Could My Week get Any Busier

Finally!!

So finally we have begun the transformation of our bedroom.  Now that my youngest has moved out and in with her boyfriend we are taking advantage of having an unoccupied bedroom and moved all of our furniture into there.  First phase was ripping up the 27 yr old carpet and underlay. Along with the 200,000 staples.  I never realized how stupidly small my hands are until I had to use a pair of side cutters (? some kind of wrench thingy) to jab under the staple and wrench it out.  I had to use two hands!  So just picture me crawling on my knees pushing a wastepaper basket and using both hands to manipulate one little ol pair of side cutters.  Sad...truly sad.  But I did it and got the 500,000 staples out.   Next step, paint.  Stay tuned.

Here you can see the colour - I loved this red for a long time but it is time.  It was a Benjamin Moore colour - American Flag Red I think.

Ok this is so old - but you can see the deplorable carpet here - yuck.

Love ya

Debbie

My Mom's Special BBQ Spare Ribs or Red Lead

Ok - that is a different title - caught your eye and whet your appetite though didn't it?  So I'm going to do something extreme here and post a recipe.  I know...it's way out there.  I had said my next post - which I had promised would be within 2 weeks - would be about my shop.  But I decided to do a quick recipe post.
I had found ribs (not spare ribs but side ribs) on sale at Loblaws for so cheap.  2 huge racks in a vacuum pack was only 13.00.  And these ribs are big and meaty as you can see from that amazing photo above.  I wrongly gave my grandmother creds for this recipe and my mom quickly corrected me.  It is her recipe. I did know that - sorry mom.  It is a big family favourite, we have a few funny stories and for the life of me I have no idea how it became known as Red Lead - but that is what my dad fondly called it and so do we.

So without further ado or idle chitchat here is the recipe.  I dont usually measure everything out so I am going to try and remember actual amounts.

MOM'S SPECIAL "RED LEAD" SPARE RIBS

Pork Ribs - spare ribs or side ribs 

Cut the ribs into single pieces if possible or smaller pieces.  Sometimes you get ribs with that centre bone which makes it harder to cut up.  Amount is dependent on how many you are serving.  I usually say 1/2 rack/person (at least).

BBQ Sauce Ingredients (easily doubled)

1 cup ketchup 

1 cup water

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp worchestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard (i have substituted reg. mustard as well)

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 onion diced

After cutting ribs into manageable pieces, add vegetable oil to a frying pan and brown ribs on all sides. As they brown remove from the frying pan and place in a covered oven safe pan.  I have used casserole dishes but usually use a roasting pan.  You could also use a dutch oven.  After all pieces are browned, mix together the rest of the ingredients and pour over the ribs.   Make sure they are at least partially submerged in the sauce. (you can add a bit more ketchup & water)   Cover and place in a 325 degree oven.  Cook for at least 2 hours - 2.5 to 3 hours are optimum.  You can check during cooking and baste any ribs that may not be completely covered or rearrange.

Thats it.  I love a meal that slow cooks in the oven all day.  It smells so amazing.  We like to serve it with mashed potatoes and a mashed mixture of turnip and carrots.  The sauce makes a lovely gravy to drizzle over the vegies.  I have also used this recipe as a bbq sauce.  For that I boil the sauce on the stove for about 10 mins and keep in the fridge.  I then use this for basting ribs or even pork chops on the grill.

Enjoy!  I am sure it will become a family favourite at your home too. Just remember its name...Red Lead :)

Love Ya

Debbie

MY THANKYOU AFTER THANKSGIVING!

I want to say Thanks - after our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend I think it is very appropo. So Thankyou for....I have hit 4000 pageviews.  That is amazing.  One post on my Craft Room has over 2445 hits alone.  That is awesome!  Now if I could boost my followers that would even be more awesome.  Come on ... follow me.  Please??

Ok so Im not the most interesting blogger but I am going to keep trying and hopefully strike a chord with a few of those people out there.

"KNOCK KNOCK"  you there??? I'm talking about you.

My next post is going to be about my work. Stay tuned.

LOVE YA!

Deb

Upcycled Coffee Table

My youngest son decided it was time for him to move out on his own, wait for it, a year ago this month.  I can't believe it has already been one year.  He has matured nicely over this past year and I love seeing him take pride in his place.   He shares a townhouse not far from us with 3 friends.  All of them starting out their first time.  While I had stuff that I had been saving for him or my daughter to help with their first homes, I still wanted to do something for him that was unique.

At our cottage we have many pieces of furniture that have been passed down or as we like to say is on the last stop before the dump.  (I know right? we have all had cottages like that).  One of the items was a small coffee table that my husband had in his first apartment back in the late 70's.  I had repainted it a few years ago and it was out on our screened in porch sometimes known as a  Muskoka room.  We happened to have an almost brand new glass and metal Ikea coffee table that had been abandoned by a former business neighbour and that left us with a surplus table.  I thought I would upcycle it and gift it to our son for his new pad rather than toss it out or burn it.

In this picture of our cottage porch the white table is there on the lower left with a game box on it.  What you can't see is that there is dentil (sp) moulding around the top edge.  (I'll tell the story of our porch another day.)

I was attracted to all the Union Jack painted furniture out there and thought how cool that would it be to duplicate that look as a surprise.  Since I am relatively new to this blogging about projects I don't have any pics of it in process.

