The Apple Street Cottage

Hello, my friends!  It's been a while and even though I've been very busy, not a whole lot of it has been blog-worthy.   Why, you ask?   We bought a house!   It's a small house but it will be BIG on blog posts when I share everything that goes into making it our own. It was a rental property and there are a few things that need to be 'taken care of". Here's a peek at the kitchen: Before you ask, yes, that's a dishwasher to the left of the stove.  Interesting, right?  Never fear, there's a story and a solution coming up in a later post.   There are also some interesting colors that need attention: It may not show in photos, but this color is actually 'popsicle green'.   The bathroom also needs a few 'fixes' so stay tuned for those updates, won't you? In addition to dealing with paint and a few other projects, I've been a bit busy doing this: Over 50 boxes packed here and another 40+ in the living room. This post may contain...

Dreamcatchers have been around for a long time.  Traditionally, they are made from a willow hoop woven with a net.  They are then decorated with feathers and beads.  I decided to make one with a new twist using vintage items.  Let me show you... W elcome to the 'Do It Over' Designers blog hop.  We are a group of bloggers who love to recycle/upcycle/DIY.  I'm happy to host this hop and I hope you'll visit everyone to see what they have to share with you. The links will be listed at the end of this post. This post may contain affiliate links. I started with an embroidery hoop found at a yard sale several years ago. After separating the two pieces, I began tying pieces of lace ribbon to the outer hoop. Then some faux pearls were added... ...until it looked like this: Then I pulled out a beautiful lace antimacassar found at an estate sale. Hot glue was applied to the embroidery hoop, in went the  antimacassar,  and the adjustment screw was tightened....

It's almost May and that means Cinco De Mayo will be here before you know it.  In addition to tacos and margaritas, how about an easy casserole along the same theme?   Yes?   I've got you covered. Here's what you need: 1/2 pound of ground beef.    We grind our own. taco seasoning - my recipe 1 tsp. olive oil tortilla chips 6 oz. of shredded pepper jack cheese - divided 15 can black beans - rinsed 1/2 cup corn 1/4 to 1/2 cup diced red onion 15 oz. diced tomatoes - drained 7 oz. can diced green chilis 8" x 8" casserole dish Serves 6. The steps are easy. First, brown your ground beef with some taco seasoning.  I do not measure, but if I had to, I'd say it was about 2 tablespoons.  My philosophy?  Season to taste! While the meat is cooking, wipe the bottom of your dish with the oil and crumble a handful of tortilla chips over it. Sprinkle half the cheese over the chips. Over the cheese, spread the black beans and corn. Next, the red onion. A...