The Apple Street Cottage

  I don't know about you, but we love BLT's around here.  Especially in the summertime - fresh lettuce and tomatoes with nice crisp strips of bacon, slathered with mayo on fresh baked bread.  Absolutely perfect...until everything starts falling out of that perfect sandwich you've created.    First a piece of tomato lands on your plate. Then some bacon. As you try to push them back in, your fingers get covered with mayo and another slice of tomato hits the plate! Can you relate? Allow me to share my solution - The Better BLT! Here's what you need: 1 pound of thick-cut bacon 2  tomatoes - I used Romas 2 cups of chopped lettuce - yes, I pushed it down a little in the measuring cup! 2 good dollops of mayonnaise Tortillas - I used medium size Start by chopping your bacon into pieces and adding it to a skillet. Cook over medium heat.  I know a lot of people cook bacon in the oven but this method has always worked for me.  There is no bacon grease flyi...

It's that time of year and I've been 'yard-saleing' like crazy the past few weekends.  Let me show you the treasures I've found... This post may contain affiliate links. Let's start with that sweet silver bowl displaying my faux lemons.  When I found it, it was nearly black with tarnish.  When I turned it over, I found this: Here's the before and after: Nothing a little elbow grease and metal polish couldn't remedy! I fell in love with this little silver-lidded jar as soon as I spotted it.  It was only a dollar. It was perfect for my vintage dressing table! These three items I shared in a previous post . However, I didn't share the inside of the Martha Washington sewing cabinet. The sliding drawer contained a few sets of needles. The next drawer is for thread: The bottom drawer contained a few bags of lace (currently being washed) and this jar full of various pressure feet and metal bobbins: The last thing I found on this day was a blank sign and i...

 I found this wall vase at a yard sale last year for $2.  It was a bargain and I knew I could do something fun with it.   Before we get started, let me welcome you to the  Creative Craft Hop  hosted by Donna from Modern on Monticello .   If you just came from Donna,   Welcome to the Cottage!  At the bottom of this post I'll direct you to the next stop on this hop, but be sure to visit all of the other stops for some amazing inspiration. They will all be listed. Where was I? Oh, yes!  I took that wall vase home and gave it a 'scuff' with sandpaper. And painted it yellow! It did nothing for me.  Actually I hated it!   So, I tucked it away with the other unfinished or 'need to be started' projects.  You know the place.  It's kind of like the Island of Misfit Toys . No one ever visits and everything there needs repairs.  Can you relate? I'd take it out once in a while hoping for inspiration, but, alas, not...

  Spring and Summer have finally arrived at the Cottage.  At least I THINK they have... You see, Mother Nature has been off her meds and the weather has been, shall we say, challenging!   It all started in March with a bit of a snowstorm.  Nothing too dramatic, but there were a few inches of the white stuff.  It melted and I got to visit with a dear friend, have a delicious lunch and do some shopping.  I took a few pics for inspiration.  Here's one of them: My first reaction to this little chandelier was, 'This could be such a great upcycle project!'.  The next week, we had a HUGE snowstorm.  Upward of 2 FEET of snow!  Here's a shot of one of our vehicles...and this was taken in the morning looooong before we reached the total amount of snow! Fortunately, it all melted in about a week.  That's the beauty of spring snowstorms.   Easter came along and I tried my hand at cookie decorating again.   A little bit ...