SOME NEW COLOR & EASY CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Hi there all  you darling bloggettes!

 As you know there has been some interesting changes going on at my house since this summer!  In the midst of this BUSY Christmas Season I thought I would get one more post out before I leave for the Midwest to spend Christmas with my family and give you just a taste of what has happened so far and is finished.

Here is a wonderful chair I found at a Consignment Shop and would you believe it had just been marked down to $69.00!!!

Did I even have to think about it???   NO!  So I found exactly the right fabric and took it right to the upholsterer where it got re-covered and "plumped-up" a bit. 

Take a look at it now...a taupe-y, carmel and cream "wool-look" check.  I touched up the legs and wa-la, I have a wonderful comfy new chair.

Another BIG thing (for California!) is I painted the INSIDE of my front door red!  With BM's Tyler Taupe walls the old White color just sat there...and I wanted the front door to be my focal point.  Besides, the front wall of the kitchen to the left is also RED as are the lower cabinets, too.  Then the room just to the right   (which is my Sewing Room whose door I keep open all the time), that door in there looked bad white when you looked that direction from the Great Room...So...

I painted that door also.  This one leads to the garage, (remember I showed the STARCHED CHICKENS in a previous post.)  So how do ya like it?  I love it and now am on a kick to paint all the doors in the bedroom hallway a color.  Will keep you posted! 

There are several other changes to show, but either they are not quite finished or I don't have a picture.  Haven't put up any Christmas decorations as I will be gone and by the time I get back on New Years they will look tired and will have to be packed away.  Odd for me,  but never fear...

I have a couple of EASY CHRISTMAS COOKIE recipes for you.  Instead of decorating this year, I baked!  Mr. Significant Other thinks it is great!  HA

This first one, called HOLIDAY WREATHS have been a favorite in my family for years.  

So here goes:

1/3 Cup butter

1 10 oz. pkg. regular marshmallows

1 t. green food coloring

6 cups Corn Flakes

Red cinnamon candies

Melt butter and marshmallows  in a large pan over medium heat.stirring constantly until marshmallows are melted and it is all smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in food coloring and Corn Flakes 

Butter (or spray with Pam) yourhands and (work fast here, as once you finally  get the corn flakes mixed into the marshmallows mixture, it gets stickier and stickier!  LOL)  I even put it back on the" turned off" burner to keep it warm!  Just look at this next picture...and that is when it had already been scraped out!  (For those of a "more mature" age, does that yellow TUPPERWARE MEASURING CUP  from the 50's look familiar!  LOL

Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop it out to wax paper, flatten them out and quickly add the 3 cinnamon hearts. If you have kids or grand kids this is a good job for them because if the cookies sit too long they lose the stickiness and the hearts fall off.  ;-(

And here is your finished product!  Keep 'em tightly covered or they will get REALLY sticky!  Use them to garnish a cookie tray or just eat 'em.  They count as breakfast food, right..remember they are mostly corn flakes!. 

  These HAYSTACK COOKIES are from

cooks, com and are so easy and quick.

You need::

3 cups quick oats

3 TBSP. cocoa

1/2 C coconut

1/2 C nuts    Mix these 4 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside

BRING TO A ROLLING BOIL:

2 C sugar

1/2 C milk

1/2 C butter

Pour the hot mixture (and it IS HOT!) into the dry ingredients and mix well.  Drop by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper.  Cool and serve!  That's all there is to it and they are so quick and easy.  Enjoy

I WANT TO WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND WILL LOOK FORWARD TO READING YOUR BLOGS MORE IN 2012 AND I WILL HOPE YOU WILL COME BACK TO VISIT ME OFTEN AND LEAVE ME A COMMENT!  

{{HUGS}}

Joy

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IKEA for Prims?

Hi Everyone!  

Sorry I have been gone for a while...my silly computer has been out of commission for a couple of weeks and I have been incredibly busy.  I haven't even had time to shop for a brand new computer...now that's pretty bad!  But I wanted to post about something I had been thinking about for a while.

