMurray rode the 1,500 acres on horseback and raised prize-winning black Angus cattle. 

Today this barn holds photographs of the familieswho have touched the land — the Porters, the MacMurrays and the Gallos — but when Kate was growing up, it was used to store farm equipment and supplies. A good deal of the structure is dedicated to her father and mother.

MacMurray was no absentee landowner; he bought the farm with the intention of practicing diversified farming: He raised cattle, sheep and chickens, and had fruit orchards and gardens. 

     Farmhouse Exterior

    CHECK OUT THE FAUCET !!!  AND I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT STOVE TODAY !!!  IN FACT
    I'D BE THRILLED TO HAVE THIS KITCHEN AND WOULD MAKE VERY FEW CHANGES!
    AUTHENTICITY NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE

Farmhouse Kitchen

HIS DAUGHTER EXPLAINS :
Inside, the house looks much the same as it did when the MacMurrays lived here. “My parents were children of the Depression,” says Kate. “They bought things with the intention that they would last. There was no thought of redecorating for style reasons. In fact, we had many pieces that had belonged to the Porter family. They liked them; the pieces worked; and so they hung on to them. They simply did not have a throwaway mentality.”

Farmhouse Dining Room

Across from the kitchen is a breakfast nook, where Kate, her twin sister and their parents ate before starting the day’s chores. “I’m pretty sure we were the only children in Hollywood who shoveled manure and gathered eggs,” says Kate. “Now it’s popular to expose kids to fresh food and gardens, but our parents had the idea a long time ago. They wanted us to be close to nature and to know where our food came from.”

To the side of the table sits a cupboard that displays a portion of a family collection of dishes. The cupboard, like many things throughout the home, sports a crisp red hue. “Dad bought the ranch during the war, and there weren’t a lot of color choices,” says Kate. “However, Dad loved bright colors, and he really liked red — although the only red items he had in his wardrobe were a pair of socks and a sweater he wore on Christmas Day.”

                         Farmhouse Dining Room

The living room shows more of the simple country style the family favored. A rag rug covers the floor, and a red plaid sofa and chairs with wide wooden arms make for an unfussy place in which to relax. “The sofa — we called it a davenport when I was growing up — was made in the 1930s, but my parents had it re-covered,” says Kate. “My father was 6-foot-4, and he liked it because it was long. He would sack out on it sometimes.”

    Farmhouse Living Room

     Farmhouse Living Room

     Farmhouse Dining Room

The MacMurray family added a grill and a table on a back porch off the kitchen. “Before the houses were built, the Porter family constructed a platform and a roof. They used the canvas from their covered wagon to drape the structure and make a tent,” says Kate. “That platform became this porch after the house was finished.”

    Farmhouse Porch

     Farmhouse Spaces

“It’s my understanding that in the olden days, the women of the house would dry herbs here,” Kate says. “Today it’s another place for entertaining Gallo clients and guests.” Kate says her father considered it a perfect spot for gathering, because the landscape serves as a beautiful backdrop.

    Farmhouse Porch

         Other

Do I WANNA live there?  Yes - I most definitely do - but more importantly - I WANNA live THEN  !!!

Again you can read the whole article from HOUZZ HERE
and did any of you notice he has a pipe in his hand - when I think of My Three Sons - I always picture him in a chair smoking a pipe - offering out words of wisdom - the role probably came very easy to him.............

Have a wonderful day everyone
( I really did attempt to sit down and reply to all your comments - but I have comment moderator on so they were coming in to my inbox twice after I hit publish - and then I got all confused and couldn't remember which ones I replied to - and didn't want to look like an idiot giving to different replies to one comment )
I'm so computer illiterate it's embarrassing - don't know how I even have the nerve to classify myself as a blogger at this point  )
So................I read them all - every single one of them - and they bring me more joy than you can imagine.
Thanks so much - you are all the best.

Now take a look at this - and try to keep the smile off your face !!!



Much love,

Join me at these fabulous parties !
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson                                       From my Front Porch to Yours
Ivy & Elephants                                                         The Charm of Home
French Country Cottage                                                    Redoux Interiors
My Turn For Us                                                               One More Time Events
Life on Lakeshore Drive                                                   Redhead can Decorate
Between Naps on the Porch                                             Sand & Sisal
Stone Gable                                                                     A Stroll Thru Life
Kathe with an E                                                               Cupcakes & Crinoline
Savvy Southern Style                                                       Knick of Time

FRAMED !!!

Good morning everyone !!!

While I was going through my stash of mirrors to put over the mantel - I found this frame I had forgotten about 

and thought with a little work it would be perfect for the guest room 

I gave it a quick coat of silver " wash " about half paint - half water  ( I wanted to keep some of this color so that it would look aged ) 

After hanging it up - it looked a little boring so I placed a narrow mirror I had in the center of it

And that's what I did last night when insomnia hit !

Have a wonderful day everyone - I intend to spend much of mine floating in the pool - it's hot hot hot here and I'm loving every second of it ( I am NOT ready for Fall in the least ! ) 

Much love,

Sharing at these fabulous parties!
Carolyn's Homework                           Savvy Southern Style                      Beyond the Picket Fence
French Country Cottage                       Redoux Interiors                             My Turn For Us
CraftOManiac                                      Be Different Act Normal                Redhead can Decorate
That's what Che said                            Between Naps on the Porch           Sand & Sisal
A Stroll Thru Life                                 Stone Gable                                   Cupcakes & Crinoline
Kathe with an E                                   Homestories A to Z                        The DIY Dreamer