Life Lately

Holiday Giveaway: Fuller Glass Document Box

We are excited to have connected with First of a Kind for a special holiday giveaway. Residing in both Santa Monica, California and Staten Island, First of a Kind focuses on providing discounts of up to 75% off on some of the world's best brands for home. They handpick unique and beautiful designs from around the world - statement pieces! 

One of those pieces is the Fuller Document Box - the epitome of classic style and sophistication. The clean style with the vintage brass borders and hinges creates a timeless piece that you can cherish for a long time to come. If you are in the tri-state area, be sure to visit their showroom.

Value $156
Dimensions: H: 3" W: 12" D: 10"

Please use the Rafflecopter widgit below to enter. This giveaway is available to residents of the United States. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is sponsored by First of a Kind.

The Never Ending To Do List

When you go through the process of buying your first home you have this grand vision of what you want to change to make it "your home". Well, we just surpassed our one year anniversary and it seems like we can never check anything off the list.

We bought an 84 year old home that was semi-flipped. What does semi-flipped mean? Semi-flipped means that they focused on the areas that would make them money including the kitchen and bathroom, refinishing the floors, new windows and roof, halfheartedly neglecting to focus on detail (FYI - this lack of detail, or sheer laziness, cost us to have to call a plumber because they washed tile grout down the bathtub and it hardened in the pipes). When buying a home, do your research and keep your eyes peeled during inspection. No matter what is found, you will always find more once you move into the home and start "using" everything.

Ok, off my soap box! So, we decided to make a list of all of the projects we wanted to do with our home partially to keep track of everything we wanted to do and honestly, isn't it a great feeling to check items off your list?

Here is our list, with accompanying pictures. We hopefully will be able to update periodically, you know, with all the free time we have.

(Disclaimer: Please disregard the mess! We have a 2 year old little monster. You sympathize, right?)

Front Yard/Porch

- Sand, repair and paint the wood trim
- Remove the bush and replant something more appealing
- Paint the trim around the front door
- Repaint the floor of the porch
- Seal any cracks in the walkway
- Replace exterior light near driveway

Entrance

- Strip molding, sand and paint

- Fix cracks and uneven walls, patch and paint

- Paint the trim around the front door
- Replace the exterior light fixture

- Build a bench for the seat with cubbies for baskets

- Paint the bathroom door

- Remove the pocket door and replace with a double sliding barn door

- Change light fixture

Half Bathroom

- Patch and skim coat walls

- Strip, sand and paint molding

- Paint the vanity
- Fix faucet

- Install shelving above the toilet
- Replace towel holder

- Hang artwork/decor

Living Room

- Hang artwork, pictures behind the couch

- Build remaining radiator cover near Avery's play area

- Build and install built-in's flanking the fireplace
- Repaint the ceiling
- Cover the archways with natural wood detail

- Hang curtains
- Get a larger circular coffee table

- Build long, thin table for behind the couch
- Install crown molding

Dining Room

- Finish painting the wainscoting

- Update the light fixture

- Find and refinish an old sideboard

- Install crown molding
- Hang artwork/decor 

- Hang window curtains

Kitchen

- Paint cabinets

- Paint the walls and trim

- Hang artwork/decor

- Replace backsplash
- Build a radiator cover
- Replace the basement door
- Add window coverings