Here goes...

A while ago I was out at IKEA and decided that while their Scandinavian style is neat, that many of us are not in a good area for PRIM stores so we have to "make-do" and use our imaginations. Now the results can't be as wonderful as all you lucky people in the eastern and southern part of our country but it's worth some thought

With the above BED, think paint!  It would look good BLACK, or how about even RED!  With a colorful coverlet or quilt, and possibly a CANOPY, an old bench at the foot and some primitive prints above the headboard, it could look PRIM.  Not perfect but for a KID'S ROOM you can't beat the price

Or how about all white, ruffly and girly for your beautiful daughter!

.  

These go without saying...you can do anything with them.  Spray paint can transform them into anything you want and at $1.00 a can at WM you can't go wrong...you could even re-paint them for a special occasion and then do them back!  You can even "distress" them and really make 'em look old.

Now hasn't everyone's Grandma had a table/plant stand like this???

I can just remember a "Mother-in-law's Tongue" plant on it in the "front parlor!"

You could paint this or not, but a nice muddy color would work; maybe an "Olde Century" or Olde Village" color.  Or maybe just a craft paint color..about 3 bottles would do it, give it a light spray of satin varnish and call it a day!  Cute table and good price!

This is a runner that was with their CHRISTMAS stuff; already a great color.  Wrinkle it up a bit on your table and add black wood items, or clear glass (Mason Jars with candles?) and a little greenery and berries and you're done!  

The fabric hearts are always good....hang on the tree, tie on packages or tuck in with your centerpiece!

Well, I couldn't pass up these baskets!  Use them as is or get out the red or green spray paint, along with a little "Wood-tone" color spray for antiquing) and spray away!  Then fill them with crushed newspaper about 2/3 of the way  (for filler) and then go to town and have fun!

Use on your front porch, filled to overflowing with pine cones, or (fake) snowballs or even ornaments.

Use under your tree to hold small gifts

or even fill with apples or oranges for a treat on your kitchen counter.  Tie a plaid, checked, or patterned bow and you are all done.

They stack as you can see so you can stack them and then use them to store small decorations the rest of the year.

So you can see if you just use your imagination you can have (sort of) a PRIM look.even without the real thing

I would rather have the REAL THING but that probably won't happen so I use my imagination.  Hope this gave you some ideas you might be able to use, too

Now as far as my next post, let's just say I have had TWO rooms in total disarray for a couple of MONTHS (I was painting a china cabinet in the middle of the L.R. floor last week!)  The OFFICE is in the process of becoming the GUEST ROOM and I am running out of space here!  I can see the "light at the end of the tunnel," however, and will show you as soon as it is done!

Hope THANKSGIVING was fun and I can't wait for CHRISTMAS!

{{HUGS}}

Joy    .  

SOME NEIGHBORHOOD COLOR and "ALL ABOUT ME: FROM A to Z"

So let's go "forward" a little and see what colors we will see in a few weeks.  It has been so warm here that, except for a few leaves falling, everything is still as green as "summertime"

And "NOW" 

DRUM ROLL PLEASE,

"ALL ABOUT ME, FROM A to Z

(Read fast, so you won't get too bored, or fall asleep!  LOL)

AGE:  So why couldn't you have asked me that before September!!!  Let's just say I slid out of the seventys, kicking and screaming all the way and am loving every minute of it!

BED:  My dream Queen Size Black Pencil Post

CHORE I HATE: Cleaning Toilets...doesn't everyone!

DOG:  Oh don't I wish.  I love dogs!  Used to raise Mini Dachshunds.  Fun! Fun! Fun!

ESSENTIAL START TO MY DAY:  Orange Juice

FAVORITE COLOR:  I would have to say "RED" with "BLUE" a close 2nd

GOLD OR SILVER:  Silver!  With this hair???   LOL:.

HEIGHT:  5 ft., 6 inches

INSTRUMENTS I PLAY:  None for me but Mr. S.O. plays guitar and we sing together.  Does that count?

