Extraordinary in the Ordinary » Home & Hearth

Why Marry a Color When You Can Just Shack Up with One?

Topaz — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:53:49 +0000

I recently found Young House Love, a blog about a husband and wife who a) love each other b) like to fix up their home, and c) like to blog about it.

Both of them.

I saw a picture of her husband working on a door, and he even smiled for the picture. Smiling, I tell you. I am not making this up. See for yourself. I bookmarked that. I am showing my husband. I can hear him now, ” Yeah, well, he’s a lot younger than me. I probably smiled at his age, too.” Blah, blah, blah.

I found myself wishing that I had a husband who loved to make our home beautiful with me. In my mind, that would be so beautiful. We would hold hands, skip along, laugh and choose beautiful decor for our home. We would always agree, and he would just love to repaint every time I changed my mind. It’s a magical place in my mind. But then I thought, “Wait. Then he is going to want input.” I am just not sure that I can live with that. No, strike that. I know I couldn’t live with that.

I am so territorial with this decorating thing. Him having input on the interior would be the equivalent to me going into his shed and telling him where to put things and what color to paint it. Crazy, isn’t it? Decorating. It’s a woman’s domain, right? Now, keep in mind that I am married to a blue collar guy who would probably not care if there was paint on the wall at all, and if he did, he would never, ever see the need to repaint it. See, you are starting to come over to my side now, aren’t you?

That being said, the paint color choice I made two years ago was a mistake. After forty something years, I now finally know what I want. Ok, I’ve said that before. Ok. I said that two years ago when we painted. But I REALLY know now.

I wish I would have known all of this two years ago. I was CONVINCED that I wanted warm colors EVERYWHERE. I just HAD to have them. Now, I look at the before and after example on the Young House Love blog and can see plainly why I cannot live with this wall color. Warm colors hurt my eyes. It’s like looking through a hazey filter. It’s not that noticeable in a beautiful room in a magazine or in someone else’s home for a short visit, but it is unbearable for me to live with it every day, all day long. Now will someone please tell this to my husband for me? Explain it so he understands it is some color condition that affects the well-being of one’s sanity and could be detrimental to their health if it is not corrected and how wonderful he will feel that he made me so happy by helping me repaint. It’s not like I am asking for a kidney. It is just paint. No need for everyone around here to start throwing around the word mutiny.

I really regret this color choice. It took me no less than four years to choose it, and I have had it for less than two years, and I don’t like it anymore. Now, mind you, it took me fifteen years to get tired of the white walls. Now, I think all I needed to do was redecorate, not repaint.

Any color choice, for me, is a mistake. But, see, I know this about myself now. Someone on another blog said it best, “I like color in OTHER people’s homes.” Like her, I have commitment issues, plain and simple. I always have. I’m indecisive, too. If you don’t believe me, ask me where I want to go eat. I’ll prove it.

So, we’ve established that color is not my friend. Well, at least not lots of it. There is a reason that I am primarily a black and white photographer. I have always loved black and white. I remember when my first husband and I were married we were using my old 13 inch black and white television. People would ask me how I could watch that and didn’t I want to see shows in color. I was honestly confused. Black and white and varying shades of gray ARE colors. I saw color no matter what anyone else saw. I had never even thought about black and white not being color. Anything more than that just takes away from anything.

Except for the bathroom.

I have chosen Ralph Lauren Gold Parlor Metallic paint for the bathroom, which really does not look like this online paint chip of theirs. It’s a much warmer color. Remember, the master bathroom is where I have Friday night baths to escape it all. Of course, if I paint it a color, I may be wanting to escape the bathroom. But I feel sure about this one. I think. But see, I was looking on The Pioneer Woman’s Blog after I found this color and saw she had a bathroom really close to this color. I know that must be a sign. Right?

Oh, if only some sane person would talk me into white. But don’t look at her bathroom if you have any plans to talk me out of it. Do not look at the picture of the 2nd bathroom. It looks like a mixture of the shower tile color and the wall color in the shade. Gorgeous, isn’t it?