Stairs to Second Floor / Upstairs Hallway

- Remove carpet 

- Repair, sand, stain and seal stairs

- Strip baseboards

- Paint the walls and baseboards

- Add carpet runner

- Refinish the handrail and affix with new hardware

- Hang artwork/decor

- Remove ceiling fan and patch

- Replace light fixture

- Close the hall closet opening and open/rebuild from the guest bedroom

- Refinish the banister

- Sand down all of the doors and repaint

- Change the office door to open from the other side

- Remove the pocket door to the guest bedroom and replace

- Hang artwork/decor over stairs and in hallway 

- Change hardware on all doors

Master Bedroom

- Strip baseboards and paint

- Patch and paint room 

- Hang curtains

- Build radiator cover

- Find vanity and refinish

- Refinish long dresser

- Maximize space in closet

- Replace the attic door and casing

- New bed frame

- Rug 

- Hang pictures and artwork

- Refinish Ikea dresser

Avery's Bedroom

- Remove bookcase 

- Add thick wood shelving on that wall

- Add crafts table

- Hang curtains

- Add artwork/decor to walls

- Add some paint color to the walls

- Maximize storage in closet

- Change light fixture

- Get him big boy sheets

Office

- Paint

- Install organization system on back wall for crafts

- Fix closet and maximize storage

- Add window treatments

- Install new light fixture

Guest Room

- Paint

- Move bed frame from Master (get mattress)

- Install new light fixture

- Replace carpet with hardwood floors

- Paint radiator cover

- Hang window coverings

- Hang artwork/decor
- Open up wall closet/close off hallway closet

Backyard

- Install gate

- Build two garden beds

- Remove concrete walkway

- Lay down patio

- French drain in the back

5 Steps To Make Your Own Dried Oregano

This past spring, we decided to take a crack at the whole gardening thing.We built two garden beds (more on those another time) and planted a variety of herbs and vegetables we enjoy. Being this was our first time caring for a garden, we have a lot of key learnings to apply to our next spring beds. We neglected to think about overcrowding and had to move plants around, we over watered and under watered, we put plants in partial shade when it needed direct sun - you name it, we did it!

However, we were successful in one area - herbs. We bought and planted the herbs we thought we would use the most including sage, basil and oregano. They were all fairly low maintenance, often regenerated and are super delicious!

When the first week of consistent cold weather came I knew I had to start storing my herbs before they died from the low temperatures. Here are five steps to make your own dried oregano.

1. Get Your Materials Ready

All you will need is a pair of gardening sheers, twine or string and the oregano. Simple enough, right?

2. Cut the Stems

Make sure when cutting the plant to cut closer to the bottom. You can do this throughout the summer and your plant will often regenerate. Once the stems are cut, place them in water until you are ready to tie and hang.

 

3. Hanging the Oregano

Bunch the oregano together and tie the twine around the base of the bunch. Find a dry location to hang the bunch and leave it there until dry. This bunch took just about two weeks. 

4. Removing the Leaves

Once the leaves are dry they will be easy to remove. Hold the stem from the top with one hand, pinch the top of the stem and run your fingers all the way down. All of the leaves should flake off. If not the bunch needs more time to dry. 

5. Grind the Leaves

The last step is to grind the leaves to a powder. Take the leaves and put them in a food processor (I simply used the Magic Bullet and it worked perfectly). Once at the desired consistency, put in a pretty little jar and use as needed.

Covering Those Ugly Radiators

I remember my parents old kitchen when I was a kid... Dark red wallpaper with a white polka dot design. Little thin blacks vines encompassing the dots as they flowed to the ceiling.  Red linoleum covered the floor with a brick-like design.  It had a closed in feel at times due to the dark colors of the interior.  The one thing I remember distinctively is the wooden radiator cover.  It had a solid composition and was dressed in a very dark stain and shiny poly.  A perforated aluminum screen enclosed the front for ventilation.  When my parents redid their kitchen years after moving in, they installed baseboard heating and the radiator cover was history.

When we moved into our house last September, one of the things that was an immediate eye sore was the exposed radiators in each room - and I mean each and every room!  We had spoken to a plumber friend of ours about replacing them with baseboards and he looked at us like we were insane. He explained how much heat they retain when off and how they are the most efficient source of heat that is no longer made - so we decided to keep them and address the aesthetic issue instead.

I was noodling around Pinterest to gain some inspiration that matched our style but I was continuously striking out. A large majority of them had the aluminum grate in the front which we didn't feel would fit in well with our 85 year old home and our style.  I then saw a cover that was made entirely out of wood with these beautiful slats in the front to allow proper airflow.  I really liked the boldness of the wood than the understated grating.  The Craftsman style also meshed well with our aesthetic taste and would fit in perfectly in the living room... so I got to work.