JOB TITLE:  Interior Re-designer, Color Consultant, Retired Admin., Mom, Grandma, friend.  Wow, no wonder I am so tired!  LOL

KIDS:  Two beautiful daughters

LIVE IN:  Northern California, but hail from Illinois and Minnesota

MAKE OF CAR:  A beautiful Honda CRV

ARE YOU STILL WITH ME HERE

HANG ON, WE'RE HALF WAY THERE!

NICKNAMES:  Joyful and Joyous

OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: Two kids, Breast Cancer and One broken knee repaired.

PET PEEVE: Bad Drivers on Cell Phones.  It's illegal here to drive and use a cell phone!!!

QUOTE FROM A MOVIE:  "I'll have what she's having!" from "When Harry Met Sally"  Loved It!

RIGHT OR LEFT HANDED:  Left, but play golf and knit right handed

SIBLINGS: One dear brother who passed away too young from Cancer. :-(

T.V.SHOWS:  Favorite right now is "Sarah's House" on HGTV on Saturdays.  She is so smart, entertaining and a good decorator.  They explain the "why" of making the choices they do.  Love it and try not to miss it.

UNDERWEAR:  "What you get when you stop believing in Santa."  (Fooled ya, didn't I!)  LOL

VEGETABLES I HATE:  That's a "no-brainer" for me:  Cooked Spinach..

WHAT MAKES ME LATE:  I don't allow enough time to get ready!  Used to do a "5-minute-face" but if you refer to "A" above, you will see why.  More stuff to hide all those silly things that appear overnight!  LOL

X-RAYS: Yes, from Brain, "Nope, there's nothing there" to Knee, ":Yep, it's broken alright."

YUMMY FOOD I MAKE:  Everything I make is yummy, or at least Mr. S..O. better say so!  LOL  But I do make a great Coconut cake...with the kind help of Betty Crocker, of course!  LOL  Hey, she's the PRO!

ZOO:  Well, my house has been known to be a zoo when the girls were still home, but for animals at the ZOO, I            really like to watch the Giraffes; they are fascinating to me.  And no "double chins" on those long necks!  LOL

So I need to thank all the bloggers who have done this on their blogs; 

some have even given prizes for it which

is really cool.

the names of some that I have seen are:

Renee, Tammy, Betty, Misi and

(oh, well, refer again to "A" and see why I forgot the others)

See, it's great to get "more mature"  HA!  because everyone expects me to be a little nutty!

And I Am!  So There!

But I am sure having fun...

I will leave you with that until next time.

A huge project going on right now but can't show it yet???

LOVE YOUR COMMENTS!

{{HUGS}}

JOY.  

  .

A TRIP TO TURLOCK and, STARCHED CHICKENS!

Hi Everyone and Hey You, out there shaking her head, yes this is another post from me in less than two weeks!  Miracles DO HAPPEN and Welcome to The Olde Farmhouse!

As I  mentioned in my last post Lori Barnard and I have been e-mailing for about a year regarding me visiting her store and (and my darling daughters and I) were finally able to make the trip for my Birthday!  

So here is a little tour of  her store and a little about her

This is the 18th Century Log Cabin that they moved from Ohio.  Like they say in the magazines:  "We numbered the logs and just put 'em back together on our property."  It is a sight to see and they actually lived in it while their "real" house was being built.

I can hardly imagine that whole scenario, but they did it and the setting is perfect. Now for 

"AMERICAN COUNTRY ANTIQUES...PIECES OF THE PAST"  

A few inside shots....where we spent over 3 hours!  LOL

But there was so MUCH TO SEE!

This is the "upstairs" with a low ceiling and steep stairs...

Back downstairs for more delicious treasures

and did I mention it was her 

AMERICAN COUNTRY HARVEST GATHERING

with

delicious refreshments

and here is sweet Lori thanking me for coming!

WOW!  Who should be thanking who???

We had such a fun day!