Speaking of white, for the rest of the house, I have decided I want whitish walls with light colored furniture, or dark furniture. Either would probably work. Ideally, I would like furniture with well-fitted covers that I could change when felt like it. But I do know I want whitish walls and hardwood floors. I want to accent with some dark wood and black and throw in some warm colors like orange and brown for accents. My thinking that is if I basically have a blank slate of white, that I am not committed to anything except white, dark wood, and a little black. If I want to change colors, it would be easy enough to change out the accents. I originally thought that with this color now, but the slate was just not blank enough.

Now, if only there were not 583, 498, 219 shades of white. Trust me. The wall will NEED to be painted by the time I choose one. That is a good thing because, honestly, my husband refuses to help me paint it again. He said it doesn’t neeeeeed it. Fine. This isn’t over yet. Why do I see flashbacks of some crazy I love Lucy episode in my head?

Ok. Honestly, if my husband had decorated our home 20 years ago, that is probably what he would have chosen. But I think the journey was important for me.

At least that is what I am telling him. Well, actually, I am not telling him anything. I’m not going to ask how he would have decorated our home 20 years ago. Some things are just better left alone.

How to Create a Spa Room in Your Home on a Budget

Topaz — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:10:24 +0000

I have learned that I like special “me” time. Pampering yourself sends a powerful and positive message to yourself….you are worth it!

If you do not have the budget to pay for this at a fancy spa, do it yourself at home. It’s great. You don’t have to call ahead or worry if your spa is using proper cleaning methods. It also gets you in the mindset of making your home an escape, a retreat. Start with your spa room and then move on to the other rooms in your home making them all a get-away for the whole family.

If you haven’t done this, you have got to try it. But, you need to do it properly. Everything is an experience and must be done right to fully appreciate it and have the total spa experience.

Find the room that you want to use for this time. It could be a bathroom, master bedroom or perhaps an extra room that you have. I am in the process of using both my master bath and master bedroom. I am a firm believer these two rooms need to be special, so this works perfectly.

Keep in mind some of these suggestions are better for certain locations than others which is why I am using both my master bathroom and master bedroom.

The Room.

Paint – Most places suggest a light blue or green. Those are not my favorite colors at all. I’m deciding between a warm beige or burnt orange.
Lighting – Dimmer switches are a great and inexpensive place to start. If you want to do more, change out the overhead lighting in your bathroom to lights that bounce up with a warmer shade. It makes a huge difference. Also, having table lamps with warm shades are a great way to warm up the lighting. A word about lighting, if you have light coming in from the outside, you will be somewhat limited in what you can do with the indoor lighting during the day and will need to wait until dark to create your mood with lighting unless you have a way to block the light.
Declutter - Nothing ruins a room quicker than clutter.
Plants – Bring the outdoors in with plants. If you do not have a green thumb, try an air fern or ivy. For a larger plant, I have a plant that my neighbor calls a mothers-in-law tongue or a shrew. This courageous plant has lived for years in my home with iffy light and very sporadic watering. I am sure with the proper conditions this plant would be able to take over the world.
Comfortable chair – This is especially great for using a foot spa or doing manicures or pedicures.
Foot spa – Nothing makes you feel prettier and pampered more than to have soft, pretty feet. These are not expensive at all. A simple plastic container even makes a great foot spa minus the bubbles. Seriously, though, I don’t care for the bubbles anyway. They can wreak havoc on some things you might want to add to your foot spa.
Find a special place to keep all that you need for you spa time. While some things can be very pleasing to the eye when left out like bath salts and scrubs, candles, etc. Other items tend to look like clutter and need to be stored out of sight. A narrow cabinet for a bathroom makes a great place to keep your things plus give you a surface to “pretty it up” with a plant, candles, etc.
Add texture and softness to your room with the details. Try a bamboo blind or be sure to add fabric where you can like draped over a mirror or around a table as a skirt if you have an open style table.
Neck pillow for the tub – A rolled up towel will work, too.
Wall Art. As a photographer, I believe this makes a tremendous difference in any room. It will give your special room an artistic feel. Be sure to choose art that moves you.

The Experience.

