Juxtapostion Christmas/Organic + Shiny

Baskets, wooden containers, pinecones, twigs and evergreens from my yard----combined with glass ball ornaments,  lights and my mother-in-law's crystal. The Ying-Yang of organic paired with shiny.

Displaying this years favorite Christmas cards using (my mother's )silver forks!

Happy Holidays with love,
Pennydish (Susie)

Remodeling ends....teaching begins.

Same dishwasher and fridge,  Blackwood Sheet Metal cut new stainless steel to replace the wood panels. I was able to watch them fabricate my order and several more intricate projects. In my next life I  want to be a sheet metal worker.

New rug from Pot Barn

And my Christmas gift, that started this project, the new gas cooktop.

Before and After and After

One step forward one step back. A stainless steel panel was fabricated and installed. However, when removing the protective coating a huge scratch was created across the entire panel.  The stainless steel backsplash was just pulled off the wall and a new panel is being made.

Ahhh, more light, more fresh air and a better view from my command post!

Penny Dish's: Kitchen Update Update

A lovely Christmas gift of a new gas cooktop snowballed into: a bigger window over the sink+removal of hunter green tile backsplash+new white quartz countertops+new under cabinet lighting+new sink+ faucet+disposal.  Like all remodeling projects we learned along the way a heating duct had to be moved and it's auxiliary fan was fried and needed to be replaced. Oh-- and a  shorted out doorbell continued to ring with each hammer blow, driving the already frazzled anniethedog to distraction. Meanwhile, Bob from Bob's Septic Service has disappeared into the hole he is digging  in the yard trying to discover the problem  with our septic system aerator (whatever that is) I've already  had to apologize to my neighbors this morning because Bob was digging a hole on THEIR property trying to discern the source of OUR septic problem.

Original green tile before and after



















At this point the double cabinet had
been yoinked off the wall and
taken by the cabinet maker to
cut in half to allow for the new
BIGGER window.

Because the tile did not come off easily...
 the remaining drywall was removed and the
new window is being  installed today!

Peek in your Valentine Box

Find free vintage Valentines online at Seven Deadly Sinners, Scrapbooking Computer or Curly-Wurly .

Or--just take a trip back to second grade.

XXXOOO

Susie

Art, in the back of your closet

Do you have an instrument stuck in a case and tucked under a bed or in the back of your closet?  Drag it out, it's a work of art. Your home is an extension of you, what  better way to add personality to your decor.

Guitar hangers are very easy to install and can be found at Guitar Center.

An antique accordion, 

thumb harp,

steel drum and djembe,

and for inspiration, Linda Ronstadt's piano!

29 blackstreet-Posters/Cards

These graphic cards and posters are lovely, affordable and just in time for Valentine's Day. Find them on Etsy at:

29 blackstreet

Cards go for $4.00 and would look nifty framed with a large mat (see before and after, Pennydish January 17). Posters are $16 and originals $50.

Simple Pleasure-Bird Watching

White Breasted Nuthatch

The ice storm gave me plenty of time to watch the birds at my feeders. Bird watching is a hobby that has been shown to lower blood pressure and ease depression. It is a simple way to bring nature closer.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

An inexpensive feeder and a bird identification book are all you need to get started. Stan Tekiela has developed a bird field guide for each state. It is a great size, organized by color and very easy to use.

Find the bird field guide for your state on: Amazon

This suet feeder is under $5 at Lowes, suet cakes  are about  $1 and can be found in the pet food section of your grocery or your local  hardware. Suet attracts insect eating birds like woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and wrens.

Cardinal

easy/healthy/appetizer-snappy green beans

Snappy Green Beans are easy to make... the recipe uses these five ingredients: fresh green beans,vinegar, sugar, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. I often make this dish when I need to bring an appetizer to an event, they are a bit different than the usual party fare, and I am always asked for the recipe. Although the  recipe is simple, there are a few "secrets"--first, make the marinade and let the flavors mingle for at least 4 hours or better yet overnight.

The marinade:                                                                        

!/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic minced





Wash the beans and snap off the ends, as you boil a large pot of water, blanch the greens beans, set a timer and let them cook for just 3 minutes.

Secret #2-  Immediately dunk the beans in ice water to stop the cooking.

Mix the beans with the marinade and allow them to absorb the flavors for at least 1/2 hour.

Although, a tasty appetizer, Snappy Green Beans also work as a side dish, and kids will eat them as a finger food. This recipe is from Great Good Food by Julee Rosso of Silver Palate fame.

Your Bird Buddies are Hungry

Don't throw out that old dried out bagel....

With peanut butter and  twine you can save that bagel from heading down the disposal or to the landfill and attract some wildlife to your yard.


The Red Pepper? It's optional, birds do not have taste buds, but squirrels do!
So if you want to repel squirrels and attract birds, sprinkle the peanut butter with Red Pepper flakes or some Cayenne Pepper. String up the bagel with twine and hang it about five feet above the ground.

Anniethedog clearing the yard of squirrels.





...And look! A Hairy Woodpecker!!

Okay, he is on the suet feeder, next to the bagel, but I was too cold and impatient to get a picture of him eating the bagel.  (However, I believe, he is LOOKING at, and seriously considering  the bagel).

Rearrange a room without sweating or swearing

I have a difficult time envisioning a furniture arrangement without pushing the couch physically from one end of the room to the other. But my niece directed me to the Bassett Room Planner , where you can create the dimensions of your room and drag either generic pieces or photo representations of  furniture around your plan.

      
We used this site when we began planning a master suite addition onto our home. It really helped us think about structural features like window placement based on where you would logically place the furniture.

Give it a try at:
Bassett Room Planner