So of course when you get home from such an inspiring shopping trip, you are always ready to "do a project, right!  Well, we are talking STARCHED CHICKENS here!  LOL

Did you know you can apply fabric to walls, cabinets or furniture with good old "STA-FLOW" Liquid Starch and you will be able to remove it and there will be no damage to your wall.  Good for those of us who ":like a change!"

So here are the tools you need: one of those wide scraper thing-eys, a cutting knife with a new blade, scissors, a sharp pencil, a small foam roller and 1" foam brush (for edges and corners) and a small tray to pour the starch into.  

Make sure the wall is painted.  Cut the fabric about 2" wider than needed and try to use the selvedge edge where you can.  Also cut it about 2" longer than needed.  (I use my cutting board and long ruler to get it as straight as I can.  Roll the starch fairly heavily on the wall making sure to get into the corners and edges.  I use a level to check on the side edge for vertical straightness.  Allow about an inch on all sides and, using the wide scraper thing-ey against the wall, use the cutting knife to trim the excess.  I had to use a pencil to mark the corners and then cut it with the scissors as I was using Home Dec. fabric which is thicker..  It's just like hanging wallpaper but it is not permanent.  Be sure to smooth is down and add more starch to areas that are not sticking..  To remove it, just grab a corner and pull easy and it will come right off.  If it doesn't, just spray a little water between the fabric and the wall, and, wa,la, you will be back to a painted wall.

Here is the silly pattern I chose for below a RED CHAIR-RAIL in my Sewing Room.  I love a little whimsy and even though this isn't "Prim" it is FUN and we all need a little of that!  

My walls and upper cabinets are BM Monroe Bisque and I have stencilled some CHICKEN WIRE very lightly on the 4 upper cabinet doors.  Then the little black chickens are wood and applied to the doors with little sticky foam squares so they stick out a little.  Looks kinda cute with a hooked rug with chickens and a couple more scattered about.    

Now, Blogger will not let me finish this post...or will they?  I will try to add more pics but if it doesn't work I will have to finish up in another post.  I still haven't figured this stuff out completely.  LOL

So if I am leaving you hanging, I am sorry, but come back again for "THE END OF THE STORY!"

Prim Hugs to All,

Joy

"WELCOME, MY PRETTIES"

"WELCOME" MY PRETTIES!   Yes, come in and check out my lovely green complexion, pet my Kitty and do have a piece of Candy!  I promise you will love what you are going to see!!!

  

On my front porch.  The Witch and Moon sign reads, 

"THE WITCH IS IN"

Couldn't  mean me now, could it???

Left side detail...a great house for putting one of those new pillar candles with a timer!

See, this is where I park my BROOM!

Lower shelf detail...a great big! Truck.  Holds Pine Cones at Christmas...easy decoration...

Takes two minutes to switch pumpkins out!  I like easy and fast! 

This SMIL-EY KITTY  welcomes you.

Check out those teeth!

Daughters designed my "Fall" hutch and I never want to change it.

How would pumpkins and leaves look at Christmas!

More detail...the little towel reads 

"THE OLDE FARMHOUSE"

and was given to me for my Birthday!

Part of Fireplace decoration

"Hocus Pocus"

Other side

"Trick or Treat"

Nice to be back to blogging.  Several things have happened to prevent me from being on here but nothing serious.  Just wonderful things like CRANKY COMPUTER, (that even  stumped Mr. S. O. for a while), a broken Camera, (agh, I am lost without that), a new Camera, (OH, the STRESS that can cause,)  many therapy sessions for my KNEE and hours of "practicing" at home, a Huge Garage sale, purchasing of some new furniture, (that will be for another post), Volunteering at the local S.P.C.A. Thrift Store,  and best of all, my Daughters surprised me by flying out  for my Birthday  AND, GET THIS

I ACTUALLY FINALLY GOT TO GO TO THE CLOSEST "COUNTRY-PRIMITIVE" STORE" in the area..(.well it is over 2 hours away)  LOL...and Mr. S. O. drove us and then took us out to lunch and even found some other great shops in town and checked them out with us.  

