Turning over a new leaf...tablecloth

Just a simple Sunday afternoon dinner outside, enjoying the beautiful fall weather. My dishes are not the traditional fall colors, but I set the table according to a 

vintage tablecloth

I got from my mother. 

 I still wanted my tablescape to have a "fall" like theme, even if the colors were a little different for the season. I love the retro feel of the tablecloth. I used the colors of the corn to decide what dishes to use. 

 It just so happened that I had leaf dishes that matched the tablecloth as well, so I was sure to include them in the tablescape. They worked out perfectly. 

 Of course, I had to use some corn in the tablescape, since the tablecloth is covered in corn design. I chose a couple of Indian ears of corn, that were more on the muted side. 

 I cut off parts of the corn husk and used it to wrap up the silverware at each place setting. I used a (very small) piece of clear tape to keep the corn husk wrapped around the utensils. 

 I purposely tried to use a different color of husk at each plate. The colors of the corn and corn husk blended in perfectly with the muted greens and blues. 

 My leaf dishes and green goblets are both Wal-Mart specials. Neither were over $1, as I bought them both after the holidays. 

 I put some cabbage plants, pansies and the corn in an old earthenware bowl for the simple centerpiece. 

 While the corn skirted the edge of the tablecloth, the inner part of the cloth is scattered with leaves. My plates were a perfect match. 

 When it was time to use the silverware, it tore apart easily and that little piece of tape in the back was not a problem! 

 Sometimes the very simple tables are just as wonderful as the grand tables with expensive dishes. 

Especially outdoors, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, with beautiful weather, with some of my favorite people! 

Linking to:

Wow Us Wednesday

Open House Thursday
Tablescape Thursday
Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits

Apple Butterscotch Bars---And So It Begins

When I say, "And so it begins...," I mean my effort to supply you with (what I think are) tasty recipes to use during the upcoming holiday season. 

Then I think to myself, "Really, Self?  It's not like people can't just go to Pinterest and look up any kind of recipe they want in the entire world." 

But Self will not listen and so it begins that over the next several weeks I will share recipes with you. My promise is that every recipe I share will be tried and true and tasty! Like the Apple Butterscotch Bars for instance. Oh. My. Word.  These even got two (very large) thumbs-up from my two youngest sons. 

I started with this recipe because I had some apples I needed to use up. I can't even remember what kind of apples they were. I know they were not baking apples and they still worked very well. I am one of those kind of girls that makes-do with what she has on hand. I peeled the apples then chopped them up before mixing them in. 

I put the mixture in a casserole dish/cake pan and sprinkled butterscotch chips over the top of the batter right before I put it in the oven. Deliciousness. 

The recipe did not call for this, but I added it and it was wonderful.....I added caramel to the top of the cake bars right when they came out of the oven. The caramel melted down into the cake bars. It was SO good. 

I have added it to the recipe I am including. It is a step you do not want to leave out! 

Apple Butterscotch Bars with Caramel Topping

2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla extract
2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
3 c. apples, cored, peeled and chopped
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. butterscotch chips

Combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; mix well. Stir in apples and nuts. Spread in a lightly greased 13"x9" baking pan; sprinkle with butterscotch chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. (Optional)...When the bars come out of the oven, spread melted caramel over the top. (You can use the kind that is used on ice cream). Also I used a mixture of walnuts and pecans (because that is what I had), but I liked the walnuts best. It gives it some crunch! Makes about 3 dozen.....if my sons are not at your house! 

Just so you know, my recipe did not make 3 dozen. My sons cut their first (generous) piece to taste-test. Then after that the next piece(s!!) were even more generous....as you can imagine. 

Enjoy this delicious recipe. 

Linking this to:

Wow Us Wednesday

Foodie Friday

The 80's Called and they Want Their Furniture Back...

Way back when I showed these two pieces we acquired...for free. 

I had finished painting them, but had not put the new handles on the doors, nor had I put the new backing on the two units. I finished them shortly after the post, but I never got around to featuring them again. 

Not only did the two units get new paint (Coco and Duck Egg Annie Sloan), new oil rubbed bronze handles and a new bead

board back, but they got moved to the other side of the room. 

I swear there is a big entertainment/storage unit in Ballards catalog that is almost the exact same color as the Coco sans the Ducks Egg. I love the Ducks Egg showing through. Ballard's should take note! Ha! 

I especially love how my globe collection that sits atop the entertainment unit brings out the colors of the furniture exactly. 

Let me remind you how the two pieces looked the day we got them. They had been my sister-in-law's and she wanted something new. When she came to my house this past summer she did not even recognize the pieces. She wanted them back! 

I used our saws-all and cut off the dated piece of trim that was on top of each of them. There was also some brass trim that went around the bottom doors but I could not get it out. So I just left it and used my chalk paint to paint right over....and it worked perfectly! 

The backs that came with them were just that flimsy press board. I replaced it with bead board. 

The room where we put this unit is behind the den (which is behind the living room). We don't really have a name for the room, but I guess it would be considered a study. It is the room where I hang out the most. You can probably tell by all the vintage classroom material. This is the room where we have the big computer which I still use frequently. I keep all my photographs on an external hard drive on the big computer. I use my laptop to peruse everyone's blogs. 

I also have vintage Oklahoma memorabilia in the room as well. I thought the long side of the piece was the perfect place to hang the old Oklahoma banners. It breaks up the long side and has great muted colors. (Those are vintage Oklahoma postcards framed beside it.)

