The projects starts here!

I have learned the last several months of being a home owner that project "make my house perfect quickly" is not possible.  It's OVERWHELMING!  Pinning like crazy, looking at home improvement/design magazines, blogs, finding new ideas, coming up with my own.  Where do you start??  I only have a limited amount of rooms/walls to decorate and sadly only a limited amount of money but how do you pick just ONE idea for a room!  Realizing my house will never be free of projects to do as long as I keep finding new fun ways to make my house a home and as long as my taste keep changing... OH and of course as long things in the home continue to need replacing or simple updates/repairs, am I right?  So, here we go onto my little families "new" adventure.  AND here's to taking it ONE PROJECT AT A TIME!! Here's the house that started it all!

I can't find the original first picture.  This house was covered in bushes that we took out.  We have already started several projects but sadly none of them are complete.  Few are close, however...
First things first, take out the nasty bushes in front and back and have a little fun while doing it. CHECK! (My little guy was in HEAVEN!  He LOVES all things construction vehicles!!  Oh to be young again and having simple things make you so happy!)

Next,  Fix the roof that was in TERRIBLE condition. CHECK!  NOT a fun project, but necessary!!

My partner in crime... 

And let's be honest, neither of those projects were the FIRST projects we started on, just the first to blog about.
Many MANY more to come, the good, the bad and the UGLY!  Fun times!!

I'm a Novice

I just want to post a little bit about me. Don't worry, it won't be a long post but will be a necessary one (for me).

Truth: In college I declared 3 different majors.  My 1st being Interior Design.  I have always wanted to learn this skill.  I've always loved it!  BUT a friend told me how hard it was and it scared me.  I didn't have much confidence in my school skills so I went another direction.... Nutrition.  I LOVE that stuff!  I love to be healthy, I love to know what's healthy.  I don't always eat or workout perfectly but I LOVE it nonetheless.  3rd, I was a voice major and that's what I finished (mostly) with.  I still love all three things and currently working on improving each (with someone's help) one way or another.  Looking back I wish I would have been more confident and finished all 3 majors but hope to someday go back and finish (probably start over)! For now, I will do what I can to improve my skills but will consider myself a novice in all areas!

That leads me to my next thought:  I am a design blog follower.  It has been very helpful and sometimes really discouraging.  (I hope I'm not alone in that! Haha!!)  Either I don't have the kind of money required to do a "simple and inexpensive" project or I have a pinterest experience.  You know what I'm talking about, right? You see something, follow the tutorials which claim to be so EASY and then your project is a complete FAIL!  I see these blogs, try to follow the idea and FAIL!  It's so frustrating!!  It was ONLY until I had my own house and had to work through all the fails and problems that I realized the pictures don't show the whole truth! Failures happen!  Projects look like a mess when you think they shouldn't  But you have to work through them!  You've heard the saying, "If at first you don't succeed try try again" right? Its true!  TRY TRY AGAIN and maybe sometimes again and again.  And remember, what worked for me (or the post you read on pinterest) might not work for you and that doesn't make me better then you or vice versa.  I can tell you how I got from point A to point B but you might have to tweek those directions to fit your style (or you can copy completely) either way, you're being creative!  How?  Because no matter how awesome we are at doing something we are all different and the outcome will be different!  And that is PERFECT and what makes us unique, right?!?!  SO.... don't be afraid for your projects to turn out differently then your inspirations.  These are all things I have learned through following blogs. So why am I doing a blog?  First, because I love to decorate. Secondly, because I want to see more "average" people decorating their homes.  I figured I might as well give it a go.  SO, back to my original thought.  I'm a novice... I am learning.  This blog isn't about me being perfect or doing everything the easiest way.  Again, I'm learning but wanted to share my "journey" from making the house I live in feel like my home, my personal "refuge from the storms" of life!

If you choose to join me just know this blog is all about trial and error and not perfection!  You'll see my "pinterest" fails!  I'll post them, but only because, WHY NOT??  AND just a heads up... if you are only wanting to follow a real decorator I would be so flattered if you thought I was worth of a follow but just know I'm not a pro!  Just a Novice!!  *wink!!

Crock Pot Apple Butter

I have to tell you first off, again, this is NOT my recipe but I found it on pinterest (blog information is at the bottom of the post) and tried it out and LOVED it... so I wanted to post it.  It was EASY!1  and it is very yummy.  If you haven't been able to tell already, I'm all about easy!

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Makes a little more than 1 pint

1 dozen apples, peeled, cored, cubed

1/2 Cup Water

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon All Spice

Step 1:

Peel, Core, and Chop a dozen apples. I used green apples from a neighbors yard and I also used about 14 apples instead of just 12.  I peeled them and used my apple cutter to cut them and then cut them in slices.  Made for quick work!

Step 2:

Toss the apples in the sugar and spices.

Step 3:

Put everything in the Crockpot, let it cook.

I cooked it on high for about 4-5 hours…. it cooked down quite a bit.  I am wishing now that I did more since my apples only made one bottle of apple butter

Step 4:

This is optional but I blended it down like the recipe on pinterest told me to and I am happy I did... it tastes and looks awesome!

Yay, for easy recipes.  This is an awesome one and I am glad I found it.  Thanks to Allison Shaw at http://changingmydestiny.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/crockpot-apple-butter/  can't wait to try out the pumpkin butter.  Everyone should stop by her blog and check it out!

Simple and EXTREMELY delicious Salads

Jenny Townsend Salad.  

This is my most favorite salad in the world!  

I can eat this salad until I die of over eating, it is the best!!!

This recipe does require a little thought because you have to prepare the dressing 3 hours, at least, before you are ready to serve it.  BUT it is SIMPLE and takes minutes to do.

I'm going to try to post picture with my recipes but I'm also going to be trying new ones... first time cooking some recipes so I'm not sure how well I will do with the pictures but I promise to give honest reviews of its ease and taste.  Remember... I won't have accurate timing on meals because no matter what my griddle will take probably double the time it takes to cook on  a normal stove.

Ingredients:

2 heads of romaine lettuce

 2 Cups grape tomatoes cut in quarters

1/4- 1/2 lb. crumbled bacon (I often use turkey beacon because it is not as fattening and don't feel like it changes the taste too much.  That is up to you)

2/3 c. toasted almonds

1 c. Grated Swiss Cheese

1/3 c. Parmesan Cheese

 1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

Dressing:

(make 3 hours in advance)

3/4 c Olive  or vegetable oil (I prefer  olive oil but it doesn't matter at all)

Juice of one lemon

3 cloves of garlic, minced well (no one wants to eat huge chunks of garlic)

Directions: :)

 Mix the ingredients how  you want but ....  I cut the middle out of the leaves and throw them out.  Then, cut the leaves to the size I want.  I think the rest is pretty self explanatory.  If you want to broil the almonds it is quicker but they will burn fast if you aren't watching them.  Just watch until they are a light golden brown.    I never mix my dressing into the salad until right before we serve it... that is just my preference though.

I don't think this would feed more than 5-10 people.  I usually always try to double this because it gets eaten so fast it just seems that there is never enough.

I hope you like it and if you don't that is ok because I LOVE IT  ;)!!!

Another Simple and delicious Salad

I can't stop eating this!

I can not take credit for this salad recipe.  I stole it from a friend who also has a blog you should check out (www.snowdelicious.blogspot.com)  BUT it was too good not to post about.  

3/4 lb sliced mushrooms
2-3 bunches of spinach
3/4 lb grated Swiss cheese
1 c. drained and rinsed cottage cheese
1 small head iceberg lettuce
1/2 lb crisped and crumbled bacon

Combine and toss with the following dressing just before serving:

1 1/2 t. poppy seeds
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1 purple onion, thinly sliced
3/4 c. vinegar
1 1/2 c oil
3/4 t. dry mustard

Make ahead of time. Stir before putting on salad. This makes a lot of dressing, more than you need for a single batch of salad. Enjoy!