A New Fireplace, All By Myself

Drinking beer at lunchtime is never a good thing. Well, it is in the moment, but afterwards it's just draining. If I don't get a nap, the beer exhausts me, and after two Stellas, I have found myself completely wiped out. But with the sun finally peeking through after weeks of rain, a lunch outdoors with my boyfriend (that just happened to be at our favorite bar), was much needed. I've spent the past day and a half working hard and I needed to cop a squat with my favorite man, over a chicken wrap and some beeahs.

Yesterday, I exhausted myself with painting things. I decided, a few weeks ago, to use this week as a week of painting and planting. Everything (okay, not everything) is getting a fresh coat of something. It started in the morning, when I took it upon myself to paint an exterior door Farrow and Ball Drawing Room Blue. The color was enormous, and it's simple, structured elegance made me want to paint everything blue. I begged and cooed until W agreed to let me use it again on an interior wall.

Next, I began painting the family room with a bright neutral, Farrow and Ball Farrow's Cream. It's not quite yellow, but it has much more punch than any sort of beige you might find. As W spackled, sanded, taped, unplugged and moved furniture, I began painting. One of the four walls in the room was a deep crimson, and seeing it reemerge with this new, bright color was overwhelming. I am so in love with these colors.

In the meantime, there has been this brick-looking tile section in front of my fireplace. It doesn't make much sense being sandwiched in between the hardwood floors, and the painted brick face. I decided to prime and paint it. Here is the before picture; I remembered to take just after I started priming it.

Before. Yuck.

I primed it, and then prepared to paint the tiles to match the stone. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember the name of the stone's paint color. I decided it might have been Benjamin Moore's Nantucket Fog. I went out and got a sample, but when I got the small can home, I realized it wasn't the right color. It was too blue. It was, however, perfect for a chair I'd repainted a couple years ago. I repainted the chair once again, along with a little yellow table that I'd gotten secondhand a few years ago.

Table and chair, painted Benjamin Moore Nantucket Fog. The tiles, behind them, are primed.

Today, I went to Anchor True Value Hardware and got a small bit of the color that was on the brick; the name finally came to me late last night. It's Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. After I painted my fireplace tile, though, things still didn't look right. The screen, a plain black screen that had been screwed to the brick by one of the home's previous owners, was lifeless. It made me want to paint the floor a glossy black to match, or...

Detach the screen!

Removing the screen was easier than I'd expected. 

A couple screws, some brute force and... it's off! 

I used my new drill that I'd been dying for (see above photo), the one that my loving boyfriend got me for Mother's Day, to detach the screen. Oh, one I started I was overwhelmed with joy. The effect of seeing it gone opened up the fireplace so much. It did require some cleaning and a bit more painting but boy, was it worth it.

Now, at 5:14 p.m., my fireplace is drying. Soon, I will have a new, beautiful screen and tools, and the result is just fantastic.

Great success! Can't wait for the new screen and tools.

I owe my friend KScorna her baking dish (so sorry, K, I promise tomorrow), and I didn't get to the post office to mail my friend JRA's birthday gift. Dinner will be served a bit late tonight. All for the sake of a fireplace that's worth company.

Thank You. Please, May I Have Another?

I cannot say it enough. Sending thank you notes is important, and it makes everyone involved feel good. While a verbal thank you does work on the spot, following up with a hand-written note is just good manners. Now I must say that I have a few friends who are amazing with thank you calls, which are lovely, and thank you emails. There is something, though, about getting a stamped note in your mailbox from someone who wanted to say thank you. They took the time to pick out a note card, write a message, address and stamp it, and then mail it. It shows effort and care, and in today's fast paced world, that means a lot.

Two years ago, I got turned on to a card company called La Familia Green. W's cousin's wife, and one of my favorite mama's, A, sent me a thank you note for a new baby package that I'd sent to her family. It was a cool folded thank you card with a luchador giving the thumbs up, written below him was the word "gracias" (link here). I loved the kitchy style of the card, and went to the website to check out the rest of their shop. I ended up with purchasing a six pack of "G Thanks" cards that still make me laugh when I send one out.

I've always been a big fan of note cards, for as long as I can remember. My grandmother used to have a box of all occasion cards that she would take out anytime she had to write a note, whether it be a thank you note, a birthday card, one saying "get well", or even just a quick note to say "hello". I copied her idea and made myself one, which I'd kept for about 20 years. Now, the box has become a whole card desk. I am obsessed.

Recently, I sent thank you notes to the guests of my Cinco de Mayo party. I wanted to keep the Mexican theme, and wanted the notes to be quality, hand printed cards. On etsy, I found Loitering Press, a shop based in Brooklyn. They had tons of cool cards, and when I saw that they had Mexican inspired thank you cards, and blank notes (la Virgen de Guadalupe), I knew I was in business.

La virgen de Guadalupe y gracias note cards by Loitering Press.

Now, there were other options that fit the bill, but these made the most sense for my party. I wanted to get a special card for W, since he is the man behind the magic, so I searched for a card that had the words "love" and "burrito". I found this card that reads "I love you more than a giant burrito", which is a hand printed Gocco card (listed here is the 3rd edition, but W got the second edition in red). Though the shipping cost was nearly as much as the card, as it was coming from the UK, it was well worth it.

I finished all the cards with a Celebrate stamp, because I believe that stamps make the outside of the envelope as beautiful as the inside, if you do it right. These are great for any party invitations or thank you notes.

I'd tried to get custom envelope seals in the colors of the Mexican flag from my favorite shop that sells them, K is for Calligraphy. Alas, I must have asked too late because I never did get the option for those seals. Note to self: plan ahead. To me, the envelope is as important as what's inside.

While I realize that there are networking sites like facebook with which you can send thank you notes, and there's email, texting, and more, I think it's worth hanging onto the idea of hand writing a note to share your sentiment. What's better than having a lovely note card displayed in your house as a constant reminder of thanks?

This will be my next purchase, just sent to me fresh from Mollie of La Familia Green, who is at the National Stationary Show in NYC this minute.

"Yes, I still send thank yous" from La Familia Green.
A message worth sending, and super cute, too.

Let's start a guerilla thank you writing campaign, and use these cards to send our message! It's a brand new style (I don't even see it listed on the site yet), so check my DGfiles facebook page and I will let you know the minute it's up for sale. I want them now! If you prefer, you can check their website,  lafamiliagreen.com. Either way, let's keep the love flowing, via the old-fashioned, USPS way. Who's with me?

I guess I'm just a fool for mail.

Justin Bieber's Family (who knew, and what about you?)

I never thought I'd say this but, as Justin Bieber says, never say never. Today, I saw the commercial for his documentary, aptly titled Never Say Never, rented it on demand, and I loved it.  I've watched it twice.

I've got Bieber fever.

The fever is not about his songs which, frankly, are pretty catchy. Nor is it about his incredible dancing that made me want to enroll in dance classes again. It's not even about the fact that this kid can play the drums, the piano, and the guitar, really, really well. It's about the fact that he was raised by a teen mom, who split with his dad before his first birthday, and his maternal grandparents, and they seem to have done a really remarkable job.

Before I got the fever, I thought that Bieber was a machine pushed by eager fame-whore parents. It's quite the opposite. Early home videos show him playing the bongos, drums, guitars, and singing his little heart out all on his own, and really loving it. They show an amazingly young boy break dancing like a superstar. This kid was born to perform.

His mother, a quiet and kind woman who seems to want nothing more than wholesome things for her son, is very committed to him, and not in a Dina Lohan white-knuckle way. She looks out for his best interest, is protective, and seems to be as involved in his life as she can be. There isn't a trace of pageant mom in her. His grandparents, too, are obviously supportive and committed to their grandson's well-being. Love abounds all around this family. In fact, his manager (?) Scooter, looks out for him as a father would. Bieber's actual father does attend one of his shows and, while watching his son, he finds himself in tears. It's all good with the Bieber family.

Watching Never Say Never got me thinking about what kind of parent I am, and what I want for my child. Like most parents, I want my child to be both joyful and grounded. While we cannot give our children actual happiness, we can give them stability and support. We can create boundaries, and set behavioral expectations that are age appropriate and represent our family's morals. We can be loving, firm, and lead by example.

My Favorite Muffin Recipe (what's yours?)

Every year, when blueberries are in season, I get the itch to make blueberry muffins. I got the recipe from a Cooking Light magazine, and made it for the first time in the off season, January 22, 2005 with my son. He had just turned four years old, and he thoroughly enjoyed doing most of the work. It's that easy. My recipe is clean, made with organic yogurt, blueberries, eggs, and orange juice. I start making them right around Memorial Day, and put them in patriotic muffin cups. I make them weekly, and keep them in the freezer. Every night, I take a couple out to defrost for the morning for breakfast. My son loves to have them with his protein shake, and since I know exactly what's in them, I can feel really good about him eating them. You don't need your mixer or much time to make them, and if you freeze them right away, when you defrost them, they will taste as fresh as the first day you made them.

Be sure each muffin has at least a couple of blueberries. Sometimes, if the batter isn't stirred well, you will end up without enough blueberries in the last few muffins. However, if you over stir the batter, the muffins will be tough and the blueberries may break apart. If you use frozen berries, they will most likely bleed giving a tie dye effect to the muffins. Sometimes, I prefer this effect, and when I can't get fresh organic blueberries, I use frozen organic berries. They look pretty cool swirled. When you allow them to cool, do so on a wire rack. After they've cooled, plate them and drape a light kitchen towel or cheesecloth over the top. Wrapping them in plastic wrap will totally ruin the muffins.

Never refrigerate baked goods, unless we are talking about pies, because refrigeration makes them go stale. If you have ants and don't want them getting into your muffins, you can put them in an airy Tupperware, and leave them on the counter or put them in the freezer. Again, do not refrigerate them or they will just be awful.

My little buddy G next door loves these, too. I think I am going to leave a couple of muffins on his front porch, once I make them.

Try this recipe. You'll love it, and it's about as wholesome and healthy as a yummy tasting muffin can get. I've done the same basic recipe with raspberries (not as pretty but still delicious), chocolate chips. and quartered cherries.

Share your favorite muffin recipe with me here, in the comment section, so that I can give some new ones a try.

blueberry-yogurt muffins 
makes 12 muffins; 3.3 g fat per muffin + 3.7 g protein

• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 c unsweetened o.j.
• 2 t vegetable oil
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 8 oz. vanilla low-fat yogurt
• 1 c fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 T sugar in the raw

Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold berries into the mixture.

Spoon batter evenly into 12 muffin cups (I use a 1/4 c measuring cup per muffin) lined with muffin liners or sprayed with non-stick baking spray; sprinkle 1 T sugar in the raw over each muffin. Bake at 400* for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately; cool on wire racks.

For Locals: fun SALE alert

If you know me at all, you know that I love garage/yard/tag sales more than anything. There are a few upcoming that I want to share with you.

The best one ever is at the Community Church. I got a vintage card table with four folding chairs (all wood) for just $10. That sale is this Friday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Mountain Lakes)

King of Kings is having their Attic Treasure Sale on Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Rt. 46, Mountain Lakes)

The Mountain Lakes Garden Club is having their annual sale at Island Beach this Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Boulevard, Mountain Lakes)

If you are looking for a boat, check out the boat auction at Cedar Lake clubhouse on May 28th. (Denville)

Please share your upcoming garage sales with me here, and I will post them. Happy sale-ing!

Oh, So Nosy!

I'm a bit stressed. As I prepare to send out my thank you notes (and you will read about them once I know that my friends have received them - they're awesome) at the post office, I get a call from someone regarding a situation that I don't want to discuss, something incredibly uncomfortable. The call lasted 35 minutes, most of which had me in tears, or speaking loudly, wishing that I could be anywhere but here.

Consider it the straw that almost broke this camel's back.

After a rough few weeks, I was hoping that things were starting to settle down. I was focusing on the positive changes that I'd made in my life, feeling good about them. But then, after I turned down a bid for an addition on my house, the person (subsequently referred to as said party) who presented the bid had the audacity to send me an email reminding me that said party is "distressed by the direction of my alternative design proposal", which said party didn't even see because someone else will be handling it. It's just not said party's business. Said party also referenced that I "date an artist" and have "spent tons of money" on my home. Unrelated and, once again, not said party's business. I would almost tell you why said party thinks it is said party's business, but that would out their identity, and I just don't think it's fair to share that online. Now, I was willing to let this all of slide and move one -- noting that said party must have been hurt by losing the bid -- even though the email was an unprofessional, if not outright ballsy response, except that said party started telling my neighbors said party's concerns about what appeared to be my decided changes. And one of my neighbor's brought them to my door. (Neighbor referenced: If you are reading this, show me that I'm wrong about you and that you are not the gossip frenzy girl I think you are by not sharing this with anyone. And please, don't come back knocking at my door to talk about it.)

My neighbor, whom I hadn't said a word to about the addition, came to my house to ask me to please rethink my addition, and not do it cheaply, because she'd heard from the person addressed above, well, their whole side of the story. This is both unprofessional and gossipy. When one receives a professional proposal for work, one expects that they can choose not to accept the proposal. Furthermore, it would seem that the professional who made the proposal wouldn't go around town talking poorly about the desired client. You would think. The fact is that I do not live in a condo complex, and I can basically do whatever I please with my home. I could even paint it pink, put flamingos on the lawn (KT, can I borrow yours?).

I've been too friendly, it seems, with my neighbors and proposed contractors, otherwise these people wouldn't feel that I had an open door policy. I cannot imagine telling someone what to do with their house. Not for a minute. I have watched my neighbors do things that I don't agree with, but I've never said a word. Fortunately, I have really great neighbors on one side of my house, a husband and wife with two adorable little boys, and for me, they are my saving grace.

But I've had it with living on the D list version of Wisteria Lane (thanks, JMK, for that reference). Please, keep your nose in your own affairs.

Tiffany -- Worth the Weight in Gold

Two years ago, nearly to the day, I got a Tiffany link clasp bracelet with three heart tag charms. On them, were engraved the following: Johnny, Ward, and then Emma on the front side of the third, and Mollie on the back side. One week later during Memorial Day weekend, I was jumping on the trampoline with the kids and one of the link clasps hooked onto the trampoline and hyper extended. I brought the bracelet back to Tiffany, expressing that I was concerned I could lose it if it happened again. While they did replace the link (Tiffany is great at repairs) free of charge, I was still worried. I wear the bracelet 24/7, and wanted something sturdy.

Needless to say, the bracelet did survive the past two years with the new link, though many a time a random link got caught on something (jeans, couch, bedsheets, anything) and would hyper extend. You see, all of the links open in order to make it easy to attach charms. That made the risk of losing my bracelet that much greater. Essentially, each link was a weak one. I learned how to push the links back into place, but it was nothing short of annoying.

The original link clasp bracelet.

Just a few days ago, a link got caught on my jeans and hyper extended so badly that I couldn't put it back into place. W thought it best that I take it back to T&Co. once again to get another new link. I agreed.

At the cushy customer service section, a woman came out to help me. She asked my name and telephone number. After hearing my concern, and looking up my last repair, she offered me the option to trade my bracelet for another one, and to have the heart charms soldered onto it free of charge. In an effort to stick with what works, I chose the classic charm bracelet (I have one in silver, too), but the only one that they had came with another heart tag charm. This meant I was trading up at a cost of $750. I thought about it and decided that the peace of mind was worth every penny.

When my bracelet is ready, I will pick it up with a fourth charm that bears no name. An open heart. I like it.


Thank you to Tiffany & Co. for being so wonderfully accommodating.