First I removed the legs, washed and sanded down the entire table. I started with an overall base coat of white.  I used Rustoleum Heritage White in the quart can and painted on 2 coats.  I gave it a light sanding and then carefully penciled in the lines of the union jack carrying the lines right over the dentil moulding and down the sides.  I then masked off the areas I wished to remain white and sprayed the entire table with 2 coats of Rustoleum Colonial Red.   After that had dried completely I carefully masked off the red & white stripes and painted 2 coats of Rustoleum Black in a semi gloss with a brush.  After that had dried for a few minutes, I tried to carefully remove all the tape and dang in a few spots the paint lifted.  Hmmm, I think I shouldn't have used a semi gloss in the red spray paint.  Lesson learned.  However, since I was planning on distressing the table I just left it and worked it into the overall effect.

I sanded the heck out of this with a fine grit 3M sponge sanding block. You can see the red and the white coming through.  Love it!!   I knew that being boys/young men that this table would not be treated gently so I didn't want it looking too pretty. Of course this is when my husband said "what are you doing you're ruining it!"  Yup just like the vanity (see my post here) - men....

 I finished with 2 top coats of WipeOn Poly by MinWax.  Wow I love that stuff.   It's so easy to use and no brush marks!!  I have to thank all the blogs I follow for their amazing recommendations - it's great when you can trust that something will work the way it's supposed to - well other than the paint lifting and that's definitely a newbie error!

I have to say he was very very pleased and surprised.  I was happy with the overall effect and pleased that this table that his dad had in his first place now has a place of honor in his own first place.  I think they are both chuffed about that.

Thank you for any comments you may have and please take a moment and become a follower!!

I have linked this to Thrifty Decor Chick for her December Before and After.

Love Ya
Debbie

How Far Behind Can I Get

Don't you find that you have all these great ideas running around in your brain and you think "wow I should blog about that.."
Or you see someone else blog about their decorating prowess and you think "hey maybe I can show what I've done..."
Or you read a fantastic blog about thrifting/furniture upcycling/painting/spring/summer/fall mantles and go " I'm going to join in on that..."
Guilty!
How do these busy bloggers get the determination and discipline to keep churning out their blogs on a nearly if not actually daily basis.  I find it all so fascinating.  I spend hours perusing their blogs.  I have so many favourites I wouldn't be able to prune down my list.  I love reading about their individual personal journeys, their triumphs and their travails.  I am drawn to the endless reservoir of talent out there.  I know many blogs start as a diary of sorts.  A way of dealing with life and sharing with others who don't judge but empathize.  I've read about divorces - planned and shockingly some that come out of the blue; the aftermath of suicide; someone dealing with cancer themselves or within their circle of friends and family; the death of a child.  But also all the wonderful happy things that happen to people out there, the adoption of a child or children; the birth of their first or one of their many children; moving; starting a new job; building a new home; starting a new marriage.  Each and every story moving, funny, sad.  I've laughed out loud (and tried to explain to my husband what the heck I find funny), I've cried, I've caught my breath in shock and I've prayed.  I believe in that.  That somehow by having us out here crying, laughing and praying for you somehow makes the whole world a smaller, friendlier, warmer and more loving place.
So where does my little blog fit in?  Yes I have travails, but after reading about someone elses - mine don't matter.  Yes I have funny stories I could share (and I will) but can I convey the funniness of them (yes thats a word - honest) in written format.  Is my mantle decor as awesome?  Are my home projects blog worthy?    I think maybe so.  Why not.  So I will not promise that I will blog daily, maybe weekly is a good goal.  Should I make that a goal?  How about I just start with all the things I was going to do over the summer but heck... it was a hell of a nice summer and I veged.  And read your blogs and I thank you.  Thank you for being awesome and allowing me to love you all.
Here's a pic of me doing what I did best this summer... vegging.

Talk soon!

Freedom 55 - Not what You Think it Means

JULY 20, 1957

A good year for many things....cars, music, and me :).

55 years is a long time but there are many things to like about being this age.  For instance; my husband and I are now empty nesters.  All 4 of my children have spread their wings and flown the coop.  This is good.  A big adjustment but good. After 33 years of  'mothering'  I am at the age where I can come and go as I please without someone asking for help with something, a ride, a run to the store, some money, something to eat, something to wash...except for  my husband of course.  

Freedom 55...its not what they say on the ads - at least not for me right now insofar as retirement - but it is still freedom.  This new phase of our lives is the first time in most of my adult life that I do not have to worry about who's home, who needs to be picked up, who needs to be fed, who isn't home yet, etc.  This is Freedom.  Freedom from worry, anxiety, stress, sleepless nights (alright - I am past the age of menopausal midnight awakenings - more freedom), high hydro bills, high water usage, wow.  That's a lot of freedom.  And all at once.  We went from 2 kids still living at home last fall to both of them moving out and into their own pads. (yes that's an oldie I pulled out from somewhere lol).  They both seem to be very happy with their choices which they both made willingly.  

However, I for one was still thinking my youngest would stay at home for 2 more years while she finished university.  Then things change.  She is still in university but she is also in love.  I am happy for her (and him).  I, on the other hand, was sad, bereft even. I had a hard time with the letting go.  I have done so much and spent so much time with her over the past 20 years.  She is my baby and yet she is not a baby.  Last night I watched her walk away hand in hand with her love as they returned to their condo.  Somehow that small thing was a big thing.  She was walking away from us but towards her future.  That gave me a sense of peace and closure.   

So, today I look at my freedoms.  And I rejoice.  That my children had the freedom to choose their lives and made good choices is also a freedom for me.  Freedom from guilt.  I do not have to feel guilty that I may have done something while they were growing up that may have adversely affected them.  I know that they will succeed at whatever they choose to do.  They will be happy.  That is freedom.  For me, for them.  Be free little birds, your mama loves you unconditionally and has let you go.

Freedom 55 - that's me and my husband - we have achieved great things.  And great things are yet to come.

Love you all - Happy 55 Birthday to me :)

Debbie