These are the things that take it to the next level and are very important for the pampering, spa experience.

Candles or other low lighting
Music
Favorite beverage
Sheets – The higher the thread count, the better.
Towels – Big, fluffy ones are perfect. To feel extra special on spa days, save these just for your spa time.
Scrubs, bath salts, lotions, pedicure cream, favorite scent (nice for adding to your bath)

A Typical Spa Experience.

Start early in the day by making sure your special sheets are on washed and on the bed and your fluffy, luxurious towels are clean and ready to use.
Make sure you set aside an hour or two where you will be uninterrupted.
Light candles, use your favorite lighting, turn on your favorite music, run your bath and get your beverage.
Use your face mask so that it can set while you take your bath. While you are in the tub, it is a great time to take care of your body, too. You will not believe how wonderful your body will feel by using a scrub, gel and emollient. Silky soft, I tell you. I have tried just soaking in the Calgon bath versus the Calgon AND doing the body treatment. There is no comparison. The body treatment is a must as far as I am concerned. Mary Kay sells an excellent set for this. I’m sure you could find something similar at a local store, too. And, of course, shaving your legs is a must for the silky smooth feel.
Now, soak. Enjoy it. Lay back and enjoy your music and beverage.
When all of your worries have soaked away, wash your hair and rinse it off. I like to do this under the shower. It helps to rinse the tub out, too. Be careful, though. If you have used a body treatment, it can be very slippery.
Step out to your big, fluffy, luxuriously soft bath towel and/or robe.

I tend to like to do my foot spa with manicure and pedicure day separately. It can be a bit much on the same day, but I say if you have the time, go for it. I tend to not want to feel overly busy during my spa time is why I separate mine. I guess if I had all day and could pace myself, it would be fine to do them all in one day, but I’m usually taking a couple of hours and want to time to unwind and relax.

The Foot Spa.

Lights, Candles, and Music.
Start by soaking in warm water with your favorite treatment added to your foot spa. Sit back in your comfortable chair and just enjoy.
Once your feet are starting feel relaxed, take them out and dry them off. If you want to freshen up your water if it has gotten cool, this is a good time to do so.
Use your pedicure in a tube treatment. Sally Hansen used to sell one that was actually called “Pedicure in a Minute”. It has been discontinued, but I think it has been replaces with a pumice treatment. I’m sure if you look, you will find many different brands with something similar. Rub this into your feet really well. Be sure to pay special attention to your heals. Leave this on for at least five minutes.
Now it’s time to soak again. Do this for as long as you like or until your water cools off.
Once you are done with your foot spa, it is time to begin your pedicure and manicure.

Finish off any spa experience with a good book, magazine you never have time to read, or that chick flick you have been wanting to see.

Warm Color Makes a Room Cozy

Topaz — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:13:21 +0000

We recently painted our kitchen. Color is not my friend, and neither is decision making for that matter (I have the paint samples still in the hall to prove it.). Combine the two, and I’m lucky to still be married. Remind me sometime to tell you about the time I didn’t like the color the morning after we had painted TWO rooms with it. Well, I chickened out on going all out with color in our living room/dining room combination and am somewhat regretting it, but we DID go with color in the kitchen, and I love it! It’s a burnt orange that is gorgeous and so warm!

Here is the before….

Here is the after…

What a difference, huh? This drastic change with just a little bit of color. I just LOVE the warmth and romatic feel of this room now!

11 Easy Ways to Save at the Grocery Store

Topaz — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:18:14 +0000

Buy generic where you can. While I am happy with most generic brands, there are a few items that I really must stick with the name brand. This may not seem like much, but a few dollars here and there adds up.
Set yourself a budget each week and prioritize your grocery list before you leave the house. You will be surprised how well you can eat for so little just be making smart choices. We cut our grocery bill in half and have no idea what we used to buy. Seriously, I think it is the fish and the loaves story. Our grocery cart is half full, but our cupboards are overflowing. Also, if you shop at a store that have everything, there is a huge temptation to buy a lot of things you do not need. Make your list based on your budget and stick with it.
Plan your menu. Look for budget friendly meals, especially meals that can be stretched.
Snack ideas: homemade popcorn (even if you buy the fancy popcorn oil this is a cheap snack), homemade caramel popcorn, honey roasted peanuts (store brand only – this is a cheap, healthy snack with a lot of protein – we pay less than $5 for a huge party size container).
Use vinegar to clean most of your surfaces. We dilute ours 50/50 and have found it to be a pretty good cleaner for most things. If we have something paritucularly greasy or something with raw chicken, we will use a more heavy duty cleaner, but other than that we have been using vinegar for everything. It costs a fraction of what household cleaners cost, plus you save your valuable living space by not having so many different cleaners to store.
Drink more water. It is better for you, and it’s cheaper. Squirt a little lemon for flavor if you like.
If you use a fabric softener sheet, cut them in half when you open the box. A half a sheet works just is well for most loads and cuts your cost in half.
Always purchase your meats on sale and buy extra for your freezer. Watch your local sales papers. We have found some really great deals and only live about 3 minutes from 5 different grocery stores (it’s a wonder any of them stay in business with those odds), so it easy to stop by and pick up whatever we want that is on sale. We recently purchased chicken leg quarters for .39 a pound.
Plan your meals where you have extras and be sure to use those extras for lunches, additional meals, or freezing for later.
If you have extra pasta left over, don’t throw it out. Make a meal out of it. Make a quick and easy Alfredo sauce or a garlic butter sauce with Parmesan and throw in some veggies.
If you are addicted to the expensive legal stimulants at Starbucks, purchase an espresso maker and make your own. We purchased the cheapest one Wal-mart had – my husband picked it out – for less than $30. I use it for cappuccino and LOVE them. While it may not taste exactly like Starbucks, it is REALLY close.

10 Cheap Meal Ideas for a Tight Budget

Topaz — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Eating at home is so much cheaper AND healthier for you. You know exactly what is going in to your meals. I really struggle with the prices now at a restaurant. It is amazing how long we can eat off of what we pay for one average dinner for two at a restaurant.

Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, omelets, grits, hashbrowns, breakfast casserole, etc.)
Extraordinary Linguine and Clam Sauce
Salmon Patties
Spaghetti
Shrimp Gumbo
Minestrone Soup
Potato Soup (This is a great recipe that can easily be changed to clam chowder by adding a can of clams!)
Chicken and Rice
BLT – I was 45 before I ever tried this and cannot believe how much I was missing! I know…I please easily. But seriously, what a great combination for a sandwich. We did change ours, though. We use spinach for ours, and we toast our bread. YUMMY!
For nights I do not feel like cooking, Little Ceasar’s has large peperoni pizzas for about $5.

Shrimp Gumbo

Topaz — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:51:40 +0000

This is a great comfort food! It smells so delicious cooking and is perfect for a cold, rainy day. It is also great for entertaining. Easy to fix ahead and heat for guests.

3 beef bouillon cubes

1 cup boiling water

1 large onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

butter or olive oil

2-3 tbs. flour

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)

1 can tomatoes (15 oz)

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

3-4 medium potatoes, diced

1 lb. shrimp, peeled

Dissolve the bouillon cubes in water. Set aside. You will need this later. Saute the onion and green pepper in the butter or oil. I liked to get a little browning action on my onion to caramelize it and sweeten it up, so I start my onions a few minutes before my green pepper. I throw in the garlic at the very end because I want to be sure not to overcook it. Blend in the flour. Stir until smooth. Gradually add the dissolved bouillon cubes. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer about 30 minutes. Add potatoes. Simmer 15 more minutes. Add shrimp. Simmer 15 more minutes.

Alternatives: You can also add okra if you would like a more traditional gumbo. We are not huge okra fans, so we usually pass on this.

Also, this is a great meal for stretching. Just add a extra tomato sauce, okra and/or potatoes.

This is great served over brown rice!

This is on our menu for next weekend, so I will have a picture soon!

Top 10 Ways to Make a House a Home

Topaz — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:11:32 +0000

I am a self-professed homebody. I have no idea why that has such an ugly connotation to it. It’s like you are not cool unless you travel the world and are out doing something all the time. It is like saying you are not living life unless you are doing it outside the home. I believe where you choose to live it is a personal preference. As long as you are living it and happy that is what counts. But I digress. I want to write about ways to make your house homey.

Top 10 Ways to Make a House a Home

Flowers & Plants – whether they are real or silk, they are great for a splash of color or bringing a little of the outdoors indoors. I was actually surprised that flowers are not that hard to arrange. While I am a photographer and love art, I have no skill whatsoever in flower arranging. I did not want to pay the expensive price tag, though, on store bought flower arrangements. I looked through a couple of books when I bought my flowers and honestly was not that impressed, so I did what any normal person today would do. I came home and googled it and found LOTS of great sites with easy instructions. I bet if you checked youtube, you could even find some videos on this. It cost of fraction of what a store bought arrangement would have cost.
Candles – Candles are great for adding warmth, aroma and color to a room. Living in the South, we rarely get to use our fireplace, so I especially love to place candles on the hearth in front of the fireplace.
Pictures – This has probably been the one most stunning thing we have done in our home, add large prints to the wall. Large prints do not clutter a home. They actually give it a bigger presence and make it feel larger all the while homier because of the pictures you are choosing to display. I know what you are thinking – an 8×10 is huge and what you consider a wall print. Before I became a photographer, I used to wonder what in the world I would do with that gaudy sized 10×13 that I got at the local photo chain. Oh, how I have changed my thinking on this one. Trust me. Try it. You will love it! It is the single most attention getting thing in our home. You will never go back to small prints again, at least not for your wall.
Area Rugs – If you had hardwood floors, area an easy way to add warmth and color to a room making it homier.
Heirlooms – If you have something old and special, it will add history to your decor that will not only make it homier but ground it with history from your ancestors.
Art (that means something) – Take pictures of things that mean something to you. It could be a collection, flowers, wildlife, landscape, music, or even something like my Memories Photography Project and hang this in your home or use the pictures in one of the photo screens where they can easily be changed out as your moods or the seasons change.
Throws & Pillows - Nothing makes a home comfortable or guests more comfortable than throws and pillows. It lets people know it is ok to be comfortable in your home.
Warm colors – Warm colors are know for best being colors that evoke feelings of comfort and warmth. Click here to see a before and after of our kitchen going from a pale blue gray color to a warm burnt orange paint color.
Lighting – Lighting can make or break a room. Choose lighting that is warm and soft. Dimmer switches are great for creating warm atmosphere.
Declutter – No home will be comfortable or homey if it is cluttered with stuff. Go through your home on a regular basis and throw out things that you no longer need. Make a place for everything that you choose to keep. Just keep in mind that whatever you keep you will have to keep clean and/or put away. Be sure it is worth your time. Read Enough of the Stuff for more on decluttering and simplifying your life.
Bonus Tip: Wall Rugs – This is a great way to throw some color into a room and cozy it up. It is also easy to change out. When you get tired of it, get a new one a store the old one until you are ready for a change.
Bonus Tip: Waterfall/fountain – This can be anything from one of the table top ones to an outdoor one if your room is large enough. This can make a nice, tranquil area.
Bonus Tip: Photography Table – I saw this at a friends house one, and it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and can be done with lots of table surfaces. Get some of your favorite pictures and place them on a table and cover with glass. I do suggest using spacers, though, to keep the glass from sticking to your pictures. This is a quick easy project with minimal effort but with a huge presence. Most hardware stores will cut your glass for you. Now, that is MY kind of project!
Bonus Tip: Baskets – Use baskets for fresh fruit or things you want to keep handy.

Extraordinary Linguine and Clam Sauce

Topaz — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:27:38 +0000

This is my secret linguine and clam sauce recipe, and I think it is the best linguine and clam sauce EVER. Of course, it probably is not so secret now that I have published it here. Well that’s ok. Good things are meant to be shared with others. This sauce smells SO good!

This is a super cheap recipe but yet a very yummy meal. It is also QUICK and EASY to make!

Ingredients

1 can of minced or chopped clams (drain and set aside juice) – We usually go with the chopped because my husband and some like the bigger chunks of clams. I prefer the minced but there is always a little of that in a can of chopped clams.
1 onion – Use a very large onion if you plan on doubling the recipe.
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Old Bay Seasoning (sprinkle to taste)
splash of white wine – This is my secret ingredient. It adds a certain something to the sauce.
olive oil

Directions

Chop onion and saute in olive oil on a medium to medium high heat and get a good browning action going to carmelize those onions and make them sweet.
Add chopped garlic about 3-5 minutes before the onions are done.
Add a splash of white wine and boil on high for about 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.
Add clam juice and all seasonings.
Simmer on low for 5 minutes.
Add clams and simmer another minute.

Serve over pasta. Stir-fried mixed vegetables is a FANTASTIC side for this meal! If you like cheese, try adding a little Parmesan over your pasta. This serves 2. If you want more, add an extra can of clams and be sure to use a large onion.

Home Budget System – easy envelope system on paper

Topaz — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:32:23 +0000

Have you heard of the envelope system? Many finance programs teach this all cash system for tracking and managing money. It’s great. Our children used it when we were teaching them about money. It’s just a little hard to go to an ALL cash system as adults. It works great for spending allowances but is not practical for much else. My budget system basically turns your CHECKING account into an envelope system. It’s perfect!

I’m very visual and hands on. If I don’t have a system that works with that, trust me, it’s not good. It’s out of sight, out of mind, and I’m sure I do not have to tell you the havoc that wreaks on a household budget.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I had no concept of true money management when my husband and I got married. Fortunately for me he is a patient man. I would look in the checkbook and see a balance and think, “Oh, great! We have money to spend.” It wasn’t until I took an accounting class at a local college that the light bulb went off in my head. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy this made my dear husband. My ADD mind could not grasp this until I visually saw this on paper in an accounting system. That is when I said I have GOT to create a modified version of this for our household.

So after a bookkeeping class, I was understanding the concept of the fact that there is not magic money. It has to come from somewhere in the budget. So modified your basic business accounting system into a simple home envelope (minus the envelope) accounting system. It allows you to keep running totals in each budget category, but it is designed to go on one sheet so that you are not having to look all over the place every time you need a number. We also incorporated our check register into the system. This was about 12 years ago, and we have used it ever since.

Now we know EXACTLY how much we have for spending, saving, to go towards a big project that we are saving for or any other category we choose to add.

Advantages:

Paper – you never have to worry about your hard drive crashing and losing everything or having to boot up for a quick check.
Ability to view all your categories at once.
It allows you to know EXACTLY what you have to spend for different spending and savings categories.
It is perfect for visual, hands-on people.
Also perfect for the ADD mind. It organizes what our minds cannot.

Leave a comment with your e-mail if you would like to try it!

Grocery Shopping Made Easy

Topaz — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:05:15 +0000

Ok, maybe that title was a bit ambitious. I probably wouldn’t go straight to “easy”, maybe “easier”. I absolutely hate grocery shopping. I love cooking but just hate going to get the food. I am waiting on someone to decide to offer this service and deliver it to my front door step. Until then, this is what I use to help make it easier. I have used this grocery list sheet for about 15 years now. I remember when we started shopping at a different store, and I asked if they had an “aisle map” of the store so that I could redo my list. I can only imagine what the manager must have been thinking. He probably assumed I am some really strong “beaver” type control freak. Oh, goodness, I wish. That is not at all the case. Just very lazy. I don’t want to make anything harder than it has to be. This takes a little time to set up but saves countless hours in the long run, plus it can save you money, too.

This is a shopping list with columns for prices and the quantity you need. Simply add your own personal list of regular shopping items in the order they are in the store (seriously, I am NOT a nut…this just makes it SO much easier when shopping and making your list). Then when you need to add something to your list during the week, you can just add the quantity needed instead of writing out the word and the quantity.

If your budget is tight, then with your list and prices in hand, you can prioritize your list or perhaps shop for cheaper meal ideas that week.

I hope it helps you as much as it has our family. Please let me know how you like it!