cider dress

I love this gorgeous dress from Shabby Apple. Perfect for that big family Thanksgiving I’m hosting this year…

Cool drink of water, such a sweet surprise

This cherry pie over at smitten kitchen is probably the most popular pie I ever made. My husband noted recently that I’m the kind of baker who likes to bake for other people, as opposed to myself, and it’s true, I hardly ever just whip up something for us to have at home, but at any mention of a birthday I’ll be pulling out my pans. So if it’s popular, I consider it a success.

Generally dessert to me means cake, and particularly something with chocolate, but this cherry pie is pretty darn yummy. I like to make a pretty basic crust, all butter, no margarine, similar to Martha Stewart’s, but I don’t use a pastry blender, just my hands.

I’ll make this again as soon as I get one of Shabby Apple’s new aprons, to add to my ever-growing apron collection! A girl can’t have too many aprons, right? Even if my sequined one is less than practical for wiping pie filling on to.

Rag time

Nicole over at Making It Lovely posted that she is trying to cut down on paper towel use and I commented with an idea she found useful. And if that lady, one of my favorite housebloggers, finds it useful, maybe you will too.

After Jacob was born, I know we could have started to order them by the ton – lots of messes! But eventually I grew sick of the waste and the cost, and have started moving to rags. The first step was to amass a collection of rags to use. Easy enough, I just cut any rough, stained or holy bath and kitchen towels in half, and plopped them in a basket on top of the fridge.

What started happening shortly thereafter is that we’d use a rag to wipe something up, and the throw it down the hall in the general direction of the laundry room. Not an improvement! So I hung a fabric tote bag from the handle of a door, and all rags went in there until laundry time, when they went in the wash, bag and all. I have two bags, so that when one is in the wash, the system doesn’t break down.

We still use paper towels, but much much less, maybe buying them once a month instead of once a week.

Janet Hill painting

I finally framed the signed Janet Hill print I won over at the The Stamford Wife about 6 months ago.

Most of the art in our house is framed pretty simply, but for some reason I went kind of crazy on this one and framed it large (a 16X20 frame), in a big gilt fussy frame. I love it though. As I said to Jamie, I don’t think you masculinize a painting of high heels, so I just went with it. I’m kind of second guessing myself now though. Is it just too much?

Quick, Easy and Cheap Metal Backsplash?

Going to ask Jamie about installing this metal tile backsplash (in copper?) behind our sink and stove.

Make your own catalog furniture

This site is amaaazing! Do you like furniture? (well, of course you do!) Are you handy with a saw? (or, perchance, married to someone who is)

Knock off Wood has plans for all sorts of great furniture, Pottery Barn especially. Love. I’m going to have Jamie build Jacob that daybed with trundle storage!

Me want

I want this lunchbox!

pipe dream

I bet Jamie could make this menorah out of pipe fittings!

table top tree

Branches seem to be everywhere this year, in jewelry holders, chandeliers, etc. Here‘s an adorable table top Christmas tree version.

Tank girl

Drive a tank over a car. For reals!