When I painted the two pieces, I painted them completely in the Duck Egg chalk paint first. It did cover it pretty well, but since I knew I was going to put another color on top, I did not make sure it was painted precisely. The wood was that shiny 80's wood (?) and the chalk paint went right over it with no problem. I then painted the Coco on top of the Duck Egg and only painted one coat of that. There were places where I went back and did a second coat, but not very many. 

I then used Minwax in the "Natural" color and waxed both pieces liberally. Then I took a soft sand block and sanded off places I wanted to sand. Some I went just to the Duck Egg and some places I went down to the wood. I buffed the wax and it turned out exactly how I had hoped. 

I used the bead board from Lowe's that comes already cut into the half sheet. It was the exact size we needed for each of the two back pieces....IF we nailed it up going horizontally. I thought that worked out great and gave it a little different feel. I put a little of the Minwax Natural on the bead board just to take the "whiteness" down a notch. 

Since the room is full of muted colors, the piece blends in perfectly. 

It has loads of storage, display and even great space on top. 

I'm SO glad my sister in law decided to update her living room!! 

Linking to:

Open House Thursday

Furniture Friday

Tutorial Tips and Tidbits

Metamorphosis Monday

Wow Us Wednesday

The Write Stuff..........

Several weeks ago, my very good friend from school asked me if I would like to go to a private dinner with her.....to see James Patterson.

For real.

Like THE James Patterson.

THE James Patterson that has written about a hundredfiftymillion books!

 You can only imagine that it took me a nano-second to say "YES!!!"  The dinner was a fundraiser for the Oklahoma State University library. When we first walked in there was a big display where one could purchase books. It just so happened that the week of our dinner was also the week that his two latest books had come out. He also had some of his children's books there for sale, as well as some of his more "romantic books."  Awwww. It was wonderful!

 My friend that had invited me, is an alum of OSU. (I love the University of Oklahoma, but I am old enough to know if someone is gifting me with a great present, then to certainly use my manners and not mention my University---As they are huge rivals). Like my family is for OU, her family is for OSU.  Her brother is on the Board of Directors for OSU. He is also a prominent doctor in the state and he had purchased a table for the dinner. Our table was front and center, right below where James Patterson gave his speech. Not only was our table unbelievable, but my friend's brother had also gifted us with the latest novels that had just come out...AND they were autographed and waiting for us at our table. 

 We also got "private time" with Mr. Patterson, where we could "chat" with him, and have any books we purchased when we first came in signed as well. I was in author-heaven. 

 Mr. Patterson was extremely friendly and humorous as well. He told us his favorite book (as of right now) are the Junior High series he wrote for his young son. I bought those for my nephew, so when I heard those were Mr. Patterson's favorites, I knew I had scored! 

 He told us that at any time he could have up to seven (7!!!!!!) manuscripts going at one time. He lines them up on his desk and makes sure he writes every single day. Someone asked him how he could keep seven books straight and he acted like it was absolutely no big deal. WOW!!

He also said several times how utterly important it is to get kids to read. (Amen to that!!) 

 Believe it or not, I did not take my camera. I was not sure of the "rules", so I did not want to lug it around, if it was not allowed. The picture above and below were part of the "party pics" that were taken of our group. My friend is in the orange slacks next to me. Her sister-in-law is in the green next to Mr. Patterson. It was her husband that gave all of us this very generous gift. 

It was such a fun night. It was great to hear an accomplished, well-known writer give his story about how he became a writer.  What I loved best is that he said over and over again..."We all have a story to tell." 

Hmmmm.....Well we all know I have "a big story to tell!"  Mr. James Patterson and I have something in common!
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Wow Us Wednesday

CHECK This Out!

 There is an architectural salvage store in OKC that I have been trying to get to for months. I went there in January after seeing pictures of some of the merchandise online. One of the pictures I had seen was of a big checker board sign. The sign was behind a LOT of stuff, but I still picked it out in the photograph. 

 So my Hubs took me to the store in January, we get there and it is closed. Dang. The sign said they were going to have an auction to get rid of some of their stuff. So I left disappointed. (The auction was scheduled on a day I would be at work.) 

 Then towards the end of summer I started noticing that the shop was advertising again and once again showing all kinds of great old things. I did not see the checkered sign, but I did see lots of things I would love.

 Then yesterday out of the blue, the Hubs decided we should go and check out the shop again. It is only about 30 minutes away, so it's not like it's a long jaunt. This time the place was open. Oh my gosh they have wonderful things. I could have spent thousands. Literally. The place, while wonderful, was also very pricey. Everything I loved was in the (high) hundreds. Or thousands. We were looking at old doors and even those were in the high hundreds. 

 Then I spotted it. There behind an old radiator and surveyor's pole was a big piece of checked tin. I could not believe it was still there from January! I "checked" the price and it was $60. It was affordable. I could not believe my good fortune. The tin was still there and about the only thing in the place I could afford. 

 It was fun looking at everything...and dreaming....but we "checked" out with only our big heavy piece of checked tin. My husband said (at least a dozen times), "I can't believe you are paying $60 for a piece of tin." 

On the other hand I was doing the happy dance that "the piece of tin" was ONLY  $60!!

When I "checked" out the man that owns the place told me he had a dozen of those tins and that was the last one. Oh my lucky day! I came home and put it immediately up on the blank wall behind the couch in the den. I know what I want there permanently, but have not found it yet. So in the meantime, the Purina feed store will be in my den. It will eventually end up in my kitchen. Probably. Maybe. Right now I'm just hoping my "$60 piece of (Purina feeds) tin does not make that giant cow get hungry!

Linking with:

Metamorphosis Monday

Wow Us Wednesday
Open House Party 
Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits