Opulent Cottage

Bathroom Mirror Makeover

This March, we will have lived in this house for 25 years. Twenty. Five. Years. Long enough that things we have redone before are needing to be redone again. And this ugly builder's mirror has been on the list for almost the entire time we have lived here. I have wanted to rip this thing out since I was a newlywed. Here's the photo that I showed last week -- unattractive frameless mirror with the unattractive plastic clips that supposedly hold it to the wall, even though it's glued within an inch of its life.

 

But here's the kicker -- it's a skinny mirror. No kidding. I know y'all know what I mean! Now whether that's a good thing, or bad, I'm not sure, but I'm not parting with the daily delusion that I actually look thinner, and not fatter, than I really am.

About two years ago I bookmarked this great post over at Southern Hospitality. Rhoda's mirror transformation really caught my eye, and I knew this was the perfect answer for our ugly mirror. And today, finally, I finished mine! Ta-da . . .

 

Bear with me on these photos! I now remember why I haven't shown this room before. Even my smart new camera can't figure out how to get a great photo with the funky lighting in this little room, and I haven't learned enough to help it yet. As peachy as these walls look, they're actually the same buttery yellow as our living room and kitchen.

This was one of the easiest projects I have ever done. I was thrilled to find the same pretty medallions that Rhoda had used. Bought those, had the boys at Home Depot cut 4 pieces of trim to fit between, and painted them with my black Olympic semi-gloss.

 

Glued those babies right on with hot glue! I figured it would be a little easier to take off, in the event that I ever change my mind. And when I realized that the first medallion had gone on a little crooked, it was easy to remove -- I just slid a steak knife in behind and popped it off (my scraper was a little too thick to fit in). A little bit of hot glue oozed out on the edges, but it's not really noticeable unless you're looking, or taking close-up shots for your blog. It's not a show-stopper for me. And just like Rhoda said -- start at the bottom! I thought I had measured perfectly, but was off by 1/4 inch from top to bottom. It saved me to have a little wiggle room at the top!

 

It's like we have a pretty new spa bathroom now! I love how the black trim enriches the other black elements in the room. I painted our ugly cabinet black a couple of years ago, and it's helping me live with this undesirable piece a little longer. By the way, the medallions were from Lowe's, for only $3 each, and the trim is just base molding from Home Depot, for 89 cents per foot. This project came in at under $21.

 

This chandelier was recently painted, also. Another Canton find, it was a dirty gold in its former life.

 

This cute rack was a junking find. I had these vintage silver trays hanging around too, so I displayed them here for a little added sparkle.

 

Thank you for coming by to see our new bathroom look! All in all, I'm so happy with the elegant update that the mirror trim has brought to this room, and I hope it inspires you to update yours, as well!

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

Newbie Party at DebbieDoos

Tabletop Tuesday at Marty's A Stroll Thru Life

Kim's Boring To Better at Savvy Southern Style

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Update: I'm also linking to Kim's Wow Us Wednesday, Favorites from 2011 Party

Love to you all,

Andrea

Tabletops - Kind Of

Today I have a couple of peeks into half-finished projects, we'll call them works in progress to make it sound better! Between the weather (which was much better this weekend), and school projects, and other distractions, I haven't been able to finish a single area yet. Call me highly distractable, too.

I did perk up this tattered little teapot that adorns our bathroom counter. It had a cute tinsel tree in it for Christmas, which I totally forgot to photograph, so I don't have a "before." These pretty faux magnolia branches were on clearance at World Market a while ago. I do recall that they were around $5 each. Pottery Barn has a lovely pink version, but at $39 per branch - ouch! I haven't been to World Market lately, but their great prices really do always make it worth the trip.

 

A little bit of moss and some river rocks add a touch more of nature.

 

See that mirror behind it? The ugly builder's mirror that I have disliked for almost 25 years now? It's getting a makeover too, and not a day too soon. Here's a sneak peek of that project --

 

And wait until you see the effect I have planned for these! Did anyone see the antiqued silver hearts at Pottery Barn?

 

There will be plenty of big changes happening around here in the next few months, and I'll be so excited to share them withyou all! Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for the encouragement that you all give to me every week.

I'm joining Marty for this week's Tabletop Tuesday

Kim at Savvy Southern Style for her Boring to Better

Vanessa at Southern In My Heart for Inspiration Friday

Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage 

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday

Perking Up the Kitchen Cabinet

This week I just have one little cabinet to show. That's all! I thought I would hit it hard and heavy the first of the year, and have half of my house redone by now. But when I look at this before pic, I'm sure glad that I did at least get this one  little project done!

Before -

 

Isn't this better?

 

We're having the most awful weather in Dallas right now. This was the second weekend in a row that it was cold, and rainy, and just so gloomy. The sun has peeked out for about 2 minutes today, for the first time in a week.

 

Abby was home all last week, not feeling well, and this is the only thing I managed to accomplish! Well, and cleaning up Christmas. Then it seems like every time I turn around, I find another little Christmas item, and realize that I'm still not done. Does that happen to you?

 

This cabinet sits right by the shelf vignette that I created last week. I'm still loving all of the reds and blacks together.

 

When we bought our house, I immediately painted all of the ugly, dark, gross cabinets white. The doors were removed, and I primed them, but they ended up getting shoved in the garage to await glass fronts. Someday turned into about 15 years, and the next time I saw them they had gotten banged up, chipped, and perfectly weathered. Who knew?!! By the way, those red Fiesta Ware cups and saucers are my newest thrift store find. Dreamy! I fear they may start a whole new collection . . .

 

We were in a time crunch, as we had been asked to be in our neighborhood's tour of homes. And short on cash, with a lot of projects to complete and not a large budget. Chicken wire to the rescue! These cabinets were a huge hit on the tour, with everyone wanting to know how to achieve such a perfectly weathered finish. Most of them were disappointed to find that it was going to take 15 years of authentic weathering to replicate these!

 

I hope you are all having a lovely week, and that there's some sunshine coming your way! Thank you so much for visiting.

I'm joining Marty for Tabletop Tuesday

And Kim for this week's Boring to Better

Courtney for Feathered Nest Friday

Cindy for Show and Tell Friday

Vanessa for Inspiration Friday

Linda for Junkin' Finds Friday

Thank you to our hostesses for such fun events!!

Week Two of A Healthier Diet

Our second week of our new diet included some more good eating, for sure. We certainly aren't feeling deprived! Just well fed, and maybe a little less snug in our clothes. With super chilly temps all week, this was the perfect time to try out some of my favorite soup and stew recipes.

All recipe links will be bold and italicized.

We started off a healthy-eating weekend last Friday with Baked Salmon, served on a bed of arugula, with baked spaghetti squash and lemon-parmesan green beans.

 

My yummy Mushroom Soup, served with a grilled steak using Jaden's recipe, was our fare for Saturday night. Seriously, try her steak recipe and you'll never think you need to eat out to get a good steak again.  

OK, this is not on the diet. But it was cold, and a snow day, so on Sunday we made Crawfish Etouffee. Recipe and photo here. I did almost double the quantity of vegetables, and went easy on the half-n-half, and we enjoyed it every bit as much. In the future I'll have brown rice on hand to use rather than white.

After the cream-fest Sunday night, I was craving something a little lighter. Egg Drop Soup from the Atkins site was warming and filling. I had not had egg drop soup in a long time, and really enjoyed this simple version. I would have made a salad to go with it, but it was just too cold to wash lettuce!

 

Next, on Tuesday, a delicious Sausage, Bean and Tomatillo Stew. This stew is comforting and flavorful with the lemony tomatillos and great Mexican-influenced spices. We used Italian-flavored chicken sausage, and I loved how the flavors paired with the other spices in the stew.

Wednesday's continued chilly temps called for a steaming pot of chili. Made with local grassfed beef and the fantastically delicious Homemade Ranch-Style Beans from Homesick Texan. And more cole slaw, as we're stil trying to use the approximately 18-pound head of cabbage that Maurie picked up at the store last week. Apparently we had not had the conversation about how the store will cut it in half for you, if you prefer.

Some of us got to eat our chili with dogs and tots. Not me! But working with this diet to accomodate our teen is going to be part of the success of us sticking with it. I don't want to give up because of a family mutiny! They are all-natural chicken dogs, at least.

 

Back to the beans: you'll never regret it if you make some of these. I actually make a double batch and freeze them in 1-1/2 cup quantities, about the size of a can of beans. The recipe calls for using dried chiles rather than powder, and the difference in taste is remarkable. It makes chili-making so easy: saute together 1 lb. lean ground beef, lots of chopped onion and garlic. Add 2 - 15 oz. cans tomato sauce, 1/2 can water, the  beans, season with 1 T  ground cumin, 1 T chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer one hour, adding water as necessary. That's it! No packets to buy, and everything can come out of the freezer and pantry. I like to add lots of sliced jalapenos to spice it up even more.

Funny thing about it is, I didn't feel deprived at all, not having the hot dog bun, or any other extra baked goods, or desserts this week! The fiber-filled vegetables and beans we had were so satisfying, and yummy, that we really don't even feel like we're on a diet. I feel a sense of contentment about feeding my family such much more nutritious foods, also. I hope you'll give some of these a try, and let me know if you like them, too!

Joining Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum.

Boring to Better Kitchen Nook: More New Shelves!

What's better on a snow day than having some new shelves to style?!! Yes, I did say snow day! It's always exciting here in Dallas when we get snow, it happens so rarely. Well, not the last two years! We had such a huge amount  last year that we all thought it would be a while before it snowed again. It's not alot, and it's not sticking, but this is a really nice treat!

This is what our little kitchen nook wall looked like after I put away our Christmas tree

 

And look now!

 

These shelves have been hanging around here for a while. I picked them up at the thrift ages ago, not really having a plan for them, but figured we would use them somehow, someday.

 

I'm liking my kitchen theme of red and black, with glass and silver thrown in for sparkle. Kind of pre-Valentine.

 

Our chippy green garden table is still in the kitchen for now. It's not the perfect size for this spot, but it's a great temporary fix while I decide what I want here permanently. Another table? A hutch? A bookcase?

 

Anyhow, these shelves really have breathed new life into this spot. I love the visual height they add. I think I'm going to enjoy having an extra spot to do a little seasonal decorating. And the best part . . . I didn't spend a dime! I just shopped the house and pulled out a few items that were stored in the china cabinet. Well, I guess you could count the $9 I spent for the shelves last year.

 

This sweet windmill embroidery has been around a long time. I remember buying it at the thrift back when I had my shop in 2002. The frame was from a junk heap in Canton. If I had painted it white, it would have sold right away, but I just didn't want to! I guess I must have really wanted it for my kitchen all along.

 

Vintage buttons in a maple syrup bottle. Why not?

 

I have something else new, too! See that little button, over there on the right? Yep, I finally broke down and figured out how to add a Google Friend Connect button. Several folks had asked, and said it would be easier to follow me this way, so I have just added it. It would make me super happy to see some smiling faces over there! Please do be my friend, won't you?!

Thank you for stopping by to see me! I'm joining Susan today for Metamorphosis Monday, Carrie's Amaze Me Monday, Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday and Kim's Boring to Better at Savvy Southern Style. I'm also joining Cindy's Show and Tell Friday and Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage. I'll come by and visit you all, too!

 

Update: I'm also linking to Kim's Wow Us Wednesday, Favorites of 2011 Party

xoxo,

Andrea

 

A New Diet For a New Year

It's time! Time for me to rein myself in, and get back on track with some healthy eating. Like so many other folks this time of year, we're committing ourselves to a new diet that's lower in empty calories and higher in nutrition.

 

After a month of snacking on chips, and cupcakes, and fudge, and just about every other fattening treat, I'm feeling sluggish and snug. In my clothes, that is. We splurged New Year's night with a decadent meal of grilled lobster tails, butter-drenched pasta and garlic bread, and that's the last of that type of food we'll be having for awhile! But with so many great healthy recipes to be found, I don't think we'll be feeling deprived.