Here is our latest and greatest! We are so happy how these came out. We used Minwax Natural stain and since these covers will be exposed to temperature changes, we applied three coats of Minwax's Helmsman Spar Urethane (in semi-gloss). I can't wait to make more of these!

BEFORE

AFTER

Below is the first cover I completed for our living room. Since we spend most of our time in this room, we wanted to be sure we tackled this cover first to protect Avery. Here is the cover unfinished - I would have left it natural since the grain was beautiful but it didn't match the room - we painted it white semi-gloss to match the molding in the room.

Check out the images below for some of our recent projects.

We are currently offering our custom radiators through Etsy. Since these are custom pieces, please email us for pricing details. Be sure to include the radiator dimensions, preferred style, stain/paint/unfinished and anything else we should be aware of. 

Mod Podging

Last year, when we moved into the house, Keith made Avery a step stool so he can look out the front window with Winston to watch all the cars, people and dogs go by. Eventually he will be able to use it to wash his hands and brush his teeth. 

We painted it white with a big black "A" on the top step. It was fine until the white started getting dirty and I found myself having to clean it quite frequently. I have been wanting to spruce it up for quite some time but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. That was until I was looking up Mod Podge for a dresser renovation and the light bulb went off! 

Materials Needed

All of these materials can be picked up at a craft's store such as Michaels or Amazon. I picked  up the Mod Podge  and foam brushes at Walmart because they were cheaper. 

• Desired object to enhance (this could be anything)
• Craft paper
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush
• Paper plate
• Drop cloth

I started by preparing the stool for paint by lightly sanding and cleaning it. Then I laid a drop cloth on the front lawn and got to painting. I sprayed the bottom with a light coat, let it dry 24 hours, then sprayed the top with a light coat. I repeated this process so the stool would have full coverage and there were no white spots seeping through. This process took a few days because I let it dry for a while and was working on this project in between others.

Determine what paper you would like to use for the project. I picked up a variety of decorative paper from Michael's at .55 - .99 cents per sheet. Since baseball is Avery's favorite sport, we decided to go with the baseball design. 

The next step is to trace and cut out the letter, or design, you would like to place on the object. We decided to continue with the large "A." This step takes a bit of measuring to ensure it fits the way you envisioned. Once the letter, or design, is cut out grab the Mod Podge and start crafting.

I started with a very thin layer of Mod Podge on the entire top step to ensure uniformity and that there were no weird lines from the glue once it dried. Then, I placed the paper on top of the glue and pressed down. It was helpful to start from one side and work my way across the paper. I used a card (from a deck of cards) to push it down and to eliminate any bubbles that might pop up.

Once the paper is flat on the object, I painted a very thin layer of Mod Podge over the entire top step/ Once that dried, I painted the last and final coat to make certain the edges don't creep up.

I found this website to be very helpful when planning my Mod Podge project.

Homemade Apple Fritter Bites

You might have seen our Apple Sauce Recipe we made last week after our annual apple picking trip. Well, we still have apples left over! In an effort to use the apples to make something absolutely delicious, I decided to test a small batch of Apple Fritter bites to see what the general consensus was - I will definitely be making them again!

APPLE FRITTER BITES

makes about a dozen

vegetable oil

3/4 cups flour

1/8 granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/3 cup milk

1 egg beaten

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. butter, melted

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, & cubed

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Heat oil in pan or fryer to 350F. I used a non-stick pan and about 1/4 inch of oil. Mix dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon) and set aside. In another bowl, add eggs lightly beaten. Add vanilla and milk to the eggs and lightly whisk together. Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, fold it gently until not quite combined, then add in melted butter and mix. Fold in cubed, peeled apples into the batter.

Add 1 tablespoon of batter into the heated oil. Once golden brown remove from the oil and set on paper towel to drain. 

Dip, or drizzle, fritters into the glaze while still warm.