Archive for September, 2007

September 28th, 2007

To share or not to share

At every potluck or dinner party there is that one person who can best be classified as the “non recipe sharer”. This is usually the person with the best dish. Everyone else is just rattling off their recipes but when it comes to this person’s turn to share they just blatantly say no. I understand why. It’s their signature dish. They don’t want twenty other people to show up with it at the next potluck.

I feel the same way whenever someone asks to borrow my bright yellow jacket. They are welcome to any of my traditional coats, but this one is just mine. However, it just seems weird & rude to decline someone’s request for a recipe. Have you noticed this at potlucks? Is there a polite way to decline a recipe request? I guess inventing pumpkin pie popcorn has me philosophical about recipe discussion :P


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September 28th, 2007

Who needs primer?

A few years ago I had the brilliant ideas to faux finish the walls in the breakfast nook. This was the perfect solution because the walls didn’t have a lot of texture on them so this would be a fantastic way to add dimension to the room. I really wanted a stucco look. I just decided to jump in. I didn’t need a fancy sea sponge. I’d figure it out as I went along, how hard could it be?

Honestly, I’ve never really liked the research part that comes along with DIY projects. Since I didn’t read up about the project I used paint instead of glaze. I didn’t want to bother with a primer or base coat. I didn’t know to use two similar colors. I also never figured out that I should blend the colors together. So I basically slapped dark green paint on top of taupe paint using a plastic bag. It took a very long time. The result was that the walls looked moldy. That paint treatment lasted for less than a week before I painted over it. I’ve been scared of faux finshes ever since because I just don’t think that I can do them correctly.

This is why doityourself.com is such a great site. They have tips on everything from outdoor woodworking to decorative painting. It’s really one of the most extensive DIY sites that I’ve seen. There are even helpful DVD’s that really could’ve saved several of my home project disasters. I especially like the fact that the site even has forums with categories such as auto, plumbing, gardening & everything in between. The site is easy to use & even makes the research aspect of DIY projects painless & fun. So my advice to anyone embarking on a DIY project is knowledge is power. Learn as much as you can before you ever start because if you’re like me, you won’t just pick it up as you go along.


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September 28th, 2007

Pumpkin Pie Popcorn Recipe

Bet you can’t say Pumpkin Pie Popcorn three times fast. Ok, so you are probably thinking that you are at the wrong blog because I don’t cook. However, I can make popcorn. The other day I wondered “What would happen if put cinnamon on popcorn?”. The answer is “It would be very yummy”.

Ok so this recipe doesn’t have any pumpkin in it & it’s not really a recipe because I have no idea how to measure a dash or a smidgen. Plus, this may be one of those things that only I find good & everyone else thinks is disgusting. So, proceed with caution. Ok, I’ll stop discouraging you from trying this now. Feel free to share your yummy popcorn recipes in the comments.

Popped popcorn

Whatever amount of melted butter you usually use

4 dashes of cinnamon

2 dashes of nutmeg

You can either mix the spices into the butter, or just sprinkle them on top of the popcorn. The best part is that it makes the house smell like pumpkin pie.


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September 28th, 2007

There should be a decorating law

There should be a decorating law that only one faux finish is allowed per room. Geesh, I’m starting to sound like Vern Yip. I used to love faux finishes: faux brick; faux tile; & faux stucco. It’s a really inexpensive way to spruce up a room with paint.

However, whenever I see designer Frank Fontana I cringe. Granted, he’s probably the most likable decorator out there & he’s pretty. What is there not to like? Every single surface has a faux finish on it. It is great for a TV set, but not for everyday life. The result is a room with too many textures & competing patterns. I’ll refrain from using the expression faux paux because that’s too easy. As Vern would say “That’s not Tuscany, that’s faux Tuscany.” If you must use a faux finish, try to keep it at one per room. This will really help it to stand out & be special What decorating law would you make?

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September 28th, 2007

My favorite kids craft

One of my favorite kids crafts is playdoh. Yes, I know it’s simple but it really gets kids to be creative & turns them into mini sculptors. The only downside to playdoh is that it dries out. There are very few disappointments in life that are equal to opening up a can of dried playdoh.

So I was excited to read about moon sand. It’s a sand that is basically like dough. Moon Sand cleans up easily & doesn’t stain. It won’t dry out & you can even sculpt & carve it. The best part of moon sand is that you can use bake it to save your masterpieces forever. Moon Sand can even get wet. It repels water so it even floats.

Moonsandkits.com has bulk amounts of Moon Sand for the same price that you’d find it at a superstore. Plus, this website has tons of accessories. They even have glitter sand. I think that this is the perfect gift for Christmas or birthdays. I want some & I’m a grown up.


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