No More Reflection!

After oohing and ahhing at all the nifty chalkboard paint projects out in blogland I decided to take the plunge and do a little copycatting.

 So, I started with this.....

And some of this......

Then I did a little of this.....

And presto! changeo! drum roll please........

I ended up with THIS!!!!!!

Oh how I love the results and here is something else I love, love love:

Wal Mart Mirror $16.97

ChalkBoard Pant $  4,99

Total:  $21.96!!!

I have to say this was one of the easiest and most professional looking projects I have ever done!

How cool that you can do this over a mirror or any type of glass for that matter?  Think of all the picture frames and outdated prints a person has laying around the house - what a great recycling project.  Can't you just see a series of 5X7 frames chalkboard painted with your family name or your child's name?  Now, I want to chalkboard paint everything! (But I will show restraint - less is more with something like this! But....but....but.....(yes, I am whining!).

I came across a great quote for my first message, since this is at the entrance of our family room: "Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!"  It will be fun to change the quotes to fit the moments/seasons of our lives.

Wishing you happiness,

Jane

Linking to:

Debbie-Doos Newbie Party
Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Savvy Southern Style's Wow Us Wednesday
Southern Lovely

 

Kristen's Creations: Share Your Creations

Gettin' My Craft On...Sneak Peek

Oh looky what I've been using......

I've been working on a super fun project today and am now in the process of giving it a place of "honor" in our house.  I am giddy with the results!  Hope to show you soon.....

Wishing you happiness,
Jane

Hunt Scene

Being the - ahem - age that I am, I remember when hunt scene decor was popular way, way back in the late 80's/early 90's.  Oh how I loved that look! But alas, I was also deeply in love with ducks, hearts, and teddy bears (well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!) - so no hunt look at my house.

Fast forward, and of course, my tastes have changed many times over, but I have always been drawn to hunt scenes.  Recently I found a sweet little oil painting of a hunt scene and I finally brought a little touch of that look to my home.

It's a bit weather-beaten, and frameless, but it has a certain charm to it. It was a great deal at $36.00 from a favorite antique store. I think I will leave it this way too - at least for awhile.  I have not found the perfect home for it just yet, but since I cannot be patient I took down an existing picture to put this one up.

For now, it hangs above my antique youth chair, which is currently in service as a plant stand. Obviously, it's not hung properly but again, I just wanted to hang it up so I could gaze upon it's loveliness until it has a proper home!

So, after twenty-plus years of first wanting a hunt scene picture, I finally have one. It's funny how fads and trends seem to recycle themselves if you wait long enough.  (However, I am hoping the ducks/hearts/mauve movement has been laid to decorating rest - I just can't go back there! Ha ha!

Is there anything you used to decorate with that has now come full circle and is "in" again?

Wishing you happiness,
Jane

Linking to Debbie-doos Newbie Party
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/dining-room-venetian-glass-mirror-the-179th-metamorphosis-monday/

Easy Manicotti - Yum!

The other day I posted about my being "published" in Gooseberry Patch's Harvest Home.  I was lucky enough to have them send me a free copy of the book and I was anxious to try out some of the recipes in it.

Yesterday, I gave the Easy Manicotti a try and it was f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s-!

Made with staples on hand: hamburger, onion, manicotti noddles, spaghetti sauce, string cheese, and shredded mozarella.  Oh boy.....it looks and smells like it's gonna be good!

After a quick 45 minutes or so, add a veggie and some crusty bread and presto!

EASY MANICOTTI

Brown 1# hamburger along with 1 diced onion

Add 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

Spoon half of the meat mixture in bottom of greased lasagna pan

Prepare 1 - 8 oz box manicotti according to pkg directions; drain

Put 1 cheese stick inside each manicotti shell and set atop meat mixture

Cover all with remaining meat mixture

Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Uncover, top with 1 & 1/2 cups shredded mozarella and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly

Let stand 5 minutes and serve

Bon Appetit!

Wishing you happiness,

Jane

See Rock City & A Recipe!

As a kid growing up, my family loved to pile into the station wagon and head "down south."  It was always an adventure and we especially loved looking for all the signs on the barns, silos, and roadways advertising "Ruby Falls" and "See Rock City" in Tennessee. Have any of you seen them?  Starting just south of Chicago, these signs were everywhere and were destinations we all looked forward to over & over again.

Mr. Bluebird & I honeymooned in the south and of course, spent some time at Lookout Mountain! On a trip to Nashville about 15 years ago, I picked up a cute birdhouse replica of the Rock City barns. It's authentic colors went well with my very country style at the time, but I decided to give it a 2012 update.

Out came the paint, and voila! Lightened and brightened - giving it new life outside the basement it had been relegated to for the past few years

I like the black roof, so that remained the same.

It's new home is above my cabinets, next to the license plate I picked up in Branson this past spring. I shared that story with you here.

How fun to to have reminders of  great vacations everyday! I wonder how many of these old buildings are still standing now - they have been such an iconic piece of  automobile travel history. So very charming.

I will be back tomorrow with an absolutely awesome and easy recipe - I hope you will join me!

Wishing you happiness,
Jane

Joining Marty at A Stroll Through Life for Tabletop Tuesday
and  Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

At the Copa...

...Copa Cabana!  Just a few words today and a lot of pics.  We are  planning a little summer shindig at our house and I wanted to add a beach-y cabana feel to our outside serving bar on the cheap.  I used 3 yards of white canvas and a handful of craft paint in vintage beachy colors.  I used blue tape to mask out stripes (ala beach towels & bocce balls) - not being overly concerned with perfection.

I just thinned the paint with water to give it a streaky, weather-worn patina.

I added grommets to the top and hung it from tiny finishiing nails. I am going to add some rope as a finishing detail. Again, I wanted a really casual, spur of the moment look.

A fun, easy, & cheap little accent - the fabric was even pre-hemmed! Woot!

In a few days, our tile-topped serving bar will be overflowing with drinks, fruits, and summer treats!  Everybody into the pool!

Wishing you happiness,
Jane

Linking to DebbieDoos Newbie Party

I've Been Published in Gooseberry Patch!

About a year ago I submitted a little memory piece to Gooseberry Patch cookbooks and I was lucky enough to have them publish it in their newest book, The Harvest Table. After a long wait for the book to be printed, I received my free copy in the mail today!  Now I realize this is not the Nobel Peace Prize or anything, but I am thrilled with my teensey, tiny little bit of fame! Ha ha!

If you have ever seen one of their cookbooks, you know they are filled with decorating ideas and seasonal memories....I love them for that reason alone, not to mention the recipes.  They also have fun artwork on the cover that make them perfect for seasonal kitchen decor - fun!

When I submitted my little blurb, I had no idea that I would be picked for inclusion in one of their books - kind of just did it on a whim.  But I am tickled that it made it to press! Thanks for indulging me in my braggy moment! 

Wishing you happiness,
Rock star Jane!!!!

Linking to:
Debbie-doos Newbie Party
Metamorphosis Monday with Between Naps on the Porch