I have always favored a lower-carb diet, for some reason I just respond better to that type of eating. I don't plan on being too crazy about this diet, just cutting out the non-nutritive junk that's bringing my energy level down. I certainly think that eating vegetables rather than cookies and cake has got to be a major improvement in nutrition! I used to eat this way every day, and had the energy to run 3 miles, take care of a toddler, and fulfill and demanding part-time job.  All while we were renovating this 80 year old house of ours. And did I mention that I was a size 4? Yeah . . .

Over the next few weeks I'll share some of my recipes as well as recipes I have been wanting to try from other bloggers. We decided to start out this week by eating only natural poultry and vegetables. I have been glued to Kalyn's Kitchen for days, and have a wealth of her recipes bookmarked for our dinners this month. Not only are her recipes healthful and low-carb, they're really good!

Tuesday we had my version of  Lettuce Wraps and a simple coconut milk soup. Made with lowfat ground turkey and plenty of fresh veggies, it's a fulfilling meal that's also full of nutrition. The soup is made with just a bit of lowfat coconut milk and fresh, homemade chicken broth, and seasoned with a few simple spices. I have posted both recipes on Tasty Kitchen, I'll include those links as soon as the recipes are published.

 

Wednesday I made Kalyn's Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Green Olives and Capers, and it was really good. Maurie did declare that eating the roasted lemons, rind and all, would definitely be an acquired taste. Our lemons were pretty bitter. You could certainly just add some lemon zest, and squeeze the lemon juice into the sauce like I do in my Chicken Piccata. The olives and capers were a hit in this dish, though.

 

I served the chicken with a huge bowl of cole slaw, made by combining shredded cabbage, 2 T of mayo, 1/4 cup lowfat sour cream, 2 T of Bragg's apple cider vinegar, and a few dashes of powdered stevia. I also made a batch of Kalyn's Farinata (all recipe links will be italicized and bold), which is a pancake made from chickpea flour, eaten in place of bread or crackers. If you haven't tried Farinata before, I really recommend it over plain white bread anyday. Low in calories and high in fiber, it could be a meal on its own, with a bit of goat cheese and some fresh sliced tomatoes.

 

Thursday's dinnner was a simple stir-fry of some chicken Italian sausage, peppers and onions and a huge Italian Salad.

Our snacks this week were Roasted Garbanzo Beans, string cheese with fresh tomatoes, and peanut butter with celery. I don't really need a snack most of the time, but Abby and Maurie are usually pretty hungry by mid-afternoon. I try to cook enough dinner each night to have plenty to pack in lunches for them the next day. I treated myself to a lunch of my Ten-Minute Miso Soup this week, also. It really reminded me that there's no need to eat junk food when a healthy meal can be made in 10 minutes!

Who else out there is committed to healthier eating in the new year? I would love to hear what you're eating, and share some recipes. It's always easier to "stay on the wagon" when you're doing it with friends!

I'm joining Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum, and trying not to look at all the delicious treats. Well, I may look, and save some recipes for a special treat on Valentine's Day!

My New Baby

No, not that kind of baby. Although I always thought I should have had more.

The kind that comes in one of these.

 

Can you guess? It's my Christmas present! Thanks MIL, SIL and Mom!

 

Ta-da!!!!!

 

It came last night. I charged the battery, but was afraid to touch it until the light of day this morning.

I love it already.

Will be back later with recipes!

Back To Business

It's our very last day of holiday break today(sad face). What a wonderful holiday it was! Tomorrow Abby will be back at school, and I'll start packing up our Christmas decorations. It's a task I look forward to, and not. I always miss the extra glow that our holiday lights cast on our home, inside and out. I'm glad though that I didn't start until I read Yvonne's organization tutorial. Wow! Yvonne, when you're done, can you come spend a week with me in Dallas? wink wink

 

I sure have had fun decorating our new shelves in the kitchen! Still no tile, or trim, but that's okay, we have a whole new year ahead of us, and plenty of time to finish projects in the future.

 

And this is about to become the Valentine house! It's one of my favorite holidays (do I say that about all of them?) and so much fun to decorate for.

 

What do you think of my bread box? I love it! I didn't really have a spot for this basket, and it works perfectly here.

 

Happy New Year everyone! I really look forward to sharing our projects with you again this year. It's going to be a good one!

I'm joining Marty for this week's Tabletop Tuesday.