WHAT A DAY and can you think of a nicer way to spend my Birthday!  

We were all happy campers!  LOL

I will post soon about the store.  It was really great!

All for now...thanks for stopping by and

leave me a "comment" or my little green-faced witch

will "gobble you up!"  Oh, no, that's a Turkey!

See Ya Soon!

Joy

Where Did The Summer Go???

Well, don't pass out now...I have just been practicing on how to be a REALLY BAD BLOGGER. and I probably have WON THE PRIZE???  I am sorry about not posting but read further...

Happy Fall, Y'all!  And a great Labor Day Weekend.  This is usually the end of summer but here in No CA.  I am afraid summer is just starting.  We only had 5 days over 100 degrees which is unheard of but now they are saying it will reach that several days, soon.  Unlike others in the rest of the country, I am not ready for fall.  The other day I almost brought out a silk geranium!  LOL  So before I lose any more followers I thought I would try to get back into your good graces with a little post:

If you remember (way back in the spring) I mentioned I was off to a wedding in the Midwest.  Well, my oldest granddaughter got married and of course it was wonderful!  A great time was had by all....especially "Grandma" but that comes later...

Stephanie and Nick coming into the reception

The CAKES.  Her color scheme was purple and lime and it had a very "woodsy" style.  Did I mention they love to go hunting, thus the "Camouflage Cake" for Nick

1

This is my Sweetheart, my first Grand baby

This was the view from the reception location.  

Yes, that is the Mississippi River and 

the lights of Downtown St. Paul. 

It was magical

These are my other four grandchildren

Kelsey,21; Gillian, 14: Rachel, 22: Eliott, 19

They are the BEST and I Love them to pieces!

Well, I didn't think I would EVER put a picture of me on this blog, but I am so proud of my daughters that I have to.  Karen, in the middle, is the Mother-of-The-Bride and Kathy is the one on the right.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

So those are the wedding pictures to share but there is one more of my grand son and I dancing 

(like MANIACS)

and  the next morning I couldn't put any weight on my right leg.  

Seems I had torn a ligament in my knee (boy, I must of been having a GOOD TIME or else I am in crummy shape.)  LOL  

No matter, haven't been able to do much for two months as it takes that long to get into

an Orthopedic Doctor here!  

Been spending most of the summer on the couch with ice on my knee so not only have I not been blogging, I haven't done much of anything!  BORING!!! 

Please forgive me, I am mostly back to normal now and have a couple more posts "up my sleeve" on projects I have done around the house lately.

THANKS FOR COMING BACK

Love you all!

Hugs, 

Joy

  

Updated Old Dry Sink and BLOGGER Craziness

First I hope each and every one of you reading this post will go on to have a fun Holiday, whether it be with family or friends or just doing whatever makes you happy.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  

Here is an unfinished dry sink I got back in the 80's;  painted and stenciled it for our dining room.  I even wallpapered the inside with blue and white checked wallpaper.

A few years ago I really starting getting interested in Primitive Style so last fall when redoing the Great Room I had the side edges, front and taller back removed and the carpenter replaced all four sides with pieces of flooring that had been removed from a school that was being torn down.  It was a really old school so I figured: "Good, now it is PRIM."  LOL  I did it black over red but when I sanded it (even as carefully as I could) it went right down to the white so I had to go to Plan "B."  So I took the red paint and painted it over the black where the white showed through and rubbed it slightly with a rag.; then antiqued it with dark walnut stain.  Came out great and looks like an old red piece that had been re-painted black

Oh yes, see that lamp?  It used to be Shiny Brass and I didn't like it that way so I had a can of (would you believe?) Black TEXTURED Spray Paint.  Poof, I sprayed that whole lamp; when it dried I figured "now I have really messed that lamp up!"  It was SO ROUGH I never could have dusted it!  (Oh, am I supposed to DUST??)  Anyway I took some medium SANDPAPER and sanded the heck out of it.  Now it looks as good as any expensive antique.  I even hit is with a hammer so it has a dent in it!  Ha Ha!   .

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Now a 

Note to My Dear Followers and Commentors:

You can be more than sure that I read each and every comment and get incredibly excited when I get a new Follower!  When I do a new post I check a couple of times a day...almost as much as my e-mail!  Well, the first thing I try to do is answer each one of you. " HA! You Say...I never heard from Joy:

after I took my time to follow or comment."  Well, let me tell you BLOGGER must be mad at me and a bunch of you, too since I have not been able to connect in any way, shape or form for many weeks now.  Google gives me the ugly message to try again later and I have even asked Mr. Google, since "He Knows Everything" and even he doesn't seem to have a clue.  Yesterday he even took my Followers off my blog for a while, then phoof, they were back on later today!  Wow that was scary!   :-(.  I have since read on several blogs that tons of us are having the same problems so I just wanted you all to know how I cherish your comments and have hopes of some day getting to 100 Followers.  I try to comment frequently because I LOVE reading your blogs  and want you to continue commenting on mine.  I have met so many wonderful friends here!

So  Thank You and keep coming back, (in spite of Blogger!)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ .  

So, that being said, 

in two days I will be off to visit family in the midwest

 with the high point of this visit being my first 

Granddaughter's Wedding  

on June 11

So, please dear blogettes, don't forget me...I may get to play around on a computer while I am away, but generally I seem to be there when all computers are down.  8-(

Hugs to all, Joy

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COTTAGE STYLE FOR A CHANGE

Just as we all love our Primitive Style, I have learned to appreciate almost  all other styles, as I have worked with so many other homeowner's as their Redesigner.  Sometimes a certain style will "speak to me" and I would like to share that with  you today.  Our Needle Arts Club here in Sun City has several activities during the year that are wonderful to see.  This past week we sponsored a wonderful Home-Garden-Quilt Show which was truly a treat for the eyes

I was so fortunate to be assigned to my favorite home on the tour as a hostess so I had the wonderful opportunity to "really get a good look around!"  (We nosy types like to do that!)  

Not worrying about my picture-taking skills, I hope you can see enough detail so you can enjoy the details.  I find this style refreshing after all the Primitive use of more dull, grayed-off colors.  I am so lucky that this friend-homeowner used to have Primitive decorating in her home and therefore she has given me several wonderful pieces of pewter, lamps, and accessories   She is truly a sweetheart and can you believe she is a Senior???

Gotta love that girl!  She's as sweet as she is cute!  And she is SMART!  She teaches quilting and you will only see a small sample of her quilts   That would be for another post....

This is Kathy 

Here are a couple of her quilts in her Sun Porch 

Is this window just too cute...it hangs in an opening next to her front door

This is her kitchen eating area where there is a marvelous yellow hutch just out of the picture to the left.

The chair seats are upholstered in "old" quilt pieces in blue and white

with yellow & white checked place-mats on the table

This is the end of her Great Room with a marvelous "Hoosier" and Dry Sink

This is the Guest Bath with red checked wallpaper and Yellow checked shower drape.

Yummy!

Here is one of Kathy's quilts.  I don't know how she does it!!!

I thought you would enjoy this shot in her hallway...that is a black and white little plaid with a fun country border...and look at all the hanging goodies!

These are two shots of her Master Bath.  All I can say is I am so fortunate to know such a talented person!  

That sunflower is a candle

This is Kathy's Bedroom.  A beautiful black Four Poster, a white lace half-canopy, Black and white toile accented by black and white checks and a Red Cherry Quilt.  And then add in a ruffly black pillow!  

The bench at the foot of the bed is in the same "cherries," checks and toile.  

A Winning Combination.

I hope I didn't get too far off the "Prim" track but I do think it is fun to admire another style and you can even borrow a styling trick or two from any design.  

Until next time, I hope you will have fun viewing these pictures.

Hugs,

Joy